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Nikolai Kovalenko Signs With CSKA Moscow

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A couple of years ago, it looked like winger Nikolai Kovalenko was going to have a chance to become an impactful NHL player.  Instead, he is effectively one-and-done in North America as CSKA Moscow of the KHL announced on its Telegram page that they’ve signed Kovalenko to a two-year contract.

The 25-year-old was a fifth-round pick by Colorado back in 2018, going 171st overall.  While it took some time, Kovalenko became a key scoring threat back home, putting up 87 points over his last two seasons with KHL Torpedo, earning himself an entry-level contract along the way.

Once Kovalenko’s KHL season ended in 2024, he was brought up by the Avs and even got into a pair of playoff contests that spring for his first taste of NHL action.  The hope was that he’d be well-positioned to upgrade Colorado’s bottom-six group heading into last season with potentially showing enough to move into the top six whenever injuries crept up.

Unfortunately, things didn’t quite go as planned on that front.  Kovalenko was limited to just four goals and four assists in the first 28 games of the season while logging just 12 minutes a night of playing time.  Instead of being an upgrade on some of the question marks the Avalanche deployed at the back of their forward group, he simply became another one of them.

As a result, Colorado opted to trade Kovalenko to San Jose in early December as one of the key pieces of the return for Mackenzie Blackwood who was brought in to shore up their goaltending (and later signed a five-year extension).  With the Sharks firmly in rebuilding mode, it seemed like Kovalenko would get a longer leash and potentially develop into the type of player the Avs were hoping he’d become.

But that didn’t happen.  Kovalenko found himself primarily in the same role he had with Colorado and even found himself as a healthy scratch at times.  He got into 29 games with San Jose, notching just three goals and nine assists while his ice time ticked up only slightly to 12:40 per game.  With the Sharks looking to shake things up roster-wise this summer, they elected to non-tender Kovalenko last month, making him an unrestricted free agent.

While Kovalenko was believed to prefer to stay in the NHL, evidently the offers weren’t to his liking so he has decided to return home after just one full season across the pond.  Given his age, it’s quite possible that he’ll be able to get himself back on the radar if he immediately goes back to being a top performer at the KHL level so this might not be the last we see of him in North America.

Photo courtesy of Stan Szeto-Imagn Images.

West Notes: Sharks, Lord, Prosvetov

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The Sharks have been busy in recent days, adding Ryan Reaves and Jeff Skinner up front.  Those moves came after the back end was shaken up last week with the additions of John Klingberg, Dmitry Orlov, and Nick Leddy while other depth moves were made this summer as well.  Speaking to reporters today including Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link), GM Mike Grier indicated that San Jose is probably finished with their offseason movement but that they’d definitely look into other trade scenarios that could pop up before the season starts.  With all of the moves they’ve made, more than one-third of their roster has been changed up this summer, a percentage that could go higher depending on if other prospects make a push for a roster spot in training camp.

More from out West:

  • As expected, the AHL’s Ontario Reign, affiliate of the Kings, announced today that Andrew Lord has been named as the fourth head coach in team history. He takes the place of Marco Sturm who held the post the last three seasons before being named as Boston’s head coach earlier this offseason.  Lord was the head coach with QMJHL Halifax last season after spending the previous four years as the coach and GM (for three seasons) of ECHL Greenville.
  • Goaltender Ivan Prosvetov signed a one-year, $950K contract with the Flames early in free agency. Speaking with reporters including Championat’s Nastya Vinnik, the 26-year-old acknowledged that he had an offer for more money on the table but picked Calgary instead since there was a pathway to a potential NHL spot.  Prosvetov had a 2.32 GAA and a .920 SV% in 38 games last season with CSKA Moscow in the KHL and will battle Devin Cooley to serve as the backup to Dustin Wolf next season.

Erik Karlsson Open To Being Traded To A Handful Of Teams

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With the Penguins known to be sellers this summer, there has been plenty of speculation about the future of some of their veterans.  While wingers Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell have been generating a lot of attention, one other veteran that seemingly could be in play is blueliner Erik Karlsson.

The 35-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Penguins responsible for $10MM of his $11.5MM cap charge and San Jose covering the remainder.  Notably, a $5MM signing bonus this summer has already been paid, meaning his total cash compensation remaining is $11.5MM over the final two years combined, $1.5MM of which again is covered by the Sharks.

While Karlsson has a no-move clause, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic recently reported in his latest podcast (audio link) that he is willing to be moved.  However, he adds that there are only a few teams the veteran is willing to move to; Johnston didn’t identify any of the potential landing spots Karlsson would be amenable to going to.

While Karlsson hasn’t been able to come close to the 101 points he put up just two seasons ago, he’s still an above-average offensive blueliner, notching 56 and 53 points over the last two years while logging over 23 minutes a night.  While he’s never been elite on the defensive side of things, he’s still a legitimate impact player.

To that end, Johnston notes that Pittsburgh isn’t viewing Karlsson as merely a cap dump.  If he is to be moved, GM Kyle Dubas will be expecting a positive-value return and in the current environment, he has a good chance to land that.  The UFA market for blueliners is largely dried up now while more than one-third of the league has the cap space to take on the remainder of his contract outright without salary retention.  Meanwhile, if Pittsburgh were to retain some money or take players back, several more teams could get into the mix as well.

Depending on which teams Karlsson is willing to move to, Pittsburgh actually might have more realistic options than San Jose did two summers ago when very few teams had the ability to add the bulk of his contract.  Despite the drop in production, that should have Dubas in decent shape in terms of trying to build some sort of market for his defender’s services, especially if there are suitors that value the cap hit being higher than the remaining cash outlay.

But, even in a salary cap environment that’s set to jump again considerably next summer, moving Karlsson for even close to full value will be a challenge.  That said, the Penguins didn’t pay close to full value for him two summers ago when he was coming off his third Norris Trophy win.  So, while Pittsburgh is in decent shape to get something of value for Karlsson, it’s unlikely they’ll get a key element to their rebuild in a package.  And with Karlsson holding the cards with a full veto if he doesn’t want to go to a specific team, the Penguins could yet lose some leverage in discussions.

While it might make sense to wait for an in-season move if injuries strike, the summer is generally considered an easier time to make bigger moves work on the salary cap side.  With that in mind, Karlsson is a player to keep an eye on in the coming weeks with teams still looking to add to their rosters in a market where demand greatly outweighs supply.

Minor Transactions: 7/11/25

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While the frequency of signings has certainly dried up as of late, there are still some free agents at the lower levels looking for new homes.  Some of those have inked recent contracts; we’ll run down those moves and other minor transactions here.

  • The Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate in Rockford announced that they’ve signed defenseman Andrew Perrott and forward Connor Mylymok to one-year AHL contracts. Perrott split last season between Washington’s AHL and ECHL affiliates, tallying 140 penalty minutes between the two levels.  Mylymok, meanwhile, was held off the scoresheet in eight games with AHL Calgary while posting 23 points in 40 outings with ECHL Rapid City.
  • Winger Robert Mastrosimone has signed with AHL Charlotte, an affiliate of the Hurricanes, per a team release. The 24-year-old was a second-round pick by Detroit back in 2019 but didn’t sign with them, ultimately becoming a free agent where he spent the last two seasons on a minor league deal with Toronto.  Mastrosimone played in 50 games for the Marlies in 2024-25, collecting 10 goals and four assists.
  • The Marlies announced that they’ve re-signed forwards Cedric Pare and Sam Stevens to one-year AHL deals. Pare was a capable secondary scorer last season for the Maple Leafs’ affiliate, notching 12 goals and 14 assists in 59 games.  Stevens, meanwhile, was limited to just 21 games with the Marlies in his first professional season, picking up two goals and two assists.
  • Earlier this week, Rangers prospect Artyom Gonchar has committed to play for OHL Sudbury next season, the junior team announced. The defenseman, who is the nephew of long-time NHLer Sergei Gonchar, was a third-round pick last month, going 89th overall.  Gonchar spent last season with MHL Magnitogorsk, tallying 25 points in 50 games.

Snapshots: Drouin, Hoefenmayer, CBA

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Winger Jonathan Drouin elaborated on what led him to sign with the New York Islanders in a Thursday night appearance on NHL Tonight. He shared that it was the makeup of the team’s offense, the coaching staff, and the Islanders’ all-around culture that led him to a move across the country this summer.

Drouin spoke specifically to each point, sharing that his relationships with winger Anthony Duclair and recent assistant coach hire Ray Bennett, and head coach Patrick Roy, all heavily influenced his decision. Drouin played against both Duclair and Roy many times during his days in the QMJHL, from 2011 to 2014. He was also coached by Bennett in each of his last two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche.

Drouin also noted that seeing the Islanders’ honoring of Matthew Schaefer’s mother at the NHL Draft was an additional nod to how well the club treats its players. With multiple positives laid out, New York will land a winger who managed 19 goals and 56 points in 79 games in 2023-24, and 37 points in 43 games of the 2024-25 season. He missed a significant portion of the mid-season with a lower-body injury, but worked back to full health before March. He will step into a hardy, top-nine role in New York’s increasingly crowded forward group.

More notes from around the hockey world:

  • After being non-tendered by Montreal last month, unrestricted free agent defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer has signed a one-year deal with HK Sochi, per an announcement on the KHL team’s Telegram page. The 26-year-old spent time with AHL Bakersfield and Laval last season, notching 21 points in 43 regular season games while also suiting up for Canada at the Spengler Cup in December.
  • PuckPedia highlights a couple of changes of some significance in the recently released CBA Memorandum of Understanding that comes into effect for the 2026-27 season.  There is now a 10-day in-season PTO option with the signing team getting the right of first refusal if another team tries to sign that player.  Meanwhile, the post-deadline regular recall limit of four has been expanded to five, giving teams a bit more flexibility roster-wise after the trade deadline.  Our Josh Erickson will be doing a Q&A about the MOU next week; you can submit your questions for that here.

Blues’ First-Rounder Justin Carbonneau Will Return To QMJHL

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St. Louis Blues first-round pick Justin Carbonneau has announced he will return to the QMJHL’s Blainville-Boisbriand Armada next season, after rumors that he was considering a move to the NCAA’s Boston College. The Armada announced the news through a post to their social media.

St. Louis recently drafted Carbonneau with the 19th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

This news will send shockwaves around Quebec’s junior league. Carbonneau was among the league’s best last season, tying for second in the league in goals (46) and outright ranking second in points (89) through 62 games. He rounded out his statline with 61 penalty minutes and just a plus-three, speaking to the incredibly high-event minutes Carbonneau earned while leading the Armada offense.

Carbonneau earned his offense with a powerful, heavy drive on the puck. He was among the QMJHL’s most explosive wingers moving down the ice, and used a strong frame and hard shot to generate dangerous chances in the offensive end. Carbonneau was also often the Armada’s pest, and routinely found himself in the middle of net-front shoving matches after the whistle. News of his return will land like a big acquisition in Blainsville-Boisbrand, as they lock up a player capable of rivaling the century mark in points or penalty minutes next season.

Carbonneau was thee standout of St. Louis’ recent development camp. He showed off all of the nasty grit, hard shooting, and determined drive that led him to the heights of the QMJHL this year. Those talents mix well with other emerging Blues, including Dylan Holloway, Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky. That match – and a right-wing role vacated by the trade of Zachary Bolduc – could ramp Carbonneau into an NHL role as soon as next year, assuming he stays hot through the 2025-26 campaign.

Wild Re-Sign Michael Milne

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The Minnesota Wild have signed forward Michael Milne to a one-year, two-way contract. Milne was a restricted-free agent. He will now play through the 2025-26 season on a deal that pays out $775K at the NHL level, and $100K at the AHL level.

Milne just wrapped up his third professional season, and his third in a daily role with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. He’s improved each year, ultimately working up to a career-high 15 goals and 26 points in 60 games this season. Those marks were high enough to land Milne fifth on Iowa’s roster in goals, though his minus-15 marks a new career-low, and his overall scoring pace dwindled from the 21 points he scored in 40 games last year. Even despite those fluctuations, Milne showed through enough to earn his NHL debut in November. He appeared in six minutes of action and managed no scoring in his sole game with the Minnesota roster.

Milne is still finding his footing at the pro flight. He was originally a third-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, after being passed over in the 2021 class. He earned that draft spot after netting 51 goals, 100 points, and a plus-74 in 83 games with the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice through the 2021-22 season. The Minnesota Wild opted to turn Milne pro immediately following that campaign, though his early showings have left a bit more to be desired. A low-stakes, one-year deal will give Milne a chance to show he has what it takes to lock in a top role on the Iowa roster, after briefly flirting with top-six minutes through points last season. He could even stand to earn more NHL attention with a hot season, after stepping in as an injury fill-in last season.

Jeff Skinner Signs With Sharks

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Free agent winger Jeff Skinner has signed a one-year deal worth $3MM with the Sharks, according to a team press release. He was one of the few of our top 50 unrestricted free agents who remained unsigned heading into the second week of the new league year.

Skinner, 33, has averaged 0.65 points per game for his career and is a skilled shooter, finishing at an 11.2% clip in 1,078 career regular-season games. His lengthy career has been plagued by peaks and valleys that ultimately resulted in the Sabres buying out the final three seasons of his eight-year, $72MM extension last summer.

He quickly landed with the Oilers on an identical contract to this one when the market opened last year, but the fit wasn’t great. He spent most of his time in a bottom-six role, not particularly conducive to his offensive skillset, and turned out just 16 goals and 29 points in 72 games as a result. Those were his lowest offensive totals in three years, accompanied by the lowest deployment of his career at 13 minutes per game.

He’ll hope for better results with the Sharks, who needed another veteran forward for multiple reasons. Not only did they need another body in case they decide fringe youngsters like Collin Graf or Cameron Lund would be better served with AHL time out of the gate, but they needed to add salary to ensure they stay above the cap floor while debating what to do with their logjam of depth defensemen.

Skinner accomplishes both those objectives while hopefully adding an infusion to the league’s worst offense in 2024-25 in expanded minutes. The Sharks averaged 2.54 goals per game last season but now add a six-time 30-goal threat on a virtually zero-risk deal, even if he’s coming off a disappointing campaign in Edmonton.

San Jose hasn’t made many offseason moves at forward, although they did pick up enforcer Ryan Reaves in a trade last night and signed depth pieces Adam Gaudette and Philipp Kurashev in free agency. The bulk of their talent-adding has come on the back end, where they’ve added veterans John Klingberg, Nick Leddy, and Dmitry Orlov via signings and waiver claims.

After their recent moves, the Sharks are now $4.36MM above the $70.6MM lower limit with $20.54MM in cap space, per PuckPedia. While they’ll still lean primarily on youngsters like Macklin Celebrini, William Eklund, and Will Smith for offense, they’ve done a better job this summer of insulating their next wave of players with added quality veteran talent.

Image courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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It has been a busy few weeks across the NHL.  We have a repeat Stanley Cup champion, the draft has come and gone, and many players find themselves on new teams following some big trades and plenty of free agent signings with the bulk of the heavy lifting now finished on the offseason.

With that in mind, it’s a good time to reopen the mailbag.  Our last call for questions yielded enough topics for three columns.  The first discussed Connor Hellebuyck’s playoff struggles, Florida’s playoff proficiency, and more.  Topics in the second included an assessment of the Avalanche, ideal second center options for Montreal, and some offseason predictions.  The third included some talk about the Blackhawks, a Noah Dobson prediction (that didn’t quite hold up), and what Detroit needed to do this summer to have a successful offseason.

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

Jets Re-Sign Isaak Phillips To Two-Year Contract

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The Jets have re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Isaak Phillips to a two-year contract, according to a team announcement. It’s unclear if it’s a one-way or two-way deal.

While playing his junior hockey with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, Phillips was drafted in the fifth round in 2020 by the Blackhawks. He got an early taste of pro hockey the following season when the OHL suspended operations due to COVID, playing for AHL Rockford in his post-draft year, and was able to remain there the following season thanks to his late September birthday. He bounced between leagues for much of his time with Chicago and successfully cleared waivers for the first time at the beginning of 2024-25.

Phillips, 23, was again shuttled between leagues through the early going of the campaign but was sent to the minors permanently in November. With his spot in the organization uncertain, the Hawks traded him to Winnipeg in January. He didn’t receive a recall after the trade, finishing the season with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. He made just three NHL appearances in 2024-25, posting an assist and three hits while averaging a paltry 11:54 per game.

While a defensive defenseman first and foremost, Phillips had shown a degree of offensive competency in Rockford in the past that led some to believe he could have the all-around play necessary to become an everyday third-pairing piece. That wasn’t the case last season. He made 67 appearances between Rockford and Manitoba, only managing four goals and 16 points with a cumulative minus-three rating.

The 6’3″, 205-lb lefty may be valuable organizational depth for the Jets with his 238 games of AHL experience, but that lackluster showing in the minors doesn’t inspire confidence that he’ll realistically compete for a roster spot in the fall. Winnipeg has eight defensemen under contract who played at least 39 NHL games last season.

If Phillips doesn’t manage 24 NHL appearances over the next two seasons, he’ll be able to test unrestricted free agency early thanks to Group VI status. If he plays more than that, he’ll remain under Winnipeg’s control as an RFA upon expiry.

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