Pacific Notes: Hertl, Danault, Kulak, Ceci, Fleury
Top trade deadline pickup Tomáš Hertl took a major step toward making his Golden Knights debut Monday, practicing with the team in a non-contact jersey for the first time. The 30-year-old is on long-term injured reserve but is eligible to come off at any time. He had been on standard IR since being acquired from the Sharks on March 8 but was moved to LTIR last week to afford Vegas the cap space necessary to recall goaltender Jiří Patera from the minors with Adin Hill injured. With Patera returned to Henderson as of last night, the Golden Knights have enough cap space to activate Hertl’s $6.75MM cap hit whenever he’s ready to go. He’s expected to suit up for Vegas before the regular season draws to a close. The 11-year vet underwent knee surgery after representing San Jose at the 2024 All-Star Game and hasn’t played since late January. He remains week-to-week, but skating today is a strong indication he’ll be upgraded to day-to-day in the near future.
Other updates from the Pacific Division:
- Kings center Phillip Danault will be a game-time decision with his upper-body injury ahead of tonight’s matchup with the Jets, interim head coach Jim Hiller told reporters (via Ken Wiebe of The Winnipeg Free Press). Danault, 31, missed Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Flames with the injury. The 2011 first-round pick is well on his way to earning Selke Trophy votes for the sixth straight season, although he’s yet to be a nominee. He has 17 goals and 42 points in 72 games this season, in line with his production since joining the Kings on a six-year, $33MM deal in 2021. His +14.5 expected rating this season is the second-highest of his career, and his 56.1 CF% at even strength is fifth among qualified Kings skaters despite receiving difficult defensive minutes. If Danault cannot play, 24-year-old Akil Thomas is expected to make his NHL debut after being recalled yesterday.
- Oilers defenseman Brett Kulak is expected to suit up Monday against the Blues, while Cody Ceci sits due to illness, per NHL.com. Kulak’s status for tonight’s game was uncertain after taking a puck to the head during his first shift against the Ducks on Saturday, ending his game prematurely. The 30-year-old has been decent in bottom-pairing usage for the Oilers this season, scoring three goals and adding 10 assists in 72 games. His ice time has dipped to 15:09 per game, the lowest of his Oilers tenure, but he’s controlled possession well with a +10.3 expected rating and a 52.9 CF% at even strength in his relatively easy minutes.
- The Kraken brought defenseman Cale Fleury back up from AHL Coachella Valley after sending him down yesterday, per a team announcement. Fleury has been summoned multiple times over the past few weeks for injury insurance while star blue-liner Vince Dunn remains sidelined with an upper-body injury. He hasn’t seen any game action, though, serving as a healthy scratch in the two games he’s been rostered for. On the farm, the 25-year-old has 32 points in 60 games, leading Coachella Valley defensemen. He signed a two-year, $1.6MM contract to remain in the Seattle organization last summer after reaching restricted free agency.
Blue Jackets Notes: Jenner, Merzlikins, Danforth
Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner will remain out of the lineup tonight against the Avalanche, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports. He was unavailable for Saturday’s shootout win over the Penguins as well due to illness. That necessitated the emergency recall of 21-year-old forward Cameron Butler from AHL Cleveland, who made his NHL debut but was stapled to the bench for most of it, taking a lone 54-second shift. Butler was returned to Cleveland yesterday. Jenner has eclipsed the 20-goal mark for the third straight season, sitting third on Columbus in scoring with 22 goals and 35 points in 58 games, trailing only Johnny Gaudreau and Zach Werenski. Now in his 11th season in Columbus, the 30-year-old has two seasons remaining on his contract at a bargain-bin $3.75MM cap hit.
Other notes ahead of Monday’s matchup against Colorado:
- Netminder Elvis Merzļikins has officially been ruled out of tonight’s contest with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day, per Dave Maetzold of Bally Sports Ohio. Columbus recalled prospect Jet Greaves under emergency conditions yesterday after Merzļikins missed practice with what head coach Pascal Vincent termed as a maintenance day. Greaves will back up while Daniil Tarasov makes his 22nd start of the season, a career-high. For Merzļikins, it’s another small blip in what’s otherwise been an improved but still underwhelming campaign. His .897 SV% and 3.45 GAA are vast improvements on last year’s totals (.876 SV%, 4.23 GAA) when he was one of the worst netminders in the league, but he’s still conceded more goals than expected – 6.4 to be exact, per MoneyPuck – for the second straight year. He’s largely managed to stay healthy, though, a major issue for him last season. He’s crossed 40 starts this season for only the second time since coming to North America in 2019.
- Forward Justin Danforth returns to the lineup tonight after missing 11 games with a concussion, per the team. The 31-year-old had played in all 63 Blue Jackets games before exiting the lineup on March 9, scoring 10 goals and 11 assists for 23 points. He’s averaged 14:16 per game, a career-high. An undrafted free agent signing out of the KHL in 2021, the Ontario-born forward has cycled between center and wing for Columbus and lands on the former tonight, holding down a line between AHL call-ups James Malatesta and Carson Meyer.
Sharks Assign Filip Bystedt To AHL
The Sharks are bringing Swedish center prospect Filip Bystedt to North America to finish out the 2023-24 campaign, assigning him to AHL San Jose on Monday. San Jose loaned him to Linköping HC of the Swedish Hockey League for the season after signing him to an entry-level contract last June.
Bystedt, 20, was the Sharks’ lone first-round pick in 2022, going to them at 27th overall after they traded down from 11th in a major pick swap with the Coyotes (Arizona drafted center prospect Conor Geekie with San Jose’s pick). The 6’4″ pivot checks in as the fourth-best prospect in the Sharks’ system in The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler’s organizational rankings after being crowned SHL Rookie of the Year in 2022-23. He was an important secondary fixture on a rather poor Linköping squad last year, notching seven goals and 20 points in 45 games.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t build on that production this year, finishing the SHL campaign with 17 points in 47 games. That’s despite Linköping being a much-improved squad overall, finishing above the .500 mark and making the SHL playoffs for the first time since 2018. He did represent Sweden at the World Juniors for a second straight season, where he notched three goals and an assist in seven games en route to a silver medal.
Bystedt’s European Assignment Clause in his ELC is only for this year, so he’ll likely play a full season in the minors with San Jose next year. Playoff hockey won’t be in the cards for him later this month – the Barracuda are tied for last place in the AHL with 53 points. However, he should factor into a few of San Jose’s eight remaining games and get a taste of playing in the Sharks’ organization. He’s an entry-level slide candidate, meaning that since he won’t see NHL action this year, the beginning of his ELC will defer to next season. As such, he’ll remain signed through 2027, at which point he’ll be an RFA.
East Notes: Shea, Rifai, Rielly, Johansson, Sandin
The Penguins assigned defenseman Ryan Shea to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton last night, per CapFriendly. The move ends his brief emergency loan, having come up on Friday after blue-liner Ryan Graves was diagnosed with a concussion. However, his services weren’t needed in Saturday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Blue Jackets, meaning he needed to be returned to the minors or converted to a standard recall. The 27-year-old has been up and down on multiple paper transactions over the last few months but hasn’t played an NHL game since Dec. 8. The 2015 fourth-round pick of the Blackhawks made his NHL debut this season after inking a one-year, one-way deal with Pittsburgh last summer, but failed to record a point and averaged 12:28 per game through 22 contests.
Other updates out of the Eastern Conference:
- The Maple Leafs announced they’ve brought up defenseman Marshall Rifai from AHL Toronto for the second time in three days. It’s an emergency loan, per CapFriendly, indicating he’ll serve as injury insurance ahead of tonight’s game against the Panthers and will likely return to the minors tomorrow. The 26-year-old landed his first NHL deal last summer after spending 2022-23 on an AHL contract with Toronto and made his first two NHL appearances in February, logging a shot on goal, a block and four hits while averaging 11:40 per game. Rifai coming up to the active roster today confirms that Morgan Rielly, who’s already missed three games with an upper-body injury, isn’t ready to return. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters that Rielly is “close to 100 percent” and will practice tomorrow, meaning he could return for Wednesday’s key clash for playoff positioning against the Lightning (via David Alter of The Hockey News).
- Lightning backup netminder Jonas Johansson is day-to-day with a lower-body injury after missing practice today and is questionable to dress against the Red Wings tonight, Chris Krenn of the team’s official site relays. In the event Johansson is unable to go, they won’t make a recall from AHL Syracuse and will dress former Grand Valley State University netminder Kyle Konin as an emergency backup, per Krenn. The 26-year-old Rhode Island native resides in St. Petersburg, Florida, and has informally held the reserve role for the Lightning over the past few seasons, dressing once before as an emergency backup for the Blues when they visited Tampa in the 2021-22 season. Konin hasn’t played any significant level of hockey since ACHA III play in 2020.
- Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin was on the ice for practice Monday after missing Saturday’s shootout loss to the Bruins with a lower-body injury, reports Tom Gulitti of NHL.com. He was a late scratch with the injury and wasn’t issued a timeline beyond day-to-day evaluation, suggesting his absence would be short-term. All signs point to the 24-year-old Swede reentering the lineup tomorrow against the Sabres as the Caps aim to pull away from the Flyers and secure third place in the Metropolitan Division. In his first full season in the nation’s capital, Sandin has 23 points in 64 games while playing 21:20 a night, second on the team behind John Carlson.
Flyers To Reinstate Jamie Drysdale From Injured Reserve
Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale will come off injured reserve ahead of tonight’s game against the Islanders after missing over a month with a shoulder injury. Philadelphia will likely make a corresponding transaction later Monday, as activating Drysdale gives them an excess of nine healthy defenders on the active roster with two of them being waiver-exempt (Ronald Attard, Adam Ginning).
Philly fans cringed when Drysdale sustained the injury on Feb. 25 against Pittsburgh, appearing to reinjure the shoulder that kept him out of all but eight games last year. A weeks-long absence isn’t ideal for the young blueliner as he tries to make his mark after being acquired from the Ducks midseason, but avoiding anything longer-term is still good news. Drysdale wasn’t overly impressive in 17 games with the Flyers, scoring twice and adding two assists, but he did log much-improved possession numbers from his time in Anaheim.
After the Ducks drafted Drysdale with the sixth overall pick in 2020, he had a breakout rookie campaign two seasons later, scoring 32 points in 81 games as a 19-year-old. The torn labrum less than a month into the 2022-23 season stunted all of his momentum, though, and he hasn’t been able to recapture his pre-injury form. A lower-body injury also cost him most of the early going of this year with Anaheim, and all in all has been limited to 27 appearances across his two clubs.
The sinking Flyers will gladly welcome his presence as they fight to turn things around and secure a playoff spot. They’ve gone 3-5-2 in their last 10 games, dropping them out of third place in the Metropolitan Division and putting them only two points ahead of the Red Wings, who have a game in hand, for the second wild-card spot in the East. Outside of their top pairing of Travis Sanheim and Cameron York, Philly doesn’t have many skilled puck-movers on their back end, and plugging Drysdale back into the lineup should allow trade deadline pickup Erik Johnson to be relieved of his overmatched top-four spot alongside Nick Seeler.
Poll: Who’s Going To Win The Presidents’ Trophy?
Nearly half of the current playoff field has clinched postseason berths, so attention is quickly turning to playoff positioning battles and who can finish atop the regular-season standings with just over two weeks left in the campaign. The field is crowded at the top, with seven teams within five points of first place.
The Rangers currently hold the edge as the only 50-win team and 104 points (.703 points percentage), ranking among the top six teams in both goals for and goals against. Leading them across the board offensively is winger Artemi Panarin, who should get some outside Hart Trophy consideration with a career-high 44 goals and 107 points. Season-ending injuries to Filip Chytil and Blake Wheeler have damaged their forward depth, but early returns on their trade deadline replacements, Jack Roslovic and Alexander Wennberg, have been positive. With top-five defenseman Adam Fox leading their blue line and one of the better goalie duos in the league this year with Jonathan Quick and Igor Shesterkin, the Rangers are looking to win the Presidents’ Trophy for only the fourth time in their 98-year history and the first since 2014-15.
Moving over to the crowded Central Division, the Stars are keeping pace at the top of the division with an 8-2-0 record in their last 10. Their 103 points and .687 points percentage are both second in the league, but they’ll need some help to catch the similarly hot Rangers, who’ve played one less game. Fuelled by an incredibly deep forward corps and a breakout season from 22-year-old Thomas Harley alongside Miro Heiskanen on the team’s top defense pair, Dallas is chasing its first division title since 2016, when Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Jason Spezza all had 30-goal years and powered the league’s best offense. After shoring up their blue line with deadline pickup Chris Tanev and boosting their third line with the promotion of rookie Logan Stankoven from the minors, the Stars are hoping to make back-to-back Conference Final appearances for the first time since appearing in three straight from 1998 to 2000.
Hot on Dallas’ tails for guaranteed home-ice advantage through Round Three are the breakout Canucks, whose jump from 24th to fourth in goals against has fuelled their first trip to the postseason (sans the 2020 bubble) in nine years. A franchise record-breaking season from Quinn Hughes on the blue line, plus a rebound from Thatcher Demko in the crease, have created the core for what Vancouver hopes is a lengthy era of contention with J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson centering their top two lines. Some view them as the NHL’s flukiest team with a league-high 9.8% shooting percentage and 102.8 PDO at 5-on-5, a narrative they’ll look to dispel by extending their season into May and June.
The new-look Avalanche went big-game hunting at the trade deadline and remain in contention for division and league titles, tied with Vancouver with a .676 points percentage (100 points in 74 games). With new faces Brandon Duhaime, Casey Mittelstadt, Yakov Trenin, and Sean Walker providing reinforcements in the absence of captain Gabriel Landeskog for a second straight season, Colorado will look to stay hot down the stretch and avenge last year’s first-round upset at the hands of the Kraken.
Over in the East, the Bruins, Hurricanes and Panthers remain in the hunt for the regular-season title, but at three or more points behind the Rangers with no games in hand, it seems unlikely with New York on a hot streak. MoneyPuck awards each of them less than a 4% chance at capturing the first-overall crown.
Tell us – who’s your pick to win the Presidents’ Trophy and aim to become the first regular-season champion since 2013 to hoist the Stanley Cup?
Who's Going To Win The Presidents' Trophy?
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Rangers 49% (355)
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Stars 15% (110)
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Bruins 11% (77)
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Hurricanes 8% (56)
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Canucks 6% (43)
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Avalanche 6% (40)
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Panthers 5% (36)
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Other 1% (8)
Total votes: 725
Mobile/app users, use this link to vote.
Golden Knights Reassign Jiri Patera
The Golden Knights have assigned netminder Jiří Patera back to AHL Henderson, per CapFriendly. The move suggests Adin Hill, who hasn’t played since sustaining an undisclosed injury against the Blue Jackets on March 23, is ready to return tomorrow against the Canucks.
A sixth-round pick of Vegas’ inaugural 2017 draft class, Patera made his NHL debut last year after two seasons with Henderson in a depth role. At 6’2″ and 209 lbs, Patera’s good size and solid positioning helped him develop into the Knights’ top minor-league option last season, with a .911 SV% in 31 appearances. He made his first two NHL starts in March as injuries piled up in the Vegas crease, winning both and posting a strong .929 SV%, 2.50 GAA, and 2.0 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.
After his entry-level contract expired, Vegas signed him to a one-year, two-way contract ($775K/$100K/$145K) last summer to serve as the third goalie on the depth chart behind Hill and Logan Thompson. He slid up from the #4 spot to replace veteran Jonathan Quick, whom they let find a new home on the open market after he gave the eventual Stanley Cup champs some solid performances to close out the regular season. Patera’s more extended NHL audition this season hasn’t gone quite as well, though, putting up below-average numbers with a .893 SV% and 3.98 GAA in five starts and one relief appearance. He’s managed to concede 4.0 goals above expected in that time.
Things haven’t gone quite as well in the minors for Patera either, where his numbers have dropped to a .902% and 3.04 GAA in 24 games. The team in front of him hasn’t exactly been a beacon of defensive responsibility, though, and the other two netminders on the roster, Isaiah Saville and Jesper Vikman, haven’t outperformed him.
Since Patera was on the roster as an emergency call-up, he had to be returned to Henderson or be added to the roster as a standard recall as soon as Hill became available to dress. He made one start on this recall, stopping 30 of 35 shots in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Predators on March 26. He’ll be an RFA with arbitration rights when his contract expires this summer and will require waivers to be assigned to the minors beginning next season.
Five Key Stories: 3/25/24 – 3/31/24
The stretch run is upon as we get set to turn the calendar to April. We’re still likely a few weeks away from some big headlines but there was still some notable news across the NHL which is recapped in our key stories.
Three For Benoit: Last summer, Simon Benoit was non-tendered by Anaheim, eventually settling for a one-year deal worth the NHL minimum salary with Toronto. However, he has done well with the Maple Leafs and he was rewarded for his efforts with a three-year, $4.05MM contract extension. The 25-year-old has played in 55 games this season and while he doesn’t put up many points (just five so far), he leads the team in hits with 210 while averaging nearly 17 minutes a night, giving the third pairing some stability. That stability will now run through the 2026-27 season.
Injuries: If the Islanders are going to climb up the standings and into the playoffs, they’ll have to do so without defenseman Scott Mayfield as it was revealed that he underwent season-ending surgery. The 31-year-old has been limited to just 41 games this season due to injuries, hardly the way he or the team wanted the first season of his seven-year contract to go. Meanwhile, Blues center Oskar Sundqvist suffered a torn ACL and will be out for the rest of the season. He returned for a second go-around with St. Louis in the summer and did well enough to earn a two-year, $3MM contract earlier this month just before the trade deadline. With a six-month recovery timeline, Sundqvist won’t be ready for the start of training camp and could miss the start of next season.
Fleury Open To Playing Next Season: When Marc-Andre Fleury signed a two-year deal with Minnesota in 2022, it was widely expected that those two seasons would be the last ones of Fleury’s career. However, that might not be the case as the veteran netminder indicated this week that he would be open to re-signing with the Wild for next season. However, that option would only extend to Minnesota as he appears to be unwilling to move his family again. Fleury is in his 20th NHL season and while his GAA is the same as a year ago at 2.85, he has lost nine points off his save percentage, going from .908 to .899, his lowest since 2005-06. However, if the Wild feel that prospect Jesper Wallstedt would be better suited with another AHL season, they could decide to bring Fleury back for one more year.
Fedotov Joins Flyers: The Flyers have waited a long time to get Ivan Fedotov to North America, even when he had a contract going back to last season. Fedotov played in the KHL this season despite sanctions from the IIHF but he was surprisingly released from that deal this week, paving the way for the netminder to finish up the year with Philadelphia. It might not just be a short-term option for the 27-year-old as extension talks are already underway. Fedotov had a quiet year by his standards with CSKA Moscow but still managed a 2.37 GAA and a .914 SV% in 44 games. Long viewed as one of the top netminders outside North America, Fedotov represents an immediate upgrade at the backup goalie position and if a new deal is agreed on, he could help bolster Philadelphia’s crease position for a little while.
Bear Enters Assistance Program: The Capitals will be without defenseman Ethan Bear indefinitely as he has entered the NHL/NHLPA Assistance Program. Bear had to wait until late December to get a contract after being injured while playing for Canada at the Worlds back in May although he was able to get a back-loaded two-year, $4.125MM deal from the Capitals. Through 24 games this season, Bear has a goal and three assists while averaging a little under 15 minutes a night.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
2024 College Free Agency Preview: Wingers
With the college regular season over and the Frozen Four tournament upon us, activity on the college free agent front will pick up in the near future. At this time of year, college free agents are rarely coming in as impact prospects with high NHL ceilings but it’s an opportunity for teams to add some depth pieces that are further along in their development compared to players coming out of major junior.
Here is an overview of some of the wingers that could be drawing NHL interest in the near future. Note that not all of these players will sign entry-level contracts as some will ultimately elect to return to college for another season (or more) while quite a few others not on this list will sign NHL or AHL deals in the coming weeks. Our look at the goaltenders can be found here, the defensemen are here, and the centers are here.
Dalton Bancroft, Cornell
After being a bottom-six player in his freshman year, Bancroft moved up the lineup this season and the numbers have improved as he has been averaging around a point per game. However, his physicality makes him an ideal fit on a fourth line in the pros. That said, the 23-year-old has been an effective scorer with the man advantage and a profile of a fourth liner who can play the power play has some value in today’s NHL which should have him on the radar of some teams.
Joshua Eernisse, Michigan
Eernisse decided to transfer from St. Thomas after his freshman year, going from a team where he had a prominent role to one where he’s more of a limited player in the process. However, it’s his playing style that will get him on the NHL radar. He has good speed for his size and plays with plenty of physicality and energy. That will be appealing to teams if the 22-year-old opts to turn pro. Waiting another year and playing a bigger role offensively for the Wolverines next season might be the better way to go though.
Riese Gaber, North Dakota
A couple of years ago, it looked like Gaber was in a perfect spot to turn pro after putting up more than a point per game in his sophomore year. Instead, he returned for two more seasons and watched his production plateau. He’s a strong skater with a well-rounded offensive game but he also stands just 5’8 which will scare some teams off. An entry-level deal is possible but so is an AHL contract as a result.
Matteo Giampa, Canisius
Giampa just wrapped up a very successful freshman year, coming up just shy of a point per game with Canisius and led the team in scoring by a dozen points. The year before, he was an impact scorer in the AJHL. But at 20, his game is still quite raw compared to many players that will test the free agent market. If a team feels his development is best served playing a bigger schedule in the pros, they’ll be going after Giampa now. But he might be better off with that refinement coming in college next season.
Collin Graf, Quinnipiac
Viewed as one of the best if not the best player in this free agent class after finishing third in NCAA scoring, Graf had strong interest a year ago before deciding to return for his junior year. He produced at a similar level on a per-game basis while his defensive game improved. If he opts to turn pro, he will almost certainly burn the first year of his contract right away and as a player who has middle-six potential instead of projecting as a lower-end piece, many teams will have interest once again. With Quinnipiac being eliminated earlier today, watch for his market to move quickly.
Joey Larson, Michigan State
Larson was one of the better scorers in the NCAA in the first half of the season before his output fell off when the calendar flipped to 2024. Still, he’s one of the better pure shooters in this class, a skill that should be intriguing to teams. That said, with two years of eligibility remaining, the 23-year-old might be better off sticking with the Spartans for another year to refine his all-around game.
Ondrej Psenicka, Cornell
Psenicka attracted some interest a couple of years ago after a strong freshman season and his production has largely stagnated since then. However, he plays a pro-style game without much flash and he stands 6’6. The raw upside isn’t as high as some others on this list but he has the chance to stick on a fourth line in the NHL.
Simon Tassy, Wisconsin
Tassy’s decision to leave Minnesota State (Mankato) after his freshman year to follow head coach Mike Hastings to Wisconsin was a good one. His playing time went up and his production went from five points to 28, a pretty impressive jump that should get him on the pro radar. One more year to round out his game would make sense but if he has NHL offers now, it might be better for the 23-year-old to make the jump now. If that happens, he’ll still be a bit of a project.
Gleb Veremyev, Colorado College
After a quiet, injury-riddled freshman year, Veremyev quadrupled his output this season. However, Veremyev’s not on here for his offense. He’s a very physical winger, a profile that will appeal to some teams who are looking to add some crash and bang to their lineups with a bit of offensive upside. Still just 20, it’s quite possible that Veremyev opts to stay in school for another year but with the jump he took this season, there should be NHL teams showing interest now.
Dylan Wendt, Western Michigan
After the Broncos lost several key forwards to the pros, Wendt was one of the players who took on a much bigger role and made the most of it, scoring more goals this year (23) than he had points a year ago (22). His offensive game is farther along than his defensive one so some AHL time will be needed but the time should be right for the 23-year-old to turn pro.
Carter Wilkie, RIT
Wilkie has been a productive scorer for the Tigers in each of his three seasons with them including two straight years averaging a little over a point per game. He’s more of a pure playmaker compared to some of the other wingers on this list but he plays with enough jam to potentially fit on a lower line professionally. The 23-year-old has entered the transfer portal but could also be convinced to turn pro if the right offer comes around.
Blues Notes: Perunovich, Neighbours, Lindstein, Snuggerud
Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich played in his 74th career NHL game (including playoffs) on Saturday, a milestone that typically wouldn’t carry any significance. However, as Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch points out, Perunovich’s participation in that game means that he will be a restricted free agent this summer instead of a Group Six unrestricted free agent. Generally, the threshold for skaters is 80 but since the 2020-21 season was only 56 games, that number was reduced. Perunovich is still looking for his first career NHL tally but does have 15 assists in 48 games this season. With him retaining RFA status, St. Louis now has an additional two years of team control as Perunovich won’t be eligible for unrestricted free agency until 2025.
More from St. Louis:
- Winger Jake Neighbours is having a breakout season, notching 26 goals through 74 games, good for a share of the team lead with Pavel Buchnevich. He’s eligible to sign a contract extension this summer as he’ll be entering the final year of his entry-level deal in 2024-25. In a mailbag column, Jeremy Rutherford suggests (subscription link) that the 22-year-old might be inclined to try to wait out signing a new deal until after next season. If he feels that his performance this year is a sign of things to come, Neighbours would certainly have more leverage if he waits it out although it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Blues take a run at trying to sign him when they’re eligible to in July.
- Earlier this month, the Blues signed 2023 first-round pick Theo Lindstein to an entry-level contract. In doing so, they gained the flexibility to assign the defenseman to their AHL affiliate for next season instead of returning him to Brynas in Sweden’s Allsvenskan level. However, as Rutherford points out in a separate mailbag (subscription link), the team has not yet made a determination on where to assign him for next season. Lindstein had 15 points in 49 games with Brynas and added eight more in seven World Junior appearances.
- With the University of Minnesota being eliminated by Boston University last night, Jimmy Snuggerud now needs to decide if he’ll return for his junior year or turn pro. Speaking with reporters postgame including The Rink Live’s Jess Myers (Twitter link), the 19-year-old indicated he had “no clue” about his next move just yet. Snuggerud was the 23rd pick back in 2022 and saw his numbers dip from 50 points to 34 this season although he still managed 21 goals in just 39 games while also picking up eight points in six World Junior contests.