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Miles Wood To Sign With Colorado Avalanche

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UFA winger Miles Wood is heading to the Colorado Avalanche, and per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, it’s a six-year deal earning him $2.5MM per season.

It’s a larger commitment than most would’ve expected for Wood – especially for a player who saw his advanced and counting stats dip the season after a major injury. But Colorado is in desperate need of bottom six pieces, and Wood brings an attractive snarl to a team lacking much identity outside of its top two lines.

Wood notched 27 points in 76 games in 2022-23, a slight decrease from his normal pace, but he also saw a decrease in role thanks to some fortified depth on the Devils’ part. He should creep back up into a top-nine spot with Colorado, potentially revitalizing some of his point production.

Defensively, it really wasn’t pretty for Wood last season, a change from past years. He essentially canceled out the excellent shutdown play of linemate Nathan Bastian, bringing the Devils’ fourth line of Bastian, Wood, and Michael McLeod to a net even in terms of chances generated and chances against.

Colorado hopes some additional recovery time from the hip injury that kept him out for nearly all of 2021-22, plus a change in scenery can reboot his all-around game. Still, six years is a risky gamble in this situation.

Buffalo Sabres Sign Devin Cooley, Dustin Tokarski, Justin Richards

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The Buffalo Sabres have inked a pair of goalies today. They’ve signed Devin Cooley to a one-year contract per agent Dan Milstein, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports they’ve brought back Dustin Tokarski on a one-year, two-way deal worth $775K at the NHL level and $450K at the AHL level. They’ve also signed AHLer Justin Richards to a one-year, two-way $775k deal.

Returning to the Sabres organization, Tokarski spent last season in the Pittsburgh Penguins organization, primarily playing for their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He performed well in the minor leagues, garnering a 2.69 GAA and a .910 SV% in 36 games played. With the organizational depth in goal the Sabres already possess, Tokarski will likely serve as their fourth-string goaltender heading into next season.

In Cooley, much like Tokarski, Buffalo is adding some organizational depth to their AHL team, the Rochester Americans. Cooley was originally an undrafted free agent signed out of the University of Denver by the Nashville Predators. Last year for the Milwaukee Admirals, Cooley didn’t get off to a great start to his career, posting a 9-10-4 record, earning a .898 SV% and a 3.06 GAA in 24 games. This past season was much better for Cooley, as the young netminder carried a 15-8-2 record with a .909 SV% and a 2.93 GAA in 26 games.

As for Richards, he’s a 25-year-old center who scored 39 points in 60 games for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters last season. He earned two NHL games with Columbus and posted one assist, and should end up a solid contributor in Rochester.

Los Angeles Kings Sign Trevor Lewis

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Forward Trevor Lewis is returning to the team where he won two Stanley Cups, signing a one-year, $775K deal with the Los Angeles Kings, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

The 36-year-old spent the last two seasons with Calgary and is coming off one of his better recent offensive performances, scoring nine goals while chipping in with 11 assists in 80 games.  That was his best showing offensively since the 2017-18 campaign, back when he was with the Kings.  Of course, Lewis is known more for his physicality and he provided plenty of that with the Flames, contributing 334 hits over his 162 games with them.

A 15-year veteran, Lewis has played in 892 career regular season games between Los Angeles, Winnipeg, and Calgary, picking up 90 goals and 119 assists while averaging a little over 1.8 hits per game.

While Lewis spent a lot of time on the third line in his first stint with the Kings, it’s unlikely that he’ll be in that role this time around.  He averaged a little over 12 minutes a night with Calgary but with a stronger group of forwards in Los Angeles, Lewis will likely spend most of his time on the fourth line and penalty kill.  On a league minimum contract, he should provide a reasonable return on that agreement.

Nashville Predators Sign Gustav Nyquist

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Winger Gustav Nyquist has signed a two-year deal with the Nashville Predators worth $3.185MM per season, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

In a surprise twist to free agency day that not many expected, the Predators continue to pull in talent to fill out their NHL roster. One of the more unheralded players in the league, Nyquist is an above-average middle-six option for most teams. Finishing off a four-year, $22MM contract signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets back in 2019, Nyquist finished his year with the Minnesota Wild after being acquired at the deadline.

Hampered by injuries last season, Nyquist made a great return to the NHL, scoring five points in his last three games of the year. Following the Wild into the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, Nyquist scored another five points, all assists, in the team’s opening-round matchup with the Dallas Stars.

The signing of Nyquist gives the Predators an incredible amount of flexibility headed into next season. The new General Manager of the team, Barry Trotz, has already indicated that he plans on the team giving much more ice time to some of their younger players. However, if those players don’t play up to expectations this season, Nyquist is an option on the wing that can play on the team’s top three lines.

Florida Panthers To Sign Kevin Stenlund

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The Florida Panthers are acquiring free agent forward Kevin Stenlund on a one-year deal worth $1MM, says Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Stenlund is a 26-year-old 2015 second-round pick who spent last season as a member of the Winnipeg Jets organization. He spent most of the year in the NHL with Winnipeg, scoring six goals and nine points in 54 games. At the AHL level he scored at a higher rate, posting 14 points in 19 games.

A big-bodied forward with the ability to play center or along the wings, Stenlund’s most valuable contributions to the Jets last season were on the penalty kill, where he was a regular face. He’ll be able to contribute there for the Panthers, which is an important point given how much time the Panthers spent on the penalty kill last season.

While there isn’t much offense in his game, adding a penalty-killing specialist at a $1MM cost is a move that makes a lot of sense for a team that needs to target improvements to their short-handed units with their depth signings.

Tampa Bay Lightning Sign Conor Sheary, Four Others

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are signing forwards Conor Sheary and Luke Glendening to bolster their bottom six, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. The team announced a three-year, $2MM per season contract for Sheary. Glendening’s contract is two years at $800K per season, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Eduardo A. Encina. They’ve also added netminder Jonas Johansson on a one-year, league-minimum deal.

They’ve also signed 2016 first-round pick Logan Brown to a one-year, two-way $775k contract, as well as forward Mitchell Chaffee to the same deal.

Heading into today’s free agency, and with the cap space situation at hand for the team, these are exactly the type of moves that Tampa was expected to make. Sheary and Glendening ultimately improve the bottom six lines, while Johansson gives the team a quality third-string backup option.

With Sheary, the Lightning should get tremendous value out of this signing. Over the last two seasons playing for the Washington Capitals, Sheary has scored 34 goals and 46 assists in just under 160 games. He became an exceptional middle-six option for the Capitals and should do the exact same in Tampa Bay.

In Glendening, the Lightning had a player that will undoubtedly help with the team’s possession numbers. Over the course of his 10-year career, Glendening has averaged a 55.7% faceoff percentage, while averaging a whopping 58.9% with the Dallas Stars alone. Already garnering a defensive unit that is one of the league’s best at moving the puck, the team will benefit greatly from having Glendening take important faceoffs.

Next, Johansson gives the team insurance if one of their regular goaltenders goes down with an injury. Spending last season primarily playing for the Colorado Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, Johansson sported a .920 SV% and a 2.33 GAA, helping lead his team to the 2023 Calder Cup playoffs. The Lightning are still expected to sign a more stable backup behind Andrei Vasilevskiy for the 2023-24 NHL season.

Finally, Brown adds an intriguing former top prospect for the Lightning’s development team to get their hands on. Injuries have laid waste to Brown’s development path so far but he’s been a difference-maker at the AHL level and perhaps Tampa Bay thinks they can unlock some of his upside at the NHL level.

Nashville Predators To Sign Ryan O’Reilly

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The Nashville Predators have made the biggest splash of the day so far, signing former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Ryan O’Reilly to a four-year contract worth $4.5MM per season, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

While many expected the trade of Ryan Johansen to Colorado and yesterday’s Matt Duchene buyout to signal a rebuild-like direction for Nashville under new GM Barry Trotz, today’s signings of O’Reilly and defenseman Luke Schenn suggest otherwise.

At 32 years of age, adding a Conn Smythe winner in Ryan O’Reilly is firmly a win-now signing. O’Reilly is at his most valuable in the postseason, and is talents would be wasted on a club building for some distant future rather than an immediate playoff run.

O’Reilly has long been regarded as one of the top two-way centers in hockey, though his form in St. Louis earlier this season did raise some concerns about how his offense will age as he gets deeper into his thirties. O’Reilly scored 58 points in 2021-22 but just 19 in 40 games to start the year with the Blues.

He did fare much better after a mid-season deal to Toronto, so Nashville will undoubtedly be hoping that his Toronto form is more indicative of what they’ll be getting for the next four years.

If nothing else, the addition of O’Reilly will be a huge benefit to the Predators’ current crop of inexperienced young centers, such as Cody Glass, Juuso Parssinen, and Thomas Novak. If O’Reilly can help those pivots grow into quality NHLers while also playing up to the standard he’s established throughout his career, a $4.5MM price tag will feel like a bargain.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Washington Capitals Acquire Joel Edmundson

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The Washington Capitals are close to solidifying their defense corps. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, they’re working on a deal to acquire left-shot Joel Edmundson from the Montreal Canadiens. Per TSN’s Darren Dreger, Montreal is receiving draft picks in return. Those picks are a 2024 third-round pick and a 2024 seventh-rounder. The Canadiens are retaining 50% of Edmundson’s $3.5MM cap hit as part of the deal.

This is a trade that’s easy to like from both sides of the equation. For Washington, they get to add an accomplished veteran defenseman who is both a respected stay-at-home blueliner as well as a valued locker-room leader. While he’s had injury issues crop up more recently during his tenure in Montreal, Edmundson is a Stanley Cup champion with significant playoff experience.

He’s provided the Canadiens with steady play and at times a ferocious net-front presence. He’s likely a better fit on a bottom-pairing with penalty-killing time than he is as a bona fide top-four player.

Thankfully in Washington they have the type of defensive depth that will allow new head coach Spencer Carbery to utilize Edmundson how he prefers.

With Rasmus Sandin and Martin Fehervary already penciled into slots on Washington’s left side, Edmundson is likely to pair with Trevor Van Riemsdyk, giving Washington a bulletproof third-pairing that Carbery can deploy in high-leverage defensive situations. With 50% retention, it’s hard to argue at the draft pick cost for the Capitals.

As for Montreal’s side of the equation, it undoubtedly hurts to lose Edmundson’s locker room leadership for their young team. But Montreal has a crop of young blueliners that’ll need ice time to develop, and with Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj, and Kaiden Guhle all left-handers, not to mention veteran Mike Matheson, there simply wasn’t room for Edmundson if the priority in Montreal is player development.

By retaining salary, Montreal gets the best possible draft compensation to further their rebuild, while also clearing space for their growing group of promising young blueliners.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Cam Talbot Expected To Sign With Kings

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It appears that the Kings have their backup goalie.  Early this morning, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported there was a chance Cam Talbot would wind up with Los Angeles and it appears that will be the case as ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports (Twitter link) that the veteran will sign a one-year deal with the Kings.  Friedman also reports the deal is worth $1MM plus performance bonuses. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun clarifies the base salary is $775K, plus a $225K signing bonus and a $1MM bonus if Talbot plays 10 games.

The 35-year-old spent last season with Ottawa after indicating he wasn’t thrilled about the possibility of playing in a timeshare situation with Marc-Andre Fleury.  Unfortunately for Talbot and the Sens, things simply did not go well for him.  He battled injuries throughout the season and when he was healthy, he didn’t put up his best numbers, posting a 2.93 GAA along with a .898 SV%, numbers that are considerably worse than his career averages of 2.65 and .914 respectively.  When the Senators acquired Talbot, they hoped it could be the beginning of a longer-term relationship but after early extension talks went nowhere, they eventually declined to offer him a contract after the season.

Despite the poor showing last season, there’s reason for optimism for Los Angeles as Talbot posted a save percentage no lower than .911 in the previous three campaigns.  Accordingly, they feel that this could be just a blip on the radar.

They will be counting on Talbot to play a bigger role than he has had in recent years.  At the moment, Pheonix Copley is the incumbent backup after signing a one-year, $1.5MM deal back in February.  However, Copley’s career high in NHL games played in a single year is 37, set last season.  For most of his career, he has been a backup or even a third-string option.  As a result, the Kings will be counting on Talbot to be the strong-side option of their platoon.

While Talbot has long wanted to be a true starter, that opportunity hasn’t come along too often since leaving Edmonton back in the 2018-19 campaign.  Since then, he has only reached Copley’s 37-game mark once.  Barring another NHL goalie being signed, Talbot will have the opportunity to push for the true number one job in the hopes of creating a strong market for himself next summer.  At a minimum, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Kings add a veteran third-string option to play the role that they originally envisioned for Copley last season, giving them an experienced third netminder to turn to if need be.

In the meantime, this pushes Joonas Korpisalo, who played a key role for them down the stretch and in the playoffs, to the open market where he’ll be one of the top options on the board.

Snapshots: Granlund, Wheeler, Canadiens

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Taylor Haase of DKPittsburghSports is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins are not going to buyout Mikael Granlund before the 5pm buyout window later today. Granlund has had his name thrown around for weeks as a player that was likely to bought out, but it appears he will remain with the Penguins barring a trade, or a buyout in the second buyout window should one open for Pittsburgh.

Granlund was acquired on trade deadline day by previous Penguins general manager Ron Hextall and did not fit in well with the club. After posting 36 points in 58 games with the Nashville Predators, Granlund was traded to Pittsburgh for a second-round pick and put up just a goal and four assists in 21 games as the Penguins failed to qualify for the playoffs. If he does remain with the Penguins, it’ll be interesting to see how head coach Mike Sullivan deploys the 31-year-old as he was not a fit in the Penguins bottom-6 and the recently acquired Reilly Smith is expected to take their vacant left-wing spot on the second line.

Some more snapshots from around the league:

  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweeted that recent buyout recipient Blake Wheeler would prefer to play for an Eastern Conference team to have a new experience and less travel. The news comes from Wheeler’s agent Matt Keator and it makes sense given Wheeler’s age and his family considerations. The former Winnipeg Jets captain is a free agent for the first time and should have several teams to consider given that is coming off a season in which he posted 16 goals and 39 assists in 72 games.
  • Eric Engels of Sportsnet is reporting that he expects the Montreal Canadiens to be quiet in free agency as the team has a lot of players that they would like to move to open roster spots for their younger prospects. While Engels jokes about Canadiens’ general manager Kent Hughes putting his phone on silent, he does concede that the Canadiens could add a player if they fit into both the short-term and long-term parts of their rebuild plan. He mentions Mike Hoffman, Joel Edmundson, and Christian Dvorak as players Montreal would like to move on from and given that all three are veterans on expensive cap hits it does seem unlikely for the Canadiens to acquire more of that through free agency.

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