Arizona Coyotes Intend To Purchase Land In Mesa For New Arena
Today is a joyous day for some, and for others, a “here we go again” day – depending on how you feel about the Arizona Coyotes. Their second effort to secure a long-term home in the Phoenix metropolitan area took a significant step today, with the Coyotes announcing they’ve submitted a letter of intent to purchase a parcel of land in Mesa, Arizona, on which to build an arena and entertainment district similar to the team’s failed plan in Tempe, which did not pass a public referendum.
The release didn’t specify exactly where the parcel of land is located, however. It’s unclear whether the letter of intent is in reference to the abandoned Fiesta Mall, which the Coyotes have had reported interest in as far back as May. PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reported last night that a number of other potential sites in Mesa had proved “problematic” – which could also include Fiesta Mall.
It is, however, important to note that this does not solely pave the way toward a purchase and new arena on the site in question today. The Coyotes are still free to explore other options in the Phoenix metro area, which they clearly plan to do with haste as the uncertainty around their playing home drags on. Morgan also says the team is considering sites in Phoenix proper, as well as Scottsdale, but there’s still a “long way to go” until a final deal is reached.
List Of Players Expected To Start 2023-24 On LTIR
We’re at the point in the summer where most major signings are complete, meaning only a handful of free agents left on the market could still command over the maximum buriable threshold of $1.15MM per year on their next contract. That means financial pictures are mostly set league-wide, and general managers can now focus more on the arduous task of salary cap management.
For many teams nowadays, long-term injured reserve (LTIR) is an important tool in helping teams keep below the salary cap’s Upper Limit, which is set at $83.5MM for 2023-24. It’s not as straightforward as it seems at first glance, though. Placing a player on LTIR does not eliminate their cap hit from the team’s books until they’re activated again. Instead, a team only gains cap relief if they exceed the Upper Limit, and the specific amount of relief received depends on the team’s cap situation on the day they place a player on LTIR. A more detailed explanation of how LTIR works can be found on CapFriendly.
All LTIR situations are not created equal. To be eligible for LTIR, a player must miss at least ten games or 24 days of action. However, they don’t need to be placed on LTIR if they’re projected to miss more than that amount of time. Oftentimes, a team operating far below the Upper Limit that won’t need any relief will simply keep the player on standard injured reserve, especially if they’re relying on an injured player’s cap hit to stay above the Lower Limit (set at $61.7MM next season).
With that said, here is a list of players who are projected to meet the injury requirements for LTIR to start 2023-24:
Atlantic Division
Buffalo Sabres – Jack Quinn
This offseason was a tough break for the young Quinn, who sustained an Achilles injury during offseason training in June and is expected to be out of the lineup through Thanksgiving. While eligible, he’s unlikely to actually be placed on LTIR. He’s still on his entry-level contract and carries a marginal cap hit of $863K, making a move extremely inconsequential to the Sabres, who CapFriendly projects with over $6MM in space.
Florida Panthers – Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour
The Panthers are set to begin the season without the services of their top two defensemen, thanks to shoulder injuries sustained and exacerbated during their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. Combined, the players carry a rather significant $11MM cap hit, which should give the Panthers some season-opening flexibility. Ekblad’s expected to miss more time than Montour, but neither is expected to miss the whole season – both should be back in the fold by the time the calendar flips to 2024. CapFriendly currently projects the Panthers dipping into LTIR relief by $1.175MM to start the season.
Montreal Canadiens – Carey Price
The team’s legendary netminder isn’t expected to play again after a knee injury, and he hasn’t suited up since the end of the 2021-22 campaign. He’ll likely spend the last three seasons of his contract (carrying a $10.5MM cap hit) on LTIR. As we covered earlier in the week, Montreal is in a bit of a no man’s land with Price’s contract. They’ll likely either look to shed salary to get under the Upper Limit entirely (which they currently sit around $5MM over) or add money to maximize’s Price’s LTIR relief, which they could then weaponize in-season to be a cap broker for trades.
Tampa Bay Lightning – Brent Seabrook
Like Price, Seabrook will be on LTIR for the remainder of his $6.875MM cap hit contract, which expires next summer. Acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks after his injury made it clear he wouldn’t play again, Seabrook has provided additional options for cap flexibility for the Lightning over the last two seasons. Tampa is expected to use close to all of Seabrook’s potential relief to stay compliant throughout the season.
Toronto Maple Leafs – Jake Muzzin, Matt Murray
While not confirmed, Muzzin’s playing future remains in serious doubt after sustaining a cervical spine fracture at the beginning of last season. No recent update has been issued on his recovery, and he’s expected to miss the entire 2023-24 campaign and will spend the final year of his contract on LTIR. Murray’s situation is shrouded in much more mystery, however. The team announced last month he’d begin next season on LTIR, but no specific details of his injury were confirmed, and no timetable was issued for a potential return. Murray missed significant time last season with a concussion and an adductor injury.
Metropolitan Division
Philadelphia Flyers – Ryan Ellis
Forwards Cam Atkinson and Sean Couturier are expected to return to the lineup after missing all of last season with injuries, but the same can’t be said for Ryan Ellis. President of hockey operations Keith Jones said a few days ago that Ellis is unlikely to “be able to continue his playing career because of a torn psoas muscle in his back.” Ellis played just four games for the Flyers after they acquired him from the Nashville Predators in 2021 before sustaining the career-ending injury.
Washington Capitals – Max Pacioretty
Pacioretty’s timeline for a return after sustaining back-to-back Achilles injuries isn’t clear, but he likely won’t be available to the team to start the season and should meet the requirements for LTIR. The financial circumstances surrounding the potential relief will be tricky to navigate given the performance bonuses included in his contract, however. Pacioretty should be joining the Capitals after signing a one-year deal last month, sometime in November or December if everything goes well in his recovery.
Central Division
Arizona Coyotes – Jakub Voracek, Shea Weber, Bryan Little
All three are players acquired by the Coyotes for the express consideration of helping them stay above the cap floor – which they are now far above after being big players on the free-agent market this summer. Nonetheless, all three are done with their NHL careers due to various injuries and will remain members of the Coyotes organization by contract only.
Colorado Avalanche – Gabriel Landeskog
Colorado will be without their captain for a second straight season after the winger underwent a cartilage transplant on his right knee this summer. Landeskog hasn’t played since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2022, a playoff run during which he played through a knee injury. He’s signed through 2029, and there’s still the potential he plays again, although it won’t be anytime soon.
Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks – Isac Lundeström
Lundeström projects to be on the shelf through next January after sustaining an Achilles injury during offseason training in Sweden. Given the Ducks are far from the Upper Limit, and Lundeström carries just a $1.8MM cap hit, Anaheim could keep him on standard injured reserve for the duration of his absence.
Vegas Golden Knights – Robin Lehner
All has been quiet on Lehner’s health after he missed all of last season. The All-Star-caliber netminder had double hip surgery last summer, keeping him out for the entire 2022-23 campaign. He was not around the team at all during their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup, and the team has issued no updates on his recovery since undergoing the surgery last summer. Without any indication that he’s close to a return, Lehner closes out our list.
Analyzing Colorado’s Middle Six Options
A season removed from winning the Stanley Cup, a major theme for the Colorado Avalanche last year was the apparent lack of depth on the roster. Due to a large amount of injuries sustained throughout the entirety of the regular season, the Avalanche used a total of 39 skaters, and five goalies, far more than most teams had to use.
This offseason, Colorado was aggressive in correcting this issue, adding Ryan Johansen, Ross Colton, Miles Wood, Jonathan Drouin, and Fredrik Olofsson to an already playoff-caliber roster. Even after adding all these assets, there does seem to be a bit of a hole in the top six, largely due to the long-standing injury of captain Gabriel Landeskog.
It is all but certain that Johansen will take on the role of second-line center, but outside of Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin, Mikko Rantanen, and Artturi Lehkonen, will the Avalanche trust a mixture of Drouin, Colton, and Wood to carry them to the Stanley Cup title in 2024? Much like they did with Alex Newhook last season, Colorado will likely experiment with those three, seeing if any of the trio will have staying power in the top six for the regular season and playoffs.
Although the Avalanche dealt with plenty of injuries last year, they still finished top in their division with 109 points, also tying for second atop the Western Conference. Much like they were last season, the Dallas Stars once again project to be a threat to the division crown, but Colorado is largely expected to once again qualify for the playoffs.
In the best-case-scenario for the Avalanche, either Drouin rekindles the magic he had in the QMJHL with MacKinnon, or perhaps Colton becomes a 60-point player instead of a 30-point player, but if that doesn’t work out, there will still be options available to the team. Now that it is certain Landeskog will be on LTIR all season, Colorado is heading into the season with a little over $2MM in cap space.
An obvious choice, and an oft-rumored potential landing spot for the forward at last year’s trade deadline, would be veteran Patrick Kane. Back in July, Greg Wyshynski of ESPN reported that Kane is expected to wait out the first couple weeks of the regular season before finally making a decision on his destination. It is understandable that in the twilight years of his career, Kane would now be looking to cap it off with one more ring.
Kane is not the MVP-caliber star that he used to be in the mid-2010s but showed with the New York Rangers last year that he can still be a threat during crunch time and the playoffs. Although losing to the New Jersey Devils in seven games, Kane still put up one goal and five assists, finishing third on the team in points for the postseason.
There is always fine-tuning that is needed for most Stanley Cup contenders during the regular season, and the Avalanche are no different. After already addressing much of their need for increased depth, one more big move may put them over the top as odds-on favorites for Lord Stanley’s trophy.
Snapshots: Lindgren, Lightning, Canucks
Ryan Lindgren has grown into an important top-four fixture for the New York Rangers, and he’s undoubtedly a player the team would like to retain for quite a while after this season. He’s currently eligible for a contract extension ahead of hitting restricted free agency next summer, but it could be an all-or-nothing situation, says The Athletic’s Arthur Staple. He posits the Rangers likely won’t go short-term with Lindgren, instead trying to work out a long-term, low-AAV extension or look to move him if they aren’t close on a deal.
The 2016 second-round pick has had some truly great defensive performances since turning into a full-timer with the Rangers, giving the team a dependable partner for star defender Adam Fox. While he’s shown the ability to log 20-plus minutes per game consistently, he’s yet to play a full 82 games in a season and is quickly becoming no stranger to injuries. He missed significant time at the tail end of 2022-23 with a shoulder issue.
More from around the NHL today:
- The Tampa Bay Lightning have added a new face to their pro coaching staff, appointing 26-year-old Jacob Wheeler as the video coach of the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch today, per a team release. He replaces the outgoing Joe Palmer, who had served as a dual goalie coach/video coach since 2019-20 but was part of a complete staff overhaul in Syracuse this offseason. Wheeler joins the staff of new Crunch head coach Joël Bouchard, now on his third AHL organization after head coaching stints with the Laval Rocket and San Diego Gulls. Wheeler had spent the last two seasons as the video coordinator for the ECHL’s Jacksonville Icemen.
- The AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks added four players today on one-year deals for next season: forward Josh Passolt, defensemen Derek Daschke and Michael Joyaux, and goaltender Jonathan Lemieux. They’re all likely destined for ECHL assignment next season, although Passolt could try and carve out a bottom-six role in Abbotsford after appearing in five playoff games for the Rochester Americans en route to their run to the AHL’s Eastern Conference Final last year.
2009 NHL Draft Take Two: First Overall Pick
Hindsight is fantastic, allowing us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science, and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.
As we find ourselves amidst the summer lull, it’s the perfect time to reflect on times gone by – the strategies that bore fruit and those that missed the mark. This sentiment resonates even with draft picks – where some early selections have blossomed into the cornerstones of their respective franchises, while others fell short of the lofty expectations. Having delved into the drafts of 2006, 2007, and 2008 in the past, it’s now an opportune moment to embark on a similar journey through a new NHL redraft series, focusing on the class of 2009.
The draft pool from this year stands out as notably robust, featuring an impressive tally of 39 players (and the count is ongoing) who have graced the NHL ice for a minimum of 500 games. Within this assembly, one can spot All-Star performers and, potentially, a small handful of players destined for the esteemed corridors of the Hall of Fame in the years to come. Conversely, a less fortunate facet also emerges, as five first-rounders failed to hit the century mark, keeping them out of the picture in the forthcoming series.
During the upcoming weeks, as we anticipate the commencement of training camps, we will delve into the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. In this quest, we invite the PHR community to make their choices, armed with the hindsight of each player’s career trajectory. A roster of players will be presented, and we will continuously update the first round as the selection process unfolds.
In the 2009 draft, the New York Islanders retained the first overall pick through a lottery win, granting them the privilege of making the top selection. At this pivotal juncture, the team confronted a crucial decision: opt for a cornerstone center or a cornerstone defenseman, much like the Tampa Bay Lightning the year prior. John Tavares and Victor Hedman emerged as the consensus top two prospects, with general manager Garth Snow looking to get the team back to relevance as quickly as possible after finishing last in their division for two consecutive seasons. Ultimately, the Islanders chose the former, and Tavares certainly became a cornerstone piece for them, leading the draft in games played (1,029) and in all major scoring categories. It’s worth noting that Hedman, though, would’ve been a very fair pick with hindsight in mind, as he’s manned a formidable Lightning blueline to four Stanley Cup Finals throughout his tenure and leads all 2009-drafted defenders in scoring by a wide margin. Armed with retrospective wisdom, the question arises: Did the Islanders’ decision to take Tavares give them the best shot at success before he departed for the Toronto Maple Leafs in free agency in 2018, or would Hedman get the team closer to a championship by now?
With the first pick of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, who should the New York Islanders select? Make your voice heard below.
2009 Redraft: First Overall
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Victor Hedman 53% (1,101)
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John Tavares 38% (791)
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Ryan O'Reilly 3% (58)
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Matt Duchene 1% (21)
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Chris Kreider 1% (18)
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Evander Kane 1% (17)
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Mattias Ekholm 0% (8)
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Dmitry Orlov 0% (7)
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Oliver Ekman-Larsson 0% (6)
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Mike Hoffman 0% (6)
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Nazem Kadri 0% (6)
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Tomas Tatar 0% (6)
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Calvin de Haan 0% (5)
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Dmitry Kulikov 0% (5)
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Robin Lehner 0% (5)
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Reilly Smith 0% (5)
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Tyson Barrie 0% (4)
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Ryan Ellis 0% (4)
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Craig Smith 0% (4)
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Kyle Palmieri 0% (3)
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Anders Lee 0% (2)
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David Savard 0% (2)
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Marcus Johansson 0% (1)
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Darcy Kuemper 0% (1)
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Brayden Schenn 0% (1)
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Nick Leddy 0% (0)
Total votes: 2,087
App users, click here to vote.
NHL Announces 2023 Preseason Schedule
We’re now past the halfway point of the offseason, inching closer and closer to training camps and, eventually, the restart of competitive NHL action in October. The lead-up into next season is often lengthy, though, with weeks worth of camps and preseason play before the regular season finally kicks off. Today, the NHL released its composite preseason schedule, bringing together many teams’ individual schedule announcements. It’s an array of 111 games played across 44 venues in both North America and Australia.
The crowning jewel of this year’s preseason is obviously the 2023 NHL Global Series in Melbourne, Australia, which marks the league’s first foray into the Southern Hemisphere since the first overseas NHL games took place in 1938. In fact, the set of games between the Arizona Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings on September 23 and 24 are the first on the NHL’s composite schedule.
There’s also the pair of Kraft Hockeyville games, a tradition that’s rebounded well after the COVID pandemic and brings important visibility (and funding) to smaller hockey markets in Canada. The Buffalo Sabres will play the Toronto Maple Leafs in St. Thomas, Ontario, on September 27, and the Ottawa Senators will play the Florida Panthers in Sydney, Nova Scotia, on October 1.
The schedule also includes a fair amount of other neutral-site matchups. In addition to the Global Series and Hockeyville contests, the metropolitan areas of Wichita, Austin, San Diego, Kansas City, Palm Springs, Halifax, Orlando, Abbotsford, Salt Lake City, and Tucson will all see NHL action this preseason.
Preseason length has been a hot talking point in recent seasons, with many positing the six-plus games that most teams play are too many and risk injuries and pre-season burnout. Others would argue a longer preseason track is beneficial for teams looking to evaluate talent with little NHL experience to see how they might fare in a professional environment if called up during the season. Some teams, such as the Coyotes, will play as many as nine preseason contests this year (albeit including multiple split-squad games).
Assessing The Defenseman Trade Market Post-Karlsson Trade
It had been almost a month since a higher-profile player in the NHL had been traded, and most would argue that it was the domino that needed to fall to open up the trade market for defensemen. This summer, we have seen names such as Pierre-Luc Dubois, Alex DeBrincat, and Taylor Hall all moved in trades, but a big-name trade had not been made for a defenseman since the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Damon Severson on June 9th.
For the most part, there are two defensemen that may have seen their market open up due to the Erik Karlsson trade, and that would include Brett Pesce of the Carolina Hurricanes and Noah Hanifin of the Calgary Flames. Both players’ trade availability is surrounded by different circumstances, and both of their current teams have much different outlooks for next season.
Starting with Pesce, back in June, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that the Hurricanes were intent on moving Pesce this summer if they were unable to come to a contract resolution past this season. About a week later, Cory Lavalette of The Athletic noted that Pesce would likely be seeking a contract in the eight-year, $52MM ($6.5MM AAV) range, something that Carolina could easily afford, but with Teuvo Teravainen, Martin Necas, and Brady Skjei, among others, also needing contracts past the 2023-24 season, may not be in the team’s best interest.
Although it would be a prudent move both financially and for the future success of the club to move on from Pesce, questions should arise as to if it is in the best interest of the current Hurricanes team in accordance with their goals for the 2023-24 season. Carolina is one of the most well-set-up teams to make the Stanley Cup Final next season, and their defensive depth is one of the main reasons for that. For most of the foreseeable contenders in the NHL, teams could do a lot worse than having Anthony DeAngelo as their sixth-best defenseman on the roster.
One of the best comparables to Pesce’s situation might come from a division rival in Severson. Severson had spent a total of nine seasons in New Jersey, and even though he was heading towards unrestricted free agency, the Devils held on to Severson as he gave them a much better chance to win. This summer, the Devils executed a sign-and-trade, inking Severson to an extension and receiving a third-round pick for his services from the Blue Jackets. This may not be the haul that Carolina would be hoping for, but it’s undeniable that Pesce gives them a better chance to win for 2023-24, and may have to seek a sign-and-trade next summer.
Unlike Pesce, Hanifin has already been vocal about his unwillingness to sign an extension in Calgary and would like a change of scenery heading into next year. A solid defenseman on both the powerplay and penalty kill, Hanifin should likely have a decent market as a two-way defenseman. Currently making just a tad under $5MM this season, it’s going to be difficult for a lot of contending teams to absorb that contract even for a short time.
Just to theorize, there is one team that has their eyes on contending next year and could certainly use an upgrade on the left side of their defense. The Buffalo Sabres have already improved their defensive core with the additions of Connor Clifton and Erik Johnson this summer, but an acquisition of Hanifin may put them over the top to get back into the playoffs. The main drawbacks from Buffalo’s perspective in acquiring Hanifin are the current glut of defensemen already on their roster, and the pressing extensions of Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power.
With Calgary already having a murky future on their blue line, the Sabres could certainly move back a defenseman or two with team control, and with it all but known that Hanifin wants out, the price may not be too high for his services. If they are able to acquire Hanifin and extend him, Buffalo could be well served in having Dahlin, Power, Hanifin, and Mattias Samuelsson in their top four for the foreseeable future.
All-in-all, we are getting to the point in the summer where the most likely scenario is both Pesce and Hanifin will start the season with their current clubs, but there are some signs indicating changes will be coming soon. All we know for certain, the trade for Karlsson has helped set the market, as well as open it up for any future moves.
Poll: Who Won The Erik Karlsson Trade?
For the first time in quite some time, the hockey world saw a blockbuster in early August, watching the San Jose Sharks trade defenseman Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a three-team deal. In recent trades over the last several years, teams have typically weaponized cap space as a third-team, retaining salary and usually getting mid to late-round picks in return. A unique aspect of this trade, however, is that the third team, the Montreal Canadiens, were able to take care of some business they had been hoping to accomplish for a while, namely removing forward Mike Hoffman‘s salary off their books.
Running up to the Karlsson trade, speculation had arisen about how much the Sharks would eventually retain on Karlsson’s contract, and for the most part, it was much lower than many experts had theorized. San Jose only retained $1.5MM (13%) of Karlsson’s $11.5MM salary, effectively clearing $10MM from their cap table over the next four years. Nevertheless, the Sharks did take back salary in exchange with Hoffman ($4.5MM), Mikael Granlund ($5MM), and Jan Rutta ($2.75MM), but all three of these deals will be off their books after the 2024-25 NHL season.
Lastly, at face value, the Penguins appear to be the undeniable winner in this deal. Even though he has not played a game for Pittsburgh, acquiring the best player in the deal always looks good. Surprisingly though, and maybe even more importantly long-term than acquiring Karlsson, the Penguins were able to move some poor contracts out from the Ron Hextall era, including Granlund, Rutta, Casey DeSmith ($1.8MM), and Jeff Petry ($4.69MM – 25% retained). New General Manager Kyle Dubas was able to add a $10MM player in Karlsson, while also creating $3MM of cap space in the same deal, a feat that has been largely difficult for most teams in the salary cap era.
Now that the complete trade is public and final, and knowing the perspectives of all three teams, who do you think ultimately won the Karlsson trade?
Who Won The Erik Karlsson Trade?
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Pittsburgh Penguins 60% (1,642)
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Montreal Canadiens 28% (769)
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San Jose Sharks 12% (337)
Total votes: 2,748
Looking At Landing Spots For Montreal’s Goalie Surplus
While the Canadiens don’t have long-time franchise netminder Carey Price available to them as he’ll remain on LTIR for the upcoming season (or the next two) and they have been searching for a replacement in recent years. While they haven’t found their next true starter, they have amassed some extra depth at the position with four netminders vying for two spots in training camp next month.
The tandem from the past two seasons remains in place with veteran Jake Allen being joined by Samuel Montembeault who is coming off his best NHL campaign. Casey DeSmith is now in the mix as well after being brought in as part of the Erik Karlsson trade over the weekend while prospect Cayden Primeau, viewed not long ago as a possible part of Montreal’s future goalie plans, now needs waivers to get back to AHL Laval.
While it’s possible that they could carry three netminders to start next season (though hardly an ideal scenario), four certainly isn’t happening. Assuming Montembeault and Allen remain the tandem, there’s no guarantee that DeSmith and/or Primeau would make it through waivers unclaimed and as a result, it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Kent Hughes call around to see if there’s a possible trade to be made for one of his extra goaltenders. There are a few teams where it appears a swap for another netminder could be palatable.
Buffalo: At the moment, it looks like the Sabres intend to run with a young tandem of Devon Levi and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen with Eric Comrie likely bound for waivers. If they feel that DeSmith is enough of an upgrade on Comrie to serve as a short-term NHL option, they could then let Levi get some time in with AHL Rochester.
Chicago: Arvid Soderblom appears to be the current backup option but only has 71 AHL appearances under his belt and is waiver-exempt. They’re more of a training camp possibility if Soderblom struggles in the preseason but DeSmith as a short-term rental or Primeau as a longer-term swing both could fit.
New Jersey: Akira Schmid took over the number one job down the stretch and into the playoffs but is still relatively inexperienced and is waiver-exempt. Meanwhile, the team hasn’t ruled out the idea of bringing in another goaltender. Primeau doesn’t make much sense here but DeSmith, a player who is capable of making 30-plus appearances, might appeal to them more than current options on the open market.
Tampa Bay: Somewhat surprisingly, the Lightning added Jonas Johansson at the beginning of free agency, giving him a two-year deal at the league minimum. But he has struggled in very limited NHL duty and could certainly be upgraded on. DeSmith would definitely be an upgrade but would require Montreal to do the maximum 50% retention on his $1.8MM AAV or they’d need to send matching money back.
Vancouver: Spencer Martin was the backup goaltender for the opening part of last season but struggled mightily. He currently stands as the likely second-stringer once again which is risky as the Canucks look to get back to the playoffs. Cap space is an issue here (especially if Tanner Pearson is indeed able to return after finishing last season on LTIR) but someone like DeSmith would certainly be an upgrade.
On top of those teams, there could also be ones that have injuries in training camp that could force their hand closer to the start of the regular season if Montreal’s logjam still exists.
In the free agent market, the best remaining options available are veterans Martin Jones, Jaroslav Halak, and Brian Elliott. If none of those goalies appeal to one of these teams and they want to make a move to add some goaltending depth, the Canadiens are a team they’ll be getting in touch with – if Montreal isn’t calling them first. Between that and them now having an extra defenseman in the fold in veteran Jeff Petry, the Canadiens could be a team to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
Blackhawks Forward Luke Philp Undergoes Achilles Surgery
It hasn’t been a great offseason for players when it comes to Achilles injuries. Buffalo’s Jack Quinn tore his and will miss a big chunk of next season. So, too, did Anaheim’s Isac Lundestrom. Now, another forward has suffered the same injury as Chicago’s AHL team in Rockford announced that Luke Philp underwent Achilles surgery over the weekend and will miss approximately the next six months.
The 27-year-old made his NHL debut last season, getting into three games with the Blackhawks down the stretch where he picked up his first career assist at the top level. Philp spent most of the season in the minors with the IceHogs and was quite productive, notching 29 goals and 24 assists in 60 games, good for fourth on the team in scoring.
That performance helped Philp land a one-year extension back in March, one that carries a $775K cap hit at the NHL level and a $375K salary in the minors. However, he won’t get much of an opportunity to play on that new deal since he’ll be out until likely sometime in February.
Philp will start the season on season-opening injured reserve and since he was up with Chicago for six days in 2022-23, the Blackhawks will carry a small cap charge on the books until he’s cleared to return. The calculation is his number of NHL days divided by the number of days in the upcoming season (192) multiplied by his NHL cap hit ($775K). In this case, the prorated cap charge will be just over $24K.