Nick Jensen Undergoes Surgery For A Lower-Body Injury
Earlier this month, Senators defenseman Nick Jensen acknowledged that he might need surgery to address a lower-body injury that nagged him in the back half of the season. While it took some time to decide the best course of action, the blueliner has indeed gone under the knife, according to Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.
With further details beyond that unknown, it’s uncertain how long Jensen will be out for. At the exit meetings roughly three weeks ago, the 34-year-old indicated that he was hopeful he would be ready for the start of training camp. With surgery being delayed until just recently, that goal might be a little more difficult to reach, depending on how invasive the procedure was.
Despite requiring the surgery, it was a solid first year in Ottawa for Jensen. Acquired last offseason as part of the return for Jakob Chychrun, he put up 21 points in 71 games, tying the second-best point total of his career. Jensen also logged over 20 minutes a night for just the second time in his career and was a key cog on their penalty kill. That continued into the playoffs in their opening round when he averaged just shy of 21 minutes per game despite playing through the injury.
Earlier this month, GM Steve Staios acknowledged (video link) that if Jensen’s availability for the start of the season was in question, he might examine an external addition to help cover for the blueliner’s absence. At the moment, Ottawa has five blueliners under contract with Tyler Kleven being a restricted free agent while Travis Hamonic and Dennis Gilbert will hit the open market in July so there will be a roster spot available for Staios if he wants to add to hedge against Jensen potentially being unavailable to start in October.
Metropolitan Notes: Penguins, Chatfield, Quapp, Devils
While some head coaching searches may soon be wrapping up, don’t expect that to be the case for the Penguins. Speaking with The Athletic’s Josh Yohe (subscription link), GM Kyle Dubas indicated that he plans to do a second interview in-person with the final few candidates for the role in the final week of May when he returns from Sweden where he’s in charge of Canada’s entry at the Worlds. From there, the hope is to have the new hire in place by June 1st before Dubas leaves for the Draft Combine a few days later. The new coach will be taking over for Mike Sullivan, who was one of the longest-tenured bench bosses in the league before parting ways with him earlier this month.
More from the Metropolitan:
- Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield did not take part in practice today in advance of Tuesday’s Eastern Conference Final opener, relays Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal (Twitter link). Head coach Rod Brind’Amour noted over the weekend that he was hopeful that the 29-year-old would be ready for the opener after missing the last game against Washington with an undisclosed injury but that may be in some question now. Today, the bench boss noted that Chatfield will likely need to be a full participant in tomorrow’s game-day skate to have a shot at suiting up.
- Still with the Hurricanes, goaltending prospect Nikita Quapp has signed a one-year deal with Eispiraten Crimmitschau in Germany’s second division, per a team release. Carolina drafted the 22-year-old back in the sixth round in 2021 but he has struggled. After spending most of 2023-24 in the second division, Quapp moved up to the DEL this year but only got into nine games with Dusseldorfer where he posted a 4.08 GAA and a .870 SV%. Carolina holds Quapp’s rights through June 1st and considering his struggles and this contract, it’s fair to say they will be letting those rights go in a couple of weeks.
- James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now highlights a trio of Devils players whose trade protection decreases at the beginning of July. Center Erik Haula goes from a full no-trade clause to a six-team no-trade clause while winger Ondrej Palat and defenseman Dougie Hamilton go from a full no-trade to a 10-team no-trade (while retaining no-move rights for waiver purposes). GM Tom Fitzgerald vowed to be active this summer following an early exit in the playoffs so having a few more potential trade options could certainly help in that regard.
Sonny Milano’s Availability To Start Next Season In Question
This season was one to forget for Capitals winger Sonny Milano. He was scratched several times early on in the season and after his third game back in early November, he didn’t come back at all after suffering a setback in his recovery from an upper-body injury near the trade deadline.
Unfortunately for him and Washington, it appears that it’s far from a given that Milano will be available to start next season as well. Speaking with reporters today (video link), GM Chris Patrick noted that the 29-year-old is still in the process of trying to see if he can get himself healthy, a process that’s likely to carry into the summer.
Milano has one year remaining on a three-year, $5.7MM contract signed back in 2023 when he was in the middle of his second straight 30-plus-point season. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone so well since then as he has only managed to play in 52 games in the last two years.
As a result of the injury, Milano spent most of the year on LTIR, joining Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie whose contracts are set to expire this summer. If Milano isn’t ready to start next season and will miss at least the first 10 games and 24 days, he’ll be eligible to remain on there. In the meantime, that uncertainty certainly won’t help Patrick and the Capitals in their offseason planning as they’ll need to leave themselves a bit of wiggle room in case Milano’s availability is in flux once again for 2025-26.
Nick Bonino Re-Signs In IceHL
Former Pittsburgh Penguins centerman Nick Bonino has re-signed with the IceHL’s HK Olimpija Ljubljana, per Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Bonino originally signed with the Slovenian club last November, after being released from his contract with the New York Rangers earlier in the year.
Bonino only appeared in half of the Olimpija Dragons’ season thanks to the mid-season signing. But he still managed a successful season, finishing the year with 17 points in 22 games and the highest point-per-game pace (0.77) on his team. It was a refreshing surge in scoring after he scored just five points in 45 games with the New York Rangers last season. Bonino hasn’t scored more than 20 points since the 2021-22 season, when he tallied 16 goals and 26 points in 80 games with the San Jose Sharks.
One more year in the IceHL will give Bonino a chance to play a full year, and cross the 20 point threshold, with his new club. At 37 years old, it seems unlikely the centerman entertains a return to North American pros at any point. Until he proves that sentiment wrong, Bonino’s NHL career will sit at 159 goals, 199 assists, and 251 penalty minutes in 868 games. He won back-to-back Stanley Cups when he served as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ third-line center from 2015 to 2017.
Islanders Hold Second Interviews With Marc Bergevin, Mathieu Darche
The New York Islanders have reportedly held second interviews with two general manager candidates. The first is former Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin, per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. The second is Tampa Bay Lightning assistant general manager Mathieu Darche, per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. Seravalli went on to add that Bergevin and Darche are expected to be the final two horses in the race for New York’s GM role.
Little has come out about the Islanders’ search for a new GM, but the final picture of the race features two very different candidates. Bergevin is among the most tenured front office staff in the hockey world, headed for the 20th anniversary of his first hockey management role this summer. Meanwhile Darche was hired in Tampa Bay just six seasons ago, and has only served as assistant general manager for the last three years.
That imbalance helps Bergevin’s resume look particularly bolded. He served 10 years as the Canadiens’ GM from the start of 2012-13 to the end of 2021-22. His tenure was headlined by six postseason appearances, including a flash-in-the-pan run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. Bergevin managed the careers of iconic Canadiens players like Carey Price, Max Pacioretty, Shea Weber and P.K. Subban – including the shocking trade that swapped the latter two in 2016. He also managed the draft warrooms that selected Artturi Lehkonen (2013), Mikhail Sergachev (2016), and Cole Caufield (2019).
Bergevin’s management of his stars, and his control over Montreal’s heap of draft picks each year, earned criticism as Montreal dragged into a decade with little significant postseason success. But his extended tenure, and recent advisor role with the emerging Los Angeles Kings, could entice the Islanders as they look to change GMs for the first time since 2018.
If the Islanders are willing to be a bit more flexible with their job requirements, they could find a candidate-with-upside in Darche. The 48-year-old has already won two Stanley Cups in his young managerial career, serving as Director of Hockey Operations while the Lightning won back-to-back Cups in 2020 and 2021. Darche was promoted to assistant general manager one year later, and has quickly built a reputation for lucrative contract management and negotiations. That could be invaluable expertise as he eyes an Islanders roster with three contracts north of $8MM.
The Islanders missed the postseason for just the second time since 2019-20 this season. Their GM hire will be quickly tasked with reversing those fortunes, with a roster that wields stars Mathew Barzal, Ilya Sorokin, and Bo Horvat; as well as the first-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Both candidates have plenty of postseason experience, though their management careers are a competition of quality versus quantity.
Lightning Sign Harrison Meneghin To Entry-Level Contract
The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed goaltender Harrison Meneghin to a three-year, entry-level contract. Meneghin won the WHL Championship with the Medicine Hat Tigers just days ago. He was awarded the WHL Playoffs MVP for his 14-1-0 record and .906 save percentage through the postseason.
Meneghin becomes just the third player from the seventh-round, and the fourth goalie overall, to sign his entry-level contract after the 2024 NHL Draft. He was originally drafted out of the Lethbridge Hurricanes lineup, where he posted a 27-20-5 record and .919 Sv% last season. Meneghin seemed headed back to Lethbridge’s starting role this season, but was instead traded to the goalie-needy Medicine Hat just one game into the year. He quickly became the Tigers’ de facto starter, and continued to perform at a top-level behind an all-gas, no-breaks lineup. Meneghin finished this season with a 23-9-2 record, .901 Sv%, and three shutouts in 35 games. He shined through as an athletic and technical goalie, who leans into the advantage of a six-foot-four frame.
Meneghin will have one more chance to flash his potential before his CHL career ends. The Medicine Hat Tigers are headed to the Memorial Cup this weekend, where they face off against the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic and Moncton Wildcats. But even if his season ends on a sour note, Tampa Bay has recognized Meneghin’s title-winning year. He’ll join the Lightning’s minor-league ranks next season, and likely compete with Brandon Halverson for minutes. Halverson posted a 22-11-8 record and .915 Sv% in 43 games as Syracuse’s starter this season and is signed for one more year.
Capitals Unlikely To Hold Offseason Extension Talks With John Carlson
When the Capitals signed Jakob Chychrun to a massive eight-year, $72MM extension in March, most thought he’d been locked in as their succession plan to John Carlson as the team’s No. 1 defenseman. That appears to be the case, as Capitals general manager Chris Patrick told reporters today they’re in no rush to begin extension talks with Carlson as he enters the final season of his deal, the AP’s Stephen Whyno relays.
Carlson will be 37 years old in the summer of 2026 after wrapping up the eight-year, $64MM extension he signed following Washington’s Stanley Cup win in 2018. He’s coming off another strong offensive campaign en route to a regular-season conference crown for the Caps, leading Washington defensemen and ranking seventh on the team in points with a 5-46–51 scoring line in 79 games.
But the two-time All-Star and the 2020 Norris Trophy runner-up still isn’t producing anywhere near his 2018-2022 peak, during which he averaged 0.91 points per game. While still a legitimate top-four threat, there’s understandable hesitancy about continuing to bill him as their leader in ice time among rearguards as the offensive-minded Carlson enters his 17th NHL season, all with Washington.
It’s likely the Caps remain intent on extending Carlson as long as he’s willing and effective, but they’ll want to get a glimpse of what he looks like to kick off the 2025-26 season before zeroing in on the money and term they’re willing to offer him. Patrick got a ton of long-term business done during the season, but they still have Martin Fehervary and Connor McMichael on expiring deals and due considerable raises when Carlson’s deal is up in the summer of 2026. Alex Ovechkin‘s deal is up then as well, but he’ll presumably either retire or re-sign at a significantly lower price than his current $9.5MM cap hit.
Holding off on a Carlson deal allows the Caps a bit more peace of mind when making moves this summer too – they won’t limit their longer-term cap space when considering trade pickups or free agent signings. Regardless, their ability to be major players in free agency without some unanticipated pre-July 1 trades will be limited. They’ve got nearly their entire roster fleshed out for next season already with 21 of 23 roster spots filled. They do have $8.6MM to burn on those two spots, though.
Regardless, expect some of Carlson’s minutes (23:34 ATOI in 2024-25) to be shifted to Chychrun (21:04 ATOI) next season as the transition begins. It’s also worth noting that the Chychrun-Carlson pairing fared the worst defensively out of any Capitals regular defense pairing this year, allowing 2.85 expected goals against per 60 minutes (according to MoneyPuck).
Image courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
Offseason Checklist: Detroit Red Wings
The offseason has arrived for all but four clubs. Accordingly, it’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Detroit.
After losing out on the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs on a tie-breaker, the Detroit Red Wings finished five points worse in 2024-25. Detroit made a much-needed coaching change partway through the year, and competed for a postseason spot for some time, but their areas of need were too much to overcome. Fortunately, the problem areas are clear after watching even one Red Wings game, and they can all be addressed this offseason.
Concentrate The Defensive Core
The Red Wings entered the 2024-25 offseason with too many defenders. After sending defenseman Jake Walman to the San Jose Sharks before the start of last summer’s free agency in one of the most lopsided trades in recent memory, and moving Olli Määttä to the then-named Utah Hockey Club, Detroit managed to pare their defensive core down to seven regulars, with William Lagesson as a sparsely used option.
They’ll enter the 2025-26 offseason with a similar issue. That’s not to say Detroit doesn’t have good options; they do. Moritz Seider, Simon Edvinsson, Albert Johansson, and prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka should all have spots locked down on next year’s roster, meaning they’ll only have two full-time roles for the trio of Ben Chiarot, Justin Holl, and Erik Gustafsson, who carry a combined cap hit of $10.15MM.
To make it easy, the Red Wings could buy out one of Chiarot or Holl, leaving a cap hit of $2.83MM or $2.27MM for the next two years, respectively. Despite having a down year offensively compared to his recent production, Detroit shouldn’t have any issues finding a trade partner for Gustafsson and his $2MM salary. By removing two of the three, Detroit would have the flexibility to keep one for the bottom-pairing, and add a top-four option on the free agent or trade market.
Find Even Strength Goals
After finishing the 2023-24 season with 179 goals for (8th) at even strength, the Red Wings’ 5-on-5 offense collapsed this year, falling to 28th place with 143. Winger Alex DeBrincat sat tied for 18th in the league with 22 even-strength goals, with their next highest being Lucas Raymond, tied for 57th with 16. The falloff becomes even more dramatic after them.
However, this issue can only be answered if there are options available. Fortunately for Detroit, there are. After hinting at a new contract for months, the Chicago Blackhawks still haven’t extended forward Ryan Donato, who finished 17th in the league with 23 even-strength goals. Donato’s track record may raise some concerns, but the Red Wings could provide a more competitive environment than Chicago.
The importance of even-strength scoring can’t be overlooked. 14 of this year’s 16 playoff contestants finished in the top half of the league in even-strength goals, with the Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens being the only exceptions. Donato isn’t the only option either, but there will be more on that later.
Find Competent Penalty Killers
Detroit’s penalty kill was only 1.9 percentage points away from tying a record. No, it’s not a good record, as this year’s penalty kill was close to being the worst in NHL history with a 70.1% success rate.
To be fair, the team performed better with a man down after replacing Bob Boughner with Trent Yawney on December 26th, but not by much. Under Boughner and Derek Lalonde, the team averaged a 68.8% success rate on the kill, and 71.4% under Yawney and Todd McLellan.
Still, a 71.4% would have finished last in the league anyway, meaning the Red Wings will need different on-ice personnel to address the issue. The Carolina Hurricanes and Dallas Stars, which had two of the top five penalty kill units this year, will have some cap constraints entering the offseason. This would provide a perfect avenue for Detroit to pursue left-shot defenseman Dmitry Orlov (after weeding out their defensive core) on the free-agent market, or offer the Stars some cap relief by acquiring freshly extended Sam Steel in a low-cost trade.
Trade For A Second-Line Center
Now it’s time for the area of need that has plagued the Red Wings for a few years. After signing Andrew Copp and J.T. Compher in back-to-back offseasons, and sparingly using top-10 draft selection Marco Kasper as a center this year, it’s apparent that Detroit still needs a legitimate second-line center.
For better or for worse, the Red Wings will use Dylan Larkin as their first-line center. There is a valid argument that his ceiling is that of an above-average second-line center, but with six years left on his extension and the unlikelihood of Detroit finding a better option, his role is likely secured for the foreseeable future.
There won’t be much for them to choose from on the free-agent market. Matt Duchene may become a target, given that he finished 37th in goals at even strength this season with 19, and the Stars are unlikely to re-sign him. The Red Wings may only need a one-to-two-year stopgap, too, assuming Kasper appropriates the role as his game matures.
Still, there appear to be better options on the trade market. Detroit should steer clear of Vancouver Canuck Elias Pettersson and his $11.6MM salary, and New York Ranger Mika Zibanejad and five years remaining on his deal. However, Jared McCann of the Seattle Kraken and Trevor Zegras of the Anaheim Ducks represent quality options the Red Wings could pursue via trade this offseason.
Photo courtesy of Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images.
Sharks Sign Egor Afanasyev
May 19: Afanasyev is headed to the Sharks for next season. He’s signed a one-year deal worth $800K, the team announced.
May 15: After being traded to San Jose last summer, Egor Afanasyev surprised some people by inking a deal with CSKA Moscow of the KHL instead of joining the Sharks. However, things could be changing on that front as the two sides reached an agreement on a mutual termination, per the KHL, paving the way for the winger to potentially join San Jose for next season.
The 24-year-old was a second-round pick by Nashville back in 2019, going 45th overall after a solid season with USHL Muskegon. He went to the OHL the following year with Windsor before returning home for the 2020-21 campaign, spending time in three different levels in Russia.
Afanasyev spent three years in Nashville’s system, getting into 19 games with the Predators but didn’t have much success offensively, recording just a single goal. He was, however, a steady performer in the minors and put up 27 goals and 27 assists in 56 games in 2023-24 with AHL Milwaukee which was enough for San Jose to part with Ozzy Wiesblatt to secure his rights.
Unfortunately for Afanasyev, he wasn’t able to match that level of success back home this season. In 53 games, he notched just seven goals and 14 assists although he was a little better in the playoffs with four points in six outings.
Afanasyev is waiver-eligible moving forward so if he does wind up joining the Sharks, his time with them could be short-lived if he fails to crack the roster. Alternatively, he could be looking to try his hand at a different league altogether but with some recent NHL experience under his belt, a return to North America would seemingly make the most sense. Sport-Express’ Artur Khairullin suggests (Telegram link) that Afanasyev is expected to sign with San Jose so it looks as if he’ll give it another go to try to make the top level.
Snapshots: Blashill, Braun, Misa, Niederreiter
Lightning assistant Jeff Blashill isn’t just the only name firmly linked to the Blackhawks’ vacancy this summer; he’s becoming the clear favorite for the role, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on today’s 32 Thoughts podcast. Talk around the league sprouted up aggressively this week after Blashill canceled an interview he had with another club about their opening.
“I heard on Friday morning that he was in as the head coach of Chicago,” Friedman said. “I started asking around and had a couple [of] people tell me it’s too soon… that would be premature.”
It’s premature because the Blackhawks also have a strong interest in someone on the staff of a recently eliminated team, Friedman said. “It’s possible that one of the reasons there has been a bit of a delay is somebody who is central to the process with the Blackhawks was not available at the end of last week, so it had to be pushed into this week. He is a very serious contender there. I just can’t tell you it’s 100% his job” (via CHGO Blackhawks).
The fact that Blashill’s the only name leaked from what’s otherwise been an airtight coaching search for Chicago likely speaks volumes about how highly the club values him compared to other candidates they’ve interviewed. Chicago surely hopes that after a few years of working under Jon Cooper in Tampa, he’s able to get the Blackhawks to greater heights exiting their rebuild than the success he had as head coach of the Red Wings at the beginning of theirs.
There’s more from around the hockey world:
- Two years removed from his last NHL game, defenseman Justin Braun is still playing overseas in Germany and will extend his career for another season. The 38-year-old has signed a one-year deal with Dresdner Eislowen ahead of their first season in the top-flight DEL in franchise history after gaining promotion from the DEL2, the team announced. The longtime Sharks (and briefly Flyers and Rangers) rearguard had spent the last two years with the Straubing Tigers, where he posted a 10-33–44 scoring line and a +22 rating in 103 games.
- After an underwhelming pre-draft season, OHL exceptional status grantee Michael Misa reclaimed his spot as the 2025 draft class’ top scorer with a 62-goal, 134-point showing in just 65 games for the Saginaw Spirit. It remains to be seen whether he’ll go No. 1 overall ahead of speedy two-way defenseman Matthew Schaefer, but Misa’s happy with his trajectory this season as a more explosive yet still well-rounded center. “I think my defensive ability, just to be that second guy in battles—it was something my coach harped a lot on me this year,” Misa told RG’s Marco D’Amico. “Just trying to become that 200-foot player. I think my offensive ability was there. But being able to be reliable defensively and break pucks out is something I think I improved on.“
- Team Switzerland is getting a boost at the World Championship after losing Devils captain Nico Hischier to injury. Jets winger Nino Niederreiter is heading to the tournament to represent his country as they aim to secure the top spot in Group B, the team announced.