Pacific Notes: Lehner, Poolman, Kassian
The Vegas Golden Knights are exploring all options, including contract termination, after goaltender Robin Lehner failed to attend the contractually mandatory pre-season medical exam ahead of training camp, shares Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. The exam was necessary to confirm Lehner’s medical ineligibility for next season. Seravalli adds that Vegas has been in contact with the NHL and NHL Players’ Association on how to reasonably handle the manner, considering Lehner hasn’t played in over two years. His last game came on April 20, 2022, with his career ended by a hip injury, though Lehner also faced multiple concussions.
Lehner was three years into a five-year, $25MM contract when he stepped away from the game, with the last season slated for the upcoming 2024-25. He only played in 99 games on the contract – spending a third with the Chicago Blackhawks – but he was accomplished when he played, recording 55 wins and a .913 save percentage. Lehner took home the William M Jennings Trophy twice in his career, the Bill Masterton Trophy in 2019, and ranked in the top six of Vezina Trophy voting every year between 2018 and 2020. The achievements spanned a 12-year, 364-game tenure in the NHL.
Other notes from out West:
- Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin announced that defender Tucker Poolman won’t play this season, per Brendan Batchelor of Sportsnet 650. Poolman hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season, when his career was ended by chronic migraines. He played in three games and scored one assist that year, marking the fifth NHL season Poolman took part in, though he only managed to play in a majority of his team’s games once. That came in the 2019-20 season, when Poolman played in 57 games and scored 16 points with the Winnipeg Jets. He worked his way up to second-pair ice time for parts of that season, but ultimately couldn’t stick in the lineup through repeat injuries. His career ended at 163 games and 17 points – still impressive numbers for a fifth-round pick out of the 2013 NHL Draft.
- The Edmonton Oilers have hired the recently-retired Zack Kassian as a pro scout, per NHL.com’s Jim Matheson. Kassian spent 12 years in the NHL, seven being served in Edmonton. He was never much of a scorer, but fought his way into a middle-six role as the hardnosed and gritty presence to back Edmonton’s finesse players. He even worked into occasional power-play usage – despite a career-high of just 34 points – thanks to his ability to body opponents out of shooting lanes. Kassian’s career ended with 661 games and 203 points. He’ll now look to translate that experience to the hockey ops side of house, supporting a Oilers scouting room that recently departed with longtime pro scout and assistant general manager Brad Holland.
Evander Kane Scheduled For Sports Hernia Surgery
Sep. 18: Kane will indeed undergo sports hernia surgery, general manager Stan Bowman told reporters today (via the Oilers’ Tony Brar).
Sep. 13: Mark Spector of Sportsnet is reporting that Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane will have sports hernia surgery in the next 10 days or so. Kane has been dealing with the issue since last season and played through the pain as much as he could but eventually missed significant time in the Stanley Cup Final when he dressed in just two of the Oilers’ final seven games.
Kane played reasonably well last season, given that he played through pain for most of it. However, his 24 goals and 20 assists in 77 games represented his lowest point-per-game pace in seven years. The 31-year-old added four goals and four assists in 20 playoff games, which was also a drop from his normal production.
While Kane’s offensive numbers were below his career norms, he did play a career-low 16:47 per game during the regular season which marked his lowest total since he averaged 14:00 per game during his rookie season in 2009-10 while he was a member of the Atlanta Thrashers.
Kane’s prognosis won’t be fully known until surgery has been completed. When his recovery period is clear the Oilers should be able to figure out a plan for their salary cap situation going forward. PuckPedia estimates that Edmonton has $946K in cap space for the 2024-25 season (including Kane’s $5.125MM cap hit), however, if Kane is out longer than 24 days and 10 games then Edmonton can place him on LTIR. If that is the approach they take, the Oilers would need to keep his space available for when he is ready to suit up once again which would presumably be at some point during the regular season.
Oilers Sign Mike Hoffman To PTO
The Oilers have signed forward Mike Hoffman to a professional tryout, the team said Wednesday.
Hoffman, 34, will look to get his feet back under him in Edmonton after a trying 2023-24 campaign. Entering the final season of a three-year, $13.5MM deal he signed with the Canadiens in 2021, Montreal moved him to the Sharks in August as part of the massive three-team trade that sent Erik Karlsson to the Penguins.
In San Jose, Hoffman had his worst season since establishing himself as a full-time NHLer with the Senators in the 2014-15 campaign. Making 66 appearances, his 10 goals, 13 assists, 23 points, 71 shots on goal, and 13:44 ATOI were all his lowest in a full NHL season.
Hoffman was once a prolific top-six scoring winger, hitting the 20-goal mark in six straight seasons with the Sens and Panthers from 2014-15 to 2019-20. But his production dipped once the pandemic hit, and he hasn’t recorded more than 20 goals or 40 points in a season since.
He does bring 228 goals, 487 points, and 745 games of NHL experience to Oilers camp, though. He may be a higher-upside bottom-six option on the wing than Mattias Janmark or Vasily Podkolzin, but for a team already ripe with veteran scoring wingers, Hoffman will need to prove he’s more than just a redundancy for players like UFA additions Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner in order to earn a contract.
The Oilers have $945K in projected cap space with one open roster spot, per PuckPedia. They also have depth defenseman Travis Dermott in camp on a PTO, so one tryout being successful likely precludes the other one from resulting in a deal.
Oilers Mutually Part Ways With Assistant GM Brad Holland
The Edmonton Oilers won’t bring assistant general manager Brad Holland into the 2024-25 season, announcing the two sides have mutually parted ways. Holland was promoted to assistant GM in 2022, joining Keith Gretzky and Bill Scott in supporting Oilers GM Ken Holland, Brad’s father. Edmonton chose not to extend Ken’s contract at the end of the season, ending his five-year tenure as the team’s GM and President of Hockey Operations. They’ve since replaced him with longtime Chicago Blackhawks’ GM Stan Bowman, making his return to the NHL.
Brad started his career in hockey in 2006, joining NHL.com as a writer and video editor while attending Fordham University of Law. He left that role in 2013, briefly practicing law before Toronto Maple Leafs’ president Branden Shanahan convinced him to join the Leafs as a team manager in 2015. Holland signed a two-year deal, using the time to build up a strong understanding of hockey analytics and scouting. He’d go on to work with NHL Central Scouting registry, before ultimately reuniting with his father in 2019, when he joined Edmonton as a pro scout. He continued to support Edmonton’s pro and amateur scouting throughout this season, becoming known for his in-depth, analytical approach to scouting, earning him credit as Edmonton used trades to build up their forward depth and prospect pool.
Holland will now join his father in looking for a new role. Brad offers eight years of experience in front offices, where his unique approach to scouting and team-building left an impact. He’s likely to find a new home soon – and could even be enticed to join Edmonton’s Western Conference foe, the Dallas Stars, where his uncle Dennis serves as an amateur scout.
Chris Wideman Announces Retirement
Sep. 17: Wideman officially announced his retirement on Tuesday via a statement from the Canadiens.
April 16: Through a report from Simon-Olivier Lorange of La Presse, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman has announced his retirement from the NHL. Wideman, who is currently suffering from a back injury, has not played in a game since the 2022-23 NHL season, which has likely led to the retirement.
Originally drafted with the 100th overall pick of the 2009 NHL Draft, Wideman would spend the next four seasons with Miami University of Ohio hockey program. Over 195 games spent with the RedHawks, Wideman would score 12 goals and 95 points in total, helping lead his team to two trips to the Frozen Four, and one National Championship appearance.
Once his time in the NCAA came to an end, Wideman joined the Senators’ AHL affiliate at the time, the Binghamton Senators. Over the next three seasons, Wideman would skate in 208 regular season games with the AHL Senators, scoring 30 goals and 130 points overall.
Thanks to his offensive performance in the AHL, Wideman managed to make his debut in Ottawa during the 2015-16 season, putting together a six-goal 13-point rookie performance over 64 games. During his sophomore year, Wideman would reach career highs in nearly every category, scoring five goals and 17 points in 76 games.
The next three years would not be as kind to Wideman, as he was traded three times during the 2018-19 season. After brief stints with the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers, Wideman would finish the season spent in the AHL with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization.
His down 2018-19 season correlated with an off-ice incident that took place in the back of an Uber vehicle. At the time, a video recording was released of Wideman and six of his teammates criticizing other players and members of the coaching staff leading to a public apology from the players.
After receiving limited experience from North American teams, Wideman experienced a career resurgence overseas. Signing a one-year contract with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL, Wideman scored nine goals and 41 points in only 59 games.
Due to his success in Russia, the Canadiens took a flyer on Wideman’s services, signing the defenseman to a one-year, $750K contract. Both the player and team were well rewarded, as Wideman took off for four goals and 27 points in 63 games.
Unfortunately, both last year and this season have been mired by injuries, with Wideman playing his last game a little over a year ago. Throughout his career, Wideman will finish his career with 20 goals and 78 points over 219 games played.
Exploring Options At Defense For Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers will enter the 2024-25 NHL season with a glaring hole on the right side of their defense. The team will likely have to deploy one of Josh Brown, Ty Emberson, or Troy Stecher on the second pairing but it strikes as a major need if the Oilers plan on competing for a Stanley Cup again this season.
Radio commentator for the team, Bob Stauffer, indicated today that a right-handed shot defenseman with term will be on Edmonton’s radar this season but is fairly vague about when they will ultimately make that addition. Edmonton still has a few options left on the free-agent market such as Kevin Shattenkirk or Justin Schultz. Still, Stauffer’s report indicating that the Oilers are looking for term attached likely alienates any current free-agent candidates.
Not only will it push Edmonton away from any free-agent options but the report from Stauffer indicates the Oilers will peruse the trade market for a second pairing right-handed shot defenseman. Their options are limited at this stage of the NHL calendar but there are still a few options worth exploring.
Arguably the best option for Edmonton resides about 200 miles south in Calgary. Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames has two years and $9.1MM remaining on his contract and represents an ideal candidate for the Oilers to plug into their top four. He’s scored 138 points in 239 games for the Flames over the last three years while averaging 23:31 of ice time per night. Andersson can be trusted in all situations and is a responsible player in the defensive zone.
Despite the fit and the separate trajectories of both teams — the Oilers and Flames don’t like each other to put it bluntly. The two organizations have only connected on three trades in their histories with the most recent coming in 2019 being a swap of James Neal and Milan Lucic. General manager of the Flames, Craig Conroy, has shown a willingness to trade within the Pacific Division but aiding his organization’s biggest rival may be too bitter of a pill to swallow.
The Washington Capitals are another option although they would not be considered a rebuilding organization. The team brought in Matt Roy this summer on a six-year, $34.50MM contract which may make them more comfortable moving a defenseman such as Trevor van Riemsdyk. He wouldn’t be as much of a needle mover as Andersson but he would be a more reliable option than their internal candidates.
The younger van Riemsdyk brother recently played in his 10th NHL campaign last year and has excelled in blocking shots. He’s averaged 126 blocked shots a season with the Chicago Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes, and Capitals and the Oilers could use more of that after finishing 30th in the category last season. Adding van Riemsdyk to their defensive core would give Edmonton a grace period in adding a true top-four defenseman as they could then move van Riemsdyk to the bottom-pairing next to Darnell Nurse or Brett Kulak.
Edmonton will be hard-pressed to find other options on the trade market with most teams having already finalized their roster heading into the 2024-25 NHL season. The Oilers are unique as their offense could easily carry them to the trade deadline but the right side of their defense must be addressed before the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.
West Notes: Lehkonen, Fowler, Nurse
Whether Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen will be in the opening night lineup remains to be seen, reports John Matisz of The Score.
After a comment earlier in the week from Nathan MacKinnon suggesting Lehkonen wouldn’t be “starting the season” in the Avs’ lineup flew under the radar, Matisz reached out to the team for confirmation, receiving a response that there’s still no firm timeline for his return. During exit meetings in May, Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said that Lehkonen needed offseason shoulder surgery but that his absence wasn’t expected to stretch into the regular season.
That assumption was challenged by head coach Jared Bednar last month, who confirmed Lehkonen wouldn’t be ready to start camp and cast doubt about whether he’d be cleared for Colorado’s season opener.
The 29-year-old Finn has broken out as a bonafide top-six winger in Denver since being acquired from the Canadiens near the 2022 trade deadline. Injuries have limited him since his arrival, though – especially last season. A neck injury kept him to 45 appearances on the year, but he still managed to pot 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 points while averaging over 18 minutes per night.
There’s more from the Western Conference:
- Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler acknowledges most of what Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said was true when he reported last week that both parties were looking to find him a new home on the trade market. “I understand that I’m on the second half of my career and these guys are just getting going,” the veteran blue liner told Eric Stephens of The Athletic, referencing Anaheim’s rebuild. “Those are the people that are going to push this team to where they want to be.” Stephens listed the Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Jets, and Stars as some speculative trade destinations.
- The injury putting Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse‘s availability for the beginning of training camp in jeopardy was sustained in the Stanley Cup Final, Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reports. The lingering effects are directly related to the hit he took in Game 2 from Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues. The blue liner sat out much of the rest of the game after taking the hit in the first period but didn’t miss any action in Games 3 through 7.
Oilers Sign Travis Dermott To PTO
Sep. 13: The Oilers made Dermott’s PTO official today.
Sep. 10: The Edmonton Oilers have signed defenseman Travis Dermott to a professional try-out contract, first reported by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli and later by Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. The deal gives Dermott a chance to earn a deal with his third Canadian club, having previously played five years in Toronto and two in Vancouver.
Dermott signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Arizona Coyotes last summer. He spent the entirety of the deal on the NHL roster, though injuries limited him to just 50 games. He struggled to find the scoresheet, netting just seven points on the year. That wasn’t enough to earn a new deal, leaving Dermott an unrestricted free agent as Arizona moved to Utah.
Dermott now finds himself signing try-outs in what should be his prime years – a long fall for a player originally selected 34th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He turned pro one season later, recording 24 points in 59 games and looking stout on the defensive side of the puck as an AHL rookie. Those traits earned him a call-up the following year, where he repeated his showings in the minors with a modest 11 points in 37 games but flashes of strong defense.
He quickly became a focal piece of a bleak Leafs blue line, though a routine NHL role came with routine bouts with injuries. He’s only appeared in four seasons of 50 games or more – every year between 2018 and 2021, and last season. That surge back to routine minutes could be the spark Dermott needs to rediscover his consistency this season. To boot, he boasts an ability to play on either side, potentially filling Edmonton’s need for flexible defensive depth. But he’ll first have to earn a roster spot out of camp before he’s able to join the reigning Stanley Cup runner-ups.
Markus Niemeläinen Signs In Germany
Ex-Oilers defenseman Markus Niemeläinen is headed back to Europe, signing a one-year deal today with Germany’s Eisbären Berlin.
The 26-year-old was a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer after the two-year, $1.53MM deal he inked with Edmonton in 2022 expired. The Oilers buried Niemeläinen, a 2016 third-round pick, with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors for all of last season despite his deal carrying a one-way structure.
A stay-at-home defender, the 6’6″, 190-lb Niemeläinen struggled to make much of an impact after arriving in North America in 2021. He did get an extended look in the NHL, making 43 appearances for the Oilers across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns, but he recorded just one assist with a -2 rating, 28 shots on goal, and 143 hits while averaging 11:30 per game.
While he was involved physically, it didn’t translate into a positive defensive impact. The Oilers controlled 48.1% of shot attempts and 47.7% of expected goals with Niemeläinen on the ice at even strength in his NHL minutes, subpar numbers given his average-difficulty usage on an otherwise strong possession team.
Niemeläinen also made 120 appearances for Bakersfield in parts of four seasons stateside in the Edmonton organization, where he had seven goals and 16 assists for 19 points in 26 games with a +10 rating. The Finnish defender now lands in Germany for the first time. He does have somewhat of a résumé in the European pros, winning a Liiga championship with HPK in 2019.
Oilers Notes: McDavid, Draisaitl, Kane, Nurse
Oilers star Leon Draisaitl doesn’t think he quite maxed out his value when signing his recent eight-year, $114MM mega-extension with the Oilers, he told Michael Russo of The Athletic.
Draisaitl and teammate Connor McDavid spoke about their recent and pending record-breaking contract extensions at this week’s NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas. “I don’t think I necessarily pushed my contract all the way to the limit,” Draisaitl said. “I’d like to state that. But I am very happy with it. I’m content with it. I think, compared to other sports, we probably don’t get paid what we deserve or don’t get paid what they get paid, right? But that’s the sport we’re in.”
McDavid was far more coy in his responses to questions about his next contract – he’s eligible to sign an extension starting July 1, 2025 – stating he’ll do what he feels is best for his family and his chances of winning a Stanley Cup.
But Draisaitl hopes his league-record $14MM AAV is a significant step in the right direction for high-end NHL talent. “I think each one of us, if we can bump it up and get more money into hockey and get the players some higher salaries, I think every player would probably say the same and they’d all be for it,” he told Russo.
There’s more from the Oilers:
- Evander Kane is projected to be unavailable at the beginning of training camp, according to Tom Gazzola of Edmonton Sports Talk. It’s not a surprise – the team’s Bob Stauffer said last month that Kane was likely to have an undisclosed surgery and start the season on long-term injured reserve, likely related to the sports hernia he played through for a good chunk of last year. But nothing indicates he’s undergone the procedure yet, and Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said on a radio spot last week that they were hoping to have clarity on his return timeline by the end of next weekend.
- Defenseman Darnell Nurse is also likely out for the beginning of camp, per Gazzola. Gazzola says that the 29-year-old is still nursing a lingering injury he sustained during last season’s playoffs but isn’t likely to miss any regular season action. He’s been on the ice this month for informal skates but doesn’t appear ready for full contact. The Oilers will be looking for a big rebound campaign from the 2013 seventh overall pick, entering the third season of an eight-year, $74MM deal.