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.
Minor Transactions: 11/20/23
Here’s a rundown of some of the latest minor moves from around the hockey world with an NHL connection:
- Free agent forward C.J. Smith has inked a tryout deal with JYP in Finland per a team release. The 28-year-old spent last season under contract with the Rangers but was limited to just 21 games at the AHL level with Hartford where he had four goals and two assists. Smith has 15 career NHL contests under his belt over parts of four seasons with Buffalo and Carolina.
- Simon Despres’ international journey will take him to Nottingham in England as the Panthers announced that they’ve signed him to a one-year deal. The 32-year-old played in 193 NHL games over parts of six seasons with Pittsburgh and Anaheim and since then, he has played in the AHL along with stints in Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, and Austria.
- With Jesper Wallstedt returning to AHL Iowa earlier today, the Wild have reassigned goalie prospect Hunter Jones to ECHL Iowa, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 23-year-old is in the final year of his entry-level deal but has struggled considerably in a short sample size this season, posting a 4.98 GAA with a .845 SV% in four games with the Heartlanders.
- The Sharks have promoted goalie Eetu Makiniemi back to the AHL level, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 24-year-old was sent down last week to get some playing time as he has just one AHL appearance under his belt so far. However, he didn’t fare particularly well in his two games with ECHL Wichita, allowing nine goals on 72 shots. Makiniemi, who got into two games with the Sharks last season, is in the final season of his entry-level contract.
- The Devils have re-assigned goalie Tyler Brennan to ECHL Adirondack, per a team announcement (Twitter link). The 20-year-old is in his first professional campaign and playing time has been hard to come by as he has played just twice for the Thunder, allowing six goals on 33 shots.
- Winnipeg’s AHL affiliate in Manitoba announced that they’ve returned netminder Thomas Milic to ECHL Norfolk. The 20-year-old was drafted in the fifth round by the Jets back in June following a stellar season with Seattle of the WHL and has split the season between the Moose (four games) and Admirals (six appearances).
Snapshots: Oilers, Nylander, Three Stars
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman spoke about the Edmonton Oilers goaltending situation on the most recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, sharing that the team is in search for a new netminder with Jack Campbell struggling in the AHL. Specifically, Friedman reported that the Oilers recently got a good look at the three goalies with the Montreal Canadiens and could be interested in acquiring either Cayden Primeau or Sam Montembeault.
Montembeault has yet to sign his anticipated contract extension with the Canadiens, and Friedman adds that this extension could be a barrier for Montreal in any trade talks. The 27-year-old goaltender is in his third season with Montreal, joining the team via waivers ahead of the 2021-22 season. He’s performed well for the team since, recording a .908 save percentage through eight games this season and a .901 save percentage in 40 games last year. Edmonton is looking for a goaltender to support sophomore Stuart Skinner, rather than finding one to replace him, per Friedman. Montembeault could be a budget-friendly option if Montreal is willing to part with him.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun has shared that the Toronto Maple Leafs are being deliberately tight-lipped about star winger William Nylander‘s looming contract extension, but that both sides remain committed to finding a deal before he hits free agency. One exec that LeBrun spoke with compared the negotiations to David Pastrnak‘s extension negotiations, and another estimated that the winger could make $10.5 to $11 million on his next deal. Nylander recently forced his way into the spotlight again by scoring five points in Toronto’s pair of Global Series matchups.
- The NHL has announced its Three Stars of the Week, with Sidney Crosby taking Third Star, Nylander winning Second Star, and Cale Makar being awarded First Star. Crosby won on the back of a five goal, seven point performance through four games this week; Nylander’s Global Series performance earned him a nomination despite playing just two games; and Makar amassed an impressive eight points in three games this week to top the list.
Evening Notes: Jokiharju, Moverare, Geekie
Missing the team’s last two games due to an illness, the Buffalo Sabres announced that defenseman Henri Jokiharju would be making his return to the team tonight in their matchup against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Aside from missing the last two contests, Jokiharju has gotten off to a relatively solid start for the Sabres in terms of scoring, chipping in two goals and five assists in his first 15 games, compared to 13 points in 60 games a season ago. Defensively, Jokiharju is staying true to a similar output over the course of his career to start the season, evidenced by his 89.5% oiSV% when he is on the ice.
Still, early into the season, Buffalo’s defense has already improved dramatically from last season, with similar goaltending behind them. Last year, the team was on the hook for 3.62 GA/G (26th in the NHL) and has seen that number fall to 3.24 GA/G (17th in the NHL) with a little under 80% of the season remaining.
Other notes:
- 11/19: For the second time in four days, the Los Angeles Kings have announced they have loaned defenseman Jacob Moverare to their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. Primarily a paper transaction in order to keep roster and cap flexibility on their off days, Moverare has yet to suit up in a game for Los Angeles this season.
- 11/20: Moverare was recalled to the NHL lineup on Monday.
- Signing a two-year, $4MM contract with the Boston Bruins over the offseason, forward Morgan Geekie has missed the team’s last three games with an undisclosed injury. On a positive note as to the status of Geekie, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald reported today that Geekie was practicing with the rest of the team today in a red non-contact jersey.
Wild Send Nic Petan, Daemon Hunt, Jesper Wallstedt To AHL
The Minnesota Wild have announced a trio of roster moves, sending Nic Petan, Daemon Hunt, and Jesper Wallstedt to the Iowa Wild of the AHL. Wallstedt served as an emergency backup for the team during their trip to Sweden and wasn’t an official call-up, while Petan and Hunt were recalled prior to the trip. Dakota Mermis has also cleared waivers but remains assigned to the NHL club.
Petan was the only one of the group to slot into the lineup during his recall, appearing in the team’s Saturday loss against the Ottawa Senators. He failed to record a point, penalty, or change in his +/- in the matchup while playing just over eight-and-a-half minutes. He did record two shots and one faceoff win in the game, though.
While Hunt didn’t make an appearance on this recall, he has slotted into five NHL games earlier this season. The 21-year-old defenseman has gone without a point through those contests, a stat line that he’s matched in the AHL, going without a score in five games there as well. It’s Hunt’s second full season of professional hockey after he played in 59 AHL games last season, recording 11 points and 14 penalty minutes.
The duo return to Iowa alongside the AHL club’s starting goalie in Wallstedt. The top goalie prospect has played in eight AHL games so far this season, earning a .932 save percentage and a 6-2-0 record. Now 21 years old, Wallstedt was drafted in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft and has yet to play in his first NHL game.
Injury Notes: Harpur, Hollowell, Lizotte
The Hartford Wolf Pack, the AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers, shared a pair of updates on injured defensemen. The team most notably shared that Ben Harpur will be out for the remainder of the season after undergoing pectoral surgery. Hartford head coach Steve Smith also shared that Mac Hollowell is also out with injury, but the team is hopeful he’ll be able to return this week.
This is a heavy blow to a Rangers’ depth chart that extended Harpur to a two-year, one-way contract in January of last season. The contract carries an annual cap hit of $787.5K and provided a reward in the midst of Harpur’s first year in New York. He finished last season with 42 NHL games played, two points, and 20 penalty minutes. The defender has started this year in the minors, playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL. He’s recorded three points, two penalty minutes, and a -1 through seven games with the team this season.
Hollowell is another blow to the Rangers’ options, if he’s out for longer than this week. The 25-year-old is in his first year with the Rangers organization, after spending the last five with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hollowell has proven productive in his AHL experience this year, netting 10 points in 10 games and recording a +5. It’s a continuation off of his productive 2022-23 season, which saw him score 13 points in 18 AHL games and two points in six NHL games. His season was, however, cut short by a fractured kneecap that required surgery.
Other injury news:
- The Los Angeles Kings have announced that Blake Lizotte will miss the team’s Monday night game with an undisclosed injury. The forward left the team’s most recent matchup against the St. Louis Blues in the third period and didn’t travel with the team on their two-game road trip to Arizona and Anaheim. No official timetable for his return has been provided.
West Notes: Vilardi, Harley, Benning
Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi is nearing a return to action from an MCL sprain that’s cost him the last 14 games. Associate coach Scott Arniel said today that Vilardi will travel with the team on their upcoming three-game road swing through Tampa Bay, Florida and Nashville and is an option to play during the trip.
The 24-year-old has played in just two full games this season, sustaining the injury early in the team’s third contest of the year against his former team, the Kings, on October 17. Vilardi was the main aspect of the trade return from Los Angeles in exchange for center Pierre-Luc Dubois this summer. After a strong camp, Vilardi had earned himself a spot in the team’s top six, registering an assist through his first two contests while playing over 20 minutes per game. A first-round pick of the Kings in 2017, injuries have largely delayed Vilardi’s development, but he still managed a career-high 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games last season. He remains on injured reserve, and the Jets will need to open a spot on the 23-man roster to activate him.
Other notes out of the Western Conference to open the holiday week:
- Stars defenseman Thomas Harley will remain out of the lineup tonight when they host the Rangers, Brien Rea of Bally Sports Southwest reports. The 22-year-old is sidelined with an upper-body injury sustained November 12 against the Wild on a hit from forward Brandon Duhaime and is listed as day-to-day. This will be Harley’s third straight absence after playing in 14 straight games to start the season. The team’s 2019 first-round pick is looking quite at home in the NHL, posting five points and a +2 rating while averaging 17:24 per game.
- After getting Jacob MacDonald back in the fold earlier today, another injured Sharks veteran is on the precipice of a return to the lineup. Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports defenseman Matt Benning could come off IR before Wednesday’s game against the Kraken. Benning will miss his ninth straight contest tonight against Vancouver with an undisclosed injury. The 29-year-old has played in eight games this season, recording an assist and a -6 rating in 18:29 of average ice time.
Flyers’ Felix Sandstrom Clears Waivers
Nov. 20: Sandstrom has cleared waivers and can be assigned to AHL Lehigh Valley, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.
Nov. 19: Now that goaltender Felix Sandstrom is healthy and eligible to return to the team off of the injured reserve, the Philadelphia Flyers announce they have put Sandstrom on waivers for the purpose of assignment to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
At the end of October, the Flyers had originally sent Sandstrom down to the AHL on a conditioning loan, giving him 14 days to work on his game with the Phantoms. Unfortunately, due to an upper-body injury, Philadelphia recalled Sandstrom from his loan on November 4th and subsequently placed him on the injured reserve.
After a disastrous season serving as a backup goaltender last year, Sandstrom suffered to the tune of a .880 SV% and a 3.72 GAA. Even the more in-depth numbers such as ‘Goals Saved Above Average’ and his ‘Adjusted Goals Against Average’ computed by Hockey Reference suggest Sandstrom was even worse than the more topical numbers he produced throughout the season.
Now, with Carter Hart taking the bulk of the starting minutes for the Flyers, Sandstrom has been replaced in the backup role by Samuel Ersson, who signed a two-year, $2.9MM extension with Philadelphia early in August. Now, assuming that he does clear waivers, Sandstrom will share the net with fellow netminder, Calvin Petersen, in Lehigh Valley.
At 26 years old, Sandstrom is still relatively young for a goaltender in the NHL, meaning some teams may take a chance on him to serve in a backup role. Although there are some organizations that could certainly make an improvement to their current goaltending situation, Sandstrom does not project as an objective improvement in many or all of those situations, meaning he will likely go unclaimed over the next day.
Sharks To Activate Jacob MacDonald From IR
The Sharks will activate defenseman-turned-forward Jacob MacDonald off injured reserve before today’s game against the Canucks, head coach David Quinn told Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News.
MacDonald, 30, has missed the last five games with an undisclosed injury and has not played since the Sharks’ back-to-back ten-goal concessions against the Canucks and Penguins earlier this month. Those are his only two appearances this season, posting a goal, an assist and a -5 rating.
The Oregon-born journeyman will slot in on the fourth line alongside a pair of similarly seasoned veterans, Ryan Carpenter and Givani Smith. MacDonald, in the second season of a two-year, $1.525MM contract, came to the Bay Area via trade from the Avalanche last season. He appeared in 25 contests for the Sharks after the trade in 2022-23, notching a goal, five assists, and a -11 rating.
An undrafted free agent signed by the Panthers back in 2018, MacDonald played three full pro seasons in the AHL and ECHL after graduating from Cornell University before finally earning an NHL deal. Since then, he’s played in 103 games, including a career-high 58 split between the Sharks and Avalanche last year.
Standing at 6 feet and over 200 pounds, MacDonald will likely remain on the roster for the time being as a solid supplementary veteran presence. He will need waivers to head to the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda if the team chooses to demote him to the minors, where he hasn’t played since 2021-22.