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Max Comtois

Max Comtois Receiving NHL Interest

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A return to the NHL is on the horizon for winger Max Comtois. The 26-year-old has received “several NHL offers,” including from the Red Wings, after spending this season in Russia with Dynamo Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League, according to Daria Tuboltseva of RG.

The big-bodied Comtois (6’2″, 210 lbs) was a second-round pick of the Ducks in 2017. In a few years’ time, it looked like he was one of the league’s brighter young power forwards. After turning pro in 2018 and splitting his first two seasons between Anaheim and AHL San Diego, he landed a full-time role with the Ducks in the shortened 2021 season and did so with a bang. He managed to lead the league’s worst offensive club in scoring with a 16-17–33 scoring line in 55 games, averaging 15:28 per game while ranking fourth on the team in plus/minus (+3) and hits (93).

Injuries and shooting regression meant the following years haven’t been nearly as successful for Comtois. He hasn’t touched double-digit goals or the 20-point mark in a single season since and wasn’t extended a qualifying offer by the Ducks when he became a free agent in 2023. He didn’t even land an NHL contract that summer, settling for an AHL deal with the Chicago Wolves and only receiving an NHL contract at the 2024 trade deadline from the Hurricanes to make him eligible for recalls down the stretch (he did play one game for Carolina). He did well enough in the minors, finishing third on the Wolves in scoring with 44 points in 65 games (and 109 PIMs).

That wasn’t enough to put him back on NHL teams’ radars, though – aside from a failed PTO with the Golden Knights – and he headed overseas for the first time in his career. It was a prudent move for the Quebec native, who emerged as a star in the Russian capital. Alongside other former NHLers like Nikita Gusev, Cédric Paquette, and Jordan Weal, Comtois posted a 21-29–50 scoring line in 62 regular-season games before leading Dynamo with 13 points in 15 Gagarin Cup Playoff games.

“I’ve always said I want to return to the NHL, and this season I did everything possible to make that happen,” Comtois said (relayed by Tuboltseva). “Hockey had become just a job for me in North America, but here, it became my passion again.”

If he lands with Detroit or any other NHL team, it’ll presumably be on a two-way deal. There will be an opening for him to capture a bottom-six role with the Wings, with veterans Tyler Motte and Craig Smith headed for unrestricted free agency this summer.

Max Comtois Signs With KHL’s Dynamo Moscow

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Former Anaheim Ducks forward Max Comtois has reportedly signed with Dynamo Moscow of the KHL (as per Chris Johnston of Sportsnet). The 2017 second-round pick looked at one point like he could be a valuable depth scorer, posting 16 goals and 17 assists in the abbreviated 2020-21 season with Anaheim, However, the next two seasons saw him struggle offensively.

The 25-year-old went unsigned last summer and had to settle for an AHL contract with the Chicago Wolves in the fall before he eventually caught on with the Carolina Hurricanes signing a one-year, two-way deal this past March that was prorated for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. Comtois appeared in one regular season game for Carolina, posting an assist in 13:04 of ice time. He also appeared in the playoffs but played just 6:19 of one game and was a -1.

Comtois never got his feet under him after that successful 2020-21 season and struggled with puck possession and giveaways in the following seasons. His inconstancy became an issue that was hard for teams to ignore as it became evident when he would take bad penalties or turn the puck over. The Longueuil, Quebec native is still relatively young and could return to the NHL if he can find his game overseas. He has always been a talented shooter and has no issues going to the net, both traits that NHL teams covet.

Comtois is one of many unrestricted free agents that have yet to sign in the NHL this offseason and it will be interesting to see who follows him across the globe in the next few months.

Hurricanes Recall Three Players From AHL

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Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal is reporting that the Carolina Hurricanes have recalled three players from the AHL after their seasons came to an end. The Hurricanes have brought up defenseman Dylan Coghlan, forward Max Comtois, as well as goaltender Antti Raanta to serve as Black Aces during the Hurricanes playoff run. Without a salary cap or roster limit in the playoffs, the Hurricanes can bring in extra players to serve as depth during the postseason.

Coghlan played all but one game this season in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds. The 26-year-old posted 16 goals and 25 assists in 61 games with Springfield, while he managed to get into one NHL game with Carolina where he was held scoreless. Coghlan was an NHL regular with the Vegas Golden Knights just two years ago and was dealt to Carolina alongside Max Pacioretty for future considerations back in July 2022.

Comtois also dressed in just one NHL game this season with Carolina, posting a single assist in 13:04 of ice time back on April 16th. The 25-year-old spent most of his season with the Chicago Wolves where he posted 19 goals and 25 assists in 65 AHL games. Comtois looked like a breakthrough player during the shortened 2020-21 season after he tallied 16 goals and 17 assists in 55 NHL games with the Anaheim Ducks, however, his point totals dropped to 16 and 19 over the next two seasons and the Ducks elected to not qualify him last summer leading to him becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Raanta was solid with Carolina in the two seasons before this year, dressing in 55 games and posting a 34-8-7 record with a save percentage over .910. However, this year the 34-year-old’s play has fallen off a cliff as Raanta has struggled at both the NHL and AHL levels. In 24 games this season, Raanta has a 12-7-2 record with a .872 save percentage and a 2.99 goals-against average, while his AHL numbers with Chicago are even worse as he’s 2-2-4 in eight AHL games, sporting a 3.54 goals-against average and a .873 save percentage.

Hurricanes Reassign Dylan Coghlan, Max Comtois

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The Hurricanes have reassigned defenseman Dylan Coghlan and winger Max Comtois to AHL Springfield and Chicago, respectively, GM Don Waddell announced today. The latter recorded an assist in his Carolina debut, a 6-3 loss to the Blue Jackets yesterday. Both were summoned yesterday to play spot duty in the Canes’ final game of the season while they rested multiple stars, including Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin.

Comtois, 25, has posted 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 62 games with Chicago this season, his first as a professional outside the Ducks organization. He was a second-round pick of Anaheim in 2017. He led the team in scoring during the shortened 2021 season but followed that up with 35 points and a -37 rating in 116 games over the following two years and was not given a qualifying offer when his contract expired last summer.

The Quebec native didn’t land an NHL offer in free agency and ended up in training camp with the Golden Knights on a PTO but failed to earn a contract. He signed a minor league pact with Chicago shortly thereafter, and the Canes picked up his NHL rights on a one-year, two-way contract in early March. They’ll maintain control of his signing rights this summer as a pending RFA with arbitration rights.

Coghlan, 26, is in his second season in the Carolina organization. Most of his time with the Canes has been spent in the minors, though, and yesterday was his first and only NHL appearance of the season. He was held without a point and posted a -2 rating in nearly 18 minutes of ice time. With no AHL affiliation agreement in place in 2023-24, Carolina has loaned Coghlan out to Springfield, the Blues’ top-level affiliate, for the whole season. He’s got 16 goals and 41 points in 59 games there, leading their defenders in scoring.

The former Golden Knight was trending toward being a full-time NHLer during the end of his time in Vegas, recording 13 points in 59 appearances with them in 2021-22 while averaging 14:12 per game. However, he was traded to Carolina following that season as the sweetener for them to take the final season of winger Max Pacioretty’s contract at a $7MM cap hit. He played sparingly for the Canes last year, averaging 12:43 per game in 17 appearances, and re-signed with them at an $850K cap hit last July after reaching restricted free agency. He’ll be an RFA again this summer, his final year of such eligibility.

Transaction Notes: Coghlan, Comtois, Del Bel Belluz, Silovs, Rondbjerg

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Now that the Carolina Hurricanes have officially clinched the second spot in the Metropolitan Division, the organization has opted to sit a multitude of players for the team’s game tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets. With several spots in the lineup open, the team has called up defenseman Dylan Coghlan and forward Max Comtois from the Springfield Thunderbirds and Chicago Wolves, respectively.

Coghlan has been a part of the Hurricanes organization for the last two years, coming over from the Vegas Golden Knights in a trade including Max Pacioretty. Although he played 17 games in Carolina last season, tonight will mark the first time that Coghlan has suited up for the Hurricanes this season. A strong performer in AHL Springfield, Coghlan has scored 16 goals and 41 points in 59 games and is sitting second on the team in scoring overall.

Comtois, on the other hand, is in his first season with the Hurricanes organization after spending the last five years with the Anaheim Ducks. Failing to become a consistent goal-scorer in Orange County, Comtois had to settle for an AHL contract in AHL Chicago this past offseason. Appearing to reacquire some of his offensive talents, Comtois has scored 19 goals and 43 points in 62 games for the Wolves this season, which may be enough to earn him a league-minimum contract on an NHL roster next year.

Other transaction notes:

  • Preparing to make his NHL debut this evening, the Blue Jackets have recalled forward Luca Del Bel Belluz from their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters. With forward Dmitri Voronkov out of tonight’s game due to illness, Del Bel Belluz could end up centering the third line with newcomer Gavin Brindley. In his first season playing for the Blue Jackets organization, the former 44th overall selection has scored nine goals and 30 points over 55 games in the AHL this year.
  • Now that goaltender Thatcher Demko is preparing to return to the active roster, the Vancouver Canucks have sent down goalie Arturs Silovs to their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks. Throughout his recall, Silovs only suited up in four games for the Canucks, and performed adequately in limited time. Over those four games, Silovs produced a 3-0-1 record, securing a .881 SV% which was largely brought down due to giving up four goals on 18 shots against the Arizona Coyotes.
  • For now the 11th time this season, the Vegas Golden Knights have recalled forward Jonas Rondbjerg from their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. Due to the numerous amount of recalls this year, Rondbjerg has managed 18 games for the Golden Knights this season, scoring one goal and three points overall. At the AHL level, Rondbjerg has suited up in 48 games for the Silver Knights, scoring nine goals and 27 points in the process.

Hurricanes Sign Max Comtois

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With the trade deadline coming up, some teams will be converting players on AHL deals to NHL ones to make them eligible to play down the stretch.  The Hurricanes are the latest to do so as they announced that they’ve signed winger Max Comtois to a one-year, two-way contract.  The deal will pay $775K in the NHL and $250K in the minors.  GM Don Waddell released the following statement on the signing:

Max is a physical forward with lots of NHL games under his belt. His experience at this level will add to our organizational depth at that position.

The 25-year-old played with Vegas in the preseason but didn’t lock down a spot with them.  Instead, he signed with AHL Chicago in mid-October, Carolina’s old farm team.  He has fared relatively well down there, notching 12 goals and 16 assists along with 97 penalty minutes in 45 games with the Wolves in his first taste of AHL action since the 2018-19 season.

Comtois has played in 210 career NHL games, all with Anaheim who drafted him 50th overall back in 2017.  He had 19 points in 64 games with them last season but was non-tendered as the team elected not to give him a $2.445MM qualifying offer.  Now, he’ll look to get an opportunity with Carolina down the stretch in the hopes of securing a full-time NHL agreement for next season.  That said, it won’t come right away as TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reports (Twitter link) that Comtois will be on waivers on Tuesday to return to the Wolves for the time being.

Max Comtois Reportedly Signs With AHL’s Chicago Wolves

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5:15 PM: Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports that Comtois’ contract with the Wolves contains an NHL out, meaning Comtois will be free to join any NHL team that wants him on an NHL deal.

2:45 PM: Former Anaheim Ducks forward Max Comtois has signed an AHL contract with the Chicago Wolves, according to a report from Inside AHL Hockey’s Tony Androckitis.

If made official, the deal would land Comtois with the AHL’s only independent franchise. The Wolves are exclusively focused on capturing their second Calder Cup championship in three seasons, meaning Comtois is entering a bit of a different team environment compared to other AHL franchises, teams that may place more of a priority on producing NHL players for their big-league affiliates.

As a result, Comtois joins an AHL club stocked with quite a bit of talent up front. Cole Schneider, Rocco Grimaldi, Cory Conacher, and Chris Terry are all in the team’s forward corps and all have extensive experience as quality AHL scorers. The team also has some intriguing younger forwards, such as former high-flying WHL scorer Connor McClennon and 2017 35th overall pick Isaac Ratcliffe.

This will likely mean that although Comtois will face stiff competition for a scoring-line role in Chicago, it also means that Comtois will have some truly high-end players to play with assuming he can seize one of those starring roles.

Comtois, 24, only has 35 games of AHL experience, but has had success at the NHL level before, namely when he scored 16 goals and 33 points in 55 games in 2020-21. Having such experienced AHLers alongside him will likely aid Comtois as he adjusts to life in the AHL.

While Comtois must surely be disappointed to have not earned an NHL deal off the back of his PTO with the Vegas Golden Knights, he’s landing in a strong situation with the Wolves. And for the Wolves, an already talent-filled group of forwards adds one more significant name.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Players Still On Training Camp Tryouts

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While there have been many players who had been in training camps on tryout deals cut over the past week or so, there are quite a few whose fates have not yet been determined.  Here’s a rundown of players who are still on PTO agreements with their respective teams.

Boston Bruins

F Danton Heinen

Edmonton Oilers

F Adam Erne
F Sam Gagner

Gagner did not play in the preseason as he works his way back from hip surgery.

Florida Panthers

F Brett Ritchie

New York Islanders

F Jackson Cates

Pittsburgh Penguins

D Libor Hajek
D Mark Pysyk
F Austin Wagner

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Austin Watson

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Noah Gregor

Vegas Golden Knights

F Max Comtois

Some of these players will likely receive an NHL contract but cap-strapped teams will wait until it’s absolutely necessary to convert them to a guaranteed deal, either to optimize their LTIR pool or to try to save a day or two worth of cap space.  Meanwhile, other teams could also come calling if a waiver target doesn’t make it to them.  One way or the other, their fates will likely be decided soon.

Vegas Golden Knights Sign Max Comtois To PTO

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09/12/23: The Vegas Golden Knights have made Comtois’ professional try-out official.

09/12/23: TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reported today that Comtois is currently in Las Vegas this week, and that “you have to expect” that Comtois’ PTO signing with the Golden Knights will be confirmed this week.

There still hasn’t been any official word from Vegas as to whether the former Ducks 16-goal scorer will join the Golden Knights for training camp and preseason. But at this point, there has been enough reporting and smoke around this signing to confidently believe that a PTO is indeed coming.

09/01/23: The Vegas Golden Knights are reportedly set to offer winger Max Comtois a professional tryout contract, as initially reported by BPM Sports’ Marc-Olivier Beaudoin. The former Anaheim Duck did not receive a qualifying offer from the team before the June deadline, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Before the Ducks cut their 2017 second-round pick loose, Comtois had posted 38 goals, 48 assists and 86 points in 210 games. The 24-year-old broke out to lead the Ducks in scoring during the shortened 2020-21 campaign, recording 16 goals and 33 points in 55 games. Things haven’t gone nearly as well in the two seasons since, however. In the 116 games following that breakout year, he’s recorded just 35 points despite more than twice the games played while posting an abysmal -37 rating. However, the latter is more the fault of the team around him than poor individual defensive effort.

The Quebec-born forward plays with an edge to his game and has a solid finishing touch with a career 12.8 shooting percentage. However, consistency and play-driving remain issues, and he’ll need to demonstrate that he’s made some strides in those areas during camp to earn a deal with Vegas.

Should he crack the Golden Knights roster, there would be some opportunity for him in their top nine. He’ll compete directly with Paul Cotter, Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden for a left-wing spot alongside William Karlsson or Chandler Stephenson on the team’s second or third line. There’s solid potential for his offensive totals to climb if he ends up on the same line with Stephenson and captain Mark Stone.

Theoretically, the Golden Knights could sign Comtois to a one-year deal up to around the $1.5MM mark and remain cap-compliant to start the season. CapFriendly projects Vegas with $851,653 in cap space entering the season with a full roster and Robin Lehner on long-term injured reserve, so they’d need to assign a player to the minors regardless of cap considerations to sign Comtois.

Free Agent Profile: Max Comtois

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Two years ago, it seemed unfathomable that Max Comtois would be an unsigned free agent in late August. But it is 2023 and that’s where the former second-round pick finds himself after being non-tendered a qualifying offer by the Anaheim Ducks. Comtois had a terrific pandemic shortened 2020-21 in which he posted 16 goals and 17 assists in 55 games. At the time he appeared to be on the verge of becoming a complete winger who could be counted on to provide solid secondary scoring and strong play in all three zones. The Ducks promptly signed Comtois to a two-year deal that carried an annual cap hit just north of $2MM.

After signing his bridge deal things quickly began to go south for the Longueuil, Quebec native. In 2021-22, the 24-year-old began the season with just a single assist in his first 13 games and then missed 16 games with a hand injury that required him to have surgery. Upon his return, he played better but couldn’t recapture his scoring touch as he put up just six goals and nine assists in his final 39 games.

With the Ducks firmly in a rebuild, Comtois continued to struggle offensively this past season and missed significant time with several upper and lower body ailments. Comtois was out for 14 games due to injuries and when he was in the lineup he produced just nine goals and 10 assists in 64 games.

While he has battled injuries and inconsistency over the past few years, it is still surprising to see a young forward with a recent track record of success remain unsigned. It truly speaks to the flat-cap environment that teams find themselves in. Despite the disappointment of possibly being forced to sign a professional tryout, I do think that Comtois will sign an NHL contract for next season. He may just need to prove himself first to do so.

Stats

2022-23: 64 GP, 9-10-19, -20 rating, 76 PIMS, 89 shots, 52.3% faceoffs, 42.2% CF, 13:49 ATOI
Career: 210 GP, 38-48-86, -35 rating, 193 PIMS, 296 shots, 41.7% faceoffs, 45.4% CF, 14:23 ATOI

Potential Suitors

Comtois is unlikely to be picky at this point in the summer, he is just looking to remain in the league and show what he can do. He is from the Quebec area but given that the Montreal Canadiens have been trying to move out forwards, they are unlikely to be interested in Comtois, even if his youth does fit the timeline of their future competitive window.

Let’s start in the East. The Pittsburgh Penguins have been rumored to have interest in Tomas Tatar as they look to add some depth scoring to their bottom six. The Penguins would like to bring Tatar in on a PTO to see if he fits. However, if the former Devils forward can lock on to a team with guaranteed money that could open the door for Pittsburgh to look elsewhere. Possibly to Comtois. It’s no secret that general manager Kyle Dubas loves to have a lot of depth forwards to provide for call-ups and to keep the club’s AHL affiliate competitive. Should he sign with Pittsburgh, Comtois would be in a serious battle for a spot on the Penguins bottom two lines, but he would certainly be in the mix. He could also fill in for Jake Guentzel during his early season absence on the Penguins top line next to Sidney Crosby.

Staying in the East, the Ottawa Senators could really use some help in their bottom six forward group. Outside of Pittsburgh, it’s hard to find a team who leaned more heavily on their top six forwards last year. And given the look of the Senators current bottom six, it could be more of the same this year. The Senators are entering the season with playoff aspirations but are looking at having several rookies on their third and fourth lines which could lead to a lot of growing pains early in the season. Comtois has had his struggles, but if they were to acquire him, they would have another known entity to insert onto their third or fourth line.

Out West, it was rumored earlier in the summer that the Vancouver Canucks had interest in Comtois, but a deal never came to fruition. Vancouver has a bit of a logjam right now, both up against the cap and with the number of bodies they currently have in the forward group who are going to require NHL minutes. However, a forward like Dakota Joshua could become a casualty should Vancouver opt to sign Comtois. The other option for the Canucks would be to try a jettison a higher-priced forward to become cap compliant, and then sign Comtois as their replacement. Comtois could bring a lot to the Canucks as he does play with an edge and can play in all three zones and provide depth scoring. The worst-case scenario for Vancouver would be to bury Comtois and his cap hit in the minors if he didn’t work out with the NHL group.

Projected Contract

Barring a dramatic turn of events, Comtois is likely going to have to take a rather large pay cut for the upcoming season from the $2.5MM he made last year. It is still possible he could hit a seven-figure salary but given how little cap space is available around the NHL he is unlikely to exceed more than $1MM on a one-year deal. There are several talented forwards who remain unsigned which has led to Comtois becoming a bit of an afterthought. But given his youth there will likely be a team out there willing to roll the dice on a player who has shown promise recently. However, I think teams will want to have a look at Comtois before offering a guaranteed contract just to make sure he is a fit in their bottom six, and to allow for maximum flexibility.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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