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Draisaitl Likely To Sign Bonus-Laden Extension

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One of the biggest extension narratives of the offseason has been the contract status of Edmonton Oilers’ superstar Leon Draisaitl. There is no guarantee that a deal will come to fruition this summer but all signs point to the two sides being able to work out a resolution at some point. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reported today that the contract could look a lot like that of star center Nathan MacKinnon, that is to say, an extremely bonus-laden deal with a low annual salary.

The request for signing bonuses in high-ticket contracts is becoming more common for star players throughout the NHL world with the likes of Connor McDavid and John Tavares having similar contract structures. Now that Draisaitl comfortably finds himself in the upper echelon of NHL talent, the Oilers should be more than happy to agree to his terms.

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NHL Teams Facing Fall Cap Crunches

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There’s still plenty of time for NHL teams to sort out their active rosters and salary cap pictures this summer. After all, teams can exceed the $88MM upper limit by up to 10% during the offseason, and training camps are still nearly two months away.

Still, this year’s early July rush means that all the notable contracts for this season, at least in terms of salary cap impact, have likely already been handed out. It’s left a handful of teams with projected rosters that sit over the cap or, in one very peculiar case, right at it.

These teams must use a mix of long-term injured reserve placements, trades, and waivers to become cap-compliant before opening night. Per PuckPedia, here are the teams currently pacing to boast a projected cap hit above $88MM.

Washington Capitals

($98.27MM projected cap hit, $10.27MM above upper limit)

The Capitals have been one of the league’s most active teams this summer, making a pair of impact additions up front with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangiapane. They also reshaped their blue line, shipping out serviceable veteran Nick Jensen as part of a package to the Senators to pick up the younger, higher-upside Jakob Chychrun while also replacing Jensen’s shutdown role in free agency with the signing of Matt Roy.

They also went for cost-effectiveness with their goaltending duo, shipping out Darcy Kuemper and his $5.25MM cap hit to the Kings in the Dubois trade before acquiring serviceable tandem netminder Logan Thompson from the Golden Knights, who carries a cap hit of just $767K.

These moves have still left them with a handful of bloated deals for their veterans. But the biggest one of them all won’t be an issue. 36-year-old Nicklas Bäckström is entering the final season of his five-year, $46MM deal with a $9.2MM cap hit, but he’s not expected to play again due to lingering hip issues.

While many teams will look to avoid using LTIR to be cap-compliant to start the season, the Caps won’t be one of them. Bäckström will remain there as he did last season, but placing him on LTIR won’t be enough on its own to bring Washington’s total projected cap hit back under $88MM.

They’d still need to clear a little over $1MM in space, which begs the question of T.J. Oshie’s health. The 37-year-old winger is also entering the final season of his contract at a $5.75MM cap hit, and a wide variety of injuries limited him to 52 games last season. As of earlier this month, Oshie said he hasn’t found a long-term solution to his recurring back issues that would allow him to comfortably play in 2024-25.

If nothing changes between now and September, Oshie could also land on LTIR, making them cap-compliant for opening night. But Washington would need to be reasonably confident that he’ll miss the entire campaign to avoid making any other cap-shedding moves, as they’d need to have space to activate him off LTIR if he becomes healthy enough to return to play.

Vegas Golden Knights

($91.64MM projected cap hit, $3.64MM above upper limit)

Unlike the Capitals, the Golden Knights were conservative in their offseason moves. Their cap crunch forced them to walk away from key offensive contributors Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson, among others, and their UFA pickups were limited to reclamation project-type pickups such as Victor Olofsson and Ilya Samsonov.

But like Washington, LTIR is Vegas’ only clear path to cap compliance in September. The status of 33-year-old netminder Robin Lehner remains a relative mystery as he enters the final season of his contract with a $5MM cap hit. He hasn’t played the last two seasons after undergoing hip surgery and hasn’t been seen with the team during that time.

General manager Kelly McCrimmon said in May that it’s likely Lehner will return to LTIR this fall. This would give the Knights about $1.36MM in space in an LTIR pool with a full 23-man roster, as projected by PuckPedia.

Philadelphia Flyers

($88.83MM projected cap hit, $830K above upper limit)

LTIR is a good safeguard for teams who need it to be cap-compliant, but it’s not ideal. Teams who utilize it don’t accrue cap space throughout the season, significantly limiting their flexibility come deadline day.

The Flyers have one LTIR-eligible contract in defenseman Ryan Ellis ($6.25MM cap hit through 2027). They also have Ryan Johansen signed at a $4MM cap hit next season, and his playing status is in doubt due to a hip injury that surfaced after they acquired him from the Avalanche at last year’s deadline. Unfortunately for them, if Johansen remains injured, they also can’t send him to the minors to knock $1.15MM off his cap hit. They attempted to do so last year, but it was reversed by the league after his injury came to light.

But notably, they don’t have any league-minimum contracts projected on their active roster to start the campaign, per PuckPedia. Their cheapest one is Tyson Foerster’s entry-level contract, which boasts a cap hit of $863K. Thus, just one AHL assignment would be enough to make them cap-compliant without placing either Ellis or Johansen on LTIR. There aren’t any obvious candidates, though, as Foerster is coming off a 20-goal campaign and was one of their top two-way forwards last season.

The trade of a depth forward, such as 25-year-old pivot Ryan Poehling ($1.9MM cap hit through 2026), could be something to watch for if general manager Daniel Brière decides he wants to stay out of LTIR.

Edmonton Oilers

($88.35MM projected cap hit, $354K above upper limit)

Unlike the other teams on this list, the Oilers still have some offseason business to handle. RFAs Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway need new deals, meaning this projected cap hit is artificially low.

Also unlike the others, Edmonton doesn’t have an LTIR-bound contract next season. Considering PuckPedia’s projection above uses a roster size of 21, warranting them only one extra skater, a cap-clearing trade is coming for Edmonton sometime before the puck drops in October.

The most obvious candidate to move is defenseman Cody Ceci, who’s on an expiring contract with a $3.25MM cap hit. It would cost fewer assets to ship out than oft-injured winger Evander Kane, who’s locked in at a $5.125MM price tag for two more years. And with Ceci averaging north of 20 minutes per game for the last three seasons in Edmonton, they might be able to dump him for future considerations without attaching a draft pick to get out of his deal.

Others to watch

  • The Islanders are currently at the $88MM upper limit after settling on a one-year, $1MM contract with Oliver Wahlstrom yesterday, PuckPedia projects. That figure comes using a roster size of 22, forcing international free agent signing Maxim Tsyplakov and his $950K cap hit on an entry-level deal to the minors.
  • The Canucks are within just $16K of the cap after signing Daniel Sprong to a one-year, $975K contract last weekend. But that figure comes with a full 23-player roster projection, giving them a decent amount of flexibility in the case of short-term injuries. They can also place the final season of defenseman Tucker Poolman’s $2.5MM cap hit contract on LTIR if necessary.
  • The Predators are within $600K of the cap with a bare minimum 20-player roster and still have RFAs Juuso Pärssinen and Philip Tomasino to sign. After their big UFA spending spree, they’ll likely move out one of their depth defenders to open up space for an expanded roster, potentially 26-year-old Dante Fabbro (signed at $2.5MM through this season).
  • The Lightning have $730K in projected cap space with one open roster spot. That’s tight, but with room for two healthy extras, they’ll probably start the season with no changes to their projected roster.
  • The same can be said about the defending champion Panthers, who have $767K in space with a roster size of 22.

Evening Notes: Perunovich, Condors, Savoie

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St. Louis Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich seems set up for a make-or-break season after spending the first three years of his pro career dealing with what seemed like neverending injuries. Forced absences have held Perunovich to just 73 appearances, and 23 assists through his entry-level contract. But despite what’s seemed like years of bad luck in St. Louis, Perunovich shared with Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic that he wouldn’t want to play anywhere else. He said, “I want to succeed in the league, but the team I want to succeed with the most is St. Louis… They drafted me. Every other team looked over me and they’ve always had confidence in me. This is where I want to succeed, and I’ve never not thought that for a second.”

Perunovich explained how he’s changing his approach after a hardy year with the Blues lineup, adding that he’s hoping to think less and shoot more. Those certainly seem like timely changes as Perunovich approaches his 75th NHL game, still searching for his first career goal. And while goal-scoring has never been Perunovich’s forte, he did flash much more offensive upside in college, where he seemed much more confident in skating the puck across the red line and joining the offensive rush. He’s been much more pass-first at the professional level, though he’s improved his poise in sitting with the puck and waiting for opportunities to open up.

A strong start to the year could quickly earn Perunovich top-pair minutes, with Torey Krug facing injury and little competition coming from Nick Leddy or Pierre-Olivier Joseph. That could give Perunovich the groundwork for a breakout season, though he’ll need to first win out the battle for ice time.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors have hired Adam Krug as an assistant coach and Kelly Guard as a goaltending coach. Krug has spent the last decade coaching the NCAA D-III Men’s team at Adrian College, having previously captained Adrian during two seasons of his own playing career. Krug took the team to unprecedented heights, including their first D-III championship in 2022 and a second-place finish in 2023. Adrian has developed into a powerhouse of D-III hockey and a major supporter of collegiate club hockey as a whole, with their ACHA D-II team winning a championship in 2021 and also finishing second in 2023. Meanwhile, Kelly Guard moves to Bakersfield after spending 12 years as the goalie coach of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders. He’s overseen some impressive goalie seasons in that span – including Ian Scott’s .932 save percentage in 49 games of the 2018-19 season. He’ll look to carry that momentum into the pro level while Krug adjusts to a big jump in competition as Bakersfield makes two interesting, potentially high-impact hires.
  • Former Oilers forward prospect Carter Savoie is heading overseas on a one-year contract with Liiga’s TPS, per a team announcement. Savoie, 22, didn’t receive a qualifying offer from Edmonton upon the expiration of his entry-level contract last month. The older brother of new Oilers prospect Matthew Savoie, whom they acquired via trade from the Sabres after non-tendering Carter, recorded 18 goals and 33 points in 109 games with AHL Bakersfield in parts of the last three seasons but never received an NHL call-up. Edmonton selected him 100th overall in the 2020 draft.

Oilers Hire Stan Bowman As General Manager

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The Oilers have named Stan Bowman their general manager and EVP of hockey operations, the team announced Wednesday. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report.

Bowman, 51, has not worked in the league since resigning as GM and president of hockey operations of the Blackhawks in October 2021. His resignation came following an independent report detailing his “inadequate response upon being informed in 2010 of allegations that Blackhawks’ Player, Kyle Beach, had been assaulted by the Club’s video coach.” The league then moved to make Bowman, as well as former Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville and senior VP of hockey operations Al MacIsaac, ineligible to work for any NHL team.

Earlier this month, the league announced that all three had been reinstated and would be available to hire as early as July 10. The NHL supplemented the news with this statement:

While it is clear that, at the time, their responses were unacceptable, each of these three individuals (Messrs. Bowman, MacIsaac and Quenneville) has acknowledged that and used his time away from the game to engage in activities which, not only demonstrate sincere remorse for what happened, but also evidence greater awareness of the responsibilities that all NHL personnel have, particularly personnel who are in positions of leadership. Moreover, each has made significant strides in personal improvement by participating in myriad programs, many of which focused on the imperative of responding in effective and meaningful ways to address alleged acts of abuse. The League expects that they will continue this commitment in any future capacity with the NHL and/or one of our Clubs.

Upon the news of their reinstatement emerging, Bowman was immediately viewed as the top contender for Edmonton’s GM vacancy, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported at the time.

The Oilers were without a GM after opting not to renew Ken Holland’s contract after five years at the helm. Jeff Jackson, who had served above Holland last season as the team’s CEO of hockey operations, took over as acting GM at the draft and during the beginning of free agency. In his weeks-long tenure in the position, Jackson was quite active, notably acquiring Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner on the UFA market and acquiring the organization’s new top prospect, 2022 ninth-overall pick Matthew Savoie, in a trade with the Sabres.

Jackson now hands the keys to Bowman, whose first year as GM in Chicago coincided with their 2010 Stanley Cup championship. He remained at the helm for their Cup wins in 2013 and 2015, all in all spending parts of 12 seasons in the role. Before being promoted to GM, Bowman served as the Blackhawks’ director of hockey operations from 2005 to 2007 and as assistant GM from 2007 to 2009.

In regards to Bowman’s hiring, Jackson issued the following statement:

I believe his vast experience and proven success in this role, together with the important work he has done in his time away from the game, fits our goal of being best in class when it comes to all facets of our organization. Through our many conversations, we share a common vision of where we are as a team and what is required to achieve another Stanley Cup title.

While Bowman did well to maintain the core built by previous GM Dale Tallon and oversee the greatest sustained period of success in franchise history, he also oversaw its downfall. The Blackhawks still haven’t advanced past the first round since winning it all in 2015 and have made the playoffs only thrice. In the final three seasons of Bowman’s tenure, the Blackhawks’ best point total was 84.

Now, much like he did in Chicago, Bowman inherits a superstar core of Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. He’s got less time on the clock to win, though. Draisaitl and McDavid are 28 and 27, respectively, while Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews were both in their age-21 seasons when he took over.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Does Brian Lawton Make Sense As A Potential GM Candidate?

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  • As the Oilers continue their GM search, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal proposes Brian Lawton as a possible dark horse candidate for the position. Lawton hasn’t worked in the NHL since 2009-10 when he was the GM of Tampa Bay but he also has several years of experience as an agent.  Both perspectives certainly could be appealing to CEO Jeff Jackson, a former agent himself, who is currently serving as Edmonton’s interim GM.  Jackson noted earlier this week that he’d like to have a new GM in place within the next couple of weeks.

Jackson Hoping To Have GM In Place Within Next Couple Of Weeks

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  • In an appearance on the Bob McCown Podcast (video link), Oilers CEO of Hockey Operations and interim GM Jeff Jackson reiterated that he has no desire to take on the full-time GM role. He added that there have been several interviews for the position and while he didn’t want to put a firm timeline on a new hire, he’s hoping to have one announced in the next seven to ten days.  Jackson is in the interim role following the departure of Ken Holland when his contract expired late last month.

Oilers, Senators Swap Xavier Bourgault, Roby Jarventie

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The Senators have already completed one transaction today, signing goaltender Mads Søgaard to a two-year deal, and they’ve now completed a second. They’ve sent left winger Roby Jarventie and their 2025 fourth-round pick to the Oilers in exchange for forward prospects Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson, per announcements from both teams.

“This trade provides us with additional competition and depth at forward,” Senators general manager Steve Staios said in a press release. “Both Xavier and Jake are trending in the right direction with their respective development. With the potential for greater playing opportunity next season, they should both benefit considerably.”

Bourgault, 21, is the big fish in this trade. He was the Oilers’ first-round pick in 2021, taken 22nd overall, a pick acquired from the Wild in a pick swap on draft day that resulted in Minnesota selecting top goaltending prospect Jesper Wallstedt at 20. Unfortunately, Bourgault hasn’t progressed as hoped and is yet to make his NHL debut.

After wrapping up his junior career with the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes, Bourgault signed his entry-level contract in March 2022 and turned pro the subsequent season. He did okay in his first season on assignment to AHL Bakersfield, finishing 2022-23 with a solid 13 goals, 21 assists and 34 points in 62 games and finishing fourth on the team in scoring. But this past season was unkind to the Quebec native, whose offense was limited to only eight goals and 20 points in 55 games with Bakersfield. He was also held without a point in two playoff games.

Edmonton recently rejuvenated their forward prospect pool in a big way, acquiring 2022 ninth-overall pick Matthew Savoie in a trade with the Sabres earlier this month. That made Bourgault somewhat expendable for a team in the middle of a championship contention window, especially one with their forward corps set for the immediate future.

But with Ottawa, Bourgault should have a much clearer path to his NHL debut. He can play center and right-wing, both of which are positions of need for the Sens – at least in depth roles. He joins a group that includes veterans Noah Gregor and Zack MacEwen as well as up-and-comers Jan Jeník and Zack Ostapchuk that will be competing for roster spots out of camp.

The Sens also added Chiasson in this deal, but he’s far off from seeing NHL ice. The 21-year-old was selected three rounds after Bourgault in 2021 but stayed in juniors for his overage season, meaning he didn’t turn pro until last year. After signing his ELC with Edmonton, Chiasson played just one game with AHL Bakersfield and was instead sent to ECHL Fort Wayne for most of the campaign, where he had nine goals and 20 points in 68 games with a -12 rating.

In exchange for parting ways with a pair of prospects, the Oilers recoup Jarventie, a player that the team’s Bob Stauffer reports they’ve liked for quite some time. Selected 33rd overall by Ottawa in 2020, the 6’2″, 214-lb Finnish winger made his NHL debut last season, recording an assist and a -5 rating in seven games while averaging a paltry 7:31 per night. The 21-year-old has one season remaining on his entry-level contract, which will presumably be spent with Bakersfield.

While he doesn’t have Bourgault’s billing as a first-round pick, Jarventie does have a much better recent track record in the minors. Injuries and roster moves limited him to 22 games with AHL Belleville last season, but he clicked at nearly a point per game with nine goals and 11 assists in 22 contests. He has 86 points (38 goals, 48 assists) in 136 career games with Belleville since arriving in North America in 2021.

Evening Notes: Ceci, Hrkac, Kovalenko

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The Edmonton Oilers will have a market of teams interested in defenseman Cody Ceci, should they want to trade him away, per Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff on Bob Stauffer’s Oilers Now podcast. Seravalli added, “Right (shot) defensemen in that pay range are always in demand. Just go look at the pay range this summer and look at some of the money thrown around. Cody Ceci at that number is probably quite palatable.”

Ceci carries a $3.25MM cap hit through next season, before entering unrestricted free agency next summer, making him a manageable rental on a new team. But it’s hard to imagine Edmonton, who still carries $6.2MM in cap space, will be quick to move Ceci unless they need urgent relief. The 30-year-old defender held firm to his quant role in the middle of Edmonton’s lineup this year, posting five goals and 25 points through 79 regular season games. It was the second-most he’s scored int he last five seasons, though three points shy of his career-high. Nonetheless, Ceci provided the hard, two-line passing and general defensive stoutness to properly back Edmonton’s top lines, even if his performances with the Oilers have been far from exciting. On the open market, Ceci offers the presence of an 11-year vet with 88 career playoff games – just enough to warrant a cheap return.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Anaheim Ducks have hired former NHL forward Tony Hrkac as their Director of Professional Scouting, shares Derek Lee of The Hockey News. Hrkac has served as a pro scout with the Tampa Bay Lightning since the 2015-16 season, after serving in a variety of coaching roles in Wisconsin. He’ll now take the next step in his managerial career at an apt time, joining the team amid a Mighty Ducks rebrand having played in 140 games as a Mighty Duck during his own career.
  • Dynamic Colorado Avalanche prospect Nikolai Kovalenko has returned to the United States for training after a brief vacation, shares Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now. That news should set Kovalenko up for a full run at the NHL lineup next season, after scoring three points in four AHL games and appearing in two Stanley Cup Playoff games at the end of the season. The 24-year-old became a highly acclaimed prospect with 54 points in 56 games during the 2022-23 KHL season – a performance he followed with 35 points in 42 games. He’ll now look to bring his dynamic scoring ability to the NHL, where fans should get a much clearer picture of his long-term upside.

Oilers Re-Sign Raphael Lavoie To Two-Way Deal

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12:36 PM: Lavoie will earn a salary of $225K while on assignment to Bakersfield next season, Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reports. That’s a significant raise from the $70K AHL salary he earned last year after signing his qualifying offer.

10:21 AM: The Oilers announced that RFA center Raphael Lavoie is back with the team next season on a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K. His AHL salary wasn’t disclosed.

Lavoie made his NHL debut last season, appearing in seven games for Edmonton and posting a -2 rating with four shots on goal while averaging 7:17 per game. It was an important step for Lavoie, who’s been in the Oilers’ system since being drafted in the second round in 2019. Some expected him to make the opening night roster last fall to avoid hitting waivers for the first time in his career, but he passed through unclaimed in October en route to spending most of the season on assignment to AHL Bakersfield.

That’s where the 23-year-old has spent nearly all of his time since turning pro in 2020. The 6’4″, 216-lb forward has some appealing minor league numbers, and he’s coming off a career-high 28 goals and 50 points in 66 games with Bakersfield last year. He’s got some snarl to his game and likely still has NHL upside – it just hasn’t come fast enough for Edmonton to make him a regular before his waiver exemption expired.

The Quebec native, who plays both center and right wing, faces a crowded Oilers forward group next season with 12 players already signed to one-way deals. That doesn’t include RFA Dylan Holloway, who’s a virtual lock to make the team. But after their free agent spending spree, they sit $350K over the cap, per CapFriendly, and will likely move out a contract to accommodate a new deal for Holloway. That could open up room for Lavoie to make the NHL roster, something the Oilers would likely prefer due to his league minimum cap hit.

Lavoie was eligible for salary arbitration this summer but didn’t elect for it last Friday, signaling an agreement was likely close.

Agent For Leon Draisaitl: Ball Is In Oilers’ Court For Extension Talks

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With the bulk of the heavy lifting already done in the 2024 class of unrestricted free agents, many have started looking ahead to a 2025 group that is currently star-studded.  Among the headliners is Oilers center Leon Draisaitl who, despite making $8.5MM per season, has been one of the better bargains in the NHL in recent years.  That should soon change as the 28-year-old will undoubtedly become one of the NHL’s highest-paid players on his next contract.

How soon that next deal comes is still under question.  Edmonton is currently without a GM following the departure of Ken Holland with team president Jeff Jackson serving in the interim role; Jackson has previously indicated that he doesn’t want to take on the full-time managerial position.  To that end, the search for a full-time replacement for Holland is ongoing and it makes sense for that hire to be in place before any substantive discussions get underway.

However, it appears that Draisaitl’s European-based agent feels there’s a deadline to get this done.  Speaking with Eishockey News’ Michael Bauer, Jiri Poner indicated that the end of the summer might be the deadline to get a deal in place:

There’s no rush yet, but either it happens quickly, i.e. by the end of August, or it doesn’t work out at all. It will also become clear whether Edmonton really wants him or not. Leon holds all the trump cards.

Technically, Edmonton can negotiate with Draisaitl right up to free agency next July so this stance from Poner suggests that Draisaitl’s preference might be to set a hard line of not negotiating during the season.  If that’s the case, whoever takes over as GM won’t have much time to work out an agreement to keep him in the fold.

Draisaitl has passed the 100-point mark in five of the last six seasons and over that stretch, he has the second-most points in the NHL.  His teammate, Connor McDavid, is the only one ahead of him.  With McDavid’s current contract coming back in 2017, his $12.5MM AAV doesn’t stand as a great comparable.  However, the recent $13.25MM AAV that Auston Matthews received from Toronto last year could very well be in play, especially if he makes it to the open market next summer.

Can Edmonton afford to pay Draisaitl market value for 2025-26 knowing that McDavid’s deal will be up a year later and cost considerably more?  That’s a question the new GM will have to answer relatively quickly given Poner’s comments regarding a possible deadline for talks.  Having said that, Poner did add that he’s very confident that the two sides will be able to hammer out a deal to keep Draisaitl in an Oilers uniform for years to come.

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