Sharks Claim Ty Emberson Off Waivers From Rangers
There was one player claimed from Friday’s batch of waivers as Chris Johnston of TSN reports (Twitter link) that the Sharks have claimed blueliner Ty Emberson off waivers from the Rangers.
The 23-year-old was a third-round pick by Arizona back in 2018 (73rd overall) out of the U.S. National Team Development Program. He was the player who came to New York when they dealt two draft picks to the Coyotes to take on the remainder of Patrik Nemeth‘s contract (which has since been bought out). The change of scenery seemed to work quite well for Emberson as he went from 11 points in his final season with Tucson to 27 points last season with AHL Hartford although it didn’t land him an NHL look.
That helped secure Emberson a qualifying offer from the Rangers although he ultimately accepted less than that in exchange for a higher AHL pay. He’s on a one-year deal that pays $775K in the minors and $85K at the minor league level. He’ll be a restricted free agent once again next summer.
San Jose is an interesting landing spot for Emberson since they already have seven blueliners on one-way deals plus Jacob MacDonald who is on a two-way deal but played in 58 NHL games last season. However, the Sharks are a team that’s squarely in the middle of a rebuild so from that standpoint, it makes sense that they would want to take a look at a young right-shot defender.
Atlantic Notes: Primeau, Zboril, Heinen
Canadiens goaltender Cayden Primeau has struggled at the NHL level so far with a 4.11 GAA and a .871 SV% in 21 games but has shown enough in the AHL that he’s still viewed as a possible goalie of the future. He now requires waivers to get back to the minors but TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (video link) that the team believes he won’t make it through unclaimed. Accordingly, they’re giving serious consideration to carrying three goalies to start the season with Primeau joining holdovers Samuel Montembeault and Jake Allen. Primeau has two years left on his one-way contract which carries a cap hit of $890K but with the price of third-string goalies going up a lot this summer, even the one-way element might not dissuade a potentially interested team from taking a flyer on him.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- Bruins defenseman Jakub Zboril returned to practice yesterday for the first time since being injured in Boston’s preseason opener, relays Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic (Twitter link). The blueliner was in a non-contact sweater but it was still a step in the right direction. This is an important camp for the 26-year-old who is entering the final year of his contract, one that carries an AAV of $1.1375MM. Boston could opt to waive Zboril, giving them some much-needed cap flexibility so he’ll be looking to get into some games to try to lock down his spot.
- Still with Boston, Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston argues that the Bruins should keep winger Danton Heinen who is in with the group on a PTO. While he’s not a prototypical fourth-line player, he would give them a bit more offensive punch. With the firepower they lost over the summer, they could stand to benefit from carrying a bit more of an offensive-minded depth player. Speculatively, Heinen would wind up with a deal at or close to the league minimum of $775K if he got a contract offer but they would need to open up some room before they could even offer that.
Penguins Hire Trent Mann
It didn’t take too long for Trent Mann to find his next organization. The Penguins announced today that they’ve named Mann as a Player Development and Scouting Advisor.
Mann had been with Ottawa since 2011 in a few different roles including their Director of Amateur Scouting for the past six seasons. The Sens certainly had some strong draft picks during that stretch including Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, Jake Sanderson, and Shane Pinto although it hasn’t been a perfect stretch with Tyler Boucher‘s stock dropping lately while Lassi Thomson, a former first-rounder himself, is going on waivers later today. Mann, who also served as assistant GM for the Sens last season, was relieved of his duties in mid-July.
Now, he joins a Pittsburgh front office that has undergone some significant restructuring under Kyle Dubas. While he’ll hold an advisory role for the time being, with a dozen seasons under his belt in the scouting ranks, it stands to reason that he should assume a bigger role with the club before too long.
The hire also adds a small new wrinkle to the cross-state rivalry between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia as Mann’s son, defenseman Matteo Mann, was drafted by the Flyers in the seventh round back in June.
Examining Tampa Bay’s Goaltending Options
One hallmark of Tampa Bay’s success in recent years has been strong goaltending from veteran Andrei Vasilevskiy. The team has had so much confidence in their starter that they’ve gone quite cheap with their backups over the last few seasons. The risk to that approach, of course, is Vasilevskiy getting injured, a reality they’re now facing for at least the next two months after he underwent back surgery.
At the moment, the Lightning have Jonas Johansson as their projected starter, a netminder who has seen action with Buffalo, Colorado, and Florida but has a save percentage of just .886 in 35 career appearances. Sure, that should improve behind a strong Tampa back end but his track record shouldn’t be particularly confidence-inspiring for management. An upgrade would certainly be helpful.
Of course, an upgrade is quite difficult for them to be able to afford. While Vasilevskiy will be LTIR-eligible, the fact he’ll return means that Tampa Bay is basically limited to replacing him with a low-cost netminder that can be waived and sent down upon Vasilevskiy’s return. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the low-cost options that are out there.
Waiver Candidates
Magnus Hellberg (PIT): Hellberg is no stranger to being in this situation as he was plucked off waivers twice last season by teams in this very situation, looking for a bit of short-term veteran depth. His NHL track record is limited and his numbers are no better than Johansson’s but he’d at least give them a bit more of an experienced option.
Martin Jones (TOR): Jones was a late signee in free agency, eventually accepting a cheap one-way deal with an eye on being Toronto’s AHL starter. He played in 48 games with Seattle last season and while he had a save percentage of just .886, his career numbers are a bit better. If they want someone that can still handle a short-term starters’ workload, he’ll garner some consideration.
Alex Lyon (DET): The veteran impressed down the stretch last season with Florida and actually went into the playoffs as their starter before Sergei Bobrovsky got on his run partway through the first round. His NHL numbers last year (2.89 GAA, .912 SV%) came in less than a three-month span which is around how long Vasilevskiy will be out. Could those numbers be repeatable (or close to it) in Tampa Bay?
Cayden Primeau (MTL): This one would be a bit more of a gamble considering his very limited NHL experience. However, he has been a multi-year starter in the minors now and at 24, it’s possible there’s still some upside. Could he be this year’s Connor Ingram where a change of scenery helps him to unlock his potential? If Tampa Bay thinks so, he could be an under-the-radar option if Montreal doesn’t opt to carry three goalies instead.
Alex Stalock (ANA): If Anaheim decides to start Lukas Dostal in the minors, this one won’t be an option for Tampa. However, if he is on waivers, he could be an intriguing option after putting up a .908 SV% in 27 games with Chicago last season, his first extended NHL action since 2019-20 after dealing with myocarditis.
Anthony Stolarz (FLA): Stolarz is coming off an injury-riddled season but he’s only a year removed from posting a .917 SV% on an Anaheim team that had struggled considerably. His cap hit would make it quite difficult for them to potentially keep him after Vasilevskiy returns but he is one of the more proven goalies likely to hit the waiver wire in the coming days.
All of these players are on contracts that can be fully buried in the minors without any salary cap penalty.
Trade Options
Eric Comrie (BUF): With Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in the fold, it’s quite possible that the Sabres decide to go with the young duo which would leave Comrie as the odd one out. With a $1.8MM AAV, Tampa Bay would need the Sabres to retain a decent chunk of that (if not the 50% maximum) so it’d be understandable if Buffalo asked for a draft pick in return. Given that there will be other goalies available for free (and Comrie himself could be waived, too), this might not be their preferred route at this time.
Dan Vladar (CGY): This has been a popular speculative option but it’s not necessarily the most viable for Tampa Bay since he has a two-year deal and a $2.2MM cap hit which is something they can’t afford when Vasilevskiy returns. Tampa Bay would need to come close to matching money in a trade as a result, meaning they’d have to part with a regular on their roster although he’d give them a higher-upside second-string option.
Free Agent Options
Brian Elliott: Elliott is no stranger to the team as he served as the backup over the past two seasons. Things went quite well in 2021-22 but that certainly wasn’t the case last season with numbers that were among the worst in his career. If familiarity with the organization and systems is important to the Lightning, it wouldn’t be shocking to see them at least consider the possibility of a reunion.
Jaroslav Halak: Last month, Halak indicated that he wants to keep playing but doesn’t want to be in a third-string/reserve role. This short-term vacancy would seemingly fit him well. He’d be guaranteed some consistent playing time and if he can outplay Johansson, it’s possible that he could push for a season-long opportunity. He had a .903 SV% in 25 games with the Rangers last season, a better mark than many others on this list.
Internal Options
Tampa Bay has two other goalies on NHL deals, neither of which have made an NHL start. Hugo Alnefelt is viewed as a possible goalie of the future but didn’t have a great year with AHL Syracuse. Ideally, he needs frequent playing time and that’s easier to get with the Crunch. Matt Tomkins is the other goalie in the system. He exercised an opt-out in Sweden to sign with the Lightning back in May. The 25-year-old hasn’t been more than an AHL backup in North America and it would be tough to rely on him in the NHL for any sort of extended stretch.
With Vasilevskiy’s surgery occurring now instead of in-season, Tampa Bay will have considerably more options over the next couple of weeks if they decide to add someone from outside the organization. At this point, their best bet might be via the waiver wire where the list above certainly isn’t exhaustive; there will be plenty of netminders for them to choose from to give them a bit more stability in the short term. They just might have to wait a week or two for the better options to become available.
Metropolitan Notes: Toffoli, Blue Jackets, York
The Devils have already held preliminary discussions about an extension for pending UFA winger Tyler Toffoli, notes Ryan Novozinsky of the Newark Star-Ledger. The 31-year-old was acquired from Calgary earlier this summer and is coming off by far his best season, one that saw him put up 34 goals and 39 assists in 2022-23. Toffoli currently carries a $4.25MM AAV and with the year he just had, it’s fair to say he’ll be looking for a decent-sized raise to put pen to paper on an early extension. If he winds up playing alongside Jack Hughes as he has at times in the preseason, he could be in for another big year which would certainly bolster his value on the open market next summer.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch highlights some of the Blue Jackets who were regulars last season but could find themselves on the bubble now after Columbus added some extra depth over the summer. The headliner on the list is Cole Sillinger, a player who made the team at 18 and had a nice rookie year in 2021-22 but struggled considerably last season, scoring just three times in 61 games. An opportunity to play big minutes with AHL Cleveland might just be the best thing development-wise for him for now.
- Flyers defenseman Cam York took part in practice with the team today, suggesting he has been cleared to return, relays Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). The 22-year-old had missed the last few days of practice with an undisclosed injury. He’s entering the first season of a two-year bridge deal which should also be his first full NHL campaign. York had 20 points in 52 games with the Flyers last season while adding 13 more in 20 games with AHL Lehigh Valley.
Evening Notes: Hartman, Zuccarello, Islanders/Rangers
After finalizing extensions for both Marcus Foligno and Mats Zuccarello today, Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin confirmed to The Athletic’s Joe Smith that things are also “heading that way” regarding an extension for center/winger Ryan Hartman. That confirms a report from The Athletic’s Michael Russo earlier this week that Minnesota had begun extension talks with all three players.
Guerin didn’t give a firm timeline on when we could see an extension for Hartman announced, and there’s likely still a little bit of work to be done, but it could be as soon as early next week. Hartman, a winger for most of his NHL career, shifted to center in his second season with Minnesota out of roster need and quickly ended up on the team’s top unit between Zuccarello and Kirill Kaprizov. Hartman’s statement season came in 2021-22, exploding for a career-high 34 goals and 65 points while playing in all 82 games. He couldn’t quite follow it up, however, as injuries limited him to 59 appearances in 2022-23, in which he posted 15 goals and 37 points.
While he has been an admirable pinch-hitter for the Wild at an extreme position of need in his prime, he’s not an ideal long-term solution as a pivot given his rather poor performance in the faceoff circle – he’s posted just a 43.6% win rate over the past three seasons despite taking well over 2,000 draws. He does still carry immense value as a versatile middle-six forward, however, and he’s in line to earn a significant raise over his current $1.7MM cap hit. Evolving-Hockey projects an extension for Hartman to come in at around the $5.5MM mark per season with a four-year term as the most likely – a more expensive deal but similar nonetheless to the one Foligno signed earlier today.
Elsewhere around the league tonight:
- Sticking with Minnesota, PuckPedia added some further clarity on the inner workings of Zuccarello’s two-year, $4.125MM cap hit extension signed today. Given the front-loaded structure of the deal, which sees him earn $4.7MM in 2024-25 compared to just $3.55MM in 2025-26, plus its label as a 35+ deal, the contract is essentially buyout-proof and will not earn the Wild any cap relief should they opt to execute one in the summer of 2025. Zuccarello will be 38 entering the final season of the extension, but he’s produced well over market value for the Wild over his four seasons there and, even accounting for some natural decline, should be worth the money given an increased cap ceiling in the final season of the extension.
- Moving East, watchful eyes may have noticed tonight’s preseason Battle of New York between the Islanders and Rangers didn’t go on as scheduled. That’s because the game was postponed earlier today due to the local state of emergency declared due to extreme flooding in Brooklyn and throughout the New York metropolitan area. A home game for the Islanders at UBS Arena, the tilt has been pushed to Saturday night at 6 p.m. CT or 7 p.m. local time.
Training Camp Cuts: 09/29/23
It’s another day in the NHL preseason, meaning it’s another day of cuts and reassignments. Yesterday was a busy one for player movement across North American hockey’s various preseasons, and today could be no different. We’ll track those transactions here.
Boston Bruins (via team release)
D Jackson Edward (to London, OHL)
D Ryan Mast (to Providence, AHL)
Buffalo Sabres (via team release)
F Christopher Brown (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Filip Cederqvist (to Rochester, AHL)
F Riley Fiddler-Schultz (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Brandon Fortunato (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Damien Giroux (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
G Michael Houser (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Chris Jandric (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Mason Jobst (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Aleksandr Kisakov (to Rochester, AHL)
F Tyson Kozak (to Rochester, AHL)
F Dominick Mersch (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Michael Mersch (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Zach Metsa (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Olivier Nadeau (to Rochester, AHL)
F Viktor Neuchev (to Rochester, AHL)
D Nikita Novikov (to Rochester, AHL)
D Ethan Prow (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
D Nicolas Savoie (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Graham Slaggert (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Brendan Warren (released from PTO, to Rochester, AHL)
F Linus Weissbach (to Rochester, AHL)
Calgary Flames (via team release)
F Parker Bell (to Calgary, AHL)
D Mikael Diotte (released from ATO)
D Jarrod Gourley (to Calgary, AHL)
D Etienne Morin (to Moncton, QMJHL)
F Brett Sutter (to Calgary, AHL)
F William Stromgren (to Calgary, AHL)
Chicago Blackhawks (via NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis)
D Josh Healey (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
F Jalen Luypen (to Rockford, AHL)
D Ross MacDougall (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
D Josh Maniscalco (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
D Andrew Perrott (released from PTO, to Rockford, AHL)
Colorado Avalanche (via team release)
F Henry Bowlby (to Colorado, AHL)
F Tanner Kero (to Colorado, AHL)
F Matthew Stienburg (to Colorado, AHL)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)
F Roman Ahcan (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Tyler Angle (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Ole-Julian Bjorgvik-Holm (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Cameron Butler (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Cole Clayton (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Luca Del Bel Belluz (to Cleveland, AHL)
G Eric Dop (released from PTO, to Cleveland, AHL)
F Jake Gaudet (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Samuel Knazko (to Cleveland, AHL)
D Nicolas Meloche (released from PTO)
F Mikael Pyyhtia (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Martin Rysavy (released from PTO, to Cleveland, AHL)
D Thomas Schemitsch (released from PTO)
F Owen Sillinger (to Cleveland, AHL)
Los Angeles Kings (via team release)
F Kaleb Lawrence (to Owen Sound, OHL)
F Nathan Burke (released from tryout)
F Sean Tschigerl (released from tryout)
F Ty Thorpe (released from tryout)
D Max Coyle (released from tryout)
Minnesota Wild (per team release)
F Kale Kessy (released from PTO, to Iowa, AHL)
D Simon Johansson (to Iowa, AHL)
D Kyle Masters (to Iowa, AHL)
F Greg Meireles (released from PTO, to Iowa, AHL)
F Pavel Novak (to Iowa, AHL)
D David Spacek (to Iowa, AHL)
Nashville Predators (via team release)
D Tanner Molendyk (to Saskatoon, WHL)
New Jersey Devils (via team release)
G Tyler Brennan (to Utica, AHL)
F Filip Engaras (to Utica, AHL)
D Colin Felix (to Utica, AHL)
F Josh Filmon (to Swift Current, WHL)
F T.J. Friedmann (to Utica, AHL)
F Joseph Gambardella (to Utica, AHL)
F Timur Ibragimov (to Utica, AHL)
D Will MacKinnon (to Utica, AHL)
F Xavier Parent (to Utica, AHL)
D Robbie Russo (to Utica, AHL)
F Ryan Schmelzer (to Utica, AHL)
D Topias Vilen (to Utica, AHL)
New York Islanders (via team release)
D Isaiah George (to London, OHL)
F Justin Gill (to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
G Tristan Lennox (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Zsombor Garat (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Blade Jenkins (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Artem Kulakov (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Brent Moran (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Dmytro Timashov (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Sam Asselin (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Cole Bardreau (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Tanner Fritz (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Jeff Kubiak (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Seth Helgeson (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ashton Calder (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Joseph Cipollone (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Riley Piercey (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Jake Pivonka (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Trevor Cosgrove (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Christian Krygier (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Vincent Sevigny (to Bridgeport, AHL)
G Henrik Tikkanen (to Bridgeport, AHL)
New York Rangers (via team release)
D Nikolas Brouillard (to Hartford, AHL)
D Adam Clendening (released from PTO)
F Karl Henriksson (to Hartford, AHL)
D Blake Hillman (released from PTO, to Hartford, AHL)
F Ryder Korzcak (to Hartford, AHL)
F Bobby Trivigno (to Hartford, AHL)
Ottawa Senators (via team release)
F Angus Crookshank (to Belleville, AHL)
F Philippe Daoust (to Belleville, AHL)
F Tarun Fizer (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
D Ryan MacKinnon (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
F Graham McPhee (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
G Leevi Merilainen (to Belleville, AHL)
F Brennan Saulnier (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
D Donovan Sebrango (to Belleville, AHL)
G Mark Sinclair (released from PTO, to Belleville, AHL)
D Djibril Touré (to Belleville, AHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (via team release)
F Alexis Gendron (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Adam Karashik (released from PTO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
G Nolan Maier (released from PTO, to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Mason Millman (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Ethan Samson (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Zayde Wisdom (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Will Zmolek (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)
F Jonathan Gruden (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Rem Pitlick (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Ty Smith (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Taylor Fedun (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
D Xavier Ouellet (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
Seattle Kraken (via team release)
G Jack LaFontaine (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Jacob Melanson (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Logan Morrison (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Ville Ottavainen (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Tucker Robertson (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
F Ryan Winterton (to Coachella Valley, AHL)
St. Louis Blues (via team release)
F Mikhail Abramov (to Springfield, AHL)
D Jeremie Biakabutuka (to Springfield, AHL)
F Drew Callin (to Springfield, AHL)
G Will Cranley (to Springfield, AHL)
F Tanner Dickinson (to Springfield, AHL)
D Joseph Duszak (to Springfield, AHL)
D Marc-Andre Gaudet (to Springfield, AHL)
F Andre Heim (to Springfield, AHL)
F Mitch Hoelscher (to Springfield, AHL)
D Austin Osmanski (to Springfield, AHL)
F Nick Ritchie (released from PTO)
D Hunter Skinner (to Springfield, AHL)
D Andy Welinski (released from PTO)
G Vadim Zherenko (to Springfield, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (per CapFriendly)
F Jakub Brabenec (to Henderson, AHL)
D Daniil Chayka (to Henderson, AHL)
D Lukas Cormier (to Henderson, AHL)
D Christoffer Sedoff (to Henderson, AHL)
G Jesper Vikman (to Henderson, AHL)
Washington Capitals (per team release)
F Andrew Cristall (to Kelowna, WHL)
This page may be updated throughout the day.
Atlantic Notes: Pinto, Senators, Brown
Speaking at Steve Staios’ introductory press conference today (video link), Senators GM Pierre Dorion indicated that the most recent discussions with unsigned center Shane Pinto occurred yesterday so at least there is no stalemate in discussions yet. Ottawa’s situation is well-known at this point; they need to free up cap space before they can re-sign the 22-year-old who is expected to receive a two-year bridge deal around the $2.5MM range when everything is finalized. Mathieu Joseph is the speculative cap casualty although the asking price from other teams is high to take on the remaining three years of his deal. Dominik Kubalik, who came over as part of the return for Alex DeBrincat, might be a bit easier to move as an expiring deal. Both wingers are off to good starts to their preseasons with two goals and an assist each in their first two outings.
Elsewhere in the Atlantic:
- Still with the Senators, the team is expected to make a significant number of cuts this week, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports. At the moment, Ottawa is carrying 51 players on its training camp roster but they are expected to trim that to between 32 and 36 before they head to Eastern Canada for a pair of games on Sunday and Monday. Meanwhile, Garrioch adds that captain Brady Tkachuk skated today after taking a stick to the eye on Wednesday and could suit up in one of those upcoming contests.
- Lightning center Logan Brown is dealing with an injury that will keep him out for the start of the season, relays Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The 25-year-old inked a one-year, two-way deal with Tampa Bay at the beginning of free agency after being non-tendered. He played in 30 games last season with St. Louis and was expected to push for a spot at the end of the roster in training camp, an outcome that now won’t be happening. Encina adds that blueline prospect Roman Schmidt will also miss the start of the season due to injury.
Avalanche Notes: Toews, Makar, Holland
Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews is one of the top names headlining the 2024 unrestricted free agent class. The 29-year-old has emerged as a legitimate top-pairing player since being acquired in 2020 and has seen his production take off the last couple of years as he reached the 50-point mark. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that the industry thought is that Colorado doesn’t want to give Toews more than five years. If he gets to the open market, it stands to reason that seven-year max-term offers would be on the table while the Avalanche could go as high as eight. A long-term structure like that might allow for the AAV to be a bit lower than a medium-term agreement would be but would also carry some risk in the later years between his workload and age.
More from Colorado:
- Cale Makar skated with the main group at practice today as he works his way back from a lower-body injury, relays Peter Baugh of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, the defenseman stated that while the injury hasn’t gotten any worse, it “hasn’t really gotten much better” With the regular season still two weeks away, it stands to reason that the Avs will take their time with their star blueliner.
- Peter Holland’s tryout appears to have been a somewhat successful one as the team confirmed to Colorado Hockey Now’s Evan Rawal (Twitter link) that they have made the forward a contract offer, one that also includes a reassignment to the AHL level. Whether the offer is a two-way deal with the Avalanche or a one-way AHL proposal remains to be seen. Holland didn’t play anywhere last season and last played at the minor league level back in 2018-19 where he was quite productive with 65 points in 73 games. Colorado shuffled through depth players frequently last season looking for the right fit so even though Holland won’t be making the roster now, he could get an opportunity down the road.
Wild Sign Marcus Foligno To Four-Year Extension
Mats Zuccarello isn’t the only player getting an extension from the Wild today. The team announced that it has signed winger Marcus Foligno to a four-year, $16MM contract extension. Michael Russo of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the deal carries a full no-move clause in the first two seasons and a partial no-trade clause in the final two seasons. CapFriendly adds (via Twitter) the breakdown of the money:
2024-25: $5MM
2025-26: $4.5MM
2026-27: $3.5MM
2027-28: $3MM
The 32-year-old has been a fixture in Minnesota’s middle six for the past six seasons after they acquired him from Buffalo back in 2017 as part of the swap that saw the Sabres re-acquire winger Jason Pominville. Along the way, he has become an important part of their leadership group and currently serves as one of their alternate captains.
The last two seasons were polar opposites for Foligno. In 2021-22, he posted career highs offensively, notching 23 goals and 19 assists in 74 games. For context, he had only had two seasons where he had more than 23 points, both coming during his time with Minnesota. However, he wasn’t able to come close to that output last year as he was held to just seven tallies along with 14 helpers in 65 contests.
The version of Foligno that put up 40 points is probably worth that contract when you factor in his physicality and ability to play on both special teams units. However, last year’s version doesn’t quite justify that cost. That makes it interesting that GM Bill Guerin opted for the early extension here before seeing if last season was a blip or a sign of things to come.
The deal represents a $900K increase on his current agreement which runs through the 2023-24 season. Those savings will come from Zuccarello’s new contract which saw his AAV dip by $1.875MM. Basically, Guerin was able to get two core veterans signed while still creating a bit of extra wiggle room for next season. Earlier today, Guerin confirmed that extension discussions are underway with Ryan Hartman, another pending UFA as he tries to take care of his spending before the season gets underway.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.