Svechkov was the Nashville Predators first-round selection, 19th overall in 2021. The forward made his KHL debut in 2021-22, getting in four games, but was primarily a dynamic playmaker for SKA’s VHL team, where he had nine goals and 22 assists in 30 games. The 50th overall selection in 2021, to the Winnipeg Jets, Chibrikov is another dynamic forward who spent time at the KHL, VHL, and MHL levels this season with SKA. The majority of his time was also spent with Svechkov in the VHL, where he had an impressive 15 goals and 16 assists in 28 games.
Predators Rumors
Nashville Predators Sign Nino Niederreiter
The Nashville Predators have landed one of the top free agents remaining, signing Nino Niederreiter to a two-year, $8MM contract. The $4MM average annual value comes in quite a bit below the $5.25MM cap hit he had carried for the last five years, and the two-year term will leave him as a UFA again at the age of 31.
There is a lot to like about this deal for the Predators, who now have the opportunity to reunite Niederreiter with former linemate Mikael Granlund if they choose. Getting a 24-goal scorer for such a reasonable contract perhaps shows how tight the market has become in the days since free agency opened, as this move presents very little risk for Nashville general manager David Poile.
With Filip Forsberg taken care of, the Predators had nearly $8.5MM in cap space to add to the current roster, with only Yakov Trenin left to re-sign. Putting Niederreiter in the mix gives them another versatile, physical winger to move up and down the lineup, one that comes with a strong history of goal-scoring.
Over a career that spans parts of 11 seasons and 732 games, Niederreiter has scored at almost exactly a 20-goal pace and most of his damage comes at even-strength. On last year’s Carolina Hurricanes team, for instance, his 20 even-strength goals trailed only Sebastian Aho (23) and Andrei Svechnikov (21) for the team lead.
Adding that kind of player–who also comes with 1,115 career hits–will help to lengthen out a Predators offensive group that suddenly looks rather imposing. After Matt Duchene and Ryan Johansen’s incredible bounce-back performances in 2021-22, the emergence of Tanner Jeannot and Philip Tomasino, and now Niederreiter’s addition, the team should be able to ice three lines that can produce offensively. Add in Ryan McDonagh on the back end and the Predators are setting up to be a real contender in the Central Division.
For the player, this is a rather stunning contract, given how similarly productive wingers like Rickard Rakell had landed much longer and more lucrative contracts. Still, Niederreiter has set himself up to hit the market again in two years when the cap will be starting to increase and at a young enough age to land another long-term deal. For the next two, he should provide solid value for the Predators as they continue to chase their first Stanley Cup.
San Jose Sharks Sign Luke Kunin, Kaapo Kahkonen
The San Jose Sharks have signed Luke Kunin to a two-year contract, according to PuckPedia. The deal will carry an average annual value of $2.75MM. Kunin was eligible for salary arbitration this summer but chose not to file. Sharks general manager Mike Grier also announced Monday afternoon that the team has signed goalie Kaapo Kahkonen to a two-year contract. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the deal carries a cap hit of $2.75MM.
Kunin, 24, was acquired from the Nashville Predators this offseason in exchange for John Leonard (who also signed today) and a third-round pick. The young forward has changed his game in recent years to lean into his physicality, and after racking up a whopping 223 in 2021-22, he offers something new to the San Jose bottom six.
There’s also a bit of offensive skill in the 2016 first-round pick, who has double-digit goals in each of his last three seasons, all of them coming at even-strength or while short-handed. That kind of scoring upside will come in handy as the Sharks start to tear apart the old core and rebuild it under new general manager Mike Grier.
Notably, it will leave Kunin as a restricted free agent at its expiry, giving the Sharks a chance to re-assess whether he can be a long-term solution. He will once again be up for arbitration at that point.
Kahkonen excelled after San Jose acquired him at the Trade Deadline from the Minnesota Wild. The 2020 AHL Goalie of the Year had just a 2-6-1 record, but that was no fault of his own, posting a more-than-respectable .916 save percentage in 11 games played (10 starts). Kahkonen has a career .908 save percentage through 65 NHL games, 54 of which came with the Wild. He’ll join a crowded crease in San Jose next year that also includes James Reimer and Adin Hill.
The 25-year-old Finn will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024 when his new contract expires.
Nashville Predators Sign Tommy Novak
After finishing up John Leonard’s deal earlier today, the Nashville Predators have put the finishing touches on another restricted free agent contract. Tommy Novak has signed a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level.
Novak, 25, made his NHL debut this season with the Predators, playing in 27 games for the team and recording seven points. That’s a heck of a rise for a player who had to settle for an AHL contract coming out of college.
Originally a third-round selection of the Predators in 2015, he technically became an unrestricted free agent in 2019 after four years at the University of Minnesota, though had already agreed to an AHL deal with the Milwaukee Admirals by that point. He hit the ground running in the AHL, scoring 42 points as a rookie in 2019-20, and then was even better with the Chicago Wolves the following season, as the Predators shared an affiliate.
With a new deal, his focus will be on making a more regular appearance at the NHL level, and showing he belongs there as a full-time member of the roster. With strong puck skills and advanced playmaking ability, he could fit in as a player who plays limited even-strength minutes but contributes to the powerplay. Whether the Predators are open to something like that on a regular basis remains to be seen, but they now have the player to do it locked up on a league-minimum deal.
Nashville Predators Sign John Leonard
The Nashville Predators have found some common ground with newcomer John Leonard, signing the restricted free agent forward to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will be worth $750K at the NHL level.
Leonard, 23, was recently acquired from the San Jose Sharks in a trade that saw Luke Kunin go the other way. He was eligible for arbitration this summer but did not file, likely due to the two sides being close on this new contract.
It will be interesting to see if the young forward can carve out a regular role with Nashville, or if he is destined to spend another year in the minor leagues. Through 58 NHL games to this point, he has scored four goals, recorded 15 points, and notably, taken just a single minor penalty. While that may not seem like a big deal, the Predators were far and away the most penalized team in the league last season, averaging more than 12.6 PIM a game. A good bit of that is due to their league-leading 59 fighting majors, but perhaps a player like Leonard could help offset that a bit given his history of staying out of the box (he has just six PIM in 47 minor league games as well).
The Predators’ lineup is by no means set at this point, with only nine forwards (including Kiefer Sherwood) signed to one-way contracts. There should be good competition for playing time in the bottom six, and Leonard is one of the players who could grab a regular role with a strong training camp. The fact that he is waiver-exempt probably doesn’t help his case, but costing just $750K against the cap will.
Yakov Trenin Files For Salary Arbitration
The National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA) announced that 24 players have filed for player-elected salary arbitration, the deadline for which came this afternoon. This list is not necessarily the final and complete list of players headed for arbitration, with clubs now eligible to elect salary arbitration until tomorrow, July 18th at 5:00 pm ET.
Mason Appleton (WPG)
Ethan Bear (CAR)
Jesper Bratt (NJD)
Lawson Crouse (ARI)
Morgan Geekie (SEA)
Mathieu Joseph (OTT)
Kaapo Kahkonen (SJS)
Kasperi Kapanen (PIT)
Keegan Kolesar (VGK)
Oliver Kylington (CGY)
Maxime Lajoie (CAR)
Steven Lorentz (SJS)
Isac Lundestrom (ANA)
Zack MacEwen (PHI)
Niko Mikkola (STL)
Andrew Mangiapane (CGY)
Matthew Phillips (CGY)
Jesse Puljujarvi (EDM)
Tyce Thompson (NJD)
Yakov Trenin (NSH)
Vitek Vanecek (NJD)
Jake Walman (DET)
Kailer Yamamoto (EDM)
Pavel Zacha (BOS)
Notably out of this list, Mikkola had previously filed for arbitration, but the two sides were able to settle on a one-year, $1.9MM contract that will leave the defenseman an UFA after next season.
A key distinction to add is that any player who has filed for arbitration is no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet, effectively taking the players on this list off the market. Three notable names that did not file for arbitration are Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine. Though contract talks have been quiet on Dubois and Tkachuck, word of amicable discussions between Laine’s camp and Columbus has been made known. Once tomorrow’s club-elected salary arbitration deadline passes, teams and players will have time to prepare their cases before hearings begin, running from July 27th through August 11th.
Nashville Predators Sign Joakim Kemell
And we have another entry-level deal announced tonight, this time for Nashville Predators first-rounder Joakim Kemell.
Kemell, 18, was the 17th overall pick at the 2022 draft and the first pick of the Predators’ six-player 2022 draft class. A product of Finnish club JYP Jyvaskyla, Kemell made headlines this season for his blazingly fast start to the Liiga season. Kemell was scoring at an unheard-of rate but eventually slowed down as the season wore on. Kemell finished with 15 goals and 23 points in 39 points, a very impressive total for a draft-eligible prospect who was just 17 years old for most of the season.
Kemell’s best weapon in his offensive toolbox is his shot. He can pick apart goaltenders who dare to leave areas of the net open for him to target and is aggressive in using his shot as often as possible. There are some worries about his shot selection and tendency to stay on the perimeter of play, but those issues should improve as he matures and gains more experience in professional hockey.
By signing this entry-level deal, the Predators have unlocked a host of options for Kemell’s development path next season. They could let him compete for a spot on the team in training camp, and potentially even let him stay in the Predators’ organization in North America if they deem that the best option for his development. They’d also have the option of loaning him back to Liiga where he would in all likelihood take on a bigger role on one of Liiga’s youngest teams.
Whatever path they choose, bringing Kemell into the fold in Nashville has provided the team with an immediate boost to the quality of their prospect pool, which had declined in recent years. Kemell has the chance to be an impact top-six winger and now that he’s signed with the team it’ll be up to the Predators’ development staff as well as Kemell himself to determine if he lives up to the hype.
Nashville Predators Sign Zach Sanford
The Nashville Predators are going to give Zach Sanford another chance, signing him to a one-year, $850K contract for the 2022-23 season.
It’s been nine years now since Sanford was selected 61st overall by the Washington Capitals, and despite short periods of success, appears to be at something of a crossroads in his career. Though he stands 6’4″ and is willing to engage physically, Sanford has never seemed like an ideal fit in the bottom-six, with obvious offensive talent that should push him higher in the lineup.
Unfortunately, that talent only comes out in inconsistent spurts, leading to Sanford being tossed around the league the last 12 months. After filing for arbitration last summer he agreed to a one-year, $2MM deal with the St. Louis Blues, only to be traded a few months later to the Ottawa Senators. He lasted 62 games in Ottawa before another trade took him to the Winnipeg Jets, a move that made little sense at the time, as a playoff run looked like a dream.
The Jets used a fifth-round pick on Sanford in March, only to watch him leave as a free agent this summer, following a goal-less 18 games in Winnipeg. Overall this season he had nine goals and 21 points in 80 games.
In recent years, the Predators have been able to carve out “identity” roles for players with limited skillsets, finding a place for them to do what they do best and not ask for more. Whether they can do the same for Sanford remains to be seen but with an $850K deal he likely figures into the mix at some point.
If he leans into his size and strength, simplifying his game, he might become a bottom-six weapon. If not, he could be approaching his last chance as an NHL regular.
Nashville Predators Sign Kevin Lankinen, Three Others
The Nashville Predators supplemented their NHL/AHL fringe depth on defense yesterday, and they’re doing the same today on offense. The team announced a trio of signings separately on Thursday afternoon, signing Kiefer Sherwood to a one-year, one-way $750K contract, and Mark Jankowski and Cole Smith to one-year, two-way $750K contracts. They also signed former Chicago Blackhawks netminder Kevin Lankinen to a one-year, $1.5MM contract to back up starter Juuse Saros.
Despite Nashville receiving strong play from Connor Ingram in limited regular-season appearances and even turning to him as a starter in the playoffs over David Rittich, the team’s opted to bury him on the depth chart for another season. Lankinen had a rough season with the Blackhawks in 2021-22 after an up-and-down rookie campaign the year prior, finishing the year with an 8-15-6 record, 3.50 goals against average, and .891 save percentage. He’ll look to improve on those numbers (and stay healthy) on a more fortified Nashville team.
Sherwood, Jankowski, and Smith will be charged with playing top AHL roles once again, something they’re getting used to in their careers. Sherwood and Jankowski especially will be strong call-up options in case of injury with decent amounts of NHL experience.
Nashville Predators Sign Three Players
Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg is reporting that former Calgary Flames defender Kevin Gravel is heading to the Nashville Predators organization on a two-year deal. The team will also add AHL Defenseman of the Year Jordan Gross on a two-year deal, according to his agency Bartlett Hockey. Lastly, a third minor-league defenseman joins Nashville in Roland McKeown, who Chris Johnston reports signed a two-year deal.
The first player signed, Gravel, is a big defender with a wealth of professional experience. He has 109 NHL games to his name and has occupied a priority call-up role for the past several seasons. This past season Gravel spent the year with the AHL’s Stockton Heat, registering 14 points in 59 games. Gravel ranked third on the Heat in average time-on-ice per game and saw heavy usage on the team’s penalty kill. That should be the sort of role Gravel plays in the Nashville organization, serving as an important AHL defensive defenseman as well as a safe call-up option in case they run into major injury issues.
The second player is undrafted Notre Dame product Gross, the AHL’s reigning defenseman of the year. Gross is an undersized defenseman who has excelled as an offensive blueliner at the AHL level. He had 65 points in 61 games and 10 points in nine playoff games. Gross operated as the Colorado Eagles’ number-one defenseman and saw significant time on both the power play and penalty kill. If he’s paired with Gravel, he should have even more freedom to act as an offensive generator and could have an even better AHL year than the brilliant one he just finished.
The final signing, Roland McKeown, also comes from the Colorado Eagles, where he played after spending 2020-21 in the SHL. McKeown was the Eagles’ number-four defenseman and featured heavily on their penalty kill. A similar role for him as an AHL top-four defenseman and penalty kill anchor is likely in store for him with the Milwaukee Admirals.