Pittsburgh Penguins Claim Jansen Harkins Off Waivers From Jets
The Pittsburgh Penguins have claimed winger Jansen Harkins off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Monday. All other players placed on waivers yesterday, aside from new Nashville Predators forward Samuel Fagemo, cleared.
Harkins, 26, had spent his entire NHL career in the Jets organization after they drafted him with the 47th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. He’s only logged one true season as a full-time NHLer, suiting up in 77 games for Winnipeg in 2021-22, but the Penguins will bank on him being a solid depth contributor signed to a cheap cap hit (but not league minimum) of $850K. It’s worth noting Harkins is due slightly more actual salary than cap hit this season – $875K, to be exact.
In 154 NHL games dating back to 2019, Harkins has 13 goals, 14 assists and 27 points – not awful totals for a player that’s averaged under ten minutes per game. Assigned to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose for the first time since 2020 last season, Harkins recorded well over a point per game, notching 25 goals and 50 points in 44 games. That production is what’s bumped his stock coming into this season and, evidently, influenced Penguins management to take a flyer on the 6-foot-2 winger with strong two-way instincts.
With trade acquisition Rem Pitlick having already cleared waivers and been assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pittsburgh has some competition to lock down depth forward spots, especially with Jake Guentzel out for the first few games of the season. Harkins will now compete for a spot on the Penguins’ opening night lineup alongside depth forwards like Vinnie Hinostroza, Alexander Nylander and Radim Zohorna.
Nashville Predators Claim Samuel Fagemo Off Waivers From Los Angeles
The Nashville Predators have claimed winger Samuel Fagemo off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Monday. All other players placed on waivers yesterday, aside from new Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jansen Harkins, cleared.
While he may only have 13 NHL games to his name, this is a bit of a tough loss for the Kings. The team’s 50th overall pick in 2019, Fagemo has yet to crack the NHL full-time but looked good in a nine-game call-up last season, recording two goals and an assist despite receiving a paltry 7:51 per game. He tore things up in the minors in the goal-scoring department for a second straight season, too, posting 23 goals in 56 games with the AHL’s Ontario Reign to finish second on the team in goals.
The Kings have a lot of forward prospects, but it’s a pool that’s quickly evaporating as players like Quinton Byfield and Arthur Kaliyev are now full-time NHLers. Los Angeles had signed Fagemo to a one-year, two-way contract paying him $775K in the NHL and $100K in the AHL in July after his entry-level contract expired.
Fagemo, 23, now battles for a bottom-six spot with the Predators just over a week before the start of the regular season. His addition to the roster puts a fire under veterans like Kiefer Sherwood and Cole Smith to hang onto their fourth-line roles, while a youngster like Philip Tomasino also needs to step things up as he hasn’t quite secured a top-nine role throughout camp thus far. Given Tomasino still does not require waivers for assignment to the AHL, he could very well start the season with AHL Milwaukee after the Fagemo claim despite recording 18 points in 31 NHL contests last season.
Anaheim Ducks Come To Terms With Trevor Zegras
The Anaheim Ducks announced that they have agreed to a new three-year contract with restricted free-agent forward Trevor Zegras that will allow him to join the team prior to the beginning of the regular season. Elliotte Friedman tweeted that the new deal comes with an average annual value of $5.75MM and will carry him through the 2025-26 season. Friedman had said on his 32 Thoughts podcast that he felt the two sides were moving towards a resolution to the contract dispute, and it appears that he was indeed correct.
Zegras is already a star in the NHL and, at 22 years of age, may only be scratching the surface of his potential. In 180 NHL games, the center has 49 goals and 90 assists while producing countless highlight-reel moments. While there is little doubt that he displays elite offensive abilities, the Ducks were hesitant to commit to the young forward long-term. A three-year contract could ultimately come back to bite the Ducks if Zegras is able to develop into a superstar.
With a new deal in hand, Zegras can now focus on the remainder of training camp and getting himself prepared for what could be a very difficult season in Anaheim. The Ducks are expected to go through serious growing pains this year as they wait for many of their elite prospects to develop into NHL players. Zegras will be counted on to provide much of the scoring for the Ducks as they traverse some rocky waters in what could be one of the final seasons of their rebuild.
Locking up Zegras finally resolves what had been a rocky negotiation process by all accounts between the Ducks and Zegras. Few expected talks to drag out this late into the summer, let alone training camp, given the Ducks had the most salary cap space in the league after the dust settled on free agency. Reports from TVA’s Renaud Lavoie last month even suggested the Ducks were only offering Zegras between $3MM and $4MM per season on a bridge deal, but they’ve obviously significantly upped their offer here to get their star forward back around the team.
While the Ducks aren’t expected to contend for a playoff spot this season, they do need to improve on last year’s poor all-around showing under new head coach Greg Cronin. With news that marquee free-agent acquisition Alex Killorn is expected to miss the first month of the season with a broken finger, the team was down two forwards with shutdown center Isac Lundeström already sidelined due to an offseason Achilles tendon injury. Simply put, Zegras’ absence stretching into the season would have put them at even more of a disadvantage than normal.
Getting Zegras locked into a three-year term gives the Ducks a little more flexibility when his contract expires in 2026. A four-year or five-year deal would’ve been much riskier, walking him either directly to unrestricted free agency or just one year away, which could have forced a move if Zegras wasn’t willing to re-sign. Instead, Zegras will see his contract expire with two years remaining until he hits UFA eligibility, giving Anaheim a little more team control. That, combined with the bargain cap hit compared to other players in his age group with similar production, clearly marks this as a short-term win for Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek. Whether that plays out into long-term dividends is a different question, however.
Zegras projects to resume his role as the Ducks’ first-line center to begin the season, likely on a line with Adam Henrique to his left and Troy Terry to his right. After signing Zegras, the Ducks have roughly $10MM in cap space per CapFriendly’s projections, which are going off a 24-man roster – one player over the maximum size of 23. They still have young defenseman Jamie Drysdale to sign to a new deal before all their dominoes are in place, however.
PHR’s Josh Erickson contributed significantly to this report.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Maple Leafs Injuries: Timmins, Klingberg, Jarnkrok
David Alter of The Hockey News is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters this morning that defenseman Conor Timmins has a significant lower-body injury and is out week to week. Keefe didn’t elaborate on the nature of the injury but given his comments, it is likely that the 25-year-old rearguard will miss the first week of the NHL regular season.
Timmins came over to the Maple Leafs last year in a mid-season trade with the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Curtis Douglas. He fit in nicely on Toronto’s back end and added an element of offense posting two goals and 12 assists in 25 games with the Maple Leafs. He was having a fantastic training camp with six points in just three preseason games for Toronto prior to being injured Friday night in a preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens.
In other Maple Leafs injury notes:
- TSN is reporting that Keefe spoke to reporters about injured defenseman John Klingberg saying that the 31-year-old is dealing with a minor injury and wouldn’t skate today with the team. Keefe went on to add that he doesn’t expect that native of Gothenburg, Sweden to be out long term. What long-term means is vague at this point, Klingberg has been off the ice for five days now after suffering the unknown ailment last Wednesday in a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres.
- Toronto Sun reporter Terry Koshan tweeted that Calle Jarnkrok will skate with the Maple Leafs second group at practice today after returning to training camp over the weekend. The 32-year-old is expected to play later this week for the first time in this year’s preseason. Jarnkrok has been dealing with an undisclosed injury that came up during training camp and is expected to be back before the regular season begins. Jarnkrok had a career-high 20 goals and 19 assists in 73 games last season, his first with Toronto.
Latest On Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale
Elliotte Friedman reported today on his 32 Thoughts podcast that the Anaheim Ducks and Trevor Zegras have made some small progress on a new contract between the two sides. He goes on to say that he doesn’t believe a contract is nearing completion, but he has the impression that they are taking steps in the right direction.
Zegras, a native of Bedford, New York, is coming off a season in which he posted 23 goals and 42 assists in 81 games and has posted back-to-back seasons of more than 60 points. Last year, however, his ability to drive play took a step back, and the defensive side of his game continued to leave a lot to be desired.
It appears the Ducks want to see more from the 22-year-old before offering a long-term deal, as they have agreed with Zegras on a three-year term, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun on Insider Trading. What that cap hit will look like remains to be seen, but there does appear to be progress based on Friedman’s reporting.
Friedman also dispelled a rumor that the Ducks were under investigation by the NHL for the handling of defenseman Jamie Drysdale’s shoulder injury last season that caused him to fall two games short of accruing a season of eligibility toward arbitration rights. Friedman poured cold water on that rumor saying that he investigated it, and it was untrue. He did, however, add that there were some questions about whether Drysdale could have been healthy enough to play those two games to get his service year, but Friedman believes that there is no ongoing investigation into the matter. Furthermore, Friedman says that he doesn’t feel as though anyone is accusing the Ducks of doing anything underhanded, but the question is about whether Drysdale could have played the two games he needed.
Friedman then said that because Drysdale is two years away from being arbitration-eligible, the Ducks hold the leverage in this contract negotiation, and they are using it. Drysdale has very few rights other than to hold out for a new contract, and the Ducks have been using every tool available to them to make the most team-friendly deal that they can.
The 20-year-old Drysdale was held pointless last season, dressing in just eight games for the team. The season prior, when he was healthy, Drysdale had a breakout campaign with four goals and 28 assists in 81 games.
Summer Synopsis: Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are entering a new era in the team’s history, replacing Kyle Dubas with Brad Treliving as the team’s general manager, and appointing Shane Doan to Jason Spezza’s special assistant role. These changes bring a culture shift and a new face in negotiations – something that’s already proving beneficial, with Auston Matthews signing a contract extension and William Nylander working towards a new deal. It’s also helped Toronto in the free-agent market, with big names coming in to fill the holes left by key departures. The Leafs enter the season with a strong roster, on paper, but they’ll need multiple players to embrace their newfound opportunity if they want to maintain the success they found last season.
Draft
1-28: F Easton Cowan, London (OHL)
5-153: F Hudson Malinoski, Brooks (AJHL)
6-185: D Noah Chadwick, Lethbridge (WHL)
The draft didn’t represent much of a test for Brad Treliving, who only had one pick in the top 150 of the draft. But even with one pick, Treliving found a way to make noise – drafting a player that many public scouting services viewed as a high-mid round pick in the First Round. And while the pick remains hotly debated, Cowan may have earned the title of ‘biggest eye-opener’ out of the team’s training camp. He’s recorded one goal and two assists in two preseason games and looked solid throughout team skates, bringing credence to Toronto’s faith in him. He’ll return to the London Knights this season, looking to add next-level talent to a skillset that already looks natural in professional systems.
Toronto also brought in Malinoski, a re-entry forward who appeared on the Brooks Bandits second-line last season – his first year of juniors hockey – as well as Noah Chadwick, who played his first full season in the WHL last year. Interestingly, both players spent their 2021-22 playing in 18U hockey in Saskatoon, Malinoski with the Blazers, and Chadwick with the Contacts. The duo adds depth to Toronto’s center and left defense depth charts, both areas of need for the NHL club.
UFA Signings
D John Klingberg (one year, $4.2MM)
D Marshall Rifai (two years, $1.6MM)*
D Maxime Lajoie (one year, $775K)*
D William Lagesson (one year, $775K)*
F Ryan Reaves (three years, $4MM)
F Max Domi (one year, $3MM)
F Tyler Bertuzzi (one year, $5.5MM)
F Dylan Gambrell (one year, $775K)
D Simon Benoit (one year, $775K)
G Martin Jones (one year, $875K)
* indicates a two-way contract
The Leafs spent a combined $12.7MM on one year of John Klingberg, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Max Domi this off-season, spending big to patch holes at the top of their lineup. And while certainly on rich deals, all three players have the opportunity to be difference-makers quickly. Domi and Bertuzzi should get a full run at top-six minutes with the team’s forward group, while Klingberg’s upside could be as high as
playing on the top defensive pair.
Klingberg’s addition offers the Leafs one of the more solid blue lines they’ve iced in recent years. The 30-year-old defender has taken a step back in the latter half of his career, largely a result of a reoccurring bout with injuries. Klingberg hasn’t played in 75-or-more games since 2017-18, getting moved to injured reserve in each of the three subsequent seasons. But he does offer high-scoring upside, averaging 54 points-per-season over the course of his nine-year NHL career. He did miss parts of training camp with injury, fueling skeptics – although reports shared that his absence was largely precautionary. But if Klingberg can return to the dangerous form he possessed early in his career, he could be an X-factor for this Toronto lineup.
Domi and Bertuzzi bring similar impacts to the lineup: both gritty and physical forwards with solid scoring upside but concerns around injury history and discipline. Domi’s the volume shooter of the two, recording 179 shots last season. And while Domi hasn’t found consistent scoring in recent years, he did net 28 goals and 72 points in the 2018-19 season. That gives Toronto a fine-enough replacement for Michael Bunting in the team’s high-volume top-six. Bertuzzi brings more balance to the forward group, recording an impressive 30 goals and 62 points in just 68 games during the 2021-22 season. He lost that edge a bit last year but still flexes great upside. Toronto is needing to get creative with their top-six to fit in both Bertuzzi and Domi – doing things like moving Nylander to center – but if they can find a way to bring both players back to their former glory, it could give the team a scary forward group.
And while potentially impactful, these three signings didn’t raise eyes like the Leafs’ signing of 36-year-old Ryan Reaves did. In an effort to add the team’s obligatory enforcer, Treliving signed Reaves to a one-way deal that carries Reaves through his age-38 season, with a $1.35MM cap hit. This contract isn’t outrageous but it’s an interesting allocation of cap for a team already carrying Kyle Clifford. How Reaves slots into the day-to-day lineup will be interesting to follow, with the similarly-deployed Wayne Simmonds only appearing in 18 games last season.
The team rounded out free agency with a slew of attractive depth pieces, bringing in consistent bottom-six help in Gambrell and giving a second chance to players like Lagesson and Lajoie. It’s not certain whether any of these depth signings will impact the NHL roster but their additions provide comfortability behind the team’s main guys.
Key RFA Re-Signings
F Pontus Holmberg (two years, $1.6MM)
F Nick Abruzzese (two years, $775K)*
G Ilya Samsonov (one year, $3.6MM)
The Leafs RFA signings fail to jump off of the page. Ilya Samsonov is undoubtedly the most notable re-signing, giving the Leafs their starting goalie for at least the next season. Samsonov needed to file for salary arbitration to get a deal done, despite a clear path to the starter’s net, which could make for an interesting negotiations come next summer. Toronto also locked in low-cost, high-upside wingers in Holmberg and Abruzzese, likely to give both players a chance to earn a bigger contract in their next round of negotiations.
Key Departures
D Filip Kral (Lahti, Liiga)
D Mac Hollowell (New York Rangers, one year, $775K)*
D Victor Mete (Philadelphia, one year, $775K)*
F Alexander Kerfoot (Arizona, two years, $7MM)
D Carl Dahlstrom (Färjestad, SHL)
D Erik Gustafsson (New York Rangers, one year, $825K)
G Erik Kallgren (New Jersey, one year, $775K)*
D Jordie Benn (unsigned UFA)
D Justin Holl (Detroit, three years, $10.2MM)
D Luke Schenn (Nashville, three years, $8.25MM)
F Michael Bunting (Carolina, three years, $13.5MM)
F Noel Acciari (Pittsburgh, three years, $6MM)
F Radim Zohorna (Pittsburgh, one year, $775K)*
F Ryan O’Reilly (Nashville, four years, $18MM)
F Wayne Simmonds (unsigned UFA)
F Zach Aston-Reese (unsigned UFA)
F Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (Traktor, KHL)
* indicates a two-way contract
It’s impressive to see how strong of a lineup the Leafs are entering the season with, given the fact that they lost nearly a full lineup in NHL talent over the summer. Ryan O’Reilly and Michael Bunting headline the group – two top-of-the-lineup forwards, one boasting great goal-scoring upside and the other being a consistent standout for the Selke Trophy. They’re joined by middle-of-the-lineup pieces in Alexander Kerfoot, Luke Schenn, Noel Acciari, and Justin Holl – all getting modest deals in new locations fairly quickly. Interestingly, it was Kyle Dubas that signed Acciari and Radim Zohorna in Pittsburgh, bringing both forwards with him as he left Toronto.
Losing this much solid lineup talent could be enough to send a team into a panic. But Toronto’s lucrative signings of Bertuzzi, Domi, and Klingberg help patch holes in the top-end, while young depth pieces like Abruzzesse finally vie for a roster spot in the wake of changes to the bottom-six. The ability to handle such great turnover speaks to Toronto’s impressive depth and Treliving’s ability to bring in top free agents, and the team will remain competitive this year as a result.
These departures don’t represent a blow to the Toronto lineup as much as they represent boosts to the Leafs’ competition. Bunting brings even more volume and scoring to an already-strong Carolina Hurricanes lineup and O’Reilly could be the solidifying piece that the Nashville Predators needed. If, and how, these signings could impact Toronto’s push for the playoffs and Stanley Cup will be notable, even with the team’s ability to fill their holes.
Salary Cap Outlook
Toronto is, once again, pushing the boundaries of the NHL’s cap ceiling. The team will have just enough money to enter the season, after moving Jake Muzzin and Matt Murray to long-term injured reserve, but they’ll likely still need to move on from one or two players to make enough breathing room for the rest of the year. But if there’s any team that can handle a tight bind with the cap, it’s Toronto.
Key Questions
Can The New Additions Fit In? If the Leafs end up making a run for the Cup, it’ll likely be largely thanks to their free agent signings. Bertuzzi, Domi, and Klingberg all represent really exciting upside, and seem to be passionate about getting a chance to play for Toronto. How each of them can embrace the new setting, cushier roles, and increased attention will be one of the biggest storylines of the year. This season could represent an explosive return to form, marked by impressive scoring totals, or another slide in already-slipping careers.
Who Will Be Starting By The End Of The Year? Ilya Samsonov has a clear hold over the starter’s net entering the season. But if he can
maintain that grip is yet to be seen. Not only does backup Joseph Woll offer competition – posting a .932 save percentage through seven NHL games last season – but the health of all Toronto goaltenders has warranted questioning in recent years. Samsonov himself battled plenty of injuries throughout last year, even missing time in the postseason with an upper-body injury. Reports out of training camp share that he’s back up to speed but with little goalie depth behind him and Woll, Toronto could be at risk of another stressful year between the pipes.
What Impact Will Matthew Knies and Nicholas Robertson Make? The Leafs should be adding two potential heavyweights to their roster full-time this season, in Matthew Knies and Nicholas Robertson. Both players have some form of NHL experience, with Knies playing 10 games between the regular season and playoffs last year and recording five points; while Robertson has recorded 31 career NHL games and seven career points. In a lineup flanked by free agent additions and open roster spots, Knies and Robertson should have every opportunity to show their worth. If they live up to the hype, they could be pivotal pieces of the Leafs roster for years to come.
Snapshots: Mikheyev, Hartman, Tampa Bay Goalies
Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet shared that Ilya Mikheyev would not be playing in any of the team’s remaining two preseason games. The forward is continuing to rehab a torn ACL suffered earlier in the year. Tocchet made it sound like Vancouver was pleased with the direction of Mikheyev’s recovery, although doctors have urged the 28-year-old to not commit to being available for opening night. Mikheyev is still readjusting to facing contact and will be at the team’s final camp practices.
Mikheyev has been partially absent from training camp, missing time both because of his injury and for personal reasons. He played in just 46 games with Vancouver last season, his first with the club, recording 13 goals and 28 assists. It was his fourth NHL season and the fourth straight year of Mikheyev playing in 55 or fewer NHL games. In the 2021-22 campaign, his final year with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mikheyev tallied 21 goals and 32 points in 53 games. He’s now under contract with Vancouver for the next three seasons, with a $4.75MM cap hit in all three seasons, so getting Mikheyev to a healthy and durable state will be important for the club.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Athletic’s Michael Russo shared that, with Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Foligno extended, the Minnesota Wild are now turning their attention towards locking in Ryan Hartman. Russo notes that Hartman is likely looking for a salary north of $4MM but the team will want to keep him under that mark.
- Sportsnet’s Luke Fox is expecting the Tampa Bay Lightning will turn their attention towards the waiver wire to try and find a replacement for the injured Andrei Vasilevskiy. The team is currently rostering Jonas Johansson and Matt Tomkins and is in a tough spot to sign or trade for anyone with their tight cap situation.
Evening Notes: Savoie, Holland, Pinto
Scott Powers of The Athletic tweeted tonight that Chicago Blackhawks forward Samuel Savoie had successful surgery today on his right femur and is expected to fully recover. The 19-year-old prospect was injured yesterday after colliding with defenseman Alex Goligoski in a game against the Minnesota Wild and had to be stretchered off the ice. He was unable to travel with the Blackhawks and reportedly had surgery in Minnesota this morning.
Savoie has been ruled out of action indefinitely and appears to have a long recovery ahead of him after suffering a very scary injury. The 2022 third-round pick was expected to return to the QMJHL to be a big piece of the Gatineau Olympiques this season, but his season might have ended before it even began. Savoie had 26 goals and 33 assists in 60 games last year for the Olympiques and was expected to take a big step forward offensively this season.
In other evening notes:
- Peter Baugh of The Athletic tweeted that forward Peter Holland has elected to continue his PTO with the Colorado Avalanche and report to their AHL affiliate the Colorado Eagles. Holland will join the AHL camp as he continues his quest to get back to the NHL for the first time since 2017-18 when he dressed in 23 games for the New York Rangers. Holland was always a long shot to make the Avalanche as he did not play professional hockey last season. Despite the setback, one must admire his determination to make it back to the NHL.
- Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia writes about the latest in the Ottawa Senators negotiations with restricted free agent center Shane Pinto. Garrioch believes that the two sides will need to find common ground as Pinto is looking for $2.5MM per year on a two-year bridge contract, while the Senators are looking for a Morgan Frost type contract at $2.1MM per season. Garrioch adds that his belief is that Pinto wants to remain a member of the Senators and that the team wants to keep him long-term. Pinto had 20 goals and 15 assists last season in 82 games and is seen by many as the long-term solution for the Senators in the third-line center role. His presence will be key for the Senators as their bottom-six forward group is very underwhelming without Pinto centering the third line.
Examining The Pittsburgh Penguins Bottom Six Options
The Pittsburgh Penguins saw more turnover this offseason than any other organization in the NHL. From the hiring of President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas to the signing of a multitude of fourth liners, the Pittsburgh Penguins look wildly different than they did six months ago. It’s certainly a welcome change in the Steel City after the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006.
In a recent season preview that was completed by Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman, and Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic, the trio pointed out that one of the biggest issues with the Penguins last season was the lack of support from the bottom six forward group. The group was so bad that nearly half of it was put on waivers before the trade deadline. Kasperi Kapanen was claimed, Brock McGinn was traded, and many others departed in free agency or were traded away.
Kyle Dubas completely overhauled the bottom six almost exclusively through free agency. In the early days of free agency, the Penguins signed Noel Acciari, Lars Eller, Vinnie Hinostroza, Andreas Johnsson, Joona Koppanen, Matt Nieto, and Radim Zohorna. Dubas also traded for Rem Pitlick who was a throw-in as part of the Erik Karlsson trade. These eight players now find themselves competing with the remaining Penguins’ bottom six options Jeff Carter, Alexander Nylander and Drew O’Connor, as well as Colin White who is in camp on a PTO. The group of 12 will be competing for six or seven NHL spots in the Penguins forward group.
Competition is almost always a good thing in the NHL and the Penguins training camp has seen a lot of it. Very little is set in their bottom six, except that it will likely be again void of offence. While the group doesn’t have a ton of offensive firepower, they clearly have an identity, which is something that didn’t exist in previous seasons in Pittsburgh. Dubas has targeted players who are capable defensively, can skate with pace, and won’t hand the game away by giving up backbreaking goals. The same can’t be said for the Penguins’ bottom six last season.
With all this, one must wonder which players will have the inside track to start opening night on the Penguins’ third and fourth line. Let’s look at the way Head Coach Mike Sullivan and the Penguins might utilize their options.
In a perfect world, Eller would be a perfect fourth-line center, but in Pittsburgh, he will likely see duty as a third-line pivot. At 34 years old, Eller’s best days are behind him, but he is still a very capable penalty killer and is defensively sound. Eller doesn’t offer the offensive pop he did in his last 20s, but he is just a year removed from a 31-point season.
Flanking Eller on the left side will likely be O’Connor, the Penguins love his size and speed and are hoping he can piece it all together. It goes to show how top-heavy the Penguins are when they are counting on a player who has eight goals and nine assists in 78 career games to be a key component of their third line.
When healthy, it seems very possible that the Penguins will deploy Nylander. The former eighth-overall pick has the pedigree to be a scorer in the NHL, but he has never been able to produce enough offense to stick with an NHL club. Nylander will start the season on the Penguins second line in the absence of Jake Guentzel, and depending on his production he could find himself flanking the right side of the third line, or exposed to waivers.
The Penguins’ fourth line is where it gets interesting. Nieto and Acciari were targeted by Dubas on July 1st and fit the identity that Dubas and Sullivan are building for that group. Nieto is a terrific penalty killer and will be utilized in that role a lot, while Acciari adds a physical element and is good defensively. Both players can add a bit of offense as well, Nieto is coming off a season in which he posted 12 goals and 12 assists in 81 games, while Acciari had 14 goals and 9 assists last season in 77 games.
Finally, last season’s lightning rod Carter remains under contract for one more season and is still a favorite of Coach Sullivan. Carter was never removed from the Penguins lineup last year, despite having the worst season of his professional career. Carter looked run down at times and was consistently a step behind when it came to both offense and defense. However, he was utilized in a third-line center role and probably shouldn’t have been. Carter could perform better when being deployed less often and in a more sheltered role. Given Sullivan’s affinity for Carter, it would take a lot to remove the 38-year-old from Pittsburgh’s lineup.
How the Penguins bottom six will look on opening night remains a mystery. But it should be one of the more exciting roster battles to see in the final week of training camp. The Penguins will have to expose a lot of players to waivers to trim down their roster and could lose some bodies to other teams depending on how things shake out.
Brandon Sutter Announces Retirement
The Edmonton Oilers have announced that veteran forward Brandon Sutter has been released from the PTO he signed with the club, and has decided to retire from professional hockey. He provided a statement, which reads:
I’m grateful for the opportunity that Ken, Jay and the Oilers organization have provided to me the past few weeks. You need to be 100 percent healthy to compete in the NHL, and although my health continues to improve, in consideration of my health and family, I am officially retiring from hockey.
Thank you to the Oilers, Canucks, Penguins and Hurricanes, as well as all my past coaches, trainers and teammates for the incredible experiences throughout my 13 seasons in the NHL.
Sutter, 34, had not played since 2020-21, but was hopeful that he could earn a depth role in Edmonton. But the time away from the game appears to have been to big a barrier to overcome, so as a result, he has elected retirement.
Although injuries dulled his effectiveness in the later years of his career, Sutter had long been valued as a two-way center who brought defensive ability, sneaky goal-scoring touch, and the kind of leadership qualities that make a lasting impact on a locker room.
During his time with the Vancouver Canucks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Carolina Hurricanes, Sutter made a few deep playoff runs and scored 15 or more goals three times.
Part of the famed Sutter family, he ends his career with a few honors, including wearing a letter as part of the leadership group for three different franchises and a IIHF World Junior Championship gold medal.
While it certainly will end up a disappointment to Sutter and Oilers fans that he won’t be able to suit up for more NHL games, one can certainly respect the health considerations that went into Sutter’s decision. He leaves behind a playing career to be proud of, and we at PHR would like to extend our best wishes to Sutter for whatever he chooses to do now that his days on an NHL roster have ended.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images