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Summer Synopsis: St. Louis Blues

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For only the second time in the last decade, the St. Louis Blues failed to make the Stanley Cup playoffs. In a disappointing season seeing them finish sixth in the Central Division, and 12th in the Western Conference, the Blues moved on from big-name players such as Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly at last year’s trade deadline.

Now, St. Louis will be leaning more into their young stars, such as Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas. However, even after some notable additions this offseason, the Blues will still have an uphill battle to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs out of the Western Conference in the 2023-24 NHL season.

Draft

1-10: F Dalibor Dvorsky, AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
1-25: F Otto Stenberg, Frolunda HC (SHL)
1-29: D Theo Lindstein, Brynas IF (SHL)
3-74: D Quinton Burns, Kingston (OHL)
3-76: F Juraj Pekarcik, HK Nitra (Slovakia)
4-106: F Jakub Stancl, Vaxjo HC (SHL)
5-138: D Paul Fischer, USNTDP (USHL)
6-170: D Matthew Mayich, Ottawa (OHL)
7-202: F Nikita Susuyev, Spartak (KHL)

Putting quite an importance on building up their long-term center depth at this year’s draft, the Blues’ first selection, Dvorsky, should provide the team with just that. In some pre-draft boards, Dvorsky was seen going as high as sixth overall to the Arizona Coyotes, giving St. Louis the benefit of not having to reach for a center early in the first round. Last season playing for AIK, Dvorsky would suit up in 38 games for AIK, scoring six goals and 14 points.

On the latter two of their first-round selections, there were much more mixed reviews surrounding Stenberg and Lindstein. Lindstein is through-and-through a defense-first defenseman and should be a safer bet than Stenberg long-term for the Blues. Stenberg was not a bad selection for St. Louis by any means but did show some cause for concern in his first year of professional hockey in Sweden. Playing mostly against players much older than him, Stenberg only suited up in 23 games for Frolunda HC last season, scoring one goal and two assists.

UFA Signings

D Joshua Jacobs (one year, $775K)*
D Wyatt Kalynuk (one year, $775K)*
F Mackenzie MacEachern (two years, $1.55MM)
G Malcolm Subban (one year, $775K)*
F Oskar Sundqvist (one year, $775K)

*-denotes a two-way contract

Without much in the way of salary cap space due to the long-term extensions for both Kyrou and Thomas kicking in this year, the Blues mostly spent their dollars on forwards that could potentially help in the team’s bottom six, as well as defensemen and goaltending depth for their AHL affiliate. Sundqvist is the only free-agent acquisition likely to crack St. Louis’ roster out of camp, as he should be extremely familiar with the style of play in the organization, given his five-year run with the Blues from 2017-2022.

Most of these UFA signings will directly impact the Springfield Thunderbirds, who will look to make the Calder Cup playoffs for the third season in a row. Defense being the team’s biggest strength, they were able to finish ninth in the AHL in goals against last year, a statistic that Jacobs, Kalynuk, MacEachern, and Subban should all help continue. Now two years removed from reaching the Calder Cup Finals, the Thunderbirds could be a team to watch in the AHL yet again for the 2023-24 season.

Trade Acquisitions

F Kevin Hayes (acquired from Philadelphia)

A cousin of Blues legend, Keith Tkachuk, Hayes should shore up the void left by O’Reilly at the center position in St. Louis. Signing a massive seven-year, $50MM contract with the Philadelphia Flyers back in 2019, Hayes’ career in Philadelphia came to a close after regularly disagreeing with head coach John Tortorella. In his last season for the Flyers, Hayes would actually have one of the best offensive seasons of his career, even after being benched in several games. Playing in 81 regular season games, Hayes would score 18 goals and 36 assists, good for second on the team in scoring. With the Flyers retaining 50% ($3.57MM) of Hayes’ contract for the next three seasons, the Blues should get some solid value out of him on the second line.

RFA Re-Signings

F Hugh McGing (one year, $775K)*
D Scott Perunovich (one year, $775K)
F Alexey Toropchenko (two years, $2.5MM)
D Tyler Tucker (two years, $1.6MM)

Handling the would-be RFA status of both Kyrou and Thomas a little over a year ago, St. Louis did not have much in the way of notable RFA candidates this summer. If the rest of the blue line is healthy, Tucker should see limited action, and may even be a demotion candidate as the year continues.

Toropchenko, on the other hand, should see a decent amount of playing time in the team’s middle six this season. Playing in 69 regular season games last year, Toropchenko found the back of the net 10 times, while also tallying nine assists. The Blues only gave him about 12 minutes a night last year, and it is reasonable to assume that he will be around that number again, depending on the play of both Jakub Vrana and Kasperi Kapanen.

Departures

F Logan Brown (Tampa Bay, one year, $775K)
F Matthew Highmore (Ottawa, one year, $775K)
D Brady Lyle (Calgary, one year, $775K)
F Tyler Pitlick (NY Rangers, one year, $788K)
D Steven Santini (Los Angeles, one year, $800K)
F Nathan Todd (San Jose, two years, $1.55MM)

Much like their potential RFA candidates, the Blues didn’t stand to lose too much this offseason via free agency, especially after moving out O’Reilly and Tarasenko for future assets at the trade deadline. Their most notable loss will come from Pitlick, who played in 61 games for the Blues last season, scoring seven goals and nine assists.

This list could have been longer, however, as it was rumored the club was putting significant effort into moving out the contract of Torey Krug at the beginning of the summer to the Flyers in the Hayes deal, but was unable to include him in the transaction as Krug was able to deny the trade due to the No Trade Clause in his current deal.

Salary Cap Outlook

With a full roster and no LTIR candidates heading into the 2023-24 season, the Blues will have approximately $200K available in cap space, which will turn into $1.37MM in deadline space. Depending on which direction the Blues head this season, they will have plenty of established assets to move out at the trade deadline, and very little cap space to work with if they are hoping to gain a player or two.

Next summer, they will have around $13.4MM coming off of the books, giving them the option to add a few decent players via free agency or trade. If St. Louis is once again out of playoff contention in February/March of 2024, multi-year contracts such as Krug, Brandon Saad, and Nick Leddy could be on the trade block to loosen up even more financial flexibility.

Key Questions

Will They Get Back Into The Playoffs? Last season, the Blues were one year removed from a 109-point season, finishing third in the Central Division, losing in six games in the second round of the playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. In disappointing fashion, St. Louis was only able to reach 81 points on the year, finishing in sixth place in the Central, finishing well outside the playoff picture. The Avalanche and Dallas Stars project to be the top two teams in the division heading into the upcoming season, but the third spot seems relatively up for grabs. The Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets should still factor into the playoff picture, with the Arizona Coyotes looking more and more like a complete team, giving the Blues a lot to think about concerning their short-term competitive window. Kyrou and Thomas are already stars in the NHL, but the Blues still feel a player away to be considered a playoff lock for next season.

How Will The Team Improve Its Defense? It is true that Jordan Binnington shares a big part of the blame for the Blues finishing 27th in Goals Against last year, given that over a full year, the 2022-23 season was by far the worst of his career. Justin Faulk had a solid season by most standards, but Krug and Colton Parayko took a step back, with Nick Leddy, Robert Bortuzzo, and Marco Scandella continuing to lose the battle with ’Father Time’. Parayko, Leddy, and Krug are all signed for at least the next three seasons, with the team being able to move on from Scandella and Bortuzzo next offseason. If he maintains his health, prospect Scott Perunovich should be able to take one of the spots left by either Scandella or Bortuzzo, but it’s beginning to appear the Blues need to make a big-time move for a top-two defenseman, having failed to adequately replace the void left by Alex Pietrangelo.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Columbus Blue Jackets Hire Mark Recchi As Assistant Coach

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4:48 p.m.: It’s a two-year term for Recchi, notes The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, which means his deal as an assistant will expire after the 2024-25 season – the same as Vincent’s.

2:45 p.m.: The Columbus Blue Jackets have hired Hall-of-Fame forward Mark Recchi as an assistant coach, the team announced Monday. Recchi fills the assistant coaching vacancy created by Pascal Vincent’s promotion to head coach last week in the wake of Mike Babcock’s forced resignation after an NHLPA investigation found he’d breached player privacy.

After retiring as a player in 2011, Recchi spent the next few seasons in advisory and development roles for the Dallas Stars and Pittsburgh Penguins before earning a promotion to head coach Mike Sullivan’s bench in Pittsburgh immediately after the team’s back-to-back Stanley Cup wins in 2016 and 2017. He served as an assistant there for three seasons before joining the New Jersey Devils in a similar capacity in 2020, although he spent just two seasons there and did not return after the 2021-22 campaign. He did not coach anywhere in 2022-23, although he maintains his role as a minority owner of the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, which he’s done since 2007.

In Columbus, Recchi’s responsibility will chiefly be managing the team’s forward group and their power play. Therefore, it’s natural to assume this hire will play a significant role in the scoring development of Columbus’ young talent, namely 2023 second-overall pick Adam Fantilli, who projects to make the jump to the NHL in 2023-24 after just one season at the University of Michigan. Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko are some other Blue Jackets forwards under the age of 24 expected to log significant time on the team’s power play units this season.

Vincent had a lengthy statement on the addition of Recchi to his staff for his first year as an NHL head coach:

Mark Recchi has been part of the National Hockey League for over three decades and brings an incredible amount of experience to our staff. He is a Hall of Fame player who won three Stanley Cup championships, which combined with his coaching experience, will make him a great resource for our players. We are excited to have him in Columbus. I’m thrilled that we have added a person of [his] talent and insight to our coaching staff. Mark adds a wealth of knowledge as a player and a coach, both in development and as an assistant, to our group that will be instrumental in helping our organization grow on and off the ice. His expertise in the offensive zone and on the power play, specifically, will be a huge benefit for our club.

Over the past three seasons, the Blue Jackets’ power play has sat near the bottom of the league. Their 17.8% conversion rate with the man advantage is tied for 24th in the league over that span with the Arizona Coyotes. If Columbus is to compete in a difficult Eastern Conference and make the significant points gain needed to secure a playoff berth this season, Recchi’s work with the power play (and scoring chance generation in general) will certainly play a large role.

Snapshots: Senators Arena, Pysyk, Öhgren

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Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia is reporting that new Ottawa Senators owner Michael Andlauer estimates that a new arena in Ottawa would cost around $900MM and must make economic sense in order for it to happen. A new Ottawa arena has been an ongoing saga in the City of Ottawa for nearly a decade and according to some economists, it should be the first order of business for the new owner.

The Senators have played in the Ottawa suburb of Kanata since 1996 in a building that felt out of date shortly after it opened. The team has been lobbying for quite some time to get a new venue in Ottawa’s downtown core but has yet to be successful in breaking ground on a new arena. Previous owner Eugene Melnyk came close in 2016 when he tried to make a deal to build a new arena on federal land, but ultimately fell short of his goal. With the Senators now firmly under Andlauer’s control, it should be interesting to see if the Senators are finally able to break ground on a new building in a more central part of the city.

In other notes:

  • Pittsburgh Hockey Now is reporting that defenseman Mark Pysyk saw his attempted comeback hit a roadblock yesterday as he was injured in a pre-season game with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pysyk has been trying to catch on with the Penguins for this season as he plays out training camp on a PTO. The 31-year-old missed all last season after signing with the Detroit Red Wings and hasn’t played a full season since he posted three goals and nine assists with the Buffalo Sabres in 2021-22. No information on Pysyk’s status or injury has been released at this time.
  • Färjestad BK announced today that Minnesota Wild prospect Liam Öhgren will be leaving Sweden to travel to Minnesota to undergo testing on an undisclosed injury. The injury has kept the 2022 19th overall pick off the ice this season and the Wild have opted to get a second opinion on the nature of his injury. Öhgren signed his entry-level contract last summer and has been on loan in Sweden since then. He was expected to make the jump to North America for the 2024-25 season, but with the uncertainty surrounding the injury, little is known about Öhgren’s playing future.

Training Camp Cuts: 09/25/23

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Teams are getting a good assessment of what they have available at training camp, with a slew of preseason games both in the books and yet to be played. This evening, fans can look forward to a pair of games from the Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers, Western Conference heavyweights matching off in NHL Network’s coverage of the Vegas Golden Knights v. Colorado Avalanche, and the Seattle Kraken getting a look at their lineup against Pacific Division rival, the Calgary Flames. Camp rosters are beginning to be trimmed down, and Pro Hockey Rumors will be organizing all of these cuts here.

Minnesota Wild (via team release)

F Louis Boudon (released from ATO to Iowa, AHL)
D Ben Brinkman (released from ATO to Iowa, AHL)
F Brett Budgell (released from PTO to Iowa, AHL)
F Maxim Cajkovic (to Iowa, AHL)
F Casey Dornbach (released from ATO to Iowa, AHL)
F Hunter Haight (to Saginaw, OHL)
F Riley Heidt (to Prince George, WHL)
G Hunter Jones (to Iowa, AHL)
G Peyton Jones (released from PTO to Iowa, AHL)
D Landon Kosior (released from ATO to Iowa, AHL)
F Rasmus Kumpulainen (to Oshawa, OHL)
D Brenden Miller (released from PTO to Iowa, AHL)
F Servac Petrovsky (to Owen Sound, OHL)
D Kalem Parker (to Victoria, WHL)

Detroit Red Wings (via team release)

F Emmitt Finnie (to Kamloops, WHL)
F Dean Loukus (released from ATO to Saginaw, OHL)
F Nicholas Sima (released from ATO to Saginaw, OHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)

F Peter Abbandonato (released from PTO to Chicago, AHL)
D Andre Anania (released from ATO to Sudbury, OHL)
F Matt Filipe (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
G Taylor Gauthier (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Dillon Hamaliuk (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Samuel Houde (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Jagger Joshua (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)
F Matthew Soto (released from ATO to Kington, OHL)
G Michael Simpson (released from ATO to Peterborough, OHL)
F Evan Vierling (to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, AHL)

Vancouver Canucks (via team release)

F Vilmer Alriksson (to Guelph, OHL)
D Hunter Brzustewicz (to Kitchener, OHL)
D Kirill Kudryavtsev (to Sault Ste. Marie, OHL)
D Sawyer Mynio (to Seattle, WHL)
G Ty Young (to Prince George, WHL)

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Columbus May Seek AHL Waiver For Mateychuk, Dumais

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The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline recently shared that the Columbus Blue Jackets may seek a waiver from the CHL-NHL Agreement for prospects Jordan Dumais and Denton Mateychuk. This waiver would allow for Columbus to send the prospects to the AHL, rather than their respective juniors leagues, if they don’t make the NHL roster. This comes in the wake of Shane Wright (OHL) receiving a waiver and Matthew Savoie (WHL) likely being rejected for one.

While there’s certainly an argument in his favor, the Blue Jackets may struggle to win in favor of Mateychuk, who’s spent part of the last four seasons in the WHL. Players are eligible for AHL, rather than CHL, assignment if they’re 20 years old before December 31st, something that Savoie and Wright miss by just a few days. Mateychuk, on the other hand, misses this mark by over six months, stacking the odds against him. The WHL recently rejected Savoie’s request for this waiver despite him arguably having a better case for the exemption than Shane Wright. This sets a precedent in western Canada that Columbus will have to overcome if they want to send Mateychuk to the AHL.

But while Mateychuk faces an uphill battle, there’s no certainty what Dumais will receive. In a year that’s seen a flurry of AHL waiver requests, nobody has yet to request from the QMJHL. Columbus will now be pulling the third league into the conversation, likely helping their chances at bringing light to the CHL-NHL agreement. Dumais doesn’t turn 20 until April and has played an uninterrupted three years in the QMHL, holding him back from either the age or seasons played requirements that can earn a player AHL eligibility. He likely carries the weakest case of the four players, but there’s no arguing his prowess over the juniors league. Dumais has recorded back-to-back 100-point seasons in the QMJHL, netting a staggering 140 points last year. While points don’t impact the CHL-NHL agreement, they could be a strong variable in the arguments for how Dumais has outgrown the league.

Whether Columbus receives this waiver for either player is yet to be seen. But they become the third NHL team to request something along these lines in just the last month. Regardless of the outcome, their involvement continues to lift up the question of if, and how, the CHL-NHL agreement could be redesigned for the modern hockey landscape.

Snapshots: Verhaeghe, Couture And Hertl, Senators Cap Hit

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Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice shared with The Hockey News that he will be holding top-six forward Carter Verhaeghe out of the team’s first preseason game. Verhaeghe “tightened up” on the first day of camp, per Maurice, and has been skating on the side as a precaution ever since. However, the Panthers aren’t expecting the injury to last through training camp – with Maurice sharing that, even if he wears a no-contact jersey through Wednesday, Verhaeghe should be playing in preseason games soon.

Verhaeghe has been an important piece of the Florida top-six since joining the team in 2020, averaging 17 minutes a night through three seasons in Florida. He’s also tallied 164 points in 202 career games with the Panthers, including a staggering 42 goals and 73 points in 81 games last season. Going over those scoring totals makes it clear why Florida would want to be careful with overextending Verhaeghe. Maurice’s emphasis on being cautious also gives fans good insight into how the team is planning to operate. Florida faced a slew of injuries last season, including an Achilles injury that held Anthony Duclair out of a majority of the season and are looking to flip those fortunes in a new year. Verhaeghe is the first to face this cautiousness but how it will carry into the regular season should be interesting to see.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Mercury News’ Curtis Pashelka shared that the San Jose Sharks would be open to trading Logan Couture or Tomas Hertl, if the veterans want to leave. It seems San Jose recognizes the situation they’re in and understands if their aging veterans want to chase the playoffs. However, their contracts may be difficult to move. Couture carries an $8MM cap hit and Hertl carries $8.1375MM, both with some sort of trade protection. While a deal would come at the request of either player, meaning trade protection wouldn’t likely make much impact, it’ll still be challenging to work out the logistics in the flat-cap environment the NHL currently finds itself in. Nonetheless, being offered top-end talent previously only offered to San Jose should be enticing for any NHL club.
  • New Senators owner Michael Andlauer spoke to the team’s salary cap situation and unsigned RFA Shane Pinto. He told the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch that, “We’re at the cap. We have a problem signing Shane Pinto because we are at the cap. At the end of the end of the day, it’s about sustainability and making sure we have enough money in the coffers to pay our players and making sure we’re sustainable”. He went on to emphasize that player success drives fan interest, which then drives the money ownership can put back toward the players. While these comments likely don’t impact the chances of Pinto re-signing, they could limit the upside of his cap hit.

Minnesota Opens Extension Talks With Foligno, Zuccarello, Hartman

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The Athletic’s Michael Russo shared that, while the team hasn’t acknowledged it yet, it seems they’ve begun talking extensions with their ’big three’ – Marcus Foligno, Mats Zuccarello, and Ryan Hartman. All three veterans are pending free agents, a part of the 10 Wild players facing free agency next summer.

Russo walked through what to expect with each player’s contract talks in turn. Foligno is expected to boast the easiest conversations, as the contract he’s currently on (three years, $9.3MM) could be really close to the details of his next deal. Foligno has become a fan favorite, offering an important amount of grit and physicality to the team’s top six. He recorded 42 points and 112 penalty minutes in the 2021-22 season – career highs in both categories and his first time breaking 30 points – but fell back to Earth this year, only netting 21 points in 75 games. Still, with scoring not the reward of Folingo’s game, there’s some reason to expect he can maintain his impact through the end of his career.

Mats Zuccarello is facing a similarly positive outlook on his next deal. There’s no denying the chemistry formed between Zuccarello and Wild star winger Kirill Kaprizov, both on and off of the ice. That bond alone is enough to warrant a contract extension, although Russo notes it will likely have to come at a reduced cost. Zuccarello currently carries a $6MM cap hit on a deal he signed in 2019. Now 36, a new deal will likely have to carry short-term and short costs. But how much longer Zuccarello, who scored 67 points last year, can play will be an interesting storyline to follow.

While Foligno and Zuccarello seem like sure bets to re-sign, Russo doesn’t express that same optimism with Hartman. The forward has emerged as the team’s top-line center and a dangerous goal-scorer, netting 34 goals in 2021-22. But, like Foligno, Hartman’s scoring didn’t survive through last season. He recorded just 37 points in 59 games. While not a terrible tally by any means, it could be just low enough that Hartman begins to feel pressure as young prospects earn roster spots. The Wild are overflowing with young talent and Hartman is set for a pay raise from his current $1.7MM cap hit. If the Wild can support both of those things at once is yet to be seen, although Russo does note that Hartman would carry great trade deadline value. He was traded for a first-round pick at the 2018 trade deadline, before he was ever the goal-scorer he is today. While he’s now much older, Minnesota has shown the extent of Hartman’s untapped potential – something a team on the playoff bubble could really enjoy. Of course, this trade feels most likely if young centermen like Marco Rossi are able to step up.

Five Key Stories: 9/18/23 – 9/24/23

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The preseason is underway so activity across the NHL should start to pick up in the near future.  There was some news of note before the puck dropped which is recapped in our key stories.

New Captains: Two of the eight teams that had been without a captain filled that vacancy over the past few days.  The Bruins promoted Brad Marchand to the role as expected, becoming the 27th captain in team history.  He’s set to enter his 15th season with the team and is the longest-tenured player in the organization following the retirement of Patrice Bergeron.  Meanwhile, Brayden Schenn was named the new captain in St. Louis, taking the place of Ryan O’Reilly who was traded before the deadline last season.  Schenn is heading into his seventh season with the Blues and is the 24th captain in club history.

Stamkos Not Happy: Speaking of captains, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is entering the final year of his contract and is eligible for an extension.  However, he noted that there have yet to be discussions on that front and that he’s not particularly happy about being in this situation knowing how often Tampa Bay has extended its players early.  GM Julien BriseBois indicated he wants to see how this season plays out before deciding on Stamkos’ future with the club.  The 33-year-old has spent his entire 15-year career with the Lightning after being the first-overall pick in 2008 and he has fared quite well, notching over 500 goals in 1,003 games and has surpassed the point-per-game mark in six of the last seven seasons.

Canucks/Canadiens Swap: With Tanner Pearson being cleared to come off LTIR, Vancouver needed to trim some payroll.  They did just that, sending Pearson and a 2025 third-round pick to Montreal in exchange for goaltender Casey DeSmith.  The deal saves Vancouver $1.45MM in cap space for the upcoming season (more if you factor in the savings from their original projected backup going to the minors) while upgrading Thatcher Demko’s backup option.  Meanwhile, Montreal continues to stockpile draft picks and now has an extra selection in each of the first four rounds in 2025.  They will likely look to try to build up Pearson’s value during the season if he can stay healthy in the hope of flipping him closer to the trade deadline.

Fleury Undecided About Playing Future: Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is set to play his 20th NHL season in 2023-24.  Will it be his last year?  He hasn’t decided just yet, stating that he will play out the year and then assess his future.  The 38-year-old made 45 starts last season but is likely heading for a lighter workload with Filip Gustavsson emerging as a strong performer last year.  Fleury enters this season just 15 games shy of 1,000 for his career, a mark that only three other netminders have hit.  He’s also seven wins shy of passing Patrick Roy for second all-time in victories.  Both of those marks are definitely achievable this season and if it winds up being his final campaign, it’d be a nice way to cap his career.

Talks Not Going Well: This is the time when unsigned restricted free agents start to become more notable as most have signed by training camps.  There are four remaining league-wide, two of them in Anaheim – center Trevor Zegras and defenseman Jamie Drysdale.  It appears as if the sides are not close on new deals although it’s believed Zegras and Anaheim have settled on a three-year term, leaving just the money to haggle over.  Considering that Drysdale missed most of last season due to injury, he’s almost certainly heading for a bridge deal as well.  Cap space isn’t an issue for the Ducks as no team has more of it at the moment so that certainly isn’t a factor in talks.  There’s still time for both players to sign and be ready for the regular season which will be the next pressure point of discussions.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: Askarov, Gagner, Eberle

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Back at the draft, there was some speculation that the Predators were offering up goaltender Yaroslav Askarov in an effort to move up.  GM Barry Trotz acknowledged to Paul Skrbina of The Tennessean that he did put the 21-year-old in play back in June, citing a desire to draft (or acquire) an impact young center but obviously, that didn’t come to fruition.  It shouldn’t be construed that with him being available then that he’s available now, however.  Trotz said there’s no reason in his mind why the team couldn’t carry Juuse Saros and Askarov as a tandem for the long haul.  It’s a decision that’s still a couple of years away as Saros has two years left on his deal while Askarov is likely to need a couple more years in the AHL before being NHL-ready.

More from the Western Conference:

  • While Sam Gagner is looking to earn a third stint with the Oilers, he has a tough hill to climb as Postmedia’s Jim Matheson relays that the veteran won’t play in the preseason. Gagner is still working his way back from hip surgery and his doctor has only recommended that he be allowed to practice for the next few weeks.  The 34-year-old has expressed an openness to starting the year with AHL Bakersfield and since he won’t be able to make his case for a roster spot in exhibition action, the Condors seem like the most probable landing spot for him.
  • Kraken winger Jordan Eberle would welcome a contract extension, notes Geoff Baker of The Seattle Times. The 33-year-old says he has made his stance known about his desire to remain with Seattle and it’s certainly understandable why that’s the case as has had two quality seasons since being picked in the expansion draft.  Eberle is coming off a 21-goal, 63-point campaign which could have him in line for a small raise on his current $5.5MM AAV if he gets an early extension from GM Ron Francis.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Florida Panthers

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2023-24 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Florida Panthers

Current Cap Hit: $83,525,001 (over the $83.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Anton Lundell (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses

Lundell: $850K

Lundell’s sophomore campaign wasn’t as strong as his first but he still was a key part of their secondary core, taking regular shifts on both special teams units, a trend that continued into the playoffs.  He’s someone who will be a part of their plans for a long time but with who else is on an expiring deal next summer, they’re probably going to be forced to look at a bridge deal that could fall in the $3.5MM range if he’s able to get back to his rookie-season output.

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

D Lucas Carlsson ($775K, UFA)
F Nick Cousins ($1.1MM, UFA)
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson ($2.25MM, UFA)
D Gustav Forsling ($2.67MM, UFA)
D Matt Kiersted ($762.5K, UFA)
D Dmitry Kulikov ($1MM, UFA)
F Ryan Lomberg ($800K, UFA)
F Steven Lorentz ($1.05MM, UFA)
D Josh Mahura ($925K, RFA)
D Brandon Montour ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Mike Reilly ($1MM, UFA)
F Sam Reinhart ($6.5MM, UFA)
F Kevin Stenlund ($1MM, UFA)
G Anthony Stolarz ($1.1MM, UFA)

When Florida traded a first-round pick and Devon Levi to Buffalo to get Reinhart and signed him to this deal, it was a sign they were banking on him having another gear to get to offensively.  That turned out to be an accurate prediction as his last two seasons have been his best by a considerable margin and he has turned into a top-line player.  Notably, he also has spent more time down the middle since joining the Panthers which will only boost his asking price as there will be teams looking at him as a center if he gets to the open market.  At this point, an extension might fall between the $8.5MM and $9MM range and if Reinhart goes and boosts his production closer to the point per game mark, it’ll go even higher from there.

Cousins has bounced around throughout his career but is a serviceable fourth liner that can move up in a pinch.  Having tested free agency a few times already, it’s fair to say that his current price tag is about what his market value should be next year.  Lorentz came over in the Anthony Duclair trade and is likely to stay in a similar fourth-line role to the one he had a year ago; his next deal should also land around this price point.  The same can be said for Stenlund as well who signed with Florida this summer after playing in Winnipeg last season.  Lomberg, however, has seen his stock rise over the last couple of years and is the type of role player teams will pay up a bit more for.  Doubling his current price tag isn’t out of the question next summer.

The upside had always been there with Montour with multiple teams thinking they could be the one to unlock it.  The Panthers did just that last season as he went from being a slightly above-average offensive contributor to one of the top-scoring blueliners in the NHL.  A carryover injury from the playoffs will delay the start of his season but it will be worth watching to see if he can repeat that performance.  If he can, his price tag should more than double.

Forsling has been one of the top waiver claims in recent memory as since he came over from Carolina, he has emerged as an all-around threat while he also logged top-pair minutes last season.  He isn’t a true number one option but the market for a legitimate number two option has also gone up considerably.  Accordingly, he’s also set to more than double his current price tag a year from now.   Ekman-Larsson was bought out by Vancouver and found a soft landing spot with Florida where he won’t be counted on to play as many minutes.  If he shows well on the second pairing, he should have a better market a year from now.

Reilly was also bought out this summer after spending most of last year in the minors with Boston.  He’s more of a depth option in an ideal world but with a full season, he should produce enough to command a small raise next summer.  Kulikov won’t put up many points but can still log upwards of 20 minutes a night.  This contract seemed a bit low for him, especially as an early signing, but his market might not have been as favorable as it might have seemed back in July.  Mahura emerged as a regular on the third pairing last season after being claimed off waivers.  If he can maintain that spot in the lineup, he’ll be due a small raise at least but arbitration eligibility could work against him if Florida needs to put a cheaper player in that spot.  Carlsson and Kiersted both spent more time last season in the minors but one of them could break camp with the team due to injuries.  Both players are likely to stay around the minimum moving forward.

Stolarz battled injuries last season but still managed to land his richest deal as the market for quality third-string options really improved this summer.  He’s likely ticketed for the minors but will be a capable stand-in should injuries arise.

Signed Through 2024-25

F Sam Bennett ($4.425MM, UFA)
F Grigori Denisenko ($775K, RFA)
D Aaron Ekblad ($7.5MM, UFA)
F Carter Verhaeghe ($4.167MM, UFA)

As he did with Reinhart, GM Bill Zito saw more in Bennett than what he was providing in Calgary and swung a big trade to get him.  This one worked out well too.  Bennett isn’t a top-liner but is a quality second-line power forward who can also kill penalties.  His camp might be looking at Tom Wilson’s recent extension which carries an AAV of $6.5MM as a target starting point for negotiations.

Verhaeghe has been a bargain since the moment he joined Florida.  He vastly outperformed his first deal, then accepted an early extension, an understandable move considering he had been in the minors just a couple of years earlier.  He then went and scored 42 goals in the first season of this deal.  Even if he takes a step back from that, he could push for $6.5MM or more on his next contract as well.  Denisenko has primarily played in the minors but is now waiver-eligible, likely resulting in him breaking camp with the team.  For now, it’s more about locking down a lineup spot than it is worrying about his next contract.

Ekblad’s contract was a record-setter at the time as both sides bypassed the bridge deal in favor of a lucrative second deal.  All things considered, it has held up pretty well so far.  No, he hasn’t emerged as that high-end number one defender – he doesn’t produce enough to get into that territory – but this cap hit isn’t anywhere near what some of those players are making.  He plays big minutes in all situations while still providing a fair amount of offense.  As a result, he’s positioning himself to command another max-term agreement after this one and likely at least a small raise along the way.  He isn’t flashy but Florida has gotten a good return on their first-overall selection in 2014.

Signed Through 2025-26

G Sergei Bobrovsky ($10MM, UFA)
G Spencer Knight ($4.5MM, RFA)
D Niko Mikkola ($2.5MM, UFA)

Mikkola has been more of a fifth defenseman so far and when everyone on Florida’s back end is healthy, that’s about as high as he’ll be on the depth chart which makes the term given out here a bit surprising.  They’re looking to him to help replace Radko Gudas who left for Anaheim this summer while giving them at least one dependable option signed beyond 2025.  But if he has a limited role on the third pairing, this will be a bit of an above-market contract.

Bobrovsky had a stellar first three rounds of the playoffs, playing a big role in Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.  However, it came on the heels of a subpar season that saw him post just a .901 SV%.  He’s historically quite streaky but as the highest-paid active goalie in the league, expectations should be higher than consistently inconsistent.  That played a role in Zito handing Knight this deal early last season, a move that raised more than a few eyebrows given his lack of experience.  Now back from his stint in the Player Assistance Program, if he gets back on track and pushes for that number one role, they’ll do fine with his deal.  Otherwise, they’ll have two pricey netminders on their hands for not a great return.

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