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Justin Sourdif

Capitals Notes: Alexeyev, Free Agents, Fehervary, Sourdif

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Following the end of the draft today, Capitals GM Chris Patrick met with the media (video link) and provided updates on several players.  While not going out and confirming that the team won’t be tendering Alexander Alexeyev a qualifying offer on Monday, he stated that the team is “going to be as helpful as we can to him to get him the best opportunity to play in the NHL next year.”  Alexeyev was limited to just eight games during the regular season with Washington and with their addition of Declan Chisholm earlier today, it’s harder to see a pathway to playing time if he remains with the Capitals.  Knowing that a qualifying offer would also carry arbitration rights, the likeliest outcome is that he’s cut loose.

More from Patrick’s presser:

  • Patrick indicated that he’s spoken to almost all of Washington’s pending unrestricted free agents, a list that includes forwards Anthony Beauvillier, Andrew Mangiapane, Lars Eller, and Taylor Raddysh. He added that he’s still talking to some of them so it’s not a guarantee that all of them will ultimately hit the open market on Tuesday.  The Caps currently have a little over $9MM in cap space for next season, per PuckPedia.
  • When asked about defenseman Martin Fehervary, Patrick stated that the blueliner is doing great in his recovery from meniscus surgery and is pretty much at the point where he can begin his normal offseason training routine. That would suggest that the 25-year-old will be ready to participate in training camp.  Fehervary played in all but one game during the regular season but wasn’t able to suit up in the playoffs due to the surgery.
  • Newcomer Justin Sourdif signed earlier today, inking a two-year deal. The trade earlier this week to acquire him raised some eyebrows given that the cost was a second-round pick plus a sixth for a player who only had four NHL appearances under his belt in three years.  Patrick noted that there was another suitor for Sourdif’s services that had a second-rounder on the table, one that was slightly better than Washington’s, requiring them to offer up the extra draft choice to make sure they got him.

Capitals Sign Justin Sourdif To Two-Year Deal

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The Capitals have signed winger Justin Sourdif to a two-year deal worth $1.65MM, the team announced Saturday. It’ll carry a cap hit of $825K. The team didn’t specify whether it’s a one-way or two-way contract, but PuckPedia confirms it’s the former. He’ll earn an $800K salary in 2025-26 and an $850K salary in 2026-27.

Washington acquired Sourdif, who was set to become a restricted free agent next Tuesday, from the Panthers on Thursday in exchange for a pair of draft picks, including a 2026 second-round selection. The 23-year-old was a third-round pick by Florida in 2020 and was wrapping up his entry-level contract.

Sourdif’s $825K cap hit is lower than the NHL salary he would have earned by accepting his qualifying offer, which would have been $874,125. That QO would have been a two-way contract, though, and only for one year. By taking this contract, he lands an exponentially higher salary guarantee along with an extra year of insurance.

With contract business now in the rearview, Sourdif turns his attention toward cracking Washington’s opening night roster in the fall. He’s got a good chance of doing so. If the Capitals wanted to assign him to AHL Hershey, he’d need to clear waivers. That’s not a risk they’d presumably be willing to take given the acquisition cost they paid.

Sourdif has spent the vast majority of his three professional seasons with AHL Charlotte, where the 5’11” sniper has a 35-61–96 scoring line in 149 career games. That includes 16 goals and 34 points in 48 games this past season, his best points-per-game total in the pros by far. He’s also landed four NHL appearances with Florida over the last two seasons, including one in 2024-25 against the Predators in February. That game saw him record his first NHL goal.

He joins a group of depth forwards vying for bottom-six roster spots in Washington that includes Ethen Frank, Hendrix Lapierre, and Ivan Miroshnichenko. If there needs to be an odd man out, it’ll presumably be Miroshnichenko. While a first-round pick in 2022 who’s still on a good development track, he’s the only waiver-exempt one of the group.

Capitals Acquire Justin Sourdif

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The Capitals have added some forward depth, announcing that they’ve acquired Justin Sourdif from the Panthers.  In return, Florida receives Washington’s second-round pick in 2026 and Washington’s sixth-round selection in 2027.

The 23-year-old was a third-round pick by the Panthers back in 2020, going 87th overall.  He spent the following two seasons in the WHL, splitting time between Vancouver and Edmonton, including his final season that saw him notch 72 points in just 52 games.

However, despite the offensive prowess in junior, NHL playing time has been hard to come by so far for Sourdif.  He has just four appearances at the top level under his belt with only one of those coming this season in a game in late February when he scored his first career NHL goal.  The rest of his time has been spent at the AHL level with Charlotte.

After putting up 24 points in 48 games with the Checkers in his first professional season in 2022-23, Sourdif was able to improve on that the following year with 38 points in 58 appearances.  This year, his point total dipped slightly to 34 but he only got into 43 games after missing the first month of the season due to an injury sustained during training camp.  He played an important role in Charlotte’s run to the Calder Cup Finals, collecting 10 points and 32 penalty minutes in 18 postseason appearances.

Sourdif will be waiver-eligible for the first time next season and clearly, the Capitals feel that he’s ready for full-time duty at the NHL level despite the limited opportunity that he has received so far and were willing to give up a return of some significance to make sure they got him while Florida adds a pair of future selections to their pick cupboards which aren’t exactly well-stocked at the moment.

The first order of business for the Capitals with Sourdif will be signing him to a new contract as his entry-level deal is set to expire at the end of the month.  He’ll be a restricted free agent without arbitration eligibility and will be owed a two-way qualifying offer worth $874K in the NHL and $80K in the minors.  Given that they clearly view Sourdif as an NHL piece moving forward, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a one-way contract given to him that checks in a little below that amount, giving Washington a little extra cap flexibility heading into free agency.

Florida Panthers Reassign Justin Sourdif

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Feb. 26: It’ll only be a one-and-done for Sourdif. The Panthers announced they’ve reassigned Sourdif to AHL Charlotte meaning Luostarinen should be expected back in the lineup tomorrow evening. Still, it was a productive stay for Sourdif at the NHL level, scoring his first NHL goal last night against the Nashville Predators.

Feb. 24: The Florida Panthers have added some bottom-six forward depth before their game tomorrow night against the Nashville Predators. Florida announced they’ve recalled Justin Sourdif from their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, who last played in the NHL on October 21, 2023.

Although forward Matthew Tkachuk is dealing with a longer-term injury from the 4 Nations Face-Off, Sourdif won’t replace him on the active roster. He’ll be replacing center Eetu Luostarinen, who’s eagerly awaiting the birth of a new child.

There’s no typical or agreed-upon timeline for a player on paternity leave, so the length of the recall is entirely up for question. At the very least, Sourdif will feature in one game for the absent Luostarinen and could reasonably play in one or two more.

Still, given the Panthers’ depth up front, and the team’s remarkable ability to stay healthy this season (outside of the recent injury to Tkachuk), Sourdif shouldn’t expect a stay on the roster longer than a week. He’s become increasingly valuable to the Checkers’ offensive schematics and they’ll want that to continue.

Since officially joining the Panthers organization for the 2022-23 season, Sourdif spent the year in AHL Charlotte scoring seven goals and 24 points in 48 games. It wasn’t impressive production by any stretch of the imagination but Sourdif still finished 10th on the team in scoring and first amongst rookie skaters.

He improved last season scoring 12 goals and 38 points in 58 games. Sourdif also skated in the first three NHL contests of his career although failing to find the scoresheet. The Richmond, British Columbia hasn’t matched his point totals from years past but his point-per-game average has increased scoring 11 goals and 22 points in 29 games this season.

Panthers Activate, Reassign Justin Sourdif

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The Panthers have activated forward Justin Sourdif from season-opening injured reserve and subsequently assigned him to AHL Charlotte, per an announcement from the minor-league club.

Sourdif, 22, landed on SOIR last month after sustaining an upper-body injury about a week into training camp. He was listed as week-to-week and ended up missing around six weeks with the ailment.

A Florida third-round pick in 2020, Sourdif will kick off his third season with Charlotte in the coming days. The 5’11” right-winger/center has made 106 appearances for the AHL franchise since turning pro in 2022, amassing 19 goals and 43 assists for 62 points. The former WHL champion with the Edmonton Oil Kings earned his NHL debut in the early going of last season, going without a point in three appearances for the Panthers in October before being reassigned to the minors and spending the rest of the campaign in Charlotte.

Sourdif produced over a point per game over his final two seasons in major junior play, a feat he’s understandably yet to accomplish at the professional level. He’s getting closer, though. After scoring only seven goals in 48 games during his rookie campaign in Charlotte, he upped his offensive production to 38 points (12 G, 26 A) in 58 games last season. A pending restricted free agent, he could be in line to get another brief NHL look later on in 2024-25.

Snapshots: Nylander, Dell, Sourdif, Primeau

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander left tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens about mid-way through the first period and will not return according to a team announcement. The team said that the move was precautionary so there does not appear to be any long-term doubt about Nylander’s status for the rest of the preseason.

The incident in question happened just before eight minutes into the first period. The Maple Leafs were transitioning into the Canadiens’ zone and teammate Nicholas Robertson appeared to push Nylander down with his stick forcing Nylander into a Montreal defenseman’s leg head-first.

Nylander is entering the first year of an eight-year, $92MM extension signed with Toronto earlier this year. He’s expecting again to be an integral part of the Maple Leafs offense after scoring 40 goals and 98 points in 80 games during the 2023-24 NHL season. There haven’t been any further updates this evening but the organization should announce his long-term availability in the upcoming days.

Other snapshots:

  • Goaltender Aaron Dell is headed back to the San Jose Sharks organization only a few days after being released from his professional tryout agreement. The AHL affiliate of the Sharks, the San Jose Barracuda, announced they signed Dell to an AHL contract for the upcoming season. It will be the second time in three years that Dell has suited up for the Barracuda producing a 15-17-4 record in 38 games played for the team in the 2022-23 AHL season with a .898 save percentage.
  • According to Alex Baumgartner of Five Reasons Sports, Florida Panthers prospect Justin Sourdif will be out for the next couple of weeks with an upper-body injury. Despite making his NHL debut last year, Sourdif had an outside chance of cracking the opening night roster for the defending Stanley Cup champions. The team will hope for a bit more production at the NHL level before he becomes a full-time player with Sourdif scoring 12 goals and 38 points in 58 games last season for the Charlotte Checkers.
  • Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey reports the AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, are signing forward Mason Primeau on a one-year AHL contract. Primeau has spent the last four years split between the AHL’s Henderson Silver Knights and the ECHL’s Savannah Ghost Pirates producing tepid results. He already has a strong connection to the Flyers organization with his uncle, Keith Primeau, who played in Philadelphia from 1999 to 2006.

Panthers Recall Seven Players Ahead Of Round Two

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The Florida Panthers have built out their list of black aces, recalling seven players ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs’ second round. The full list of call-ups includes forwards Mackie Samoskevich, William Lockwood, Justin Sourdif, and Rasmus Asplund; defenders Matt Kiersted and Mike Benning; and goaltender Magnus Hellberg, per Colby Guy (Twitter link). The group will join Spencer Knight, who was recalled on Thursday, and defenders Uvis Balinskis, Josh Mahura, and Tobias Bjornfot as Florida’s extra players.

This roster move gives Florida a chance to flex just how deep their roster goes, with each of Samoskevich, Lockwood, and Sourdif slotting into Florida’s lineup at some point this season, and six of the seven recalls boasting NHL experience. While none of the sextet has managed much NHL scoring, their experience could prove invaluable down the stretch. Samoskevich and Asplund provide a burst of speed and technical skill, while Sourdif and Lockwood should bring grit and physicality that’s always much-needed in the postseason. Meanwhile, both Kiersted and Benning offer a rangy, off-puck defense, with Benning adding strong puck-moving skills. Both defenders will slot behind the stockier Balinskis but should provide a stout, bottom-pair impact if called upon.

Florida is in a rare spot for a playoff team, only facing one injury and one illness to forwards Sam Bennett and Ryan Lomberg respectively. Head coach Paul Maurice shared that Bennett should return to the lineup at some point during the second round, though he remains ruled out for Game 1. Steven Lorentz has stepped up in Bennett’s absence, recording two points in four postseason games. Florida could turn towards Asplund for a depth centerman role if they’re looking for a spark, though it doesn’t seem any lineup changes are incoming after the Panthers’ emphatic Round 1 win.

Florida Panthers Reassign Justin Sourdif

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Dec. 19: It was a quick stay for Sourdif on the NHL roster, as David Dwork of The Hockey News reports he’s been returned to Charlotte this morning. Sourdif was a healthy scratch in last night’s 3-1 loss to the Flames.

Dec. 18: The Florida Panthers recalled forward prospect Justin Sourdif from their AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers today.

Although the Panthers are set to take on the Calgary Flames tonight, Sourdif is not slated to take a spot in the team’s forward lineup. Instead, this recall appears to have been made in order to provide the Panthers with additional cover at the forward position, something made necessary due to the fact that Anton Lundell and Jonah Gadjovich are currently sick and therefore out of the lineup.

Sourdif is a 21-year-old Canadian winger who has developed nicely since Florida selected him 87th overall at the 2020 NHL draft. The former WHL champion made his professional debut last season, skating in a total of 48 games for the Checkers. The speedy, tenacious forward scored 24 points in his rookie AHL campaign.

So far this season, Sourdif has taken real steps forward in terms of his development. He’s already scored 12 points in just 18 games, and is now playing an important top-six role next to Mackie Samoskevich in Charlotte.

His speed and competitiveness make him an ideal candidate for a call-up in a bottom-six role, and his offensive development suggests there could be more than just a future in an NHL bottom-six in store for Sourdif.

Right now, though, he’s likely to be on the Panthers roster in just a reserve capacity. If he does end up skating in a few more NHL games (he has already played in three this season) those contests should be seen as an opportunity for Sourdif to get more familiar with the expectations of playing in the NHL with an eye towards making a push for a more lasting spot on the Panthers in 2024-25.

Panthers Loan Justin Sourdif To AHL

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The Panthers announced Monday that forward Justin Sourdif has been re-assigned to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Florida brought up the 21-year-old for his first taste of NHL action nearly two weeks ago.

Sourdif was originally selected by the Panthers in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft and signed him to his entry-level contract in September of 2021. He spent the following season in junior hockey on loan to the WHL’s Vancouver Giants, meaning the beginning of the contract slid to 2022-23.

Therefore, last season was Sourdif’s first in the professional ranks. He played 48 games with Charlotte, posting seven goals, 17 assists and 24 points with a -4 rating. Given the solid but not eye-opening production, it was surprising to see Sourdif stick around with the Cats at the beginning of the season. He appeared in three out of the Panthers’ first five games, failing to register a point and averaging just 8:50 per game.

Sourdif does not require waivers to head to the minors, meaning he could see himself ferried up and down quite a bit throughout the season if he manages to stick in the Panthers’ regular call-up rotation. A natural center, he’s begun his NHL career on the wing in a third-line role with Nick Cousins and Anton Lundell. That line has failed to generate many scoring chances together, generating just 0.2 expected goals in over 20 minutes of action (per MoneyPuck).

The move could also preface a return to the lineup for center Sam Bennett, who remains on IR and has not played this season due to a lower-body injury. The Panthers were carrying a full 23-man roster and would need to clear a spot to activate him.

Atlantic Notes: Heineman, Fabbri, Sourdif

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Montreal Canadiens forward prospect Emil Heineman is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury, per an announcement from their AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket.

Heineman, 21, is one of the better prospects in the Canadiens’ system and was knocking on the door for a lineup spot after a strong training camp. After finishing out the 2022-23 season with his club in Sweden, Leksands IF, Heineman came over to North America and notched seven goals and nine points in 11 games with Laval down the stretch. He had an assist through two games with Laval this season before sustaining the injury. Dobber Prospects has Heineman ranked as the team’s third-best left-wing prospect behind 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky and Harvard product Sean Farrell.

A versatile, well-rounded forward, Heineman can comfortably slot in on either wing and in any role. He’s got a beast of a shot, too, hinted at when he notched 26 goals in 29 games during his draft year for Leksand’s U20 team. He’s the second young Habs player to get bad injury news today, joining center Kirby Dach as a player with high hopes in Montreal out long-term.

Some more notes from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Detroit Red Wings were down a forward on Saturday as Robby Fabbri was held out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury, necessitating the recall of Zach Aston-Reese (who’s since been returned to the AHL). It doesn’t appear he’ll miss much more time, however. EP Rinkside’s Sean Shapiro reports Fabbri was in attendance for Detroit’s morning skate today and is nearing a return, although he’s not projected to draw into the lineup Monday night against the Blue Jackets. Injuries have limited Fabbri’s performance for nearly his entire career, and the winger has played just 85 out of 166 games since the 2021-22 campaign. He did notch a goal in 14:44 of ice time in the team’s season-opening loss to the Devils last week.
  • A third Florida Panther is expected to make his NHL debut this season. 21-year-old Justin Sourdif will draw into the lineup tonight against the Devils instead of another rookie, Mackie Samoskevich, who will serve as a healthy scratch. Sourdif, the 87th overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft, made his pro debut just last season, scoring seven goals, 17 assists and 24 points in 48 games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. He was a surprise inclusion on the Panthers’ opening night roster this year, and he’ll now get the chance to show what he can do at the NHL level skating alongside Nick Cousins and Anton Lundell on the team’s third line.

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