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Canadiens, Kings Swap First Round Picks

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The Montreal Canadiens have traded up to pick 21 in the 2024 NHL Draft, sending the Los Angeles Kings picks 26, 57, and 198 in return, per Dennis Bernstein of The Fourth Period (Twitter link).

Montreal, who also owns pick five, brings their two day-one selections just hours before they’ll take the podium. And they may not be done, per TSN’s Darren Dreger, who shares that the team is interested in finding another way into the Top 10, even if it means moving down from fifth overall (Twitter link). Dreger also mentions that Montreal is involved in player trade-talks as well, potentially opening the team up to an incredibly eventful day as they’re getting settled in to Vegas.

The 2022 NHL Draft marked the first time that Montreal has had two first-round picks since 2007 when they drafted Ryan McDonagh and Max Pacioretty. The team succeeded those picks with Juraj Slafkovsky and Filip Mesar in 2022 – and is now looking to make the most of the pair of picks in a strong 2024 first round. The class features talents at every spot, with players like Cole Eiserman and Berkly Catton bringing high skill to the wings, Michael Hage and Trevor Connelly standing as high-scoring centers, and Carter Yakemchuk and Anton Silayev potential fallers on defense. Even at five and 21, the Canadiens should have plenty of opportuntiy to bring in impactful lineup pieces.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles builds out their pool of future assets without losing too much stock on day one. It will be L.A.’s first time in the first round since 2021, when they selected Brandt Clarke eighth-overall. The Kings now have six picks in this year’s draft, more than they wielded in either 2021 or 2023, though three of their selections come in the sixth and seventh rounds. The Kings could afford some robust additions to their prospect pool, with little to look at besides Clarke and Jordan Spence. That should set the team up to take the best player available at each of their selections, regardless of positioning, as they look to find players who can quickly support their drive back to the postseason. At 25, they could be within reach of hardy forwards like Emil Hemming, Cole Beaudoin, and Jett Luchanko.

Stars Sign Alexander Petrovic To Two-Year, Two-Way Extension

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The Dallas Stars have signed depth defenseman Alexander Petrovic to a two-year, two-way contract extension. The details of the contract haven’t been released, though Petrovic’s last four contracts have come at a league-minimum price tag.

Petrovic played in his first NHL games since 2019 when he stepped in for one regular season game and seven postseason games this season. He wasn’t able to change his stat line much, recording no scoring, one penalty, and a -1. He’s otherwise spent the rest of his time over the last five seasons in a stout minor league role, capable of playing most of the games in a season and posting modest scoring totals. He lived by that calling card this year, recording 22 points, 40 penalty minutes, and a -6 in 70 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars.

But Petrovic wasn’t always a lock for the minor leagues. He once held a consistent role on the Florida Panthers defense, after being drafted with the team’s fourth selection in the 2010 NHL Draft. Petrovic joined a draft class of Erik Gudbranson, Nick Bjugstad, and Zach Hyman – though none of the quartet ever carved out much of a role with the Panthers. For Petrovic, he muddled around Florida’s bottom pairing, before a 2018 trade to the Edmonton Oilers kicked off his run in the minor leagues. He’s since totaled 283 AHL games in the years since, boasting 101 points and 213 penalty minutes. Petrovic will be set to return to that minor-league role on his new contract, though he could be a popular option for Dallas’ role of seventh-defender, after the team bought out veteran Ryan Suter.

Sabres Sign Kale Clague To One-Year Extension

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The Buffalo Sabres have signed defenseman Kale Clague to a one-year, two-way contract extension. The deal with carry a league-minimum $775K cap hit at the NHL level, marking Clague’s third consecutive one-year, league-minimum contract.

Clague hasn’t found his way to consistent NHL minutes yet, instead serving as Buffalo’s de facto call-up this season. He was recalled five different times, never spending more than a few days with the NHL roster until an early March call-up held him with the team through the end of the year. Even then, Clague appeared in just three games this year, recording one point and one penalty. The stat line nearly outweighs his performance with Buffalo last year, when he totaled four assists in 33 games, but Clague has found his best groove in the minors, where he managed 23 points in 42 games this season.

Returning to the Sabres on a two-way deal likely places Clague right back into the fringe of the NHL lineup. He could also end up a second option to reigning NHL rookie Ryan Johnson, who played the first 41 games of his NHL career this season, recording seven assists. Johnson also added nine assists in 27 AHL games, though he’s still searching for his first goal. At 22, he should be Buffalo’s preferred choice for any spare minutes – situating Clague in a race with players like Nikita Novikov and Riley Stillman, vying for top-pair minutes in the minors and the occasional NHL opportunity.

First Six Players Of 4 Nations Face-Off Rosters Announced

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Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the United States have each named the first six players of their rosters for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off (Twitter link). The event will take place from February 12th, 2025, until February 20th, 2025. It will be hosted at the Bell Centre in Montreal as well as the TD Garden in Boston. Each roster will consist of 20 skaters and three goaltenders meaning each team will name 17 additional players later this year.

The lineups are as follows:

Sweden:

Finland

Canada

United States

It’s hard to decide which of these rosters looks the most imposing with an initial glimpse. Canada leads the bunch with arguably the three best forwards in the NHL – in McDavid, MacKinnon, and Crosby. That trio will be incredibly tough to overcome, especially as MacKinnon has expressed interest in playing on Crosby’s wing. Assuming that would bump McDavid to his own line, Canada would have superstar power throughout their top-six.

But while Canada has loaded up on offense, America has loaded up on defense – bringing two Norris Trophy winners and one long-time favorite for the award. That should give them plenty of defense to corral Canada’s stars – at least enough to allow Matthews and Tkachuk a chance to strike. This tournament will notably mark  the first time Matthews has faced off against McDavid on the international stage, after avoiding each other during their World Juniors runs and playing together on ’Team North America’ at the 2017 World Cup.

Not to be left behind, Sweden is bringing their own pair of Norris Trophy winners in Hedman and Karlsson, flanked by a recent Norris-favorite – and this year’s fourth-place finisher – in Gustav Forsling. The trio offers the full suite of defensive skills, which should give good rise to the dynamic playmakers that will lead their offense.

But while Sweden and America take on the defense-first approach, Finland has joined Canada in loading up on offense – bringing the reigning Selke Trophy winner, Barkov, together with top-line scorers in Aho and Rantanen. The trio could make up one line, or support the majority of a depth chart, giving the Finns a bit more security as they look to enter the tournament with plenty of forward and goaltending talent – but a defense corps that could struggle to keep up with the other three attendees.

East Notes: Stamkos, Hedman, Flyers

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Steven Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning continue to engage in contract talks but Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois isn’t sure that a deal will get done before July 1st (as per Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times). The Lightning GM met with Stamkos’ representatives as recently as yesterday but with Tampa Bay’s cap crunch, the 2008 first overall pick may go to market.

Stamkos would have no shortage of suitors (as per Darren Dreger of TSN) if he becomes an unrestricted free agent and it would mark the end of an incredible era in Tampa Bay. Stamkos has won two Stanley Cups with the Lightning as well as two Rocket Richard trophies and has tallied 555 goals and 582 assists in 1082 NHL games. If the 34-year-old does go to market, he is sure to find a lucrative deal as he is coming off a season in which he registered 40 goals and 41 assists in 79 games.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Gabby Shirley of Bally Sports is reporting that Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois has held extension talks with defenseman Victor Hedman. BriseBois told the media that he hopes that he will agree on an extension in the coming days as Hedman is eligible to sign a new deal on July 1st. The 33-year-old has one year left on his current contract and is coming off another strong season in which he posted 13 goals and 63 assists in 78 games. Hedman’s cap hit for next year will be $7.875MM, but his actual salary will be $7MM.
  • Pierre LeBrun of TSN is reporting that the Philadelphia Flyers made a big push to try and acquire the fourth overall pick in this year’s NHL entry draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets. LeBrun’s sources have told him the Philadelphia made the offer on Wednesday and it was reported to include a swap of first-round picks, a player off the Flyers roster, and potentially the Flyers first-round pick next year. According to reports, Blue Jackets’ general manager Don Waddell turned down the offer, but it remains possible that the teams re-engage in the hours leading up to the draft.

Penguins Notes: Pettersson, Jarry, Smith

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Rob Rossi of The Athletic is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins and defensemen Marcus Pettersson have a mutual interest in signing a contract extension this summer. The 28-year-old Pettersson has one year left on his five-year contract at a cap hit of $4.025MM and was arguably the Penguins’ most steady defender last year, playing big minutes with both Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson and elevating both players.

The Penguins acquired Pettersson back in December 2018 for forward Daniel Sprong and the Skelleftea, Sweden native quickly became a regular on the Penguins’ back end. Pettersson has never been much of an offensive contributor but did post four goals and 26 assists in 82 games last season while playing 22:40 a game and providing terrific work on the penalty kill.

Pettersson’s next contract is tough to project, but given his contributions of late, it’s not unrealistic to expect his AAV to fall in the range of $5.5MM to $6MM per season on a long-term deal.

In other Penguins notes:

  • Rob Rossi of The Athletic is reporting that Tristan Jarry can submit a new 12-team no-trade list to the Penguins on July 1st, which could complicate a potential trade if they don’t move him before that day. Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas would reportedly like to make a hockey trade for Jarry if he chooses to move him and wants to receive back a top-six winger or a top-four defenseman. According to Rossi, the Penguins aren’t in a rush to deal Jarry and are comfortable starting next season with him and recently re-signed Alex Nedeljkovic, as there is some debate about whether top goaltending prospect Joel Blomqvist is ready to take a role in the NHL next season.
  • The Penguins are hesitant to bring forward Reilly Smith back for the final season of his contract (as per Rossi). Pittsburgh management doesn’t believe that Smith was unhappy to be a Penguin, but reportedly hoped he would have an easier transition to the team after he came over in a trade from the Vegas Golden Knights. Smith recently changed agents and is now represented by Pat Brisson, who also represents teammate Sidney Crosby. Rossi believes that the Penguins will work with Brisson to determine the best situation for Smith and the team and act accordingly. If that course of action is a trade, then the Penguins will look to move Smith to a destination that suits him. The Penguins offered Smith up at the trade deadline but couldn’t find a dance partner at that time.  Smith has one year left on his contract at a $5MM cap hit.

RFA Notes: Brannstrom, Yamamoto, Ylonen, McDonough, Shaw

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The Senators will soon have a decision to make on pending RFA defenseman Erik Brannstrom who is owed a $2MM qualifying offer on Sunday, one that carries arbitration rights.  However, they’re hoping to not be the ones to have to make that decision in the end as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch relays (Twitter link) that Ottawa is continuing its efforts to try to trade the 24-year-old.  Being a strong offensive threat in Sweden helped make Brannstrom the 15th overall selection back in 2017 but he hasn’t been able to become a consistent threat at that end in the NHL.  This season, Brannstrom had 20 points in 76 games, a handful of which were spent as a winger.

Other news surrounding pending restricted free agents:

  • The Kraken have given winger Kailer Yamamoto permission to speak to other teams, GM Ron Francis told team broadcaster Alison Lukan (Twitter link). Yamamoto signed with them as an unrestricted free agent after he was non-tendered by Detroit last summer just after his rights were acquired from Edmonton.  The 25-year-old had a quiet season, notching eight goals and eight assists in 59 games while averaging less than 12 minutes a night after logging at least 16 in each of the last four years.  Yamamoto’s qualifier comes in at $1.5MM but carries arbitration rights where his past production could push the price tag past the $2MM mark.  It appears that’s a price they don’t want to pay as it looks like he’ll be non-tendered once again on Sunday.
  • Canadiens winger Jesse Ylonen will be non-tendered this weekend, reports TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie (Twitter link). The 24-year-old played his first full NHL campaign this season but recorded just four goals and four assists in 59 games after putting up 17 points in 36 appearances with Montreal in 2022-23.  His qualifying offer would have cost just over $813K but the team has determined they’re better off giving someone else a chance in that spot.
  • The Canucks will be parting ways with winger Aidan McDonough, reports Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic (Twitter link). This decision comes as somewhat of a surprise given how hard they worked to sign him in 2023, burning the first year of the deal right away when he got into six games with Vancouver.  However, the 24-year-old had a quiet rookie year with AHL Abbotsford, notching 11 goals and eight assists in 58 games, a performance they’ve deemed not good enough to give him a two-way qualifying offer.
  • The Wild have informed Mason Shaw that he’ll be non-tendered for the second straight year, notes Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). Shaw battled back from a torn ACL to earn a new deal with Minnesota back in February and he got into 20 games with the big club, recording three points and 29 hits while averaging just over eight minutes a night.

Offseason Checklist: Florida Panthers

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After this year’s Stanley Cup champion was crowned, the offseason has arrived for everyone. It’s time to examine what teams will need to accomplish over the coming months.  Last up is a look at the Cup champion Panthers.

After reaching the Cup Final last year before bowing out fairly quickly to Vegas, there was only one way Florida could improve on their fortunes.  They did just that, surviving losing three straight to Edmonton to erase a 3-0 series lead to win their first title in franchise history.  Now, GM Bill Zito has a lot to contend with concerning his roster for the summer and not a lot of time to do it.

Try To Keep Key UFAs

The Panthers have a sizable list of pending unrestricted free agents, many of which are core pieces.  How successful their offseason ultimately is will be determined by how many they’re able to keep or how well they’re able to replace them with the roughly $19.5MM in cap room they have, per CapFriendly.

Up front, the biggest name is Sam Reinhart.  After a quieter second season in Florida, the 28-year-old turned things around, putting together a career year that saw him put up 57 goals and 94 points during the regular season while adding 16 points in the playoffs.  A strong defensive player, Reinhart can also play down the middle if called upon which would only boost his value.  After making an average of $6.5MM over the last three years, Reinhart is well-positioned to earn a significant raise and a long-term deal.  He could conceivably cost up to half of Florida’s remaining cap room.

Then there’s Vladimir Tarasenko.  After his market didn’t materialize as planned, he settled for a one-year, $5MM deal with Ottawa, who flipped him to the Panthers at the trade deadline.  Notably, the 32-year-old made it known he’d only waive to go to Florida.  With 23 goals and 32 assists, he should be able to command a similar-sized price tag which could price him out of their range unless he’s willing to take a team-friendly deal.

On the back end, they took care of one key pending free agent when they signed Gustav Forsling to an eight-year, $46MM extension to keep him away from the open market.  But they have the top blueliner from this year’s class in Brandon Montour as well.  The 30-year-old broke out with Florida, living up to the high-end potential many felt he had.  He posted a career-best 73 points in 2022-23 but only managed 33 in 66 games during the regular season which will likely lower his overall price.  Having said that, he could still more than double the $3.5MM AAV he had over the past three years which could make it hard to keep him around.  Oliver Ekman-Larsson also had a nice bounce-back year and is set to hit the open market where he should command more than the $2.275MM he made this season.

Early Extension Talks

If those pending free agents weren’t notable enough, the Panthers have three key pieces that will be entering the final year of their respective contracts on July 1st, making them extension-eligible at that time.  While getting them locked up early isn’t necessary, Zito at least needs to get a sense of what those players are looking for as that will likely impact how many of their current free agents (who should all command multi-year contracts this time around) they’re able to try to re-sign.

One of those players is Carter Verhaeghe.  When he first arrived with Florida, he had yet to establish himself as a full-time NHL player.  Now, just four years later, he has been one of the better bargains in the NHL while his offensive game has taken off.  In 2022-23, he potted 42 goals and 31 assists and followed that up with 34 goals and 38 helpers this season.  Those are top-line numbers that will have him positioned to command a long-term agreement and a significant raise.  For context, Verhaeghe made just $1MM in his first two seasons with the Panthers and currently has a cap charge of $4.167MM.  Next time out, he could potentially double it with an AAV that should check in around the $8MM range.

Meanwhile, Aaron Ekblad will soon be in need of a new deal on the back end.  The agreement that he’s on now was a record-setting deal at the time for a defenseman coming off his entry-level contract as he took an eight-year deal that carried a $7.5MM AAV.  While he never really took off offensively (aside from the 2021-22 campaign), the Panthers have still done rather well with that contract as Ekblad has been a workhorse for most of that time.  However, he dealt with some injury issues this season while his playing time was more limited; his 20:52 per game was a career-low.  It’s possible that Florida will try to get him to take a bit less this time around which makes it more challenging to see a deal get done in the coming weeks.  Those discussions will come with a new agent as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that he’s now represented by Newport’s Craig Oster.

Then there’s Sam Bennett.  His regular season numbers don’t jump off the page (his career-high in points is 49) but he’s coming off two strong playoff performances that saw him produce at a better rate, something that doesn’t generally happen.  On top of that, he’s a power forward who also plays center.  That’s a combination that will have a lot of teams gearing up to put in offers so it stands to reason that he’s in line for a considerable raise on his current $4.425MM AAV.

Again, they don’t have to get these players signed just yet.  Simply knowing what the asking prices are likely to be should give Zito enough information to formulate his plan for his pending free agents.

Knight Decision

With Spencer Knight spending a good chunk of 2022-23 away from the team while being in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, Zito decided he needed some insurance between the pipes, inking Anthony Stolarz to a one-year, $1.1MM contract, a deal that couldn’t have worked out any better for them.  With Knight being young enough to get to the minors without waivers, he entered the season as Florida’s third-string option.

From a games-played perspective, things worked out relatively well for Knight as he played 45 times, his highest amount of appearances since his draft year.  However, his numbers with AHL Charlotte weren’t dominant by any stretch the way you’d hope someone making $4.5MM would be able to put up.  While he finished eighth among qualifying netminders in GAA (2.41), his SV% (.905) was only good for a tie for 28th place.  He got to play but management was probably hoping he’d have been more effective.

At this point, Stolarz is likely to price himself out of what Florida can afford as he’s slated to be one of the better options in a UFA goaltending class that is relatively weak.  Accordingly, Zito needs to decide if Knight is ready to re-assume the second-string duty behind Sergei Bobrovsky.  If so, then he has his very expensive tandem in place.  If not, then he’ll need to find a replacement.

And if the decision is made that Knight isn’t going to be the backup next season, Florida will need to contemplate a buyout.  He’s young enough that the buyout cost would only be $750K for four years.  If he’s buried in the minors again (he remains waiver-exempt), the cap charge would be $3.325MM.  That $2.575MM difference could be enough for a lower-cost backup on a deal similar to the one Stolarz received a year ago while freeing up funds to up an offer to one of their core free agents.

Knight didn’t play a single second for Florida during the regular season or playoffs but he could still play a big role in what the Panthers can and can’t do in the coming days and weeks.

Add Low-Cost Depth

Last summer, Zito had to make some low-cost acquisitions, bringing in Kevin Stenlund, Steven Lorentz, Dmitry Kulikov, Mike Reilly, Uvis Balinskis, and Stolarz on cheap deals worth $1.1MM or less.  For the most part, they did quite well with those pickups.

Now, Zito will be trying to repeat that level of success on what’s likely to be a mostly new group (only Balinskis is still signed) while also trying to replace some other veteran UFAs including Ryan Lomberg and Nick Cousins.  They could be looking at signing five or six forwards and a couple of defensemen with their remaining cap space while keeping in mind how much some of those top players are likely to command on the open market.

It’s quite possible that the $1.1MM line might be too steep for the Panthers this time around.  Now, they might have to shop for options much closer to the league minimum if not right at the $775K minimum salary to stretch every dollar.  Zito will have to find a way to find veterans who can provide a similar level of performance as his group from last summer while being even more constrained financially, assuming he’s able to keep at least one of his key free agents.  That will be a tough needle to thread for a second straight year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Capitals Acquire Andrew Mangiapane

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After adding Pierre-Luc Dubois to shore up their center depth, the Capitals have struck a deal to add an upgrade on the wing.  The team announced that they’ve acquired Andrew Mangiapane from the Flames in exchange for Colorado’s 2025 second-round pick (previously acquired).

The 28-year-old had a breakout year in 2021-22, scoring 35 goals after putting up 35 in the previous two seasons combined.  Hoping that this was a sign of things to come, Calgary inked Mangiapane to a three-year, $17.4MM contract, buying out his final RFA year plus two more years of club control.

However, Mangiapane hasn’t quite been able to replicate his output from that season.  In 2022-23, his output dipped to 17 goals and 26 assists while this season, it went down a bit more as he noted 14 goals and 26 helpers although it’s worth noting that he missed seven games due to injury.

With Calgary committing to a rebuild after being sellers during the season along with moving starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom to New Jersey earlier this month, it makes sense that they were looking to move Mangiapane.  They now have two first-round picks and two second-round selections in the 2025 draft while they now sit with just under $29MM in cap room, per CapFriendly.  That positions them to be aggressive in free agency or on the trade front if they so desire as only four teams have more space to work with.

Meanwhile, Washington, who is picking up his full salary, was one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league this season and only had three players put up more points than Mangiapane did with the Flames, center Dylan Strome, winger Alex Ovechkin, and defenseman John Carlson.  Clearly, GM Brian MacLellan correctly identified that if the Capitals are going to take a step forward and try to push for a top-three spot in the Metropolitan Division, improvements offensively are going to be needed.  An expected late second-round pick is a reasonably low enough cost to pay for a short-term upgrade.

With taking on additional salary in the Dubois trade and now adding nearly $6MM with Mangiapane, the Capitals are now technically over next season’s salary cap with just over $90MM in commitments, per CapFriendly.  However, with Nicklas Backstrom and his $9.2MM AAV expected to remain on LTIR next season, Washington still has some flexibility to work with although some of that will be needed to re-sign RFA forwards Connor McMichael and Beck Malenstyn at a minimum.  T.J. Oshie’s availability for next season is also in some question and if it’s determined that he won’t be able to play, Washington would be able to add another $5.75MM to its LTIR pool.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Nathan MacKinnon Wins 2023-24 Hart Trophy

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After opening Awards Night with the Ted Lindsay Award as the MVP as voted by the players, Avalanche winger Nathan MacKinnon capped off the festivities with another victory.  The league announced that MacKinnon has won the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded “to the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team,” as selected by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

It’s a fitting award for someone who blew past his career highs offensively, notching 51 goals and 89 assists, recording only the fifth 140-point campaign across the NHL over the last 30 years.  MacKinnon became the sixth player in franchise history (including its time in Quebec) to reach the 50-goal mark while he comes in second in club history in assists, checking in three behind Peter Stastny back in the 1981-82 campaign.  MacKinnon recorded at least one point in 69 of 82 games played during the regular season.

MacKinnon took home 137 of 194 first-place votes and appeared on all but one ballot.  That helped get him a margin of victory of more than 500 voting points over Tampa Bay winger Nikita Kucherov, who had more assists and points than MacKinnon did this season.  After Auston Matthews beat out Connor McDavid to be the third finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, they were reversed for the Hart with McDavid coming in third and Matthews in fourth.  A total of 14 players received at least one top-five vote.

It’s the fourth time MacKinnon has been a finalist for the award but his first time as the winner.  He joins Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic as the only players in franchise history to win league MVP.

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