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Update On This Year’s August 15 Free Agents

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Most NHL free agent business is dealt with in the early summer months. There is one important date later each year, however. August 15 marks the date when NHL teams lose their exclusive signing rights to most college-drafted players if they’ve graduated (or completed without graduating) college and are not yet signed to an entry-level contract.

Earlier this month, we published a list of players slated to hit the UFA market yesterday if not signed to an ELC within the coming days. However, the guidelines the NHL uses to determine a college graduate are some of the most complex sets of rules relating to contractual obligations in pro sports. That means it’s often impossible to glean a full list of players whose rights have expired (or not expired) until after the August 15 deadline has passed.

This year was no different, as CapFriendly issued multiple updates today on their X account regarding the list of August 15 free agents they’d made public earlier in the month. Three players who were slated to expire actually remained on their team’s reserve list: Calgary Flames 2018 fourth-round pick F Demetrios Koumontzis, Ottawa Senators 2018 seventh-round pick F Jakov Novak, and Senators 2018 second-round pick D Jonny Tychonick.

On the flip side, 12 players they expected to remain on teams’ reserve lists hit the free-agent market yesterday. With that in mind, we have a revised, accurate list of players who became unrestricted free agents yesterday. Asterisked players were not originally expected to come off their team’s reserve list.

Anaheim Ducks

*F Trevor Janicke (2019 fifth round, 132nd overall)

Arizona Coyotes

F John Farinacci (2019 third round, 76th overall)
*F Anthony Romano (2019 sixth round, 176th overall)

Boston Bruins

*D Dustyn McFaul (2018 sixth round, 181st overall)

Calgary Flames

*F Joshua Nodler (2019 fifth round, 150th overall)

Carolina Hurricanes

F Kevin Wall (2019 sixth round, 181st overall)

Chicago Blackhawks

F Jake Wise (2018 third round, 69th overall)

Colorado Avalanche

*F Matt Stienburg (2019 third round, 63rd overall)

Columbus Blue Jackets

D Robbie Stucker (2017 seventh round, 210th overall)

Detroit Red Wings

F Robert Mastrosimone (2019 second round, 54th overall)
*F Ethan Phillips (2019 fourth round, 97th overall)

Edmonton Oilers

F Skyler Brind’Amour (2017 sixth round, 177th overall)

Minnesota Wild

*D Marshall Warren (2019 sixth round, 166th overall)

New Jersey Devils

*D Case McCarthy (2019 fourth round, 118th overall)
*F Patrick Moynihan (2019 sixth round, 158th overall)

New York Islanders

D Christian Krygier (2018 seventh round, 196th overall)
F Jacob Pivonka (2018 fourth round, 103rd overall)

New York Rangers

*F Eric Ciccolini (2019 seventh round, 205th overall)
*F Riley Hughes (2018 seventh round, 216th overall)

Ottawa Senators

*F Luke Loheit (2018 seventh round, 194th overall)

Philadelphia Flyers

F Jay O’Brien (2018 first round, 19th overall)

San Jose Sharks

D Arvid Henrikson (2016 seventh round, 187th overall) Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens

Toronto Maple Leafs

D Ryan O’Connell (2017 seventh round, 203rd overall)

Winnipeg Jets

G Jared Moe (2018 sixth round, 184th overall)

Of the list above, Krygier and Pivonka are remaining in the Islanders organization on confirmed AHL contracts for 2023-24, although they remain eligible to sign with another NHL team should one come calling. All others are either returning to school for 2023-24, have contracts signed in other leagues, or are not signed for next season.

Notably, this is the official confirmation that the Flyers’ exclusive signing rights of O’Brien have lapsed. As compensation for not signing a first-round pick to their entry-level contract, the Flyers will receive a compensatory second-round pick from the league in the 2024 NHL Draft.

August Free Agency Update: Metropolitan Division

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As even most mid-tier free agents are now off the market, it’s a good time to look at how each team has fared on the free agent market this offseason. We’re publishing a list of one-way signings (i.e., likelier to start the season on the NHL roster) by team, per division, to keep you updated on NHL player movement since the new league year began on July 1.

Asterisked players denote a restricted free agent. Double-asterisked players denote the contract starts in the 2024-25 season. Next up is the Metropolitan Division. You can check out the list of Atlantic Division signings here.

Carolina Hurricanes

**F Sebastian Aho (eight years, $9.75MM cap hit)
D Dmitry Orlov (two years, $7.75MM cap hit)
F Michael Bunting (three years, $4.5MM cap hit)
G Frederik Andersen (two years, $3.4MM cap hit)
F Jesper Fast (two years, $2.4MM cap hit)
D Anthony DeAngelo (one year, $1.675MM cap hit)
G Antti Raanta (one year, $1.5MM cap hit)
*D Dylan Coghlan (one year, $850K cap hit)
F Brendan Lemieux (one year, $800K cap hit)
D Caleb Jones (one year, $775K cap hit)

Columbus Blue Jackets

none

New Jersey Devils

F Michael McLeod (one year, $1.4MM cap hit)
F Nathan Bastian (two years, $1.35MM cap hit)
*D Kevin Bahl (two years, $1.05MM cap hit)
F Tomas Nosek (one year, $1MM cap hit)

New York Islanders

**G Ilya Sorokin (eight years, $8.25MM cap hit)
D Scott Mayfield (seven years, $3.5MM cap hit)
F Pierre Engvall (seven years, $3MM cap hit)
G Semyon Varlamov (four years, 35+ contract, $2.75MM cap hit)
*F Oliver Wahlstrom (one year, $874.1K cap hit)
F Julien Gauthier (two years, $787.5K cap hit)

New York Rangers

*D K’Andre Miller (two years, $3.872MM cap hit)
D Erik Gustafsson (one year, $825K cap hit)
G Jonathan Quick (one year, 35+ contract, $825K cap hit)
F Blake Wheeler (one year, 35+ contract, $800K cap hit)
F Nick Bonino (one year, 35+ contract, $800K cap hit)
F Tyler Pitlick (one year, $787.5K cap hit)
F Riley Nash (two years, $775K cap hit)

Philadelphia Flyers

*F Noah Cates (two years, $2.625MM cap hit)
F Garnet Hathaway (two years, $2.375MM cap hit)
*D Cameron York (two years, $1.6MM cap hit)
**G Samuel Ersson (two years, $1.45MM cap hit)
F Ryan Poehling (one year, $1.4MM cap hit)
D Marc Staal (one year, 35+ contract, $1.1MM cap hit)

Pittsburgh Penguins

G Tristan Jarry (five years, $5.375MM cap hit)
D Ryan Graves (six years, $4.5MM cap hit)
F Lars Eller (two years, $2.45MM cap hit)
F Noel Acciari (three years, $2MM cap hit)
G Alex Nedeljkovic (one year, $1.5MM cap hit)
*F Drew O’Connor (two years, $925K cap hit)
F Matthew Nieto (two years, $900K cap hit)
F Andreas Johnsson (one year, $800K cap hit)
G Magnus Hellberg (one year, $785K cap hit)
D Ryan Shea (one year, $775K cap hit)
F Vinnie Hinostroza (one year, $775K cap hit)
*D Ty Smith (one year, $775K cap hit)

Washington Capitals

**F Tom Wilson (seven years, $6.5MM cap hit)
*D Martin Fehervary (three years, $2.675MM cap hit)
F Max Pacioretty (one year, $2MM cap hit)
F Matthew Phillips (one year, $775K cap hit)

No Lingering Neck Issues For Farabee

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  • This time last summer, Flyers winger Joel Farabee was recovering from undergoing artificial disk replacement surgery in his neck and wasn’t able to get in a full summer of training. Speaking with NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman, the 23-year-old indicated that there are no lingering issues from the procedure which has allowed him to have a more traditional offseason in terms of preparation.  Farabee is coming off a 15-goal, 24-assist season, an output that was lower than expected but with a full summer under his belt, he could be a bounce-back candidate for Philadelphia this coming season.

Flyers Prospect Alex Bump Commits To Western Michigan

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While he had originally committed to play at Vermont, Flyers prospect Alex Bump has already transferred before playing a single game.  Sam Carchidi of Philly Hockey Now relays that the winger will now play for Western Michigan next season.  The reason for the transfer pertained to Vermont dismissing head coach Todd Woodcroft earlier this summer.

The 19-year-old was selected in the fifth round last year (133rd overall) after splitting the season between the Minnesota high school level and Omaha of the USHL.  His performance with Prior Lake High earned him USA Today’s Hockey Player of the Year honors that season.

Bump then spent last year with the Lancers for part of the campaign before being dealt to Tri-City back in February.  Between the two teams, he picked up 14 goals and 19 assists in 48 games.

It has been a successful summer on the transfer front for the Broncos.  Bump is the fourth NHL-drafted player to transfer there in recent months, joining forwards Sam Colangelo (Anaheim), Ethan Phillips (Detroit), and Matteo Costantini (Buffalo).

IIHF Upholds Ivan Fedotov’s Contract With Flyers

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The IIHF has ruled netminder Ivan Fedotov has a valid NHL contract with the Philadelphia Flyers for 2023-24, upholding the tolled deal originally signed for the 2022-23 campaign. Fedotov had signed an entry-level deal with the Flyers last summer but was prohibited from coming to North America to complete required military service in Russia. He then signed a two-year contract with KHL club CSKA Moskva in July, causing the Flyers to file a dispute with the IIHF.

In doing so, the IIHF determined both Fedotov and CSKA violated the organization’s International Transfer Regulations, resulting in sanctions and suspensions for both. The IIHF suspended Fedotov from appearing in any “official national and international games during playing periods” from September 1, 2023, through December 31, 2023, keeping him out of a Russian uniform for that time. It’s unclear whether that suspension affects his eligibility to play for the Flyers, which his agent, JP Barry, said Fedotov would do if the IIHF ruled in their favor. The suspension was doled out as a result of Fedotov not obtaining a release from the Flyers within two weeks of signing with CSKA (or returning to Philadelphia and leaving CSKA) within two weeks of the KHL registering his contract.

CSKA also received a significant sanction from the international governing body, prohibiting them from making any international transfers for one year until August 10, 2024. It’s a powerful blow to one of the best professional teams outside the NHL, whose pool of potential talent has shrunk in a big way for the short term.

What’s for certain is Fedotov’s entry-level deal carrying a $925K cap hit is now officially on the Flyers’ books for next season. After three incredibly strong seasons in the KHL, culminating in a goalie of the year award in 2022 after he posted a 2.00 goals-against average and .919 save percentage in 26 games for CSKA, he’ll now compete for playing time in a crowded Flyers crease that includes Carter Hart, Calvin Petersen, Felix Sandström, and Samuel Ersson. Fedotov does not require waivers to be assigned to the AHL, something Philadelphia has full power to do.

Based on pure ability, Fedotov is likely the second-best netminder under contract with Philadelphia right now and deserves a look at the backup role behind Hart if eligible. However, it’s important to note he hasn’t played pro hockey in a year, thanks to his military service. The Flyers will need to scout him closely at camp before determining what their goalie depth chart looks like to begin 2023-24.

Ellis Career Likely Over

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  • Speaking with the new President of Hockey Operations for the Philadelphia Flyers, Keith Jones, Adam Kimelman of the NHL reports that Jones firmly believes that the playing days of defenseman Ryan Ellis are over. Due to a back injury, Ellis has only been able to suit up in four games for the Flyers during the 2021-22 season and missed the entirety of last year. Ellis still has four years and $25MM remaining on his current contract and will spend the rest of that time on LTIR if his contract is not moved off the team before then.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Flyers, Hurricanes Complete Prospect Swap

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The Philadelphia Flyers have acquired center prospect Massimo Rizzo along with a 2025 fifth-round pick from the Carolina Hurricanes, according to a team release. In return, they’ve sent the rights to forward David Kase to Carolina.

Kase is an unusual type of player to see traded, given his contract status. The 26-year-old brother of former Hurricanes forward Ondrej Kase has spent the last two seasons in the Czech Extraliga with HC Sparta Praha, not signed to an NHL contract, but remained on the Flyers’ reserve list after they issued him a qualifying offer in 2021. He got into seven NHL games with the Flyers after they selected him in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL Draft, recording one goal.

The versatile forward has logged heavy minutes in Prague the past two seasons but hasn’t had spectacular production, notching just ten goals in 68 games since returning to his home country in 2021. Kase signed a three-year agreement with Extraliga club HC Litvinov this offseason, meaning his inclusion in this trade is likely a throw-in to balance out each team’s reserve list numbers.

Rizzo comes to the Flyers after reportedly being part of the rumored Anthony DeAngelo trade between the two clubs that fell through earlier this summer. Essentially, this transaction completes the move that the NHL blocked due to cap circumvention – the Flyers later bought out DeAngelo, and Carolina signed him to a one-year, $1.675MM pact days later. This series of moves allowed the Hurricanes to acquire DeAngelo at a lower cap hit, as the maximum salary retention the Flyers could have offered via trade would’ve brought DeAngelo’s cap hit down to only $2.5MM. Thus, Carolina parted with Rizzo and a fifth-round pick to save $825K in cap space.

The 22-year-old member of Carolina’s 2019 draft class shouldn’t be overlooked as a prospect. While he may not have ideal size at 5-foot-11 and 174 pounds, he’s had a strong collegiate career and looks to be exceeding the value expected of him as a seventh-round pick. He just completed his second season with the University of Denver, leading the team with 29 assists and 46 points in 38 games. In 2021-22, he recorded 36 points in 39 games as a freshman to help lead Denver to the national championship.

Rizzo is not yet signed to an entry-level contract and will return to Denver next season if the Flyers don’t sign him now. If/when they did reach an entry-level agreement with Rizzo, he is eligible for assignment to the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

List Of Players Expected To Start 2023-24 On LTIR

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We’re at the point in the summer where most major signings are complete, meaning only a handful of free agents left on the market could still command over the maximum buriable threshold of $1.15MM per year on their next contract. That means financial pictures are mostly set league-wide, and general managers can now focus more on the arduous task of salary cap management.

For many teams nowadays, long-term injured reserve (LTIR) is an important tool in helping teams keep below the salary cap’s Upper Limit, which is set at $83.5MM for 2023-24. It’s not as straightforward as it seems at first glance, though. Placing a player on LTIR does not eliminate their cap hit from the team’s books until they’re activated again. Instead, a team only gains cap relief if they exceed the Upper Limit, and the specific amount of relief received depends on the team’s cap situation on the day they place a player on LTIR. A more detailed explanation of how LTIR works can be found on CapFriendly.

All LTIR situations are not created equal. To be eligible for LTIR, a player must miss at least ten games or 24 days of action. However, they don’t need to be placed on LTIR if they’re projected to miss more than that amount of time. Oftentimes, a team operating far below the Upper Limit that won’t need any relief will simply keep the player on standard injured reserve, especially if they’re relying on an injured player’s cap hit to stay above the Lower Limit (set at $61.7MM next season).

With that said, here is a list of players who are projected to meet the injury requirements for LTIR to start 2023-24:

Atlantic Division

Buffalo Sabres – Jack Quinn

This offseason was a tough break for the young Quinn, who sustained an Achilles injury during offseason training in June and is expected to be out of the lineup through Thanksgiving. While eligible, he’s unlikely to actually be placed on LTIR. He’s still on his entry-level contract and carries a marginal cap hit of $863K, making a move extremely inconsequential to the Sabres, who CapFriendly projects with over $6MM in space.

Florida Panthers – Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour

The Panthers are set to begin the season without the services of their top two defensemen, thanks to shoulder injuries sustained and exacerbated during their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. Combined, the players carry a rather significant $11MM cap hit, which should give the Panthers some season-opening flexibility. Ekblad’s expected to miss more time than Montour, but neither is expected to miss the whole season – both should be back in the fold by the time the calendar flips to 2024. CapFriendly currently projects the Panthers dipping into LTIR relief by $1.175MM to start the season.

Montreal Canadiens – Carey Price

The team’s legendary netminder isn’t expected to play again after a knee injury, and he hasn’t suited up since the end of the 2021-22 campaign. He’ll likely spend the last three seasons of his contract (carrying a $10.5MM cap hit) on LTIR. As we covered earlier in the week, Montreal is in a bit of a no man’s land with Price’s contract. They’ll likely either look to shed salary to get under the Upper Limit entirely (which they currently sit around $5MM over) or add money to maximize’s Price’s LTIR relief, which they could then weaponize in-season to be a cap broker for trades.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Brent Seabrook

Like Price, Seabrook will be on LTIR for the remainder of his $6.875MM cap hit contract, which expires next summer. Acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks after his injury made it clear he wouldn’t play again, Seabrook has provided additional options for cap flexibility for the Lightning over the last two seasons. Tampa is expected to use close to all of Seabrook’s potential relief to stay compliant throughout the season.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Jake Muzzin, Matt Murray

While not confirmed, Muzzin’s playing future remains in serious doubt after sustaining a cervical spine fracture at the beginning of last season. No recent update has been issued on his recovery, and he’s expected to miss the entire 2023-24 campaign and will spend the final year of his contract on LTIR. Murray’s situation is shrouded in much more mystery, however. The team announced last month he’d begin next season on LTIR, but no specific details of his injury were confirmed, and no timetable was issued for a potential return. Murray missed significant time last season with a concussion and an adductor injury.

Metropolitan Division

Philadelphia Flyers – Ryan Ellis

Forwards Cam Atkinson and Sean Couturier are expected to return to the lineup after missing all of last season with injuries, but the same can’t be said for Ryan Ellis. President of hockey operations Keith Jones said a few days ago that Ellis is unlikely to “be able to continue his playing career because of a torn psoas muscle in his back.” Ellis played just four games for the Flyers after they acquired him from the Nashville Predators in 2021 before sustaining the career-ending injury.

Washington Capitals – Max Pacioretty

Pacioretty’s timeline for a return after sustaining back-to-back Achilles injuries isn’t clear, but he likely won’t be available to the team to start the season and should meet the requirements for LTIR. The financial circumstances surrounding the potential relief will be tricky to navigate given the performance bonuses included in his contract, however. Pacioretty should be joining the Capitals after signing a one-year deal last month, sometime in November or December if everything goes well in his recovery.

Central Division

Arizona Coyotes – Jakub Voracek, Shea Weber, Bryan Little

All three are players acquired by the Coyotes for the express consideration of helping them stay above the cap floor – which they are now far above after being big players on the free-agent market this summer. Nonetheless, all three are done with their NHL careers due to various injuries and will remain members of the Coyotes organization by contract only.

Colorado Avalanche – Gabriel Landeskog

Colorado will be without their captain for a second straight season after the winger underwent a cartilage transplant on his right knee this summer. Landeskog hasn’t played since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2022, a playoff run during which he played through a knee injury. He’s signed through 2029, and there’s still the potential he plays again, although it won’t be anytime soon.

Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks – Isac Lundeström

Lundeström projects to be on the shelf through next January after sustaining an Achilles injury during offseason training in Sweden. Given the Ducks are far from the Upper Limit, and Lundeström carries just a $1.8MM cap hit, Anaheim could keep him on standard injured reserve for the duration of his absence.

Vegas Golden Knights – Robin Lehner

All has been quiet on Lehner’s health after he missed all of last season. The All-Star-caliber netminder had double hip surgery last summer, keeping him out for the entire 2022-23 campaign. He was not around the team at all during their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup, and the team has issued no updates on his recovery since undergoing the surgery last summer. Without any indication that he’s close to a return, Lehner closes out our list.

Flyers Sign Samuel Ersson To Two-Year Extension

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6:42 pm: CapFriendly has learned the details of Ersson’s two-year extension. The young netminder will earn $1MM in base salary plus a $300K signing bonus in 2024-25, while he’ll get $1.6MM in base salary with no bonuses in 2025-26.

9:37 am: The Flyers have locked up one of their goalies of the future, announcing that they’ve signed Samuel Ersson to a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2025-26 season.  The extension will carry a cap hit of $1.45MM.

The 23-year-old made his NHL debut in 2022-23, getting into a dozen games with Philadelphia where he certainly held his own, posting a 3.07 GAA along with a .899 SV%.  He became just the second goalie in franchise history to win his first six decisions.  Ersson spent most of the year at the AHL level with Lehigh Valley where he put up a 2.84 GAA and a .900 SV% in 42 appearances, finishing sixth league-wide in minutes played (2,511) and victories (24).

A fifth-round pick of the Flyers back in 2018 (143rd overall), Ersson still has one year remaining on his entry-level contract, a deal that carries an AAV of $925K.

With the Flyers acquiring Cal Petersen and still having Felix Sandstrom in the fold (plus the ongoing Ivan Fedotov saga as the team tries to get the IIHF to recognize his tolled contract), it seemed like Ersson, who is still waiver-exempt, was a strong candidate to go back to the Phantoms next season.  That way, he’d have an opportunity to play the bulk of the games once again.

On the surface, this contract implies otherwise.  For the Flyers to commit two years at $1.45MM on a one-way deal to Ersson a year early, it’s reasonable to infer that they expect him to see a reasonable amount of NHL action next season.  If not, it probably wouldn’t have cost them this much to sign Ersson a year from now.  As a result, he might not just be a goalie of the future for Philadelphia but one of their goalies of the present as well.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

SKA St. Petersburg Plans To Try Matvei Michkov At Center

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  • One of the concerns that caused star Russian prospect Matvei Michkov to fall all the way to the Philadelphia Flyers at seventh overall earlier this month was the lack of control over his development. He’s under contract with KHL club SKA St. Petersburg for three more seasons, leaving the Flyers without any immediate input into his post-draft development. That fact’s already become notable as, speaking with Match TV, Michkov revealed SKA plans to try the natural winger at center next season. Obviously, there’s no telling how such a move will work out so early on in a player’s professional development, but it’s an interesting wrinkle in Michkov’s pro career overseas worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses.

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