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Ivan Prosvetov Eyeing NHL Return

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CSKA Moscow of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League has released goaltender Ivan Prosvetov from the final two years of his contract to pursue NHL opportunities, according to Pavel Panyshev of Championat. They will retain his KHL rights through the time his deal was initially set to expire in May 2027 if he opts to return home before then.

Prosvetov, 26, will try again to land a full-time NHL roster spot as a backup on an opening-night roster in the fall. A fourth-round pick of the Coyotes in 2018, he spent four pro seasons there before being claimed off waivers by the Avalanche at the beginning of 2023-24. After failing to capture the No. 2 job there and finishing the year in the minors, he returned to his hometown on a three-year deal upon becoming a Group VI unrestricted free agent.

The 6’5″ netminder’s NHL work to date leaves much to be desired. In 19 starts and five relief appearances across four seasons with Arizona and Colorado, he posted an 8-9-2 record with a 3.70 GAA and .881 SV%. His below-average save percentage equates to 15.3 goals allowed above average during that time. His best work came in his longest leash with the Avs one year ago, posting a .895 SV% in 11 appearances before being sent to the minors in January. After the demotion, he also looked like an elite AHL option for the first time with a 2.33 GAA, .921 SV%, two shutouts, and an 11-7-2 record in 21 games for the Colorado Eagles.

Prosvetov’s move to Russia gave him some more momentum. He started the lion’s share of games for CSKA this season and earned KHL Goaltender of the Month honors in November en route to finishing 2024-25 with a 2.32 GAA, .920 SV%, four shutouts, and a 20-16-2 record in 38 games. Those are still above-average numbers in the goalie-friendly KHL and, considering his upward momentum to end his last NHL campaign in the Avs’ system, it makes sense there would be some interest in bringing him back stateside.

Colorado no longer holds his signing rights, so he’s free to talk with any team regarding a one-way or two-way contract for next season and beyond. If he doesn’t find a suitable offer, he’ll presumably return to CSKA for 2025-26.

NHL Announces General Manager Of The Year Finalists

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The Jets’ Kevin Cheveldayoff, the Stars’ Jim Nill, and the Panthers’ Bill Zito are the three finalists for this year’s Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award, the league announced today.

Unlike most other major league awards, GMOTY honors take playoff performance into account. Voting for the award is also done by a jury of their peers – all 32 NHL GMs, plus a panel of NHL executives, print and broadcast media, comprise the voting, which takes place after the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs concludes.

Cheveldayoff is the relative newbie of the trio in terms of being included among the finalists. It’s his second time making the cut – he previously finished second in GMOTY voting after Winnipeg had its then-best season in franchise history in the 2017-18 campaign. That club had 114 points, a mark this year’s Jets beat by two en route to winning their first Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history. This year’s notable moves included promoting Coach of the Year finalist Scott Arniel to the head role last offseason following Rick Bowness’ retirement as well as acquiring winger Brandon Tanev and defenseman Luke Schenn at the deadline.

His nomination stems more from identifying his core and sticking with it through ups and downs. Most of Winnipeg’s driving forces – namely Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, and Josh Morrissey – have been there for years and were all drafted under Cheveldayoff.

Nill, meanwhile, is going for a three-peat. He’s already one of just two GMs to win the award twice, alongside former Islanders boss Lou Lamoriello. While he’s wholly responsible for the Dallas core that’s now advanced to three straight Western Conference Finals, his in-season moves may have him well-positioned to take home the honors yet again.

Playoff performance will be a factor here – after Nill traded for and signed Mikko Rantanen to a massive eight-year, $96MM extension at the deadline, he’s returned the favor as the Conn Smythe favorite so far with a playoff-leading 9-11–20 scoring line through 14 games. His draft record among mid-to-late first-round picks in recent years, highlighted by Wyatt Johnston, Jake Oettinger, and Jason Robertson, is arguably the biggest reason they’ve been able to enter their lengthiest contention window since winning the Stanley Cup in 1999.

As for Zito, he’d have won one by now if not for Nill’s reign. He’s a finalist for the third year in a row and the fourth time overall during his stint at the helm of the Panthers. His offseason work, with depth pickups like Nate Schmidt performing well in lieu of big-name players who left in free agency following last year’s Stanley Cup win, already had them well set for a repeat. Acquiring stars Brad Marchand and Seth Jones in separate pre-deadline deals, both of whom have been among the Cats’ best postseason players, is the main reason he finds himself on this year’s list, though.

Michael Sgarbossa Signs With Swiss League’s HC Lugano

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Forward Michael Sgarbossa has signed a two-year deal with HC Lugano of the Swiss National League, per a club announcement. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 after completing his two-year, two-way deal with the Capitals.

Sgarbossa, 33 in July, has carved out a lengthy pro career as an AHL mainstay and frequent call-up option despite going undrafted. He got his first NHL look with the Avalanche back in the 2012-13 season and played for four organizations in his first six pro seasons, including the Ducks, Panthers, and Jets – all in fringe NHL roles (or none at all, as was the case during his lone season in Winnipeg). He played 48 NHL contests over that span and recorded two goals and 10 points, including a career-high 38 appearances split between Anaheim and Florida in the 2016-17 campaign.

While Sgarbossa never found stability as a full-time NHL roster piece, he did at least find organizational stability for the latter half of his career. After spending the 2017-18 season with the Jets’ AHL affiliate, he signed with Washington in free agency the following summer and has remained in the Capitals’ system since.

He played almost exclusively for Hershey over the first couple of two-way deals he signed, but amid a near point-per-game season in the AHL, he did get more of an extended NHL look in the 2023-24 season. The veteran center slotted in 25 times for Washington down the stretch as the Caps fought for and won a wild-card spot, scoring a career-high four goals while averaging nearly 11 minutes per game.

Sgarbossa only got three NHL reps here in 2024-25, though, and injuries limited him to 35 games on the farm with Hershey. He was still extremely productive when healthy, though – the playmaking pivot notched a 7-24–31 scoring line.

He’s been a remarkably consistent first-line producer for Hershey since his arrival in the Caps’ system in 2018, scoring 268 points in 297 games for the franchise (0.90 per game). A two-time AHL All-Star and a Calder Cup champion with Hershey in 2023 (he didn’t play in the playoffs when the Bears won in 2024), he pauses his North American minor-league career after recording a 165-302–467 scoring line in 609 AHL games over the last 13 years. Since Sgarbossa made his pro debut in 2012, only eight players have recorded more AHL points than he has.

He’ll now join a Lugano team that was on the brink of relegation to the second-tier Swiss League but won their play-out series to extend their 42-year stay in the top level. They’ve been active in inking productive veteran AHLers this offseason, also signing defenseman Connor Carrick a few weeks back.

Axel Jonsson-Fjallby Signs Three-Year Deal In Sweden

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Jets pending unrestricted free agent winger Axel Jonsson-Fjallby has signed a three-year contract with Brynas IF of the Swedish Hockey League, the club announced Friday.

Jonsson-Fjallby, 27, didn’t see any NHL time this season after clearing waivers and heading to AHL Manitoba during training camp. He’s wrapping up a two-year, partial two-way deal he signed in free agency with Winnipeg in 2023 and earned the full league-minimum $775K salary this year despite not receiving any callups.

It was the first season that Jonsson-Fjallby hadn’t touched NHL ice since making his debut with the Capitals in the 2021-22 campaign. A fifth-round pick by Washington back in 2016, he was claimed off waivers by the Jets at the beginning of the 2022-23 season and has remained in the Winnipeg organization since.

Not too long ago, it looked like the speedy 6’0″ winger had what it takes to be an everyday bottom-six forward. He appeared in a career-high 50 games with Winnipeg in 2022-23 following the waiver claim, averaging 10:27 per game but still managing to record six goals and eight assists for 14 points. AJF only got 26 NHL games the following year, though, as he passed through waivers unclaimed and bounced between the majors and minors.

His chances of making an NHL comeback likely ended with a poor showing in Manitoba this season. After hovering well north of a 0.7 points per game rate in the prior few years, Jonsson-Fjallby produced an underwhelming 12-15–27 scoring line in 65 showings for the Moose, just 0.42 points per game. As such, it would have made little sense for Jonsson-Fjallby to hold out hope for a two-way deal as a UFA this summer when there was a much more stable offer waiting for him back home in Sweden.

There aren’t many better places for a potential resurgence overseas for Jonsson-Fjallby than Brynas, which just took home the top spot in the SHL in the regular season. His previous top-flight experience in Sweden came with Djurgardens IF from 2016 to 2019, recording an 8-19–27 scoring line in 102 games there as a youngster.

Including his time in Washington, Jonsson-Fjallby has a 10-13–23 scoring line with a plus-five rating in 99 career NHL games.

Daniil Pylenkov Hoping To Sign Entry-Level Deal With Lightning

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Four years after being drafted by the Lightning in the seventh round, Russian defenseman Daniil Pylenkov is ready to come to North America and hopes to land his entry-level contract with Tampa this offseason, he told RG’s Daria Tuboltseva.

The 24-year-old lefty said he’s already had dialogue with Bolts GM Julien BriseBois, but a deal isn’t imminent yet. “He said they’re waiting for me. Nothing specific yet, but we’re in contact,” Pylenkov told Tuboltseva.

Pylenkov was the first of three seventh-round selections BriseBois’ Lightning made in 2021. He’d been passed over twice already – his late September 2000 birthday means he was first eligible for the 2019 draft. But by the time 2021 had rolled around, Pylenkov had two full professional seasons under his belt with the KHL’s Vityaz Podolsk and was coming off a five-goal, 19-point performance for them in 54 games.

The 6’1″, 196-lb rearguard has bounced around the KHL since being drafted, spending time with SKA St. Petersburg, Severstal Cherepovets, and Dynamo Moscow. The latter club is where he’s spent the last two seasons and enjoyed the most success. This year was far and away the best campaign of his career, leading Dynamo defensemen in points with a 6-25–31 scoring line and a +14 rating. He added seven points in 17 postseason games as Dynamo was bounced by Gagarin Cup runners-up Traktor Chelyabinsk in the third round of the playoffs.

“I understand I’ll have to compete fiercely for a spot,” Pylenkov said. “Two years ago, Tampa had a deeper defense lineup. Now there’s an opportunity, but the adaptation will be tougher since the guys who joined last year have already gained experience. It’ll be harder for me to adjust to Tampa’s style than it was for them.”

There is an opportunity for Pylenkov to work his way into NHL games next season, though. His being a left shot doesn’t make him a cut-and-dry replacement for pending UFA righty Nick Perbix, but a strong enough training camp could help him leapfrog or at least find himself on equal footing with third-pairing lefty Emil Lilleberg.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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The first two rounds of the playoffs are in the books with only four teams remaining in contention for the Stanley Cup while the other 28 await what’s expected to be a particularly busy offseason in terms of activity.  Meanwhile, a handful of teams are still working through their searches for their next head coach while another is in the home stretch for finding their next general manager.

With all that in mind, it’s a good time to open up the mailbag once again.  Our last call for questions had enough for two separate columns.  The first talked about Winnipeg’s attractiveness to players, the Quinn Hughes situation in Vancouver, what could happen this offseason for the Kings, and more.  Meanwhile, topics in the second included discussing the idea of San Jose moving its top draft pick, buyout discussions for the Blues, and what Detroit might be looking to do in the coming weeks.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run this weekend.

Evening Notes: Ehlers, Red Wings, Kings

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Although it’s already been heavily reported that winger Nikolaj Ehlers has no intention of signing a new contract with the Winnipeg Jets, that won’t change the team’s approach. According to TSN’s John Lu, the Jets are still expected to make a run at Ehlers before he hits the open market.

Specifically, Lu quoted Winnipeg General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff saying that the team will “put our best foot forward” in making their case for Ehlers to stay with the only organization he’s ever known. Still, the team is pausing until Ehlers finishes his run at the IIHF World Championships with Team Denmark, which pulled off a miraculous win against Team Canada earlier today.

There is a slight chance that Ehlers may re-sign with Winnipeg, despite earlier reports this year. He’s arguably the second-best winger on the free agent market this summer behind Mitch Marner, and he may become a rebound candidate for teams that strike out on the former, giving the Jets some additional time.

Other notes from this evening:

  • If Max Bultman of The Athletic is correct, the Detroit Red Wings will be on a few key forwards during this year’s free agency period. Bultman believes the Red Wings will take a run at Marner, Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson, and Florida Panthers’ Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. In all seriousness, even though Detroit has the financial flexibility to pursue any free agent, Bennett is the only player whose age aligns with their timeline, making them tougher to compete against and filling both short- and long-term needs.
  • In a long-winded interview with the Los Angeles Kings’ new General Manager, Ken Holland, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun believes the Kings are going ’big game hunting’ under their new leadership. Per a quote from the interview, Holland said, “I plan to be aggressive. Ownership is prepared to go to the cap. The goal is to put a competitive team on the ice and, at the right time, be aggressive to try to make the team better and more exciting. Whether that happens in the next six to seven weeks or next year at the trade deadline or next offseason … but certainly the plan is to be aggressive at the right time.“

International Notes: Radulov, Simashev, Forsell, Kämpf

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According to a report out of Russia, Alexander Radulov is transferring from Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to SKA St. Petersburg only a day after winning the second Gagarin Cup championship of his career and being named the playoffs’ MVP. The news confirms that Radulov will suit up in his fourth consecutive KHL season after leaving the NHL after the 2021-22 season.

It’ll be a one-and-done year for Radulov. He joined Lokomotiv after two years as captain for the Ak Bars Kazan, scoring 41 goals and 97 points in 120 games from 2022 to 2024. His scoring dissipated this year, putting together an 18-goal, 34-point season in 60 contests.

Still, Radulov left some gas in the tank for the postseason. He finished fourth in playoff scoring with seven goals and 16 points in 21 games, leading the next closest on Lokomotiv by two points. He’ll join a St. Petersburg club that hasn’t advanced past the quarterfinals in two years and has former NHL players such as Mikhail Grigorenko, Valentin Zykov, and Nikita Zaitsev on the roster.

Other international notes:

  • Confirming a report from a month ago, Utah Mammoth prospect Dmitri Simashev said he’ll be coming to North America next season (Tweet Link). Alongside Radulov and fellow Utah prospect Daniil But, Simashev became a first-time winner of the Gagarin Cup yesterday. Still, his offensive struggles continued throughout the KHL postseason, tallying only one assist in 21 playoff contests with a -1 rating. There shouldn’t be any guarantees that Simashev will make the Mammoth’s roster out of training camp in September.
  • Per a report from Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic, the Vancouver Canucks are content with letting 2021 seventh-round pick, Lucas Forsell, join a different organization this summer. Vancouver selected Forsell with the 201st overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft, and he’s been playing SHL’s Färjestad BK since. Still, it’s unlikely Forsell will gain much traction once his contractual rights expire on June 1st, given he’s failed to score more than 10 points in any SHL season since being drafted.
  • Team Czechia couldn’t defeat Team Sweden today despite having an extra reinforcement. TSN’s Chris Johnston reported yesterday that Toronto Maple Leafs forward David Kämpf joined his home country for the quarterfinals. He managed one shot on net in 17:09 of ice time with a -1 rating in the loss.

Metro Notes: Islanders, Capitals, Peca

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According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the New York Islanders are closing in on their next General Manager. Pagnotta did not provide specifics but mentioned that Mathieu Darche and Marc Bergevin remain in the conversation. Arthur Staple of The Athletic confirmed Pagnotta’s findings.

Neither name is surprising, as the Islanders reportedly gave both a second interview a few days ago. Still, as Staple notes, it could prove a hurdle if the Islanders hope to hire Brendan Shanahan. Yesterday, New York reportedly received permission to interview Shanahan. Although the Toronto Maple Leafs announced they will proceed without him, he may not appreciate that a General Manager was appointed before him.

Whoever is ultimately named the Islanders’ next General Manager will have an important task ahead of them in the coming weeks. Aside from the needed roster changes, the Islanders won the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery on May 5th, giving them this summer’s first overall pick.

Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:

Canucks Agree To Terms With Anri Ravinskis On Entry-Level Contract

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4:30 p.m.: According to PuckPedia, Ravinskis will make an NHL salary of $775K in each year of the deal, with a signing bonus of $97.5K, and an unspecified games-played bonus of $102K, bringing his cap hit to $872.5K and his AAV to $975K.

2:09 p.m.: The Canucks announced today they’ve agreed to terms with undrafted forward Anri Ravinskis on a two-year, entry-level contract starting in 2025-26. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Ravinskis, 22, just wrapped up representing his native Latvia at the World Championship. He registered a goal and an assist in all seven group stage games as the Latvians failed to qualify for the quarterfinals for the second year in a row after winning bronze in 2023.

A 6’3″, 201-lb winger, Ravinskis isn’t a stranger to North American hockey. He played U18-level hockey in the Toronto area in the 2019-20 season before returning home when COVID hit. He returned to play at the major junior level with the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns, recording a 29-25–54 scoring line in 98 games. He was also on the Latvian Division IA World Juniors team in 2022 that won promotion to the top-level WJC, where the country remains through at least 2026.

Since heading back to Europe following the conclusion of his junior career with Blainville-Boisbriand, he’s spent time in Finland in the HPK organization. After splitting the 2023-24 season between the junior level and the professional second-tier Mestis, he made his top-level Liiga debut this season and impressed with an 8-9–17 scoring line in 27 games. Over the last two seasons, he’s also scored 22 goals and 51 points in 68 games with Kettera, HPK’s Mestis affiliate.

Ravinskis was under contract for two more years with HPK. It’s unclear if his deal carries a European assignment clause that would force the Canucks to loan him back to HPK if he spends too much time in AHL Abbotsford without an NHL call-up. Regardless, it’s unlikely he’ll go straight from logging significant time in second-tier European professional hockey to even limited NHL minutes the following season.

Ravinskis will be a restricted free agent when his deal expires in the 2027 offseason. Vancouver will control his rights through the 2029-30 season.

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