Stars Want To Re-Sign Matt Duchene, Chris Tanev
The Stars are expected to try to extend veteran center Matt Duchene and trade deadline pickup Chris Tanev before they reach unrestricted free agency on July 1, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Monday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast.
Duchene, 33, was an unexpected latecomer to the free agent market last summer after the Predators bought out the final three seasons of his seven-year, $56MM contract. He landed with Dallas on a one-year, $3MM pact, a decision that paid dividends for both teams.
[RELATED: The Matt Duchene Buyout Was A Win-Win]
The 2009 third-overall pick continued his standard production level in a slightly limited role in the Lone Star State, putting up 25 goals and 65 points in 80 games while serving in a complementary role to other Stars talents like Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson. He was limited to two goals and six points in 19 postseason games, but one of his snipes was a double-overtime winner against Colorado that sent Dallas to its second straight Western Conference Final.
Duchene would still have a home in Dallas’ top six next season, especially with the future another pending UFA, 39-year-old Joe Pavelski, hanging in the balance. Pavelski likely wouldn’t sign anywhere else this summer, but whether he returns for a 19th NHL season or heads for retirement is uncertain, Friedman said.
Tanev was also an invaluable piece for the Stars and was relied upon heavily by head coach Peter DeBoer after his acquisition from the Flames at the end of February. The 34-year-old scored seven points and a +13 rating in 38 regular-season and playoff games and averaged over 22 minutes per night in the postseason.
His return would firm up Dallas’ top four on defense next season with Thomas Harley, Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell. Veteran Ryan Suter also remains under contract for one more year at a $3.95MM cap hit, and 2022 first-round pick Lian Bichsel is expected to compete for a spot on the opening night roster after nearly making his NHL debut during the Western Conference Final.
Evolving Hockey’s contract projections yield a three-year, $7MM AAV deal for Duchene and a two-year, $3.9MM AAV deal for Tanev if they were both to remain in Dallas. That won’t be affordable for a team with just under $16MM in projected cap space with only 13 players on the roster, per CapFriendly, especially considering the 22-year-old Harley needs a new deal after his breakout 15-goal, 47-point season playing top-pairing duties alongside Heiskanen. Perennial GM of the year candidate Jim Nill would need to get creative with some cap-clearing trades or convince Duchene to take a significant discount to stay, something that may be feasible considering he’s still being paid $1.56MM by the Preds through 2029.
Jake Guentzel Likely To Test Free Agency
Hurricanes winger Jake Guentzel, nearly universally viewed as the second-best pending unrestricted free agent available, will likely still be on the market when July 1 hits, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.
The possibility of returning to Carolina after the market opens hasn’t been ruled out, but he’s expected to look at other offers and potential fits around the league. His camp has had extensive extension talks with the Hurricanes since their season ended in the second round last month, but their richest offer evidently isn’t enough to keep him from at least window-shopping elsewhere.
Despite missing around a month due to injury, the 29-year-old is arguably coming off the best season of his career. After yet again putting up over a point per game on Sidney Crosby‘s wing with the Penguins, Guentzel exploded after the move to Carolina, recording eight goals and 25 points in his final 17 regular-season games. He remained excellent in postseason play, tying for third on the team in scoring with nine points (four goals, five assists) in 11 games while logging the third-most ice time among forwards behind Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.
Guentzel also positively influenced the Hurricanes’ already strong possession game. With him on the ice at even strength, the Hurricanes controlled 60.2% of shot attempts, 1.5% higher than their shot attempt share without him. The 2013 third-round pick also had a positive relative possession impact in all eight of his seasons in Pittsburgh.
He also hit the 30-goal mark for the third straight season and the fourth time in his career overall. While his market value won’t eclipse Panthers pending UFA winger Sam Reinhart, who’s coming off a career-best 57 goals, he’s undoubtedly a safer signing with a long track record of point-per-game play under his belt. His short stint thus far in Carolina certainly boosts his value, proving he can still produce elite numbers away from one of the game’s all-time greats.
Former Hurricanes GM Don Waddell managed to acquire Guentzel from the Penguins without parting with a first-round pick, but he did surrender solid complementary winger Michael Bunting and a trio of prospects with NHL ceilings. His value on the open market could very well eclipse the $9.5MM mark on a max-term deal, though.
That’s money the Hurricanes’ interim management group of AGMs Eric Tulsky, Darren Yorke, and owner Tom Dundon may not be willing to commit with Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei and Teuvo Teräväinen also headed for free agency this summer, among many others. However, as Pagnotta reports, there were no mid-season extension discussions with Teräväinen, and his camp is expected to make a call next week on pursuing a last-minute agreement in Carolina or joining Guentzel in heading to market.
Guentzel is completing a five-year, $30MM extension he signed with Pittsburgh in 2018. The Nebraska native and Nebraska-Omaha collegiate product led all players in playoff scoring with 13 goals in 25 games as a rookie in 2017, helping the Pens win their second of back-to-back championships.
Jarmo Kekalainen Linked To Hurricanes’ GM Vacancy
The Hurricanes are considering hiring former Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen to fill their vacancy, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
Speaking on the “32 Thoughts” podcast on Monday, Friedman said Kekäläinen is a “contender” for the position. Their GM vacancy was created last month after Don Waddell resigned from his post, joining Columbus to replace Kekäläinen within days.
Kekäläinen, 57, is the first external candidate firmly connected to the Carolina opening. He was fired from his post in Columbus in February after 11 years with the organization.
It’s unclear if the Hurricanes have obtained permission to interview him from the Blue Jackets yet, but it would make sense as a virtual GM-for-GM trade. Carolina’s assistant GMs under Waddell, Eric Tulsky and Darren Yorke, are also strong contenders to replace Waddell, with the former serving as interim GM in his absence.
Notably, Friedman said the candidate pool for Waddell’s replacement isn’t terribly large due to how the organization wants to structure its front office. The team has made it clear to potential candidates that, unlike with other teams, their GM won’t be their sole primary decision-maker. Instead, they’ll work in a more collaborative environment with AGMs and owner Tom Dundon, with their main duties being facilitating communication with other teams. Evidently, that hasn’t scared off Kekäläinen, but Friedman reports it has swayed a few candidates away from having an interest in the role.
It’s also the first opening Kekäläinen has been connected to in earnest since his firing. While it’s been a tough go in Columbus lately, he did oversee the longest sustained period of success in franchise history, helping construct a Jackets roster that made the playoffs four years in a row from 2017 to 2020.
With Waddell heading over to Columbus, the Canes are the only team with an active GM vacancy. The Oilers are likely to end up with one after the Stanley Cup Final ends with Ken Holland in the final year of his contract and not expected to return.
Poll: Who Will Win The Stanley Cup Final?
After a pair of conference championship-clinching games over the weekend, the 2024 Stanley Cup Final is set. The Oilers will play the Panthers in Sunrise, Florida, for Game 1 on Saturday night.
The storyline for Florida is clear – avenge last season’s defeat. Unlike last year, when they upset their way to the Final to meet with the Golden Knights, the Panthers have home-ice advantage after a 110-point regular season and an Atlantic Division title.
They’ve brought a deeper roster back to the dance compared to last year’s squad, but perhaps more importantly, they’ve brought a healthier contingent (for now). Top-four stalwarts Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour played through shoulder injuries for most of last year’s playoffs (as well as a foot injury for Ekblad), but there’s no indication any key players are playing through major ailments this time around.
Florida also comes back with the knowledge of what not to do. Last year’s series against Vegas wasn’t particularly close – they were outscored 26-12 in a five-game loss and allowed five or more goals in all three road games. That’ll be an important learning experience as they try to overcome their existing 1-8 franchise record in Stanley Cup Final games, including a sweep at the hands of the Avalanche in 1996.
For the second year in a row, Matthew Tkachuk leads the Cats in playoff scoring. He hasn’t scored goals at the torrid pace he did in 2023, but his 14 assists and 19 points in 17 games are the most on the team. Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaeghe are also producing at a point per game through 17 contests, and top pending unrestricted free agent Sam Reinhart is second on the team in goals behind Verhaeghe with eight.
And while he hasn’t been quite as dominant as last year’s Cinderella run, future Hall of Fame candidate Sergei Bobrovsky gives Florida an unquestionable advantage between the pipes. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner is again putting together an above-average postseason showing for the Cats, logging a .908 SV%, 2.20 GAA, and one shutout with a 12-5 record. He’s been the only goalie to take the ice for the Panthers through three rounds and has stopped 1.3 goals above average, continuing to undo the narrative created by his past postseason collapses with the Blue Jackets and Flyers.
Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner is coming off the best game of his life, stopping 34 of 35 shots last night in Edmonton to send his team to their first Final in 18 years, but is that enough to give him the benefit of the doubt? He’s certainly entering the championship series on a hot streak, putting up a .923 SV% in six games against the Stars, but his numbers on the whole this postseason (.897 SV%, -3.1 GSAA) are still inferior.
As they did against Dallas, the Oilers will need their generational stars to erase their major depth-scoring disadvantage. Their big three of Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid are truly putting together the runs of legends, with Bouchard’s 27 points and +14 rating in 18 games from the blue line likely putting him in the Conn Smythe conversation.
Like in the regular season, McDavid isn’t scoring goals at a breakneck pace, but his raucous 26 assists in 18 games give him 31 points and the league lead in playoff scoring. That’s not to discount his ability to put the puck in the net, which he universally reminded everyone of with a highlight-reel goal to open the scoring in last night’s Game 6 win (video link).
So, with the matchups set and the entire week to file your official predictions away, who do you think will finish the season with the Stanley Cup lifted over their heads? Tell us in the poll below, and discuss in the comments.
Who Will Win The 2024 Stanley Cup?
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Florida Panthers 65% (863)
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Edmonton Oilers 35% (458)
Total votes: 1,321
Mobile users, click here to vote!
Featured images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
2024 Key Offseason Dates
With free agency now set to open within a month, it’s time to look at the flowchart for another extremely compact offseason. Below are some notable dates and deadlines to watch for as all but the Oilers and Panthers begin their offseason preparations in earnest.
June 3 – June 8
NHL Scouting Combine
June 8
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.
June 24
The last possible day of the Stanley Cup Final.
48 hours after Stanley Cup Final ends
The first buyout window (and the only buyout window for teams without any arbitration filings) opens. Teams can spread out two-thirds of their remaining base salary over twice the remaining length of their deal for players 26 and older and one-third for players 25 and younger. The players must first be placed on unconditional waivers before being bought out unless they have a no-move clause.
This also marks the deadline for the first club-elected salary arbitration window. If a team elects for arbitration with an eligible pending restricted free agent in this window, it serves as a qualifying offer.
June 27
2024 NHL Awards
June 28
Round 1 of the 2024 NHL Draft
June 29
Rounds 2-7 of the 2024 NHL Draft
June 30, 4 p.m. CT
Deadline for teams to tender qualifying offers to their pending RFAs. Those who don’t receive QOs will become unrestricted free agents the following day.
This is also the end of the first buyout window afforded to teams. Clubs dealing with arbitration filings will have a second buyout window lasting 48 hours beginning three days after the later of the settlement of the team’s final arbitration case or the receipt of the team’s last arbitration award. In this window, a buyout can only be performed on a player who was on the team’s reserve list at 2 p.m. CT on March 8 (trade deadline day) and has a cap hit of at least $4MM in the 2024 offseason.
July 1, 11 a.m. CT
The new league year begins, and players on expiring contracts officially become restricted/unrestricted free agents.
July 5, 4 p.m. CT
Deadline for eligible RFAs to file for salary arbitration.
July 5, 4:01 p.m. CT – July 6, 4 p.m. CT
The second window for clubs to file for salary arbitration with eligible RFAs.
July 15, 4 p.m. CT
Qualifying offers expire unless extended in writing by the team. Even if unsigned, teams retain qualified players’ signing rights.
July 20 – August 4
Salary arbitration hearings are held.
August 15, 4 p.m. CT
Exclusive signing rights for unsigned graduated college-drafted players expire.
Evening Notes: Myers, Graves, Alfredsson
Ben Kuzma of The Vancouver Province writes that Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers is hoping to re-sign with the Canucks and remain in Vancouver. The 34-year-old had his best season in Vancouver, playing in a reduced role that saw him average less than 20 minutes per game for the first time in his career. The reduced playing time benefitted Myers and he posted five goals and 24 assists in 77 games which were his best numbers since his last year in Winnipeg back in 2018-19.
Kuzma writes that Myers is projected for a $3MM AAV on a three-year deal which would be much more palatable than the $6MM that Myers made this past season. If the Canucks can lock Myers up around that number it will allow them to pivot to their remaining free-agent defenseman Ian Cole, Filip Hronek, and Nikita Zadorov.
In other evening notes:
- After a poor first season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Ryan Graves became a lightning rod for criticism from fans of the team. Dan Kingerski writes that the Pittsburgh Penguins would be best to avoid buying out the remaining five years of the contract which would lead to an annual cost of $750K for the next ten years. Penguins’ general manager Kyle Dubas has stated in the past that he prefers trades to buyouts and given the season that Graves just had it would be nearly impossible to find a trade partner unless the Penguins agree to take back a bad contract. The Penguins have a need for a top-6 forward as well as some depth scoring on their bottom two lines and have just under $13MM in available cap space. Moving Graves would go a long way to opening up the room to maneuver, but given the circumstances, it seems likely that he will be with the team next season.
- Ottawa Senators great Daniel Alfredsson is leaning towards returning to his assistant coaching role next season under new head coach Travis Green (as per Bruce Garrioch). The franchise’s all-time leading scorer was brought back to the franchise in a player-development role, but that role was changed when the Senators relieved previous head coach D.J. Smith of his duties. The Senators will have to fill out their coaching staff and have been linked to former NHL head coach Mike Yeo as well as former NHLer and current Manitoba Moose assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner.
Free Agent Focus: Seattle Kraken
Free agency is now just a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free-agent situation for the Kraken.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Matthew Beniers – Beniers took a step back this past season after being asked to carry the offensive load for a team that lacks a high-end offensive threat. Beniers dropped from 24 goals and 33 assists in 80 games during the 2022-23 season to just 15 goals and 22 assists in 77 games this past season. While it was a disappointing campaign for the 21-year-old, Beniers remains on track to become an elite scorer in the NHL. The former second overall pick seemed like a lock to get a long-term deal this summer, but given his struggles last year, and his iffy work in the defensive zone, it might hurt his earning potential in the short term. Seattle may still elect to lock Beniers up long-term while he’s coming off a down season, but a bridge deal could be likely as well. Beniers figures to earn $4-5MM on his next deal if he goes for a short-term deal and would likely have a higher AAV if he goes for max term.
F Eeli Tolvanen – Tolvanen has been a very different player since arriving in Seattle from the Nashville Predators during the 2022-23 season. The 25-year-old had shown glimpses in Nashville but was never able to put it all together and struggled in his last two seasons with the Predators. With the Kraken, the former first-round pick has played a physical game, keeping plays alive with his physicality and being a force in board battles. On the offensive side, Tolvanen had 16 goals and 25 assists last season in 81 games and continued to trend upwards. He made $1.45MM last season in the final year of a three-year deal and figures to double that number on his next deal which should come with a similar term.
F Kailer Yamamoto – Yamamoto’s offensive game dropped another level this season as he fell to just eight goals and eight assists in 59 games. The former first-round pick signed with Seattle last season after being traded and bought out of the final season of his contract. With his qualifying offer set at $1.5MM, Seattle may elect to run it back one more time with the talented 25-year-old to see if he can post similar results to the ones he saw in Edmonton two seasons ago. Yamamoto is undersized and is average defensively if you are being generous, but he is very effective on the power play and plays with good pace, something that Seattle could use more of.
Other RFAs: C Luke Henman, F Ville Petman, D Peetro Seppala
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Pierre-Édouard Bellemare – Bellemare signed with the Kraken last July for the league minimum on a one-year contract and playing sparingly, producing four goals and three assists in 40 games. At 39 years old, Bellemare might be ready to hang up his skates; however, given that he was 29 years old when he made his NHL debut, he might choose to extend his career if he can find an NHL contract. The native of Le Blanc-Mesnil, France, played just under 10 minutes per game last season, but his underlying numbers at even strength were quite good, as his CF% was 54.9%. Bellemare doesn’t provide much offense and never really has, he also isn’t particularly physical, but he could be a good 13th forward for a team that is looking for a veteran presence.
D Justin Schultz – Schultz is well removed from his days in Pittsburgh when he quarterbacked the Penguins power play to a Stanley Cup. However, he remains a talented offensive defenseman who doesn’t offer much defensively. Schultz is still very good at skating pucks out of the defensive zone and offering a solid first pass, but he struggles when pinned in the defensive zone and doesn’t play with much physicality. Schultz should find work on a multi-year deal due to his right shot status as well as his ability to man a power play.
F Tomas Tatar – Tatar had to wait until September 12th last summer to find an NHL contract, signing a one-year $1.5MM contract with the Colorado Avalanche. He then proceeded to have a forgettable season that saw him score just nine goals and 15 assists in 70 games. The 33-year-old is unlikely to do better this summer, given that his game is built largely on offense, and he wasn’t able to provide much of it last year. A knock-on Tatar has been his consistency year to year, but he is still a good buy-low candidate for a team that needs to add secondary scoring but doesn’t have much in the way of cap space.
Other UFAs: D Connor Carrick, G Chris Driedger, F John Hayden, F Cameron Hughes, F Kole Lind, LW Max McCormick, C Andrew Poturalski, D Mitch Reinke, D Jimmy Schuldt, F Devin Shore, G Ales Stezka, F Marian Studenic
Projected Cap Space
The Kraken enter the offseason with a tad over $23MM in available cap space and several pending needs to address. A chunk of that space will go to re-signing restricted free agents, but after their internal business is complete, Seattle will have some cap space to make improvements. The Kraken have good depth up front, but lack high-end talent which could lead them to make a pitch to a player such as Sam Reinhart even though it would eat most of their available room under the cap. Seattle will also need to address their defensive core and will be in the market for an offensive defenseman with the likely departure of Justin Schultz. Seattle will feel pressure to have a strong summer after taking a step back and missing the playoffs this past season.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Avalanche’s Casey Mittelstadt Filled A Role Worth Re-Signing
The 2024 Trade Deadline was dominated by the Vegas Golden Knights, who weren’t satisfied with just one blockbuster trade when they acquired Noah Hanifin, so they doubled down by acquiring Tomas Hertl, ending his 11 seasons with the San Jose Sharks. Their antics helped suppress a lot of other big moves around the Deadline, including what could go down as the biggest deal of the season: the swap of Bowen Byram and Casey Mittelstadt between the Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres. It’s rare to see two former top-10 picks traded before the age of 26, much less in a one-for-one swap, and with such major implications. In this move, the Sabres fought to find Rasmus Dahlin‘s dynamic partner of the future, while the Avalanche hoped to solidify their top-six.
Thus, Byram immediately rivaled top pairing minutes in Buffalo, while Mittelstadt was awarded the role of Nathan MacKinnon‘s understudy on Colorado’s second line. And through the fog of trade debate, the move seemed like a strong recognition of Mittelstadt’s potential. He posted a career-high 59 points in the 2022-23 season, finally living up to his eighth-overall selection in the 2017 NHL Draft after years of bouncing around the Sabres offense. The Avalanche chose to bite on that upside, while also moving out their own promising-but-inconsistent youngster, and they’ve been richly rewarded early on.
Mittelstadt was quickly a great match in Jared Bednar’s system, posting 10 points through 18 regular season games following his trade to Colorado. He looked much more confident and consistent than during his time in Buffalo, even reasonably elevating wingers Artturi Lehkonen and Jonathan Drouin when deployed alongside them. After finding his footing in the NHL with the Sabres, Mittelstadt seemed to take off with the Avalanche – a sentiment he stamped with a powerful postseason performance, scoring nine points in 11 games.
The strong performance was undoubtedly exciting for the Avalanche, who’ve struggled to find consistent center depth behind MacKinnon 
since losing Nazem Kadri to the Calgary Flames in 2022’s free agency. The duo of Evan Rodrigues and Alex Newhook platooned in the role during the 2022-23 season, to mostly good effect, with Rodrigues posting 39 points in 69 games. That tandem now pales in comparison to Mittelstadt, who totaled 57 points in 80 games this season and could be poised to top the 60-point mark for the first time in his career next year. But nothing can come too easily in the NHL, and the Avalanche will now face re-signing Mittelstadt before they can boast their second-line center of the future.
Mittelstadt is likely Colorado’s most expensive free agent entering the summer, though he’ll be rivaled by defenseman Sean Walker, who’s role in the top-four will command a high price tag in itself. Colorado has roughly $15.92MM in cap space entering the summer, with just nine players facing free agency. That should be enough for them to re-sign their choice of pending free agents. But the importance of inking Mittelstadt can’t be understated. Kadri broke out in Colorado’s second-line role during the 2021-22 season, recording 87 points in 71 games – a mark that remains his career-high. He’s since moved to the Calgary Flames on a commendable seven-year, $49MM contract.
After spending the last two seasons without a consistent man in the role, Mittelstadt could finally be the one to succeed Kadri’s strong performance. The Avalanche will certainly hope that’s the case, as they face uncertainty about the future of both Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin. Mittelstadt and veteran winger Jonathan Drouin could be a convenient – albeit unexpected – fill-in for those absences, though both players are in need of new contracts.
The Colorado offense isn’t in need of much help. Superstars MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar have shown an ability to lead the team through anything – made evident by the Avalanche leading the league in scoring this season. But the team can’t rest on laurels, even if their current core has already won one Stanley Cup. Mittelstadt offers a chance for the Avalanche to fill a much-needed role in the lineup for the forseeable future – which would come well-timed as the team faces a Rantanen extension next summer and a new contract for Makar in 2027. With lucrative contract negotiations, the swap of Byram and Mittelstadt could add yet another pillar to the Colorado lineup – with the added perk of making Landeskog and Nichushkin’s returns a boost, rather than a necessity.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Network.
Free Agent Focus: St. Louis Blues
Free agency is now just a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Blues.
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Kasperi Kapanen – The Blues took a flyer on Kasperi Kapanen when they claimed him off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline. He’s since muddled around the team’s middle-six, posting a combined 36 points in 96 games in St. Louis. His role has varied throughout those games, playing as much as 16 minutes or as little as eight minutes any night. That flexibility helped the Blues fill up their bottom-six, though he may now need to cede minutes to the NHL hopefuls like Zachary Bolduc, Zach Dean, and Dalibor Dvosrky. Kapenen hasn’t been necessarily bad for the Blues – and that could be enough to sign him to a cheap deal – but he could just as easily find his way back to the open market, as the Blues look to prioritize younger talents.
F Adam Gaudette – Gaudette may be St. Louis’ most interesting pending-free agent, after leading
the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds in scoring with a commanding 44 goals and 71 points in 67 games this season. It was a tremendous encore to his breakout year last season, when Gaudette posted a combined 51 points in 65 games between the Toronto Marlies and Thunderbirds. The last two seasons were the first two full AHL seasons of Gaudette’s career, after serving an NHL role from 2017 to 2022. And he’s made good work of the easier competition, not only scoring more but showing much more drive and creativity in his offense. Gaudette established himself as a top prospect during his years at Northeastern University, far exceeding his fifth-round draft selection after posting 142 points across 116 games with the school. But that hot scoring didn’t translate into the NHL, and Gaudette instead spent the first five years of his career battling for ice time on various teams’ bottom-six. He’s seemingly rediscovered his offense in the minor leagues – though he did go without a point in two NHL games this year. He represents a high-upside minor leaguer, who shouldn’t cost too much; unless he pushes to test the open market.
D Marco Scandella – Marco Scandella gradually lost his role with the Blues this season, ultimately falling to the fringe of the lineup in favor of players like Tyler Tucker and Matthew Kessel. He’s posted just 10 points across his last 85 games with the Blues, dating back to the start of last season, and has only managed to play in 50 or more games in two of his four seasons in St. Louis. Scandella won’t command much money on a new deal, especially at the age of 34, but he seems to be getting pushed out of the Blues’ lineup by younger and more promising talent. He may headline the free agents most likely to leave the Blues this summer.
Other pending UFAs: F Sammy Blais, F Will Bitten (Group 6), F Matthew Peca, F Jakub Vrana
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Nikita Alexandrov – Alexandrov has been an important utility player for the Blues over the last two seasons, stepping in when needed but also content to spend time in the press box or AHL. The 23-year-old centerman posted just two points in 23 NHL games this year – a small step down from his eight points in 28 games last year. Alexandrov has added 45 points in 48 AHL games over the last two seasons, showing his scoring upside, despite his role on St. Louis’ fourth line usually pitting him in the defensive end. The structure of St. Louis’ offense likely won’t change much this summer, with the team possessing both limited free agents and the money to re-sign their choices among them. That should limit Alexandrov to a minor role – and its associated cheap contract – against next season, though a new deal would represent a chance to play his way out of St. Louis’ press box.
D Scott Perunovich – If there were any one play that St. Louis had to re-sign this summer, it’d be
Perunovich, who played through the first mostly-healthy season of his career this year. And after years of anticipation, Perunovich’s mostly-healthy year mostly lived up to expectations. He posted 17 points in 54 games, on an 82-game pace of a modest 26 points, while making noticeable strides in his ability to keep up with and beat NHL talents. Perunovich now boasts 27 assists across 77 career NHL games, including the postseason, and should be hungry for a bigger role – and his first NHL goal – as he approaches next season. Solidifying the 25-year-old in the daily lineup will be an important step for a Blues team carrying five NHL defenseman aged 30 or older.
G Colten Ellis – The emergence of Joel Hofer as a legitimate NHL talent – made evident by his 15 wins and .913 save percentage in 30 games this season – has given St. Louis a stability at goaltending that they haven’t had since the days of prime Brian Elliott and Jake Allen. But they can’t be quick to forget the depth chart. Colten Ellis was drafted in the top 100 of the 2019 NHL Draft, one year after the Blues selected Hofer. He’s fallen down St. Louis’ ranks a bit since then, with Malcolm Subban and Vadim Zherenko the de facto tandem for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds. Ellis curbed that this season, earning his way into an AHL role with 12 wins and a .923 in 21 ECHL games. And he stood tall in his AHL minutes, posting seven wins and a Springfield-leading .924 save percentage.
Other pending RFAs: F Mikhail Abramov, F Mathias Laferriere, F Keean Washkurak, D Hunter Skinner
Projected Cap Space
The Blues aren’t entering the summer wealthy by any means – but their projected $15.64MM in cap space should be more than enough for them to bring back any and all of the pending free agents they’d like to keep. The team seems prepared to part with at least a few options, if only to make room for the nine entry-level contracts they’ve signed since March. Those signees include prospects like Juraj Pekarcik, Simon Robertsson, Otto Stenberg, and Aleksanteri Kaskimaki – each options to rival top ice time with the Thunderbirds and maybe even an NHL call-up. The Blues fell just six points back from the postseason this year, though their roster didn’t seem to tilt the needle in any one direction. An influx of young talent – and potentially one or two lucrative free agents – could be the perfect pieces to move St. Louis’ roster forward.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Afternoon Notes: Jeannot, Parekh, Bourque
Winger Tanner Jeannot is once again facing trade rumors, as the Tampa Bay Lightning look to clear enough cap space for a serviceable off-season. The team is facing the loss of their franchise player Steven Stamkos with just $5MM in cap space – not nearly enough to afford the services of the future Hall-of-Famer. That could push them to try and move Jeannot’s $2.665MM cap hit, though Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times shares that there’s been no legitimate discussions of a move just yet. Though Encina did speak to the idea being a tantalizing one for the Lightning, with many teams around the league still interested in acquiring Jeannot.
The Lightning acquired Jeannot from the Nashville Predators ahead of the 2023 Trade Deadline, sending the Music City defenseman Callan Foote, the picks that turned into Dylan MacKinnon (2023 third-round, 83rd-overall), Jayson Shaugabay (2023 fourth-round, 115th-overall), and Kevin Bicker (2023 fifth-round, 147th-overall), as well as a second-round pick in 2024 and a first-round pick in 2025 in return. Nashville traded the Shaugabay pick back to Tampa four months later, in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round pick, and moved the Bicker pick to the Detroit Red Wings to move up in the 2023 second-round.
Jeannot scored just four points in his 20 games with Tampa after the trade, though that didn’t dissuade their faith in him, with the Lightning signing Jenanot to a two-year, $5.3MM contract last summer – a deal that avoided the arbitration hearing Jeannot filed for. The rough-and-tumble winger wasn’t able to rekindle his spark on the new deal, though, scoring just 14 points in 55 games this season. He added 75 penalty minutes and a -10 – and tallied just one assist in four postseason games.
There’s still reported interest in Jeannot around the league despite his lacking scoring. Teams like the Calgary Flames have been looped into trade rumors, though Encina emphasized that a trade isn’t likely Plan A. Tampa will need to get a hefty return in any Jeannot trade, if only to hedge their losses from a costly 2023 move.
Other notes from around the league:
- Saginaw Spirit defenseman Zayne Parekh has won the CHL’s Defenseman of the Year Award, beating out Memorial Cup Finals competition Sam Dickinson. Parekh was dazzling this season, posting a position-leading 33 goals and 96 points in just 66 games this season. He’s just the second OHL defenseman to top 95 points since 2000, joining Ryan Ellis’ 100-point season in 2010-11. But while Ellis was already an NHL draftee, Parekh is headed into his first year of eligibility in the 2024 NHL Draft. He’s seen as one of the top defensemen in the class and should rival a top 10 selection.
- The Dallas Stars are swapping talented young forwards, with Ty Dellandrea stepping out of the Game 6 lineup in favor of Mavrik Bourque, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). Bourque won the AHL’s ‘Les Cunningham’ MVP Award this season after posting 26 goals and 77 points in 71 games this season. Bourque formed a dynamic duo with Stars standout Logan Stankoven in the first half of the season. Dallas will look to use that pairing as their X-factor, as they face elimination at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.