Dallas Stars Extend Joseph Cecconi
7:05 pm: PuckPedia has the details of Cecconi’s contract, which will pay him $750,000 at the NHL level and $150K in the minors, and $175K of the money is guaranteed. It carries a league-minimum $750,000 cap hit.
2:23 pm: The Dallas Stars aren’t going to lose Joseph Cecconi to Group VI unrestricted free agency after all. The young defenseman has signed a new one-year, two-way contract with the club to keep him in Texas.
Cecconi, 25, has yet to make it to the NHL after signing out of the University of Michigan in 2019, spending the last three seasons exclusively at the minor league level. The one-time defense partner to Quinn Hughes had a strong season for the Texas Stars, recording a career-high 16 points in 65 games. Because of his lack of opportunity with Dallas, he would have qualified to hit the market early, though that certainly wouldn’t have guaranteed him a better situation.
In fact, it’s not like the Stars are loaded with right-handed defensemen ahead of him. There may actually be some opportunity for a player like Cecconi to see NHL minutes in the case of injuries next season, especially given his size and physicality.
He will also now be subject to waivers should the team decide to send him to the minor leagues, at least giving him a chance to land on an NHL roster somewhere else if the need arises.
East Notes: Quinn, Devils Front Office, Sabres
Eyebrows raised leaguewide when the Boston Bruins fired Bruce Cassidy, letting him walk to the Vegas Golden Knights in coaching free agency. Now, they seem to have zeroed in on a replacement. Although he’s been interviewed and/or linked to multiple teams so far, The Fourth Period’s Shawn Hutcheon reports that the Bruins have made former New York Rangers head coach David Quinn their leading candidate for the role. While other names like former Providence head coach Jay Leach had been rumored, they seem to have opted for another “hometown” coach.
While a Rhode Island native, Quinn has extensive experience in the Boston area, spending multiple years as an associate coach and head coach with Boston University. Quinn did not coach this past season after the Rangers replaced him with Gerard Gallant this past offseason, aside from serving as the head coach for the United States at the Olympics and World Championships.
- The New Jersey Devils seem to have quietly cleaned out some front office names, removing the roles of Patrick Rissmiller (player development coach), Pierre Mondou (amateur scout), and Andrey Plekhanov (European scout) from their website. Rissmiller will leave the only front office job he’s ever known, holding the role with New Jersey since he retired as a player in 2015. Mondou, 66, was let go after nearly 20 years of scouting for New Jersey. Plekhanov had been with the team for four seasons.
- As the Buffalo Sabres look to finally take that next step forward in 2022-23, the team has announced the dates for their development camp. The session for fringe prospects and rookies will be held July 13-15, with a three-on-three tournament to be held on the 16th.
Kim Pegula “Progressing Well” From Undisclosed Health Issue
There was some dark news in the Buffalo Sabres community a handful of weeks ago when it was announced that Sabres (and Buffalo Bills) owner Kim Pegula was receiving serious medical treatment as a result of “unexpected health issues.” As it had been a considerable amount of time since that announcement with no update, fans were becoming increasingly concerned with her health status.
Now, via the Sabres, the Pegula family said in a statement today that Kim is “progressing well,” resting, and rehabbing from her health issue, asking fans to continue to respect their privacy. The full statement is as follows:
Kim is progressing well and is resting and rehabilitating from a health issue. We are grateful for the medical professionals providing her care and to everyone for their prayers and well wishes. We ask that you please continue to respect our need for privacy during this time.
Pegula, 53, has been the owner of the Sabres since the 2015-16 season when she was transferred principal ownership of the team from her husband Terry. She was also named team president in 2018-19 and has also served in that role for their AHL affiliate in Rochester.
PHR sends their best wishes to the Pegula family and the Sabres community for her continued recovery.
Minor Transactions: 06/28/22
With free agency right around the corner, minor league and European teams continue to snatch up some of the available talents. Even though most of the attention is on Evgeni Malkin, Johnny Gaudreau, and the rest of the big names, we’ll keep track of the less notable contracts right here.
- The Milwaukee Admirals have signed Xavier Bouchard to an AHL contract, adding the 22-year-old defenseman just weeks after he took home the Kelly Cup with the Florida Everblades. The Vegas Golden Knights sixth-round pick never did sign an NHL contract but will now join the Admirals organization and try to continue his climb up the minor league ladder.
- Dalton Smith is returning to the Colorado Eagles on a new two-year AHL contract, locking in the minor league veteran through 2023-24. Originally a second-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets way back in 2010, the 29-year-old Smith had 11 points in 52 games for the Eagles last season.
- After playing last season on an AHL deal with the Toronto Marlies, Marc Michaelis is off to Switzerland to play for the SCL Tigers of the National League. The German-born forward has played in three World Championships for his country, including the most recent tournament where he added seven points in eight games. Michaelis played 15 games for the Vancouver Canukcs in 2020-21 but failed to register an NHL point.
- Dmitri Yushkevich has signed a new contract with Dynamo St. Petersburg of the VHL. No, not the 50-year-old defenseman who played nearly 800 games in the NHL, but his son, a 25-year-old Toronto-born defenseman who has been in the Russian minor leagues for the last several years.
Free Agent Focus: Edmonton Oilers
Free agency is now just a few weeks away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in mid-July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. Next up is a look at the Edmonton Oilers.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Jesse Puljujarvi – A trio of top young forwards is hitting RFA status this year for the Oilers but it is Puljujarvi that will draw the most attention. Whether that is because of his draft pedigree–fourth overall in 2016–or the obvious upside that just oozes out of his 6’4″ frame, the big forward is a constant topic of debate in Edmonton. There are moments when Puljujarvi looks as though he’s taken that next step. Fourteen goals and 36 points in 65 games was a nice improvement, and his defensive ability was proven (at least through the underlying metrics). But then in the playoffs, he once again disappeared for long stretches and saw his ice time slashed dramatically.
Coming off a two-year contract and needing a qualifying offer of $1.41MM, Puljujarvi could take the Oilers to arbitration if they let it get that far. Where he fits into next season’s roster is still anyone’s guess.
F Kailer Yamamoto – The 23-year-old Yamamoto, meanwhile, experienced a nice rebound campaign this season, tallying 20 goals and 41 points after his disappointing 2020-21 performance. Undersized but scrappy, the 2017 first-round pick is also eligible for arbitration and is owed a qualifying offer of just $1.175MM. Given the team’s cap constraints, a long-term deal may be out of the question, but Yamamoto appears to have solidified his place in the top-nine, even if his two-goal playoff performance wasn’t quite up to snuff.
F Ryan McLeod – Another top pick, another uncertain future, as McLeod enters free agency for the first time without arbitration rights. The 22-year-old center scored just nine goals and 21 points in the regular season but has a blend of size and speed that can’t be easily replaced. There’s probably not ever going to be huge offensive upside–especially given the role he’ll be asked to play in Edmonton–but McLeod figures to be a regular again next season and likely take on even more defensive responsibility down the middle.
Other RFAs: F Tyler Benson, F Brendan Perlini, F Ostap Safin, D Filip Berglund
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Evander Kane – There’s no mistaking the Oilers’ interest in re-signing Kane, and from a purely on-ice perspective, it’s easy to understand why. The big winger scored an incredible 22 goals in 43 games during the regular season and then posted another 13 in the playoffs. That still led the entire postseason despite Kane playing just 15 games, showing just how important Kane could be to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl as a potential running mate moving forward. Still, when discussing Kane it can’t be from just an on-ice perspective, as turmoil has followed him all over the NHL. Even now, his grievance with the San Jose Sharks over wrongful termination is still undecided, meaning a new contract could be delayed well past the opening of free agency.
D Brett Kulak – When the playoffs rolled around, Kulak was arguably one of the Oilers’ best defensemen, acquired from the Montreal Canadiens for a second-round pick (plus William Lagesson and a 2024 seventh). Armed with an elite defensive stick and strong gap control, the 28-year-old Kulak would be a nice fit for the third pairing in Edmonton moving forward, as long as they can get him back on a reasonable contract. Even then, perhaps the team will go in a different direction given the youth that is coming through the system by way of Philip Broberg, who should challenge for a full-time role next season, and the continued presence of veterans Duncan Keith and Tyson Barrie.
Other UFAs: F Josh Archibald, F Derick Brassard, F Colton Sceviour, F Kyle Turris, F Cooper Marody, D Kris Russell
Projected Cap Space
If you currently navigate to the Oilers’ CapFriendly page, you’ll see a nice cap space total of more than $7.1MM. Unfortunately, that is for a roster of just 15 players, meaning there is plenty of work to be done for general manager Ken Holland to fit everyone in. Just assuming the remaining eight spots are filled by league minimum $750K players it would eat up $6MM, meaning there isn’t a lot of wiggle room for improvement (or arbitration awards). Of course, with Oscar Klefbom‘s contract still headed for long-term injured reserve, and at least some suggestion that Keith could retire before the 2022-23 campaign, that number could change dramatically.
Even so, with the Oilers pushing hard to sign Kane to a big contract, there still could very well be some cap casualties in Edmonton. This group pushed further into the playoffs than in years past and knows that McDavid and Draisaitl are good enough to lead them all the way. Making sure they spend every dollar effectively is absolutely crucial for Holland and his staff this summer.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Morning Notes: Slafkovsky, Nemec, Lyon
There’s a new number one on Bob McKenzie’s 2022 NHL Draft Rankings for TSN. Juraj Slafkovsky has overtaken Shane Wright for the top spot on a list that is developed by polling active scouts around the league. The Slovakian forward is 6’4″, skilled, and has already proven he can dominate at the senior level. Slafkovsky won tournament MVP at the Olympics, scored nine points in eight games at the World Championships, and was a force for TPS in the Liiga playoffs.
With just over a week to go before the draft in Montreal, the Canadiens’ choice is still unclear in the first-overall slot. The first round will be held on July 7 at the Bell Centre, with the official order now set following the completion of the Stanley Cup Final.
- Slafkovsky, Wright, and Logan Cooley appear to have separated themselves in the top three, though Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports notes that the Arizona Coyotes, slotted to pick third, could also be eyeing Simon Nemec. One of the top-ranked defensemen this year (along with David Jiricek), Nemec has the offensive upside and skating ability that make scouts drool in today’s NHL. Should he climb that high, it would be an incredible achievement for Slovakian hockey, with two picks in the top three selections.
- He won the Calder Cup over the weekend but Alex Lyon is getting suspended anyway. The Chicago Wolves netminder has been given a two-game AHL ban for his actions following the game, giving the finger to the Springfield crowd multiple times. The 29-year-old netminder will have to serve it whenever he is next on an AHL roster, though it’s not clear where that will be. Lyon is an unrestricted free agent this summer as a one-year, two-way deal with the Carolina Hurricanes expires.
Kasper Bjorkqvist Signs In Finland
At least one pending free agent for the Pittsburgh Penguins is off the table. Kasper Bjorkqvist, who is scheduled to become an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent, has signed a new two-year contract with Karpat in Finland. The Penguins will be able to retain his exclusive NHL rights by issuing him a qualifying offer this summer.
Bjorkqvist, 24, was the 61st overall pick in 2016 and made his NHL debut this season, playing in six games. He scored his first NHL goal during that short stint but was otherwise rather ineffective, registering just 12 points in 54 games at the AHL level. A member of the incredible 2016 Finnish World Junior team that took home the gold medal, he never has quite grown into his game at the professional level, at least on the North American circuit.
There is certainly hope for him in Finland, as during the 2020-21 season when the AHL was dormant due to COVID-19 restrictions, Bjorkqvist played in Finland and was named the Liiga rookie of the year after posting 26 points in 44 games. He also had an outstanding career at Providence College, which included being named captain for his final season, an extremely rare honor for European players at the NCAA level.
The Penguins will still have his rights when the contract expires but not for long. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent when he turns 27, which will be just a few days after the market opens in 2024. His time in Pittsburgh could very well be over.
Julien BriseBois Announces Lightning Injuries; Talks Free Agents
The Tampa Bay Lightning front office now has to begin the work on next season, hoping to rebuild a team that came close to winning three Stanley Cups in a row. Anyone who watched the Final could tell that the list of injuries (on both sides) was long, and today general manager Julien BriseBois met with the media to explain some of those ailments.
Joe Smith of The Athletic relays that Brayden Point was dealing with a torn quad, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare had a meniscus injury, Anthony Cirelli had an AC joint sprain and will require surgery, Brandon Hagel had a fractured foot, Corey Perry had an AC joint sprain, Nick Paul had an AC joint sprain and an MCL sprain, Nikita Kucherov had a meniscus injury, and Ryan McDonagh had a “mangled” finger.
BriseBois also spoke about some of the team’s pending free agents, noting that they hope to bring back Paul, Ondrej Palat, and Jan Rutta if possible. Whether that is possible under the salary cap remains to be seen, though the Lightning are the last team anyone should rule out for finding creative solutions.
Paul, 27, was reportedly looking for a contract with an average annual value close to $3MM when he was still with the Ottawa Senators, though that number has likely increased thanks to incredible playoff performances. The 6’3″ forward can play both center and wing, kill penalties, line up next to skilled players, or provide energy from the bottom-six. He averaged more than 18 minutes a night in the postseason, scoring five goals including two game-winners.
Palat meanwhile is a franchise icon in Tampa Bay, having played his entire career for the organization to this point. Originally selected 208th overall in 2011, he now has 423 points over 628 regular season games and is one of the most versatile two-way wingers in the NHL. He has an eye-popping 12 game-winning goals in the playoffs, and led all players with 11 even-strength goals in this year’s tournament. Now 31, there will be plenty of teams trying to bring in his experience should the Lightning be unable to retain him.
Latest On Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Malkin in a different uniform? That still seems unlikely, given how much he has lobbied publicly to stay with the Pittsburgh Penguins for his entire career but Josh Yohe of The Athletic writes that there is growing pessimism about Malkin’s return.
The 35-year-old center is a franchise icon, and future Hall of Famer, and has indicated that he would take a discount to stay with Sidney Crosby and fellow free agent Kris Letang for another few years. Whether that discount is palatable to general manager Ron Hextall appears to be a different story, however. Yohe writes that “numerous agents” actually believe it is unlikely that Malkin returns to Pittsburgh next season.
It would be a shock to see the 2012 Hart Trophy winner in a different sweater, though even with his best years behind him, there would certainly be interest on the open market. Malkin still had 20 goals and 42 points in 41 games this season, producing well whenever he was healthy enough to take the ice. That health is a concern, as it’s been more than a decade since he played every game in a season, but it is not every day that you find a two-time Art Ross winner available in free agency.
With just over two weeks before the start of free agency, the clock is ticking on Malkin and the Penguins. The team has several other important UFAs to try and keep–including Letang and Rickard Rakell, whose situations are also examined in Yohe’s piece–along with arbitration-eligible RFAs in Danton Heinen and Kasperi Kapanen.
All that with a new ownership group that is not ready to take a step backward and wants to contend for the Stanley Cup next season. If there is a team worth watching over the next 16 days, it’s Pittsburgh.
Free Agent Focus: Florida Panthers
Free agency is now less than a month away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in mid-July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. Next up is a look at the Panthers.
Key Restricted Free Agents:
F Eetu Luostarinen – Acquired in the trade that sent Vincent Trocheck to the Carolina Hurricanes, Luostarinen established himself as a quality option for the Panthers this year, scoring nine goals along with 17 assists over 78 games. This season was the 23-year-old’s third in the NHL, but only his first full season, playing 44 games in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign, in addition to eight the year prior for Carolina. Now an RFA at the conclusion of his ELC, Luostarinen may not see much of a raise over his previous salary. However, with the Panthers in a difficult position relative to the salary cap, and his solid contributions last season, he may find himself in a somewhat elevated role with increased ice time and responsibility which could, if he can continue to build on his game, go a long way to his next contract.
Other RFAs: F Henry Bowlby, F Aleksi Heponiemi, F German Rubtsov, D Lucas Carlsson, G Evan Fitzpatrick, G Jonas Johansson
Key Unrestricted Free Agents:
F Claude Giroux – One of the most sought after players at the 2021 trade deadline, Giroux is now one of the most prized free agents in the 2021 class. The Philadelphia Flyers legend was dealt to the Panthers at the trade deadline where he immediately clicked with an already stellar Florida offense, producing 23 points in 18 regular season games and another eight in 10 playoff games. Giroux will have his pick of teams this summer, and should have the freedom to choose his destination based on his priority. At age 34, having just finished an eight-year, $66.2MM contract that carried an AAV of $8.275MM, Giroux won’t again see that amount of term, but a contract with a salary close to his previous may not be out of reach. The issue for Giroux, specifically in the flat cap era, will be balancing whether or not he wants to maximize the financial commitment on this contract or go to a particular situation, perhaps a team with a real chance to win a Stanley Cup. If he wants to stay with the Panthers, who figure to be one of those teams with a real chance to win the Cup, not only will Giroux have to take a pronounced discount, but the organization itself may need to conduct some roster-reconstruction to make it happen.
F Mason Marchment – Amongst the most interesting breakout players in the NHL this year was Mason Marchment, a longtime member of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization who was dealt to Florida in February of 2020 for Denis Malgin. A large, imposing, physical forward, Marchment was never a major offensive weapon until this season, where he put up 18 goals and 29 assists in just 54 games, all career-highs by a wide margin. At age 27, Marchment hits unrestricted free agency coming off not only his best NHL season to date, but arguably his best season since he debuted in the OHL in 2014-15 with the Erie Otters. Given his recent and somewhat unprecedented breakout, Marchment may have trouble finding a long-term, big-money contract on the free agent market, but his blend of physical play with offensive production should provide him with plenty of options. Though Florida will have to make some tough financial decisions, a reunion with Marchment at a lower price may make sense, giving the forward another season in the middle of a dynamic offense to show that his impressive 2021-22 was his standard, and not a fluke.
F Joe Thornton – The future Hall of Famer turns 43 on July 2nd and despite battling injuries this season has not ruled out another year in the NHL. Thornton has seemingly had several different NHL careers, most recently playing the role of a bottom-six veteran willing to do what’s asked of him. Still without a Stanley Cup, Thornton signed with the Panthers prior to the 2021-22 season in the hopes of winning his first Cup, but fell short when Florida lost in four games to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round. Despite decreased production the past few seasons, Thornton has played well in his role and could very well join a competitive team, including Florida, on a league minimum salary, bringing valuable intangibles to the team’s dressing room.
D Ben Chiarot – Similar to Giroux, Chiarot found himself as one of the most sought after targets at this year’s trade deadline as a reliable shutdown defenseman. Also like Giroux, Chiarot found himself traded to Florida at the deadline with a first-round draft pick going the other way. At the conclusion of the three-year, $10.5MM contract that brought him to Montreal, the 31-year-old Chiarot probably won’t find the same salary Giroux is about to on the open market, but his play for the Canadiens and Panthers, which includes 42 playoff games, should earn him at least a similar deal from a team looking for a solid and sturdy left-handed defenseman.
Other UFAs: F Noel Acciari, F Maxim Mamin, D Robert Hagg, D Petteri Lindbohm, D Markus Nutivaara, D Chase Priskie, G Christopher Gibson
Projected Cap Space:
According to CapFriendly, the Panthers enter this offseason with $3.074MM in projected salary cap space. The flat salary cap has put a number of NHL teams in a bind, meaning Florida is not alone and the limited space is understandable, however that does not make the number any easier to work with. This figure may be enough to bring back one or two of the players discussed, but won’t be enough to retain a marquee player like Giroux. Even aside from those players, Florida is likely faced with losing at least a couple of Acciari, Mamin, Hagg, Lindbohm, Nutivaara and Priskie, all of whom would have been expected to take on some of the responsibilities of those the team may already lose.
There are several options to create additional cap space, including a potential trade of Patric Hornqvist, who will be an UFA after 2022-23 and carries a cap hit of $5.3MM. Florida could also explore the trade market for former Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky, but it may require them to retain as much as half of Bobrovsky’s $10MM salary over each of the next four seasons, not to mention necessitating a replacement to back-up 21-year-old Spencer Knight, who has just 36 NHL games under his belt.