Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Flyers Rumors

Morning Notes: Johnson, Zavragin, Matthews

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Philadelphia Flyers have reportedly expressed an interest in bringing back veteran defenseman Erik Johnson for next season. The news comes from Kevin Kurz of The Athletic who writes that, “The Flyers have not closed the door on the veteran defenseman’s return.”

Johnson was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres at the NHL trade deadline for a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft. He dressed in 17 games for Philadelphia down the stretch, chipping in two goals and an assist. The native of Bloomington, Minnesota played last season on a one-year $3.25MM contract that he’d signed with the Sabres on July 1st, 2023 and it’s hard to envision him doing much better on his next contract given his lack of offense and poor possession numbers.

In other morning notes:

  • Flyers goaltending prospect Yegor Zavragin has reportedly agreed to a three-year contract with SKA Saint Petersburg. The 18-year-old netminder was drafted by the Flyers in the third round of the 2023 NHL entry draft (87th overall) and has yet to sign an NHL contract or play in the KHL. Zavragin has spent the past three seasons splitting time between the MHL and VHL in Russia and has posted stellar numbers in both leagues. He posted a save percentage above .940 in both leagues this year and has been above .920 in the previous two seasons.
  • TSN insider Chris Johnston is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews did skate earlier this morning with Bobby McMann at Scotiabank Arena but is not taking part in the Maple Leafs’ formal team skate. Matthews did not play in Toronto’s game 5 victory over the Boston Bruins and early indications today suggest he will not be able to dress tonight when the Maple Leafs once again face elimination. Matthews has just a goal and two assists in four playoff games and has been dealing with an ailment or illness for the better part of a week now. He was pulled from a game 4 loss and did not return, however, he has skated on several occasions this week but hasn’t been able to ramp up his workouts.

Matvei Michkov May Sign With Flyers Before End Of KHL Contract

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Heading into the 2022-23 season, Russian winger Matvei Michkov was the slam-dunk second-best prospect available in the 2023 draft behind eventual Blackhawks first-overall pick Connor Bedard. Fast forward to draft day, though, and Michkov was still available with the Flyers’ pick at seventh overall. There were a couple of reasons for this – Leo Carlsson and Adam Fantilli had their draft stocks rise throughout the year thanks to spectacular campaigns, earning them second and third overall billing. Michkov had a slow start to the year, marred by injury and inconsistent playing time with his KHL club, SKA St. Petersburg.

SKA loaned Michkov out to bottom-feeder HK Sochi midway through the season, though, where he erupted for 20 points in the final 27 games of the season. That repaired his stock somewhat, but there were concerns about how long a team would have to wait to see Michkov in their lineup. He’s under contract with SKA through the 2025-26 campaign, and without a transfer agreement between the NHL and KHL, there’s no way for the Flyers to buy him out of his deal if it isn’t a mutual decision.

It turns out that may not be a concern after all. Speaking with matchtv.ru, SKA chairman Alexander Medvedev said that the club has good relations with the Flyers front office and will consider letting Michkov depart for the NHL before his contract ends (translated by PHLY Sports’ Alexander Appleyard). Medvedev confirmed that if SKA opts to release him, the Flyers want Michkov in the NHL as soon as next season.

SKA will make a call on whether to retain Michkov for at least next season by the end of June, Medvedev said. Even if Michkov can’t/doesn’t make the jump to North America this summer, the club might still let him transfer to Philadelphia in the 2025 offseason with one year left on his contract with SKA.

Michkov, 19, led all KHL junior players in points this season with 41 in 48 games played, all but one coming on his second consecutive loan to Sochi. He led the team in points per game and led them outright in goals, scoring 19 times in 47 games. Their leading scorer, 27-year-old winger Artur Tyanulin, had 17 goals and 45 points in 63 games. That solidifies him as the Flyers’ bonafide number-one prospect and one of the best U-20 players in the world.

Signing Michkov this summer would allow him to first reach restricted free agency in 2027. If he plays for the Flyers next season, he’d likely slot into a middle-six right wing role out of the gate, creating competition for other youngsters like Bobby Brink and veterans like Cam Atkinson.

Sean Couturier Changes Representation

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Flyers captain Sean Couturier has made a rare early-offseason agent switch. He’s now repped by CAA Sports’ Pat Brisson, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports.

Couturier, 31, was previously represented by Sports Prospects’ Erik Lupien, whose only active NHL client is now Lightning forward Gabriel Fortier, per PuckPedia. Brisson won’t have any say in Couturier’s compensation anytime soon – he just finished the second season of an eight-year, $62MM extension that carries him through 2030. However, the change did come in short order after a season that ended poorly for the 12-year veteran, who was unexpectedly scratched by head coach John Tortorella for a pair of games in March as the Flyers were beginning to fall out of the playoff race.

Before landing Couturier as a client, Brisson already managed the highest cumulative cap hit of active contracts ($231.5MM) of any NHL agent, according to PuckPedia. Among Couturier’s Flyers teammates, he also represents defensemen Erik Johnson, Nick Seeler and Cameron York, as well as forward prospects Alexis Gendron and Massimo Rizzo.

Metropolitan Notes: Capitals Defensemen, Martin, Ciernik

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Capitals lost another defenseman yesterday when Trevor van Riemsdyk sustained an upper-body injury.  Head coach Spencer Carbery told reporters including Sammi Silber of The Hockey News that the veteran won’t be available for a must-win Game Four with Washington now on the brink of elimination.  While Vincent Iorio skated today, he was in a non-contact jersey and won’t be available tomorrow either.  However, Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen both took part in practice and haven’t been ruled out yet for Sunday’s contest.  If one of them can’t play, Hardy Haman Aktell will make his NHL playoff debut.  Carbery indicated that, for now, the team isn’t planning to recall Chase Priskie, the only defenseman left on an NHL contract, from AHL Hershey.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • The Islanders will be making a lineup change today up front as they look to stay alive versus Carolina. The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Matt Martin is unavailable due to a lower-body injury so winger Ruslan Iskhakov will make his NHL playoff debut.  Martin has been a long-time mainstay on New York’s fourth line but saw his production wane this season as he was limited to just eight points in 57 games.  Iskhakov, meanwhile, was a quality producer in the minors for the second straight year, notching 50 points in 69 games while recording an assist in his NHL debut earlier this month.  While the team will be missing some physicality with Martin out, Iskhakov might give them a better shot at scoring, an area of concern as they’re averaging just two goals per game through the first three games of the series.
  • Flyers prospect Alex Ciernik has inked a one-year deal with Nybro of Sweden’s Allsvenskan, per a team release. The 19-year-old was a fourth-round pick by Philadelphia last June, going 120th overall.  Ciernik had a decent showing this season in his first full professional campaign, notching 14 points in 26 games with Vasterviks along with three assists in six contests in a relegation series.  The Flyers hold Ciernik’s rights through June 1st, 2027 so they have plenty of time still before they need to sign him.

Denis Gurianov Linked To KHL’s CSKA Moscow

at CDT | by 2 Comments

2015 first-round pick Denis Gurianov has lacked stability in recent years, suiting up for five NHL and AHL teams over the last two seasons. He headed from Nashville to Philadelphia at this year’s trade deadline in a swap of fringe NHLers, but his stay in the City of Brotherly Love will likely come to an end this summer. Speaking with reporters last week, GM Daniel Brière said he was unlikely to extend the pending UFA (via PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor).

Now, we know where the 26-year-old might end up. According to a report from allhockey.ru (source translated from Russian), he’ll be returning home to Russia and is expected to sign with CSKA Moscow. He’s the second NHL player linked to the military-affiliated club this summer, joining Avalanche netminder Ivan Prosvetov.

It wasn’t all that long ago that Gurianov looked like a budding top-nine sniper with the Stars. At 12th overall, Gurianov was selected over other future stars in the 2015 class, like Islanders forward Mathew Barzal, Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho and Jets sniper Kyle Connor. He came over from Russia and signed his entry-level deal in 2016 but spent three seasons primarily with AHL Texas before breaking into the NHL lineup full-time in 2019-20. Despite averaging just 12:59 per game, he led the offensively challenged club in goals with 20 in 64 contests but ranked eighth in points (29) with only nine assists.

When the NHL reconvened for the bubble playoffs in late summer 2020 after COVID-19 ended the regular season prematurely, Gurianov didn’t miss a beat. He was among the Stars’ best playoff performers, recording nine goals and 17 points in 27 games – including an overtime goal against the Golden Knights that sent the Stars to their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years.

His limited usage, sky-high 15.2 shooting percentage and middling possession metrics didn’t help his case in contract negotiations the following offseason. Stars GM Jim Nill inked him to a two-year bridge deal worth $5.1MM, which turned out to be a smart decision. Gurianov wasn’t awful over the life of the deal – he had 23 goals and 61 points in 128 games over the life of the deal and was a regular in a top-nine role – but didn’t repeat the goal-scoring value he provided during his rookie season. As expected, his shooting percentage regressed heavily to below 10% each year, and his -10.1 expected rating in 2021-22 was second-worst on the team behind shutdown center Radek Faksa (-12.9).

It was enough to convince the Stars to keep him around as a secondary point-producer, but it was becoming apparent he didn’t have a future as a top-six winger in the NHL. Nill gave him another mid-tier deal, inking him to a one-year, $2.9MM extension a few weeks before he would have reached restricted free agency in 2022. But under new head coach Peter DeBoer, Gurianov flamed out quickly in Dallas, managing only two goals and nine points through 43 games before the team decided to part ways. Nill found a taker on the trade market in the Canadiens, who picked him up in exchange for veteran winger Evgenii Dadonov at 50% salary retention, who had similarly disappointed in Montreal that year.

Nill is widely regarded as one of the best GMs in the league, and that trade is one of many reasons why. Gurianov didn’t turn things around all that much with the Habs, recording five goals and eight points in 23 games down the stretch despite being thrust into top-six minutes to try and reinject confidence into his game. He wasn’t extended a qualifying offer at the end of the season and became a UFA. Dadonov, meanwhile, remains in Dallas and had 10 points in 16 playoff games last season as the Stars advanced to the Western Conference Final.

It didn’t take Gurianov more than a couple of weeks to get another chance in the NHL, though, inking a one-year, one-way deal with the Predators worth $850K in mid-July 2023. A low-risk, low-investment signing for Nashville, it still didn’t pan out. Gurianov played sparingly, managing two points in 14 games, and saw extended time in the minors for the first time in five years. He did quite well with AHL Milwaukee, and his 12 goals and 30 points in 27 games made him one of two point-per-game players on the team alongside veteran Mark Jankowski.

His minor-league showing was strong enough to convince the Flyers to see if he could stick in an NHL role down the stretch, and they picked him up in exchange for depth forward Wade Allison on deadline day. To the masses, it seemed Gurianov’s rather one-dimensional game wouldn’t mesh with head coach John Tortorella’s style. The masses were right. Gurianov spent most of his time in Philly in the press box, only making four appearances for the Flyers and averaging less than 11 minutes per game. He didn’t get on the scoresheet, managed four shots on the goal and registered only one hit.

He’s eligible for unrestricted free agency outright this summer, as his June birthday means he’ll turn 27 before the market opens on July 1. His only previous KHL experience came with Lada Togliatti as a teenager in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons, posting four goals and two assists in 55 games in a limited role. With CSKA, however, he’ll likely receive top-six minutes and would likely be one of their leading scorers next year. Gurianov joins a CSKA offense dotted with a few other former NHLers: reserve list players Vitaly Abramov (Senators) and Vladislav Kamenev (Avalanche) are both under contract for 2024-25, as are former Panthers winger Maxim Mamin and ex-Oilers forward Anton Slepyshev.

If this is it for Gurianov in the NHL, he finishes his career with 52 goals, 61 assists, 113 points and a -2 rating in 298 appearances over seven seasons.

11 Teams Face Cap Overage Penalties Next Season

at CDT | by 10 Comments

With the salary cap largely being flat the last few years, more teams have had to dip into LTIR when injuries have come up.  Accordingly, the number of teams facing bonus overage penalties has also risen.  This year is no exception as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports in collaboration with CapFriendly that 11 teams are currently facing cap overage penalties for 2024-25 as a result of bonuses achieved this season.

When a team finishes up the season using LTIR to stay cap-compliant, they don’t have any regular cap space to which bonuses can be applied against.  Accordingly, that results in LTIR teams that have incentives that are met finishing over the cap, yielding overage penalties.  Whatever amount they finished 2023-24 over by is then deducted off the Upper Limit for next season.

The teams that are confirmed to have bonus overage penalties are as follows:

Edmonton Oilers: $3.45MM*
Dallas Stars: $2,595,407
Washington Capitals: $2.2525MM
Los Angeles Kings: $1.85MM
New Jersey Devils: $1,538,897
Montreal Canadiens: $1.0225MM
Ottawa Senators: $850K
New York Rangers: $512.5K*
Minnesota Wild: $425K*
Philadelphia Flyers: $245K
Boston Bruins $50K*

Teams denoted with an asterisk could see their bonus overage increase if the following happens:

Edmonton: Corey Perry’s contract calls for $50K if the Oilers make the Western Conference Final and another $50K if they reach the Stanley Cup Final.

New York: Theirs would increase by $25K if they win the Stanley Cup, a bonus in Jonathan Quick’s deal.

Minnesota: Marco Rossi can make $212.5K if he makes the All-Rookie Team which would then be added to the Wild’s carryover penalty.

Boston: Milan Lucic will receive $200K if the Bruins win the Stanley Cup as part of his contract.

In addition to the above, Carolina and Florida also have the potential for an overage contingent on the playoffs.  The Hurricanes would have a $50.45K penalty if Jackson Blake plays in 20 games between the regular season and playoffs.  Meanwhile, the Panthers would take a $500K hit if they win the Stanley Cup to cover that bonus in Kyle Okposo’s contract.

Team-by-team details with specifics on how each one got to the point of an overage were covered separately by PuckPedia.

It’s the first time that multiple teams will carry overage penalties of more than $2MM into the following season.  With the cap expected to go up by closer to $4MM this summer, that could in theory take some pressure off from the bonus overage perspective but only if teams leave themselves a bit more wiggle room to work with.  There’s a good chance that won’t happen so we’re quite likely to see these penalties again next season though with perhaps fewer teams getting the hit next time around.

Jakub Voráček Announces Retirement From Playing Career

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Long-time Philadelphia Flyers winger Jakub Voráček has announced his retirement from playing in an exclusive March interview with Martina Jandová of Czechia’s Showtime Program. The 1,000-game veteran cited 12 concussions as the reason he can no longer play, describing four of the injuries as, “heavy”. This announcement brings an official end to Voracek’s career, something many speculated would happen after he accepted a job supporting Jaromir Jagr’s Kladno at the start of the season. Voráček said, “I started helping with the A team. [Jagr] called me in September to ask if I could help. So I decided to try it part-time. I enjoy it a lot. We’ll see what happens in the future, but I can’t go on the ice anymore.”

Voráček will retire as a member of the Arizona Coyotes despite never suiting up with the team. His rights were traded away from the Columbus Blue Jackets at last year’s Trade Deadline, with Columbus receiving Jon Gillies in return for the cap dump. Columbus drafted Voráček with the seventh-overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, taking him in a top 10 that also featured Patrick Kane, James van Riemsdyk, and Logan Couture. Voráček played one more season in the QMJHL – the league he was drafted out of – before debuting with the Blue Jackets in the 2008-09 season. His rookie year brought just nine goals, but still a solid 38 points, in 80 games.

Voráček was the focal piece of the 2011 blockbuster trade that sent a then 27-year-old Jeff Carter to Columbus for a 21-year-old Voráček and the draft picks used to select Sean Couturier and Nick Cousins. It was in Philadelphia that Voráček built his legacy, recording six separate 20-goal seasons and consistently rivaling 50 or 60 points. His career-year came in 2017-18, when he managed 20 goals and 85 points in just 82 games.

Columbus would re-acquire Voráček in 2021, sending Cam Atkinson to Philadelphia. Voráček would play in 90 more games with the Blue Jackets, scoring 68 points, before his career came to a close midway through the 2022-23 season. Voráček totaled 1,058 games in the NHL, netting 223 goals and 806 points. He remains the third-highest scoring Czech player in NHL history, behind just Jagr and Patrik Elias.

Flyers Sign Ivan Fedotov To Two-Year Extension

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed goaltender Ivan Fedotov to a two-year, $6.5MM contract extension, per Anthony Di Marco of the Fourth Period (Twitter link) and confirmed by The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (Twitter link). Di Marco adds that the rough outline of this contract was agreed upon before Fedotov came to America, and that the player wanted more term but Philadelphia stood strong at two years. This extension comes three games into Fedotov’s NHL career.

Philadelphia drafted Fedotov in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL Draft but didn’t try to bring him overseas until 2022. They signed him to a one-year contract, with the hopes of removing him from a country gearing up for conflict. But Fedotov was arrested before he could leave for the United States, and required to serve in the Russian military for one calendar year. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reported that this service came on an aircraft carrier in the Murmansk region, far from the front lines. The military service kept Fedotov from playing any hockey during the 2022-23 season. He was, reportedly, pressured into a two-year contract with CSKA Moscow ahead of this past season – a deal that both the NHL and IIHF deemed invalid. Fedotov served one year of the contract before it was terminated by CSKA, opening the door for him to finally move to America.

In landing Fedotov, the Flyers were landing one of Russia’s top goaltenders. He did not record a single season of a save percentage below .910, across six seasons and 133 games in the league. His official career stats are 61 wins and a .921 save percentage – adding 18 wins and a .930 in 31 playoff games. Those are incredibly impressive numbers, though Fedotov didn’t translate them to the NHL as quickly as Philadelphia may have hoped. He saved just 43 of 53 shots through his first three NHL games, setting a .811 save percentage and still looking for his first win. Fedotov became the tallest active goalie in the NHL when he debuted, tying Mikko Koskinen and Ben Bishop as the tallest of all-time. That fact, and his history of success in Russia, were enough to earn Fedotov a confident extension from the Flyers. He now becomes the team’s second-highest-paid goalie, behind $5MM man Calvin Petersen, and will look to earn his first win and the starter’s net in his first full NHL season next year.

Prospect Notes: Brodzinski, Yager, Whitelaw, Cristall

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers aren’t expected to sign 2019 seventh-round pick Bryce Brodzinski before his rights expire on August 1st, shares Jess Myers of The Rink Live (Twitter link). Myers instead thinks Brodzinski will pursue free agency, after playing through a full five years at the University of Minnesota.

The Flyers drafted Brodzinski out of Blaine High, after he led the school to the State tournament’s semi-finals, serving as their top scorer and captain. He played in just 19 USHL games – scoring 17 points – before moving to college in the 2019-20 season. His lack of high-level experience showed through during Brodzinski’s underclassmen years, as he struggled to match pace and make plays around faster defenders. But Brodzinski improved in every single season at UMN, finding added scoring each season and working his way into a top-six role by the end of his collegiate career. He also maintained his lead-by-example work ethic, serving as Minnesota’s captain this season.

Brodzinski, 23, will now hit the open market, after totaling 119 points in 185 games with the Gophers. He’s the youngest brother of New York Rangers forward Jonny Brodzinski and should find plenty of role from a team encouraged by his growth in the Big Ten.

Other notes from across the league:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins recalled a host of prospects to the AHL, including first-round pick Owen Pickering, who’s WHL season ended on April 19th. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton could be due for even more WHL reinforcements, with the fellow first-rounder Brayden Yager also likely to sign an entry-level contract and join the team following the end of his WHL season (Twitter link). This information comes following Kyle Dubas’ sharing that he hopes both Yager and Pickering could challenge an NHL roster spot next season. Yager is currently leading the Moose Jaw Warriors through the WHL Playoffs, set to meet the Saskatoon Blades in the league’s semi-finals. The 19-year-old centerman has 14 points, split evenly, through nine postseason appearances; after posting 95 points in 57 regular-season games. His availability for the AHL postseason largely depends on when Moose Jaw’s season comes to a close, though they could be poised for a run to the Memorial Cup with a two more series-wins.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets second-round pick William Whitelaw has transferred from the University of Wisconsin to the University of Michigan for his sophomore season, per an announcement on his Instagram. Whitelaw had a slow start to his collegiate career, recording just 10 goals and 17 points in 37 games and often serving in a third-line role. This came after Whitelaw served as the leading forward on the 2023 Clark Cup championship-winning Youngstown Phantoms, scoring 61 points in 62 games in his only full-year in the USHL. He’ll hope for a much bigger role with the Wolverines, who recently lost Frank Nazar, Dylan Duke, and Gavin Brindley to NHL contracts.
  • The Washington Capitals have assigned 2023 second-round pick Andrew Cristall to the AHL’s Hershey Bears, following the end of his WHL season. This kicks off the pro career of one of 2023’s most divisive prospects – with Cristall’s 280 points in 191 career WHL games clearly showing his scoring ability, but skeptics pointing out his lack of explosivity and off-puck fundamentals. He recorded 111 points in 62 games this season alone, the most of any Kelowna Rocket since 1996, and will now hope to translate his flashy style into a tougher scene.

Snapshots: Buchnevich, Fedotov, Stone, Pietrangelo

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The St. Louis Blues are expected to work on a contract extension with winger Pavel Buchnevich, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in the latest 32 Thoughts article. This news comes after the Blues were reportedly shopping around Buchnevich at the Trade Deadline, though they were said to be asking for as much as two first-round picks in return. No deal came to fruition and Buchnevich went on to finish the year with 27 goals and 63 points in 80 games. It was the least productive season he’s had in St. Louis, though he’s still totaled an impressive 206 points in 216 games with the club.

St. Louis has been living lavishly with Buchnevich’s current deal – getting nearly point-per-game scoring for just $5.8MM against the cap. They’ll get one more year of that team-friendly deal, before likely having to shell out a hefty amount to Buchnevich on his next deal. The Blues will have to be careful to find the balance between term and salary, though, with Buchnevich set to be 30 when an extension would begin.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Friedman also shared that the Philadelphia Flyers are expected to sign goaltender Ivan Fedotov to a two-year extension soon. The 27-year-old netminder was finally able to move to North America this season, playing in the first three NHL games of his career earlier this month. He was admittedly shaky, allowing 10 goals on 53 shots, good for an .811 save percentage in his first looks at North American ice. But the Flyers have to simply be excited to finally have the stout Russian goaltender under their control, and will give him much more of a chance to get comfortable in North America with a new deal.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights could be getting another big boost to their lineup, with winger Mark Stone back to full-contact practice and a game-time decision for Game One of the postseason, per the team (Twitter link). They also shared that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo underwent an appendectomy and returned to a full practice on Saturday. Chandler Stephenson and William Carrier also took full practices. All four players will be hopeful to slot into the lineup as the Golden Knights get ready to take on the Dallas Stars.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top