Canadiens Recall Mattias Norlinder; Place Jordan Harris On IR
In earlier reporting today, it was discovered that Montreal Canadiens’s defenseman, Jordan Harris, would be out indefinitely with a lower-body injury. With a full 23-man roster, the Canadiens have chosen to place Harris on the injured reserve, giving them the ability to recall defenseman Mattias Norlinder from their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.
Harris completed his first full rookie campaign last year for Montreal, scoring four goals and 13 assists in 65 games. Harris joins a growing list of young and promising Canadien defensemen and is playing on the first year of a tw0-year, $2.8MM extension signed last February.
Although Harris joined the team for their loss on Saturday at the hands of the Boston Bruins, he had actually missed the last couple of games before that with an upper-body injury. Seeing his playmaking ability slip a bit compared to last season, Harris has three assists in 16 games played this year, as well as carrying a -7 rating.
In Harris’ absence, Norlinder will get the opportunity to slide into the lineup over the next several games. He has not played in the NHL since the 2021-22 regular season, tallying one assist in six games for the Canadiens.
As the 64th overall selection by Montreal in the 2019 NHL Draft, Norlinder has played in 87 games for the Rocket over the last three seasons, scoring four goals and 19 assists in that time. Playing for Frolunda HC during his draft year, Norlinder has yet to see his strong skating ability or vision separate him from the pack in the AHL up to this point.
Not much of a playmaker during his time in the SHL, Norlinder had always been a strong defender at every level before making the jump to North America. If he is able to get back into the Montreal lineup during the callup, Norlinder will have to bring some of that expertise back into his game to have any staying power.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Dmitri Samorukov
Adding some defensive depth into the organization, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced they have signed defenseman Dmitri Samorukov to a one-year, $775K contract for the 2023-24 season. Bouncing between the Kontinental Hockey League and the American Hockey League over the last several seasons, Samorukov has played in three NHL games the last two seasons, adding zero points.
Samorukov was originally drafted 84th overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2017 NHL Draft, waiting until the 2019-20 season to join the team’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. After a two-goal, eight-assist performance for Bakersfield over 47 games, Samorukov left North America to join CKSA Moskva of the KHL for the 2020-21 season.
After a somewhat disappointing performance in the KHL, Samorukov came back to North America for the 2021-22 season, once again joining the Condors. In 51 games played at the AHL level, Samorukov played much better, chipping in three goals and 15 assists, earning an emergency recall in late December of that year, playing in one game for Edmonton.
In October of the 2022-23 NHL season, Samorukov was traded to the St.Louis Blues in exchange for forward Klim Kostin, immediately reporting to the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. Throughout his one season with the Blues organization, Samorukov was called up twice last season, making two appearances at the NHL level.
Joining the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on a minor league contract this summer, Samorukov has played in 15 games, scoring one goal and four assists, which puts him third amongst defensemen in scoring for the team. Now, with this new contract, Pittsburgh will have the option to bring Samorukov to the NHL level if depth is needed on the blue line.
Cody Glass Placed On Injured Reserve; Out Week-To-Week
Last night, the Nashville Predators made an impressive comeback against their Central Division rival, the Colorado Avalanche, scoring two goals in the final minute of the game to earn the victory. Unfortunately, in his fourth game back after recovering from a lower-body injury, forward Cody Glass left the game with just over two minutes left in the third period.
In an update this afternoon, the Predators announced that Glass would be headed back to the injured reserve, this time with an upper-body injury. Looking to build on a strong 2022-23 regular season, Glass is struggling to stay healthy early in the season.
Last year, Glass had somewhat of a breakout season compared to the rest of his career, suiting up in 72 games in Nashville, scoring 14 goals and 21 assists. In the three seasons prior, Glass played in 74 games total between the Predators and the Vegas Golden Knights, only mustering nine goals and 14 assists.
There was some injury concern earlier in Glass’ career with the Golden Knights, as he missed one month of the 2019-20 regular season with a leg injury, before finally having his season ended by a knee injury in early March. However, since his arrival in Nashville, the same injury concern has not plagued Glass until this year.
This year, when healthy, Glass has played in nine out of a possible 17 games for the Predators, adding his first point on the year via an assist in last night’s contest against the Avalanche. Moving forward, as they have operated for the majority of their games this season, the team will be without Glass at the center position for the foreseeable future.
Penguins Place Rickard Rakell, Chad Ruhwedel On IR
1:16 p.m.: Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review relays that Rakell and Ruhwedel have been placed on injured reserve.
12:43 p.m.: Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan issued multiple injury updates Tuesday morning, the most pressing being that forward Rickard Rakell is out “longer-term” with an upper-body injury. Sullivan also relayed that defenseman Chad Ruhwedel is sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury. At the same time, winger Bryan Rust missed practice today to be evaluated for a lower-body injury.
It’s unclear when Rakell sustained the injury, but if his performance is any indication, he’s been playing through it for a while. The Swedish winger has struggled mightily this season, posting just four assists through 17 games despite playing top-six minutes, frequently alongside Evgeni Malkin on the team’s second line. Rakell has been somewhat inconsistent throughout his 668-game NHL career, but a dry spell like this is quite rare for him – especially after hitting the 60-point mark last season for the second time in his career.
The Penguins acquired Rakell from the Ducks in a March 2022 trade, giving up a rather significant haul of depth forwards Dominik Simon and Zach Aston-Reese, high-end goalie prospect Calle Clang, and a 2022 second-round pick that the Ducks used on defenseman Tristan Luneau, who managed to crack Anaheim’s roster out of camp just one season post-draft. After impressing with 13 points in 19 games down the stretch for the Penguins in 2021-22, then-GM Ron Hextall inked him to a six-year, $30MM deal with a $5MM cap hit. Rakell’s production as a Penguin has largely been worth the contract – 32 goals, 45 assists and 77 points in 118 games – but the team hopes his recent dry spell isn’t a sign of things to come for the life of the deal.
It is worth noting that despite Rakell’s lack of goal-scoring, his possession numbers have been strong. His -2 rating is a testament to his lack of offense, not defense – his 56.6% Corsi share at even strength is third among Penguins forwards behind Sidney Crosby and Radim Zohorna.
Ruhwedel has been a member of the Penguins organization since signing during free agency in 2016, and he’s remained a valuable depth option at the bottom of their defensive lineup. A nagging injury to Pierre-Olivier Joseph has meant extended playing time for Ruhwedel this season, and he’s been a healthy scratch just twice throughout their 17-game schedule. The 33-year-old is in the final season of a two-year, $1.6MM deal and has one assist and a -3 rating.
His absence leaves the Penguins with only five healthy defensemen on the active roster and will necessitate a roster move, which will likely be activating defenseman John Ludvig off LTIR. The early-season waiver claim sustained a concussion in his first NHL appearance against the Stars on October 24 but has been on a conditioning loan to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton since last Thursday, making two appearances and recording a shot on goal. Multiple reports indicate Ludvig was on the ice for practice Tuesday morning and will likely return to the Penguins’ lineup Wednesday against the Rangers.
Sullivan did not issue any timeline on Rust’s injury, which likely occurred during game action against the Golden Knights on Sunday. He did not leave the game, however. The 31-year-old has seen top-line duties alongside Crosby and Jake Guentzel this season and is amidst a rebound year, posting nine goals and 16 points through 17 contests after scoring 46 points in 81 games last season.
Missing both Rakell and Rust will create a domino effect throughout the Penguins’ forward lineup, an unfortunate blow for a team that’s 6-4-0 in their last ten games after a lagging start to the season. Sullivan told reporters today, including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that Jansen Harkins, Vinnie Hinostroza and Alexander Nylander will be in discussions to ride shotgun with Crosby and Malkin in Rakell’s and Rust’s absences. Only Hinostroza, who is day-to-day himself with a lower-body injury, is currently on the active roster. Harkins and Nylander are currently on assignment to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and the team would need to place Rakell and/or Rust on LTIR to accommodate a recall.
Canadiens’ Jordan Harris Out Indefinitely, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard Out 6-8 Weeks
Canadiens defenseman Jordan Harris will be out indefinitely with a lower-body injury, per a team announcement Tuesday. Harris has left the team’s California road trip and has returned to Montreal for “further testing and a thorough evaluation of his condition,” and the team will make a corresponding recall from AHL Laval later today. Additionally, after placing him on IR yesterday, the Canadiens confirmed that winger Rafaël Harvey-Pinard will be out of the lineup for six to eight weeks.
The Canadiens’ 23-man roster is full, so Harris will need to be moved to either IR or LTIR to facilitate a recall.
Harris, 23, is among the group of promising young Canadiens defenders, seeing his stock rise after a strong collegiate showing through four years at Northeastern. His rookie season in 2022-23 was solid, seeing him post 17 points and a relative Corsi share of 2.4% at even strength in 65 contests. The natural puck-mover has struggled to make as much of an impact this season, however, logging just three assists in 16 contests while seeing his possession numbers dip.
This is Harris’ second injury-related absence of the season. He’d missed two out of the Canadiens’ last three games with an upper-body injury but returned to play over 21 minutes in the Canadiens’ loss to the Bruins last Saturday. The Massachusetts-born defender is in the first season of a two-year, $2.8MM extension signed in February.
The news solidifies that Jayden Struble will enter the lineup tomorrow against the Ducks and make his NHL debut. A second-round pick of the team in 2019, Struble has six points in 12 games with AHL Laval this season and will slot in on the third pairing alongside Gustav Lindström.
A lengthy absence is a tough break for Harvey-Pinard, who’s struggled to find his footing in the Habs’ lineup this season. After ending last season hot with 14 goals and 20 points in 34 contests, the 2019 seventh-round pick has failed to light the lamp this year and has four assists in 13 games.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Anaheim Ducks
As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Anaheim Ducks.
Who are the Ducks thankful for?
Greg Cronin.
An improved defensive structure is the largest reason the Ducks have been among the more surprising teams to kick off the 2023-24 campaign. A 9-9-0 start may not be much to write home about for some, but it’s a stark improvement for a team that finished last in the league last season. Consider that a .500 points percentage currently ties them for the second Wild Card spot in the Western Conference with the Coyotes, and the Ducks’ rebuild looks right on track.
The offseason parting of ways with Dallas Eakins and the hiring of Cronin, a first-year NHL head coach, as his replacement looks to be the right call early on. Higher-ups in the organization preached Cronin as someone who could mold a group of young players into a more well-rounded style – a shift that’s played out in front of fans quickly this year.
Luck has certainly been on the Ducks’ side. After all, Frank Vatrano‘s 12 goals in 18 games (and his sky-high 19.4% shooting percentage) seem unsustainable. Their tandem of young Lukáš Dostál and John Gibson in the crease is providing them with truly above-average netminding for the first time in years, as well.
However, that shouldn’t take away from the mindset Cronin has instilled. The numbers back Cronin’s impact up – at even strength, their 47.1% Corsi share, 47.3% share of scoring chances, and 47.5% share of high-danger chances are all significant improvements over last season’s numbers, which resided in the low 40s. Their 56 goals allowed sits right in the middle of the NHL as Thanksgiving rolls around, and while they likely won’t be one of the 16 teams to make the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Cronin’s coaching has 2025 looking like a realistic bet.
What are the Ducks thankful for?
Their scouts.
The Ducks have one of the better prospect pools in the league, especially on defense. While they’ve had some high-value picks, the majority of their pool is coming from strong choices outside the top five.
19-year-old Pavel Mintyukov earns an obvious shout here. The tenth overall pick in 2022, he already looks right at home on an increasingly competent NHL defense and had ten points through 18 games. 2022 second-round pick Tristan Luneau has earned an earlier-than-expected NHL look and remains on the active roster, while 2021 second-round pick Olen Zellweger just wrapped up a stellar junior career and has eight points in 12 games with AHL San Diego this season.
And while it will take years to settle the debate between Adam Fantilli and Leo Carlsson as the second-best player behind Connor Bedard in the 2023 class, Carlsson is looking right at home in the NHL thus far and has six goals through his first 12 NHL games, good enough for third on the team. He’s logging heavy usage for a rookie at over 18 minutes per game and is posting positive possession numbers in the process.
What would the Ducks be even more thankful for?
A happy and healthy holiday season for Trevor Zegras.
Last summer’s drawn-out contract negotiations between the Ducks and the face of their franchise were one of the more surprising storylines. It was even more surprising that Zegras settled for a relatively tame three-year, $17.25MM deal after posting back-to-back 60-point seasons, even if he did have his struggles defensively.
In a small sample size this season, it seems the Ducks’ hesitation around a rich long-term commitment was justified. Zegras has just two points through 12 games and is now dealing with a nagging lower-body injury that’s kept him out of the lineup for the past two weeks. There’s no clear timetable for his return, certainly a concerning development.
What should be on the Ducks’ holiday wish list?
Consistency from John Gibson.
Quietly, the Ducks’ netminder with a former all-world reputation is playing some of his best hockey in years. In six appearances in the month of November, Gibson has posted a .942 SV% and has not posted a save percentage under .900 in a single game since leaving an October 30 contest against the Penguins with an injury.
Dostál is looking like the future in the crease for Anaheim, making Gibson more expendable than ever. That timing lines up well with a resurgence for the American netminder, who is quickly rebuilding his trade value and could earn the Ducks quite a haul if the team does end up moving him after years of trade rumors.
Gibson does have a ten-team no-trade list and four seasons left at a $6.4MM cap hit, but that’s similar to what he would earn on the open market should he hit free agency next summer if he keeps this level of play up for the rest of the season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Damon Severson Out 6 Weeks With Oblique Injury
Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson sustained an oblique injury in Sunday’s game against the Flyers and is set to miss approximately six weeks, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said in a release. Severson has not been placed on IR, but nevertheless, the team reassigned forward Trey Fix-Wolansky to AHL Cleveland in a corresponding transaction.
This is the second major injury for the Blue Jackets in the early going of 2023-24, as Severson joins forward Jack Roslovic (ankle) on the injured list. Both were given a six-week recovery timeline from their initial injuries. It’s still a far cry from the injuries that decimated Columbus last season, especially among their defense corps.
Severson sustained the oblique injury in a failed dive attempt to keep the puck in the offensive zone, which led to a shorthanded goal by the Flyers’ Ryan Poehling. Set to be an unrestricted free agent last summer, the Blue Jackets acquired Severson in a sign-and-trade with the Devils that saw the 29-year-old earn an eight-year, $50MM deal.
He was off to a decent start in Columbus, recording eight points through 19 games, averaging nearly 21 minutes per game and leading Blue Jackets defenders with a +1 rating. He’d posted an incredibly strong relative Corsi share of 5.6%, meaning the Blue Jackets’ already poor possession stats are likely to dip even further without Severson in the lineup.
In a small silver lining, Severson’s absence should provide more opportunity for a pair of young right-shot defenders to get some more ice time from now until the New Year. 23-year-old Adam Boqvist and 19-year-old David Jiříček moved up to the first and second pairings, respectively, in practice today, according to Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. Both have averaged under 14 minutes per game, and appearances have been limited – especially for Boqvist, who’s been a scratch in 14 out of 19 games for Columbus this season.
Meanwhile, Fix-Wolansky heads back to the minors after making just one appearance during his recall, logging zeros across the scoresheet in 12:32 of ice time against the Coyotes last Thursday. He’d been a healthy scratch in two straight contests. The diminutive winger is off to a scorching hot start in the minors, leading the team with four goals, 12 assists and 16 points through 11 games.
Flyers Activate Marc Staal
The Flyers have activated defenseman Marc Staal from IR, the team announced Tuesday. In a corresponding transaction, netminder Felix Sandström was assigned to AHL Lehigh Valley after clearing waivers yesterday. Staal is expected to return to the lineup when the Flyers take on the Islanders tomorrow.
The 36-year-old Staal has regained some value after being viewed as one of the worst defenders in the league a few seasons ago. His possession numbers and advanced defensive metrics had long been subpar after his peak with the Rangers in the mid-2010s, but they’ve rebounded to a level closer to average since joining the Panthers in the 2022 offseason.
His lone season in Florida was effective, playing in all 82 regular-season games for the first time in over a decade and logging over 20 minutes per game in their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. While never a hallmark of his game, Staal’s offensive contributions have dried up, though – he posted no points in 21 playoff contests and had three goals, 12 assists and 15 points in the regular season. Still, that decent showing with Florida earned him a one-year, $1.1MM deal with the Flyers in free agency last summer to extend his NHL career.
Staal’s return supplements a Flyers defense that’s inexplicably been playoff-caliber through the first several weeks of the season. The team is sitting with a 10-7-1 record and a .583 points percentage that would put them in the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Much of that has been because of the underrated play of offseason trade addition Sean Walker, who Staal is projected to pair with in his return to the lineup. Viewed as a throw-in for cap purposes in the Ivan Provorov three-way deal this summer between the Flyers, Blue Jackets and Kings, the 29-year-old has ten points through 18 games while averaging over 21 minutes a night.
Staal had missed the last 14 games with an upper-body injury sustained on October 19 against the Oilers. A return to action seemed imminent at the tail end of last week, with multiple reports indicating he’d been cleared to return ahead of Saturday’s contest against the Golden Knights, but he remained out of action through the weekend.
Morning Notes: Blue Jackets, Hoglander, Foote and Halonen
The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline recently sat down with the Columbus Blue Jackets’ President of Hockey Operations, John Davidson, to discuss the team’s early season woes. But despite the nine-game losing streak, which has seen Johnny Gaudreau get benched and Patrik Laine get scratched, Davidson says no rash changes are inbound for the Blue Jackets. “Woe is me does not work. It’s an emotional game, a hard game,” Davidson told Portzline, “but we need the improvements we’re seeing with some of our younger players — Alexandre Texier, Kirill Marchenko, Adam Fantilli, these guys — to continue, and we need our best players to start playing like they’re capable of playing.”
Davidson went on to support the hard decisions being made by first-time NHL head coach Pascal Vincent, who has benched and scratched players at will through his first two months on the job. Davidson said, “Coach is the coach. Coach works tightly with Jarmo. They discuss things daily, and Jarmo fills me in. The bold moves that Pazzy has made … you have to make bold moves sometimes.”
The topic of Columbus’ slide was also discussed by Elliotte Friedman in the most recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast. Friedman disagreed with the decision to scratch Laine but did speak optimism about the impact that significant struggles can have on a young star like Fantilli, calling back to his days covering former NBA rookie of the year Damon Stoudamire. The 32 Thoughts team closed the conversation by acknowledging that, while no rash decisions were inbound, heavy losing can still weigh on the team’s veterans. Columbus will be looking to avoid their 10th loss in a row on Wednesday. If they can’t, they could change their tune on what decisions are looming.
Other morning notes:
- The Department of Player Safety will be reviewing a slewfoot from Vancouver’s Nils Hoglander and some form of discipline is expected. Hoglander was kicked out of the team’s Monday night matchup against the San Jose Sharks after tripping Kevin Labanc in front of the team’s bench. Whether he will be receiving a fine, or a suspension, for the incident is the looming question. Hoglander has no prior history with the DOPS.
- Utica Comets head coach Kevin Dineen shared that Nolan Foote and Brian Halonen are going to continue missing time and that the team is hoping to have a clearer timetable around American Thanksgiving. Neither player has made an appearance in the 2023-24 season so far.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Vancouver Canucks
Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2023-24 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.
Vancouver Canucks
Current Cap Hit: $86,578,549 (over the $83.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
None on the active roster
Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level
F Anthony Beauvillier ($4.15MM, UFA)
F Teddy Blueger ($1.9MM, UFA)
D Ian Cole ($3MM, UFA)
G Casey DeSmith ($1.8MM, UFA)
D Mark Friedman ($775K, UFA)
F Dakota Joshua ($825K, UFA)
D Filip Hronek ($4.4MM, RFA)
F Sam Lafferty ($1.15MM, UFA)
D Tyler Myers ($6MM, UFA)
F Elias Pettersson ($7.35MM, RFA)
Headlines were made when discussions about an extension with Pettersson were called off by the center’s camp, citing a desire to play out the season and see where things sit. That apparently is on hold now as GM Patrik Allvin acknowledged recently that they’re working on a new deal. It’s fair to say it will be a very pricey one. After a career year last season, he’s off to an even better start in 2023-24 and has been among the league leaders in scoring (at times the outright leader). He plays a premium position and is a year away from UFA eligibility which also works in Pettersson’s favor. Heading into the year, an AAV between $10.5MM and $11MM felt like a possible landing spot. Now, it seems likely to fall about a million higher.
Beauvillier came over as part of the Bo Horvat trade last season and did well with his new team down the stretch but has underachieved this season. He has reached at least 18 goals in four of the last six years, however, and that type of offensive consistency will help on the open market. A big raise doesn’t seem likely but something near this on the open market could be doable. Blueger opted for a one-year deal over the summer after splitting last season between Pittsburgh and Vegas. As a bottom-six forward, his market shouldn’t be much stronger next summer unless he’s either able to hit new benchmarks offensively or is able to sustain his 56% success rate on the draw that he had down the stretch with Vegas.
Lafferty was acquired late in training camp with Toronto needing to clear salary. When he was with Chicago, he did well in a middle-six role but was a lot quieter on the fourth line with the Maple Leafs. Things have gone well so far with his new team which could push his AAV closer to the $2MM mark in the summer. As for Joshua, he did quite well in his first year with Vancouver last season, his first full year of NHL action. If he gets to the double-digit-goal mark again while bringing plenty of physicality, he could double this on the open market.
Myers was the subject of trade speculation throughout the summer but remains with Vancouver. He’s still capable of playing in the top four although his best role might be as a fifth that moves up when injuries arise. In free agency, that’s closer to a $3.5MM player. It’s worth noting that the bulk of his salary was paid in September as a signing bonus so if he was to be acquired midseason, his new team wouldn’t have to pay much in the way of actual money. Hronek was brought in from Detroit at the trade deadline, a confusing move on the surface for a team that was selling. He has been quite productive early on so far and should be in good shape to land much more than his $5.28MM qualifying offer this summer. Like Pettersson, he has just one year of club control remaining. Friedman has played regular minutes since being acquired early in the year but has cleared waivers in two straight years now, suggesting that he will probably stay near the minimum moving forward.
DeSmith is another newcomer to the team after being acquired at the start of training camp. Over the last few years, he has been a capable backup and with that market going up in recent years, a good showing this season could propel him to a deal closer to the $3MM mark next summer.
Signed Through 2024-25
F Brock Boeser ($6.65MM, UFA)
D Guillaume Brisebois ($775K, UFA)
F Phillip Di Giuseppe ($775K, UFA)
D Akito Hirose ($787.5K, RFA)
F Nils Hoglander ($1.1MM, RFA)
D Noah Juulsen ($775K, UFA)
F Andrei Kuzmenko ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Tucker Poolman ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Pius Suter ($1.6MM, UFA)
Boeser was in trade speculation last season when things weren’t going too well offensively. He stated his desire to stay and got his wish. That has worked out quite well considering the hot start he has had. That said, if he stays in the 25-goal range, it’s hard to see this price tag going much higher; he’ll need to carry this hot start to a career year to have a shot at any sort of significant raise. Kuzmenko had a very strong first NHL season but with his track record being short, the two sides ultimately worked out a bridge extension. If he has two more years of 70 or more points, he could push past the $7MM mark in 2025.
Suter was a late signing in free agency after a down year with Detroit. That said, he has scored at least 14 goals in each of his first three NHL seasons and spent most of that time at center. As long as he holds down a regular spot on the third line, they’ll do well with this contract. Meanwhile, a couple more years scoring at that rate would give Suter a much better platform to hit the open market with. Hoglander spent most of last year in the minors but did enough before that to get a seven-figure bridge deal. Now, it’s about re-establishing himself as a regular and if he can produce in a top-nine role (he’s not an ideal fourth line candidate), he could push for closer to $2MM with arbitration rights. Di Giuseppe has largely been a journeyman, often splitting time between the NHL and AHL with several organizations but has found a home with Vancouver where he’s seeing regular minutes and producing. Given his age (30), it’s unlikely a significant bump is coming his way but if he stays a regular, a one-way deal around the $1.5MM mark could be doable.
Poolman is once again on LTIR with concussion issues that have limited him to just 43 games with the Canucks over the last two seasons, only three of which came last year. At this point, it’s hard to see him playing again. If he does try to push through it and play after this deal, his injury history will limit him to a league-minimum contract. Hirose impressed after signing as a college free agent down the stretch, earning this deal for his efforts, one that converts to a one-way salary next season. If he’s established as a roster regular at that point (even if he’s in the sixth or seventh depth role), arbitration eligibility would push him past $1MM. As for Juulsen and Brisebois, both are depth defenders who are likely to continue to stay at or close to the minimum moving forward.
Signed Through 2025-26
G Thatcher Demko ($5MM, UFA)
F Conor Garland ($4.95MM, UFA)
F Ilya Mikheyev ($4.75MM, UFA)
D Carson Soucy ($3.25MM, UFA)
Garland has been a capable secondary scorer throughout his career but his contract was viewed as a negative with Arizona and he’s now in that situation with Vancouver despite starting off rather well with them. While his agent has been given permission to try to facilitate a move, that will be hard to do without salary retention and possibly taking a contract back. Meanwhile, Garland will need to get back to the 50-point mark if he wants a shot at another deal like this. Mikheyev’s contract raised some eyebrows given his limited track record and injury history with Toronto. However, when healthy, he has produced at a rate worthy of this type of contract. If he can continue that and stay off the injury list, he could tick past the $5MM mark next time.
Soucy came over from Seattle as a pricey third pairing option. He does well in his limited role, however, which helps to justify the price tag. Given his playing style and the fact he’ll be entering his age-32 year on his next contract though, it would be surprising to see a big raise coming his way.
When Demko is on his game, he can be among the top goalies in the league. We saw it a couple of years ago when Vancouver nearly pulled off the improbable comeback to make the playoffs (coming up just short) and we’re seeing it early on this year. When things are going well, this is a contract that’s well below market value. Of course, things didn’t go anywhere near as well last season which was a big reason for their drop in the standings. While the starting goalie market has largely stagnated lately with the backups getting a boost in free agency instead, Demko could help break that trend. If he plays up to his capabilities for the rest of this contract, a long-term deal worth $7MM or more should be doable. If it goes really well, he’ll be eyeing Connor Hellebuyck’s $8.5MM but his track record isn’t as strong at the moment.