Colorado Avalanche Sign Saige Weinstein To Entry-Level Contract
The Colorado Avalanche signed defenseman Saige Weinstein to a three-year, entry-level contract, per a team announcement Friday. After going undrafted at this year’s 2023 NHL Draft, Weinstein was a free agent.
Weinstein, 18, attended training camp with the Avalanche on an amateur tryout but was returned to the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs over a week ago. He played exhibition games for Colorado at the 2023 Rookie Faceoff tournament hosted by the Vegas Golden Knights and during standard preseason play.
Seeing Weinstein go undrafted wasn’t a surprise, although some public scouts had him labeled as a potential selection in the later rounds. However, Colorado likes what he’s shown them over the past few weeks, and he’ll remain in the organization for the next three to five seasons. The Avalanche can slide the beginning of his ELC to as late as 2025-26 if he plays less than ten NHL games in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, a likely scenario for the unpolished defender. In that case, his contract would expire after the 2027-28 season.
His career stats in junior to date scream physical, bottom-pairing defender: 32 points in 122 career games with Spokane across three seasons to go along with 179 penalty minutes. The 6-foot, 174-pound Weinstein is more of a threat in transition than those numbers indicate, though; he’s a capable puck-handler who can help activate plays in transition. However, how much that skill translates to the professional ranks remains to be seen, and it may be his physical tendencies that end up giving him an NHL shot someday.
Winnipeg Jets Place Ville Heinola On Injured Reserve
The Winnipeg Jets have announced that defenseman Ville Heinola has been placed on injured reserve. According to head coach Rick Bowness, Heinola suffered a fractured ankle and is expected to be out on an eight-to-twelve-week timeline.
This is a brutal development for Heinola, who will head home to Finland to be around family as he recovers. Heinola, 22, was drafted 20th overall by the Jets at the 2019 draft. He’s been pushing for an NHL job for several years now, but hasn’t been able to carve out a consistent role in Winnipeg. Winnipeg has had a deep blueline for much of his time with the organization, and as a result he’s logged quite a few games at the AHL level.
Last season, Heinola was exceptional for the Moose, scoring 37 points in just 48 games. He’s a well-regarded puck mover and offensive presence, but now his chance to finally break into the league on a full-time basis will have to wait at least a few months.
In his place, left-shot blueliners such as Dylan Samberg and Logan Stanley could be in line to receive a larger role at the NHL level, eating into some of the minutes Heinola would likely have received if healthy.
West Notes: Spurgeon, Schwindt, Toropchenko
Earlier today, we covered news that Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon had suffered an injury due to a hard hit from last night’s preseason game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Now, the Minnesota Wild have officially announced that Spurgeon has suffered an upper-body injury and will be out on a week-to-week basis. The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported that although Spurgeon is officially considered out week-to-week, Spurgeon’s injury is “not thought to be a long-term injury” and “he’s not expected to miss 10 games/24 days,” meaning long-term injured reserve won’t come into play.
While it’s certainly a relief that the Wild don’t expect Spurgeon to remain out on an extended basis, it’s a major blow for Minnesota to lose Spurgeon for any duration. He’s the captain of the Wild and someone relied upon to endure the most difficult matchups and most difficult minutes for head coach Dean Evason. Spurgeon averaged 21:49 time on ice per game last season, so in his absence the Wild are likely to rely even more on players such as Jonas Brodin, Jake Middleton, and rookie Brock Faber.
Some other notes from the Western Conference:
- Forecasting the Calgary Flames’ depth chart after the team underwent serious training camp roster cutdowns, The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie reports that there could be a new face handling fourth-line center duties for the Flames this fall. (subscription link) McKenzie writes that 22-year-old 2019 third-round pick Cole Schwindt “has that fourth-line centre spot by default,” as despite Schwindt not being “that impressive, or noticeable, at camp” he remains a preferred option for the role over Dryden Hunt and Walker Duehr, two natural wingers. It would be a major opportunity for Schwindt, who arrived in Calgary as part of the blockbuster Matthew Tkachuk–Jonathan Huberdeau trade. He’s scored decently well in the AHL, (72 points in his last 142 games) which could give the Flames confidence that he will be able to hold down an NHL role.
- Lou Korac of NHL.com reports that St. Louis Blues winger Alexey Toropchenko is skating this morning at Blues training camp. Toropchenko left last night’s preseason contest against the Dallas Stars with a lower-body injury, prompting some worry that his availability for the start of the regular season might be impacted. While no official word has come in yet on Toropchenko’s status, the fact that he is back on the ice so quickly has to be seen as an encouraging sign.
Waivers: 10/06/23
Today’s slate of waivers features some intriguing names, and as training camp rosters around the league continue to get whittled down to something that more closely resembles an opening-night roster, it’s possible more teams feel comfortable placing a waiver claim than has been the case so far this preseason. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, everyone on yesterday’s waivers cleared. Full waiver list courtesy of PuckPedia.
Carolina Hurricanes
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
G John Lethemon
F John Stevens
F Taro Hirose
F Tim Gettinger
D Brogan Rafferty
D Wyatt Newpower
D Jared McIsaac
F Austin Czarnik
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)
D Marcus Bjork
D Jake Christiansen
F Joshua Dunne
F Brendan Gaunce
F Carson Meyer
D Billy Sweezey
Florida Panthers (via team release)
F Grigori Denisenko
F William Lockwood
F Alexander True
D Matt Kiersted
New York Islanders (via team release)
G Ken Appleby
D Dennis Cholowski
F Arnaud Durandeau
D Grant Hutton
F Otto Koivula
F Karson Kuhlman
D Paul LaDue
F Brian Pinho
D Robin Salo
G Jakub Skarek
New York Rangers
F Jonny Brodzinski
D Ben Harpur
Philadelphia Flyers (via team release)
San Jose Sharks
F Oskar Lindblom
F Jacob Peterson
F Ryan Carpenter
Washington Capitals (via team release)
F Nicolas Aube-Kubel
F Alex Limoges
F Michael Sgarbossa
F Joe Snively
D Dylan McIlrath
G Hunter Shepard
The most notable player placed on the waiver wire by the Panthers is Denisenko. Denisenko, 23, was the 15th overall pick at the 2018 draft and is coming off of his most productive season in North America so far in his career.
The rambunctious winger scored 12 goals and 36 points in 56 games last season and could be of interest to clubs that may have been high on him at the 2018 draft and therefore might believe a change of scenery will unlock some of the upside he showed a few years ago as a draft-eligible prospect.
In terms of NHL experience, today’s slate of waived players does not disappoint. Aube-Kubel, from Washington, is a Stanley Cup champion who as recently as 2021-22 was viewed as a quality fourth-line player. He scored 11 goals and 22 points that season, and could be of interest to teams looking to add some experience to their bottom-six. His $1.225MM cap hit could be a barrier to him getting claimed, though.
Other experienced players include Jones, 26, who scored 16 points in 73 games playing 19:13 per night last season and Lindblom, 27, who is the 2020-21 Bill Masterton Trophy recipient and has a 17-goal, 33-point season on his resume. Like Aube-Kubel, Lindblom’s cap hit is likely a barrier to getting claimed. He’s making $2.5MM against the cap for 2023-24.
There are also a few younger players available, such as Salo, a 24-year-old Swedish defenseman who was a quality player coming out of the SHL but hasn’t been able to hold down a role on Long Island despite getting some real opportunities over the last two seasons.
Another younger player is Allison, 25, who is a 2016 second-round pick and plays a power forward’s game but has struggled with injuries so far as a professional.
This page may be updated throughout the day.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/06/23
Less than a week away from the opening night of the 2023-24 NHL season, teams continue to make roster cuts in an effort to finalize their official roster heading into the year. As always, we’ll track roster moves here.
Anaheim Ducks (via team release)
D Robert Hägg (to San Diego, AHL)
D Noah Warren (to Victoriaville, QMJHL)
D Colton White (to San Diego, AHL)
Boston Bruins (via team release)
G Brandon Bussi (to Providence, AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)
F Zach Aston-Reese (released from PTO)
F Kieffer Bellows (released from PTO)
F Cory Conacher (released from PTO)
F Brendan Perlini (released from PTO)
F Nick Shore (released from PTO)
D Nathan Beaulieu (released from PTO)
F Noel Gunler (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Blake Murray (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Justin Robidas (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Anttoni Honka (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Griffin Mendel (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Ronan Seeley (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Jamieson Rees (to Springfield, AHL)
D Aleksi Heimosalmi (to Pori, Liiga)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)
G Jet Greaves (to Cleveland, AHL)
F James Malatesta (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Hunter McKown (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Justin Pearson (released from PTO)
F Stefan Matteau (released from PTO, expected to join AHL Cleveland via tryout)
Detroit Red Wings (via team release)
F Alexandre Doucet (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Marco Kasper (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Amadeus Lombardi (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Albert Johansson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Antti Tuomisto (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Eemil Viro (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D William Wallinder (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Sebastian Cossa (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Joel L’Esperance (released from PTO)
F Riley Sawchuk (released from PTO)
F Dominik Shine (released from PTO)
F Tyler Spezia (released from PTO)
D Josiah Didier (released from PTO)
G Michael Hutchinson (released from PTO)
Florida Panthers (via team release)
G Spencer Knight (to Charlotte, AHL)
Los Angeles Kings (via team release)
D Brandt Clarke (to Ontario, AHL)
D Alex Laferriere (to Ontario, AHL)
F Alex Turcotte (to Ontario, AHL)
New York Islanders (via team release)
F William Dufour (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Aidan Fulp (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ruslan Iskhakov (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Eetu Liukas (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Kyle MacLean (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Matt Maggio (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Travis Mitchell (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Reece Newkirk (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Calle Odelius (to Bridgeport, AHL)
New York Rangers (via team release)
F Brennan Othmann (to Hartford, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (via the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster)
F Brendan Brisson (to Henderson, AHL)
Washington Capitals (via team release)
F Ethen Frank (to Hershey, AHL)
F Hendrix Lapierre (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)
D Vincent Iorio (to Hershey, AHL)
D Chase Priskie (to Hershey, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets (via team release)
F Parker Ford (to Manitoba, AHL)
It’s relatively big news coming out of Florida today, as Knight’s reassignment to Charlotte means veteran Anthony Stolarz will begin the season as the backup goalie behind Sergei Bobrovsky in Sunrise. Stolarz struggled last season to the tune of an .899 save percentage in 19 games, though he was playing in difficult circumstances as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. Stolarz does have a track record of quality play from as recently as 2021-22, when he posted a strong .917 save percentage in 28 games, and it’s likely the Panthers believe Stolarz will perform closer to how he did in 2021-22 than 2022-23.
As for Knight, he’ll get to build himself back to the NHL by getting some lower-pressure game action under his belt in the AHL. Knight has been away from the ice for the better part of a year as he’s participated in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, so it’s understandable that the Panthers would want to ease him back into the rigors of being an NHL goalie rather than begin the season with him in the NHL and potentially risk losing Stolarz on waivers.
In New York, it’s no real surprise to see Othmann sent to Hartford. While there was an outside chance that the Rangers would take advantage of one of their top prospects’ affordable cap hit for their opening-night roster, Othmann has not yet made his professional debut and thrusting a rookie into a win-now environment with a demanding veteran head coach in Peter Laviolette may not have been the best place for Othmann to develop.
In Hartford, Othmann is likely to play a major all-situations role for head coach Kris Knoblauch and he’s likely to be near the front of the line for a call-up should the Rangers have forward injuries. Assuming he can hit the ground running for the Wolf Pack and put together a productive rookie AHL campaign, he’ll likely be a full-time NHL player a year from now.
A few notable prospects were sent down elsewhere, including on Long Island where a trio of talented wingers were sent to the AHL. Maggio is looking to have a strong first season as a professional hockey player while Iskhakov and Dufour each posted solid numbers in Bridgeport last season, but just missed the cut in terms of making the NHL roster.
In the American capital, Lapierre finished his debut AHL campaign well but his poor start did cause some concern. As a result, it seems as though Washington will look to see him put together a more consistently productive campaign at the pro level before testing him in the NHL. The Golden Knights likely sent down their own 2020 first-round pick, Brisson, for the same reasons after he scored a decent but not overwhelming 18 goals and 37 points in the AHL last season.
There’s a bit of a curious player development decision made in Carolina, where a slate of prospects have been sent to the ECHL. Certain names, such as Honka, who scored 34 points in the AHL last season, are clearly players capable of playing in the AHL and will have to instead play 2023-24 in the ECHL due to the Hurricanes’ lack of an AHL affiliate.
While the lower level of competition does set the stage for players such as Honka, Robidas, and Gunler to have highly productive seasons, one wonders if playing third-tier hockey rather than in the AHL, widely regarded as one of the world’s best leagues outside the NHL, is going to end up the best choice for those players’ development.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Rangers Notes: Kakko, Gustafsson, Quick
2019 second-overall pick Kaapo Kakko hasn’t burst out of the gates to start his NHL career as many expected he would, but those who have paid close attention to both the New York Rangers and the young Finnish forward could clearly tell the steady progress Kakko has made since his difficult rookie season. In an overview of New York Rangers training camp and preseason performances, The Athletic’s Arthur Staple writes that Kakko is now “the unquestioned RW1” on Broadway. (subscription link)
It’s a major opportunity for Kakko, who looks poised to move from a “kid line” next to fellow youngsters Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafrenière. As things stand, Kakko looks slated to begin the season playing right wing on the Rangers’ first-line, next to franchise first-line center Mika Zibanejad and former 50-goal scorer Chris Kreider. With this opportunity, it’s easy to envision a second consecutive season where Kakko sets career-highs in production, as last season he managed a career-best 18 goals and 40 points.
Some other notes from Manhattan:
- Another Ranger who has had an impressive preseason is summer signing Erik Gustafsson. According to Staple, Gustafsson has “seemingly won the sixth defense spot with ease.” 2019 68th overall pick Zac Jones has been Gustafsson’s primary competition for the role, but seeing as Gustafsson scored 42 points last season and has familiarity with new head coach Peter Laviolette, it’s no surprise that Gustafsson beat out Jones. Gustafsson’s assumed victory does cast some doubt over Jones’ long-term future in New York, though, as he is waiver-eligible for the first time. Cap constraints may cause the Rangers to keep veteran Ben Harpur on their opening-night roster over Jones, and since Jones remains a well-regarded prospect who scored 31 points in the AHL last season, he could be a popular name on the waiver wire.
- In net, the Rangers could be staring down a difficult situation behind superstar starter Igor Shesterkin. Veteran netminder Jonathan Quick is one of the defining goalies of the past generation of hockey, but now at 37 years old time has started to catch up to him. Quick struggled to the tune of an .882 save percentage last season, and the athleticism that he relied on to make him one of the NHL’s best goalies in his prime has begun to seriously deteriorate. While there was some hope that highly regarded Rangers goalie guru Benoit Allaire would help Quick rebound, Quick posted a grisly .807 save percentage in the preseason. Staple writes that Quick “should have some options for a couple of starts in the first two months.” But if he fails to improve, the Rangers could quickly be in need of a new backup goalie early in 2023-24.
Snapshots: NHL Expansion, Spurgeon, Nylander
In a recent episode of Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun expressed confidence that the NHL will be expanding, sharing it’s a matter of when rather than if. The TSN panel shared four cities that could be up for a new NHL team: Houston, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, and Quebec City. LeBrun added, “It felt like [Bettman] was so close to saying it was just going to happen… he kept talking about the recurring conversations of interest he’s having with those four cities.”
However, the TSN group also shared that before the league can worry about adding new teams, they’ll need to find clarity around the Arizona Coyotes arena situation. This certainly makes sense – the league needs to keep any relocation options open – but may also freeze any expansion talks for the short term. Bettman has recently expressed optimism in the Coyotes’ ability to find a new, more permanent home in the desert, although nothing is set in stone just yet. Arizona’s situation will be key to watch as the NHL considers where to add new franchises, and how many cities could be in line for expansion.
Other notes from around the league:
- Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon took a hard hit in the team’s Thursday night preseason game. He sat out of the rest of the game and may be dealing with an injury that holds him out for even longer. Head coach Dean Evason said, “It’s not positive, but we’ll get a better evaluation tomorrow.” This will be an important thing to monitor, as Spurgeon’s impact in Minnesota is second to none. In addition to serving as their captain for the last three seasons, Spurgeon has also become a consistent double-digit goal-scorer capable of 40-point seasons. Wild fans will hold their breath, as his availability for opening night now seems uncertain.
- The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel shared that Toronto forward William Nylander gave his agent, Lewis Gross, permission to continue negotiating a contract extension into the regular season. However, Nylander said he doesn’t want to hear updates until negotiations are closer to the finish line. Gross, notably, also represents Johnny Gaudreau, who had his own round of contract extension discussions with now-Leafs general manager Brad Treliving. The two sides, Gross and Treliving, aren’t unfamiliar with big-money extension discussions, which should be an interesting contributor to Nylander’s ongoing discussions.
Zach Whitecloud Undergoes Surgery, Out Week-to-Week
The Vegas Golden Knights will be without Zach Whitecloud for at least the start of the year after the defender underwent successful hand surgery. The team has officially announced that Whitecloud is week-to-week, although reports say he could be out for as long as six months.
This would be a huge blow for Whitecloud, who’s suffered a string of injuries going back to the start of the 2021-22 season. In October of that year, Whitecloud was held out for just under a month after blocking a shot with his wrist. And while he was able to return to the lineup quickly, Whitecloud suffered another injury in February, fracturing his foot and missing another month of play. He also missed two months of the 2022-23 season with an undisclosed lower-body injury.
But while Whitecloud hasn’t faired well with injuries, he has left a notable impression when he is on the ice, enough to earn a six-year contract extension starting in 2022-23. The deal carries an annual cap hit of $2.75MM and carries Whitecloud through his age-30 season.
Whitecloud has appeared in 186 career games, including 59 games in each of the last two seasons. In 2021-22, he recorded eight goals and 19 points, while averaging just under 19 minutes per game. Each of those numbers went down over the last season, with Whitecloud netting 12 points and averaging just over 17 minutes of ice time. The defenseman has also made his impact felt on special teams, consistently appearing as a top-four option for Vegas’ penalty kill.
Vegas has a few different options to replace Whitecloud, including Kaedan Korczak, Brayden Pachal, and Daniil Miromanov. All three defenders have NHL experience, appearing in 11, 12, and 25 career games respectively, and all served in major AHL roles when they weren’t with the NHL club last season. With Whitecloud slated to miss at least the start of the year, and as much as the first half of the season, Vegas will need one of these two blue-liners to step up.
Los Angeles Kings Agree To Terms On Extension With Todd McLellan
7:39 p.m.: The Fourth Period’s Dave Pagnotta reports it’s a one-year deal for McLellan, keeping him behind the L.A. bench through 2024-25.
6:54 p.m.: The Los Angeles Kings are close to signing head coach Todd McLellan to an extension, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The veteran head coach was entering the 2023-24 campaign on an expiring contract.
The move comes ahead of a pivotal season for the Kings, who have yet to win a playoff series exiting their retool/rebuild over the late 2010s. Stakes haven’t been this high in Los Angeles for quite some time, with immense pressure on the team to perform with Pierre-Luc Dubois added down the middle and youngsters like Quinton Byfield looking for a statement season.
McLellan took over behind the Kings bench in the summer of 2019 after he was fired midseason during the 2018-19 campaign by the Edmonton Oilers. That meant his first truly full season with the team didn’t come until 2021-22 – his first two campaigns in Hollywood were shortened due to COVID-19. He’s coached 290 games for the Kings over the past four seasons now, accomplishing a 141-115-34 record in the regular season and a 5-8 record in the playoffs over their last two defeats, which, ironically, came at the hands of the Oilers.
With the Kings making linear progress over the past three seasons, the organization evidently feels McLellan has earned the opportunity to see things through and guide the team deeper into the postseason. Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2014, Los Angeles has made the playoffs just four times and has yet to win a playoff series.
The 56-year-old has plenty of experience. He surpassed the 1,000 games coached mark in 2021-22 and now has a total of 1,096 regular season games of head coaching experience between the Kings, Oilers, and San Jose Sharks. McLellan’s 575 career wins rank 23rd in NHL history, but his teams have historically fallen flat in postseason play – he’s got a career record of 42-46 despite overseeing the dominant Sharks squads of the early 2010s.
Pacific Notes: De Leo, Carlsson, Flames Arena, Smyl
Anaheim Ducks forward Chase De Leo will miss the next eight weeks after sustaining an MCL sprain during a Tuesday game against the Los Angeles Kings, per a team announcement. He sustained the injury on a knee-on-knee hit from Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev, whom the league suspended for four games today as a result.
De Leo, 27, has just seven games of NHL experience to his name but has been a high-end mainstay at the AHL level since turning pro in 2015. Despite his game never really translating to the game’s highest level, De Leo has been a dominant offensive force in the minors, spending four out of his eight pro seasons with Anaheim’s AHL affiliate in San Diego. He returned to San Diego last season after spending 2021-22 with the New Jersey Devils, serving as team captain for the first time and racking up 23 points in 22 games during a tough season for the Gulls. He’ll land on injured reserve to begin the season in Anaheim and will likely be waived and assigned to San Diego upon clearance when he’s ready to return.
More from the Pacific Division tonight:
- Sticking with the Ducks, GM Pat Verbeek confirmed on a radio spot on SiriusXM today that the team envisions keeping 2023 second-overall pick Leo Carlsson on the roster for the entire season. Verbeek wouldn’t commit to Carlsson being an everyday player, however, it seems he’ll get that shot out of the gate – multiple websites project Carlsson will slide into Anaheim’s top-six to begin the season, given the finger injury to free-agent signing Alex Killorn. The 18-year-old has had a strong camp and is coming off an incredibly strong draft year that saw him boost his stock into a top-four lock, recording 25 points in 44 games with SHL club Örebro HK and finishing off the season with five points in eight games for Sweden at the World Championship. He already has NHL size at 6-foot-3 and nearly 200 pounds.
- All parties involved have now officially signed off on a new arena deal for the Calgary Flames that was originally approved in April, according to multiple members of the Calgary media pool. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reported Wednesday that a rather significant announcement was coming on the arena front today, and he wasn’t wrong – as part of this approved agreement, the Flames will open up their new home with a 35-year lease to keep the team in Alberta. Construction will begin on the site next year, and is anticipated to be NHL-ready for the 2026-27 campaign, meaning the Flames have three seasons left (including this one) at the historic Scotiabank Saddledome.
- Former Vancouver Canucks forward and longtime hockey operations staffer Stan Smyl will transition away from his day-to-day duties with the club, the team said in a statement Thursday. Smyl has been a full-time employee of the Canucks since beginning his playing career with the team in 1978-79. After a 13-season NHL career with Vancouver, including multiple seasons as captain, Smyl immediately transitioned to an assistant coaching role upon retiring in 1991. He’s served in various coaching and advisory roles with the organization ever since and had most recently served as the team’s vice president of hockey operations for the last season and a half, earning a promotion from senior advisor in December 2021. Smyl, 65, will remain closely working with the organization in a reduced role.