New Jersey Devils Sign Shakir Mukhamadullin
It’s not exactly the $64MM deal that Jack Hughes landed yesterday, but the New Jersey Devils have signed another contract. Shakir Mukhamadullin, one of the team’s 2020 first-round picks, has inked his entry-level contract. The team has immediately loaned him back to Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL, where he will finish the season.
At the time of his draft, some questioned the Devils’ decision to take Mukhamadullin so high, selected 20th overall with the team’s third first-round pick. The young defenseman had been ranked 17th among international skaters by NHL Central Scouting and was expected by some to drop to the second round. The Devils obviously saw something that other scouts didn’t, as Mukhamadullin has not only shown an interesting mix of size, skating ability, and skill, but is also carrying himself quite well in the KHL playing against professionals.
Now 19, the 6’4″ defenseman already has 100 KHL contests under his belt and took part in the World Juniors last year for Russia. He’ll likely be there again this time around, though Ufa will be sorry to lose him. Unlike some teenagers that barely see the ice in the KHL, Mukhamadullin takes a regular shift and is also on the team’s powerplay unit. That’s where all three of his goals this year have come from, already matching his total from last season.
The timing of a contract like this is curious though, as KHL players do not often sign NHL contracts mid-season. It’s good news for the Devils, who will not have to fight to get Mukhamadullin over to North America when he’s ready, but it also means that his contract can slide since they got it done before the calendar flipped to 2022. Had they waited until the spring, when his KHL season ended, Mukhamadullin could have potentially negotiated a deal that burned the first year of his ELC in 2021-22 even without playing games.
Still, it will be interesting if he does come over when the KHL season ends and if so, where he’ll be assigned. He could get a handful of games in with the AHL club, or potentially even test himself at the NHL level down the stretch. Either way, Devils fans no longer have to worry about getting Mukhamadullin into the organization.
Several Players Removed From COVID Protocol As Islanders Resume Season
The New York Islanders will be back on the ice tomorrow against the San Jose Sharks, resuming their schedule after missing the last two games due to a COVID outbreak. Not only that, they’ll have a good amount of reinforcements for the group as well. Anders Lee, Josh Bailey, Adam Pelech, Andy Greene, and Ross Johnston are all out of the COVID protocol, according to head coach Barry Trotz, who spoke with reporters including Andrew Gross of Newsday. Trotz expects four of those five to play tomorrow night.
That’s everyone but Kieffer Bellows, who was the last to enter the protocol before the team was shut down. It also means that if Lee plays tomorrow as expected, it will be the first time the Islanders’ faithful will get to see their captain at the new UBS Arena. Lee has only played on the road so far this season, scoring four goals in 12 games.
“Our playoffs are now” said Trotz today, as the Islanders resume their season looking up from the bottom of the Metropolitan Division standings. They’ve only played 17 games, six fewer than the division-leading Washington Capitals, but have just five wins and 12 points. They’ll be looking to crack an eight-game losing streak and somehow get back into the mix despite a brutal start to the year.
Hockey Canada Announces 2022 WJC Selection Camp Roster
The 2022 World Junior Championship is right around the corner, set to kick off on December 26 in Edmonton and Red Deer, Alberta. For Hockey Canada, selection camp will start in just a few days in Calgary, where the final roster will need to be picked. Today 35 players were invited to that camp, a group that will be pared down to 25 that will travel to the tournament.
The invitees, with their NHL affiliation:
G Brett Brochu (2022 draft eligible)
G Sebastian Cossa (DET)
G Dylan Garand (NYR)
D Lukas Cormier (VGK)
D Kaiden Guhle (MTL)
D Daemon Hunt (MIN)
D Vincent Iorio (WSH)
D Carson Lambos (MIN)
D Ryan O’Rourke (MIN)
D Owen Power (BUF)
D Donovan Sebrango (DET)
D Ronan Seeley (CAR)
D Jack Thompson (TBL)
D Olen Zellweger (ANA)
F Connor Bedard (2023 draft eligible)
F Xavier Bourgault (EDM)
F Mavrik Bourque (DAL)
F Will Cuylle (NYR)
F Zach Dean (VGK)
F Elliot Desnoyers (PHI)
F William Dufour (NYI)
F Luke Evangelista (NSH)
F Jack Finley (TBL)
F Ridly Greig (OTT)
F Dylan Guenther (ARI)
F Kent Johnson (CBJ)
F Hendrix Lapierre (WSH)
F Mason McTavish (ANA)
F Jake Neighbours (STL)
F Cole Perfetti (WPG)
F Joshua Roy (MTL)
F Justin Sourdif (FLA)
F Logan Stankoven (DAL)
F Ryan Tverberg (TOR)
F Shane Wright (2022 draft eligible)
This does look like quite an imposing group, though there are several notable omissions. In addition to Brandt Clarke, who hit the news yesterday, Hockey Canada decided not to bring names like Carter Savoie, Matthew Savoie, and Brennan Othmann, among others. The group does include Bedard, though, who won’t even be eligible for the draft until 2023. The 16-year-old has 11 goals and 17 points in 28 games for the Regina Pats of the WHL after becoming the league’s first player granted exceptional status.
Jarnkrok, Driedger Placed On Injured Reserve
It’s not a very happy morning for the Seattle Kraken, as the team places both Calle Jarnkrok and Chris Driedger on injured reserve. To take their roster spots, Kole Lind and Joey Daccord have been recalled from the Charlotte Checkers.
Driedger won two starts for the Kraken just recently, stopping 65 of 70 shots against the Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres in their last two games. Losing him to injured reserve will put all the pressure once again on Philipp Grubauer, something that hasn’t been a very good plan this season. Grubauer has a save percentage of just .890 through 17 appearances, though that number has improved in his last few starts as well.
It’s not clear how long the goaltender will be out, but he must miss seven days with the injured reserve placement. It can be retroactive to his last game (Nov 29), but Driedger will have to recover from whatever is bothering him before he takes the net again.
Jarnkrok on the other hand has already been missing games, and this IR placement comes as little surprise. The former Nashville Predators forward has played just 14 games this season and has just two points, never really getting his footing under him before dealing with another minor injury. The 30-year-old will also have to miss seven days, but he last played a week ago already, meaning he’ll be eligible to return whenever he’s healthy enough to do so.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Carolina Hurricanes
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads towards the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Carolina Hurricanes.
What are the Hurricanes most thankful for?
Healthy (and effective) goaltending.
Over the last several seasons, the Hurricanes have been one of the best defensive teams in the league, limiting other teams to some of the lowest shot totals in the NHL. In 2018-19 they ranked third in shots against, in 2019-20 they were second, and in 2020-21 they were eighth. With that kind of effort it would follow that any number of starting goaltenders in the league would be able to find success in Carolina, the only problem has been the health of the ones they actually chose.
Petr Mrazek and James Reimer were good, but not very reliable options for the team, with the former playing just 12 games for them last season despite being the expected starter. This year it’s been a different story, at least for Frederik Andersen, who has backstopped the team 15 times in 20 games and looks as sharp as ever. Andersen has a .932 save percentage in those appearances, a number that would be far and away his career high should he maintain it all year. While they did need Alex Lyon to come up for a few days while backup Antti Raanta dealt with a minor injury, the starters role has been locked in so far. That certainly wasn’t a guarantee before the year started, so you can imagine how thankful head coach Rod Brind’Amour is through the first two months.
Who are the Hurricanes most thankful for?
The biggest reason for that outstanding defensive play is Slavin, who is an all-situations superstar for the Hurricanes–even if he doesn’t get quite as much press as some of his flashier counterparts around the league. There are 58 defensemen who have played more at even-strength so far this season, but just six of them own a better goals-for percentage during those minutes. Among those who have played at least 350 minutes, he ranks 11th in the entire league with 22 goals scored and just 14 against. His possession stats during that even-strength ice time put him in the top-five in the league, but that’s not at all where his contribution ends for the Hurricanes.
There is no player, forward or defenseman, who has logged more short-handed ice time this season than Slavin, who averages nearly four minutes a game on the penalty kill. The Hurricanes have taken more penalties than anyone else in the league this year, allowing 79 powerplays against in 20 games. Despite all that time though, he’s been on the ice for just three powerplay goals against, an incredible statistic that is the biggest reason why the Hurricanes penalty kill is ranked third in the league–and why their penchant for penalties hasn’t killed their record.
What would the Hurricanes be even more thankful for?
A return on their offer sheet investment.
No one expected Jesperi Kotkaniemi to be worth $6.1MM this season, but when the Hurricanes signed him to an offer sheet worth that much, essentially buying him off the Montreal Canadiens, there was still hope he could become at least a regular contributor. Instead, Kotkaneimi has moved further and further down the lineup, seeing less than ten minutes of action in four of his last eight games. Through the first month of the season he had just three points, certainly not acceptable for a player making that much on a contending team.
The bounces have turned for him the last few nights, with two goals and three points in his last two games, but that will have to become a trend for this move to seem like a successful one. Remember, not only are the Hurricanes paying Kotkaniemi much more than he’s worth this year, but they also gave up first and third-round picks to get him.
What should be on the Hurricanes’ Holiday Wish List?
A top-six winger.
There’s really not that much the Hurricanes need. They’re deep up front with four lines that can all compete, have one of the best defensive groups in the NHL (at least when three of them aren’t on the COVID list) and have two goaltenders that have both shown the ability to play as above-average starters. The only real question mark is 19-year-old Seth Jarvis, who is expected to once again be in the top-six tonight next to Andrei Svechnikov and Vincent Trocheck.
It’s not that Jarvis lacks the talent to play there; the 2020 first-round pick is going to be in the Hurricanes lineup for years to come. But after some flashes of inconsistency, it may be prudent to go get another winger for that spot before the playoffs. The NHL season is a long grind, and though the bottom-six for the Hurricanes is a strong group, they’re not loaded with goal-scoring talent. If Jarvis has any signs of slowing down, adding another top-six option on an expiring contract might be the best way to go.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
New Jersey Devils Extend Jack Hughes
The New Jersey Devils have locked up the potential face of their franchise, signing Jack Hughes to an eight-year extension that will kick in next season. The deal comes just as Hughes is set to return to the lineup tonight after a long injury layoff. The $64MM contract will carry an average annual value of $8MM, making him the team’s highest-paid forward and locking him up through the 2029-30 season. Hughes was set to become a restricted free agent for the first time next summer.
PuckPedia reports that the deal will include a 10-team no-trade clause in the last four years of the deal. The full breakdown is as follows:
- 2022-23: $7.0MM salary + $2.0MM signing bonus
- 2023-24: $8.5MM salary
- 2024-25: $8.5MM salary
- 2025-26: $8.5MM salary
- 2026-27: $8.0MM salary
- 2027-28: $7.5MM salary
- 2028-29: $7.0MM salary
- 2029-30: $7.0MM salary
General manager Tom Fitzgerald released a statement explaining his excitement over the contract:
Today is a big day for the New Jersey Devils. This contract shows the commitment Jack and his family have made to us, and how the organization- myself, David Blitzer and Josh Harris- are in turn committed to them. We are building something unique and special here, with Jack being a core piece of that. This is just the start of where we believe we can go with this organization, as we work towards sustained success for years to come.
Selected first overall in 2019, Hughes has slowly developed through his first two years in the league, surrounded by a young, inexperienced roster and seeing his fair share of struggles. There was little doubt he entered this season as an improved player, however, and he showed it with his two-goal performance (including the overtime winner) in the Devils season opener. He had another assist in his second game before injuring his shoulder, which has kept him out since October 19 and limited him to just 26 minutes of ice time so far this season.
That all changes tonight when Hughes returns, now with not only the burden of draft expectations but now with those of a huge contract as well.
A member of one of an incredibly popular hockey family, which includes older brother Quinn Hughes, a star defenseman for the Vancouver Canucks, and younger brother Luke Hughes, who was selected fourth overall by the Devils this year and is currently playing at the University of Michigan, Jack Hughes has a skillset that could lead to huge results for the Devils in the long run. While he had just 21 points in his rookie season, he came back as a teenager last year to put up 31 points in 56 games, including 10 in his last 14.
While the projection of his ceiling is still sky-high, there’s obviously also a ton of risk in a contract like this for the Devils. Yes, Hughes could outperform an $8MM ticket as soon as next season, but he also could very well settle in below the true top-line options in the league and suddenly be a bit of an overpayment. The fact is that he hasn’t delivered that kind of production yet, even if his talent and upside are so obvious.
For a team like the Devils though, who only really have two other long-term commitments–captain Nico Hischier and free agent signing Dougie Hamilton–a deal like this isn’t going to cripple them even if he struggles moving forward. They’re paying for what should be Hughes’ entire prime and locking it in to avoid any distractions in the future. If the league’s revenue recovers to a point where the cap ceiling increases down the road, this deal could look like even more of a bargain, given it keeps Hughes in New Jersey for four unrestricted free agent years.
The pressure is on now for Hughes, who will start on the wing this evening but is still projected to be a center long-term for the Devils. That positional decision could be a huge factor in whether this is deal ends up a bargain or a blunder, as Hughes would hold so much more value if he can continue to line up in the middle of the ice.
This move also clears the deck for the Devils front office to focus on some of the other restricted free agents this summer, without having to wonder how much Hughes’ deal will come in at. Jesper Bratt, Pavel Zacha, Miles Wood, and several others are set to hit RFA status, meaning some more multi-year deals may be coming down the pipe. A team that’s just turning the corner on their rebuild, New Jersey is now 9-6-4 and focused on competing all season long in the Metropolitan Division.
Kevin Weekes of ESPN was first to report that a deal was close between Hughes and the Devils.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Jake DeBrusk Drawing Trade Interest
When news came out recently that Jake DeBrusk had requested a trade from the Boston Bruins, it shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise. The 25-year-old forward had seen his place in the Bruins lineup change dramatically since his outstanding 27-goal season in 2018-19, to the point of a healthy scratch over the weekend. What wasn’t clear is whether there was really a ton of interest in the struggling winger, especially because of the healthy salary that he comes with.
DeBrusk earns $4.85MM in the second season of a two-year deal which carries a $3.675MM cap hit, which means he’ll also be due a $4.41MM qualifying offer in the summer just to retain his RFA rights (and risk arbitration). He won’t be a cheap player for the next team he plays for, meaning he’ll have to produce much more than the eight goals and 20 points he has since the start of the 2020-21 campaign.
Still, it appears as though that previous production and obvious skillset are intriguing to teams around the league. Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet tweets that the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, St. Louis Blues, and Carolina Hurricanes are all among the teams that have expressed interest in the Bruins winger. Ryan Rishaug of TSN, who first broke the news of a trade request, tweeted earlier today that as many as eight teams have reached out to the Bruins. The level of interest isn’t clear, and other reports–including one from Sara Civian of The Athletic–seem to dispute even those teams listed. There is also the issue of the salary cap for almost all of the real contenders in the league, meaning a move would be even more difficult to pull off.
For what it’s worth, DeBrusk will be back in the Bruins lineup tonight as Brad Marchand deals with his suspension. General manager Don Sweeney did confirm the trade request to reporters today, explaining that the disgruntled forward would “prefer a new opportunity.”
Christian Wolanin Placed On Waivers
The Buffalo Sabres have placed Christian Wolanin back on waivers, the place they claimed him from last month. The defenseman ended up playing just one game with the Sabres so far and needs to clear to be sent to the minor leagues. Should his former team the Los Angeles Kings claim him and are the only club to do so, they will be able to send him directly to the AHL.
Buffalo recently added Mark Jankowski on an NHL deal and are expected to get Casey Mittelstadt back from injury soon, meaning there needed to be a roster spot opened somewhere. Wolanin wasn’t being used anyway and has a real chance to clear, so the team has decided he’s the one to risk to the rest of the league. It’s not that he doesn’t have NHL experience, as Wolanin has played in 62 games at the highest level, but it’s been extremely inconsistent playing time to this point.
His biggest opportunity came in 2018-19 with the Ottawa Senators, when he ended up playing in 30 games for the team and recorded 12 points. Since then though it’s been up, down, and a lot of healthy scratches for the 26-year-old. Perhaps a team like the Edmonton Oilers or Carolina Hurricanes, both dealing with massive absences on the blueline, would take a chance, but it’s hard to see how Wolanin will get regular playing time in the league this season.
Nashville Predators Acquire Kole Sherwood
The Nashville Predators have acquired minor league forward Kole Sherwood from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for future considerations. The move will give the young forward a new opportunity as he plays out his one-year, two-way contract.
Sherwood, 24, signed that deal in July with the Senators after failing to receive a qualifying offer from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The undrafted forward has played in 13 games for the Belleville Senators so far and has four points. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been in the lineup the last four games for the minor league club (all wins), leading to this change of scenery.
There’s actually some NHL experience in the 6’1″ forward too. Sherwood played 11 games for the Blue Jackets spread over three seasons and registered nine penalty minutes and an assist. The brother of Colorado Avalanche forward Kiefer Sherwood, the younger Kole was once a scoring machine in the OHL for three different clubs. In 2017-18 he put up 44 goals and 86 points in 76 games for the Kitchener Rangers, but wasn’t really ever able to bring that level of production to the professional level.
In this case, future considerations likely mean not much of anything, as Sherwood was already not being used by the B-Sens. It is possible that an AHL trade will follow, but mostly Ottawa will just receive the benefit of an extra NHL contract slot. The team now sits at 46 of their 50 allotted contracts.
AHL Shuffle: 11/30/21
Eight games grace the NHL schedule this evening, including the return of Jack Hughes to the New Jersey Devils lineup against the San Jose Sharks. There is also a prime matchup between two Eastern Conference powerhouses when the Florida Panthers take on the Washington Capitals and a battle between the teams that have won the last three Stanley Cup championships. As those teams and others prepare for action, we’ll keep track of all the minor league shuffling.
Atlantic Division
Metropolitan Division
- The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled Connor Bunnaman and Max Willman back up from the minor leagues, in time for their game tomorrow against the New York Rangers. The team only sent them down yesterday, in order to save a bit of salary on an off day. General manager Chuck Fletcher did explain at a press conference this morning that Kevin Hayes should be back soon, meaning these two may not be needed for long.
- With Hughes’ return imminent, the Devils have sent Chase De Leo back to the minor leagues. The 26-year-old, who is still the scoring leader for the Utica Comets, played in two games with New Jersey but failed to register a point.
Central Division
- Michael McCarron has been recalled again by the Nashville Predators, after only going down yesterday. The big forward has played in six games for the Predators this season, but has yet to register a point.
Pacific Division
- The Anaheim Ducks have recalled Vinni Lettieri from the AHL, bringing him back up after just a few days in the minors. The 26-year-old has played in three games for the Ducks this season, scoring two points.
This page will be updated throughout the day