PHR Live Chat Transcript: 07/31/24
PHR’s Josh Erickson hosted his weekly live chat on Wednesday. Use this link to view the transcript.
Metropolitan Notes: Rangers, Montgomery, Nadeau, Daws
The Rangers’ defense core from last season is largely returning, minus Erik Gustafsson, who departed for the Red Wings in free agency. But the big stars and supporting cast are largely back, even down to seventh defenseman Chad Ruhwedel. All that likely means more opportunity for the younger Zachary Jones, who’s spent the last few seasons in a fringe role. But as Peter Baugh of The Athletic writes, that lack of major moves will mean defense takes the top spot on the Rangers’ trade deadline shopping list.
New York’s group of defenders was good enough to get them to another President’s Trophy last season and deep into the Eastern Conference Final, where they lost to the eventual champion Panthers. But it will rely more on youth next season, asking more out of Jones and especially Braden Schneider. Schneider is expected to assume top-four duties on the right side, with captain Jacob Trouba declining into a third-pairing role.
“The type of defenseman Drury pursues could depend on how the team looks through the first half,” Baugh wrote. “If Jones settles in nicely, the Rangers probably could look more at shutdown candidates. If Trouba and Lindgren both rebound from up-and-down 2023-24s, the front office could look to someone more offensive-minded.”
The Blue Jackets’ Ivan Provorov and the Kraken’s William Borgen and Adam Larsson are among some preliminary targets should the Rangers look to pick up a rental blue-liner in March, Baugh opines.
There’s more from the Metropolitan Division:
- Hurricanes defense prospect Bryce Montgomery is staying in the organization on a two-way AHL/ECHL deal with the Chicago Wolves next season, the team announced yesterday. Montgomery, 21, was a sixth-round pick of the team in 2021 but has yet to sign his entry-level contract. They have until June 1, 2025, to sign him before his exclusive draft rights expire. Montgomery spent last season with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays, with 14 points and a +4 rating in 42 games.
- Sticking with Carolina, 2023 first-round pick Bradly Nadeau is fully intent on making the NHL roster out of camp in his first full professional season, he told NHL.com’s Kurt Dusterberg. Nadeau, 19, was drafted out of the British Columbia Hockey League’s Penticton Vees and jumped to NCAA hockey for 2023-24, lighting up the collegiate circuit with 46 points in 37 games for Maine as a freshman. That performance made him a one-and-done player, and he signed his entry-level contract with Carolina to close out last season. “The jump from Penticton (of the BCHL) to the NCAA is honestly probably a bigger jump than what he is going to do next,” Hurricanes assistant general manager Darren Yorke told Dusterberg. “No disrespect to the league he played in previously, but that’s a huge jump.” He could be an impact piece to watch with multiple open spots in Carolina’s forward group.
- The Devils yesterday re-upped RFA netminder Nico Daws on a two-year contract, which carries a two-way structure in 2024-25 before converting to a one-way deal in 2025-26. Ryan Novozinsky of NJ Advance Media writes that indicates a clear succession plan at backup with veteran Jake Allen entering the final season of his contract. Daws will likely start this season on assignment to AHL Utica, but the 23-year-old should be ready for full-time backup duties behind Jacob Markstrom in 2025-26.
AHL Notes: Marody, Fizer, Johnson, Newkirk, Scheel
AHL fixture Cooper Marody is returning to the Flyers organization after signing a two-year AHL contract with Lehigh Valley yesterday, per a team release. The 27-year-old became a UFA this summer after the two-year, two-way deal he signed with Philadelphia as a Group VI UFA in 2022 expired.
Marody was a sixth-round pick of the Flyers back in 2015 but never signed with them, instead landing with the Oilers as a free agent after a dominant senior season at Michigan in 2017-18. He spent four seasons in Edmonton as one of the AHL’s most dominant scoring threats, routinely putting up over a point per game, but appeared in only seven NHL games for them during that time. He reunited with Philly on the open market, but much like his time in Edmonton, he didn’t get an NHL shot and spent the entirety of his now-expired two-year deal in the minors.
Lehigh Valley hasn’t gotten the best version of Marody, but he’s still been a bonafide top-six AHL contributor. He led them in scoring last season with 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists) in 68 games. Marody has 271 points in 297 career AHL games dating back to his professional debut and will take part in his eighth minor-league season in 2024-25. He’ll play an important role in helping anchor the Flyers’ farm team as they look to graduate prospects from Lehigh Valley in the latter stages of their rebuild.
More updates from the AHL:
- The Blues’ primary affiliate was busy yesterday as the Springfield Thunderbirds announced a trio of signings. Forwards Tarun Fizer and Reece Newkirk, as well as goaltender Cam Johnson, will help fill out St. Louis’ organizational depth next season. Fizer does still carry a bit of upside at age 23, but the former Western Hockey League All-Star has struggled to keep a full-time role in the AHL since turning pro. The 5’11” winger had five points in 30 games for the Belleville Senators last season but looked quite comfortable at the ECHL level, posting 10 points in a 10-game stint for the Allen Americans. He’ll look to provide scoring depth for the T-Birds but may begin the season on assignment to the Blues’ new ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades. Newkirk, 23, was a fifth-round pick of the Islanders and 2019 but became a UFA this summer upon being non-tendered at the conclusion of his entry-level contract. He had three points in 16 games with AHL Bridgeport last season but, like Fizer, was an effective producer in limited ECHL minutes with 14 points in 16 games for the Worcester Railers. Johnson, 30, has backstopped ECHL Florida to three consecutive Kelly Cup championships and will head back there for another campaign. He’s been unreal in ECHL playoff action, posting a .928 SV% and 1.97 GAA with 11 shutouts and a 47-16 record in 63 games over the past three years.
- The Avalanche continued to replenish their goaltending depth with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles signing Adam Scheel to a one-year deal. Scheel, 25, was an undrafted free agent signing by the Stars out of North Dakota in 2021 but wasn’t given a qualifying offer when his entry-level contract expired in 2023. He spent last season in the starter’s crease for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, making a career-high 42 appearances with a 2.84 GAA and .907 SV%. He’ll compete for playing time with the Avs’ NHL-contracted depth goalies, Kevin Mandolese and Trent Miner.
Evgeny Kuznetsov Signs Four-Year Deal In Russia
As expected, veteran center Evgeny Kuznetsov is headed home to Russia. The 32-year-old has signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League, per the league.
The move was initially reported by Championat’s Arina Nuriakhmetova back on July 15 but was quickly refuted by Kuznetsov’s agent, Shumi Babaev. Kuznetsov, who was entering the final season of his contract with the Hurricanes in 2024-25, landed on unconditional waivers two days later and had his contract terminated after clearing the following day.
Last week, Babaev told Russian media that Kuznetsov was still receiving interest from other NHL teams after the mutual termination with Carolina, potentially in a ploy to drum up interest in the KHL. Now, he lands what’s assumedly a rich multi-year commitment from one of Russia’s hockey powerhouses.
Kuznetsov was still a 70-point threat as recently as two years ago, but those days are clearly behind him. 2023-24 was the worst campaign of his career and saw his lengthy stint with the Capitals end. Washington dumped the last year and a half of his $7.8MM cap-hit contract on the Hurricanes at 50% retention in a deadline deal, leaving both teams on the hook for $3.9MM against the cap for 2024-25. That cap hit vanished for both clubs when Kuznetsov’s deal was terminated earlier this month, though.
In 63 games split between the Caps and Canes, Kuznetsov produced only eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points. Those 0.38 points per game were the worst of any NHL season for “Kuzy,” including his 17-game stint as a rookie in 2013-14. Before being traded to Carolina, Kuznetsov spent time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and was placed on waivers upon leaving, but no team claimed the full remainder of his contract.
Drafted 26th overall in 2010, Kuznetsov was once a top-six fixture in Washington and often alternated with Nicklas Backstrom as the team’s first-line center in his prime, routinely suiting up alongside countryman Alex Ovechkin. His career-best season in 2017-18 came at just the right time for the Caps, as after producing a career-high 83 points in the regular season, he led the playoffs in scoring with 32 points in 24 games to help Washington to its first and only Stanley Cup championship.
Today’s move keeps Kuznetsov with SKA through 2026, all but certainly marking the end of his NHL career. He finishes with 173 goals, 402 assists, 575 points and a +38 rating in 743 career games, 723 of which came in a Capitals sweater.
He’s the second notable former NHLer St. Petersburg brought home this summer, joining ex-Blackhawks defenseman Nikita Zaitsev.
Kaiden Guhle Signs Six-Year Extension With Canadiens
The Canadiens have signed top-four defenseman Kaiden Guhle to a six-year, $33.3MM contract extension, per a team release. Guhle will cost $5.55MM against the salary cap starting in 2025-26 and will remain under contract through the 2030-31 season. Renaud Lavoie of TVA has the full breakdown of the deal:
2025-26: $2MM base salary, $5MM signing bonus
2026-27: $5.25MM base salary
2027-28: $6.55MM base salary
2028-29: $5MM base salary
2029-30: $5MM base salary, modified no-trade clause (five-team no-trade list)
2030-31: $4.5MM base salary, modified no-trade clause (five-team no-trade list)
It’s a hefty second contract for the 22-year-old, who was entering the final season of his entry-level deal. He’s the second young Hab to ink a long-term extension this month, joining 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky, who signed an eight-year, $60.8MM deal immediately upon becoming eligible to extend on July 1. This isn’t a max-term extension for Guhle, but it is long enough to walk him to unrestricted free agency upon expiry in 2031, when he’ll be 29.
The deal provides some cost certainty for both the Canadiens and Guhle, whom they selected 16th overall in 2020. After a pair of post-draft seasons in juniors, Guhle jumped to the NHL in 2022, bypassing an assignment to AHL Laval. Leg and ankle injuries cost him nearly all of the back half of his rookie season, limiting him to 44 games overall in 2022-23.
But the Edmonton native showed he was on track to shoulder top-four minutes. He averaged 20:31 per game, providing decent offensive contributions with four goals, 14 assists and 18 points (0.41 PPG) despite not seeing significant power play time. Things were a bit of a struggle defensively as Guhle posted a -19 rating, 43.6 CF% and 40.2 xGF%, but that was to be expected for a rookie blue liner thrust into difficult usage on a rebuilding team. He did see usage on the Habs’ second penalty kill unit, primarily with Mike Matheson, averaging 2:07 per game shorthanded.
Last season, Guhle’s point totals took a step back, but his all-around game avoided a sophomore slump. His average time on ice increased by 20 seconds, and perhaps most importantly, he avoided any major injuries, playing in 70 of Montreal’s 82 games. He finished third among Canadiens defensemen in scoring with 22 points (six goals, 16 assists). He finished second on the team in blocks with 178, trailing only Matheson, his usual defense partner at even strength. That’s notable for the lefty, who’s been able to look comfortable on his off side in top-pairing duties with Matheson. Guhle’s possession metrics improved in 2023-24 across the board as well, despite seeing an uptick in defensive zone starts.
For the Canadiens, it’s a sizeable long-term investment in a player who projects to be a strong anchor piece of their top four on defense for years to come. He doesn’t have upside as a true No. 1 at this stage, but he isn’t being paid like one on this extension. $5.55MM is a comparable cap hit to what players like Brett Pesce and Matt Roy earned on the open market this summer, both good comparables for Guhle’s ceiling.
Considering his prime will come near the tail end of this deal when it costs a lower percentage of the salary cap, it seems like a smart choice early on. Becoming a UFA at 29 also permits Guhle to land a second big payday, either on a max-term extension or elsewhere on the open market.
Guhle will cost just $863K against the cap this season in the final year of his ELC.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
USA Hockey, Hockey Canada Announce Hlinka Gretzky Cup Rosters
USA Hockey and Hockey Canada have both announced their rosters for the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, officially revealing all eight rosters for the upcoming tournament, which is set to begin on August 5th in Edmonton. The event will also feature Czechia, Finland, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland.
Team Canada, per Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff, is led by star-studded prospects Matthew Schaefer, Cole Reschny, Liam Kilfoil, Caleb Desnoyers, and Gavin McKenna. The group of future top draft names is flanked by a strong supporting cast, including stalwart starting goaltender Jack Ivankovic. They seem poised to push for yet another gold medal, after winning gold in each of the last two tournaments.
Meanwhile, Team USA will put their faith in premier forwards Jesse Orlowsky, Cooper Simpson, Nicolas Sykora, and Ben Kevan – though the team is backed by a defense and goaltending group fighting more to show their worth on the top stage. Both the defense and goaltenders face a competition for minutes – with Blake Fiddler and Carter Casey seemingly best positioned to lead the respective positions. Team USA doesn’t carry the same breakaway talent of Team Canada, though they do have the gift of a flexible lineup, which could prove very advantageous in the U18 tourney.
The full rosters are:
Team USA
F – Alexander Donovan (Shattuck, USHS); Travis Hayes (Soo, OHL); Chase Jette (B.K. Selects, AAA); Sam Kappell (Madison, USHL); Ben Kevan (Des Moines, USHL); Matthew Lansing (Waterloo, USHL); Mason Moe (Eden Prairie High, USHS); Teddy Mutryn (St. Sebastian’s, USHS); Jesse Orlowsky (Waterloo, USHL); Cooper Simpson (Tri-City, USHL); Sam Spehar (Sioux Falls Power, AAA); Kade Stengrim (Brainerd High, USHS); Nicolas Sykora (Omaha, USHL)
D – Tommy Bleyl (Dubuque, USHL); Edison Engle (Des Moines, USHL); Blake Fiddler (Edmonton, WHL); Matt Grimes (Sioux Falls, USHL); Cullen McCrate (Dubuque, USHL); Carter Murphy (Youngstown, USHL); Jacob Rombach (Lincoln, USHL)
G – Ryan Cameron (Long Island, AAA); Carter Casey (Grand Rapids, USHS); Charles Menard (Culver Academy, USHS)
Team Canada
F – Gavin McKenna (Medicine Hat, WHL); Jake O’Brien (Brantford, OHL); Brady Martin (Sault St. Marie, OHL); Émile Guité (Chicoutimi, QMJHL); Tyler Hopkins (Kingston, OHL); Cole Reschny (Victoria, WHL); Ethan Czata (Niagara, OHL); Benjamin Kindel (Calgary, WHL); Cameron Schmidt (Vancouver, WHL); Liam Kilfoil (Halifax, QMJHL); Luca Romano (Kitchener, OHL); Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton, QMJHL); Braden Cootes (Seattle, WHL)
D – Jackson Smith (Tri-City, WHL); Peyton Kettles (Swift Current, WHL); Matthew Schaefer (Erie, OHL); Reese Hamilton (Calgary, WHL); Quinn Beauchesne (Guelph, OHL); Alex Huang (Chicoutimi, QMJHL); Cameron Reid (Kitchener, OHL)
G – Jack Ivankovic (Brampton, OHL); Lucas Beckman (Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
Hall Of Fame Executive Murray Costello Passes Away
Former Hockey Canada president Murray Costello has passed away at the age of 90. Costello was a pillar of Canadian hockey, with an executive career spanning over 50 years. Much of that was spent in decision-making roles with Hockey Canada and the IIHF, where Costello played a pivotal role in the growth of both junior and women’s hockey internationally. He earned induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005 – the only builder inducted in a year that also enshrined Cam Neely and Valeri Kharlamov.
Costello’s career began with the 1953-54 Chicago Blackhawks, who signed him from a St. Michael’s Major team that featured many future professionals, including long-time NHL goalie and coach Ed Chadwick. Costello scored five points in 40 games during his rookie season, pushing the Blackhawks to trade him to the Boston Bruins. But Costello couldn’t find his groove in New England either, leading to a trade to the Detroit Red Wings in 1956 and a move away from the NHL entirely in 1957. He concluded his career with 32 points and 54 penalty minutes in 162 games.
Costello would go on to support some minor professional teams and junior hockey programs in Seattle. But he’d ultimately work his way back to Canada, assuming the role of president of Hockey Canada in 1979. The role brought major oversight of Canada’s national programs, which allowed Costello to form Canada’s first national U21 team in 1982 and set up the first IIHF Women’s World Championship in 1990. He also championed the merger of CAHA and Hockey Canada in 1994, bringing together amateur and junior hockey across Canada. Costello moved to a council role with the IIHF in 1998, where he stayed until his retirement in 2012.
The strides of junior and women’s hockey in the years since sit largely on Costello’s innovations. Fellow Hall-of-Famer Angela James emphasized that point to the CBC’s Emma Weller, saying, “You don’t always see who the people are that are advocating for your sport, but I know that Murray Costello was one of them.” James added that Murray’s support of the 1990 Women’s Worlds – where she joined Team Canada in winning an inaugural gold medal – was ample show of that support.
Costello’s career is marked by countless accolades, including additions into the IIHF Hall of Fame, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and ‘Order of Hockey in Canada’. It stands as a true legacy, built on a passion for expanding opportunity to the game. PHR sends our condolences to Costello’s family and friends.
International Transactions: Glauser, Bayreuther, Svechnikov
Defenseman Andrea Glauser will not come to the National Hockey League after all. According to a press release, Fribourg-Gottéron of Switzerland’s National League announced they have signed Glauser to a seven-year contract starting in the 2025-26 season. Glauser previously played for Fribourg-Gottéron between 2015-2018.
A few months ago, there was documented interest in Glauser from the New York Islanders organization which was reportedly set to offer the 28-year-old defenseman a one-year, $1.5MM contract. Glauser excels in the transition game from the blue line and plays a very physical game compared to his peers which led to Lou Lamoriello and Patrick Roy scouting the Swiss defenseman. It is unknown if the Islanders offered Glauser a contract but he has inevitably decided to stay in his home country.
It’s difficult to imagine Glauser having excelled after transitioning to North American hockey at the professional level given that his career-high in points (in a much weaker league to add) is 17. He’s also suited up for Team Switzerland in the last three World Championships where he has scored two goals and four points in 24 tournament contests.
Other international transactions:
- It did not take long for Lausanne HC to replace Glauser on the back end as the team announced they had signed defenseman Gavin Bayreuther to a one-year contract. It will be Bayreuther’s first attempt at international hockey after spending the last eight years split between the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets organizations. The former undrafted free agent from St. Lawrence University is a veteran of 122 games at the NHL level while adding five goals and 28 points to the scoresheet. Bayreuther spent much more time in the AHL where he has suited up in 238 games while scoring 25 goals and 117 points in the process.
- Another former NHL player is on the move internationally as Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL announces they have signed forward Evgeny Svechnikov to a one-year contract. The former 19th overall pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2015 NHL Draft spent last season in the KHL with Ak Bars Kazan where he scored eight goals and 13 points in 31 games. Svechnikov never panned out to live up to his draft ranking with Detroit but did earn 39 goals and 101 points at the AHL level with 186 games played.
Pacific Notes: Draisaitl, Olofsson, Connelly, Hedican
One of the biggest extension narratives of the offseason has been the contract status of Edmonton Oilers’ superstar Leon Draisaitl. There is no guarantee that a deal will come to fruition this summer but all signs point to the two sides being able to work out a resolution at some point. Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reported today that the contract could look a lot like that of star center Nathan MacKinnon, that is to say, an extremely bonus-laden deal with a low annual salary.
On September 20, 2022, the Colorado Avalanche signed MacKinnon to one of the richest deals in NHL history with an eight-year, $100.8MM contract. The term changes yearly, but the contract pays MacKinnon as low as $775K in salary and up to $15.725MM in signing bonus. Unsurprisingly, Draisaitl would be seeking a similar deal as it gives the player quite a bit of financial protection.
Signing bonuses gives players protection in two ways. First, it makes the contract buyout proof. If MacKinnon’s contract were bought out by the Avalanche in year one of his deal, for example, he would only be losing out on $775K that year while still receiving $15.725MM on July 1st. Additionally, the signing bonus also makes the contract lockout-proof. If the NHL were to enter a lockout in any year, Drasaitl would miss out on his yearly salary but still earn his signing bonus on July 1st.
The request for signing bonuses in high-ticket contracts is becoming more common for star players throughout the NHL world with the likes of Connor McDavid and John Tavares having similar contract structures. Now that Draisaitl comfortably finds himself in the upper echelon of NHL talent, the Oilers should be more than happy to agree to his terms.
Other Pacific notes:
- In a wrap-up piece of the Vegas Golden Knights’ offseason, independent correspondent of the NHL, Paul Delos Santos suggests the Golden Knights could try out new forward Victor Olofsson on the team’s top line next to Jack Eichel. Olofsson spent quite a bit of time on Eichel’s wing during his rookie season with the Buffalo Sabres in 2019-20, and the Swedish had arguably the best season of his career. In only 54 games primarily playing next to Eichel, Olofsson scored 20 goals and 42 points and finished seventh in Calder Trophy voting. It could be risky business for Vegas as Olofsson fell down the depth chart in Buffalo but could be a high-reward move as the cap-strapped Golden Knights look to fill out their roster.
- Staying in Vegas, there have been some rumblings that the team’s first-round pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, Trevor Connelly, may forego his commitment to Providence College and sign his entry-level contract with the Knights. However, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that is not the case and that Connelly will indeed honor his commitment to the Friars. Connelly is coming off a season in which he scored 31 goals and 78 points in 52 games for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL last year and will look to help Providence keep their head above water in a difficult Hockey East conference.
- The Anaheim Ducks organization is bringing back a brief member of their defensive core. The team’s AHL affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, announced former defenseman Bret Hedican has been hired as a senior development analyst. After retiring from the NHL as a member of the Ducks after the 2008-09 season, Hedican had been working in the broadcast department with the organization’s rival — the San Jose Sharks.
Penguins Sign Sergei Murashov To Entry-Level Contract
The Pittsburgh Penguins are bringing a solid goaltending prospect to North America as the team announced they have signed goalie Sergei Murashov to a three-year, entry-level contract. Murashov should compete with Penguins’ prospect Taylor Gauthier for the backup minutes with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins with the loser of that battle earning the starter’s role with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL.
It is Joel Blomqvist‘s net to lose with the AHL Penguins but Marashov should be biting at his ankles relatively quickly. No matter how this situation plays out — Pittsburgh is quickly building one of the better goaltending pipelines in the league.
The Penguins selected Murashov with the 118th overall selection in the 2022 NHL Draft after a promising season with Loko-76 Yaroslavl of the MHL. In his draft year, Murashov played in 41 games for Yaroslavl and recorded a 21-16-3 record with a .927 save percentage and 2.49 goals against average. Hoping to keep his confidence up by playing in his birth city, the Penguins have left Murashov to develop in Russia for the last two years.
Murashov has continued his development with Loko Yaroslavl of the MHL over the last two years and had brief playing time with their KHL affiliate, the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. Playing on one of the most successful organizations in Russia’s major feeder league, Murashov produced a 24-7-5 record in 37 games during the 2022-23 season with a .948 SV% and 1.53 GAA. Murashov carried a .932 SV% in that year’s playoffs before losing in the semi-finals.
The 2023-24 season became his most dominant as Murashov collected 24 wins in 34 games with a .930 SV%. In the playoffs, the young Russian netminder earned a .926 SV% and 2.07 GAA en route to his team becoming champions at the end of the season.
Murashov is still young for a goaltending prospect at only 20 years old, so he may end up starting the year in Wheeling just for development’s sake. However, if he continues his upward trajectory there should be no question Murashov will be competing for a full-time job in the AHL soon.