Snapshots: Tuch, Jones, Lehkonen
Both Mike Harrington and Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News expect Sabres winger Alex Tuch to sign a contract extension immediately upon becoming eligible to do so on July 1, 2025, they said in their latest mailbag. Tuch, a New York native, is entering the final two seasons of a seven-year, $33.25MM extension he signed while with the Golden Knights back in 2018.
“For all of [general manager Kevyn] Adams’ talk about looking for players who want to be Sabres, there is no one who wants to be here more than No. 89,” Harrington wrote. “What kind of message would it send if they don’t go long-term with him? While I expect Rasmus Dahlin to be named the captain at some point, make no mistake that Tuch might be the foremost leader in the dressing room now that Kyle Okposo is gone.”
Tuch, 28, was a first-round pick of the Wild in 2014 but was traded to Vegas for expansion draft considerations in 2017. He developed into a top-nine fixture in Nevada before being included as one of the core pieces in the trade that sent former Buffalo captain Jack Eichel to the Knights in 2021. Since then, he’s been a staple on the Sabres’ top line alongside Tage Thompson. He’s recorded 70 goals, 106 assists and 176 points in 199 games in a Buffalo sweater.
After routinely averaging over 19 minutes per game and recording over a point per game, Tuch will be in line for a significant raise on his $4.75MM cap hit. A long-term deal could easily cost north of $8MM per season for his 0.88 points per game average since arriving in Buffalo.
Here’s more from around the NHL:
- Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette praised young defenseman Zachary Jones in a profile for NHL.com’s Dan Rosen last week, suggesting the 23-year-old is set for a regular third-pairing role in the Big Apple to begin the season. “Jones got better every single time he played for us,” Laviolette said. “He had to bring that out in himself every time we called his number, and it wasn’t on a consistent basis. When he got the opportunity, he was fantastic.” Jones, a Rangers third-rounder in 2019, has appeared in NHL games in each of the last four years but has been used sparingly, only appearing a career-high 31 times last season.
- Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen appears to be recovering well from offseason shoulder surgery, per Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now. Head coach Jared Bednar said last week that he wasn’t sure if the top-six fixture would be medically cleared for the beginning of the regular season, but video captured by Rawal the past few days shows “encouraging signs that he’ll be good to go when the Avalanche open their season.” However, it’s certain that he won’t be a full participant when training camp opens in a few weeks.
West Notes: Nabokov, Sumpf, Pilling
Last season was a banner one for 21-year-old netminder Ilya Nabokov. He took home three pieces of hardware as the Kontinental Hockey League’s Rookie of the Year, Playoff MVP and champion with Metallurg Magnitogorsk. His stellar .930 SV% in 43 games of KHL regular-season action made him the first goalie off the board in this summer’s draft despite his age, going at No. 38 to the Avalanche.
Colorado may have hoped Nabokov, who’s entering the final season of his contract with Metallurg, would be available to them as soon as 2025-26. That seems unlikely, however, as Metallurg general manager Sergei Gomolyako said the team is working on a one-year extension for Nabokov to keep him in Russia for another season (via Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now).
His strong performance in a top professional league so early in his career indicates he’ll likely be an NHL option whenever he comes from his home country. As a player drafted out of a Russian league, the Avalanche hold Nabokov’s signing rights indefinitely. They don’t risk losing him to free agency if they wait too long to sign an entry-level contract.
Other updates from the Western Conference:
- The Sharks are set to invite a pair of centers to next month’s Rookie Faceoff in Los Angeles on amateur tryouts, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports. The first is 19-year-old German pivot Julius Sumpf, who’s been passed over for selection in the past two NHL drafts. Sumpf, who hails from Munich, came over to North America last season to suit up in junior hockey for the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats. He fit in seamlessly, finishing sixth on the team in scoring with 55 points (21 G, 34 A) in 60 games. He also posted three points in five games for Germany at the 2024 World Juniors, earning some consideration from NHL teams as a potential overage pick earlier this summer, but it didn’t come to fruition. Sumpf has a good two-way game and good size at 6’2″ and 185 lbs, but he’ll likely need to bulk up a bit to make a mark in the pros.
- Joining Sumpf is 20-year-old Calgary native Nathan Pilling. Pilling, who stands at 6’3″ and 205 lbs, has played a somewhat limited role for the last three years in the Western Hockey League. He split last season between the Edmonton Oil Kings and Seattle Thunderbirds, putting up his best offensive totals yet with 18 goals, 14 assists and 32 points in 56 games. He’s a much lower-ceiling option offensively than Sumpf should he end up parlaying his ATO into an entry-level contract, but he does have a more well-rounded physical game.
Summer Synopsis: Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche have continued to thrive as one of the NHL’s premier teams. Their stars are simply too good, and have proven capable of lifting up a lineup that’s otherwise lackluster. That’s proven a beneficial silver lining this summer, as Colorado’s been forced to focus on rebuilding their minor league following a long list of departures. That holdup, a prevailing cap crunch, and looming extensions have left staff hires as Colorado’s most impactful NHL additions, though a few high-upside signings could provide a kick as Colorado gears up for yet another run to the playoffs
Draft
2-38: G Ilya Nabokov, Metallurg (KHL)
3-76: F William Zellers, Shattuck (High School Prep)
5-132: G Louka Cloutier, Chicago (USHL)
5-137: G Ivan Yunin, Omskie (MHL)
5-161: F Maxmilian Curran, Tri-City (WHL)
6-185: D Tory Pitner, Youngstown (USHL)
7-215: F Christian Humphreys, USA U18 (NTDP)
The Colorado Avalanche entered the 2024 Draft with just three picks – but managed to add four more with a pair of nifty trades. Colorado first traded their first-round pick to Utah for a second and third-round pick this year – as well as a second-rounder next year – and then flipped the latter pick to the Buffalo Sabres for a later third and fifth-rounder. That gave them much more draft action, though all coming on the second day.
Still, the Avs looked to be putting their picks to good work when they made standout Russian goalie Ilya Nabokov the top goalie in this year’s class. Nabokov, 21, was overlooked in each of the last two drafts, but commanded respect this year with a standout performance as the starter for Magnitogorsk Metallurg of the KHL. He posted 23 wins and a .930 save percentage in 43 games – the seventh-best save percentage in the league and tied for the highest from a U21 goalie since Ilya Samsonov in 2017. Nabokov has one year left as Metallurg’s starter before his contract expires next summer – and could quickly find a role in Colorado’s goaltending ranks with another strong year.
But after Nabokov, the Avalanche draft got flipped a bit upside-down. They nabbed speedy and undersized winger William Zellers with their next pick, taking him much higher than expected, even after his 111 points in 54 games with Shattuck St. Mary’s. Zellers is expected to spend next season with the USHL’s Green Bay Gamblers, which should provide a great proving ground to see where his value truly sits. But even with promising setting ahead, Zellers seemed like the lesser pick to Colorado’s seventh-round steal of Christian Humphreys, who stood tall as this year’s iteration of shoot-first NTDP forward. He managed 58 points in 52 games on the season, including 23 points, while showing a strong ability to make and finish plays around the slot. Defenseman Tory Pitner was similarly ranked above Zellers by many public outlets, on the back of strong neutral zone defending; albeit with a bit of an awkward skating stance.
But perhaps the upside-down class speaks to how well Colorado drafted – shooting for the stars with high-upside Zellers early, without missing out on clear-fallers later on. Either way, the Avalanche made sure to balance things out in the fifth round, when they selected Louka Cloutier – one of the draft’s youngest goalies – and Ivan Yunin – who could quickly challenge KHL ice time in a goalie-poor Omsk system. The duo were joined by Maxmilian Curran, a hard-nosed forward who’s still finding his defining traits. Each of the trio have road-blocks between them and the pros, but could quickly prove capable with a bit more development.
Even with questions around all seven prospects, the Avalanche are emerging from the Draft plenty happy. They reinforced their goaltending room – to the best of their ability, at least – and added a quartet of very different, but very distinct, North American prospects. It’s a class that won’t change the face of the franchise, but should properly support Colorado’s all-or-nothing approach.
Trade Acquisitions
G Kevin Mandolese (from Ottawa)
Colorado’s only trade acquisition was the lowly acquisition of goaltender Kevin Mandolese, who Colorado acquired from Ottawa alongside a 2026 seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2026 sixth-rounder. Mandolese was a sixth-round draft pick in 2018 and made his move to the pros in 2021, joining a long rotation of Belleville Senators goaltenders. The crowded room has pushed Mandolese to the ECHL for parts of the three seasons since, though he’s slowly fighting into a more prominent AHL role, and even played in three NHL games in the 2022-23 campaign. Mandolese posted one win and a .916 in those outings, otherwise carrying 28 wins and an .896 through 66 career AHL games. He’s likely set for the Colorado Eagles backup role while Nabokov wraps up his time overseas, though his addition could be a sign that prospect Justus Annunen may final win out the NHL backup role.
UFA Signings
F Jere Innala (one-year, $870K)*
F Chase Bradley (two-years, $872.5K)*
F Joel Kiviranta (one-year, $775K)*
F Jonathan Drouin (one-year, $2.5MM)
F Parker Kelly (two-year, $1.6MM)
F T.J. Tynan (one-year, $775K)*
F Matthew Phillips (one-year, $775K)*
D Calle Rosen (one-year, $775K)*
D Calvin de Haan (one-year, $800K)
D Jacob MacDonald (two-year, $1.6MM)*
D Erik Brannstrom (one-year, $900K)
D Wyatt Aamodt (one-year, $775K)*
D Oliver Kylington (one-year, $1MM)
* denotes two-way contract
The bulk of Colorado’s action this summer reinforced their minor league depth. After all, eight of their 12 free agent signees inked two-way deals. The few one-way additions could bring major lineup ramifications, though. They’re led by Jonathan Drouin, who finally looked comfortable in an NHL role in his first year with the Avalanche last season. He posted a career-high 56 points while averaging a career-high 18 minutes of ice time through 79 games – showing that he can still reach new heights even 10 years into his career. There was never much question about whether Drouin would re-sign or not and his new deal gives him a near-$1.75MM raise to repeat his strong play next year.
While Drouin digs his feet into Colorado’s top-end, new veteran additions Calvin de Haan, Erik
Brannstrom, and Oliver Kylington will battle for the blue-line spots vacated by Bowen Byram and Sean Walker. Brannstrom carries the initial advantage, if for no other reason than the fact that he was the only one of the three to play all of last season. He managed a career-high 20 points but continued to fall behind where his 15th-overall draft precedent places his expectations. De Haan also played big minutes last year, stepping into 59 games for Tampa Bay, but his measly 10 points weren’t enough to dodge routine healthy scratches. Still, he’s done more than Kylington – who stepped away from hockey for one-and-a-half seasons for personal matters, before returning in the second half of this year. He played 33 NHL games upon his return, though managing just eight points and third-pair minutes. Each of the three defenders offers their own upside – Brannstrom a boom-or-bust signing, de Haan a reliable depth veteran, and Kylington motivated after absence. But they’ll have to hit the ground running if they want to land a roster spot.
The NHL storylines run a bit dry after the trio of defense additions – though Parker Kelly’s one-way deal seems to indicate he’s a lock for the NHL. That’s great news for Kelly, who spent the last three seasons growing into a bigger and bigger role in Ottawa’s bottom six. That culminated in 18 points across 80 games this season – Kelly’s first full year in the NHL. A one-way deal pushes Kelly into competition for minutes with players like Logan O’Connor, Nikolai Kovalenko, and Artturi Lehkonen – while depth signees Joel Kiviranta and Matthew Phillips try to use the AHL as a platform to jump over them all.
RFA Re-Signings
F Casey Mittelstadt (three-years, $17.2MM)
F Jason Polin (one-year, $775K)*
G Kevin Mandolese (one-year, $775K)*
* denotes two-way contract
Colorado’s biggest chore this summer was re-signing new second-line center Casey Mittelstadt – the return in the deal that sent Byram to the Sabres. Mittelstadt was everything that Colorado could have hoped for in his 29 games with the team, between the regular and post season. He scored 19 points and held strongly as the team’s second-line center, even through daunting playoff deployment. He held onto the momentum from a career-year in 2022-23, when Mittelstadt posted 59 points in 82 games with Buffalo, and seems poised to understudy Nathan MacKinnon for the foreseeable future. It’s not often that a team gets to sign that level of upside at the age of 25 – and the Avalanche opted for the bridge route, buying Mittelstadt’s first year of UFA eligibility with a deal that walks him to his prime. He’ll get a chance for a raise before entering his 30s, while Colorado will save a much-needed dime ahead of re-signing Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, and MacKinnon over the next three summers.
Departures
F DJ Busdeker (signed with Augsburger, DEL)
F Alex Beaucage (unqualified, signed with Laval, AHL)
F Gianni Fairbrother (unqualified, unrestricted free agent)
F Brandon Duhaime (Washington, two-years, $3.7MM)
F Fredrik Olofsson (signed with Zug, NL)
F Riley Tufte (Boston, one-year, $775K)*
F Vladislav Kamenev (unrestricted free agent)
F Yakov Trenin (Minnesota, four-year, $14MM)
F Zach Parise (retirement)
D Brad Hunt (signed with Hershey, AHL)
D Caleb Jones (Los Angeles, one-year, $775K)*
D Corey Schueneman (St. Louis, one-year, $775K)*
D Jack Johnson (Columbus, one-year, $775K)
D Nate Clurman (Pittsburgh, one-year, $775K)*
D Sean Walker (Carolina, five-year, $18MM)
D Spencer Smallman (Washington, one-year, $775K)*
G Ivan Zhigalov (unsigned draft pick, signed with Orsk, VHL)
G Arvid Holm (unrestricted free agent)
G Ivan Prosvetov (unsigned, signed three-years with CSKA, KHL)
G Pavel Francouz (retirement)
Colorado’s list of departures makes their minor-league focus this summer much clearer. They overturned the majority of their AHL blue line, adding to it departures of depth forward and goaltenders. They’ve managed to fill most of those holes with either prospects or recent signees, but the holes left by Walker, Trenin, and Duhaime will each be much tougher to fill. The trio were all midseason trade acquisitions, with clear lineup roles planned out for them. Duhaime settled in as a strong fourth-line bruiser – the same role Trenin came to earn after not finding much of a scoring touch. Walker’s spot was a bit more meaningful, as he stepped into the second-pair hole left by Byram. Walker posted seven points across 18 regular season games in Colorado, but fell apart in the postseason, going without any scoring through Colorado’s 11 games. It’s his spot that one of Brannstrom, de Haan, or Kylington will look to improve upon – with the others battling for Colorado’s seventh-defender role.
The departures otherwise don’t leave too lasting of an impact on the NHL lineup. Parise and Prosvetov’s retirements forced the team to fill menial NHL roles, but the emergence of Drouin and Annunen should prove plenty of filler.
Salary Cap Outlook
The Avalanche are approaching training camp with just over $2MM in cap space. That keeps them from making any more hefty additions, but it could be just enough to add one more veteran deal. The Avalanche will be favorites to sign professional try-outs as a result? And could end up the beneficiary of a veteran free agent like James van Riemsdyk. Fans shouldn’t hope for much more, though, as the Avs look to keep plenty of buffer built into their cap space.
Key Questions
When Will Landeskog Return? There is perhaps no bigger question in the NHL than when, and how, Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will return to
the lineup. He’s expected to be ready early into the 2024-25 campaign, after missing the last two seasons with a knee injury. He’s as premier of a player as a team could ask for, scoring at a point-per-game pace all the way up to his injury – which cut his 2021-22 campaign after 30 goals and 59 points in 51 games. That level of offense will be hard to maintain through two missed years, but Landeskog’s spot on an improved top-six could be enough to spark a quick return. Even that presents issues, though, as Drouin ressurected Colorado’s role of second-line scorer last season, and may not perform the same in a cut role. It seems the answer will come down to how Landeskog bounces back when he’s finally back on the ice.
What Will The Defense Look Like? Colorado made an intentional push to improve their defense depth with their Deadline acquisition of Walker. But now, five months later, the Avalanche are back to questioning their bottom pair. We’ve touched on the battle between Brannstrom, de Haan, and Kylington – but the issue comes from each of the three being left-handed. In fact, minor-leaguer Sam Malinski is Colorado’s only righty behind Makar and Josh Manson. That’s a major annoyance, if nothing else, and will undercut how important the looming battle for blue-line minutes is. Each of the three new additions have played off-handed at one point or another but never commanded much of a right-sided role. Will that change in training camp, or will Colorado need to pursue another right-shot defender as the Deadline approaches?
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Evening Notes: Lankinen, Nichushkin, Pieniniemi
The Vancouver Canucks are narrowing in on a deal with goaltender Kevin Lankinen reports CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal. He’ll support the team as they await the return of Thatcher Demko, who is taking longer than expected to recover from his knee injury.
A deal in Vancouver would move Lankinen on from four seasons in the Central Division – split between the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators. He debuted as Chicago’s starter in the shortened 2020-21 season, recording 17 wins and a .909 save percentage across 37 games. It was an impressive start to the undrafted free agent’s career, though not strong enough to hang onto the starting role when Chicago signed Marc-Andre Fleury that summer. Lankinen has been a proud backup ever since, with his ice time dwindling to just 24 games with Nashville last season.
Vancouver could offer Lankinen his first true shot at a starting role in a while – though he’ll have to beat out postseason wonder Arturs Silovs. Silovs took over for Demko in last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs with just nine career games to his name. He’d end up playing 10 more, posting a .898 save percentage and showing plenty of ability to win games when his team needed him. Silovs will be the favorite for the starting role entering camp, but Lankinen could offer quick relief should he struggle.
Other notes from around the league:
- Sergey Fedotov, a former scout for the Russian National Team, told Russia’s Sports.ru that Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin will be ready to return to the NHL in November. Nichushkin entered the NHL Player’s Assistance Program in May, missing out on the bulk of the postseason after a red-hot start – nine goals and 10 points in eight games. Nichushkin scored a collective 63 points in 62 games this season and will stand as a top option in Colorado’s lineup when he returns, though speculation will remain until the team formally announces his return.
- Pittsburgh Penguins defense prospect Emil Pieniniemi – the 91st pick in the 2023 NHL Draft – has signed with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs for the 2024-25 season. The move kicks off his career in North America after growing up through Kärpät’s junior system and playing 39 games with the Liiga club. He scored six points in those appearances but has already looked more impressive in international play this summer – posting four points in four games during Finland’s U20 friendlies. He’ll now look to maintain that scoring momentum into the much-quicker-paced CHL next season.
Avalanche, Mikko Rantanen Expected To Ramp Up Extension Talks Soon
The Colorado Avalanche have already engaged in extension talks with 2025-pending free agent Mikko Rantanen, though the star winger expects talks will gain a lot more momentum when the team comes back together. He spoke about next season and his looming contract with the Finnish news outlet Turan Sanomat, and his remarks were translated by Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now. Per Rawal, Rantanen said, “We’ve already started a little, but we haven’t had any intensive discussions yet. They will surely speed up here in time.” Rantanen went on to share his excitement for next year’s 4 Nations Face-Off and 2026’s Winter Olympics.
Rantanen is one of many stars entering the last year of their contracts, but few have made such a statement about their current deals. Rantanen signed his current deal – a six-year, $55MM contract – in 2019 after recording the second 80-point season of his then three-year career. It was clear that he was set for stardom, and while fans had to wait through injuries and COVID-19 limiting seasons, the star Finn finally showed his strength in Colorado’s pursuit of the 2022 Stanley Cup. He was perhaps the most influential player on the roster, second to Nathan MacKinnon, scoring a career-high 36 goals and 92 points in 75 regular season games, then adding 25 points in 20 postseason games. The performance proved everyone’s suspicions – that Rantanen, even at a $9.25MM cap hit, was likely underpaid. He’s only continued to improve in the years since, posting a new career-high of 55 goals and 105 points last season, then returning for 42 goals and 104 points this year.
Rantanen compliments his sky-high scoring with great off-puck physicality and an appreciation for defense. Those traits place Rantanen as both a pillar of the Avalanche lineup and their biggest to-do ahead of the 2025 summer. But finding a price won’t be easy, especially given the lack of precedent for such a high-scorer. Oilers’ star Leon Draisaitl seems like the best comparable, though he’s in his own round of extension negotiations. Early rumors have placed Draisaitl’s next deal around $12.5MM. That could provide Colorado with a helpful baseline should Draisaitl sign soon, though it’s likely that Edmonton is watching Rantanen’s negotiations with the same scrutiny.
While the two sides sort through a standoff with their secondary stars, Rantanen will look to continue his domination of the NHL’s Western Conference. He emphasized to the Turan Sanomat that his goal is to only get faster and stronger, saying, “In the NHL, the game is going faster all the time, and as a result, Explosiveness is a big part of how the game is developing. You can’t forget that there are 82 games in the regular season. So you have to have endurance, and you have to be strong in struggles.”
Gabriel Landeskog Expects To Play This Season
- Corey Masisak of The Denver Post is reporting that Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog’s return to the lineup is now a matter of time and no longer an uncertainty. Landeskog reportedly told a fan that he’ll play this year, but he wasn’t sure in what game. The 31-year-old hasn’t played a game since he hoisted the Stanley Cup with his teammates in June 2022 and would be a welcome return for a team that doesn’t boast the depth it used to. Landeskog had 30 goals and 29 assists during the 2021-22 season in just 51 games and was a key catalyst in their run to the championship registering 11 goals and 11 assists in 20 playoff games.
Snapshots: Celebrini, Ovechkin, Avalanche
The San Jose Sharks are eagerly anticipating first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, emphasized by new head coach Ryan Warsofsky, who told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com that he’s expecting Celebrini to drive the lineup. Warsofsky said, “He’s so driven. I think at times we’re going to have to reel him back just because he wants to go, go, go, but he’s a super competitive, self-driven young person, which you don’t see a lot this day and age. That’s what impressed me the most.”
There’s certainly plenty of opportunity available in San Jose. The Sharks couldn’t make it to 20 wins last season, largely thanks to their 2.20 goals-per-game – the second-lowest in the NHL since 2017, behind the Chicago Blackhawks’ 2.17 average last season. San Jose has since parted with Tomas Hertl, Anthony Duclair, Filip Zadina, and Mike Hoffman – four of their top seven scorers from last season. They’ve been replaced by new signees Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg, as well as team captain Logan Couture, who’s expected to return from injury soon, and fellow rookie Will Smith. But those additions pale in comparison to Celebrini, who’s coming off a collegiate season that made him the youngest Hobey Baker Trophy winner in NCAA history – one year after winning the USHL MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. He’s a driven and impressive playmaker who seems poised for quick success. The Sharks will look to lean into that momentum by putting Celebrini into an immediate premier role in the lineup.
Other quick notes around the league:
- Superstar Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin is planning to return to the United States in early September to prepare for his 20th NHL season, agent Gleb Chistyakov shared with MatchTV. Some Capitals have already returned to practices with their teammates, shares Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, though those skates remain informal. Ovechkin has stayed on the ice this summer, participating in a variety of event skates including a recent NHL vs KHL event that pitted Russia’s top pros against a menagerie of NHL stars. He’ll transition back into pro-mode soon, looking to continue his chase for Wayne Gretzky‘s goal-scoring record into its second decade. Ovechkin currently sits 42 goals back from the record – a mark he’s reached in 13 different seasons, including in two of the last three years.
- The Colorado Avalanche are still working to round out their lineup amid a cap crunch, which could lead the team to take advantage of professional try-outs as September rolls around. Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now posited four different options for a PTO, notably including former Ottawa Senators winger Dominik Kubalik. Rawal shared that Colorado frequently scouted Ottawa’s games last season and could be drawn to Kubalik’s scoring upside. The 28-year-old winger took a hard fall last season, netting just 11 goals and 15 points in 74 games – after scoring at least 30 points in his previous four NHL seasons. His rookie season in 2019-20 still stands as Kubalik’s career year, marked by 30 goals and 46 points in 68 games. He could rediscover that spark in Colorado, though he’ll first have to negotiate a PTO and win out a roster spot – both uphill battles.
Gabriel Landeskog Aiming For Early-Season Return
One of the question marks surrounding the Avalanche this summer is the future of Gabriel Landeskog. While it’s well-known that he was intending to try to return from continued knee issues that cost him the last two seasons, the realistic possibility of that happening wasn’t exactly obvious as it’s a situation that doesn’t come up too often.
Speaking with NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, head coach Jared Bednar indicated that Colorado’s captain will not be ready to return when the puck drops on the regular season in October. However, Landeskog appears to be aiming for an early-season return. That said, Bednar puts that timeline between the first month or two of the year, noting that the exact timing remains up to Landeskog.
The 31-year-old had quadriceps surgery during the 2020 playoffs and had knee surgery in March and October 2022. He then underwent cartilage replacement surgery on his knee last May after the procedure six months earlier didn’t fix the injury. Late last season, the team indicated that there was a possibility that Landeskog could return depending on how far they went in the playoffs. However, they were ousted in the second round by Dallas and that return never materialized.
When healthy, Landeskog has been a key part of Colorado’s forward group. In 2021-22, his last season of action, he recorded 30 goals and 29 assists in just 51 games as a mainstay on the top line. Over his past four years (excluding the last two where he didn’t play), he has 230 points in 232 contests. While it wouldn’t be realistic to expect Landeskog to come back and produce at a similar rate after being off for so long, his eventual return should still bolster their depth at a minimum while potentially giving them a boost lower in the lineup.
From a salary cap perspective, if the minimum return timeline for Landeskog is a month, he’ll be eligible to land back on LTIR to start the season. Between that and Valeri Nichushkin not counting against the cap while in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, Colorado will safely be in cap compliance when the regular season gets underway. But when (or if) both players can return, then they could be very tight to the Upper Limit depending on how they fill out their roster over the next couple of months.
In other injury news, Bednar indicated that winger Logan O’Connor should be ready to start the season after undergoing hip surgery in March. However, he’s not as certain that winger Artturi Lehkonen will be medically cleared by the opener; he had shoulder surgery after the playoffs. If he’s not available on opening night, the Avs will be down three of their top wingers to start the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Avalanche Hire Andrew Wilson As Assistant General Manager
The Avalanche have added NHL Central Registry Vice President Andrew Wilson to their front office as an assistant general manager, the team announced. The 41-year-old “will be working closely with general manager Chris MacFarland on all hockey-related matters.”
While Wilson may not be a household name in the public eye, he’s likely on speed dial for all 32 of the league’s GMs. That’s because his role with the Central Registry often made him the primary contact for inquiries regarding Collective Bargaining Agreement and salary cap compliance. He was also often on the other end of the line when GMs were holding trade calls or submitting contracts to the league.
Few people are more qualified to navigate the intricacies of league rules, and the Avs hope to gain a competitive advantage with the hire. Wilson joins a front office that already includes MacFarland, president of hockey operations Joe Sakic and assistant GM Kevin McDonald. McDonald’s primary area of focus will remain with the Avs’ AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.
The Avalanche didn’t have a second AGM in 2023-24, so this move should take a considerable workload away from all of MacFarland, McDonald and Sakic. Colorado hasn’t had two AGMs since MacFarland and Craig Billington worked under Sakic in 2021-22.
West Notes: Mercer, Rantanen, Oilers
The Wild have invited undrafted free agent goalie Riley Mercer to next month’s rookie camp, reports Mike Morreale of NHL.com. Mercer, the younger brother of Devils RFA forward Dawson Mercer, was passed over in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 drafts but came into his own in his final season of junior hockey last year with the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs.
The 20-year-old Newfoundland native took over as the Voltigeurs’ starter for the first time in 2023-24, posting a 2.83 GAA and .905 SV% with two shutouts and a 31-13-4 record in 49 appearances. But he erupted in the playoffs, taking over with a shining 1.89 GAA and .934 SV% in 19 games as Drummondville won the QMJHL championship.
Mercer, who stands at 6’2″ and 205 lbs, hasn’t inked a professional contract for this season. He’s technically eligible to return to the Voltigeurs for an overage season, but CHL clubs are limited to three overagers on their roster at any given time and tend not to use those slots on goaltenders.
An entry-level contract with the Wild out of rookie camp is impossible but unlikely. However, a decent showing could earn him a deal with their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, or their ECHL affiliate, the Iowa Heartlanders. It would be a tough numbers game, though, as the organization has seven goalies under contract across the three leagues already (five NHL deals, one AHL deal, and one ECHL deal).
More out of the Western Conference today:
- Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman chimed into the summer discourse today with a quick-hit edition of his “32 Thoughts” podcast, mentioning, among other topics, that there’s a strong sense around the league that the Avalanche and Mikko Rantanen won’t have any issues coming to terms on an extension. “You start to do your planning a year out,” Friedman said. “They’re starting to take Draisaitl off their boards because they think that’s going to get done in Edmonton, and I had some teams tell me they don’t have any reason to believe, right now, that Rantanen is going to be a hard one to get done either. We’ll see where that goes” (hat tip to Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now). As things stand, Rantanen would be the consensus No. 2 player on the 2025 UFA market behind Draisaitl. The 27-year-old winger remained over the 100-point threshold in 2023-24, posting 42 goals and 62 assists in 80 games. An eight-year extension would feasibly eclipse the $11MM mark per year, a decent raise on his current $9.25MM AAV.
- The Oilers should match the Blues’ two-year, $4.58MM offer sheet for Dylan Holloway but let Philip Broberg walk for his two-year, $9.16MM offer, argues Shayna Goldman of The Athletic (subscription required). Among other reasons, the likelihood of Holloway being worth his $2.29MM cap hit this season is much higher than Broberg providing fair value for his $4.58MM price tag, especially for a pair of former first-rounders at similar spots in their development.