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New Jersey, Dawson Mercer Working Toward Extension

August 19, 2024 at 4:27 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain Leave a Comment

The New Jersey Devils kick-started a busy offseason by acquiring goaltender Jacob Markstrom earlier in the summer from the Calgary Flames. Once free agency opened on July 1st, the team brought Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon, Stefan Noesen, and Tomas Tatar around an already talented roster. The Devils only have one item left on their plate before training camp opens up in September — the looming extension for forward Dawson Mercer.

In an interview yesterday with RG.org, the general manager of the Devils, Tom Fitzgerald said, “We are working towards an agreement after exchanging proposals“. This quote is a good indication that the two sides will get a deal done before training camp starts as it confirms the two sides are far enough down the line where they have exchanged offers. Although the Devils may have gotten an offer sheet scare last week with the deals made between Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, and the St. Louis Blues, the relationship between New Jersey and Mercer may nix any idea of that happening.

Given the Devils’ current salary cap situation, the deal will likely be on the shorter term. New Jersey currently has just under $5MM in salary cap space according to PuckPedia. Unless Mercer is willing to take a sizeable discount to stay with the Devils organization, a long-term deal appears out of the question.

Fitzgerald may take a similar approach to Mercer’s teammate Jesper Bratt, who signed a pair of short-term deals before agreeing to an eight-year contract extension last summer. Mercer has scored 64 goals and 131 points in 246 regular season contests during his entry-level contract which makes for a similar point-per-game percentage as Bratt during his entry-level contract. Once Bratt’s first contract ended after the 2019-20 season, he and the Devils agreed to a two-year, $5.5MM deal.

If New Jersey hopes to sign Mercer to a similar contract, it will likely land in the $6MM range over a two-year deal. The salary cap has increased by $6.5MM since Bratt signed his deal and Mercer should look for a similar percentage of the available cap space. A $3MM AAV would give the Devils just under $2MM of cap space to work with during the regular season giving them plenty of flexibility to make in-season additions.

Mercer is a valuable asset to New Jersey as he slots in well on the team’s second line and second powerplay unit. He has also not missed a game since his rookie campaign in the 2021-22 season which is a bonus to a Devils’ team that has struggled with injuries in recent years.

Canadiens Acquire Patrik Laine

August 19, 2024 at 2:36 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 42 Comments

The Canadiens announced the acquisition of scoring winger Patrik Laine and a 2026 second-round pick from the Blue Jackets in exchange for defenseman Jordan Harris. No salary is retained in the swap.

Montreal has been on the lookout for top-six scoring help for quite some time. They’ve slowly added to their rebuilding group over the past few summers, taking on younger projects via trade like Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. This is the biggest swing that general manager Kent Hughes has taken, though, picking up a more established yet expensive sniper.

They’re taking on an extremely high-ceiling talent in Laine and buying low while doing it, taking on a second-round pick for their troubles and only parting with Harris, an intriguing defender that was buried among their litany of other blue-line prospects. Laine’s lack of availability the past few seasons tanked his trade value, with various injuries and a lengthy stint in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program capping his 2023-24 campaign at just 18 appearances. He hasn’t played more than 60 games in a season since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

But when he’s on, he’s on. Even while battling through both upper and lower body injuries, Laine was close to a point-per-game player over his first two full seasons in Columbus. His best offensive season came in a Blue Jackets uniform in 2021-22, when he notched 26 goals and 56 points in 56 games. That prompted then-Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekäläinen to award Laine a four-year, $34.8MM deal, the same one that his successor, Don Waddell, has now had to surrender a draft pick to shed.

In the first year of the deal, Laine largely kept up the pace, churning out 22 goals and 52 points in 55 games even while shooting 12%, a conservative figure compared to his 14.7% career average. But last season, Laine was injured from the start and clashed with new head coach Pascal Vincent, who deployed him for a career-low 15:13 per game. As such, he was limited to six goals and nine points before his campaign ended in December.

It’s an expensive gamble for Montreal, who’s on the hook for an $8.7MM cap hit through 2025-26. But after taking months away to mentally reset and rehab his various injuries, Laine seems primed to return to form – if he can avoid re-injury. The 2016 second-overall pick hit 30-plus goals in the first three seasons of his NHL career with the Jets, and he had 28 goals in 68 games in 2019-20 before the pandemic ended the regular season. It was the shortened 2020-21 campaign, during which Laine was dealt to Columbus following a trade request, that first showed a chink in the armor of his goal-scoring ability. He was limited to just 12 goals and 24 points in 46 games on the year, managing just 82 shots on goal.

But he was on pace for well over 30 goals in each of the following two seasons with the Jackets, and that’s the player Montreal hopes can revitalize an offense that’s placed bottom-10 in the league for three years in a row. He, along with Cole Caufield and 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, give the Habs three top-six wingers who can all likely be penciled in for more than 60 points next year. Slafkovsky, entering his third NHL season, broke out for 20 goals and 50 points with Montreal last year after being moved to top-line usage alongside Caufield and captain Nick Suzuki.

Laine likely won’t bump Caufield out of first-line minutes, but the right-winger will be tasked with anchoring their second line, potentially alongside the aforementioned Dach and Newhook. The 26-year-old would be the oldest member of that trio, a reversal from his time in Columbus, which was spent mostly on a line anchored by veteran Boone Jenner.

Salary-wise, PuckPedia notes that the Habs are now over the cap by a projected $1.1MM with a 23-man roster, including LTIR-bound netminder Carey Price. Montreal will likely submit a bare-bones season-opening roster with a couple of waiver-exempt players papered down to the AHL to remain cap-compliant before placing Price and his $10.5MM cap hit on LTIR after the season starts, opening up a large chunk of in-season maneuverability.

As for the Blue Jackets’ end of things, they free up a decent amount of spending money for the next two seasons and recoup an NHL-caliber defender. Harris, 24, was a third-round pick by the Canadiens in 2018 and has since developed into a serviceable third-pairing option. His possession quality numbers have been poor, as to be expected for a young player on a basement team, but his shot attempt share at even strength has been above team average over the last two years. He’s posted eight goals, 24 assists and 32 points in 131 games, including 14 points in 56 games last year.

Harris gives the Blue Jackets another option to compete for left-shot third-pairing duties out of the gate behind Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov. He’ll need to ward off challenges from UFA signing Jack Johnson and two-time AHL All-Star Jake Christiansen for the job, though. Even if he’s not in the opening night lineup, it’s hard to envision him starting any lower than No. 7 on the depth chart. He’s no longer waiver-exempt and carries a $1.4MM cap hit, more than the maximum that’s buriable in the minors.

Columbus can start contract discussions with Harris whenever they wish, as he’s already extension-eligible. If he reaches restricted free agency next summer, he’ll be eligible to file for arbitration.

The Blue Jackets now have north of $18MM in cap space after the swap, PuckPedia projects. That’s enough to add whoever they want at the trade deadline if their young core breaks out this season, but it’s also more than enough flexibility to take on money to relieve contenders if they’re still in seller mode by the trade deadline.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report that Laine had been traded to Montreal. Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Metropolitan Notes: Kolosov, Bergeron, Vaisanen

August 19, 2024 at 2:00 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 1 Comment

Flyers goaltending prospect Alexei Kolosov’s status for next season remains in the air. Reports over the last month indicated that Kolosov had informed the team that he wouldn’t report to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, if assigned there in the fall. Those were later refuted by general manager Daniel Brière, who said the team had no confirmation about Kolosov’s desires for the 2024-25 campaign.

Early this morning, Daria Tuboltseva of Responsible Gambling reported that Kolosov had switched his representation, now being represented by Gold Star Hockey’s Dan Milstein. He was previously represented by CAA Sports’ J.P. Barry, who also represents Philly netminder Ivan Fedotov and likely Calder Trophy contender Matvei Michkov.

That was quickly followed up by a report from The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz that Kolosov’s new camp, led by Milstein, is expected to meet with the Flyers later this week. A source tells Kurz that Kolosov does indeed wish to return to his native Belarus on loan this season to play for Dinamo Minsk of the Kontinental Hockey League, where he’s played since 2020. The Flyers, who signed Kolosov to his entry-level contract in 2023, loaned Kolosov to Minsk last season, expecting him to play the final two years of his rookie deal in North America, either with the Phantoms or the Flyers.

Kurz says the plan hasn’t changed, and the Flyers aren’t interested in loaning Kolosov back to Minsk or terminating his contract. Philadelphia, whose NHL tandem is expected to consist of Fedotov and Samuel Ersson out of camp, could suspend Kolosov without pay if he refuses to report to Lehigh Valley upon assignment in the fall. Since the KHL now exists independently from the IIHF and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, there would be no sanctions against them if Kolosov signed a contract with Minsk in violation of his deal with the Flyers.

Penguins Promote Jason Spezza, Amanda Kessel

August 19, 2024 at 12:12 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson 2 Comments

The Penguins announced a baker’s dozen hockey operations staff additions and promotions Monday, most notably the promotions of Jason Spezza and Amanda Kessel from their previous roles. Spezza will now serve as the general manager of Pittsburgh’s AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, in addition to his existing assistant GM duties, while Kessel has been named their manager of minor league operations and the AGM of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton under Spezza.

Both are new faces to the managerial world but are embarking on their off-ice journeys after lengthy playing careers. Spezza has spent the last five years working with Penguins GM Kyle Dubas in some capacity, spending his final three seasons as a player with the Maple Leafs with Dubas as GM. He was named a special assistant to Dubas immediately upon retiring in 2022, and then he was followed to Pittsburgh in the 2023 offseason.

Last year was the 32-year-old Kessel’s first in an NHL front office, serving as a special assistant to Dubas in his first year with the Penguins. The younger sister of former Penguins forward Phil Kessel had a decorated playing career, winning four Women’s World Championships and one Olympic gold medal with Team USA over an 11-year run as a national team fixture. She also had a spectacular collegiate career with the University of Minnesota, where she ranks second in women’s program scoring history with 248 points in 136 games.

As GM of WBS, Spezza replaces Penguins director of amateur scouting Erik Heasley, who had held the role for parts of the last four seasons. Heasley will remain in his amateur scouting role, but will have a fair amount of his overall workload taken off his plate by Kessel and Spezza.

Yaroslav Askarov Requests Trade From Predators

August 19, 2024 at 10:34 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 47 Comments

10:34 a.m.: Trotz issued a statement on Askarov’s reported request (via John Glennon of the Nashville Post):

We are aware of the report today and our expectation is for the player to report to training camp and compete for a job in September.

8:21 a.m.: Predators goaltender Yaroslav Askarov has requested a trade, according to Kevin Weekes of ESPN. As per Weekes, Askarov has also informed the team that he won’t report to their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, if he remains with the team at the end of training camp and is sent to the minors.

Askarov has been a sought-after trade candidate for the past few seasons as a top-10 prospect at his position without a clear path to a starting role in Nashville. They’ve already used him as trade bait twice, putting him in play to acquire a top-five pick at the 2023 and 2024 drafts. Askarov is one year away from restricted free agency and is entering the final season of his entry-level contract at a $925K cap hit. He remains waiver-exempt for this season and next.

The 22-year-old has been in North America for two seasons, during which he’s put together a pair of All-Star campaigns for the Admirals. He made over 40 appearances each year, a heavy workload for the minor leagues, and posted a combined 2.55 GAA, .911 SV%, nine shutouts, and a 56-29-6 record in 92 games.

After being picked 11th overall by the Predators in 2020, Askarov has only made two NHL starts and one relief appearance since coming over from his native Russia. He had a tough showing in his debut in 2022-23 but rebounded with solid numbers in limited action last year, totaling a .914 SV% across 140 minutes of play across the two campaigns.

But Askarov’s path to the starter’s crease in Nashville evaporated when the Preds signed Juuse Saros to an eight-year, $61.92MM extension on July 1. There was still a chance he’d crack the team out of camp for the first time in 2024-25 as Saros’ backup, but that also went away after Nashville inked veteran Scott Wedgewood to a two-year deal a few hours later.

While the trade request is a significant development, it’s not surprising. Askarov’s agent, Gold Star Hockey’s Dan Milstein, said in an interview last month that he was “working with the club on different options” regarding his future and that Askarov feels he’s established himself as an NHL-ready talent. The Preds’ moves this offseason also firmly state general manager Barry Trotz’s intentions to exit rebuild mode, signing three of the top names on the UFA market in Jonathan Marchessault, Brady Skjei and Steven Stamkos.

When Nashville shopped Askarov in the past, the Canadiens consistently came up as his most likely destination. But reporting indicated it was Nashville putting Askarov in play to land the No. 5 pick both times, not the Habs displaying interest in prying him away. Montreal has Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau signed to one-way contracts this season, so if Askarov ends up in Montreal, he may have to wait for a roster spot until Primeau reaches restricted free agency next summer unless the Habs make a corresponding trade.

Even with his draft pedigree and strong development track so far, Askarov’s limited NHL action makes it unlikely that any team will take a chance on him as their starter as soon as this fall. Thus, look for teams with expandability and uncertainty at the backup position to insert themselves into trade talks. The Lightning, a frequent trade partner for Nashville in recent years, would likely want an upgrade on Jonas Johansson and his career .880 SV%, far below the league average. Whether they have the assets to acquire him is entirely different. At the draft, Trotz preferred to land an established NHLer or a similarly touted prospect in return, but that was before his free-agent spending spree.

But Askarov, who’s still five years from being eligible for unrestricted free agency, has little say in where he ends up without trade protection. However, given his six-figure AAV, there likely won’t be any trades extinguished by a lack of cap space on behalf of the acquiring club.

East Notes: Slafkovsky, Cernak, Mazur, Savard

August 19, 2024 at 9:55 am CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

For 12 countries on the fringes of the IIHF World Ranking, their performance in a round-robin tournament at the end of this month will decide whether or not they punch a ticket to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan. Slovakia is one of these countries, and after releasing their official roster today, it was confirmed that top Canadiens youngster Juraj Slafkovsky and Lightning stalwart defenseman Erik Černák won’t be in tow as they try to lock down a spot. That’s because Montreal and Tampa Bay opted not to release them to the Slovak national team when asked, reports Tomáš Prokop of Dennik Sport. They’ll still have the services of a few NHLers, namely Devils Simon Nemec and Tomáš Tatar, Capitals defenseman Martin Fehérváry, Ducks winger Pavol Regenda, and potentially Flames forward Martin Pospisil.

Other items from around the Eastern Conference this morning:

Of the Red Wings’ long list of potential impact prospects, look for a dark horse to log significant NHL minutes this season, opines The Athletic’s Max Bultman. That’s 22-year-old left winger Carter Mazur, who Detroit selected in the third round of the 2021 draft. Mazur, who won an NCAA championship as a freshman at the University of Denver in 2022, is entering his second professional season. He had a strong rookie campaign with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins last year, totaling 17 goals and 20 assists for 37 points in 60 games, finishing second on the team in scoring behind Jonatan Berggren. Bultman argues that Mazur has a more straightforward path to a roster spot early on in the season because of his projectability in a bottom-six role,
When the Maple Leafs gave new head coach Craig Berube some runway to reshape the rest of the coaching staff, he poached Marc Savard from the Flames as an assistant to run the team’s power play with consistency from Toronto’s immense star power in mind. “He’s an offensive guy, right? He scored a lot of points in the league. Great power-play guy when he played,” Berube told reporters (including David Alter of The Hockey News). “Just the familiarity I have with him and his personality works well with those types of players.” Savard served under Berube while the two were with the Blues in the 2019-20 campaign.

Valtteri Filppula Officially Signs With Finland’s Jokerit

August 19, 2024 at 8:53 am CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

Helsinki Jokerit of Finland’s second-tier league, Mestis, has officially announced the signing of NHL veteran Valtteri Filppula to a one-year contract. Sami Hoffrén and Marko Lempinen of Helsingen Sanomat reported last week that the sides were discussing a potential reunion.

Filppula, entering his age-40 season, had spent the last three seasons with Switzerland’s Genève-Servette HC after his NHL career drew to a close in 2021. While he was always one of the league’s more defensively responsible centers in his prime, his offensive game came back alive in Geneva, particularly in 2022-23. That year, he finished second on the team in scoring with 17 goals, 34 assists and 51 points in 46 games before leading the National League in playoff assists with 12 in 18 games, helping Genève-Servette to its first championship since being promoted from Nationalliga B in 2002. All in all, he totaled 131 points in 145 regular-season games for the Swiss club.

While Filppula’s numbers trailed off in 2023-24, limited to 33 points in 51 games, he’s still capable of shouldering professional minutes in Europe, especially against significantly easier competition in Mestis. He brings a lot of nostalgia to Jokerit, with whom he had 21 goals, 42 assists, and 63 points in 120 games in the top-level Liiga, where he played as a teenager and briefly during the 2012-13 NHL lockout. After being selected by the Red Wings in the third round of the 2002 draft, Filppula departed Jokerit for Detroit in 2005.

Across two stints in Hockeytown, Filppula amassed 112 goals, 175 assists and 287 points in 591 games while averaging over 16 minutes per night. He was a key depth piece on the Wings’ 2008 championship team, earning some outside Selke Trophy consideration that year. Filppula also logged action with the Flyers, Islanders, and Lightning to bring the total number of NHL games he played to 1,056 regular-season contests across 16 seasons.

In the release, neither Filppula nor the team hinted at any intentions of retirement next summer. But if he ends his playing days, he’ll remain with Jokerit off the ice. As part of today’s news, he’s become a part-owner and will assume a front-office role when he does opt to hang up his skates.

Oilers Trade Cody Ceci, Pick for Ty Emberson

August 18, 2024 at 10:09 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 20 Comments

The Edmonton Oilers have traded defenseman Cody Ceci and a 2025 third-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for defenseman Ty Emberson. The deal was initially reported by Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, who adds that no salary cap was retained. Spector mentions that moving Ceci’s $3.25MM cap hit could give Edmonton enough space to retain defenseman Philip Broberg while forward Dylan Holloway could be headed to the St. Louis Blues. Both players recently signed two-year offer sheets with the Blues – Broberg’s totaling $9.16MM in salary and Holloway’s totaling $4.58MM.

The two restricted free agents are in similar spots in their careers – yet to vindicate their first-round precedent, though still carving out routine roles in Edmonton’s lineup. They were utilized similarly, averaging roughly 11:30 in ice time this season, though Holloway played 38 games to Broberg’s 12. Retaining both players would cost the Oilers $6.87MM in cap hit – a tough bill to pay for an Oilers team that was already $8.225MM over the cap ceiling. It seems the team is opting to hold onto the defenseman, though it will cost them near-800-game veteran Cody Ceci.

Despite routinely receiving criticism, Ceci was an anchor of Edmonton’s top-four last season, averaging 20 minutes of total ice time and more penalty-kill time than any other Oiler. He ended the year with five goals and 25 points in 79 games this season, adding five points in 24 playoff games – where he notoriously partnered with Darnell Nurse for some of the best and worst moments of the postseason. After three years in Edmonton, Ceci will move to his fifth NHL franchise in this trade. He’ll seemingly – and perhaps surprisingly – become San Jose’s top right defenseman, joining a room occupied by Jan Rutta and Matt Benning. He’ll be the second-most experienced on the blue-line, though leader Marc-Edouard Vlasic – who’s just four games shy of 1,300 career games, though he became a routine healthy scratch last season.

Ceci’s departure opens a big hole in the Oilers’ blue line, which could finally yield the opportunity that Broberg’s been waiting for. He’s only averaged 12:42 in ice time through 81 career games and hasn’t played over 19 minutes in a single game since November of 2021. Broberg has yielded 13 career points in the limited role, though stepping into top-four minutes could be enough to kick the former top-10 pick into high gear.

That could cost them winger Holloway, who’s scored 18 career points – and added seven in 25 games this postseason. Holloway was drafted 14th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, selected after a strong freshman year at the University of Wisconsin, where he totaled 52 points in 58 games over two years in Wisconsin before turning pro in 2021. He has since bounced between the NHL and AHL lineups, showing flashes of promise as a hefty play-driver but never finding his spark. His 6-foot-1, 206-pound frame is just 10 pounds heavier than winger Vasily Podkolzin, who Edmonton acquired for a 2025 third-round pick earlier today. Podkolzin fits into the same conversation as Holloway and Broberg – a former top draft pick struggling to show what he can do at the top level. The size similarities and Podkolzin’s cheap $1MM cap hit seem to back the idea that Holloway could be headed to St. Louis – though nothing is official yet.

Regardless of their decision with Broberg and Holloway, Edmonton emerges from this swap with young defender Ty Emberson, who played through his first 30 NHL games last season, scoring 10 points and showing value as a shutdown defender on a struggling San Jose roster. But a lower-body laceration suffered in February cut Emberson’s rookie year short, leaving Sharks fans guessing where his upside might fall.

Multiple teams have shown interest in Emberson at one point. He was initially drafted by the Arizona Coyotes ahead of a three-year tenure at the University of Wisconsin, where he managed 34 points in 101 games. Emberson turned pro with the Tuscon Roadrunners in 2020, getting a taste of tougher competition before a 2022 trade to the New York Rangers in exchange for Patrick Nemeth and draft picks in 2025 and 2026. New York signed Emberson to a one-year, league-minimum contract but placed him on waivers two months later. San Jose placed a claim as the fourth team on the priority list, ultimately pushing Emberson into his first NHL role. He’ll now move to Edmonton with the chance for even more growth as he battles Broberg and Nurse for ice time on the right-hand side.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Snapshots: Pospisil, Moline, Chabot

August 18, 2024 at 8:04 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

Flames winger Martin Pospisil said last week that he’d be representing Slovakia in this month’s Olympic qualifying tournament, but that may no longer be the case. Pospisil recently told Slovak outlet Dennik Sport that he’s reconsidering his decision after the country’s hockey governing body invited Slovak players from Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League to suit up for the tournament.

“I was surprised by the news, we’ll see how it all develops,” Pospisil said. “It’s hard for me to comment on that, because I found out everything just a while ago. I have to process that information first… It is still an honor for me to wear the national jersey. Sometimes, however, one has to put sports aside, but it’s hard for me to talk about it now. I will decide in the next few days.”

His potential departure from the national squad would be a large blow, as he was one of the few NHL-contracted players who were willing to participate for their respective countries during what’s otherwise the final ramp-up period to training camps. Pospisil finished third on the Slovak team in scoring at the World Championship earlier this year with seven points in seven games, his first appearance for the senior national team. The Slovak roster will still have a decent amount of big-name talent at the tournament and is a favorite to land one of the three spots remaining in men’s ice hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics, namely Devils Simon Nemec and Tomas Tatar and Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary.

Summer Synopsis: Carolina Hurricanes

August 18, 2024 at 7:30 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 4 Comments

The Carolina Hurricanes have been the envy of many NHL teams for the past half-decade, building out a sustainable lineup that nicely blended veteran pieces with up-and-coming prospects. Despite the seemingly endless supply of talent, Carolina has never been able to put it all together and go a run to the Stanley Cup Finals. Their regular season success over the past 5+ years is nearly unmatched, but the playoff losses have started to lead fans to wonder if this core can be the one that brings the franchise its second Stanley Cup. Carolina saw a lot of turnover this summer and it could lead the team to take a step back next season.

Draft

2-34: D Dominik Badinka, Malmo (SHL)
2-50: F Nikita Artamonov, Torpedo (KHL)
3-69: D Noel Fransen, Färjestad BK (SHL)
4-124: D Alexander Siryatsky, Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)
5-133: F Oskar Vuollet, Skellefteå AIK (SHL)
5-156: F Justin Poirier, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)
6-168: D Timur Kol, Avangard Omsk (KHL)
6-184: D Roman Shokhrin, Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)
6-188: F Fyodor Avramov, Kapitan Stupino (MHL)
7-220: F Andrey Krutov, Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)

A hectic summer wasn’t enough to knock Carolina off the course of what they do best – win out draft classes. The Hurricanes traded their first-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for a pair of picks in the first round – ultimately resulting in swapping Marek Vanacker for Dominik Badinka and Nikita Artamonov. That value swap would be considered a steal by many public scouting services, who were particularly fond of the feisty and aggressive offensive style that Badinka brings from the blue line. He earned first-round recognition from multiple outlets, including ranking 29^th in Bob McKenzie’s acclaimed final rankings. Artamonov earned similar recognition with very mature and flexible hockey in Russia’s KHL, though his stock slipped over the year as he – and many other top Russian prospects – hit a scoring lull through the middle of the season. Nevertheless, the pair define Carolina’s draft-day haul with success in their country’s top flight.

But the supporting cast around Badinka and Artamonov can’t be counted out. Defender Noel Fransen also worked his way into an SHL lineup this season, with his 20 goals and 44 points in 45 U20 games resulting in four games with Farjestad. He was quiet in those outings but made up for it with strong international performances, ultimately flaunting a strong ability to both initiate and defend the rush through the neutral zone. He’ll need to reign in his aggressive pushes up the ice and find an appreciation for defensive positioning to succeed at the next flight, though Fransen’s upside as a puck-mover would fit well in Carolina’s fast-paced system.

The style matches continue with high-drive forwards Oskar Vuollet and Justin Poirier, who both emerged as their team’s leading forward over the season, though to largely varied results. Vuollet was, narrowly, the higher pick of the two – likely thanks to his heftier build and 15 SHL games this season. But it’s Poirier who carved out the longer season, championing Baie-Comeau to the QMJHL Championship with 18 goals and 27 points in 17 playoff games. It was an impressive run that showed Poirier’s dazzling ability to create plays out of the corners and find space on the outskirts of the slot. His style is reminiscent of former NHL journeyman Steve Sullivan, who carried plenty of power, drive, and play-creating ability in a small frame – and fought his way to a 1,000-game career despite being a ninth-round draft pick. Those are certainly lofty expectations for Poirier – whose physicality is yet to be tested at the top level. If he adjusts well, he could find a niche similar to Sullivan’s. If he can’t, Carolina will fall back on the responsible forechecking and hard-passing of Vuollet, which also looks like it could translate well to North American pros.

Carolina rounded out their draft class with a heap of Russian talent – headlined by a well-rounded defense, including Alexander Siryatsky’s large frame, Roman Shokhrin’s hard-hitting, and Timur Kol’s confident stickhandling from the blue line. All three players have pitfalls ahead of them, but could each use their defining strength to claw up Carolina’s depth chart. They’re complimented by heavy-shooter Fyodor Avramov and nifty scorer Andrey Krutov – who both found success in the MHL, Russia’s premier junior league, that they’ll now try to translate to the country’s pros. The Hurricanes have now drafted 15 players from Russia in just the last three years – showing plenty of confidence in bringing Russian players overseas.

UFA Signings

F William Carrier (six-years, $12MM)
F Jordan Martinook (three-years, $9.2MM)
F Jack Roslovic (one-year, $2.8MM)
F Eric Robinson (one-year, $950K)
F Joakim Ryan (one-year, $775K)*
F Riley Stillman (one-year, $775K)*
D Jaccob Slavin (extended eight years, $51.7MM)
D Sean Walker (five-years, $18MM)
D Shayne Gostisbehere (three-years, $9.6MM)
D Josiah Slavin (two-years, $775K)*

*denotes two-way deal

Carolina may not have lost as much quantity as some NHL teams, but their departing quality is as rich as it gets. That forced first-time general manager Eric Tulsky into a busy July as he looked to patch the many openings in the lineup. The rookie managed the feat well, bringing in highly capable defenders Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere to replace the departing Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce. The new acquisitions might not match the confident offense of Skjei or the stout defense of Pesce, though both Walker and Gostisbehere worked into top-four minutes last season with reliable two-way play. Gostibehere is the particularly exciting of the two, coming off a career year with the Detroit Red Wings that saw him net 10 goals and 56 points in 81 games – a career-high in scoring. He’s entering his second stint with the Hurricanes, having served 13 points across 38 games, combined between the regular season and playoffs, with the team after a 2023 Trade Deadline swap. That could prove good prep as he approaches a Hurricanes season with major roles on the defense up for grabs.

But neither Gostibehere nor Walker will clinch too rich of a role, thanks to Carolina’s lofty re-signing of alternate captain Jaccob Slavin. The newly minted, max-term deal walks the veteran defender to his age-38 season – solidifying his spot as a career Hurricane amid plenty of turnover on the blue line. Slavin continues to stand as one of the most watertight defensemen in the league, offering consistent and reliable impact on both sides of the puck as well as both sides of the ice. Now cemented in the lineup, Slavin will look to carry the torch for Carolina’s restructured defense and will stand as a favorite for the team’s captaincy when long-running captain Jordan Staal calls his career quits. He’ll also get the honor of playing in the same organization as brother Josiah Slavin, who signed a two-way deal with Carolina but projects as a minor-league option.

Carolina complimented a defensive refresh by adding multiple bricks into the offense. Jack Roslovic stands as the most notable signee, joining Carolina after digging his feet into the third-line center role for both the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers. That led him to 39 points across 77 games this season, including the playoffs – continuing Roslovic’s flirting with the 40-point ceiling into its fourth consecutive season. He’ll likely make the biggest splash in the lineup, though it’s William Carrier’s six-year extension that stands as Carolina’s most eye-raising addition. Carrier scored just eight points in 39 regular season games last year – and just 25 points in 56 games in 2022-23. He’s now up to 107 points in 413 career games – certainly meager numbers, though he’s continued to find ways into the lineup with quick decision-making and a daunting physical presence. Carrier will now bring those traits into Carolina, looking to carve out a fourth-line role that he can carry through the end of the 2020s.

Eric Robinson, Joakim Ryan, and Riley Stillman will all compete for similar fourth-line roles, though it’d be forgetful not to mention Jordan Martinook, who’s earned a deal rivaling a $10MM total salary after playing in all 164 games and scoring a commendable 66 points, over the last two seasons. Martinook has found his stride with the Canes after slowly rising to prominence through the team’s bottom six. He’ll likely stay in that role moving forward, though his multi-year extension gives the Hurricanes much-needed consistency in their depths.

RFA Re-Signings

F Martin Necas (two-year, $13MM)
F Jack Drury (two-years, $3.4MM)
D Jalen Chatfield (three-years, $9MM)

While Carolina can rest on an energetic UFA window, their RFA signings are coated in bore after emerging forward Martin Necas, once the top name on many different trade boards, ultimately decided to re-sign in Carolina. The new deal walks Necas to unrestricted free agency, giving him the chance to handpick a new team at his earliest convenience, but it’ll come at the cost of two more seasons in Carolina. That’s certainly not much to complain about – after all, Necas has grown into his own with the Hurricanes, netting a career-high 28 goals and 71 points in 82 games during the 2022-23 season after a pair of 40-point years. He succeeded the career year with 24 goals and 53 points in 77 games this season, though even with the step back in scoring, Necas’ ability to fit in with Carolina’s offensive stars was clear. Necas was a center before being drafted but was quickly swapped to the wing by Carolina. Despite some intrigue in returning to his natural position, it’ll be the flanks that offer the most opportunity in Carolina – with Necas privy to even more ice time now that the team has lost Jake Guentzel and Teuvo Teravainen.

Carolina’s other RFA signings are much more par for the course – featuring reliable and growing depth pieces Jack Drury and Jalen Chatfield, who are both cutting their teeth on Carolina’s bottom lines and special teams. Chatfield’s multi-year deal gives Carolina blue-line exciting upside from top to bottom on the right side. While the 28-year-old is still early into his NHL career, his 22 points in 72 games this season and growing confidence as a physical presence have made him a gut punch down the depth of Carolina’s lineup. While the defense will inevitably shift around as new additions find their role, Chatfield’s grit should make him a steadfast feature on the bottom pair.

Departures

F Jake Guentzel (traded to Tampa Bay)
F Evgeny Kuznetsov (waived)
F Teuvo Teravainen (Chicago, three-years, $16.2MM)
F Stefan Noesen (New Jersey, three years, $8.25MM)
F Eric Staal (retired)
F Max Comtois (unqualified, signed with Dynamo of the KHL)
D Brady Skjei (Nashville, seven-years, $49MM)
D Brett Pesce (New Jersey, six years, $33MM)
D Tony DeAngelo (unrestricted free agent)
D Dylan Coghlan (traded to Winnipeg)
G Antti Raanta (unrestricted free agent)

The strength of this year’s departing Hurricanes would rival some of the NHL’s basement dwellers. Carolina is losing irreplaceable talent as they say goodbye to Skjei, Pesce, Teravainen, Kuznetsov – and, most notably, star winger Jake Guentzel, who’s donned the title of Steven Stamkos’ replacement in Tampa Bay. Guentzel was one of the headliners of this year’s Trade Deadline, making the first move of his career after eight years with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Carolina had to part with a laundry list of talent to reel him in, including winger Michael Bunting and multiple top prospects. Guentzel vindicated the asking price with 34 points across 38 games with the team, including tying for third on the team in postseason scoring. The Hurricanes are uniquely positioned to handle such a big blow, thanks to the emergence of Necas and the looming return of oft-injured Andrei Svechnikov, who’s scored 316 points in 406 games but hasn’t played 80 games in a season since 2019.

The Hurricanes are also saying goodbye to Eric Staal, who signed a one-day contract with the team to retire a member of the team that started the fruitful careers of both he and brother Jordan Staal. Eric made his debut with the Hurricanes in 2003 and quickly jumped off the page. He managed 100 points in his sophomore season as Carolina steamrolled their way to the 2006 Stanley Cup. He went on to total 775 points in 909 games with Carolina before continuing his stellar NHL career through stints with five teams, including the Minnesota Wild.

Salary Cap Outlook

Carolina enters the last stretch of the summer with just under $6.44MM in projected cap space, which could be enough room to sign their remaining RFA, Seth Jarvis, if they elect to offer him a bridge deal. But, if both sides elect to go to a maximum-length deal, Carolina’s cap situation could get spicy. The Hurricanes lost a lot of personnel this summer and will enter next season with several new faces; it’s likely the team has concerns about starting the season without Jarvis as a lot of the new pieces will be looking to acclimate, and it could lead to a slow start in Carolina. The Hurricanes don’t have a ton of bad contracts on the books and could make a move before the start of the regular season in case they need to clear space for Jarvis’ long-term pact.

Key Questions

Is Their Forward Depth Strong Enough? The Hurricanes’ forward depth took a beating this offseason, and they lost the likes of Jake Guentzel, Stefan Noesen, and Teuvo Teravainen. The team scrambled for replacements on the free agent market, bringing Jack Roslovic as potential center depth, as well as Tyson Jost and William Carrier. The departures leave Carolina in a precarious position as their forward group was once the envy of most teams and now looks to be closer to average than it has been in a while.

Can The Goaltending Hold Up? There is no question that Frederik Andersen was spectacular last season for Carolina, but he was limited to just 16 regular season games and was very pedestrian in the playoffs. Andersen has played just 50 regular season games total the past two seasons, and his backup, Pyotr Kochetkov, has played just 69 career games split over three seasons. While both men are capable of holding the fort for Carolina, the question is, can they do it for an entire season? And, more importantly, can they do it in the playoffs? Andersen has been a great regular-season goalie for most of his career, but the story remains his inability to elevate his game in the playoffs, and it is something the Hurricanes will need if they want to take the next step.

Can The Defense Sustain Offseason Losses? Losing your second defensive pairing is never ideal, especially when that pairing is one of the best, which is what Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei were for the Hurricanes. Carolina had the luxury of playing Dmitry Orlov on their third pairing last year but will likely need to elevate him into the top four to navigate their other departures. The team is fortunate that they held onto defensive prospect Scott Morrow and should be able to insert him into the NHL lineup at some point this season, and they were also able to add veterans Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker, who should be able to bring a veteran presence to the Canes back end. Carolina’s defense will look very different next season, and time will tell if that is for better or for worse.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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