Elias Pettersson Will Not Play At Worlds
Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson won’t be attending the upcoming IIHF World Championship after all, as a report from Aftonbladet indicates that the Swedish ice hockey federation could not secure insurance for him at the event.
Pettersson, 24, is only signed through next season and is expected to ink a massive extension at some point this offseason. He is eligible for a new contract on July 1, meaning a serious injury at the event next month could jeopardize a huge amount of money. Insurance is needed for many players at the event, usually when coming to the end of a contract.
As the extension talks approach, Pettersson is in quite a strong negotiating position. The young forward broke 100 points for the first time in his career, posting 39 goals and 63 assists in 80 games. That included five shorthanded goals to lead the league, and some incredible, dominant possession numbers that suggest he will be able to repeat that performance moving forward.
Pettersson will carry a $7.35MM cap hit next season while earning a whopping $10.25MM in actual salary, thanks to the back-loaded nature of his bridge deal. That means his qualifying offer would be at $8.82MM to retain him as an RFA in the summer of 2024, another number that only helps his case as he negotiates a long-term extension.
While international hockey fans might have wanted to see him on the World stage, Canucks fans might be okay with their prized forward taking some time off. Pettersson has a lot of work to do to lead Vancouver back to the promised land in the next couple of years, something that executive Jim Rutherford believes is possible despite their recent poor performances.
NHL Announces 2023 Global Series
The NHL is heading back to Europe, sending four teams to Sweden for the 2023 Global Series games. The Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Minnesota Wild will play a total of four games in mid-November.
The games will take place in Stockholm, Sweden, a city that has hosted more NHL games than any other outside of North America. The four matches will be:
- November 16: Red Wings vs. Senators
- November 17: Maple Leafs vs. Red Wings
- November 18: Wild vs. Senators
- November 19: Maple Leafs vs. Wild
The four teams have several Swedish-born stars on their current rosters and long franchise ties to the country. Hall of Fame former players like Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Mats Sundin, Daniel Alfredsson, and Borje Salming will certainly be represented in the sea of NHL sweaters, while current names like Jonas Brodin, Joel Eriksson Ek, Filip Gustavsson, Lucas Raymond, and William Nylander will surely wow the crowds.
The games will be played at Avicii Arena, the famous Globe that regularly holds some of Sweden’s largest events.
Offseason Checklist: Columbus Blue Jackets
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs. It’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Columbus.
Last season, the Blue Jackets were more competitive than a lot of people expected and GM Jarmo Kekalainen responded by making a big splash on the free agent market, inking Johnny Gaudreau to a seven-year deal. In doing so, expectations shifted. However, things certainly didn’t go according to plan as they finished last in the Eastern Conference so changes are on the horizon for them in the coming months.
Find A New Coach
Not surprisingly, after the summer they had and how things went this season, Brad Larsen’s tenure as head coach came to an end as he was let go after two years as the bench boss. The team posted a 62-86-16 record with him at the helm. At the time he was promoted after serving as an assistant to John Tortorella, Larsen felt like a logical choice in the sense that the team was beginning a rebuild. Are they going to take a step back again now?
That’s a question that Kekalainen is going to have to ponder. This team has ample cap space (nearly $20MM per CapFriendly) this summer which could give them some key additions to try to win now. If that’s the direction they’re going to go, then a veteran bench boss with a track record of short-term success is likely what they’re going to want to look for. After all, adding Gaudreau on the richest free agent deal in franchise history only to turn around and rebuild again a year later would be a bit of a surprising turnaround.
On the other hand, with how they struggled this season, it would be surprising to see Columbus push for playoff contention in 2023-24. Accordingly, another first-time coach with an eye on prospect development might be the better way to go. While this number is certainly exacerbated by injuries and late-season recalls, Columbus used 30 players that are 25 or younger this season. Most of them will still be in the organization next year and with a lot of future core pieces in the group, a longer-term build might be the better long-term play. Who they hire as their next head coach might signal which way they’re leaning on the roster front. Whichever way they go, it’s likely they won’t make a move right away as they’ll likely want to speak to some assistants that are on teams still in the playoffs.
Bring In New Goalie Coach
Generally, a team needing a goalie coach wouldn’t typically get much more than a passing mention here. However, with how poorly Elvis Merzlikins played this season, finding the right hire to replace Manny Legace is going to be quite critical.
To put into context how much Merzlikins struggled, there were 62 goalies that played 20 games or more in 2022-23. He was 62nd in GAA (4.23) and 61st in SV% (.876). The good news is that he can really go up from there but he has a long way to go to even get back to being league average.
The 29-year-old has four years left on his contract which carries a $5.4MM AAV. Right now, that deal would be difficult to trade with how he performed this season and Daniil Tarasov isn’t ready to take over as the full-fledged starter just yet; he has just 21 career NHL appearances under his belt. Accordingly, the new goalie coach will be a key addition as if he can help Merzlikins turn things around, it would go a long way toward helping them get back in the playoff picture sooner than later.
Add Center Help
Locking down a true top center has been a challenge for Columbus in recent years with their best candidate, Pierre-Luc Dubois, eventually being traded to Winnipeg for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic. The end result is that Columbus was using Boone Jenner as their top middleman this season. Jenner is a quality player, no doubt, but he is not a true top-liner. Roslovic, meanwhile, was inconsistent throughout the season and he is likely to be in trade speculation this summer.
The good news for the Blue Jackets is that they have young centers in the system in Cole Sillinger and Kent Johnson. They’re certainly hoping that one of them will be able to emerge as a top-liner down the road. And, who knows, they could land one in the draft as they’re able to hold down a top-three spot. But any of those players are still likely a couple of years away from really emerging as reliable top-six options. If they intend to try to get back into the playoff picture before then, they’re going to have to add a center or two.
It will be interesting to see if the Blue Jackets decide to continue their late-season experiment with playing Laine down the middle next year. If he can hold his own in that role, that would take some pressure off Jenner and at least get them a short-term stopgap. They’re also likely to add Dmitry Voronkov for next season although he won’t be ready to play in the top six right away either. But even with those, more help is needed, especially if Laine isn’t able to play there full-time.
Landing a true number one pivot will be difficult for Columbus this summer as frankly, there aren’t likely to be any available. Instead, Kekalainen will have to settle for adding a second-line option. They’ve been speculatively linked to Philadelphia’s Kevin Hayes and perhaps that’s the type of move they should be targeting, adding a player that can help but whose cap hit is high enough that the other team can’t command a significant return. Depending on the player, Columbus could be compensated for taking on the deal. If they want to use their cap space this summer, that’s one creative way to try to fill a need without losing much of consequence.
Creative Spending
Speaking of that cap space, the Blue Jackets will be one of only a handful of teams with significant room under the cap this summer. They currently project to have around $18MM per CapFriendly with only a handful of roster spots to fill. Notably, there aren’t any free agents of note to deal with either that will cut into that amount by a significant amount.
Granted, Columbus is typically a budget team, not a cap team so it remains to be seen how much of that roughly $18MM will actually be at their disposal. But at a minimum, a good chunk of it should be spendable for Kekalainen.
If they want to try to make another splash in free agency, the money should be there. But that might not be the best move for them, especially with the market not being as strong as last year and the center options not exactly being top-notch. Instead, if they can pick up an unwanted short-term contract or two and pick up draft picks or prospects for doing so, that’s a scenario that would be the best of both worlds, helping them build for the future while helping them now as well. Cap space is an asset that few teams will have so it’s important that the Blue Jackets use it wisely and get creative if they need to.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Snapshots: Flames Arena, Mangiapane, Bussi, Senators
The long wait is over for an announcement of a new arena for the Flames as the City of Calgary announced that they have come to an agreement on a new arena and events center. The agreement will be funded between the city ($537MM), the Province of Alberta ($300MM towards supportive infrastructure), and Flames ownership ($356MM) over the next three years. Don Braid of the Calgary Herald notes that this agreement also covers the demolition of the Saddledome, the oldest arena in the NHL which turns 40 in October. There is no projected timeline yet for when the new arena will be operational. Given the scope of the project, it will almost certainly take a while.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Still with the Flames, the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Andrew Mangiapane has undergone successful shoulder surgery and will be ready for training camp. The 27-year-old wasn’t able to repeat his 35-goal performance from last season, slipping down to 17 tallies while chipping in with 26 assists to finish eighth on the team in scoring. He has two years left on his deal which carries a $5.8MM AAV so Calgary will certainly be hoping that the surgery will help Mangiapane reclaim his scoring touch.
- The Bruins announced that they’ve re-assigned goaltender Brandon Bussi to AHL Providence. The 24-year-old was recalled last week on an emergency basis but didn’t see any game action, instead serving as their emergency netminder. However, with Providence’s playoff series getting underway on Friday, Boston has sent him back down to get him ready for that series. Bussi had a 2.40 GAA and a .924 SV% in 32 AHL contests this season.
- Things have largely been quiet lately when it comes to the sale of the Senators but Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that it looks like final offers will be required by mid-May. At that time, the seven groups will have had to submit paperwork outlining proof of financing. Expectations are that the club will sell for at least $800MM based on the strong interest in the franchise.
Red Wings Prospect Pontus Andreasson Signs In Sweden
It will be one and done in North America for Red Wings prospect Pontus Andreasson. Lulea of the SHL announced that they’ve signed the forward to a four-year contract that runs through the 2026-27 campaign.
The 24-year-old signed a one-year deal with Detroit last May after a strong showing with Lulea, hoping that he’d be able to get an NHL opportunity. However, that chance never materialized aside from his five preseason appearances as Andreasson spent the entire regular season at the AHL level with Grand Rapids. He wound up finishing tied for sixth on the Griffins in scoring, picking up 12 goals and 13 assists in 63 games, numbers that weren’t exactly showing that he was ready for a look with the Red Wings.
Now, rather than see if he’d be offered a deal to return, Andreasson decided the best move for him was to lock in a long-term contract back home, certainly an understandable move. He had 18 goals and 20 assists in 52 games with Lulea in 2021-22 and should get an opportunity to play a bigger role there than he would have had in North America. Detroit can still issue Andreasson a qualifying offer this summer to retain his NHL rights but since he’ll be eligible for NHL unrestricted free agency by the time this deal expires, it’s quite likely they’ll simply non-tender him in June.
Panthers Send Lucas Carlsson To Minors
Recently being recalled by the Florida Panthers ahead of their Game Four loss to the Boston Bruins, defenseman Lucas Carlsson will be sent back down to the AHL. As defenseman Aaron Ekblad finds his way back into the lineup after missing Game Three, the Panthers have announced they have loaned Carlsson to their AHL affiliate Charlotte Checkers.
Carlsson played in about half of all the Panthers games last season but has spent the majority of this season playing for the Checkers, as he has only suited up for the Panthers twice in the regular season. In 61 games in Charlotte, Carlsson put together quite an outstanding season in the AHL, scoring 20 goals and tallying 34 assists. During the Checkers opening round matchup in the Calder Cup playoffs, Carlsson scored four points in three games.
Likely being included on the Game Four roster due to injuries, the team has decided his talent is better spent helping Charlotte on their quest for the Calder Cup. In their first-round matchup against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Charlotte was able to move past them in three games. As they now look towards the Atlantic Division Semifinals, Charlotte will take on the second-place Hershey Bears.
Central Division Notes: Scheifele, Nichushkin, Helm, Johnson
In Game Four between the Vegas Golden Knights and Winnipeg Jets, star center Mark Scheifele left the game early with an upper-body injury. Already missing Josh Morrissey and Nikolaj Ehlers, including Scheifele in that group moving forward might be the nail in the coffin for the Jets in their first-round matchup.
Thankfully for Jets fans, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet relays on a message from head coach Rick Bowness, showing optimism that Scheifele could return for Game Five. With the Golden Knights already leading the series three games to one, having Scheifele on the ice for Winnipeg would certainly increase their chances of extending the series.
In four games in this year’s playoffs, Scheifele scored once, adding a goal in the unfortunate Game Three loss in double overtime. Although not providing a career-best performance this regular season in terms of points, Scheifele did crack his career-high in goals this year, scoring 42 goals and 26 assists in 81 games played.
Other notes from the Central Division:
- Coming off of the recent suspension of defenseman Cale Makar, Ryan Boulding of the NHL also reports that Valeri Nichushkin will still not be an option for the Colorado Avalanche in Game Five. Fortunately for the Avalanche, they seemed to have been in this position all season long due to injuries, and their depth was able to carry them to a first-place finish in the Central Division. The terms of Nichushkin’s absence has been one of the more bewildering stories off the ice these playoffs, as he has been out of the lineup for personal reasons, leaving Seattle shortly before the Avalanche took on the Seattle Kraken for Game Three.
- In the same announcement, Boulding also reports that forward Darren Helm and Jack Johnson may be options for the Avalanche for Game Five. Helm, seemingly injured for the entire season, has been out of the lineup since Colorado’s loss in Game One. Johnson on the other hand, re-acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the trade deadline, has yet to suit up for the Avalanche in this series.
Ethan De Jong Signs AHL Contract
Another player from the National Championship-winning Quinnipiac University has found his way to a guaranteed contract, as forward Ethan De Jong has signed a 2-year deal with the Bakersfield Condors, an AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers. An undrafted free agent, De Jong’s contract in Bakersfield will begin during the 2023-24 AHL season.
Over his five-season career playing for the Quinnipiac University Bobcats, De Jong played in 184 regular season matchups, scoring 61 goals and 83 assists. In his last season in Quinnipiac, De Jong scored 19 goals and 21 assists in 41 games, finishing third on the team in total scoring.
During this year’s Frozen Four, the young forward would score one goal and two assists to help his team clinch the NCAA DI Men’s Ice Hockey National Championship. The only goal he had during the playoffs came during the team’s clutch semifinal victory against the University of Michigan Wolverines.
Although the Condors managed to make the playoffs this season, the team was bounced in the first round by the Abbotsford Canucks. DeJong should help with some of Bakersfield’s weak points this season, as he has shown a knack for goal-scoring in the final two years of his time with Quinnipiac. The Condors finished this season as one of the better defensive teams in the AHL, finishing 12th in the league in goals against. However, they did not show the same prowess on the offensive side of the puck, finishing 24th in goals scored.
San Diego Gulls Hire Matt McIlvane
After now-former head coach Roy Sommer retired at the end of the 2022-23 season, the San Diego Gulls, an AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, have now found their head coaching replacement. Matt McIlvane will be brought in as the fifth coach in franchise history, recently enjoying the same role for EC Red Bull Salzburg of the ICE Hockey League in Austria. Before working as a head coach in Austria, McIlvane was an assistant coach for EHC Munchen of the DEL, Germany’s professional hockey league.
Coaching for Salzburg, McIlvane racked up a total record of 94-42-22-19 in four seasons, and also posted an incredible postseason record, leading his team to a 31-8 mark behind the bench. Salzburg was able to win back-to-back championships the last two seasons under the leadership of McIlvane. When asked about the head coaching hire, the General Manager of the Anaheim Ducks, Pat Verbeek, said, “Matt brings a winning pedigree to our organization in addition to a strong culture of development and performance. Our players in San Diego will benefit from his leadership, philosophy, and his championship experience in Europe and the international level.”
McIlvane was also excited to return to North America; when asked about joining the Ducks organization, McIlvane said, “I am humbled to be the next coach of the San Diego Gulls. I am incredibly grateful to Pat Verbeek for the trust to take on this responsibility. The Samueli family runs a first-class organization, and it is an honor to join the hockey club. I can’t wait to meet the rest of the management, staff, and players. We are ready for the challenge to develop Ducks prospects into NHL players and give the fans at Pechanga Arena San Diego an exciting team to cheer for.”
Over the last couple of seasons, the Gulls have been unable to post a winning record. During the 2021-22 season, the Gulls posted a record of 28-33-7, losing in the preliminary round to the Ontario Reign in two games. This season, performance continued to decline in San Diego, finishing 10th in the AHL’s Pacific Division after going 20-49-3. In McIlvane’s hiring, the Ducks organization is clearly looking for someone to procure the next generation of NHL talent in Anaheim, as well as returning the Gulls to the postseason.
Atlantic Division Updates: Ekblad, Duclair, Bunting, Cernak
Josh Gold-Smith of The Score reports that reinforcements are coming in for the Florida Panthers, as both Aaron Ekblad and Anthony Duclair will be back for Game Five. This will be an elimination game for the Panthers, as the Boston Bruins have taken a three-to-one lead in the series.
Ekblad finally makes his return after leaving Game Three with an undisclosed injury. Before the start of Game Four, Ekblad was listed as a game-time decision and wound up not being able to play, as Casey Fitzgerald took his place in the lineup. Aside from Game Three, Ekblad averaged a little over 24 minutes a night in the first two games of the series but has been unable to find the scoresheet yet for the Panthers.
Duclair, who was also sitting out of Game Four with an undisclosed injury, returns to stave off elimination from the President’s Trophy winners. Duclair has not been used as much as Ekblad has been throughout this series, only averaging a little under 13 minutes a night. In the three games that he has played, Duclair has also been unable to find himself on the scoresheet and also carries a +/- of -6.
Other notes from the Atlantic Division:
- Returning back from a three-game suspension, Michael Bunting will be available for the Toronto Maple Leafs Thursday night as they look to eliminate the three-time defending Eastern Conference Champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Playing very well in his absence, Mark Masters of TSN reports that there is potential for Bunting to not make his way into the lineup for Game Five. Masters relays on a message from the Maple Leafs’ head coach Sheldon Keefe, who states that no decision has been made about Bunting’s return to the lineup but did confirm that Matthew Knies was not coming out of the lineup for Bunting.
- On the receiving end of Bunting’s suspension-worthy hit, Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak will not return for Game Five (Tweet Link). Only playing just over nine minutes in Game One, the Lightning have been without one of their best defensive defensemen for the remainder of the series up to this point. Since Cernak’s exit from Tampa Bay’s lineup, the Lightning have been unable to hold Toronto to less than four goals a game.