Minnesota Wild Still Looking To Add A Forward
The Minnesota Wild currently have ten forwards signed to one-way contracts for the upcoming season, plus Matthew Boldy who is a lock to make the opening day roster. Marco Rossi is another young player with big expectations but the team is also looking to add to their group at some point this offseason. Michael Russo of The Athletic tweets that general manager Bill Guerin is still working the trade market but, if nothing can be accomplished there, would look to sign a forward in free agency.
Despite their challenging cap situation, which has more than $12.7MM tied up in buyout penalties from Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, the Wild do actually have a fair bit of room to add, should they choose to use it. The team currently sits at about $78.1MM with a projected 20-man roster, meaning they don’t have to just look at league-minimum depth options.
Even if a star free agent like Nazem Kadri is off the table, there are a number of other talented players still on the market. The likes of Paul Stastny, Evan Rodrigues, Sonny Milano, Phil Kessel, Jonathan Dahlen, Johan Larsson, Tyler Motte, and others are still theoretically available, offering various skillsets and upside.
It’s not just the Wild who could benefit from some of these names. The free agent market has cooled significantly over the last week, and it is unclear how much players still left would be able to command. If they are looking for short-term deals at this point to try their hands again in a year, cap-strapped clubs could be able to take advantage.
Guerin has also shown he’s not scared of making a big splash through trade. Already this offseason he has sent Kevin Fiala and Cam Talbot elsewhere, restocking his prospect pool in the process by bringing back Filip Gustavsson, Brock Faber, and a first-round pick that turned into Liam Ohgren. While Minnesota might be facing some difficult cap restraints over the next three seasons, they still look like a relatively competitive group, especially if a player like Rossi can step into some of the vacated offensive minutes that Fiala took advantage of.
Adding a forward at this point would only strengthen the overall depth of the group.
Seattle Kraken Announce ECHL Affiliate
The first ECHL affiliate in Seattle Kraken history will be the Kansas City Mavericks, who will partner with the expansion team and their new AHL affiliate Coachella Valley this season. The Mavericks had been affiliated with the Calgary Flames for the past several years.
It is a multi-year agreement between Kansas City and Seattle, though the exact details were not revealed. The Kraken had gone without full-time minor league affiliates in their first season as they built up their prospect system but will now need three tiers to develop and train players properly. More and more, the ECHL is being used as a proving ground for raw skaters or young goaltenders, giving them a chance to receive game action and improve through competition.
The Mavericks meanwhile had struggled of late, putting up losing seasons in each of the past three years. In fact, throughout the five-year affiliation with the Calgary Flames, they reached the playoffs just once and lost in the first round. The best season on record for the club is 2015-16 when they won 52 of 72 games.
At that time, they had a young star by the name of Carter Verhaeghe, who was trying to sort out his career after being sent to the low minors. He was joined the following season by a young netminder named Ville Husso, in his first year of North American hockey. These are the kinds of players that can benefit from time in the ECHL, meaning an affiliation like this is not something to be overlooked, even if it isn’t the landing spot for high-profile names.
Philadelphia Flyers Hire Rocky Thompson
As reported a few weeks ago, the Philadelphia Flyers have hired Rocky Thompson as an assistant coach for the upcoming season. He joins the staff led by head coach John Tortorella and associate coach Brad Shaw. Tortorella released a statement on the hire:
Rocky is an important addition to our staff and we are excited to start working with him. He has a sharp mind and eye for the game but from the first time we sat down to speak it was clear that he brings enthusiasm and a high-level of energy needed for this job. His communication skills are going to be vital to our locker room.
Thompson served as an associate coach for the San Jose Sharks in 2020-21 but parted ways for last season after explaining that a medical exemption kept him from taking the COVID-19 vaccine. It would seem as though that will no longer pose an issue, as the Flyers welcome him aboard to help coach the forwards and powerplay.
While Thompson doesn’t have a ton of NHL experience as a player or coach, his minor league resume is vast and impressive. He played more than 600 total games in the AHL and served as head coach of the Chicago Wolves for three seasons before joining San Jose. In 2019, he took the Wolves to the Calder Cup Final, and overall he had a 113-71-29 record behind the bench. He also coached the Windsor Spitfires for two seasons, winning the Memorial Cup in 2017 as host city after being knocked out of the OHL playoffs early. He helped the Saint John Seadogs repeat that unique feat as an advisor this year.
Carolina Hurricanes Re-Sign Ethan Bear
July 28: The Hurricanes have officially announced the contract for Bear, confirming the details reported yesterday. General manager Don Waddell released a statement on the deal, though it will raise even more eyebrows:
Adjusting to a new team and system can be challenging for a young defenseman. We are confident Ethan will be able to take another step in his development this season.
July 27: PuckPedia reports that the Carolina Hurricanes re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Ethan Bear to a one-year, $2.2MM deal. The contract will make Bear a restricted free agent again next offseason with one more season remaining on his RFA eligibility.
Carolina acquired Bear last season in a one-for-one swap with the Edmonton Oilers for forward Warren Foegele. Bear’s first season in Carolina wasn’t too kind to him, though, as his defensive play took a serious step back while seeing a reduction in his role. His 16:05 per-game average is a far cry from his 21:58 mark in 2019-20 with the Oilers. On the scoresheet, he tied his career-high in goals with five and added nine assists for 14 points in 58 games.
If Bear is able to rebound back to his form from his first two full seasons in Edmonton, though, it’s a great deal for the ‘Canes. Bear will still be battling for ice time on the team’s third pairing along with new acquisition Dylan Coghlan and a healthy Jake Gardiner — if Carolina doesn’t opt to trade him. $2.2MM might be too steep a price to pay for someone the organization views as a seventh defenseman, but it’s a gamble to trade him away and watch him bounce back elsewhere.
After the signing, the Hurricanes are left with under $2MM in cap space.
New York Rangers Sign Kaapo Kakko
The New York Rangers have reached an agreement with Kaapo Kakko on a two-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $2.1MM according to Arthur Staple of The Athletic. Kakko was a restricted free agent and did not have arbitration rights. CapFriendly reports that the deal will pay him $1.8MM in 2022-23 and $2.4MM in 2023-24.
It certainly hasn’t been the career many expected so far for the 2019 second-overall pick. Kakko stepped directly into the NHL as a teenager in 2019-20 and scored ten goals and 23 points in 66 games. While it wasn’t dominant, his powerplay production was at least relatively strong and it looked as though he could grow into a top-six role rather quickly.
Now two years later and things haven’t really grown at all. Kakko is coming off a season where he scored seven goals and 18 points in 43 games, bouncing back and forth between dominant puck protector and invisible perimeter player. The consistency just hasn’t been there for the young forward, who is now 21 and signing his second contract.
Still, there are moments and stretches where it seems to be coming together. Eight of his 18 points came in a seven-game stretch in November when he was given a bigger opportunity, and in the playoffs, he had effective games with the “Kid Line” of Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil.
Some will point to his playing time as a reason why his production has been so limited but the fact is, Kakko’s most common even-strength linemates this season were Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, two of the team’s most dominant offensive threats. In fact, Artemi Panarin comes third on that list among forwards, showing just how many chances Kakko received to play with top talent.
It’s not even like he’s been unlucky; Kakko’s career shooting percentage is 10.3%, and actually reached a highwater mark of 11.3% this season. It’s just that he only generated 62 shots on net in his 43 appearances, something that will have to change if he is to take the next step and be more than just a decent, two-way middle-six player. Those don’t usually get picked with the second-overall selection.
That’s what a bridge deal is for. Giving a player like Kakko a chance to prove he’s more than he is right now, before discussing a long-term deal down the road. The young forward will still be a restricted free agent at the end of this contract but he’ll have to take a serious step forward if he wants to live up to his draft billing.
Montreal Canadiens Hire Stephane Robidas
The Montreal Canadiens have added another coach without much experience, hiring Stephane Robidas as an assistant for Martin St. Louis‘ staff. General manager Kent Hughes explained the move:
We are very lucky to have someone of Stephane’s caliber join our coaching staff. His recent experience as an NHL player, and his outstanding hockey background, will be excellent assets for the development of our players. Stephane perfectly matches the profile we were looking for in a candidate. In addition to being an exceptional individual, he is a very good communicator, and I believe that players will relate to him because of that.
Notably, though he has no experience as an NHL coach, he did serve as director of player development for several years with the Toronto Maple Leafs. That experience with young players is going to come in handy with the rebuilding Canadiens, along with his familiarity with the organization. Robidas was a seventh-round pick of Montreal back in 1995 and made his NHL debut with the club before moving on to several other teams.
It’s something of a trend now for the Canadiens to hire a coach out of minor hockey, as Robidas spent last season behind the bench of the Magog Cantonniers, the same QMAAA team that he and his son Justin Robidas played for. Justin was a 2021 draft pick of the Carolina Hurricanes and spent last season captaining the Val-d’Or Foreurs.
While his son is just trying to start on his hockey journey, Stephane can look back at an NHL career that lasted more than 900 games. The right-shot defenseman was even invited to an All-Star Game and participated in the World Championship for Canada on three different occasions.
Colorado Avalanche Sign Mikhail Maltsev
8:34 pm: CapFriendly reports it’s a two-way deal for Maltsev, earning him $200K in the minors with $250K guaranteed.
11:27 am: The Colorado Avalanche have re-signed restricted free agent Mikhail Maltsev to a one-year deal. The young forward was eligible for salary arbitration this summer but chose not to file. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports it’s an $800K cap hit on the one-year contract.
Maltsev, 24, arrived in Colorado by way of trade last summer, acquired from the New Jersey Devils (along with a second-round pick) in exchange for Ryan Graves. After playing in 33 games for the Devils, he spent nearly the entire 2021-22 season in the minor leagues. In 56 games with the Colorado Eagles, he scored 17 goals and 48 points, as one of the AHL club’s most reliable offensive players.
In 18 appearances with the Avalanche, however, Maltsev was unable to register even a single point, while averaging just eight minutes a night. While he did use his big frame to add some physicality to the fourth line, his fit for the Avalanche is unclear moving forward. In fact, signing a deal like this might even be considered a surprise, given how little NHL playing time he received this year.
With the presence of the KHL looming over the Russian forward, especially given his previous affiliation with his hometown SKA St. Petersburg club, one could wonder how much more time he will spend in the AHL before pursuing other opportunities. One thing that may impact that is the fact that Maltsev will be subject to waivers this year, meaning if the Avalanche want to send him to the Eagles, the rest of the league will have a chance to grab him.
St. Louis Blues Re-Sign Klim Kostin
The St. Louis Blues have re-signed winger Klim Kostin on a one-year deal worth $750K, per Bally Sports’ Andy Strickland.
Drafted 31st overall in 2017, Kostin hasn’t broken out offensively yet, but he hasn’t exactly been given the chance. In 40 games in 2021-22, Kostin had just four goals and nine points, but he was limited to playing just nine minutes a game. With David Perron departing the organization, though, Kostin has a shot to work his way into a top-nine role and therefore more ice time.
It’s a one-way contract for Kostin, the first of his NHL career. He’ll be a restricted free agent in 2023 once again.
Players like Kostin will be increasingly important for the Blues as extensions continue to get handed out to their young players. While the Blues have given out a lot of questionable cash this offseason, there’s absolutely no risk with this signing, a pleasant change of pace for Blues fans. With a full roster, per CapFriendly, the Blues are less than $1MM under the cap.
Pittsburgh Penguins Sign Danton Heinen
After choosing not to issue him a qualifying offer, the Pittsburgh Penguins have brought back forward Danton Heinen on a one-year, one-way deal worth $1MM.
Heinen takes a steep discount to stay in Pittsburgh, actually taking $100K less than his previous contract. It’s tough to believe that he wouldn’t have received many other offers after the 27-year-old had a strong 2021-22 campaign.
His career-high 18 goals ranked seventh on the team last season, adding 15 assists for 33 points in total in 76 games. While he averaged under 13 minutes a game, he posted stellar all-around offensive and defensive results.
It’s a solid bet that Heinen’s value on the ice will eclipse that of his cap hit next season, adding to Pittsburgh’s summer of value signings (at least in the short term). He’ll compete with other depth wingers such as Jason Zucker, Brock McGinn, and Kasperi Kapanen for ice time in the Penguins’ top nine.
Anaheim Ducks Sign Olli Juolevi
The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenseman Olli Juolevi to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2022-23 season, per the team. PuckPedia reports the contract has a $750K NHL salary and a $175K minors salary with $200K guaranteed. Juolevi will be a restricted free agent upon the contract’s expiration.
Since the Vancouver Canucks drafted Juolevi fifth overall in 2016, the Finnish defenseman simply hasn’t been able to make an NHL impact. His 2021-22 campaign may have been the most challenging and disappointing yet, registering no points in 18 games split between the Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings.
Now on his fourth NHL team at age 24, Juolevi was actually left unqualified by Detroit this offseason, choosing to move on from the former top prospect. Injuries bogged down Juolevi in the minors and slowed his development, but the Ducks are hoping there’s something left in the tank for the all-around defenseman.