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Red Wings Notes: Offseason Plans, Sandin Pellikka, Goaltending

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In his end-of-season availability for the press, the General Manager of the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Yzerman, had plenty to share about his team’s progress this year. After an 11-point bump from last season, the Red Wings tied for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with the Washington Capitals but were on the outside looking in due to the Capitals earning more regulation wins.

Being very non-committal about any dramatic changes coming to the roster, Yzerman did mention that forward Jonatan Berggren and defenseman Albert Johansson are already on the short-list to make the roster out of training camp for the 2024-25 NHL season (Article Link). A rumored trade candidate at this year’s deadline, Yzerman may be vocalizing his belief that Berggren is an NHL-ready talent, to boost his trade value to the 31 other teams.

Of the four forwards on the roster set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer, Yzerman is giving strong consideration to extending veteran David Perron. Not quite the player he used to be throughout his tenure with the St. Louis Blues, Perron is a valuable locker-room presence and scored big goals during pivotal moments for the Red Wings down the stretch.

For the other three including Patrick Kane, Daniel Sprong, and Christian Fischer, there is a decent probability that none of the trio will be back in Detroit next season. Now that Kane has proven himself healthy, and Sprong has become a legitimate top-six caliber forward, they may have already priced themselves off Detroit’s roster for next year.

Other Red Wings notes:

  •  One organizational prospect who will most likely not leap to North America next season is Swedish defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka according to Max Bultman of The Athletic. Originally the 17th player off the board in the 2023 NHL Draft, Sandin Pellikka’s career projections took a massive jump this season as he scored 10 goals and 18 points through 39 games in the SHL. In international play, Sandin Pellikka famously scored two goals and six points in 10 games for Team Sweden at the most recent IIHF World Junior Championships, becoming one of the more impactful players in the tournament.
  • In an article from Helene St.James of the Detroit Free Press, all signs are pointing to Detroit carrying three goaltenders on the roster once again next season. Given that the team already has Ville Husso and Alex Lyon signed into next season, the Red Wings could look to keep James Reimer around for a second year or look to the free agent market for a different option. The trio worked out mildly well for the organization throughout the regular season, as the Red Wings finished with a team save percentage of .897, good for 19th in the league.

Oilers Targeting Top-Six Forward Help

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Goaltending has been the central theme for trade speculation around the Oilers this season after their netminders got off to particularly rough starts.  However, things have settled down nicely since then with Stuart Skinner’s play improving considerably since their early-season coaching change and Calvin Pickard faring quite nicely in the backup role.

It appears that their performances have taken off some of the pressure of seeking another netminder.  Instead, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported in the latest TSN Insider Trading segment that GM Ken Holland has turned his focus toward adding a top-six forward.  More specifically, the goal would be to find someone better suited to play alongside Leon Draisaitl on the second line.

Speculatively, they may be looking to replace Warren Foegele on that trio.  The 27-year-old is well on his way toward having a career year offensively (he’s just four points away from matching his previous career high) but he’s a player who has spent most of his career in the bottom six.  Getting him back in that role would certainly deepen Edmonton’s lineup.

LeBrun mentioned a handful of players as possible targets, several of which will be dependent on how their current teams fare in their playoff push in the coming weeks.  The Oilers are quite familiar with Jordan Eberle; LeBrun suggests that the idea of bringing him back to Edmonton has grown in the front office recently.  Ottawa’s Vladimir Tarasenko (who has full trade protection) and Detroit’s Daniel Sprong and David Perron were also floated as possible targets if those respective teams sell by next month’s deadline.  All four players are on expiring contracts and with Edmonton’s long-term cap situation, it would make sense for them to be focusing on rental players if they do try to make a key addition up front.

However, cap space is somewhat limited for the Oilers at the moment.  Even with their current 21-man roster, Edmonton projects to have a little over $2.3MM in cap space at the trade deadline, per CapFriendly.  An injury or two would eat most of that flexibility up.  Sprong is the only one out of that group whose salary would fit into their existing space, even if there was the maximum 50% retention on the other three.

Accordingly, Edmonton may need to send out a roster player to help fit in any top-six acquisition on its salary cap.  Foegele, on an expiring deal himself, could very well be an option as could one of Brett Kulak or Cody Ceci, defensemen who are signed beyond this season (two more years for Kulak, one for Ceci); moving one of them would also open up a spot for Philip Broberg to return to the big club.

For a team with the top-end firepower that the Oilers have, they’re not even in the top ten in NHL scoring, sitting 12th in that regard heading into Thursday’s action.  Meanwhile, only two teams have allowed fewer goals than Edmonton has.  Accordingly, if they believe the structural and goaltending improvements are sustainable, looking to add some more offense may very well be the right approach for Holland to take over the next few weeks.

Detroit Red Wings To Sign Daniel Sprong, Tim Gettinger, Brogan Rafferty

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Per Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, the Detroit Red Wings are signing non-qualified UFA Daniel Sprong to a one-year deal worth $2MM.

They’ve also added depth forward Tim Gettinger on a one-year, two-way contract with a $775k cap hit and $250k AHL salary, according to PuckPedia. Aside from Gettinger, Brogan Rafferty has also been signed by the team for additional depth, securing a two-year, two-way deal with the team.

Sprong is coming off his best season by a considerable margin, picking up 21 goals and 25 assists in 66 games with Seattle.  Prior to last season, his previous benchmarks in a single season were 14 goals and nine helpers.  With that in mind, it was somewhat surprising that the Kraken opted to non-tender him but as was the case with many players around the league, his eligibility for salary arbitration was enough to dissuade them from giving him a qualifier for less than $800K.

The Red Wings are the happy beneficiaries of that, landing themselves an intriguing winger on a low-risk contract.  Sprong should slot into a middle-six role next season with Detroit, giving him a chance to at least come close to matching that production.  Even if he comes up a bit short in that regard, Sprong should still be able to provide a good return on this contract.

As for Gettinger, the 25-year-old spent last season with AHL Hartford, picking up 35 points in 52 regular season games plus nine more in eight playoff contests.  This will be his first time away from the Rangers after spending the first five seasons of his pro career with them.  Gettinger has 16 career NHL appearances under his belt and is likely to have the same role with Detroit as he did in New York, serving as injury insurance in the minors.

Rafferty, meanwhile, is coming off a strong offensive season in the minors with Coachella Valley, Seattle’s affiliate.  The 28-year-old collected 51 points in 72 games with the Firebirds, putting him in a tie for third in AHL scoring among all blueliners.  Rafferty has three career NHL appearances to his name (all with Vancouver), the last of which came back in 2020-21.  He projects to be a key offensive threat on a new-look Grand Rapids squad in 2023-24.

Looking At Five 2023 Non-Qualified UFA Targets

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The 2023 unrestricted free agent class may be disappointing, especially with some high-profile names like Stanley Cup champions Ivan Barbashev and Adin Hill coming off the board in recent days. However, the market did get a bit of a boost in the last 24 hours thanks to a slew of buyouts and the qualifying offer deadline, which saw over 100 restricted free agents get released by their teams to unrestricted status tomorrow. With that being said, it’s time to take a look at some of the more intriguing targets now available for teams to sign.

Each player’s former team is listed in parentheses. You can find the full list of RFAs that went unqualified here.

D Ethan Bear (VAN)

The summer will likely end with Bear re-signing in Vancouver, but there’s nothing stopping him from heading elsewhere if a team comes calling. He could last a bit into the summer as he recovers from a shoulder injury sustained while playing at the IIHF Men’s World Championship, though.

After not really finding a role in the Carolina Hurricanes lineup, Bear had a very solid season with the Canucks, posting 16 points in 61 games and providing high-end two-way play for a team that desperately needed it. Add in the fact he’s a right shot and still only 26 years old, and he makes for a rather appealing target that would have landed on our top 50 unrestricted free agents list for 2023.

He’s likely to earn a two-to-three-year deal, probably slightly under his $2.2MM qualifying offer. If so, all signs point to it being one of the better value signings of a summer poised to see some overpayments out of need in a weak UFA class.

F Denis Gurianov (MTL)

Things have been downhill for the 2015 12th overall pick since he logged 20 goals in his rookie season, a feat he hasn’t matched since. After sliding back out of a consistent top-nine role with the Dallas Stars, he was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens at the deadline in exchange for Evgenii Dadonov, a move that may have paid dividends for both sides. Gurianov did show a bit of a resurgence with the Habs, scoring five goals and eight points in 23 games, looking more engaged than he did with the Stars. The Habs will likely attempt to get a deal done here, but he wasn’t worth the $2.9MM qualifying offer he was due.

This is not a case of analytics suggesting a breakout, though, in fact, it’s the opposite. There are red flags nearly everywhere in his profile, suggesting he’s a liability in isolation. There is still some obvious raw skill with Gurianov, though, and for a cheap cost, he could put up some higher point totals with picture-perfect chemistry. It remains to be seen whether he’ll ever find that.

D Caleb Jones (CHI)

The counting stats here aren’t the prettiest, but advanced metrics have long tabbed Jones as an effective player for his role. Last season, Jones’ -19 rating may not have been pretty, but he also logged nearly 20 minutes a night on a lottery team. In fact, Jones logged a career-high relative Corsi for percentage at even strength of 4.8%, and his 16 points in 73 games were a career-high.

He’ll never break the bank offensively from the blue line, nor should you expect him to, but he’s got an underrated ability to drive play and proved this season he can take on more serious minutes against tougher competition. Add in the fact he can play both the left and right side, and he should be quite a good value signing for a team looking to bolster their third pair (or potentially second).

At 26, though, Jones was nearing retirement age on a very youthful Chicago blueline, and they decided to cut ties to make room for more of their future talent. He shouldn’t cost much more than $2MM on a one-year offer.

F Daniel Sprong (SEA)

Sprong easily jumps out as the most tantalizing target here. Quickly overtaking Dale Weise for the “Dutch Gretzky” title (sorry, Canadiens fans), Sprong has grown into one of the most efficient per-minute scorers in the league. He’s notched at least 13 goals in four of the last five seasons, never averaging more than 13 minutes per game – in fact, he scored 21 goals (and 46 points) in just 66 games with the Kraken this year despite staying squarely in a fourth-line role, averaging 11:25 per game. He was 17th in the NHL in goals per 60 minutes this season among skaters with at least 25 games.

With that, he’s set himself up for more ice time and more money. He was eligible for arbitration and likely would’ve garnered a rich reward for his production – a number Seattle didn’t want to pay. That doesn’t mean another team won’t, although an underwhelming playoff performance may scare some teams off. For a fringe team looking to add a high-octane option to its top nine, though, look no further than the 26-year-old Sprong.

He could very well command above the $3MM mark on a short-term but multi-year deal, especially from a team slated toward the bottom of the league standings. He jumps out as an attractive option for teams like the Arizona Coyotes, who could bank on Sprong’s production maintaining (or even increasing) with a slight bump in minutes, parlaying it into a valuable trade at next year’s deadline. Signing him to a two- or three-year deal with cost certainty as the salary cap rises would only add to his trade value.

F Sam Steel (MIN)

Steel is the only unqualified RFA who can say they were a number-one center last year. However, it was by necessity – with the Minnesota Wild needing Joel Eriksson Ek to round out their top-six on their second line, it was an in-and-out swap all year between Steel and Ryan Hartman between their pair of star wings in Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello. Steel did have a career-high 10 goals and 28 points in 65 games, but you’d expect more for someone who spent over 350 minutes with Kaprizov and Zuccarello this season – especially from a former first-round pick.

That being said, you could do worse for a third-line center. Steel isn’t a liability defensively, and while he may not be able to translate his offensive acumen to the scoresheet in the NHL, he won’t take points away from those around him and can survive as a complementary player.

Still, with uninspiring production in Minnesota, he wasn’t a candidate to stick around, as the team needs every dollar available to them to stay in playoff contention. He’s flashed the least upside at the NHL level of any of the five players listed, although he does carry some certainty in terms of his defensive impacts and offensive production that others here don’t offer.

Other targets to watch: F Nathan Bastian (NJD), G Mackenzie Blackwood (SJS), F Max Comtois (ANA), F Morgan Geekie (SEA), F Tyson Jost (BUF), F Klim Kostin (DET), F Denis Malgin (COL), F Michael McLeod (NJD), F Jesse Puljujarvi (CAR)

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Injury Notes: Marchment, Sprong, Walker

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment will play in tonight’s Game 6 against the Seattle Kraken. Marchment was hit in the head by an inadvertent elbow from Kraken forward Alex Wennberg in Game 4. He missed most of that game and sat out Game 5 with the injury that resulted from that hit.

The Stars winger is playing the first year of a four-year contract that pays him $4.5MM per season. The physical winger stands at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds and also adds some scoring punch to the Stars lineup. He put up 12 goals and 31 points in 68 regular season games with the Stars and added five points in ten playoff games before being injured. He will add some depth to the forward group that is looking to eliminate the Kraken in Game 6 and move on to the Western Conference Final.

  • While the Kraken will look to stay alive tonight, they will have to do so without one of their depth forwards. According to Alison Lukan of NHL.com, Seattle will not have the services of Daniel Sprong tonight. Head Coach Dave Hakstol says although Sprong skated and is listed as day-to-day, he does not expect the 26-year-old winger to play again in this series. Sprong scored 21 goals and 46 points in 66 regular season games, but left Game 3 of this series with an upper-body injury and remains out of the lineup.
  • Michael Russo of The Athletic reports Minnesota Wild forward Samuel Walker was injured at the World Championships and is out for the remainder of the tournament. Russo goes on to explain that Walker injured his shoulder in USA’s first game of the tournament and though he is already on his way home, he will be ready for training camp in September. Walker just wrapped up his first pro season, scoring two points in nine games for the Wild while piling up 27 goals and 48 points in 56 games for the Iowa Wild of the AHL.

Jared McCann Will Be Game-Time Decision For Game 4

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The Seattle Kraken are in position to take a stranglehold on the Dallas Stars tonight in their Second Round series, with a win giving them a 3-1 series lead. In their quest to do so, they may have regular-season goal-scoring leader Jared McCann back in the fold. Head coach Dave Hakstol would not confirm McCann’s Game 4 availability but told reporters he’d “probably” take warmups.

McCann has been out of the lineup since Game 4 of the First Round, taking a late hit from Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar which resulted in a one-game suspension. His return to the lineup could provide a potent boost to a team that lit the lamp seven times in Game 3, giving them yet another offensive weapon for Stars netminder Jake Oettinger to worry about.

The 26-year-old McCann did have just one assist in three-and-a-half playoff games against Colorado but led the Kraken in scoring with 40 goals and 70 points during the regular season. While rookie Tye Kartye has done well in McCann’s place, NHL experience tends to win out as the games get harder.

The Kraken will, however, be without forward Daniel Sprong tonight, as reported earlier.

Afternoon Notes: Bruins, Samsonov, Sprong

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Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub is reporting that Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney is hinting that the Bruins will go into a re-tool this offseason. What that will be remains to be seen but the long-time GM was quoted as saying, “roster changes are likely coming.” Sweeney continually referenced Boston’s dire salary cap situation as well as integrating younger players into the lineup. Sweeney’s words are no surprise given that Boston has less than $5MM in cap space entering the offseason and have just seven of their current forwards signed to contracts for next year. Boston will also need to work out a new contract for backup goaltender Jeremy Swayman who will be a restricted free agent this summer.

On top of needing to work out a deal with Swayman, Boston has many other key free agents who will likely need to move on given the Bruins lack of cap space. Patrice Bergeron and David Krejčí are both unrestricted free agents who played on low cap hits last season and hit bonus clauses that will cause Boston to carry bonus overages of $4.5MM into 2023-24. Trade deadline acquisitions Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway are also all unrestricted free agents this summer and are likely to seek employment elsewhere. Given everything going on in Boston they will have a very different looking team than the one that lost in the first round to the Florida Panthers.

In other notes from around the NHL:

NHL Insider Chris Johnston tweeted today from Toronto Maple Leafs practice that Ilya Samsonov was not at Toronto practice and that goalie coach Curtis Sanford was working with Joseph Woll and Matt Murray. The Leafs have yet to offer an update on their netminders status for game 4. Samsonov is expected to have an MRI and some additional tests prior to the team offering an update on their starter for the elimination game on Wednesday. Woll would be the likely starter for Toronto should Samsonov be unable to play. The 26-year-old Samsonov was injured in a collision with teammate Luke Schenn in game 3 and was unable to return to action.

The Seattle Kraken have announced that forward Daniel Sprong has been ruled out of game 4 against the Dallas Stars. The 26-year-old is dealing with an upper body injury and won’t dress tonight as they Kraken look to take a 3-1 stranglehold on their second round series. Sprong has just two points in 10 games in these playoffs and is currently mired in a six-game pointless streak. He played just 6:36 in Seattle’s 7-2 game 3 victory and has been largely relegated to fourth line minutes during his recent stretch of poor play.

Snapshots: Sprong, Dickinson, Mailloux

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After converting his PTO into another NHL contract, Seattle Kraken winger Daniel Sprong isn’t able to be a full participant with the team just yet. According to The Seattle Times’ Kate Shefte, Sprong is dealing with work visa complications and is expected to rejoin the team within the next few days.

This does put Sprong’s availability for Seattle’s season opener on Wednesday in Anaheim in doubt. While Sprong was productive in terms of goals after joining the Kraken at the trade deadline last season, their added depth on the wing puts him squarely in a fourth-line role with everyone healthy. In his stead, Karson Kuhlman is expected to dress against Anaheim if Sprong can’t play.

  • Similarly, new Chicago Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson is also battling visa issues after arriving from Vancouver. The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus reports that Dickinson will miss the team’s first two games of the season at the least, potentially missing three. Dickinson’s absence and his ability to be designated as a non-roster player in the meantime allowed them to claim defenseman Jarred Tinordi off waivers today without making a corresponding roster move.
  • While Montreal Canadiens defense prospect Logan Mailloux will start the season on injured reserve, he won’t stay there for long. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels notes to expect Montreal to send him back to the OHL’s London Knights after he returns to practice. Mailloux is expected to play a full season in London after injuries and a lengthy suspension due to his sexual misconduct charge during his draft year in Sweden limited him to 12 games.

Injury Notes: Gibson, MacKinnon, Schwartz, Sheahan

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As many NHL teams wrap up their preseason work, the last thing they want to see is any of their players, especially key ones, go down with injury. Although some teams, in theory, can afford to lose a player or two and keep their season afloat, a team like the Anaheim Ducks, who are trying to climb out of their rebuilder status, will need to keep as many pieces as possible healthy and performing if they wish to push for a playoff spot.

Unfortunately for the Ducks, one key piece, goaltender John Gibson, was injured in today’s preseason game against crosstown rivals, the Los Angeles Kings. Gibson left the game with an upper-body injury and did not return, replaced by backup Anthony Stolarz. The good news for Anaheim is, in the event of a prolonged absence from Gibson, Stolarz has established himself as a strong backup netminder, however being without Gibson, a three-time All Star, will make things difficult for Anaheim if he’s out for any stretch of time.

  • Speaking of All Stars, Colorado Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon is considered day-to-day according to head coach Jared Bednar, as relayed by Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater. Bednar added that MacKinnon “tweaked” something, but did not disclose what, or exactly how, MacKinnon hurt himself. Losing the recently-extended superstar, even for a game, puts Colorado in a tough position, but considering he is only day-to-day should be a relief to the team.
  • Seattle Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz is considered day-to-day with a lower body injury says Kraken head coach Dave Hakstol, who spoke to Mike Benton of 93.3 KJR radio. Schwartz had left last night’s preseason contest against the Edmonton Oilers early and did not return. Also of note, forward Daniel Sprong, who recently signed with Seattle after being invited to camp on a PTO, was not in practice today. Fortunately, today was simply a day off for Sprong, Benton adds.
  • Riley Sheahan is also day-to-day with a muscular injury Buffalo Sabres head coach Don Granato told members of the media, including Bill Hoppe of Buffalo Hockey Beat. It was unclear what muscle exactly was bothering Sheahan, who hasn’t practiced either of the last two days.

Seattle Kraken Sign Daniel Sprong

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Finally, a player has converted on his PTO, receiving an NHL contract. The Seattle Kraken today signed winger Daniel Sprong to a one-year, two-way contract for 2022-23 worth $750,000. PuckPedia adds that his minors salary is $325,000.

Sprong, 25, will get a second look in the Kraken lineup after playing in 16 games for them last season. Acquired from the Washington Capitals at the trade deadline (along with a 2022 fourth-round pick and 2023 sixth-round pick) for Marcus Johansson, Sprong had six goals and no assists down the stretch for the expansion Kraken. It was the third time Sprong had been traded in his young, yet bumpy career.

Hailing from Amsterdam, the Dutch forward was drafted 46th overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft by the Pittsburgh Penguins. While he hasn’t been able to make it stick with one team, Sprong’s provided solid depth scoring wherever he’s gone. He’s scored 14, 13, and 14 goals in his last three full NHL seasons. He played just eight games with the Anaheim Ducks in 2019-20, instead spending significant time with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.

Sprong will need to work hard to crack what’s a considerably deeper Kraken forward core this season, especially on the wing. The additions of Oliver Bjorkstrand and Andre Burakovsky at the top make the Kraken’s top six more compelling, but it’s scorers like Sprong who will be relied upon to generate depth offense in The Deep this season.

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