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Joe Pavelski Expected To Retire

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Speaking to members of the Dallas Stars in their end-of-season media availability, radio host of the Stars, Owen Newkirk, reports that Joe Pavelski is likely done with his career in the National Hockey League. Although Pavelski was adamant that it was not an official announcement of retiring, he mentioned that he had expected this to be his last season.

If Pavelski has ultimately played his last game, it will mark the end of a career that spanned almost two decades. Drafted in the seventh round of the ever-famous 2003 NHL Draft, Pavelski has not only beat the odds of making it to the NHL but will now be regarded as one of the most consistent American-born players in league history.

One of the major reasons Pavelski was able to procure such lasting power in the NHL is his hand-eye coordination. With most current All-Stars combining elite skill and speed, Pavelski never brought the same kind of mobility as the rest of his peers and instead became a menace in front of the opposing team’s nets.

For the first 13 years of his career, Pavelski became a staple of the San Jose Sharks organization, missing the playoffs in only one season. Pavelski played in 963 games for the Sharks, scoring 355 goals and 761 points, with 121 of those goals coming on an elite powerplay. Finishing the last four years of his tenure in San Jose as the team’s captain, Pavelski also helped the team to four division titles, four Conference Finals appearances, one President’s Trophy, and one appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals.

With the Sharks entering a rebuilding phase towards the end of Pavelski’s career with the organization, he left for greener pastures in the 2019-20 offseason. Over the summer, Pavelski signed a three-year, $21MM contract with the Stars, marking an end to his tenure in San Jose.

If anything, Pavelski almost became a more effective player in Dallas, scoring on a nearly point-per-game pace from his age 35 to age 39 season. Pavelski added another 121 goals and 307 points to his career totals while playing 369 regular season games in the Lone Star State.

During his first year with the Stars organization, Pavelski would get another crack at the Stanley Cup, this time losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite scoring 74 goals and 143 points in 201 combined postseason games with the Sharks and the Stars, Pavelski was unable to capture the elusive trophy throughout his career.

If this is indeed the end for Pavelski, he will have finished his 18-year career with 1,332 games played while scoring 476 goals and 1,068 points. Compared to other American-born players throughout league history, Pavelski would finish his career seventh in games played, sixth in goals, 12th in assists, and sixth in points.

Ottawa Senators Round Out Coaching Staff

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Having already committed to Travis Green as head coach for the next four years, the Ottawa Senators rounded out their coaching staff this morning with a pair of hires. According to a team announcement, the team has hired Mike Yeo and Nolan Baumgartner as assistant coaches for the 2024-25 NHL season.

Coming over from the Vancouver Canucks in a lateral move, Yeo brings over two decades of coaching experience to the Senators’ bench. Yeo started his professional coaching before the 2000-01 AHL season with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins as an assistant coach before taking the same role with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2005-10. After being a part of a successful run with the Penguins, Yeo spent one season as the head coach of the Houston Aeros in the AHL before taking over the head coach position with the Minnesota Wild after the organization fired head coach Todd Richards after the 2010-11 regular season.

In four and a half seasons with the Wild, Yeo coached the team to a 173-132-44 record over 349 games but failed to take the team beyond the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Minnesota moved on from Yeo during the 2015-16 season which led the coach to an assistant coaching role with the St. Louis Blues for the 2016-17 season. Since then, Yeo briefly served as the head coach of the Blues for two seasons and spent time with the Philadelphia Flyers as an assistant coach before finally landing with the Canucks organization in his most recent role.

Focusing primarily on Vancouver’s penalty kill throughout his tenure with the organization, Yeo helped raise the team’s success percentage from 71.60% in the 2022-23 season to 79.13% this past year. For the Senators, after finishing last year with the 29th-ranked penalty kill across the league, Yeo will likely once again be tasked with elevating the team’s play during a man disadvantage.

On the other hand, Baumgartner’s only coaching experience at the NHL level came during a five-season run as an assistant coach in Vancouver from 2017-22. In a fascinating twist, once Baumgartner was eventually let go by the Canucks, the opening created a vacancy that Yeo would ultimately fill. In a short gap, Baumgartner spent two years as an assistant coach for the Manitoba Moose, the top affiliate of the Winnipeg Jets.

In the same announcement, Ottawa also relayed the team would be retaining franchise legend Daniel Alfredsson while also bringing back Ben Sexton as an assistant coach, Justin Peters as the goaltending coach, Mike King as the video coach, as well as keeping Jacques Martin as a Senior Advisor to the coaching staff.

Canadiens Sign Connor Hughes To One-Year Deal

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Carving an unexpected path to the National Hockey League, goaltender Connor Hughes has signed a one-year deal with the Montreal Canadiens according to a team announcement. Already carrying sufficient depth for next season at the NHL level, Hughes should start next season with Montreal’s AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

Failing to make it out of the Junior A level in Canada by the team he became 18 years old, Hughes continued his professional career in the National League over in Switzerland. In his initial three years, Hughes did not play any games in the NL, as he primarily played in the relegated Swiss League for HCB Ticino Rockets. Eventually, Hughes would make his NL debut during the 2020-21 season, suiting up in seven games for HC Fribourg-Gottéron.

Bouncing around different organizations throughout his tenure, Hughes finally landed with Lausanne HC for the 2023-24 season. In his best professional season, Hughes produced a 10-6-1 record in 19 games while also carrying a .940 save percentage and 1.73 goals against average. Hughes kept that momentum for the 2024 National League playoffs, leading his team to Game 7 of the Championship series on the backs of a .933 SV% and 1.91 GAA in 18 postseason contests.

Due to his superb season overseas, the Canadiens were more than willing to take a flyer on the now 27-year-old undrafted free agent. Hughes should enter as the backup to goaltender Jakub Dobes next season, and could even take a share of the starts if the quality of his play continues to improve.

Free Agency Notes: Raymond, Perron, Kane, Zamula, Chinakhov

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With plenty of news coverage surrounding free agency this time of year, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (Subscription Required) spoke to a trio of players expected to hit free agency in the upcoming weeks for the Detroit Red Wings and where things currently stand with each. LeBrun notes that all three of Lucas Raymond, David Perron, Patrick Kane, and their respective agents are set to meet with General Manager of the Red Wings, Steve Yzerman, at some point this week.

As the only restricted free agent of the players mentioned, Raymond does not have the same bargaining rights as Perron and Kane, as he is still unable to file for arbitration, let alone hit the open market. Having managed a 14-goal and 13-assist jump on his scoring from the 2022-23 NHL season, Raymond could have earned himself a long-term deal with Detroit this summer. However, considering how the contract negotiations played out between Yzerman and captain Dylan Larkin last year, the savvy General Manager will stay prudent with his available cap space. Regardless of Raymond taking a bridge or max-term contract, his cap hit should take a decent chunk out of the Red Wings’ cap for next season.

In Perron and Kane, the former has demonstrated more of a public desire to keep his career going in the Motor City. As LeBrun mentions in the article, Yzerman may want Raymond’s contract settled before pivoting to Perron. On the other hand, Kane has been much more vague about continuing his career in Detroit and may look for a multi-year deal after an impressive rebound season with a team closer to top-tier contention.

Other free agency notes:

  • Late last night, the agency group for defenseman Yegor Zamula of the Philadelphia Flyers, Shumi Babaev Agency, indicated that the player and team would commence contract negotiation talks shortly. Zamula, hitting restricted free agency for the second time in his career, has earned arbitration rights this summer, giving him and his agency more leverage in negotiating salary. Furthermore, Zamula’s play over the 2023-24 NHL season has also increased the defenseman’s leverage this summer, scoring five goals and 21 points over 66 games, which is far and away the best production of his career up to this point.
  • In the same announcement from the Shumi Babaev Agency — the Columbus Blue Jackets are expected to begin contract talks with forward Yegor Chinakhov. Unlike Zamula, Chinakhov has not yet earned arbitration rights but is coming off a 16-goal campaign, good for fourth on the team in goal-scoring. Chinakhov’s production from this past season could be an outlier, as he saw his average time on ice jump nearly two minutes under current head coach Pascal Vincent. Nevertheless, with the Blue Jackets being desperate for offensive production, there should be plenty of motivation for a new deal on both sides of the negotiation.

Central Notes: Drouin, Goligoski, Blackhawks

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Colorado Avalanche writer Adrian Dater is reporting that the Avalanche and pending unrestricted free agent Jonathan Drouin have yet to begin talks on a potential extension, while Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic is reporting that the two sides are expected to meet later this week. The 29-year-old Drouin played on a prove-it contract this past season for $825K and was terrific for Colorado registering 19 goals and 37 assists in 79 games.

Dater believes that both sides want to sign an extension and it makes sense given the positive results last season. The former third-overall pick struggled through his final four seasons in Montreal and seemed comfortable in Colorado playing alongside Nathan MacKinnon. Money will become a significant factor in the negotiations given the precarious salary cap situation Colorado is currently in, but the belief seems to be that a deal will get done.

In other Central Division notes:

  • Minnesota Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski is reportedly still mulling over the decision about whether he should retire or keep playing (as per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period). The 38-year-old hasn’t made the final decision about what the future may hold as he explores every potential option. The former Stanley Cup Champion has struggled the past two seasons, tallying just two goals and 14 assists in 82 total games. He was a regular healthy scratch this past season but still managed ten assists in 36 games. Goligoski may generate interest as a seventh defenseman on a team that is looking for someone who can fill in on a second powerplay unit and provide a veteran presence.
  • Chicago Sun-Times reporter Jeff Agrest writes that a new sports network will launch this October in Chicago and will be home to the Chicago Blackhawks as well as the White Sox and Bulls. The Chicago Sports Network will replace NBC Sports Chicago where the Blackhawks have played for almost 20 years. The network will reportedly have agreements with over-the-air providers as well as cable and streaming services but has yet to name any potential partners. The joint venture will see the three teams partner with Standard Media in an effort to try and expand their distribution to the Midwest. The deal is pending approval of the leagues.

East Notes: Shesterkin, Rajanimei, Bednar

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The New York Rangers will reportedly begin contract extension talks with superstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin when their window to do so opens on July 1st (as per David Pagnotta). The 28-year-old has one season remaining on the four-year $22,666,667 he signed in August 2021 and will likely top Carey Price’s $10.5MM AAV to become the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history. Price’s contract remains active on Montreal’s books and is followed by Sergei Bobrovsky’s $10MM AAV and Andrei Vasilevskiy’s $9.5MM AAV.

The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner saw his regular season numbers fall off as he posted a 36-17-2 record with a .912 save percentage and a 2.58 goals-against average. His biggest drop off was his goals saved above expected where he dropped by 16 goals saved down to 12.1. As pedestrian as his regular season numbers were (by his standards), Shesterkin found his game in the playoffs and was dominant in helping the Rangers to the Conference Finals. He currently sits in second place in goals saved above expected with 13.1 goals saved in just 16 games and posted a .926 save percentage.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Stefen Rosner of NHL.com is reporting that the New York Islanders have lost the NHL rights to 2020 sixth-round draft pick Matias Rajaniemi, however, the defenseman had previously signed an AHL deal to play with the Islanders affiliate in Bridgeport. Rajaniemi signed the AHL deal back in March and is free to sign with any NHL team, however, as Rosner points out that doesn’t happen very often. The 21-year-old has yet to suit up in North America but does have good size at 6’4” and 203 pounds.
  • Max Bultman of The Athletic tweeted that the Detroit Red Wings lost the NHL rights to goaltender Jan Bednar, however, the 21-year-old quickly signed an AHL deal with the Red Wings affiliate the Grand Rapids Griffins. The one-year deal will keep the former fourth-round pick in the Red Wings organization after he spent last season in the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye. Bednar is a good size at 6’4” and 200 pounds and is very gifted athletically. By signing Bednar to an AHL deal, Detroit and Grand Rapids have an opportunity to evaluate the netminder for another season before deciding their next course of action.

Atlantic Notes: Senators Coaching Staff, Canadiens, Forbort

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On his 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman confirmed earlier reports about the Ottawa Senators coaching staff. Friedman said that former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson is expected to remain as an assistant coach behind Ottawa’s bench, as will Ben Sexton. Friedman also went on to say that former head coach Mike Yeo and former NHLer Nolan Baumgartner are also expected to join the Senators staff.

Friedman’s confirmation follows several previous reports about the Senators and likely signals that Ottawa is close to finalizing new head coach Travis Green’s coaching staff. The group will have their work cut out for them as the Senators have struggled to play with much structure in recent seasons despite boasting some very talented young players. Ottawa hasn’t made the playoffs since 2017 and has been mired in a rebuild for the better part of the past decade.

In other Atlantic Division notes:

  • David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period is reporting that the Montreal Canadiens could be buyers once again at this year’s NHL entry draft. Montreal has been a buyer at the two previous drafts and has reportedly made the draft a priority over making trades. Montreal is currently holding the fifth-overall pick as well as the 26th overall pick and Pagnotta wonders if the Canadiens may look to move the later pick as part of a package to acquire a young proven scorer. The Canadiens have several good young scorers in their lineup but would do well to add another scoring forward to their ranks to better balance their offensive attack.
  • Boston Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort is reportedly headed to the free agent market on July 1st (as per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period). The former 15th overall pick spent a great deal of the season on long-term injured reserve and was limited to just 35 games. The 32-year-old has never offered much offense from the backend, topping out at 18 points with the Los Angeles Kings in 2017 and 2018, but he is a big body and can still skate. Forbort will have suitors in free agency, particularly from teams that are looking for a depth defenseman who isn’t afraid to engage the opponent physically.

Pacific Notes: Oilers GM, Perry, Myers, Blueger

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Elliotte Friedman reported on the 32 Thoughts Podcast that the Edmonton Oilers may need to go through the NHL entry draft with an interim general manager if they don’t extend current GM Ken Holland. If Holland does move on, the Oilers wouldn’t have enough time to conduct a search before the draft later this month and might need to lean heavily on their scouting staff to get them through a busy time of year.

Holland has not signed an extension in Edmonton despite having the team in the Stanley Cup Finals and would be highly sought after if he hits the open market given his resume with both the Oilers and the Detroit Red Wings. Holland has won three Stanley Cups as a general manager and a fourth as assistant general manager and goaltending coach. All four Stanley Cups victories came with the Red Wings.

In other Pacific Division notes:

  • Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry is set to collect an additional $50K in performance bonuses after the Oilers reached the Stanley Cup Finals last night (as per Puck Pedia). Perry’s bonus brings Edmonton’s final penalty for overages this season to $3.55MM which will be added to their cap for next season. The 39-year-old reached another milestone last night becoming the first player in NHL history to reach the Stanley Cup Finals with five different teams, including four times in the last five seasons.
  • David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period writes that the talk of a Tyler Myers extension with the Vancouver Canucks might be a bit premature as the two sides have just started talking about extending their deal. Pagnotta notes that both the Canucks and Myers have an interest in getting an extension done, but the talk surrounding a new contract is “noise” at this point. Myers is coming off his most productive season in Vancouver and reportedly lives in nearby Kelowna during the summer which is certainly part of his desire to stay in British Columbia.
  • Pagnotta adds that the Canucks have interest in bringing back forward Teddy Blueger. The 29-year-old had one of the most productive seasons of his career with Vancouver, posting six goals and 22 assists in 68 games tying his career-high in points with 28. The Riga, Latvia native signed a one-year $1.9MM contract with Vancouver on July 1st, 2023, and provided good value to the Canucks that extended well beyond his offensive contributions. Pagnotta notes that the Canucks plan to circle back to Blueger later in the month, which makes sense given the quality and quantity of pending free agents the team will have to deal with over the next month.

Blues RFA Mikhail Abramov Signs In KHL

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Blues pending restricted free agent center Mikhail Abramov has signed a one-year deal with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, per a league announcement. Torpedo acquired Abramov’s KHL signing rights last week in a trade with CSKA Moskva, dealing the rights to Flames pending RFA defender Nikita Okhotyuk the other way.

If they choose, the Blues can still retain Abramov’s signing rights if they issue him a qualifying offer by the June 30 deadline. It’s unclear if they plan to do so, but it is clear that he won’t be re-signing with the club this summer.

Abramov, 23, was a fourth-round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2019. The Russian center spent parts of two seasons playing for their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, before his signing rights were dealt to St. Louis as part of the return for Ryan O’Reilly in February 2023.

He’s suited up for the Blues’ primary affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds, ever since. Abramov has put up fine middle-six production in the minors since the deal, compiling 19 goals and 44 points in 80 games in a Springfield uniform, but has yet to earn an NHL call-up.

Now five years removed from his draft, he’s opting to return home – at least for the time being. Abramov hasn’t played there since suiting up in low-level juniors with CSKA in 2017-18, coming over to North America entering his draft year to play with the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL.

Torpedo is coached by Hall of Fame center Igor Larionov and boasts two of the top five 2024 draft-eligible Russians in hulking defenseman Anton Silayev and winger Nikita Artamonov. They’re both contracted with Torpedo through the next two seasons.

Red Wings Sign Jakub Rychlovsky To Entry-Level Deal

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The Red Wings have signed left winger Jakub Rychlovský to a two-year entry-level contract, according to a team announcement. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Rychlovský, 23 in August, was never drafted by an NHL team but is coming off a breakout season in the Czech Extraliga that made him one of the more intriguing international free agents on the market. He’s played primarily in professional leagues in Czechia since being draft-eligible in 2019 but has only made his way to the top level consistently in the last two years.

The 5’10” winger’s 2023-24 campaign truly came out of nowhere. After failing to score double-digit goals at any level since his last season in the Czech junior system, he exploded for 26 tallies with 20 assists for 46 points in 51 games with Bílí Tygří Liberec. That led the league in goals and was good enough for second on the team in points behind veteran Tomáš Filippi’s league-best 62.

On the heels of that upper-echelon performance, Rychlovský will try his hand in North America and attempt to earn a roster spot out of camp with the Wings. With a bevy of unrestricted free agents at the bottom of the forward lineup, there should be a decent amount of turnover, potentially creating a spot up for grabs that Rychlovský can compete for in earnest.

It’s a two-year deal, though, and he’s still quite young, so Detroit can be patient with Rychlovský if he’s not ready for NHL action right away. It’s unclear if there’s a European assignment clause baked into his ELC, but if not, he’s a candidate to begin next season in the minors. He joins Jonatan Berggren, 2022 top-ten pick Marco Kasper and 22-year-old Swedish winger Elmer Söderblom as U-24 forwards likely competing for spots in Detroit’s bottom six.

Rychlovský will be a restricted free agent when his deal expires after the 2025-26 season.

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