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Morning Notes: Johnson, Lindholm, Lightning

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Mike Harrington of Buffalo News Sports is reporting that Buffalo Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson isn’t looking to move on from the Sabres and has not approached management for a trade. The 35-year-old is a former Stanley Cup champion with the Colorado Avalanche and could be in demand according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Johnson was the 2006 first-overall pick, and although he never reached the levels scouts had predicted for him. He has remained a stable defensive defenseman and solid penalty killer throughout his career. He was a good offensive contributor early in his career but hasn’t topped 27 points in a year since the 2013-14 season.

Things could change for Johnson, but at this point, he told Harrington that his focus is on Buffalo, and he doesn’t want to abandon the team midseason. Johnson signed a one-year contract in the off-season as a free agent with an AAV of $3.25MM.

The Sabres entered the season with hopes of competing for a playoff spot but currently sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference and are 10 points back of the Detroit Red Wings for the final playoff spot.

In other morning notes:

  • Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote today that newly acquired Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Lindholm and the team are both comfortable with waiting to see how he adjusts to the team and how the rest of the season and the playoffs go. It makes for both sides given that Lindholm is just four and a half months away from unrestricted free agency and the Canucks have to also consider a potential long-term extension for superstar Elias Pettersson. LeBrun adds that he believes the Canucks want to sign both players long-term and have coveted Lindholm for quite some time. The 29-year-old had an incredible debut with Vancouver, notching two goals in a 3-2 win. However, his second game was a disaster as Lindholm went -4 in a 4-0 loss to the Boston Bruins.
  • Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote today that he believes that the injury to Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev could prompt Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois to enter the market for a defenseman as there is a possibility that Sergachev could be out for the rest of the regular season due to injury. If the young defenseman is done playing until the playoffs it would open the door for BriseBois to go $8.5 million to go above the cap on LTIR. The issue Tampa Bay might run into is having the assets to make the move given that they don’t have a first-round pick until 2026 and their farm system is one of the worst in the NHL.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Montreal Canadiens

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Montreal Canadiens.

Who are the Canadiens thankful for?

Mike Matheson

Mike Matheson has had a tale of two careers.

He was good in his first few seasons in the NHL with the Florida Panthers, showcasing his terrific skating and his ability to carry the puck out of the defensive zone. But shortly after signing an eight-year extension the warts in his game began to show and he became a lightning rod for criticism in the Sunshine State.

It wasn’t long after that Matheson was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with Colton Sceviour for Patric Hornqvist. Matheson was able to rehabilitate his game and looked like a good fit with the Penguins long-term. However, Penguins general manager Ron Hextall inexplicably wanted to change up the Penguins’ defense and in one day bulldozed his defense core by trading John Marino to New Jersey and Matheson to the Canadiens. Both trades have been a disaster for the Penguins, but the Matheson one stings for several reasons.

Since coming over to Montreal, the 29-year-old Matheson has dressed in 79 games, during that time he has 13 goals and 42 assists and has averaged almost 25 minutes a night in ice-time. He has been a catalyst for the Canadiens offense, and a mentor to many of Montreal’s young defensemen.

Although he has dealt with some injury issues, Matheson has been a driving force for the Canadiens and one that should continue to be an important piece for them in the coming seasons.

What are the Canadiens thankful for?

The Jeff Petry trades.

The Pittsburgh Penguins and Montreal Canadiens made a trade back in July 2022 that sent defenseman Matheson to Pittsburgh in exchange for veteran defenseman Petry and Ryan Poehling. It was a questionable trade at the time for the Penguins as they were giving up a much younger defenseman for a 36-year-old defender with an inflated cap hit. A year after the deal, it’s safe to say that the trade was an absolute heist by the Canadiens. Jeff Petry has been traded twice since the original trade and Poehling was non-tendered and signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Petry was traded by the Penguins to the Canadiens this past August in a move that Pittsburgh had to make to facilitate the Erik Karlsson trade. The Penguins traded Petry, goalie Casey DeSmith, forward Nathan Legare and a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick. Hoffman was then moved to the Sharks and Pitlick has toiled in the AHL.

The trade was a great move for Montreal to acquire two futures while unloading two bad contracts. But they weren’t done yet. The Canadiens then traded Petry to the Detroit Red Wings for little-used defenseman Gustav Lindstrom and a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2025. Finally, Montreal was able to complete the trade tree by shipping DeSmith to the Vancouver Canucks for Tanner Pearson and a 2025 third-round pick.

When all was said and done, the Canadiens were able to turn Pitlick, Hoffman, and a retained salary on Petry into Legare, Pearson, Lindstrom, and three 2025 draft picks. It was a creative move by Montreal, that will help them continue to build up their farm system or allow them to acquire additional players should they be more of a contending team in 2025.

What would the Canadiens be even more thankful for?

A Josh Anderson resurgence.

Many critics panned the Canadiens’ trade for Anderson back in October 2020 and for good reason, the trade was followed by the announcement of a seven-year $38.5MM extension that seemed like a massive overpay. In hindsight, it probably was, given that Anderson is carrying a $5.5MM cap hit and hasn’t come close to the 47 points he put up during the 2018-19 season. Since joining Montreal, Anderson has topped out at 32 points (twice), but he did have 40 goals over the two seasons before the start of the 2023-24 season.

This year has seen Anderson struggle more than he has in previous seasons. Through 31 games, the 29-year-old has just four goals and five assists and has been a drag on almost everyone he has played with this season. It’s been a frustrating season for the Burlington, Ontario native, one that he has acknowledged publicly. Just two nights ago, Anderson had an incredible game against the New York Islanders in which he scored two goals and was named the first star of the game. Afterwards, during a post-game interview, Anderson was serenaded by the Canadiens faithful and seemed genuinely humbled by the applause. With any luck, Anderson can use the game to catapult himself back to the heights he experienced when he put up 27 goals with the Columbus Blue Jackets five years ago.

If he can get back to his game, it could go a long way to the Canadiens making an unlikely push for a playoff spot in the ultra-competitive Eastern Conference.

What should be on the Canadiens holiday wish list?

A goal-scoring forward.

The Canadiens forwards need to score more as they rank near the bottom of the NHL in goals and are currently on pace to not have a single 25-goal scorer. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki both registered 26 goals last year but have just eight each thus far through 31 games, while Sean Monahan and Brendan Gallagher are far removed from the back-to-back 30-goal seasons, they each enjoyed from 2017-2019.

The Canadiens need a game-breaker, which is much easier said than done. Most teams are looking for this type of scorer and they are almost impossible to acquire in today’s NHL. The Canadiens do have a surplus of young defensemen they could choose to trade from, but they would need to find a trading partner that is interested in trading away one of the most coveted pieces in today’s NHL.

The Canadiens have been patient with their rebuild and have made some savvy moves to acquire good young prospects and defensive depth. At some point in the near future, they are going to have to take a risk on an offensively gifted forward. Whether that happens via trade or free agency remains to be seen but they will need to acquire a forward that can put the puck in the net.

Evening Notes: Blackwell, Kurashev, Broberg

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The Chicago Blackhawks have announced that they’ve activated forward Colin Blackwell from non-roster status, and he will make his season debut this evening against the Colorado Avalanche. Blackwell has been sidelined since February 27th as he has been dealing with a sports hernia. Blackwell suffered multiple setbacks through the summer, his rehab process, as well as during training camp and talked at length about his frustration, but it appears that he has overcome the struggles and is set to get back on the ice.

The 30-year-old posted two goals and eight assists last season with Chicago as he dressed in 53 games in his first year with the club. Blackwell has played with five different teams during his five-year NHL career and should have plenty of incentive as he gets back into the lineup. He is set to hit unrestricted free agency next July when his two-year $2.4MM contract will be set to expire.

In other evening notes:

  • Scott Powers of The Athletic is reporting that Chicago Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev will miss tonight’s game due to an illness. Kurashev is hardly the only player suffering from sickness this time of year as a lot of players have missed games due to illness recently. The 24-year-old is on pace to shatter his career high in points as he has six goals and 11 assists in 24 games this season. The native of Munsingen, Switzerland has never topped 25 points in any NHL season but should do so this year barring any unforeseen slump or injury. No word yet on a timeline for return, but the Blackhawks play twice more before the holiday break.
  • TSN Insider Darren Dreger is reporting that Philip Broberg is still expected to be a trade candidate for the Edmonton Oilers, but perhaps not in the way many expected him to be. Dreger believes that Broberg could still be a central piece for the Oilers to add an impact player, but he also thinks that Broberg could become the sweetener in a deal to offload the contract of struggling goaltender Jack Campbell. Broberg has been relegated to AHL duties with the Bakersfield Condors but has been averaging over 25 minutes a night of ice time for the Oilers affiliate. Edmonton would do well to move on from Campbell, and it may cost them Broberg if they wish to do so.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Florida Panthers

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will be taking a look at what teams are thankful for in 2023-24. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Florida Panthers.

Who are the Panthers thankful for?

Matthew Tkachuk

Tkachuk has not been himself thus far this season, but it is hard to fault him after he suffered a broken sternum in game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals in June. He valiantly tried to play in game 5 but could only take a few shifts before he had to shut himself down. He went through rehabilitation and recovery in the summer and although he was ready for training camp, it’s hard to believe that he had a full summer of his regular training regimen.

Tkachuk hasn’t been bad this year, he just hasn’t lived up to the level of play he’s shown over the past few seasons when he has been regularly in the conversation for league MVP. The 26-year-old has just five goals and 15 assists in 27 games thus far this season but has continued to be a dominant force at even strength. Although his goal numbers aren’t what they’ve been the last two seasons, he continues to drive the play and is snake bit by a career-low shooting percentage of 4.8%. Tkachuk is a career 12.7% shooter, meaning that he should see a surge here in the coming months unless his broken sternum is still a cause for concern. That doesn’t appear to be the case though as Tkachuk continues to play with reckless abandon this season, as his hitting numbers are up considerably from last year.

Tkachuk is not only the on-ice leader of the Panthers, but he is also the heart and soul player that teams covet desperately. Many thought the Panthers had given up too much to acquire the Scottsdale, Arizona native from the Calgary Flames, but a year and a half after the trade it looks like an absolute heist by general manager Bill Zito.

What are the Panthers thankful for?

Pro Scouting.

Over the last few years, not every trade the Panthers have made has worked out, but the bulk of them have been good, and several of them have been home runs.

As was mentioned earlier, the Tkachuk trade was an absolute thing of beauty for the Panthers, It was high profile and high risk, but some of their sneakier trades are almost as impressive.

Acquiring Sam Bennett from the Calgary Flames for Emil Heineman and a second-round pick was another well-crafted trade that ended up one-sided in favor of the Panthers. Another key move was the trade with the Buffalo Sabres to acquire Sam Reinhart who currently leads the team in scoring this season with 17 goals and 20 assists in 27 games. That trade could go either way though as Reinhart is a free agent at year’s end and Devon Levi has shown glimpses of being a star in the making, despite his struggles this season.

But one of Panthers’ best moves was a different trade with the Sabres. One in which Florida acquired Brandon Montour for a 2021 third-round pick. Montour has started slowing this season with just two assists in 11 games, but like Tkachuk, he is returning from a severe injury. Montour was a key catalyst for the Panthers last season as he put up career numbers with 16 goals and 57 assists in 80 games. To cap it all off the 29-year-old had eight goals and five assists in 21 games during Florida’s surprise run to the Stanley Cup finals this past spring. His acquisition remains some of the Panthers’ best work the last few years, and credit goes to the team’s pro scouting who continue to identify diamonds in the rough.

What would the Panthers be even more thankful for?

A few contract extensions.

The Panthers are headed into a summer of uncertainty as they do have a number off key free agents who could be difficult to get under contract long-term.

As mentioned earlier, Reinhart has been terrific this season. He is on pace for a career year and could eclipse 50 goals and 100 points for the first time in his career. The timing could not be better for the 28-year-old as he is just over six months away from hitting the open market. If he gets to market there is no telling how high the cap hit could be on a lucrative long-term deal, especially with the salary cap rising substantially for the first time since before the pandemic. The Panthers are the only team that can offer Reinhart an eighth year, but they do have other extensions to consider and may not be willing to go as high as they need to get a deal done.

Montour is another pending unrestricted free agent, and his negotiations are complicated by the wild variance in his play in the last few seasons. After having a career year last season, he has started slowing this year and may give the Panthers pause when it comes to negotiations. Florida might want to see more from Montour before locking him down long-term. However, he was invaluable to them last year, particularly during their playoff run, and if he can replicate that success this year, he may price himself out of Florida.

Lastly, Gustav Forsling is also just over six months away from being able to sign with any team in the league, and while he hasn’t matched the pace he set last year offensively, he is still a key driver of play and can play in all situations. Forsling remains one of the most underrated defensemen in the NHL, but that could change with his next contract. While he currently is playing under a deal that pays him just over $2.6MM annually, he should be able to double his cap hit on his next deal.

At 27 years old Forsling likely has a lot left to give and should be a priority for the Panthers. He blocks shots, kills penalties, can chip in offensively, and is terrific at even strength. The Panthers would be hard-pressed to replace the minutes he plays in free agency and will likely look to lock him up long-term.

What should be on the Panthers holiday wish list?

A depth defenseman.

It really goes to show you how good this Panthers team is that their big need is a depth defenseman. An argument could be made that they use another center, but with Kevin Stenlund providing a decent defensive presence as the fourth line center, we can table talk about the forwards and focus on the Panthers’ back-end.

Uvis Balinskis has filled in admirably on the Panthers third defensive paring as the 27-year-old rookie has played okay in heavily sheltered minutes for the team alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Despite his decent play in a supporting role, the Panthers will likely need to improve their depth if they hope to make another deep run in the playoffs. Balinskis does have a physical element to his game but isn’t overly big and can be pushed off the puck. He also appears uncomfortable playing on his offside, something he will probably have to do to remain in the Panthers lineup long-term.

Florida would do well to grab a depth right-shot defenseman, who can fill in for Balinskis on occasion, or takeover from him should he begin to falter as the season goes on,

Penguins And Guentzel Not Close To Extension

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David Pagnotta of The NHL Network tweeted that he has heard that the Pittsburgh Penguins and winger Jake Guentzel have talked about a contract extension, but they are not close to an agreement. Pagnotta followed that up with another tweet adding that he has been told by sources that the two sides may shelve contract negotiations until after the season.

The 29-year-old is set to play out the final year of his five-year $30MM contract and will be due a big raise if he performs anywhere close to his historical averages. Guentzel is coming off back-to-back 35+ goal seasons and has averaged nearly a point a game since breaking into the league in November 2016. The knock-on Guentzel has always been that he puts up elite numbers because he plays with Sidney Crosby, but there has never been another player able to duplicate the kind of success Guentzel has had on Crosby’s line. Chris Kunitz was Crosby’s linemate for nearly a decade and posted just two seasons with more than 60 points, while Guentzel has topped 70 points three times in the last five years. Guentzel is sometimes the forgotten star in Pittsburgh playing behind Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang and now Erik Karlsson. But, without the Omaha, Nebraska native in 2017, the Penguins probably don’t repeat as Stanley Cup champions.

The Penguins are in a bit of a curious spot this season as they are firmly committed to an older core of players but could find themselves with a ton of cap space next summer if they don’t sign any of their pending free agents. One might wonder if the Penguins are waiting to see if any impact free agents go to unrestricted free agency next summer before they decide whether to sign their own impact free agent.

From Guentzel’s perspective, he has earned the right to test the free agent market and might worry about the Penguins’ future when Crosby, Letang and Malkin retire, which could be sooner than later. Guentzel would likely fetch a seven- or eight-year deal. Given the ages of the aforementioned players, Guentzel’s final years in Pittsburgh could be on a rebuilding team if he elects to re-sign with the team long-term.

Examining The Pittsburgh Penguins Bottom Six Options

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The Pittsburgh Penguins saw more turnover this offseason than any other organization in the NHL. From the hiring of President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas to the signing of a multitude of fourth liners, the Pittsburgh Penguins look wildly different than they did six months ago. It’s certainly a welcome change in the Steel City after the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

In a recent season preview that was completed by Sean Gentille, Shayna Goldman, and Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic, the trio pointed out that one of the biggest issues with the Penguins last season was the lack of support from the bottom six forward group. The group was so bad that nearly half of it was put on waivers before the trade deadline. Kasperi Kapanen was claimed, Brock McGinn was traded, and many others departed in free agency or were traded away.

Kyle Dubas completely overhauled the bottom six almost exclusively through free agency. In the early days of free agency, the Penguins signed Noel Acciari, Lars Eller, Vinnie Hinostroza, Andreas Johnsson, Joona Koppanen, Matt Nieto, and Radim Zohorna. Dubas also traded for Rem Pitlick who was a throw-in as part of the Erik Karlsson trade. These eight players now find themselves competing with the remaining Penguins’ bottom six options Jeff Carter, Alexander Nylander and Drew O’Connor, as well as Colin White who is in camp on a PTO. The group of 12 will be competing for six or seven NHL spots in the Penguins forward group.

Competition is almost always a good thing in the NHL and the Penguins training camp has seen a lot of it. Very little is set in their bottom six, except that it will likely be again void of offence. While the group doesn’t have a ton of offensive firepower, they clearly have an identity, which is something that didn’t exist in previous seasons in Pittsburgh. Dubas has targeted players who are capable defensively, can skate with pace, and won’t hand the game away by giving up backbreaking goals. The same can’t be said for the Penguins’ bottom six last season.

With all this, one must wonder which players will have the inside track to start opening night on the Penguins’ third and fourth line. Let’s look at the way Head Coach Mike Sullivan and the Penguins might utilize their options.

In a perfect world, Eller would be a perfect fourth-line center, but in Pittsburgh, he will likely see duty as a third-line pivot. At 34 years old, Eller’s best days are behind him, but he is still a very capable penalty killer and is defensively sound. Eller doesn’t offer the offensive pop he did in his last 20s, but he is just a year removed from a 31-point season.

Flanking Eller on the left side will likely be O’Connor, the Penguins love his size and speed and are hoping he can piece it all together. It goes to show how top-heavy the Penguins are when they are counting on a player who has eight goals and nine assists in 78 career games to be a key component of their third line.

When healthy, it seems very possible that the Penguins will deploy Nylander. The former eighth-overall pick has the pedigree to be a scorer in the NHL, but he has never been able to produce enough offense to stick with an NHL club. Nylander will start the season on the Penguins second line in the absence of Jake Guentzel, and depending on his production he could find himself flanking the right side of the third line, or exposed to waivers.

The Penguins’ fourth line is where it gets interesting. Nieto and Acciari were targeted by Dubas on July 1st and fit the identity that Dubas and Sullivan are building for that group. Nieto is a terrific penalty killer and will be utilized in that role a lot, while Acciari adds a physical element and is good defensively. Both players can add a bit of offense as well, Nieto is coming off a season in which he posted 12 goals and 12 assists in 81 games, while Acciari had 14 goals and 9 assists last season in 77 games.

Finally, last season’s lightning rod Carter remains under contract for one more season and is still a favorite of Coach Sullivan. Carter was never removed from the Penguins lineup last year, despite having the worst season of his professional career. Carter looked run down at times and was consistently a step behind when it came to both offense and defense. However, he was utilized in a third-line center role and probably shouldn’t have been. Carter could perform better when being deployed less often and in a more sheltered role. Given Sullivan’s affinity for Carter, it would take a lot to remove the 38-year-old from Pittsburgh’s lineup.

How the Penguins bottom six will look on opening night remains a mystery. But it should be one of the more exciting roster battles to see in the final week of training camp. The Penguins will have to expose a lot of players to waivers to trim down their roster and could lose some bodies to other teams depending on how things shake out.

Devils Offered Tomáš Tatar A One Year Contract

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Colorado Avalanche forward Tomáš Tatar lingered in free agency peril for most of the summer before he finally signed a one-year deal with the team for $1.5MM. However, he recently told the Boris a Brambor Podcast that the New Jersey Devils had offered him a one-year contract earlier in the offseason.

When discussing the one-year offer from the Devils, Tatar said he wanted more term from the Devils when they made their offer, but only realized later in free agency that a multi-year deal wasn’t possible. By the time he’d changed his mind, the Devils had already acquired forward Tyler Toffoli from the Calgary Flames, making his return to New Jersey improbable.

Given Tatar’s timeline of events, it seems likely the Devils made their offer prior to June 27th when Toffoli was dealt to New Jersey. It’s hard to fault Tatar for thinking he could get a multi-year deal as he was coming off a good season in which he scored 20 goals and 28 assists in 82 games. His run-in free agency was one of the more puzzling things that happened this summer in hockey as he didn’t come close to getting the contract that many pundits predicted he would. The Athletic had Tatar projected to receive a three-year contract with an average annual value of $3.9MM but the flat cap and an underwhelming playoff hurt his earning potential.

Tatar’s situation is not unlike that of Evan Rodrigues last summer, he also signed with Colorado on a one-year deal after lingering in free agency for quite a while. Rodrigues signed a four-year $12MM contract this year with the Florida Panthers, something that Tatar could mimic next summer if he has another good year.

Free agency is often a guessing game, and it is sometimes hard to project who will take a one-year deal and who can get term. Many people were blindsided by which players received term on their new deals (Ryan Reaves) and which players took one-year deals (Jason Zucker). But with the flat cap, free agency has become harder than ever as evidenced by a useful middle six forward like Tatar going more than two months unsigned.

Latest On The Jake DeBrusk Contract Situation

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Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub wrote the latest on the Boston Bruins contract negotiations with pending unrestricted free agent forward Jake DeBrusk. Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney spoke with the media today and did little to hide the fact that the Bruins would like to re-sign the 26-year-old to a long-term contract extension.

Sweeney told reporters that the club would like to see DeBrusk remain with the Bruins and will continue to engage with him and his agent in hopes of finding common ground on an extension. The Bruins are tight to the cap for this upcoming season but at the moment are slated to have $28.5MM available in cap space (CapFriendly) next summer before any cap increases. Sweeney’s comments echo what DeBrusk told NHL.com Staff Writer Derek Van Diest back in August when he said he would like to remain in Boston long-term.

Given where both sides appear to be it seems likely that a deal can be reached, which would take one item off Boston’s to-do list over the next year. The Bruins will enter this season with tempered expectations after winning the President’s Trophy last season and suffering a historical upset at the hands of the Florida Panthers. Boston lost a lot of pieces to free agency and retirement and will have far less depth than they did last year.

The DeBrusk situation could have a happy ending after the relationship between the player and the club appeared rocky just a short time ago. Back in November of 2021, DeBrusk was benched by former Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy, and this prompted DeBrusk to request a trade. He eventually rescinded his trade request and had a terrific bounce-back last season posting 27 goals and 23 assists in 64 games.

Lightning Haven’t Spoken To Stamkos About Contract Extension

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Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos had a frank interview with reporters that appeared on Sportsnet today. In the interview, Stamkos tells reporters that he and the team have yet to start discussions on an extension to his expiring contract. The interview created a buzz and even led Lightning General Manager Julien BriseBois to respond with an interview of his own.

The 33-year-old Stamkos is set to begin his 16th season with the club and is coming off back-to-back productive seasons after he was slowed by injuries for a few years. Stamkos posted 34 goals and 50 assists last season in 81 games and was even better the year before posting 42 goals and 64 assists in 81 games.

It’s no surprise that Stamkos is looking for long-term security after taking a big discount on his last contract to remain in Tampa Bay. Back in June 2016 Stamkos signed an eight-year $68MM extension to remain in Tampa Bay and opted to forego unrestricted free agency. The contract turned out to be a win-win as Stamkos was able to raise the Stanley Cup twice with the Lightning and the team was able to keep their captain at a bargain.

Also of little surprise are Stamkos’ feelings about the situation, Tampa Bay typically engages the players they want to extend well before the completion of their existing deals. This has been modus operandi in the past, and it begs the question as to whether or not they want to extend Stamkos at all.

From Tampa’s perspective, BriseBois was frank with Tampa Bay beat reporter Chris Krenn saying that he wanted to see the season play out before making a decision on Stamkos’ future. He also added that after the season he would work with Stamkos and his agent to hammer out a deal that works for all parties involved.

It should be an interesting season in Tampa Bay as the Lightning are coming off a season in which they took a big step back and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Lightning looked tired at times after three straight runs to the Stanley Cup final, but should be rested this season after a long summer.

Who Will Be The NHL’s Next Highest Paid Player?

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Auston Matthews recent extension with the Toronto Maple Leafs has earned him the title of highest-paid player in the NHL. His new deal doesn’t kick in until 2024-25, but at that point, he will make an average annual salary of $13.25MM (CapFriendly) per season for four years. Prior to his new deal, Matthews was the fourth highest-paid player in the game behind Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid and Artemi Panarin.

MacKinnon’s new eight-year $100.8MM deal kicks in this season which will make him the highest-paid player in the league at $12.6MM for this year. His actual salary is much higher than his cap hit at $16.5MM, but the final four years of his deal will back-dive to $9.9MM in salary. McDavid has three years left on his current deal with a cap hit of $12.5MM while Panarin’s deal also concludes in three seasons and pays him $11.642MM annually.

With Matthews having topped MacKinnon’s new extension by over $600K annually the question now becomes, who will be the NHL’s next highest-paid player?

Connor McDavid – McDavid is the obvious answer. He is arguably the best player in the game and undoubtedly the best player in the world with the puck on his stick. The Richmond Hill, Ontario native will be 29 years old when he reaches unrestricted free agency and could essentially ask teams for a blank check and fill in the maximum salary under the salary cap. That is if he remains the best player in the world. While it seems hard to believe there is a world in which McDavid isn’t the game’s most explosive player, three years is a long time, and in hockey, it can be an eternity. There is also another Connor who could be the one to top Matthews’ extension.

Connor Bedard – It seems crazy that Bedard has yet to play a minute in the NHL and he could conceivably be the next highest-paid player in the NHL. But it could happen. Bedard signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on July 17th and should be a lock to make their opening night lineup. He will become a restricted free agent in 2026, the same time that McDavid becomes a UFA. It is fair to wonder how Bedard will produce once he is playing against men in the NHL, especially given that he will be playing on a bad Blackhawks team that will have its struggles. But he dominated the WHL with 71 goals and 72 assists in 57 games and obliterated the competition at the World Junior Championships with nine goals and 14 assists in 7 games. He’s a phenom, and in three years he could be paid like one.

Leon Draisaitl – Draisaitl has been one of the best bargains in the NHL since signing his eight-year $68MM contract back in August of 2017. All he has done during his six years under this contract is score 50+ goals three times, top 100 points four times, and win a Hart Trophy as well as an Art Ross Trophy. At 27-years-old Draisaitl is coming off the best season of his career having posted 52 goals and 76 assists in 80 games.

All things considered, it seems likely that Draisaitl will top Matthews’ contract two seasons from now when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The native of Cologne, Germany will be 29 years old, and the salary cap should go up substantially between now and then positioning him to cash in big with any team of his choosing. Draisaitl will likely hold onto that distinction for just one season as McDavid and Bedard will be following right behind him and could top Draisaitl to earn the title of the highest-paid player in the NHL.

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