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Sami Niku Signs In Finland

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There was a point, a few years ago, when Sami Niku seemed destined for NHL success. The Finn had dominated the minor leagues in his first season in North America, earning the AHL’s Eddie Shore Award as the best defenseman in the league, after putting up 54 points in 76 games for the Manitoba Moose. He was a smooth skater with plenty of offensive upside that didn’t suffer from a lack of size.

Now, before he even turns 26, he’s back in Europe. Niku has signed a one-year contract with JYP, the Liiga program that developed him in Finland.

Niku, 25, spent last season with the Montreal Canadiens organization, playing 13 games in the NHL and recording six points. His play in the minor leagues was still strong (especially in the playoffs) but because he didn’t reach a certain number of games with the Canadiens, he qualified for Group VI unrestricted free agency this summer.

In 67 career games in the NHL, spread over parts of five seasons, Niku registered 16 points. Whether he ever gets another chance at that level remains to be seen but his name shouldn’t be entirely forgotten, given his relative youth.

New York Islanders Hire John MacLean; Will Not Bring In Brian Wiseman

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The New York Islanders have made an unexpected change to their coaching staff, hiring John MacLean as an assistant. That may raise some eyebrows, after an announcement just a few weeks ago that Lane Lambert’s assistants this season would be Brian Wiseman and Doug Houda. Wiseman, the Islanders say, will not be joining the staff after all.

MacLean spent last season with the San Jose Sharks as part of Bob Boughner’s staff, even stepping in as interim head coach while Boughner dealt with COVID-19 near the beginning of the year. The veteran coach has also spent time with the Arizona Coyotes, Carolina Hurricanes, and New Jersey Devils over his two decades behind the bench.

It’s in New Jersey where MacLean also made his hay during his playing days, as the sixth-overall pick in 1983. He spent parts of 14 seasons with the Devils, playing 934 games and scoring 701 points. That, plus his short time with the New York Rangers, means he’s certainly familiar with the rivalries that he’ll once again be part of on the east coast.

The team did not give any explanation for why Wiseman is not joining the staff.

San Jose Sharks To Retire Patrick Marleau’s No. 12

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No player for the San Jose Sharks will ever wear No. 12 again. The team will retire Patrick Marleau’s number this season, raising his sweater to the rafters of SAP Center on February 25, 2023. He will become the first player in franchise history to receive that honor. Sharks’ president Jonathan Becher released the following statement:

It is only fitting that the first San Jose Sharks player to receive the ultimate franchise recognition of having his number retired is Mr. San Jose Shark himself, Patrick Marleau. Patty symbolizes the Sharks franchise as much as our famous jersey crest and the color teal. We look forward to celebrating his amazing NHL legacy with Patrick’s family, friends and his legions of fans, many of whom were in the arena when Patrick first stepped on the ice in San Jose in 1997.

Marleau, 42, announced his retirement in May after playing 1,779 regular season games in the NHL, the most in league history. More than 1,600 of those came in a Sharks uniform, starting in 1997 just a few days after his 18th birthday, and finishing in 2021 just a few months shy of his 42nd. During that career, he scored 566 goals and 1,197 points, received votes for the Hart Trophy, Lady Byng and Selke on many occasions, and was a franchise icon of the Sharks’ organization.

Interestingly enough, when he hit the ice for his first game as a Shark, it wasn’t wearing No. 12. That number belonged to Ron Sutter at the time, meaning Marleau would be wearing 14 for his first few years in the league.

Despite not winning any individual awards or the Stanley Cup, Marleau’s longevity, games-played record, and two Olympic gold medals will likely get him into the Hall of Fame one day. The absolute pinnacle of durability and consistency, he missed just a handful of games over his entire career while scoring at least 19 goals in 17 different seasons.

Minnesota Wild Still Looking To Add A Forward

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The Minnesota Wild currently have ten forwards signed to one-way contracts for the upcoming season, plus Matthew Boldy who is a lock to make the opening day roster. Marco Rossi is another young player with big expectations but the team is also looking to add to their group at some point this offseason. Michael Russo of The Athletic tweets that general manager Bill Guerin is still working the trade market but, if nothing can be accomplished there, would look to sign a forward in free agency.

Despite their challenging cap situation, which has more than $12.7MM tied up in buyout penalties from Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, the Wild do actually have a fair bit of room to add, should they choose to use it. The team currently sits at about $78.1MM with a projected 20-man roster, meaning they don’t have to just look at league-minimum depth options.

Even if a star free agent like Nazem Kadri is off the table, there are a number of other talented players still on the market. The likes of Paul Stastny, Evan Rodrigues, Sonny Milano, Phil Kessel, Jonathan Dahlen, Johan Larsson, Tyler Motte, and others are still theoretically available, offering various skillsets and upside.

It’s not just the Wild who could benefit from some of these names. The free agent market has cooled significantly over the last week, and it is unclear how much players still left would be able to command. If they are looking for short-term deals at this point to try their hands again in a year, cap-strapped clubs could be able to take advantage.

Guerin has also shown he’s not scared of making a big splash through trade. Already this offseason he has sent Kevin Fiala and Cam Talbot elsewhere, restocking his prospect pool in the process by bringing back Filip Gustavsson, Brock Faber, and a first-round pick that turned into Liam Ohgren. While Minnesota might be facing some difficult cap restraints over the next three seasons, they still look like a relatively competitive group, especially if a player like Rossi can step into some of the vacated offensive minutes that Fiala took advantage of.

Adding a forward at this point would only strengthen the overall depth of the group.

Seattle Kraken Announce ECHL Affiliate

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The first ECHL affiliate in Seattle Kraken history will be the Kansas City Mavericks, who will partner with the expansion team and their new AHL affiliate Coachella Valley this season. The Mavericks had been affiliated with the Calgary Flames for the past several years.

It is a multi-year agreement between Kansas City and Seattle, though the exact details were not revealed. The Kraken had gone without full-time minor league affiliates in their first season as they built up their prospect system but will now need three tiers to develop and train players properly. More and more, the ECHL is being used as a proving ground for raw skaters or young goaltenders, giving them a chance to receive game action and improve through competition.

The Mavericks meanwhile had struggled of late, putting up losing seasons in each of the past three years. In fact, throughout the five-year affiliation with the Calgary Flames, they reached the playoffs just once and lost in the first round. The best season on record for the club is 2015-16 when they won 52 of 72 games.

At that time, they had a young star by the name of Carter Verhaeghe, who was trying to sort out his career after being sent to the low minors. He was joined the following season by a young netminder named Ville Husso, in his first year of North American hockey. These are the kinds of players that can benefit from time in the ECHL, meaning an affiliation like this is not something to be overlooked, even if it isn’t the landing spot for high-profile names.

Philadelphia Flyers Hire Rocky Thompson

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As reported a few weeks ago, the Philadelphia Flyers have hired Rocky Thompson as an assistant coach for the upcoming season. He joins the staff led by head coach John Tortorella and associate coach Brad Shaw. Tortorella released a statement on the hire:

Rocky is an important addition to our staff and we are excited to start working with him. He has a sharp mind and eye for the game but from the first time we sat down to speak it was clear that he brings enthusiasm and a high-level of energy needed for this job. His communication skills are going to be vital to our locker room.

Thompson served as an associate coach for the San Jose Sharks in 2020-21 but parted ways for last season after explaining that a medical exemption kept him from taking the COVID-19 vaccine. It would seem as though that will no longer pose an issue, as the Flyers welcome him aboard to help coach the forwards and powerplay.

While Thompson doesn’t have a ton of NHL experience as a player or coach, his minor league resume is vast and impressive. He played more than 600 total games in the AHL and served as head coach of the Chicago Wolves for three seasons before joining San Jose. In 2019, he took the Wolves to the Calder Cup Final, and overall he had a 113-71-29 record behind the bench. He also coached the Windsor Spitfires for two seasons, winning the Memorial Cup in 2017 as host city after being knocked out of the OHL playoffs early. He helped the Saint John Seadogs repeat that unique feat as an advisor this year.

New York Rangers Sign Kaapo Kakko

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The New York Rangers have reached an agreement with Kaapo Kakko on a two-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $2.1MM according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic. Kakko was a restricted free agent and did not have arbitration rights. CapFriendly reports that the deal will pay him $1.8MM in 2022-23 and $2.4MM in 2023-24.

It certainly hasn’t been the career many expected so far for the 2019 second-overall pick. Kakko stepped directly into the NHL as a teenager in 2019-20 and scored ten goals and 23 points in 66 games. While it wasn’t dominant, his powerplay production was at least relatively strong and it looked as though he could grow into a top-six role rather quickly.

Now two years later and things haven’t really grown at all. Kakko is coming off a season where he scored seven goals and 18 points in 43 games, bouncing back and forth between dominant puck protector and invisible perimeter player. The consistency just hasn’t been there for the young forward, who is now 21 and signing his second contract.

Still, there are moments and stretches where it seems to be coming together. Eight of his 18 points came in a seven-game stretch in November when he was given a bigger opportunity, and in the playoffs, he had effective games with the “Kid Line” of Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil.

Some will point to his playing time as a reason why his production has been so limited but the fact is, Kakko’s most common even-strength linemates this season were Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, two of the team’s most dominant offensive threats. In fact, Artemi Panarin comes third on that list among forwards, showing just how many chances Kakko received to play with top talent.

It’s not even like he’s been unlucky; Kakko’s career shooting percentage is 10.3%, and actually reached a highwater mark of 11.3% this season. It’s just that he only generated 62 shots on net in his 43 appearances, something that will have to change if he is to take the next step and be more than just a decent, two-way middle-six player. Those don’t usually get picked with the second-overall selection.

That’s what a bridge deal is for. Giving a player like Kakko a chance to prove he’s more than he is right now, before discussing a long-term deal down the road. The young forward will still be a restricted free agent at the end of this contract but he’ll have to take a serious step forward if he wants to live up to his draft billing.

Montreal Canadiens Hire Stephane Robidas

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The Montreal Canadiens have added another coach without much experience, hiring Stephane Robidas as an assistant for Martin St. Louis’ staff. General manager Kent Hughes explained the move:

We are very lucky to have someone of Stephane’s caliber join our coaching staff. His recent experience as an NHL player, and his outstanding hockey background, will be excellent assets for the development of our players. Stephane perfectly matches the profile we were looking for in a candidate. In addition to being an exceptional individual, he is a very good communicator, and I believe that players will relate to him because of that.

Notably, though he has no experience as an NHL coach, he did serve as director of player development for several years with the Toronto Maple Leafs. That experience with young players is going to come in handy with the rebuilding Canadiens, along with his familiarity with the organization. Robidas was a seventh-round pick of Montreal back in 1995 and made his NHL debut with the club before moving on to several other teams.

It’s something of a trend now for the Canadiens to hire a coach out of minor hockey, as Robidas spent last season behind the bench of the Magog Cantonniers, the same QMAAA team that he and his son Justin Robidas played for. Justin was a 2021 draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes and spent last season captaining the Val-d’Or Foreurs.

While his son is just trying to start on his hockey journey, Stephane can look back at an NHL career that lasted more than 900 games. The right-shot defenseman was even invited to an All-Star Game and participated in the World Championship for Canada on three different occasions.

Colorado Avalanche Sign Mikhail Maltsev

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8:34 pm: CapFriendly reports it’s a two-way deal for Maltsev, earning him $200K in the minors with $250K guaranteed.

11:27 am: The Colorado Avalanche have re-signed restricted free agent Mikhail Maltsev to a one-year deal. The young forward was eligible for salary arbitration this summer but chose not to file. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports it’s an $800K cap hit on the one-year contract.

Maltsev, 24, arrived in Colorado by way of trade last summer, acquired from the New Jersey Devils (along with a second-round pick) in exchange for Ryan Graves. After playing in 33 games for the Devils, he spent nearly the entire 2021-22 season in the minor leagues. In 56 games with the Colorado Eagles, he scored 17 goals and 48 points, as one of the AHL club’s most reliable offensive players.

In 18 appearances with the Avalanche, however, Maltsev was unable to register even a single point, while averaging just eight minutes a night. While he did use his big frame to add some physicality to the fourth line, his fit for the Avalanche is unclear moving forward. In fact, signing a deal like this might even be considered a surprise, given how little NHL playing time he received this year.

With the presence of the KHL looming over the Russian forward, especially given his previous affiliation with his hometown SKA St. Petersburg club, one could wonder how much more time he will spend in the AHL before pursuing other opportunities. One thing that may impact that is the fact that Maltsev will be subject to waivers this year, meaning if the Avalanche want to send him to the Eagles, the rest of the league will have a chance to grab him.

John Klingberg Changes Representation

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August is just around the corner and the top defenseman on the free agent market still hasn’t signed. John Klingberg was ranked fifth on our Top 50 UFA list two weeks ago but he sits without a contract or a team for 2022-23. Now, likely due to frustration from how things have played out, Klingberg is changing representation. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that Klingberg has parted ways with agent Peter Wallen and will now be represented by Newport Sports Management. PuckPedia adds that Craig Oster, one of the sport’s most influential agents, will take the lead for the free agent defenseman.

Oster has recently been responsible for several long-term extensions, including Matthew Tkachuk, Robert Thomas, Joshua Norris, and Kevin Fiala, and has other high-priced clients like Brady Tkachuk, Erik Karlsson, Mark Stone, and Tomas Hertl. In fact, his roster compares favorably to just about every other agent in the business and is a logical step for someone looking to score a big free agent contract.

Klingberg, 29, has been reportedly looking for a massive extension for months now, leading to frustration and trade speculation throughout the season. Renaud Lavoie of TVA sports tweets that at the start of free agency, the former Dallas Stars defenseman was looking for a seven-year deal with an average annual value of around $6MM. Landing something like that at this point in the summer might be tough but not impossible, as several teams still have the capacity to add that kind of salary.

Still, with Klingberg set to turn 30 in a few weeks and his game still carrying some of the defensive warts it always has, committing that kind of money to him would be a tough decision for any team. While his offensive production is still excellent–he registered 47 points in 74 games this season–a commitment of that length would carry substantial risk for teams looking to contend.

It remains to be seen whether this change will lead to a quick resolution, or if Klingberg will need to wait even longer to find out where he’s playing next season. At any rate, he has one of the biggest agencies in the business behind him now.

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