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Morning Notes: Luukkonen, Mantha, Blackhawks, Oilers

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The Buffalo Sabres are working on signing goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen to an extension, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shares in the latest 32 Thoughts article. Luukkonen is set to become a restricted free agent this summer. Goalie partner Eric Comrie is also set to enter free agency this summer, while rookie Devon Levi is signed through the end of next season.

Luukkonen unexpectedly found his way into the starter’s net this season, appearing in 54 games despite competition from Levi and Comrie. He performed well with the chance, recording 27 wins and a .910 save percentage. – serving as the only Sabres goalie to record a save percentage above .900. This season marked Luukkonen’s first year in a full-time NHL role, after splitting the last three years between the major and minor leagues. And while he performed well, he wasn’t the starter many Sabres fans expected entering the season. That weight was instead on 22-year-old Levi’s shoulders – but he quickly lost the role after posting four wins and a .887 save percentage through his first 10 games. Luukkonen stepped in as relief and didn’t let go of the role.

At 25, Luukkonen seems poised for at least another chance at a starting role, though Levi’s presence could make a long-term extension challenging for the Sabres to commit to. How they decide to organize their goaltenders for next season could be very telling into Buffalo’s long-term plans.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Anthony Mantha returned to the Vegas Golden Knights practices on Saturday, donning a no-contact jersey, per The Athletic’s Jesse Granger (Twitter link). Mantha has been red-hot with Vegas since the Trade Deadline, scoring 10 points in his first 18 games with the club – though he missed the team’s season finale with an undisclosed injury. Still not taking contact, Mantha will likely be on the fringe of the lineup as the Golden Knights prepare for Monday’s Game One.
  • Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson shared that it’s time for the team to build up, says Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). Chicago finished second-last in the league this season, on the back of a forward group that looked desolate when it lost Connor Bedard and Taylor Hall to injury. Finding offensive support will likely be the focus of their building efforts, as the Hawks prepare to weaponize their $38MM projected cap space this summer.
  • Both Evander Kane and Mattias Janmark are expected to return to the Edmonton Oilers lineup for their Monday Game One against the Los Angeles Kings, per Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (Twitter link). Kane sat out of the team’s final three games of the season with injury, capping his year off at 24 goals and 44 points in 77 appearances. Meanwhile, Janmark was able to finish out the season but missed the team’s Saturday practice. Neither injuries have been disclosed.

Blackhawks Notes: Vlasic, Murphy, Blackwell

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The Chicago Blackhawks could ink rookie defenseman Alex Vlasic to a long-term deal this summer, shares Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link). Vlasic told Pope, “I want to be [in Chicago] as long as possible.” The 22-year-old defenseman is set to become a restricted free agent for the first time in his career this season, having played through his 2021 entry-level contract.

Vlasic was maybe the surprise of the season in Chicago, fighting his way up to top-pairing ice time early in the year and not relinquishing it. He would go on to record 16 points and 45 penalty minutes in 76 games, while averaging nearly 22 minutes of ice time. He became the de facto partner for top defenseman Seth Jones – with the pairing recording over 850 even-strength minutes together, Chicago’s only pair to play even 400 minutes together.

Vlasic carved out a confident role and should be due a confident deal when he re-signs this summer. Pope compared Vlasic’s negotiations to K’Andre Miller and Mattias Samuelsson when trying to project what a new deal may look like. Both players pulled in a cap hit of around $4MM, though Miller signed a short-term bridge while Samuelsson received seven years. It’s likely Chicago leans on the side of longer term, with brighter days yet to come.

Other notes out of the Windy City:

  • Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy shared that the injury that held him out of the season finale wasn’t exactly a reinjury of his groin injury, but more of a “tweak”, per Pope (Twitter link). Murphy added that the injury will affect his off-season training plans, though he’s happy to have time off to get back to full health. Murphy played in just 46 games this season, recording eight points, 40 penalty minutes, and a -19. He served in a solid role, averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time, though that may have been out of necessity more than desire for a Hawks blue-line that iced 12 different defensemen this season. Murphy will hope to regain health and hang onto his strong role in Chicago as he approaches his eighth season with the club next year.
  • Hawks forward Colin Blackwell shared that he would love to stay in Chicago, per NBC Sports’ Charlie Roumeliotis (Twitter link). Blackwell is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer – one of 19 free agents in Chicago’s system. He’s spent the last two seasons in Chicago, totaling 22 points in 97 games with the club. While meager scoring, Blackwell has served in a reliable bottom-six role and maintained his discipline, totaling just 16 penalty minutes over the last two seasons. He’ll likely return to a consistent fourth-line role if he signs a new deal with Chicago.

Sharks Notes: Couture, Vlasic, Kunin, Smith

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Long-running San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture is hoping to return to skating in July and be fully healthy for the start of next season, shares team reporter Curtis Pashelka. Couture was limited to just six games this season, grappling with osteitis pubis, a painful groin injury that’s lingered since last off-season.

This season marked the first time in Couture’s 15-year career that he hasn’t played in at least 25 games. He’s been a backbone of the Sharks lineup for much of recent memory, recording 701 points across 933 games with the club, including 67 points in 82 games last season. San Jose certainly felt the impact of his absence, ranking dead-last in the NHL for most of the season and emotionally parting with Couture’s long-time centerman Tomas Hertl at the Trade Deadline. The fall has conveniently set up San Jose to take homegrown prospect Macklin Celebrini, the unanimous top name in the 2024 NHL Draft. But even with the boost of the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner and the return of their captain, San Jose will still need hefty change to make sure a performance as dim as this season’s doesn’t happen again.

Other notes from San Jose:

  • The team has reportedly not discussed buying defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic out of his contract, per Max Miller of The Hockey News (Twitter link). The 18-year veteran of San Jose appeared in just 57 games this season, missing action to both injury and being healthy scratched. He managed just 12 points in his appearances, the third-lowest point totals of his career. Buying out Vlasic’s $7MM cap hit this summer would leave San Jose with a $3.833MM cap hit next season, a $4.833MM cap hit in 2025-26, and then two years of a $1.33MM cap hit – a palatable price given Vlasic has two seasons remaining on his lofty deal anyways. But with $37.97MM in projected cap space this summer, it seems the Sharks are content to let legacy stick around.
  • Pending restricted-free agent Luke Kunin is reportedly open to a multi-year deal with the Sharks, per Pashelka (Twitter link). The 26-year-old centerman is coming off of his first full season with the Sharks, after being limited to just 31 games last year. He recorded measly numbers – tallying 11 goals, 18 points, and a -30 – but is clearly eager by the opportunity offered in San Jose. With a career-high of just 31 points, posted all the way back in the 2019-20 season, it’s likely that Kunin sticks around on a cheap deal and fights to earn a bigger role next season.
  • Sharks general manager Mike Grier shared that the team is actively talking to top prospect Will Smith about an entry-level contract, shares Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now (Twitter link). Grier added that he believes Smith is ready for the NHL – a point that’s hard to argue after Smith posted 25 goals and 71 points in his first 41 collegiate games. It was the most that any Boston College freshman has ever scored, by a substantial margin, lining up behind Johnny Gaudreau’s 80-point junior season for the most by any Eagle since 2000. And to boot, Smith showed his clutch ability, recording 20 points in his latest 10 games, as the Eagles ran to the National Championship. Signing the 2023 fourth-overall pick to an NHL deal would be a huge boost for the Sharks.

Flames Notes: Markstrom, Weegar, Kylington, Pospisil

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In an article from Salim Valji of TSN, all signs indicate that goaltender Jacob Markstrom has played his last game as a member of the Calgary Flames. After almost being traded to the New Jersey Devils at this year’s trade deadline, the schism between Markstrom and the front office does not have evidence of it being an issue that can be rectified internally.

When asked where he envisioned himself next season, he bluntly responded, “I don’t know“. Not appreciating the idea of being a part of the inevitable retool of the Flames roster, Markstrom continued, “What I do know is I love winning hockey games. I think that’s the competitive side of me. Every time I lace up the skates, that’s something I want – to win hockey games“.

With the Devils maintaining their interest in acquiring Markstrom this offseason, his market may be more robust than just a singular disappointing team from this season. With each team preparing for next year at this moment, or at some point throughout the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, Markstrom’s market could extend to the Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings, or the Philadelphia Flyers over the next couple of months.

Other Flames notes:

  • In somewhat of a malcontent response to Markstrom’s approach to the offseason, one player has no intentions of leaving Calgary any time soon. According to beat reporter Wes Gilbertson, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar not only wants to stay with the Flames organization but believes that the future is very exciting for this team. Finishing off the first season of an eight-year, $50MM extension with Calgary, Weegar was a boon to the Flames this season, scoring 20 goals and 52 points in all 82 games.
  • Another player who wishes to remain in southern Alberta is defenseman Oliver Kylington, who Daniel Sun of the Calgary Sun writes is hoping for an extension with the only organization he has ever known. After taking nearly a year and a half away from the game, Kylington was able to suit up in 33 games for Calgary, scoring three goals and eight points in the process. With a thinned-out defensive core from the trade deadline, the Flames should be amicable in bringing back Kylington for the next few seasons.
  • Now that Calgary’s season has come to an end, some players on the team may opt to join their respective international clubs for this summer’s rendition of the IIHF World Championship. Per a team announcement, forward Martin Pospisil will be doing just that, as the Flames announce he will be rostered on Team Slovakia for this year’s tournament. It will be the first time since the 2018-19 season that Pospisil has suited up for Team Slovakia in an international event, with the last coming during that year’s IIHF World Junior Championships.

Red Wings Notes: Offseason Plans, Sandin Pellikka, Goaltending

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In his end-of-season availability for the press, the General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Yzerman, had plenty to share about his team’s progress this year. After an 11-point bump from last season, the Red Wings tied for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with the Washington Capitals but were on the outside looking in due to the Capitals earning more regulation wins.

Being very non-committal about any dramatic changes coming to the roster, Yzerman did mention that forward Jonatan Berggren and defenseman Albert Johansson are already on the short-list to make the roster out of training camp for the 2024-25 NHL season (Article Link). A rumored trade candidate at this year’s deadline, Yzerman may be vocalizing his belief that Berggren is an NHL-ready talent, to boost his trade value to the 31 other teams.

Of the four forwards on the roster set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, Yzerman is giving strong consideration to extending veteran David Perron. Not quite the player he used to be throughout his tenure with the St. Louis Blues, Perron is a valuable locker-room presence and scored big goals during pivotal moments for the Red Wings down the stretch.

For the other three including Patrick Kane, Daniel Sprong, and Christian Fischer, there is a decent probability that none of the trio will be back in Detroit next season. Now that Kane has proven himself healthy, and Sprong has become a legitimate top-six caliber forward, they may have already priced themselves off Detroit’s roster for next year.

Other Red Wings notes:

  •  One organizational prospect who will most likely not leap to North America next season is Swedish defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka according to Max Bultman of The Athletic. Originally the 17th player off the board in the 2023 NHL Draft, Sandin Pellikka’s career projections took a massive jump this season as he scored 10 goals and 18 points through 39 games in the SHL. In international play, Sandin Pellikka famously scored two goals and six points in 10 games for Team Sweden at the most recent IIHF World Junior Championships, becoming one of the more impactful players in the tournament.
  • In an article from Helene St.James of the Detroit Free Press, all signs are pointing to Detroit carrying three goaltenders on the roster once again next season. Given that the team already has Ville Husso and Alex Lyon signed into next season, the Red Wings could look to keep James Reimer around for a second year or look to the free agent market for a different option. The trio worked out mildly well for the organization throughout the regular season, as the Red Wings finished with a team save percentage of .897, good for 19th in the league.

Avalanche Notes: Landeskog, O’Connor, Girard

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While there has been plenty of speculation over the last calendar year that the Colorado Avalanche may see the return of their captain Gabriel Landeskog by the beginning of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, it appears this theory may have legs. In a report today from Colleen Flynn of The Hockey News, Landeskog will be traveling with the team to Winnipeg to start their first-round series against the Jets.

Infamously, Landeskog’s last game came on June 26th, 2022, the same date that the Avalanche unseated the Tampa Bay Lightning at the top of the hockey world, claiming their third Stanley Cup Championship in franchise history. After the Stanley Cup celebration, however, Landeskog underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and has missed every game since.

Being that a return is unlikely given that it has never been done in the NHL prior, Landeskog’s drive and determination have at least produced non-zero odds of a potential return. As the Avalanche look to make it beyond the first found of the Stanley Cup playoffs this spring, the return of their captain would certainly help their cause.

Other Avalanche notes:

  • In the same report from Flynn, forward Logan O’Connor will also be joining the team on their flight to Manitoba. Nevertheless, there has been no indication that O’Connor is close to returning in time for the start of Round One, as he continues to recover from hip surgery that has kept him out of the lineup since the first week of March.
  • Unlike O’Connor, one player who is close to a return is defenseman Samuel Girard once again according to Colleen Flynn of The Hockey News. Girard has been out with a concussion for about a week and remains questionable to return for the first game of the series against the Jets. If the Avalanche are able to get a few players back at the beginning of the series, the hockey world saw not all that long ago how dangerous a fully healthy Colorado lineup can be.

Snapshots: Buchnevich, Fedotov, Stone, Pietrangelo

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The St. Louis Blues are expected to work on a contract extension with winger Pavel Buchnevich, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in the latest 32 Thoughts article. This news comes after the Blues were reportedly shopping around Buchnevich at the Trade Deadline, though they were said to be asking for as much as two first-round picks in return. No deal came to fruition and Buchnevich went on to finish the year with 27 goals and 63 points in 80 games. It was the least productive season he’s had in St. Louis, though he’s still totaled an impressive 206 points in 216 games with the club.

St. Louis has been living lavishly with Buchnevich’s current deal – getting nearly point-per-game scoring for just $5.8MM against the cap. They’ll get one more year of that team-friendly deal, before likely having to shell out a hefty amount to Buchnevich on his next deal. The Blues will have to be careful to find the balance between term and salary, though, with Buchnevich set to be 30 when an extension would begin.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Friedman also shared that the Philadelphia Flyers are expected to sign goaltender Ivan Fedotov to a two-year extension soon. The 27-year-old netminder was finally able to move to North America this season, playing in the first three NHL games of his career earlier this month. He was admittedly shaky, allowing 10 goals on 53 shots, good for an .811 save percentage in his first looks at North American ice. But the Flyers have to simply be excited to finally have the stout Russian goaltender under their control, and will give him much more of a chance to get comfortable in North America with a new deal.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights could be getting another big boost to their lineup, with winger Mark Stone back to full-contact practice and a game-time decision for Game One of the postseason, per the team (Twitter link). They also shared that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo underwent an appendectomy and returned to a full practice on Saturday. Chandler Stephenson and William Carrier also took full practices. All four players will be hopeful to slot into the lineup as the Golden Knights get ready to take on the Dallas Stars.

Blackhawks Notes: Johnson, Bedard, Kurashev, Captaincy

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The Chicago Blackhawks can expect to lose Tyler Johnson this summer, reports Ben Pope of The Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link), with the veteran forward instead hoping to sign with a playoff contender. Johnson told Pope, “I’m obviously thankful for being here, I’ve met a lot of good people, but it wasn’t exactly like I envisioned or wanted.”

Johnson’s Blackhawks career certainly hasn’t gone as the team may have expected either. He joined the Hawks ahead of the 2021-22 season, after years of filling a solid role, and routinely challenging 50 points, with the Tampa Bay Lightning. But as forewarned by his last two years in Tampa Bay, injuries have heavily limited Johnson’s career in Chicago. He’s missed 97 games over the last three seasons, including playing in just 26 games in 2021-22 due to a neck injury. Those absences have kept him from finding a true groove with the Blackhawks, scoring just 70 points in 149 games and never averaging more than 16 minutes of ice time. Chicago iced one of the youngest lineups in the league this season and seems bound to do much of the same next year, as they attempt to build a franchise around Connor Bedard. After years of injury issues and low scoring, it’s easy to see why the 33-year-old Johnson may prefer a more productive end to his career. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.

Other notes out of Chicago:

  • Speaking of Bedard, he’s confirmed that he is headed to the World Championship with Team Canada, per The Athletic’s Scott Powers (Twitter link). This is hardly a surprise – Bedard has been a fixture of international hockey since he tied Connor McDavid’s record for U16 scoring (14 points) at the World U18 Championship in 2021. Bedard has officially totaled 21 points in 11 games with Canada’s U18 team and 31 points in 14 games with the U20 team. He’ll look to build on that phenomenal scoring this summer, now at the top level of international play.
  • Bedard’s linemate, Philipp Kurashev, will also be headed to the World Championship to play for Team Switzerland, shares Pope (Twitter link). Kurashev and Bedard quipped that their top goal will be to score on Petr Mrazek, who will suit up for Team Czechia. This will be Kurashev’s fourth consecutive season attending the World Championship, having totaled 13 points in 24 games over the last three tournaments.
  • Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson shared that the team isn’t yet sure if they’ll have a captain next season, per NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis (Twitter link), adding that it’ll be an off-season conversation with the coaches. The Hawks haven’t had a captain since Jonathan Toews’ career ended in the 2022-23 season, though they did have five different alternate captains last year. Whoever takes on the role will be setting history, becoming the first Blackhawks captain since a 20-year-old Toews took on the role in 2008. Toews’ 14-year tenure in the role makes him one of the longest-tenured captains in NHL history – a list led by Steve Yzerman’s 19 seasons leading the Detroit Red Wings.

Rangers Recall Adam Edstrom And Louis Domingue

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Several teams have made roster moves today to add some extra depth for the playoffs.  The Rangers are the latest to have done so, announcing (Twitter link) the recalls of forward Adam Edstrom and goaltender Louis Domingue from AHL Hartford.

Edstrom is in the second season of his entry-level contract and got his first taste of NHL action this season, getting into 11 games with New York.  The 23-year-old picked up two goals while adding 30 hits on the fourth line, averaging just 8:25 per game.  He had a more prominent role with the Wolf Pack, however, resulting in more production as Edstrom had 11 goals and five assists in 40 appearances in the minors.  He’ll serve as an extra forward to start their series against Washington.

As for Domingue, the netminder won his lone NHL start this season back in November but has spent the rest of the year with Hartford.  Through 28 appearances, he has a 2.66 GAA and a .909 SV% while also scoring a goal last Friday.  The 32-year-old signed a one-year extension back in March and will now serve as New York’s third-string option for the postseason, a role he’ll likely reprise next year as well.

Wild Notes: Gustavsson, Faber, Injuries, Front Office

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After a strong first season in Minnesota, Filip Gustavsson’s second year didn’t go anywhere near as planned.  The 25-year-old saw his save percentage drop by 32 points from .931 to .899 while his GAA went up nearly a full goal from 2.10 to 3.06 in 43 appearances.  With Marc-Andre Fleury signing on for a final season and GM Bill Guerin indicating he wants to give Jesper Wallstedt a longer NHL look, some have wondered if Gustavsson could be the odd one out.  Despite the potential logjam, the netminder told reporters including Sarah McLellan and Rachel Blount of the Star Tribune that he wants to stay.  Head coach John Hynes indicated that an improved fitness level will be key to a successful offseason for Gustavsson.

More from Minnesota from McLellan and Blount’s piece:

  • Defenseman Brock Faber played the last two months with fractured ribs. The injury certainly didn’t seem to slow the 21-year-old who logged nearly 25 minutes a night in his rookie year while leading Minnesota’s blueliners with 47 points in 82 games, making him a Calder Trophy contender.  The injury, however, will keep him out of the Worlds next month.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see Guerin try to work out a long-term extension with Faber this summer, one that could push past the $8MM mark based on recent comparables including Ottawa’s Jake Sanderson.
  • Speaking of injuries, defenseman Jared Spurgeon and winger Marcus Foligno are expected to be fully ready for training camp in September. Spurgeon was limited to just 16 games this season due to hip and back surgeries but resumed skating four weeks ago.  When healthy, the 34-year-old logs big minutes for the Wild and he’ll certainly be a big boost to their back end in the fall.  As for Foligno, he missed the final couple of weeks after undergoing core muscle surgery; he won’t be able to return to the ice until June.
  • Guerin indicated that the team will likely announce changes to the front office. They didn’t appoint a replacement when assistant GM Chris O’Hearn left so at a minimum, a new assistant will need to be appointed.  Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic suggest (subscription link) that Mat Sells, who works in analytics and helps with contract negotiations, is a candidate for a promotion to that role.

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