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Maple Leafs Notes: Domi, McMann, Järnkrok, Edmundson

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Maple Leafs forward Max Domi is expected to miss the final two games of the regular season, head coach Sheldon Keefe said (via David Alter of The Hockey News). It’s an undisclosed injury that’s been nagging him for a while, Keefe said, although he’s aggravated it slightly in recent outings. It’s not expected to plague him heading into the postseason, so they’ll hold him out now with a playoff spot under wraps and make sure he’s ready to go. The 29-year-old has been a late-season revelation, excelling since being bumped up to the first line alongside Auston Matthews and Tyler Bertuzzi. He’s scored just nine goals but has 47 points in 80 games on the year. 37 of his 38 assists have come at even strength, placing him inside the top 15 league-wide.

Elsewhere in Leafland:

  • While there’s still a glimmer of hope for Domi to suit up in the regular-season finale Wednesday against the Lightning, the same can’t be said for Bobby McMann. His lower-body injury will keep him out of both their remaining contests, Keefe said. He also didn’t confirm McMann’s availability for Game 1 of their likely opening-round series against the Panthers, saying, “We’ll see where he’s at as that approaches” (via Mark Masters of TSN). McMann left Saturday’s overtime loss to the Red Wings after skating only four minutes. The undrafted free agent has been Toronto’s most unlikely producer, working his way up from the ECHL over the past few seasons and eventually solidifying his spot as an everyday NHLer this season. He has 15 goals and 24 points in 56 games this season, ranking ninth among Leafs forwards in points per game.
  • Winger Calle Järnkrok’s availability for Game 1 is also in doubt as he continues to recover from a hand injury. Keefe said that his status is “still to be determined, but I think he’s more in a day-to-day situation. Unfortunately, we’re running out of schedule here” (via Masters). Järnkrok was a partial participant in today’s practice and did travel with the team on their regular season-ending road trip to Florida. He hasn’t played since March 14, sustaining his second hand injury of the season after missing over a month with a knuckle fracture in February.
  • Defenseman Joel Edmundson will be re-evaluated by the team’s medical staff ahead of tomorrow’s game against the Panthers, Keefe said (via Masters). The defenseman practiced today as he continues to try and shake an undisclosed injury, which Keefe called a “positive sign” for the trade deadline pickup. He’s been injured for most of his Toronto tenure, missing 10 of 18 games. When in the lineup, he’s averaged 17:56 per game with a +3 rating.

Stars Sign Arttu Hyry To Entry-Level Deal

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The Stars have signed forward Arttu Hyry to a two-year, entry-level deal beginning next season, the team announced. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Hyry, 23, lands his first NHL contract after going undrafted during his eligible period between 2019 and 2022. He’s spent the last six seasons in the Kärpät organization in Finland, making his top-level Liiga debut in 2020-21 before embarking on three seasons in full-team roles with the club.

The speedy 6’2″ forward can play both right-wing and center. He’s coming off a breakout season with Kärpät, recording 31 points (14 goals, 17 assists) with a +19 rating in 55 games. That performance was good enough for fifth in team scoring, and his rating was highest among forwards. He added three goals in 11 postseason contests as Kärpät was eliminated in the semifinals by Pelicans last weekend – he scored the lone goal in a 2-1 overtime loss in the series-deciding Game 5.

The Oulu native was under contract with Kärpät through next season, but the Stars can buy out the contract thanks to the NHL’s transfer agreement with the Liiga. The Stars now have him inked through 2026, at which point he’ll be an RFA upon the expiry of his deal. They’ll maintain team control until the 2028 offseason, at which point he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency. He’s a long shot to crack a deep Stars forward group next season and should be expected to begin the year with AHL Texas.

Panthers, Bill Zito Agree To Multi-Year Extension

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The Panthers have agreed to a multi-year contract extension with general manager Bill Zito, the club announced Monday. Zito has also been named the team’s president of hockey operations as part of the deal.

Florida handed Zito the keys to their front office in September 2020, weeks after they were eliminated by the Islanders in the Qualifying Round of the 2020 bubble playoffs. The club was cycling through periods of mediocrity at the time, and the last big splash by previous GM Dale Tallon, a seven-year, $70MM contract for goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in free agency, had failed miserably in its inaugural season. He made his first splash less than a month after being hired, acquiring winger Patric Hörnqvist from the Penguins in exchange for depth forward Colton Sceviour and defenseman Mike Matheson, followed up by drafting Anton Lundell 12th overall in 2020 and inking future top-six fixture Carter Verhaeghe to a bargain-bin two-year, $2MM deal in free agency.

Immediately, the Cats roared to life. They finished second in the modified Central Division during the abbreviated 2020-21 season, and their 37-14-5 record would have been their best in franchise history by a country mile over an 82-game campaign. The following year carried a mixed start – they began the season with a 7-0-0 record, but head coach Joel Quenneville abruptly announced his resignation in late October after meeting with commissioner Gary Bettman to discuss his involvement in addressing a 2010 incident as head coach of the Blackhawks when video coach Brad Aldrich allegedly sexually assaulted prospect Kyle Beach during that year’s playoffs. Zito kept his corresponding move internal, promoting assistant Andrew Brunette to the interim head coach role. Under Brunette, the Panthers finished the season 51-18-6, won the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in franchise history, and won their first playoff series since 1996.

Zito’s biggest move came in the summer of 2022 after they were swept in the second round by the in-state rival Lightning. In the first true sign-and-trade in league history, Zito dealt reigning assists leader Jonathan Huberdeau and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to the Flames, along with other assets, for All-Star winger Matthew Tkachuk with an eight-year, $76MM extension in tow. While Weegar has been a solid piece for the Flames, Tkachuk has vastly outperformed Huberdeau since the swap and costs $1MM less annually on his extension. With Paul Maurice now behind the bench after Zito opted not to make Brunette the full-time bench boss, Tkachuk played an integral role as Florida struggled through the regular season but upset their way to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, knocking off the 135-point Bruins in the first round in the process.

Bobrovsky rebounding to Vezina-level form has given Zito a considerable amount of help, but he’s still displayed incredible skill at picking up low-risk, high-ceiling targets. Waiver claim Gustav Forsling has exploded as one of the best two-way threats in the league and just received a fair-value eight-year, $46MM extension from Zito. Picking up defenseman Brandon Montour from the Sabres for a third-round pick in 2021 has paid heavy dividends, and other low-cost trade or UFA pickups like Sam Bennett, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Anthony Stolarz have Florida positioned yet again as a Stanley Cup contender without much dead money or bloated long-term commitments on the books.

Zito’s most significant offseason might be this upcoming one. Roughly half of Florida’s NHL-rostered skaters are on expiring deals, and Montour and winger Sam Reinhart will be among the top options available at their respective positions should they head to market. Getting them signed or letting them walk will be his biggest task this summer, as well as debating an extension for Aaron Ekblad, who has one season left at a $7.5MM cap hit but has had a sharp decline over the past few seasons while dealing with injuries.

Before joining the Panthers, Zito was with the Blue Jackets for seven years as their associate general manager, earning a promotion to VP of hockey operations and alternate governor later on is his tenure.

Blue Jackets Sign Gavin Brindley To Entry-Level Deal

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The Blue Jackets have signed forward prospect Gavin Brindley to his entry-level contract, per a team release. While the team did not disclose financial details, the three-year contract begins immediately. He’s in line to make his NHL debut tomorrow against the Hurricanes, Columbus’ final game of the regular season.

Brindley is one of the Jackets’ best forward prospects, going to them in the early second round (34th overall) of last year’s draft. He was billed as a mid-to-late first-round talent by many and was coming off a strong freshman season at the University of Michigan, but his 5’9″, 168-lb frame scared enough teams off to let him fall to the second.

Now turning pro after his sophomore campaign came to an end in the semifinals of the NCAA national tournament last week, the 19-year-old wraps up his time with the Wolverines after racking up 37 goals, 54 assists and 91 points with 50 PIMs and a +38 rating in 81 games. He led the Big 10 tournament champions in overall scoring this season, posting 53 points (25 goals, 28 assists) in 40 games with a +17 rating to eclipse teammates such as Blackhawks prospect Frank Nazar and Lightning prospect Dylan Duke, both of whom signed their ELCs in the past few days.

That performance earned him three Big Ten year-end honors, including Player of the Year, and was named to the First All-American Team for the NCAA’s West Region. He also won gold with Team USA at this year’s World Juniors and was named one of their top three players after posting six goals and 10 points in seven games while serving as an alternate captain.

Brindley would be considered a top-two organizational prospect on several teams but slotted in as the fifth-best in a stacked Columbus system in Scott Wheeler’s 2024 rankings for The Athletic. He can play both center and wing, although his smaller frame means he’s likely slated for more action on the latter over his NHL career. Described by Wheeler as a “debatably elite skater,” his speed and acceleration give him the tools to be a legitimate two-way threat – something that should carry over to the pros thanks to his rather intelligent style of play. His frame may prevent him from winning the majority of board battles, but he’s got an Energizer bunny-like quality that should make him an effective checker.

That’s not to slight his skills with the puck. His finishing isn’t the hallmark of his game, and projecting him as a 30-goal scorer might be ambitious. His high-end view of the game lends itself to making smart plays, though, something he can execute consistently with strong puckhandling and stickhandling abilities that make him a great set-up man.

Signing his ELC now makes him ineligible to join AHL Cleveland for their playoff run, so his season will end after tomorrow’s game. Inked through 2026, he’s a strong candidate to make the Jackets’ opening night roster next fall as part of their next wave of young forwards.

Flames Sign Waltteri Ignatjew To One-Year Deal

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Update: CapFriendly reports Ignatjew is signed to an entry-level deal, meaning he can be assigned to the ECHL without player approval.

The Flames have signed goaltender Waltteri Ignatjew to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2024-25 season, per a team announcement. Financial terms were not disclosed. He’s destined for minor-league assignment next season and won’t be loaned out to Europe, reports Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960, although Flames Nation’s Ryan Pike points out he could reject an assignment to ECHL Rapid City because he’s signed to a standard player contract, not an entry-level one.

Ignatjew, 24, has spent nearly all of his professional career in second-tier pro leagues in Finland and Sweden. His only top-level experience came via a five-game stint with Jukurit in the Finnish Liiga in 2021-22.

Undrafted, the 6’3″ Finn seemed to find his footing this season with Mora IK in Sweden’s second-tier league, HockeyAllsvenskan. 2023-24 was the first time Ignatjew hadn’t changed teams or loaned to an affiliate club mid-season, erupting as Mora’s bonafide starter and appearing in 45 of 52 regular-season games. He managed a strong .918 SV% and 2.34 GAA, compiling a 26-18 record with four shutouts. Mora finished fifth in the league and advanced to the semifinal, losing to the recently demoted Djurgårdens IF. They’ve spent most of the last 15 years in the Allsvenskan, save for a two-year SHL stint in 2017-18 and 2018-19. Ignatjew was a big part of their playoff run to the final four, mirroring his regular-season showing with a .918 SV% and 2.16 GAA in 12 games.

The Helsinki native likely wasn’t on many teams’ radars, and he lacks international experience to complement his resume, but he’s a low-risk signing who can be buried in the minors without needing waivers to start. Calgary only had three goalies under contract next season with farmhand Oscar Dansk on an expiring deal, so Ignatjew could be in line to replace Dansk’s spot as the backup for AHL Calgary behind top prospect Dustin Wolf if he’s not in the majors to begin 2024-25.

Ignatjew will be an RFA in the 2025 offseason upon completion of his deal.

Flames Recall Adam Klapka

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The Flames announced that they’ve recalled forward Adam Klapka from AHL Calgary. The Czech big man could be in line to see NHL ice over their final two games of the season.

Klapka, 23, went undrafted and had to rise through the Czech junior and professional ranks and the United States Hockey League before landing an entry-level contract in free agency with Calgary before last season. He’s played in 64 games for the Wranglers this season, leading the team with 21 goals and 45 points. It’s a sizable step forward for the massive 6’8″, 245-lb winger, who mustered only 25 points in 60 AHL games last year.

He’s been hot to end the season, too, notching eight points in his last 10. He made his NHL debut on a four-game recall back in January, but averaged just 6:08 per game and posted a -1 rating without recording a point. He took one minor penalty (rookie numbers compared to his 88 PIMs in the minors) and logged 13 hits.

If he gets back into the lineup, it’s likely to be in a fourth-line role again. Klapka needs a new deal this summer as a pending RFA with arbitration rights, something Flames GM Craig Conroy will likely be amicable toward after his minor-league breakout. He’s owed a qualifying offer of $814K.

Blackhawks Reassign Ethan Del Mastro

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The Blackhawks announced they’ve assigned defenseman Ethan Del Mastro to AHL Rockford. As expected, he’ll finish the season in the minors after playing his first two NHL games over the past week.

Chicago recalled Del Mastro, 21, for his NHL debut last Thursday. He didn’t record a point but excelled in shutdown usage, posting a 45.2 CF% and +0.3 expected rating in a pair of losses to the Predators and Hurricanes. The Hawks were outshot by a combined total of 70-42 in those contests.

The 2021 fourth-rounder is in his first professional season with Rockford, where he’s settled in as their number-one defenseman with seven goals, 37 points, and a +15 rating. All of those are team highs among blue-liners. It’s a promising early sign for the former OHL All-Star, who also took home gold with Canada at last year’s World Juniors. With veterans, Jaycob Megna, Jarred Tinordi and Nikita Zaitsev on expiring NHL deals, Del Mastro may be playing his way into an opening night roster spot next October.

Two seasons remain on his entry-level contract, with a cap hit of $856K. He’ll be an RFA in 2026.

Flyers Sign Hunter McDonald To Entry-Level Deal

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The Flyers have signed left-shot defenseman Hunter McDonald to a two-year, entry-level contract that begins in the 2024-25 season, per a team announcement. Financial terms were not disclosed. McDonald, a 2022 sixth-round pick, was already on an ATO with AHL Lehigh Valley.

McDonald made his professional debut on March 23 and has made nine appearances with the Phantoms, adjusting well with two assists and a +5 rating. He turned pro after his sophomore season at Northeastern University, which was shortened by an injury that kept him out for most of the first three months of the campaign.

2023-24 was a bit of a step back for McDonald, who was named to the Hockey East conference’s All-Rookie Team and was awarded Best Defensive Defenseman honors in his freshman year after posting 14 points and a +21 rating in 35 games. In 23 appearances this season, though, he mustered only six points and a +3 rating.

The 21-year-old is a shutdown-only threat and has been since joining the junior hockey ranks in 2019. His 14 points during his freshman year with the Huskies exceeded most offensive expectations. The New York native has NHL-ready size at 6’4″ and 205 lbs and is a decent outlet passer, but otherwise has poor offensive instincts and is a slow skater with even slower acceleration. He’s still an incredibly strong defender with a high-end ability to box out opposing forwards around the net, but he carries a third-pairing ceiling at the NHL level.

McDonald’s deal expires after the 2025-26 season, at which point he will be an RFA. He will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2029.

Senators Recall Zack Ostapchuk

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The Senators have recalled center Zack Ostapchuk from AHL Belleville, per a team announcement. He’ll play Ottawa’s final two games of the season instead of Mark Kastelic, who left Saturday’s shootout win over the Canadiens with an upper-body injury.

Ostapchuk, 20, got a brief stint with the Sens last month but failed to record a point in six games. He was returned to Belleville on March 22.

Before and after his first NHL call-up, the 2021 second-round pick showed flashes during his inaugural professional season but has struggled with inconsistency. In 66 games for Belleville this season, he’s scored 17 goals and has added 11 assists for 28 points and a +4 rating. The 6’3″, 205-lb forward has gotten into a fair amount of penalty trouble, too, recording 47 PIMs on the year. Most of his scoring has come in bunches – he has quite a few two-point games this season, but he has also routinely gone more than five games without getting on the scoresheet.

There’s no risk on the Sens’ part of giving him another crack in the NHL lineup for their season-ending back-to-back this week, though. They’re guaranteed a bottom-three spot in the East with a 36-40-4 record, and their final two games are against likely divisional champions in the Rangers and Bruins. It should be a good test for Ostapchuk to see how he fares against contending teams’ depth. He’s expected to center their third line, flanked by Boris Katchouk and Parker Kelly. Ottawa is dealing with a rash of injuries at forward to end the season, including star centers Tim Stützle and Joshua Norris, Kastelic, and depth winger Angus Crookshank.

While Ostapchuk signed his entry-level contract back in September 2021, it only took effect this season after sliding twice. He has two seasons remaining on his deal at a $825K cap hit and is under team control through 2029.

Jakob Silfverberg Signs With HockeyAllsvenskan’s Brynäs IF

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Brynäs IF of the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier professional league, has signed Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg to a two-year contract, the team announced. Financial terms were not disclosed. Silfverberg announced last week that he would be retiring from the NHL at the end of the season.

The 33-year-old now returns to the club where he spent the entirety of his junior and professional career before arriving in the NHL with the Senators in 2012. It’s far from an unexpected move. As far back as May 2023, reports out of Sweden indicated that Silfverberg planned to return to Brynäs after his contract in Anaheim expired this offseason.

The pair of news items over the last week put a bow on Silfverberg’s decade in SoCal, which began when the Ducks acquired him, along with Stefan Noesen and a first-round pick that became Nick Ritchie, from Ottawa for Bobby Ryan in the 2013 offseason. He’s been a mainstay in the Anaheim lineup since, suiting up 771 times over the past 11 years. The 2009 second-round pick posted 158 goals and 354 points while averaging 16:23 per game, earning Selke Trophy votes in three straight seasons from 2015-16 to 2017-18.

Now in his mid-30s, it may be ambitious for Brynäs supporters to hope Silfverberg picks up where he left off. His final season with the club in 2011-12 was nothing short of electric. He played in the top-level Elitserien (now Swedish Hockey League) and captained the club while posting 54 points in 49 games, leading the league in points per game. The two-way winger is likely in line for a middle-six role there.

Brynäs may currently be in the HockeyAllsvenskan, but there’s a strong chance Silfverberg will play in the SHL next season. They were the best team in the regular season with a 33-5-3-11 record and have advanced to the finals against Djurgårdens IF. Their best-of-seven series begins Wednesday. The winner will gain promotion back to the top level in 2024-25.

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