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Dallas Stars Hire Misha Donskov As Assistant Coach

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The Dallas Stars announced Monday that they’ve hired 2023 Stanley Cup champion Misha Donskov as an assistant coach, reuniting with head coach Peter DeBoer in the Lone Star State. Donskov was part of DeBoer’s staff when he coached the Vegas Golden Knights from 2020 to 2022.

Donskov, 46, is quite a well-known name in hockey circles, playing a large role in developing expansion markets in Vegas and Columbus. His family-operated business, Donskov Hockey Development, has been one of the largest drivers of youth hockey participation in Columbus, and anyone involved with the Blue Jackets would tell you his influence on the market has been immeasurable.

After also holding a similar youth hockey/education role with the Atlanta Thrashers in the late 2000s, Donskov’s coaching career began in earnest with the OHL’s London Knights as an assistant in 2009-10. He later moved throughout the junior ranks, later serving on the bench of the Ottawa 67’s and Canada’s World Junior teams in the mid-2010s. In 2016, he was brought in as one of the founding members of the Golden Knights’ front office, joining the team as their director of hockey operations. Vegas transitioned him to an assistant coaching role in 2020 during the COVID pause, and he began in his role behind the bench during that year’s postseason in the Edmonton bubble.

Donskov joins another former Vegas assistant, Steve Spott, as an assistant on DeBoer’s staff in Dallas. Alain Nasreddine, former interim head coach of the New Jersey Devils, rounds out DeBoer’s slate of assistants.

Arizona Coyotes Sign Matt Dumba

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Aug 7, 11:02 am: The Coyotes have officially announced the deal, bringing Dumba to the desert on a one-year pact.

Aug 6, 12:33 pm: PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan later reported the actual cap hit of Dumba’s deal will be $3.9MM.

Aug 6, 12:09 pm: The Arizona Coyotes are closing in on a one-year, $4MM contract with UFA defenseman Matt Dumba, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Dumba, 29, once looked to be on track to become a bonafide top-pairing defender after notching 50 points in 82 games with the Minnesota Wild at just 23 years old in 2017-18. After tearing his pectoral muscle 32 games into the 2018-19 campaign, though, Dumba’s production and all-around play have dipped significantly. It’s led to Dumba’s name appearing in trade rumors throughout the past few seasons, but the Wild never did move him, opting to let him walk as a free agent instead.

Things came to a head in 2022-23, which was arguably Dumba’s worst season of his NHL career to date. His four goals, 14 points, and -8 rating were all career lows for a full season, despite still receiving significant minutes at 21:17 per game. He posted a sub-zero relative Corsi for at even strength for the second straight campaign, suggesting his effectiveness in possession has waned as well. He’s posted solid results when utilized on the penalty kill, however. His past high-end production does suggest he has the raw skill to have somewhat of a return to form with a fresh start, too.

That’s what the Coyotes are banking on here, as PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports they’ve been pursuing Dumba since free agency opened on July 1. With all other options exhausted, Dumba likely agreed to the one-year pact in hopes of rebuilding his value to earn a longer-term commitment next summer.

He also provides a type of player the Coyotes don’t have – a veteran defenseman with experience playing top-four minutes. Arizona has a forward corps that’s bordering on competitiveness now, but their defense is undoubtedly their biggest weakness as they attempt to turn the corner in their years-long rebuild. 23-year-old J.J. Moser, who was drafted 60th overall just two years ago, is the only defender on their team to average over 20 minutes per game last season. Moser could very well end up as Dumba’s defense partner to open the season as the Coyotes’ top pairing.

After terminating Jean-Sebastien Dea’s contract, the Coyotes will again be at 49 out of the maximum 50 contracts after signing Dumba. The 50th spot is reserved for young forward Jan Jenik, who remains a restricted free agent and does not have a contract for next season.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack Sign Matej Pekar

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The AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, the primary minor-league affiliate of the New York Rangers, are in agreement with former Buffalo Sabres forward prospect Matej Pekar on a one-year contract, according to a team release. While now a member of the Rangers organization, Pekar is still eligible to sign an NHL contract with any team.

Pekar, 23, has played in parts of three AHL seasons for Buffalo’s affiliate, the Rochester Americans, accumulating 86 games of experience. He wasn’t able to crack the code and stand out among a deep Sabres prospect pool, though, and was sent down a level further to the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones last season for a consistent spot in the lineup, where he did well with 24 points in 28 games. Without any NHL looks under his belt since Buffalo drafted him in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, the team opted not to issue him a qualifying offer this summer after his entry-level contract expired, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Czech forward played junior hockey in North America, heading to the OHL’s Barrie Colts after being drafted and doing quite well there. He averaged well over a point per game in two OHL seasons with Barrie and Sudbury, and his career totals of 99 points in 84 games generated some optimism about his ceiling and potential NHL viability as a bottom-six checking forward. Unfortunately for Pekar, COVID hit just as he was about to begin his pro career, and it may have caused him to lose most of the forward momentum he’d gained in his development. He went on to notch just four goals, 12 assists, 16 points and a -17 rating during his time in Rochester.

Signing with the Wolf Pack gives Pekar a unique opportunity to return to an environment he’s familiar with in ECHL Cincinnati if he can’t crack the AHL roster. The Sabres and Rangers swapped ECHL affiliates this offseason, as Buffalo and Rochester now partner with the Jacksonville Icemen. It’ll be tough for him to show he deserves a roster spot ahead of some of the Rangers’ NHL-contracted crew, though, as CapFriendly currently lists 14 AHL-eligible forwards assigned to the minors in their depth chart projection for New York. 2022 draft selection Bryce McConnell-Barker is listed among the minors crew for the Rangers, but he’s still too young for AHL assignment per the NHL-CHL transfer agreement. It’s likely Pekar will look to light up the ECHL this season in hopes of getting a more extensive AHL look down the stretch. There’s still time for him to turn things around and earn another NHL contract down the line.

Five Key Stories: 7/31/23 – 8/6/23

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The first week of August isn’t typically the busiest on the NHL calendar but there was quite a bit of news of note over the past seven days which is recapped in our key stories.

Goalie Deals: Minnesota was able to avoid salary arbitration with goaltender Filip Gustavsson, instead signing him to a three-year contract that carries a cap hit of $3.75MM.  The 25-year-old had a breakout showing last season, posting a 2.10 GAA along with a .931 SV%, the second-best mark in the league, in 39 games.  However, he still has just 66 appearances at the top level under his belt which helped keep the price tag in this range.  The deal buys the Wild two more years of team control.

Meanwhile, the Bruins and Jeremy Swayman weren’t able to come to terms before the hearing.  Instead, he was awarded a one-year, $3.475MM contract, a deal that came in just above the midpoint of the filings (Boston: $2.4MM, Swayman: $4.8MM).  The 24-year-old was a key part of Boston’s high-end tandem between the pipes with Linus Ullmark, putting up a 2.27 GAA and a .920 SV% (fourth in the league) in 37 games.  Swayman will once again be a restricted free agent next summer with arbitration rights.

Oilers Hire Jackson: Agents have slowly started to get more opportunities in an NHL front office and the Oilers are the latest team to go that route as they hired Wasserman’s Jeff Jackson as their new CEO.  Jackson takes the place of longtime executive Bob Nicholson who will remain in a lesser capacity.  Jackson’s most prominent client before being hired happens to be Edmonton center Connor McDavid and that existing relationship could be critical with the Hart and Pearson winner two years away from being eligible to work on a contract extension.  Speculatively, with GM Ken Holland being 67 and entering the final year of his deal, Jackson could be a candidate to take over in the relatively near future.

The Big Domino Falls: For the past few weeks, the market has largely been held up by Erik Karlsson.  Would the Sharks move him and who would get him?  In the end, it was indeed the Penguins who landed him, picking him up as part of a 12-piece three-team trade that also involved Montreal.  Pittsburgh picked up Karlsson (with 13% retention), wingers Rem Pitlick and Dillon Hamaliuk along with a 2026 third-round pick from San Jose.  The Sharks acquired wingers Mikael Granlund and Mike Hoffman, defenseman Jan Rutta, and Pittsburgh’s 2024 first-round selection (top-ten protected).  Meanwhile, the Canadiens brought back defenseman Jeff Petry (with 25% retention), goalie Casey DeSmith, winger Nathan Legare, and Pittsburgh’s 2025 second-rounder.  Karlsson is coming off a career year, becoming the first blueliner since Brian Leetch in 1991-92 to surpass the 100-point mark, helping him earn the Norris Trophy.  He immediately makes Pittsburgh’s offense more dangerous while San Jose adds a first-round selection and potentially some later picks if they flip some of the players they got down the road, a strategy that Montreal may be looking to take as well.

With Karlsson off the board, it didn’t take long for Mathew Dumba, the top defenseman left on the market, to find his next home as he agreed to terms with Arizona on a one-year, $3.9MM contract.  It’s an underwhelming contract relative to what he likely was expecting to get but if nothing else, the 29-year-old will have a chance to be an all-situations player with the Coyotes, potentially giving him an opportunity to boost his stock heading into next year’s free agent market.

Seven And Seven: While Anaheim and winger Troy Terry got as far as filing arbitration submissions, it didn’t get that far in the end.  Instead, the two sides worked out a seven-year, $49MM contract to keep him with the Ducks for the long haul.  Terry had two RFA years remaining so the contract gives Anaheim five extra years of control; those years will see the 25-year-old submit a ten-team no-trade list.  Terry had a breakout showing in 2021-22, putting up 37 goals and 30 assists and followed that up with a 23-goal, 38-assist performance last season, cementing himself as a go-to top-line option in the process.  Anaheim’s center depth is in great shape with Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, and second-overall pick Leo Carlsson and now their top winger will be playing with one of those three youngsters for years to come.

Sticking Around: The Capitals will have Tom Wilson around for the foreseeable future as the two sides agreed to a seven-year, $45.5MM extension.  The deal, which begins in the 2024-25 campaign, carries partial no-trade protection in all seven seasons.  The 29-year-old already has ten years in Washington under his belt and if he plays out this full deal with the Caps, he’ll become one of the longest-tenured players in franchise history.  Wilson is coming off an injury-shortened year but still had 13 goals and 97 hits in 33 games in 2022-23.  A legitimate top-six power forward, how well (or poorly) this deal plays out will largely be determined by Wilson’s ability to stay healthy, a challenge for many power forwards in the back half of their careers.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Power, Spooner, Oilers

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The Sabres are trying to work on a long-term extension for defenseman Owen Power, relays Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.  The top pick in 2021 is already into the final year of his entry-level contract despite having just 87 career professional appearances under his belt.  79 of those came with Buffalo last season where he did well, collecting 35 points while averaging nearly 24 minutes per game which helped him finish third in Calder Trophy voting as the NHL’s top rookie.  With barely one full season of experience, a long-term agreement could be difficult to come to, one that would likely surpass the $8MM mark.  One alternative the two sides could take is to do what they did with their other first-overall blueliner (Rasmus Dahlin) and work on a bridge agreement.  However, that type of move might be better off being made next summer instead of this one.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Long-time NHL forward is on the move in the KHL as Avangard Omsk announced they’ve added the 31-year-old on a one-year contract. Spooner recorded 167 points in 315 games across seven NHL seasons with four different organizations but has played overseas since the 2019-20 campaign.  Last season, he had 19 goals and 28 assists during the regular season for Dinamo Minsk, good for a tie for 21st in league scoring.
  • Postmedia’s Kurt Leavins suggests that the Oilers should be a team to keep an eye on when it comes to tryout offers closer to the start of training camp. Depending on what happens with the eventual new contract for RFA defenseman Evan Bouchard, Edmonton is likely going to need to have several players on the roster at the league minimum salary.  They added a couple of those early in free agency (Lane Pederson and Drake Caggiula) but as the asking price comes down for free agents still unsigned, it could be an opportunity for the Oilers to bring in a low-cost upgrade.

Free Agent Profile: Noah Gregor

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We’re at the point of free agency where the word bargain starts to come into play a little more.  The top-dollar deals aren’t there now but low-cost depth pieces are still available.  Playoff-bound teams will have their eye on veterans to fill specific roles.  But what about teams that are rebuilding?  Is there much left for them on the open market?

Noah Gregor is the type of player that could catch the eye of some of those teams.  Just 25, the winger has shown some physicality early in his career that would play well in the bottom six with enough offense to potentially make him an intriguing addition for someone.

Gregor is coming off his only full NHL season, one that saw him set a career-high in goals with ten despite missing 25 games.  The year before that, he had 23 points despite clearing waivers and spending seven weeks on an AHL assignment.  San Jose opted to try someone else in that role back in June, declining to tender him a qualifying offer of just under $1MM that would have also given him salary arbitration rights.

The consistency hasn’t always been there but he’s young enough that there is still room for improvement.  If that improvement happens, Gregor could be a quality under-the-radar pickup for someone in the coming weeks.  With two years of club control through restricted free agency, it could be more than a one-year pickup for whoever lands him.

Stats

2022-23: 57 GP, 10-7-17, -9 rating, 32 PIMS, 119 shots, 97 hits, 44.2% CF, 12:58 ATOI
Career: 178 GP, 25-26-51, -51 rating, 71 PIMS, 368 shots, 312 hits, 44.6% CF, 13:00 ATOI

Potential Suitors

From an NHL perspective, the teams that make the most sense for Gregor are ones that are rebuilding or are lacking some depth on the wing.  But if a team is eyeing Gregor as someone to try to sneak through waivers, just about anyone is a viable option.  For the purpose of this exercise, we’ll focus on the potential NHL openings.

In the East, Buffalo has a short-term roster opening with Jack Quinn out for the first few months due to a torn Achilles tendon.  They could fill that spot internally with someone like Lukas Rousek or they could turn to a player like Gregor that might be a better fit style-wise in a lower role on the depth chart.  Montreal moved out two wingers today in their portion of the Erik Karlsson trade and could view Gregor as a possible replacement for one of them to replenish some of that forward depth.  Washington has a short-term opening with Max Pacioretty likely out to start next season and Gregor could be a better fit for them over Joe Snively who wasn’t quite as impactful in his NHL duty last season compared to 2021-22.

Out West, Isac Lundestrom’s Achilles injury has opened up a spot up front with Gregor being a young enough fit to potentially be around beyond a single season.  Nashville’s current depth chart has some forwards that are relatively safe bets to get through waivers so adding Gregor could give them a small boost on the fourth line and bolster their depth.  If Minnesota is able to afford an extra forward (they need to re-sign Calen Addison first), Gregor would fit in a bottom six group that plays with a bit of an edge.

Projected Contract

Gregor is almost certain to be looking at a contract that is going to carry an NHL salary of $775K, the league minimum.  Depending on how long it takes for him to sign, there might even be a relatively pricey two-way portion.  But in terms of what’s still out there, there aren’t many players left with potentially a little more upside while being controllable for a couple more years.  That makes Gregor one of the more intriguing under-the-radar options left on the open market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Analyzing The Canadiens Salary Cap Options

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For months, it has been known that the Montreal Canadiens have been seeking to shed the contract of forward Mike Hoffman, a deal that has not worked out for either side. This morning, due to their involvement in the trade that sent Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins, they were able to move on from Hoffman, sending him to the San Jose Sharks, as well as moving forward Rem Pitlick to the Penguins.

The Canadiens were able to re-acquire defenseman Jeff Petry, and also goaltender Casey DeSmith as significant salary added to the club. All-in-all, even after moving out Hoffman and Pitlick, the Canadiens added just under $900k in total salary.

After the trade, CapFriendly brought up an interesting note, indicating that Montreal will likely take their cap space in one of two directions, largely focused on the $10.5MM in LTIR relief from goaltender Carey Price’s contract (Tweet Link). As of right now, the Canadiens would have roughly $5.3MM in cap space after putting Price’s contract on LTIR, meaning they could either shed about $5.2MM, negating the need to put Price’s contract on LTIR, or add another $5.2MM, maximizing the total salary relief they could get.

Given their likely competitive outlook for the 2023-24 season, it may be wise for Montreal to attempt to shed more salary and keep Price’s contract off of LTIR, allowing them to weaponize their cap space during the 2024 NHL trade deadline. Even after trading Hoffman and Pitlick, the Canadiens should have room on their current roster to find minutes for the likes of Sean Farrell, Lias Andersson, and Mitchell Stephens, among others.

Not only do they have young forwards ready to play, but the team also has a significant amount of young defensemen ready to play as well. To shed a significant amount of salary, as well as opening up time for some of their younger talent to step up, it may be wise for the team to move on from defenseman David Savard and forward Christian Dvorak. With rumors circulating that the trade market for defensemen will now be opening up thanks to the move of Karlsson, there may be buyers willing to give Savard a shot in their top four. In Dvorak’s case, rumors shortly before the start of free agency indicated that Montreal would like to move on from the forward if possible.

If the Canadiens move these two veterans and do not take on any significant salary in return, it would be more than enough space to keep Price’s contract off of LTIR. Nevertheless, it will be interesting what direction General Manager Kent Hughes takes in regard to this situation, but there will likely be more clarity on the subject in the approach to training camp starting in September.

Karlsson Notes: Defense Market, Money Retention, Interested Teams

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A short time after the news broke of Erik Karlsson officially joining the Pittsburgh Penguins, news surfaced that defenseman Mathew Dumba and the Arizona Coyotes were expected to reach a one-year agreement. Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal thinks that with the Karlsson trade drama wrapped up, this might have unfrozen the slow-moving defenseman market this summer (Tweet Link). Lavalette surmised that the Carolina Hurricanes may now have a better market to move out one of their defensemen.

This view should be taken with a grain of salt, as Lavalette’s initial thought was in response to Elliotte Friedman announcing that the Coyotes and Dumba had come to an agreement. It may very well be true that the trade for Karlsson will lead to more defensemen being traded in the next couple of weeks, but given the vast differences in playstyle, and the unlikelihood that the Coyotes were one of the teams trying to acquire Karlsson, it would be difficult to draw any sort of correlation between these two moves.

However, in defense of Lavalette’s view, the Hurricanes do have a plethora of right-handed shooting defensemen, and with rumors earlier in the offseason indicating the team might be interested in moving on from defenseman Brett Pesce, the other team’s interested in Karlsson could consider Pesce a solid consolation prize. Even though their play styles are not similar, Pesce would largely be an improvement to any team’s right-hand side of their defensive core.

Other notes:

  • One of the more surprising aspects of the Karlsson trade this morning was the money retained by the San Jose Sharks in the deal. Most recent reporting indicated that the Sharks and a potential third team would have to retain at least $3.5MM (30.4%) of Karlsson’s contract in total to make the deal financially work for the Penguins. Instead, even though the Montreal Canadiens were involved in the deal as well, the only retention came from the Sharks at $1.5MM (13%) of Karlsson’s $11.5MM salary. A Sharks beat writer, Curtis Pashelka reported that a lot of retention scenarios were on the table, and Mike Grier made a point to get it as low as possible. This reasonably impacted the return for San Jose, but it was a solid part of the deal for the Sharks, nonetheless.
  • Also speaking to Grier about the Karlsson trade, Greg Wyshynski of ESPN reports there were actually two other teams down to the wire in the trade negotiations. For weeks now, all signs had pointed to Pittsburgh as the eventual landing spot for Karlsson, with the Hurricanes, Seattle Kraken, and Toronto Maple Leafs having noted interest as well. Grier would not indicate which teams specifically, but it is an interesting factoid at the very least.

Gilles Gilbert Passes Away At 74

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A veteran of fourteen years in the National Hockey League from 1970-1983, goaltender Gilles Gilbert passed away this morning at the age of 74, per Kevin Allen of Detroit Hockey Now. Gilbert is best known for being in net for the Boston Bruins in the 1979 playoffs, where Guy Lafleur of the Montreal Canadiens would score the game-tying goal with less than two minutes left in Game Seven of the semi-finals, turning the tide in favor of the Canadiens.

Gilbert was originally drafted in the third round of the 1969 NHL Amateur Draft by the Minnesota North Stars, at that point making him the 25th overall pick. In four seasons spent with the North Stars, Gilbert would play in a total of 44 games, securing a 16-22-5 record, and carrying a .896 SV% and a 3.40 GAA. In May of 1973, Gilbert was traded to Boston in exchange for forward Fred Stanfield.

His time with the Bruins would undoubtedly be the best stretch of his career, playing 277 games over seven years donning the spoked ’B’. For the first four seasons with Boston, Gilbert, and the team would make the postseason in each season, with Gilbert receiving a majority of the starts in the regular season. In total, Gilbert finished his time with the Bruins with a 155-73-39 record, posting a .890 SV% and a 2.95 GAA. As his time in Boston came to a close, he was traded to a separate Original Six franchise, joining the Detroit Red Wings after a 1980 trade for goalie Rogie Vachon.

No longer benefitting from a strong team in front of him in Detroit, Gilbert’s time with the Red Wings wasn’t nearly as successful. In three seasons to finish his career, Gilbert concluded his career with a 21-48-16 record in 95 games, holding a .858 SV% and a 4.14 GAA. He would retire after the 1983 season with a career record of 192-143-60, and a .883 SV% with a 3.27 GAA. After retiring, Gilbert went back to the province of Quebec, where he would remain for the rest of his days.

All of us at PHR would like to offer our condolences to Gilbert’s family.

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