Snapshots: Couturier, Hayes, Broberg
Last season was filled with injury and disappointment for the Philadelphia Flyers but with a new head coach in town, they are ready to try again. One of the biggest question marks was the health of Sean Couturier, who underwent back surgery in February.
All clear, says the veteran center, who spoke with the media today and explained that while there were “a lot of ups and downs” in his recovery, he is fully healthy and cleared for training camp. Couturier played just 29 games last season, recording 17 points.
- Not only that but Kevin Hayes is also fully healthy after his own surgery in January, telling reporters that he hasn’t had any other procedures since then – something that wasn’t clear given his recent history of re-injury. Hayes returned in March and played 28 games down the stretch, recording 22 points in them, to take his season total to 31. Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic expressed his optimism that Hayes can return to his previous form, given how well he played down the stretch.
- There’s an interesting sight at the Edmonton Oilers informal skates, as Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic notes that Philip Broberg is mostly playing the right side. Part of that may simply be the absence of Cody Ceci, who Nugent-Bowman reports was not there today, but given how many left-handed defensemen will be in camp. Adding some familiarity on the right side may help Broberg establish himself as a full-time NHL player after splitting time between the Oilers and Bakersfield Condors last season.
Minor Transactions: 09/12/22
Hockey is so close you can taste it. In less than a month, regular season games will be happening for the 2022-23 campaign and the long grind toward the Stanley Cup will have started. Over the next few weeks, we’ll keep track of all the notable minor signings to see where minor league and fringe players will ply their trade this season.
- Jake McGrew, who was not issued a qualifying offer by the San Jose Sharks earlier this summer, has signed with AIK in Sweden for the upcoming season. The 23-year-old sixth-round pick spent most of last season with the San Jose Barracuda, scoring 12 goals and 23 points in 57 games. Now an unrestricted free agent, he’ll try to continue his development overseas.
- Maxim Letunov, dealt to the New York Rangers at the deadline in exchange for Tarmo Reunanen, has signed with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL after becoming a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer. Letunov, 26, played three games in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks in 2019-20 and scored one goal.
- Adam Johnson, last seen with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, has signed with the Augsburger Panther in the DEL. The 28-year-old forward has 13 NHL games to his name, all of them with the Pittsburgh Penguins, who signed him in 2017 out of the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
This page will continue to be updated with any further transactions.
Carter Rowney Signs In Germany
Veteran NHL forward and Stanley Cup champion Carter Rowney has decided to head overseas for the latest chapter in his hockey story, signing a deal with Lowen Frankfurt of the German DEL.
Rowney, 33, played 26 games for the Detroit Red Wings last season, scoring four goals and registering six points. The undrafted free agent signing out of the University of North Dakota worked his way up from the ECHL to make his NHL debut in 2017 and won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins as a 27-year-old rookie.
While that certainly was his career highlight, Rowney used his success in Pittsburgh to land a three-year, $3.4MM contract with the Anaheim Ducks in 2018 and now leaves the NHL having played in 249 regular season games. Not bad for a player out of the AJHL who scored just a single goal in his first year of college hockey.
Given his age and already declining usage, it may be the last we see of him in the NHL.
Colorado Avalanche Sign Evan Rodrigues
It appears as though patience has paid off for Evan Rodrigues, who suddenly finds himself in an excellent situation. The free agent forward has signed a one-year, $2MM contract with the Colorado Avalanche, joining the reigning Stanley Cup champions just a few weeks before the season begins.
The Avalanche were one of the deepest forward groups in the lineup by the time the playoffs rolled around, but have watched the likes of Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, Nico Sturm, and Nicolas Aube-Kubel all depart in free agency. While the team is driven by an outstanding group of defensemen and a handful of star forwards, it was that depth that made them so difficult to play against, as they iced four lines that could compete.
Rodrigues, 29, comes in at a relative discount after scoring 43 points last season and can help lengthen out that lineup again this season. The versatile forward can play center or wing, and while he likely can’t replace the offense that Kadri brought, he does enter a situation that may see him continue his breakout.
Last season the undrafted forward scored 19 goals while playing in all 82 games for the first time in his career, and while he did play a good chunk of his even-strength minutes with Sidney Crosby, that’s actually not where his production came from. In fact, Rodrigues didn’t score a single goal during the 318 5v5 minutes he played alongside the Penguins’ captain, instead doing much better with the likes of Kasperi Kapanen and Danton Heinen.
If he can continue to play that type of strong secondary scoring presence while a little further down the Colorado lineup, the Avalanche will continue to have that impressive depth that took them so far. It should be noted, however, that Rodrigues’ previous career-high was nine goals and 29 points – likely why teams weren’t willing to offer him a long-term contract this summer.
Montreal Canadiens Name Nick Suzuki Captain
With Shea Weber‘s career now over, and his contract traded away, the Montreal Canadiens were left without a captain. The team has remedied that situation today, by officially introducing Nick Suzuki as the 31st captain in franchise history. He will be joined by Brendan Gallagher and Joel Edmundson, who will serve as alternates this season.
Suzuki, 23, was actually acquired by the Canadiens in a deal that saw a former captain traded away. In 2018, Suzuki was part of the return for Max Pacioretty, after being selected by the Vegas Golden Knights 13th overall in 2017. He made his NHL debut in the 2019-20 season and quickly became one of the most important players in the Montreal lineup. Through 209 regular season games, Suzuki has 49 goals and 143 points, including career-highs of 21 and 61 in the 2021-22 campaign.
It was his performance in the 2021 playoffs that was so encouraging though. With the games as tight as ever, Suzuki still managed to lead the Canadiens in scoring, racking up seven goals and 16 points in 22 games as the Canadiens went on a miraculous run to the Stanley Cup Final.
Now, after a down year when the Canadiens failed to make the playoffs and a clear rebuild underway, Suzuki will be the rallying point that general manager Kent Hughes and head coach Martin St. Louis build around. Last October, he signed an eight-year, $63MM contract extension that will carry an average annual value of $7.875MM, meaning there is no risk of him jumping ship anytime soon. Instead, Suzuki will be the face of the Canadiens for years to come, and have a “C” sewn into his sweater when the game start in a few weeks.
Five Key Stories: 9/5/22 – 9/12/22
With training camps quickly approaching, there is a push from teams to get some contracts in place. Several of those highlight the key stories of the week.
Canadiens Re-Sign Two: Montreal was one of only three teams to still have multiple restricted free agents heading into September but they dealt with both of those soon after. First, Kirby Dach received a rare four-year bridge contract that carries an AAV of $3.3625MM; he will still be a restricted free agent at its conclusion with a $4MM qualifying offer. Acquired at the draft from Chicago, the 2019 third-overall pick will get a chance for a fresh start with Montreal. The following day, Cayden Primeau inked a three-year, one-way deal with a cap hit of $890K. With the team approaching the offseason cap ceiling (10% over the salary cap), Carey Price was moved to LTIR to allow the team to stay in compliance. At this point, the veteran isn’t expected to play this coming season.
Bernier Unlikely To Start Season: Devils goaltender Jonathan Bernier was hoping to be ready for training camp after missing the second half of last season due to hip surgery but that will not be the case. The 34-year-old has made just 34 appearances over the last two years due to injuries and now won’t be starting the final year of his contract on a high note. New Jersey was more prepared for this scenario this time as they added Vitek Vanecek from Washington earlier this summer. He and Mackenzie Blackwood will serve as their goalie tandem until Bernier comes back (if he’s able to).
Eight For Stutzle: Through his first two NHL seasons, Senators forward Tim Stutzle has shown some offensive promise while also transitioning to playing center. The team clearly believes there is much more to come as they handed the 20-year-old an eight-year extension that has a cap hit of $8.35MM. The deal will begin in the 2023-24 campaign. The third-overall pick in 2020, he had 58 points in 79 games last season and with Ottawa adding some impact forwards this summer in Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat, Stutzle should be primed for a big jump this coming season. The Senators have done quite well getting their young core to bypass bridge deals in favor of signing long-term contracts as Stutzle joins Brady Tkachuk, Joshua Norris, Drake Batherson, and Thomas Chabot as key players that have done so.
Talking Extension: Earlier this offseason, the Blues signed Robert Thomas to an eight-year extension. Now, they’ve apparently shifted their focus towards another key youngster entering the final year of his contract as the team has started extension discussions with winger Jordan Kyrou. The 24-year-old is coming off a career year that saw him put up 75 points in 74 games to finish fourth on the team in scoring, making his $2.8MM cap hit for 2022-23 quite a bargain. When Thomas signed his extension, it carried a cap hit of $8.125MM and it’s likely that Kyrou’s will come in fairly close to that number if it winds up being a max-term agreement as well.
Tryout Time: In recent years, there has been an influx of veteran players that need to settle for a training camp tryout with the hopes of landing a contract from there. This is shaping up to be no exception as six veterans all agreed to training camp PTOs. On the back end, Danny DeKeyser joined Vancouver, Calvin de Haan is with Carolina for a second stint, Scott Harrington will try to crack the lineup in San Jose, while Nathan Beaulieu tries to do the same in Anaheim. Meanwhile, forward Zach Aston-Reese will look to land a spot on Toronto’s fourth line while Calgary brought in Cody Eakin. Expect several more veteran players to go this route over the coming week.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Flames Sign Cody Eakin To Tryout Deal
PTO season is in full force with training camps roughly a week and a half away and we’ve already seen several veterans ink tryout agreements. The latest to get in on the fun is Calgary as the Flames announced (Twitter link) that they have inked center Cody Eakin to a tryout deal.
The 31-year-old spent the last two seasons in Buffalo while playing in their bottom six. Last season, Eakin recorded four goals and eight assists in 69 games with the Sabres while averaging 13:35 per game. He took a regular turn on the penalty kill and that’s likely the role that Calgary would be wanting him to play if he’s able to crack their roster. Eakin also won 56% of his faceoffs last season which was a single-season career-high.
Eakin has 701 career NHL games under his belt across five different organizations with 110 goals and 146 assists to show for it. While he isn’t the 40-point player he was with Vegas in 2018-19, he can still contribute on a fourth line and there’s a pretty good fit with the Flames; on the surface, it would appear as if there’s a decent chance that he could land a contract from this. He’d be signing for the minimum of $750K or close to it and CapFriendly pegs Calgary as having a little over $2.1MM in cap room so they wouldn’t have to move anyone out to sign him.
It’s worth noting that the Flames are one of the teams that still have a restricted free agent to re-sign in middleman Adam Ruzicka. Eakin’s addition to their camp roster will put him in direct competition with the spot that Ruzicka would be battling for. This is the type of addition that might serve as a motivator for Rucizka’s camp to put pen to paper on an agreement to ensure that he won’t be playing catch-up when the preseason gets underway later this month.
CapFriendly was the first to report that Eakin was signing a PTO with the Flames.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Waiver Watching: Sizing Up The Goaltender Market
With training camps on the horizon, there are still some goaltending situations around the NHL that are unsettled. Accordingly, those teams may be planning on picking up a second goaltender on waivers during the preseason as Montreal did with Samuel Montembeault last season. With that in mind, let’s examine who might be looking for a goalie and which teams have a netminder that could be of interest.
Potentially Looking
Arizona: The Coyotes have one of their two goalies locked up for three years in Karel Vejmelka but after that, there is nothing but question marks. Farmhands Jon Gillies and Ivan Prosvetov have some NHL experience but Gillies struggled last season with New Jersey and Prosvetov hasn’t posted a .900 SV% in the last two seasons in the minors. Cap space isn’t an issue for them so they can look at any of the options available on waivers or take on a bad contract for additional compensation.
Chicago: Right now, Alex Stalock is their backup goalie. He has missed most of the last two seasons battling his way back from myocarditis and struggled considerably in the minors last year. Granted, the Blackhawks certainly aren’t in win-now mode but in a perfect world, they’d like Arvid Soderblom to have an uninterrupted year with AHL Rockford. Currently, he’s third on the depth chart but if there’s a chance to bring in a low-cost second-stringer and push Stalock into the spot of being the one to be recalled if an injury arises, they might want to take it. The waiver wire could be the chance to add that.
Philadelphia: With Ivan Fedotov being blocked from going to North America this season due to a military commitment, the Flyers are going to have to turn to Plan B. Felix Sandstrom is currently their second option but he has just five career NHL appearances under his belt. They’re looking to be more competitive this season so this could be a spot for an upgrade. Granted, Sandstrom would then need to be waived to be sent back to Lehigh Valley but that would have been the case if Fedotov had been able to play so it’s a risk they might be comfortable with.
Of course, an injury or two during the preseason could add to the list of suitors in the coming weeks as well.
Teams That Could Lose A Goalie
For the purpose of this exercise, the focus is going to be on either young goalies that could be appealing or veterans with some recent NHL experience that could fill a gap.
Buffalo: Malcolm Subban was brought back to be the veteran to partner with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in AHL Rochester but he has 86 games of NHL experience under his belt and a deal that’s only $100K above the league minimum. He has been a full-time backup going back to his time with Vegas which would also bolster his chances of potentially being claimed.
Dallas: Right now, Anton Khudobin appears to be the odd one out again with Jake Oettinger and Scott Wedgewood set to be the goalie duo for the Stars. Khudobin is now in the final year of his deal that carries a $3.33MM AAV. It wouldn’t be shocking if he cleared waivers but if Dallas wants to free up a bit of extra money for Jason Robertson’s contract, they’ll be calling Arizona to see what it would cost for them to take that contract on.
Los Angeles: Pheonix Copley has cleared waivers without any concerns the last couple of years but also was on a pricey contract for a third-string option. Now, he’s on a much more palatable deal ($825K) and is coming off an impressive season in AHL Hershey. The 30-year-old was the backup for the Capitals back in 2018-19.
Nashville: This is the most interesting one to keep an eye on. Although Connor Ingram held his own in the playoffs for the Preds, they still went and brought in Kevin Lankinen on a one-year, $1.5MM deal. That’s a lot to pay a third-string option so it could put Ingram in jeopardy. However, if they try to sneak Ingram through, there’s a very good chance he’ll be claimed, especially with an AAV that’s below the minimum. Carrying three goalies is a possibility but generally not ideal so something might have to give here.
New York (R): The Rangers went and brought in Louis Domingue on a two-year contract to be their insurance policy but he might appeal to some other teams as well. He did alright in the playoffs for Pittsburgh and has 142 games of NHL experience over parts of two seasons. Both years are one-way which was likely to try to deter other teams from claiming him but with an AAV of just $775K, he may attract some interest.
Seattle: With Martin Jones joining the Kraken as their backup, that’s going to push both Joey Daccord and Magnus Hellberg to the waiver wire. Daccord was viewed as a possible NHL option not long ago and at 26, there could still be some upside after a strong season with AHL Charlotte. Hellberg, meanwhile, has been dominant in the KHL the last few years which prompted Detroit to give him a brief look down the stretch last season. Other teams might want to take a look as well depending on how things go over the next few weeks.
Winnipeg: Mikhail Berdin is the one goalie on this list that doesn’t have any NHL experience but at 24, he’s also the youngest in this group. If a rebuilding team wants to take a look at a younger backup to see if there’s something there, this is the type of goalie they’d probably want to go for.
Of course, there will be other goalies that will hit the waiver wire in the coming weeks that could be of interest to teams as well depending on what transpires over the preseason. There won’t be a ton of waiver activity between the pipes – there rarely is – but one or two of these players could be changing teams in the coming weeks.
Poll: Which Veteran Goalie Will Sign The Biggest Contract Next Offseason?
The goalie market this offseason was a busy one, with many teams looking to address their needs, but seeming to find less options than there were spots to fill. Some teams who had the need for several years were able to finally address it, like the Edmonton Oilers signing of All Star Jack Campbell and the New Jersey Devils acquisition of Vitek Vanecek. Some who found out rather abruptly that they would be needing help in net, like the Toronto Maple Leafs, who lost Campbell, addressed it by signing Ilya Samsonov and acquiring Matt Murray. Others, who didn’t seem to be in urgent need of goalie help went out and found it anyways, like the Ottawa Senators with Cam Talbot and the Washington Capitals with Darcy Kuemper.
With all the shuffling, it seems many teams are now set in goal, or at least hope that they are. But, just as the demand maybe subsides, the supply on next year’s market will be rather rich. There appears to only be one star that will be available, that being Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry, but after that, a bevy of veteran backstops, capable of being a quality starting goalies, will be on the market. Joining them are a large group of capable backups like Jonathan Bernier, Laurent Brossoit, Jaroslav Halak, and Antti Raanta, as well as a pair of intriguing, less experienced options like Adin Hill and Alex Nedeljkovic.
But, it’s this group of veterans who could pose an interesting shuffle, obtaining potentially very similar contracts based on their performance this season. Of course, the 2022-23 campaign will have a major impact on their value heading into the offseason, but for now, a compare and contrast of these five similar options could be an interesting exercise.
Contract: Two years, $5.75MM ($2.875MM AAV)
2021-22 Stats: 35 GP, 9-20-4, 2 SHO, .905 SV%, 3.30 GAA
Career Stats: 353 GP, 168-126-35, 23 SHO, .911 SV%, 2.60 GAA
Once considered one of the most exciting goalie prospects of his generations, Allen never panned out as a superstar in net, however he has become a reliable starting and backup goalie, depending on the role he’s put in. Allen spent his first seven NHL seasons with the St. Louis Blues, earning the majority of playing time between 2015-2018, but a surprising breakout performance from Jordan Binnington in 2018-19 pushed Allen into a backup role. After the 2019-20 season, with one year at $4.35MM left on his contract, the Blues shipped Allen to the Montreal Canadiens for a pair of seventh round picks.
His numbers since heading north of the border haven’t been what they once were, but the real regression came when the team around him regressed in 2021-22. Allen’s next deal may very well resemble the one he signed in the 2021 offseason, but a strong rebound performance, considering the context of how the Canadiens perform around him, could increase not only increase his AAV, but also the term for the 32-year-old.
Contract: Two years, $9MM ($4.5MM AAV)
2021-22 Stats: 52 GP, 35-14-3, 4 SHO, .922 SV%, 2.17 GAA
Career Stats: 445 GP, 261-114-51, 23 SHO, .916 SV%, 2.59 GAA
A four-time All Star and two-time Jennings Trophy winner, receiving one of each in 2021-22, the answer might seem obvious that Andersen would sign the biggest free agent deal of any goaltender in 2023, even better than Jarry. But, the former Maple Leafs star netminder doesn’t come without his concerns and that could hamper his open-market potential. After breaking out with the Anaheim Ducks from 2013-2016, Andersen was dealt to Toronto where he continued to develop into one of the league’s best, posting three straight seasons of at least 60 starts and no less than a .917 SV%.
The success, however, began to taper off and in 2019-20, Andersen regressing slightly to a .909 SV% and 2.85 GAA. The 2020-21 season would be no better, his numbers dropping to a .895 SV% and 2.96 GAA as the veteran dealt with injuries. Ultimately, Campbell took over the net for Toronto and that offseason, Andersen was left to hit free agency, signing his current deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. The goalie found tremendous rebound success in Carolina and was even receiving Vezina Trophy consideration before injuries ended his season on April 16th, just weeks before the playoffs were set to begin. If Andersen can continue his strong performance and show that injuries are a thing of the past, he may be the runaway favorite in this poll, but it’s been several years since the soon-to-be 33-year-old has compiled a fully-healthy season.
Contract: Ten years, $58MM ($5.8MM AAV)
2021-22 Stats: 46 GP, 23-13-9, 2 SHO, .910 SV%, 2.59 GAA
Career Stats: 712 GP, 359-262-78, 56 SHO, .913 SV%, 2.42 GAA
An unlikely name on this list for several reasons, Quick re-emerged as an important piece in net for the Los Angeles Kings as the team itself awoke from a semi-lengthy rebuild in 2021-22. Quick still wasn’t the star he had been from 2009-2017, but after several seasons of poor play and injuries, it was a return to being the steady presence in net that the Kings had historically expected from the 36-year-old. Los Angeles had been hoping to transition the net from Quick to Calvin Petersen, especially after giving the younger netminder a three-year, $15MM contract set to begin this season, but Petersen’s struggles have given Quick new opportunity and thus new life.
Turning 37 in January, with recent history considered, even another strong showing is unlikely to propel Quick to a big payday, but if he can show that he’ll be among those goaltenders who age gracefully, his long resume as a reliable, two-time Cup winning goaltender will reward him in free agency.
Contract: Three years, $11MM ($3.667MM AAV)
2021-22 Stats: 49 GP, 32-12-4, 3 SHO, .911 SV%, 2.76 GAA
Career Staats: 396 GP, 201-142-34, 27 SHO, .915 SV%, 2.63 GAA
After several up-and-down seasons in a few cities after his trade from the New York Rangers, Cam Talbot appeared to finally settle in and take the next step with the Minnesota Wild in 2020-21, sharing the net with Kaapo Kahkonen. But, 2021-22 threw a wrinkle into the equation by no fault of Talbot, as the team dealt Kahkonen to the San Jose Sharks and brought in future Hall of Famer Marc-Andre Fleury. The Wild in turn gave the majority of the playing time to Fleury, leaving Talbot to back up. Talbot had hoped to remain in Minnesota and show he could take the net back, but after Minnesota chose to re-sign Fleury, Talbot was shipped to the Ottawa Senators, where he figures to see the bulk of playing time.
Turning 36 next July, Talbot may not see the term some of the other goalies on this list might be able to find, but much like Quick, proof he can age well in the role may ultimately work in his favor. The key for Talbot will be to show, besides his ability to age well, that his up and down career is no more, and that the solid performance in the State of Hockey was not merely an extended “up,” but is instead the new normal for the University of Alabama-Huntsville product.
Contract: Four years, $20MM ($5MM AAV)
2021-22 Stats: 31 GP, 10-17-2, 2 SHO, .911 SV%, 2.91 GAA
Career Stats: 560 GP, 261-211-62, 36 SHO, .916 SV%, 2.64 GAA
When the New York Islanders allowed Robin Lehner to walk after a breakout season where he was named a Vezina Trophy finalist in order to sign Varlamov, many around the hockey world raised their eyebrows. As good as Lehner has been, the decision to bring in Varlamov has paid dividends on Long Island, as the veteran teamed up with Thomas Greiss and later his fellow countryman Ilya Sorokin to create a formidable tandem in net. However over the life of the deal, Varlamov’s role has diminished, going from a starter to something closer to a backup. Part of that has been out of Varlamov’s control with the emergence of Sorokin as one of the league’s better goalies, but 2021-22 did Varlamov no favors either.
Though his numbers were not objectively bad, it was a step back from the player he had been the two years prior. A rebound from Varlamov, especially one that forces the Islanders’ hand to take time from Sorokin and give it to the veteran will certainly boost his value on the open market. Turning 35 in the spring and still capable of taking a significant slate of games in net for a team, Varlamov will have plenty of interest on the open market, but securing the largest deal out of these five will require a performance more similar to what we saw in 2019-20 and 2020-21.
Considering these options, who is most likely to find the biggest contract on the open market? All are legitimate NHL goaltenders likely capable of holding their own net in 2023-24 and beyond, though none are considered stars. Andersen may be the closest to a star, however his recent injury struggles could make teams wary. If it’s durability a team is looking for, Varlamov might be a safer bet, but recent performance is trending in the opposite direction, albeit not enough to scare an organization off. Either way, 2022-23 will go a long way to understanding what this market becomes, but entering the new season, who sits in the best position?
Which Veteran Goalie Gets The Biggest Deal?
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Frederik Andersen 54% (469)
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Semyon Varlamov 21% (181)
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Jake Allen 9% (77)
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Jonathan Quick 8% (72)
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Cam Talbot 8% (68)
Total votes: 867
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Conor Timmins Healthy For Next Season
When the Arizona Coyotes dealt future Stanley Cup Champion netminder Darcy Kuemper to the Colorado Avalanche before last season, many were impressed with the return: a first-round pick and defense prospect Conor Timmins. With Timmins playing just six games for the Coyotes in 2021-22 before suffering a season-ending knee injury, though, many have forgot about his place within the organization. As revealed by PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan, however, Timmins is healthy and ready to start next season, hopefully his first full one with the team.
After falling to the second round of the 2017 NHL Draft, the Avalanche finally selected Timmins with the 32nd overall pick (the first pick of the round at the time). Timmins was coming off a strong season with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds in which he scored 61 points in 67 games, tying him for fourth in the league among defensemen with current Detroit Red Wings defender Filip Hronek.
His next season, 2017-18, saw Timmins’ stock rise above his draft position. Scoring over a point per game with the Soo, he was also named to Canada’s World Junior team that year, where he had five points and a +15 rating in seven games. Soon after returning from the World Junior tournament, though, Timmins suffered an ankle injury which limited him to just 36 regular-season games. He returned in time for the playoffs, scoring 18 points in 23 games on a half-healed ankle, before suffering a severe concussion in the next-to-last game of the OHL finals. That concussion and its effects caused Timmins to miss the entire 2018-19 season.
That’s two out of the past four seasons in which Timmins has missed all or nearly every game of the year, robbing him of valuable development time. He had a strong showing in his first AHL season in 2019-20, potting 27 points in 40 games, but was limited to a sixth/seventh defenseman role for Colorado in 2020-21, where he had seven assists in 31 games.
Still looking for his first NHL goal, Timmins will fight to get a consistent lineup spot on a wide-open right side in Arizona that also includes Dysin Mayo, Troy Stecher, Josh Brown, and Victor Söderström. Hopefully, for Timmins and the Coyotes, season-ending injuries become a thing of the past.