Previewing The 2023 College Free Agent Market: Defensemen
With the Frozen Four tournament on the horizon, there should be some activity on the college free agent front in the coming weeks. At this time of year, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings (and this year is no exception) but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.
Here is an overview of some of the defensemen that should be drawing NHL interest in the near future. Note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season while quite a few others not on this list will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks. The forward preview can be found here.
Jacob Bengtsson, Lake Superior State
The 23-year-old made the jump to North America back in 2018 and while it took a bit of time for him to find his footing, he became a key part of the back end for the Lakers the last two seasons. He has a pro-ready frame and is a strong defender. Bengtsson was believed to have some NHL interest last season and should have some this time around although it’s worth noting that he has another year of college eligibility remaining.
Akito Hirose, Minnesota State
The younger brother of Taro Hirose who has seen some NHL action after going the college route, the blueliner is a strong skater with a strong offensive game. The question with him will be if he can defend at a pro level as the offense should translate relatively well. Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic report (subscription link) that the Canucks are among the teams believed to be interested in the 23-year-old who has another year of eligibility remaining.
Colton Huard, New Hampshire
Unlike most of the blueliners on this list, Huard isn’t quite as far along in his development as he’s only played his sophomore year and spent a good chunk of it on the second pairing. However, the 22-year-old has shown a promising offensive skillset and, like many other defenders on this list, has the size that will be enticing to NHL teams. Huard is a strong candidate to stay with the Wildcats next season but expect some teams to try to change his mind.
Luke Krys, Brown
Krys isn’t going to be a blueliner that piles up the points but he is a stable defender in his own end which, coupled with a big frame that has room to fill out still, should attract some NHL interest. Basically, the 22-year-old is the opposite of his brother Chad, a former Chicago prospect. The overall raw upside isn’t the highest out of this group but teams looking for a defender that can step right in and play regular minutes in the AHL will have Krys on their lists.
Jake Livingstone, Minnesota State
If you’re looking for a defender that could make the jump to a third pairing spot in the NHL quickly, Livingstone is probably that player. He has a pro-ready frame and has surpassed the 30-point mark in each of the last two seasons. The 23-year-old has received NHL interest in the past and with this season being his best, that interest should only intensify. Livingstone is a strong candidate to land a deal that begins now, getting him to restricted free agency sooner.
Sam Malinski, Cornell
While the 24-year-old is a bit undersized at 5’11, he’s arguably the most well-rounded defender in this UFA class. He provided eight goals from the back end this season and ran the power play for the Big Red while defensively, he logged big minutes on the penalty kill. Although Malinski is technically a senior, he missed all of 2020-21 with the Ivy League schools not playing that year so there’s a case to be made that he still has some developing to do which should entice some NHL teams.
Zach Metsa, Quinnipiac
Undersized blueliners don’t always make the jump with success but Nick Blankenburg quickly becoming a regular in Columbus should strengthen Metsa’s market as there are some similarities between the two. Metsa moves the puck well and his offensive skills are among the best in this class. The fact he’s 5’9 will hurt his market but there will be some interest in the 24-year-old who has exhausted his eligibility including the bonus year.
Travis Mitchell, Cornell
Cornell’s captain played a much bigger role this season, playing in all situations. However, Mitchell is someone that profiles as more of a stay-at-home defender in the pros. At 6’3, he has pro size already and shouldn’t need much of a transition period to play in the minors at least. Mitchell’s raw ceiling isn’t particularly high but he would be a worthwhile addition for a team that’s looking to add some depth to its prospect pool. He has previously attended development camps with Boston and St. Louis.
Others To Watch For
Dylan Anhorn, St. Cloud State
Zak Galambos, Western Michigan
Ryan Siedem, Harvard
Senators Recall Ridly Greig
Late last month, the Senators sent Ridly Greig back to Belleville to get some more playing time. Now, they’ve decided the time is right to bring him back up to the big club as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled the center from AHL Belleville.
The 20-year-old played in 11 games with Ottawa during his first stint with the big club, picking up a goal and three assists while averaging 13:29 per contest, decent numbers for his first NHL opportunity. However, Greig has been considerably more productive in the minors, collecting 13 goals and 14 helpers in 35 contests although he only picked up a point in two of the seven games he played since being sent down.
In Ottawa’s announcement, it wasn’t clear if this is an emergency recall or a regular one which would count against their post-deadline limit of four. They have 14 forwards on their active roster but wingers Parker Kelly and Mathieu Joseph are both battling injuries, bringing them down to the minimum of 12. If there is another injury, then Greig’s recall could be classified as an emergency one.
Snapshots: Salary Cap, Coyotes, Matthews
The relatively flat salary cap over the last few seasons has certainly been a limiter on player movement over that time. However, speaking with reporters today including Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman indicated a potential openness to boost the Upper Limit by more than the prescribed $1MM next season. However, doing so would be tied to escrow:
We’re hearing around the bend from players and others that there may be interest in having that, but one thing to keep in mind if we’re going to raise the cap and the escrow hasn’t been paid off, is then we’re going to have to look at raising the escrow rates, which under the CBA extension in 2020 is locked into the last three years of the CBA term at 6 per cent. So, if you’re going to raise the cap prematurely, then you’re going to have to look at the escrow percentage as well. The two are inextricably tied together.
As Bettman noted, there now is a fixed cap on escrow which there wasn’t in the past and by his estimation, there is still around $100MM owed back to the owners to get back to the required 50/50 share of Hockey Related Revenue. Increasing the escrow hasn’t been popular in the past so if incoming NHLPA Director Marty Walsh finds that the players don’t want to go that route again (even for just a short time), it could be one more year with a small increase before the cap goes up more quickly beginning in 2024-25.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- The Coyotes are likely to be one of the few teams with significant cap space this summer but don’t expect them to automatically be too active in free agency. GM Bill Armstrong indicated on the latest Cam and Strick podcast (video link) that they’re also open to doing what they’ve done in recent years which is taking on unwanted contracts while stockpiling extra draft picks for doing so. Arizona has stockpiled 47 picks over the next four seasons but have shown a willingness in the past to take on selections that are several years out. If they opt to take on more unwanted contracts, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them concentrating on adding 2026 and 2027 draft picks in order to try to keep their pick cupboard spaced out.
- While it has been speculated for a while, Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews confirmed to Jonas Siegel of The Athletic (subscription link) that the upper-body injury he has been dealing with for most of the year is a hand issue. However, the 25-year-old indicated that the hand is feeling a lot better now as of late which is certainly good news for a Toronto team that has made several moves to augment their roster at the trade deadline in the hopes of a long playoff run. Even with the injury, Matthews still has 31 goals and 36 assists in 59 games so far.
Minor Transactions: 03/15/23
With the trade deadline long past us, playoff races are heating up across the NHL. The Buffalo Sabres are looking to end the league’s longest playoff drought, and their uphill climb to clinch a spot continues tonight as they take on the Washington Capitals. Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs will get the chance to test themselves against the defending Stanley Cup champions. While hockey fans across the globe take in tonight’s games, teams in minor and foreign leagues are making tweaks to their rosters. We’ll keep track of those transactions here.
- Former Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Juuso Riikola could be headed to Switzerland for next season, according to a report from Swiss outlet Watson. After playing four seasons in the Penguins organization, Riikola returned to Europe this summer, signing with the SHL’s IK Oskarshamn. He’s done well for himself in Sweden, scoring 19 points in 42 games as an alternate captain, and is now rumored to be heading to the SCL Tigers, a team in the top tier of Swiss hockey.
- The San Jose Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda, have signed University of Connecticut captain Roman Kinal, a six-foot-two 24-year-old defenseman, to an ATO agreement. This deal will allow him to be with the Barracuda as they grapple for position in the AHL’s Pacific Division, giving him his first professional experience. As their recent trade for Harvard Blueliner Henry Thrun suggested, the Sharks organization is expected to look to mine talent from the NCAA ranks, so adding an experienced college player furthers that strategy.
- Former Washington Capitals prospect Colby Williams has signed a one-year extension with his current club, KHL side Admiral Vladivostok. The former Regina Pats captain played his first season away from North America this year, after he signed with Vladivostok over the summer. After six seasons patrolling the blueline in the AHL, Williams scored 18 points in 67 games in Russia, a performance that earned him a one-year contract extension.
- After nine seasons and 441 games with the DEL’s Augsburger Panthers, including the last three as their captain, Calgary native Brady Lamb will be playing elsewhere. The team has announced they and Lamb have parted ways. Lamb, who led the DEL in assists by a defenseman in 2017-18, has been a the face of the Panthers in recent years, helping them reach the playoffs twice in his tenure there. Augsburg endured a difficult 2022-23 season, and now they’ll look for a fresh face of their franchise moving forward.
- Former New York Islander Johan Sundstrom is headed to Finland to continue his career, per a report from SportExpressen’s Johan Svensson. The 30-year-old got 11 games with the Islanders in 2013-14 and has since played in Sweden, Russia, and China. After scoring 13 goals and 31 points for Frolunda in his first year back from the KHL, his effectiveness and role have declined, and he did not get into games for the club this season despite remaining on their payroll. Now, according to this report, he’ll be headed to Liiga’s Vaasan Sport to continue his pro career.
- Former Columbus Blue Jackets forward Markus Hannikainen will leave his current club, the SHL’s HC Linkoping, according to a team announcement. The 29-year-old, who has 91 career NHL games on his resume, was unable to come to an agreement on a contract extension with the club. Since leaving North America in the summer of 2020, Hannikainen played two years for Jokerit Helsinki in the KHL before spending last season playing for Mannheim in Germany. He scored eight goals and 19 points in the SHL this season and will now look to find the next stop in his career.
- Canadian Craig Schira, former captain of SHL side Rogle BK, will also not be returning to Linkoping for next season. He scored eight points in 76 games across two seasons for Linkoping and leaves after a difficult season that ended with Linkoping just outside the SHL’s relegation zone. He’s played in Europe since 2011-12 since leaving the Belleville Senators and has been an important defenseman for quite a few teams.
- Defenseman Eric Martinsson, who played in 13 games for the Minnesota Wild organization in 2018-19, is leaving the SHL’s HV71. The two-time SHL champion has spent two of the last three seasons at HV71, save for last year, which he spent playing in the KHL in Kazakhstan. He scored 37 points in 51 games for HV71 in 2020-21, but registered only 12 points this season, a decline that possibly prompted this parting of ways.
- The ECHL’s Utah Grizzlies have released defenseman Joey Colatarci, per the ECHL’s official transactions report. Colatarci, 28, has been a regular for the Grizzlies for the past two seasons but hasn’t registered a single point in 30 games this season. Now, the six-foot-two blueliner will look to find another club to continue his career in North America’s third-tier league.
- 23-year-old defenseman Jacob Semik, an alternate captain for Arizona State University, has signed with the Grizzlies. His arrival could be seen as taking the place of the released Colatarci, who plays a similar style to him. By adding Semik, the Grizzlies give a college player a chance to make his professional debut and the opportunity to begin the process of climbing North America’s pro hockey ladder.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Christian Dvorak Undergoes Season-Ending Knee Surgery
The Montreal Canadiens’ season-long battle with the injury bug continues, as the team has announced that center Christian Dvorak underwent season-ending knee surgery today. Per the announcement, a full recovery is expected before the start of next season.
While no announcement has officially been made, it’s likely that Dvorak will land on injured reserve following this news. When that placement officially comes, he’ll join a whopping eight Canadiens players on either regular or long-term injured reserve.
The Canadiens have been absolutely decimated by injuries this season, and their list of contributors who have missed significant time this season rivals that of any other NHL club. They have lost players such as budding superstar Cole Caufield and promising rookie defenseman Arber Xhekaj to their own season-ending surgeries, and now Dvorak joins that list.
The result of the slew of injuries the team has faced this season has been that coach Martin St. Louis has been forced to make do with an even more talent-depleted roster than the one the Canadiens entered the season with.
While some players such as longtime minor leaguer Alex Belzile and seventh-round pick Rafael Harvey-Pinard have seized the opportunities these injuries have provided them, it’s clear that the trouble the Canadiens have faced in the health department has cost them valuable development time for some key players.
For Dvorak, 27, this injury ends what has been an up-and-down season.
The former Arizona Coyotes center has always been the kind of player who is at his best when he can feed off of more gifted linemates, and in Montreal he has not been given that luxury.
As a result, his offensive production has declined as he’s settled into more of a defensive role.
He’s leading all Canadiens regulars in short-handed ice time per game and splits the task of handling the team’s hardest matchups with captain Nick Suzuki.
Dvorak, who makes $4.45MM against the cap through 2024-25, will finish his second season in Montreal with 10 goals and 18 assists in 64 games, which is a 13-goal, 36-point pace.
That’s a decline from the 48-point pace he posted last season, which is disappointing, but he has the type of consistency across his 422-game NHL career to suggest that he’ll have a chance to rebound next season.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Pittsburgh Penguins Place Dmitry Kulikov On Long-Term Injured Reserve
The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that defenseman Dmitry Kulikov has been placed on long-term injured reserve retroactive to March 12th. The move comes after Kulikov was knocked out of Sunday’s contest against the New York Rangers with a lower-body injury.
At the time, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told the media that Kulikov would be out on a week-to-week basis, and now the team has effectively confirmed that timeline by placing him on the long-term injured reserve list.
The veteran defenseman’s injury comes at an unfortunate time for Pittsburgh, as the team is looking to build some momentum and secure their spot in the playoffs. Kulikov was acquired from the Anaheim Ducks before the trade deadline and has played largely in a bottom-pairing role alongside offseason acquisition Jan Rutta.
While Kulikov averaged over 20 minutes of ice time in Southern California, he’s played a more limited role in Pittsburgh. As a Penguin, he’s averaging just under 13 minutes of ice time per game, but is logging nearly two of those minutes on the penalty kill.
While he’s a defenseman who is typically at his best when he goes unnoticed on the ice, the experience and stability he would bring to the Penguins’ bottom-pairing and penalty kill is valuable. In his place, Sullivan paired Pierre-Olivier Joseph next to Rutta, and Joseph struggled in over 17 minutes of ice time in the team’s loss to the Montreal Canadiens.
Seeing as starting netminder Tristan Jarry has struggled immensely in recent games, it’s a difficult time for the team to lose such an experienced veteran defenseman like Kulikov.
While Pittsburgh eventually clinching a playoff spot seems like the likeliest outcome at the moment, (they have 78 points and two games in hand on the New York Islanders, who sit two points behind them in the second Wild Card Spot) losing Kulikov will certainly make things a little more difficult.
NHL Announces Draft Lottery, Stanley Cup Final Dates
On May 8, one NHL franchise will earn the right to select Connor Bedard this summer. The 2023 NHL Draft Lottery will be held that night, determining the fate of the Regina Pats superstar a month and a half before he is actually selected.
Bedard has separated himself from the rest of the class with an incredible 61-goal, 125-point season for Regina, and is considered one of the greatest draft prizes in recent history.
While the worst teams in the league will cross their fingers and hope for some luck that day, Bedard won’t actually get to pull on a sweater until Wednesday, June 28, which will be the first round of the 2023 NHL Draft.
This year’s event will take place in Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, with rounds 2-7 following on Thursday, June 29. That’s less than a month after the Stanley Cup is awarded, as the tentative start of the Final is set for June 3—though that could change, depending on how quickly the playoffs progress.
All of the key dates released from the league are:
Monday, April 17
Start of 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs
Monday, May 8
2023 NHL Draft Lottery
Saturday, June 3
Tentative start of 2023 Stanley Cup Final
Sunday, June 4 – Saturday, June 10
2023 NHL Scouting Combine presented by adidas (Buffalo)
Monday, June 26
2023 NHL Awards (Bridgestone Arena)
Wednesday, June 28
Round 1 of 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft(Bridgestone Arena)
Thursday, June 29
Rounds 2-7 of 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft (Bridgestone Arena)
Minor Moves: Red Wings, Bruins, Kraken, Coyotes, Panthers
This morning, the Detroit Red Wings assigned Matt Luff and Austin Czarnik to the AHL, as they await a game later this week. The Red Wings don’t play again until Saturday afternoon against the Colorado Avalanche, giving them a chance to save some money in the meantime.
Here are some other minor moves from around the league today:
- The Boston Bruins have recalled Jakub Lauko under emergency conditions, after sending him down yesterday. Lauko hasn’t played since March 2 and has just 12 appearances this season, but has been bounced back and forth between leagues whenever the team is dealing with injuries. Through those 12 matches, he has five points in his first taste of NHL action.
- The Seattle Kraken have recalled John Hayden from the AHL, as they hit the road for a game in San Jose tomorrow night. The Kraken are coming off consecutive losses to the Dallas Stars and have now slipped below the Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division playoff race. Hayden, 28, has just two points in five NHL games this year.
- The Arizona Coyotes have reassigned forward Bokondji Imama to their AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. The 26-year-old is an alternate captain for the Coyotes’ farm team, where he has provided hard-working physical play and 12 points of offense at that level. He’s played the last two games for the Coyotes, seeing time in both of the team’s consecutive overtime wins.
- The Florida Panthers have swapped goalies on their NHL roster, sending down 2022 Calder Cup Champion Alex Lyon in favor of rookie Mack Guzda. The move allows the team’s AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, to get the more experienced goaltender as they look to clinch a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Nikita Nesterenko
After turning down the Minnesota Wild, Nikita Nesterenko has decided to turn pro with the Anaheim Ducks. Acquired as part of the John Klingberg deal, Nesterenko recently finished his junior season with Boston College.
The sixth-round pick scored 34 points in 36 games this season, and enters the Ducks’ system as an intriguing mix of size and scoring ability. Now 21, the Ducks have announced he is signing a three-year contract that starts this season and will immediately report to Anaheim to start his career.
That would mean his contract runs through 2024-25, though there is some confusion over whether or not that is possible. As PuckPedia notes, Nesterenko’s September 10 birthday (when he will turn 22) would normally limit him to a two-year entry-level deal, meaning this year and 2023-24, making him an RFA next summer. Either way, the Ducks, who aren’t competing for anything this year, can let him get his feet wet before deciding where to assign him next year.
The Brooklyn native scored 77 points over his 97-game NCAA career, racking up 86 penalty minutes along the way. At the time of the trade, Michael Russo of The Athletic indicated that there had been “talk” that Nesternko didn’t plan on signing with the Wild, and would have tested free agency.
Top-10 Finalists Announced For 2023 Hobey Baker
With the end of collegiate hockey calendar approaching, the ten finalists for the Hobey Baker Award have been announced. The trophy is given to the top NCAA player in the country and has an impressive line of winners. In 2014, Johnny Gaudreau, Jack Eichel, Cale Makar, and Cole Caufield have all taken it home over the last decade, with each going on to star at the professional level.
Goaltender Dryden McKay, last year’s winner, is currently playing with the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL, after a history career at Minnesota State-Mankato. McKay posted a .932 save percentage and 26 shutouts across 140 college games, winning 113 of them.
The award also has several top NHL alumni in its small fraternity, including Neal Broten, Tom Kurvers, Paul Kariya, Chris Drury, Ryan Miller, and Brendan Morrison. With that group behind them, this year’s winner is certainly not someone to take lightly.
Earlier this year, 87 players from the NCAA ranks were nominated for the award, and today that number has been reduced to just ten. These ten players will be narrowed to just three, a process that anyone can be a part of by participating in the fan vote. Votes will be added to the decision from a selection committee to produce three finalists, from which a winner will be crowned.
The top 10 finalists are as follows, with the NHL organization that owns their draft rights in parenthesis:
Logan Cooley, University of Minnesota (Arizona Coyotes)
Adam Fantilli, University of Michigan (2023 draft eligible)
Sean Farrell, Harvard University (Montreal Canadiens)
Collin Graf, Quinnipiac University (undrafted)
Lane Hutson, Boston University (Montreal Canadiens)
Matthew Knies, University of Minnesota (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Devon Levi, Northeastern University (Buffalo Sabres)
Yaniv Perets, Quinnipiac University (undrafted)
Blake Pietila, Michigan Tech University (undrafted)
Jason Polin, Western Michigan University (undrafted)