Prospect Notes: Chicago, Vegas, Karlsson
Earlier today, Chicago Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson indicated a desire to acquire a first-round pick in this year’s NHL Entry Draft, reports NBCSN Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis (link). Davidson said that while it’s definitely something he is looking at and hopes to be able to do, whether or not he will be able to make it happen is a different question. The rebuilding Blackhawks had already traded their first-round pick in this year’s draft to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the trade that sent defenseman Seth Jones from Columbus to Chicago this past offseason. That pick was originally top-two protected by Chicago, meaning that if they won one of the two draft lotteries, they would have been able to keep the pick, however they did not and Columbus receives Chicago’s sixth-overall selection in 2022.
This will be Davidson’s first season as GM of the Blackhawks after being officially hired into the role on March 1st. With the team having been in rebuild mode for a few seasons now, and sending the message that they expect it to continue with the trade of Brandon Hagel at this year’s trade deadline, Davidson’s next moves will be critical to showing what the plan is for the organization and how much longer he anticipates the rebuild to last. He has already acquired two future first-round picks from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2023 and 2024 drafts in exchange for Hagel, which he could foreseeably use to acquire a pick in the 2022 draft.
- Vancouver Canucks prospect Linus Karlsson was named the SHL’s Rookie of the Year for the 2021-22 season, tweets Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic (link). In 52 games for Skelleftea this season, Karlsson posted a strong 26 goals and 20 assists to go with a plus-10 rating. Originally a third-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2018, Karlsson was traded to Vancouver in the deal that sent Jonathan Dahlen to San Jose in 2019. Now 22, Karlsson is still yet to sign his first NHL contract, and has until June 1st to do so, otherwise he will become an UFA. Still, as recently as March, Karlsson had been hoping to sign with Vancouver (link).
- The Vegas Golden Knights will host a prospect development camp this year, says GM Kelly McCrimmon (link). This will be the first true development camp the team has held since 2019. McCrimmon said that the camp will begin on the Monday following the NHL Entry Draft, which will be held on Thursday, July 7 and Friday, July 8th in Montreal. This year’s camp should give Vegas a good look at not only the players they drafted in the 2022 draft, but also some insight into who might be able to compete for a roster spot in training camp. With Vegas near the league’s salary cap ceiling, finding affordable young talent within their system will be a key to success in the 2022-23 season.
Latest On John Klingberg
Earlier today, Dallas Stars GM Jim Nill spoke about contract negotiations with impending UFA and Stars cornerstone defenseman John Klingberg (link). As reported by NHL.com’s Tracey Myers, Nill said that he would love to keep Klingberg and that he planned to discuss an extension with the defenseman and his representatives at the conclusion of the Stars’ postseason. Nill added that while he believes he has a great relationship with Klingberg, he understands that the player must do what is best for himself.
Recall earlier this season when rumors of Klingberg requesting a trade began circulating, with the defenseman himself clarifying the talks, saying he had more-so grown frustrated with the contract negotiations, or a lack thereof. Klingberg reiterated that frustration to Myers, explaining that he had seen other players sign extensions prior to the start of seasons and had wanted to do the same. As the season had gone on, and negotiations with Dallas being rather quiet, Klingberg had grown increasingly frustrated. The situation, according to Klingberg, had reached a point where Nill had given his camp permission to speak to other front offices to gauge his own market.
Despite the situation reaching that point, it is intriguing to see Dallas and Klingberg both remain interested in continuing their relationship with one another long-term. After another strong season, Klingberg, a steady defenseman with plenty of offensive upside, would be expected to have a very strong market. Even if he were to stay in Dallas, this market would drive his price tag up if Dallas is as interested in keeping him as Nill says.
What Klingberg’s next contract looks like is up for up for debate. A consistent producer from the back-end who turns 30 this summer, Klingberg could easily push the maximum seven-year maximum he’s allowed on the open market, or the eight years that Dallas could give him. Regardless of term, Klingberg will assuredly receive a raise, coming off a seven-year, $29.75MM contract which carries a $4.25MM AAV.
Also of note with Nill’s comments is the effect they could have on Klingberg. The general tone of Klingberg’s comments from earlier this season and today showed a frustration in the lack of communication and negotiation from the Stars organization. That frustration seemed as though it would put Dallas behind when it came to trying to re-sign Klingberg. However, considering Klingberg’s desire to stay and wanting to feel the commitment from Dallas, Nill’s comments could provide Klingberg with some of the reassurance and communication he desires. Further, Klingberg carried with him strong value at this year’s trade deadline, and with the Stars not necessarily a playoff lock at that point in time, they very well could have traded him. Instead, they showed their commitment to him and the team as they pushed for a playoff spot, and now for a Stanley Cup. These commitments could clear the way for amicable extension discussions this spring and summer.
Latest On St. Louis Blues Defensemen
After St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug left last night’s game midway through the first period with a lower-body injury, Blues head coach Craig Berube said today that he expected Krug to be out for “some time” (link). The loss of Krug is yet another in a growing list of St. Louis defensemen who are out with injury, joining Nick Leddy, Robert Bortuzzo, and rookie Scott Perunovich. Krug has been an important piece for a deep Blues team this season, playing a pivotal role on their powerplay while averaging 20:33 in time-on-ice in the regular season. No timetable, beyond Berube’s comments, has been given.
Looking at those other three names, returns for Leddy, Bortuzzo, and Perunovich could be fairly soon. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who spoke with Berube, Perunovich is a possibility for Game Four against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday (link). Perunovich had been out since January 15th with a left wrist injury, which ultimately required surgery in March. The young defenseman’s regular season would end after just 19 NHL games, in which he tallied six assists.
A return for Leddy and Bortuzzo does not appear to be as imminent as that of Perunovich, however the pair did practice Saturday with St. Louis. Still, as Thomas reports, the team will have to wait and see on their status. Leddy, who played in Game One, missed games Two and Three against Minnesota with an upper-body injury. It’s unclear what exactly the nature of Leddy’s injury is, however he did take an awkward hit into the boards during Game One from the Wild’s Matt Boldy. Bortuzzo’s injury was more clear, having taken a puck to his face while attempting to block a shot during Game Two.
There was concern about Justin Faulk, as the defenseman did not practice with the team on Saturday. However, Thomas reports, Faulk’s absence was merely for rest, after playing heavy minutes in last night’s game. Faulk was not only one of the Blues’ best players this season, but one of the league’s best, recording 16 goals and 31 assists in 76 games along with a stellar plus-41 rating, all while averaging 23:12 time-on-ice.
Edmonton Oilers Facing Salary Cap Overage
With the conclusion of the regular season, we can now begin to see the final numbers on performance bonuses in player contracts from the 2021-22 season. Two of these bonus figures will end up posing a small issue for the Edmonton Oilers, who owe $896K in performance bonuses to Evan Bouchard and Ryan McLeod (link). Bouchard, who just finished the second year of his three-year entry-level contract, earned $850K in performance bonuses this year for goals, assists, points, and points-per-game. McLeod, who is in the final year of his entry-level contract, earned $46K out of a maximum $57.5K games played bonus. Altogether, Edmonton owes an additional $896K, which counts against the salary cap.
Because the Oilers finished over the salary cap by using LTIR, the entire $896K will now count against next season’s salary cap for Edmonton. While this number may not seem like much at all, the NHL is currently in a flat salary cap period, and therefore every dollar counts. With the salary cap for the 2022-23 season at $82.5MM, Edmonton has already committed just over $70.2MM in salary for next season, and just under $4.3MM of it belongs to James Neal, Andrej Sekera, and Milan Lucic – none of whom play for the team any longer.
The $12MM Edmonton has in remaining cap space may also seem like a comfortable margin, but factoring in their six UFAs, including defensemen Kris Russell and Brett Kulak, who have become key pieces that could each earn a raise next season over their $1.25MM and $925K cap hits respectively, and forward Evander Kane who has rebounded nicely since signing with the club in January, their situation becomes a bit more tight. The Oilers also have three pending RFAs in Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto, and McLeod, each likely due at least a modest raise (the two former each made $1.175MM this season).
Edmonton is not exactly in a dire cap situation this offseason, having their core, including two of the best players of their generation, signed long-term for the most part. However, their situation, especially in a flat-cap, is an example of how even the most seemingly harmless of concerns, like an $896K bonus overage, can have a ripple effect for the organization and its offseason planning.
Latest On Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets
After the Winnipeg Jets announced a three-year extension with their long-time General Manager Kevin Cheveldayoff this morning, Cheveldayoff spoke to the media to address the state of the Jets, including the status of of star forward Mark Scheifele. Cheveldayoff clarified that Scheifele has not asked for a trade, but mentioned that he was yet to have his exit interview with the forward and would be doing that later today, hoping to find some clarity (link). Recall yesterday, Scheifele himself spoke to the media, who questioned him on his future in Winnipeg. Scheifele reiterated his desire to stay in Winnipeg, but cautioned “I just have to know where this team is going and what the direction is.”
It’s not clear yet if Cheveldayoff and Scheifele did meet today, and if so, what the result of their conversation was, but the idea of the Jets trading their first ever draft pick is nothing short of noteworthy, and an intriguing proposal at that. The way Scheifele’s comments have been worded would make it sound as though he is set to become a UFA, however he is signed through 2023-24 at a very reasonable $6.125MM per season. Though Winnipeg is under no obligation to trade Scheifele if he does not see eye-to-eye with their future plans, if he does decide to move on from the team, it might be in their best interest to try to trade him with two seasons left on a very team-friendly contract than to see how the next two seasons play out.
After several playoff runs that ultimately did not yield a Stanley Cup, the Jets found themselves on the outside of the playoff picture for the first time since 2016-17 (excluding a loss in the 2020 Qualifying Round), and appear poised to make a few significant moves this offseason. The organization did find itself making changes already this season, with former Head Coach Paul Maurice stepping aside from his duties in December, and longtime Jets forward Andrew Copp being traded to the New York Rangers at the trade deadline.
Though changes are expected, the nature of that approach is up in the air, which appears to be Scheifele’s primary concern. On one hand, the Jets have had a successful run since the start of the 2017-18 season and have a roster full of stars including Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Blake Wheeler, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Josh Morrissey, and former Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck. They also have a promising group of young players and prospects, headlined by Cole Perfetti, Ville Heinola, and Chaz Lucius. There appears to be plenty of reason to continue this build while making some tweaks to get the group back on track next season.
On the other hand, this Jets core struggled this season and lost Copp. Wheeler, the team’s captain, will be 36 on opening night, Dubois is a RFA this offseason, and Scheifele and Hellebuyck are set to become UFAs after the 2023-24 season. With Connor and Morrissey signed long-term, and the team having a couple of assets in Scheifele and Hellebuyck that they can turn into draft picks and prospects to add to their already existing stockpile, a rebuild, whether quick or drawn out, could be a realistic option without completely ignoring the prime of Connor and Morrissey’s careers.
Turning the attention back to Scheifele, the interest in him should be expected to be nearly league-wide. Considering Scheifele’s affordable cap-hit for two more years and his year-to-year production, any team looking to improve right now would be in on him. Scheifele does have a modified no-trade clause, which permits him to submit a list of 10 teams he cannot be traded to, but that should still leave Winnipeg with an expansive market from which they can draw bids on their star player, maximizing their return.
Ultimately, the direction the franchise chooses to take could dictate what happens not only with Scheifele, but with some of their other stars. With the playoffs only beginning tonight, they will have a good two-and-a-half months to discuss their intentions and decide how they want to proceed.
Snapshots: Kadri, Housley, Rochester
There was concern earlier today out of Colorado Avalanche camp, as forward Nazem Kadri was notably missing from practice with an undisclosed illness. Those concerns were calmed a bit with the confirmation that the illness was not in fact COVID-19, says Peter Baugh of The Athletic (link). According to Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Post, who spoke to Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar, Kadri is still expected to be ready for Game 1 on Tuesday night (link).
Keeping Kadri in the lineup is key for the Avalanche as they head into the playoffs with eyes set on the Stanley Cup. As strong as their lineup is, Kadri plays a pivotal role as their second-line center, playing a 200-foot game and contributing plenty offensively. The forward just finished his best season to date, in which he compiled 28 goals and 59 assists in 71 games. Colorado is set to take on the Nashville Predators at home Tuesday night in Game 1 of the first round.
- Staying out west, the Arizona Coyotes announced that they have mutually parted ways with Assistant Coach Phil Housley (link). Housley just finished the third year of a three-year contract he signed with Arizona in June of 2019. It’s unclear what the next step is for the Hall of Fame defenseman, who previously spent two seasons as the Head Coach of the Buffalo Sabres, but the 58-year-old should be able to find opportunities if he wants them, considering his lengthy resume on and off the ice. As for Arizona, it does not appear that any additional changes are coming to the coaching staff, outside of possibly replacing Housley, but first-year Head Coach Andre Tourigny has drawn very favorable reviews despite Arizona’s struggles.
- The Buffalo Sabres announced that they have reassigned forward Peyton Krebs and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson to the Rochester Americans of the AHL ahead of Rochester’s playoff series against the Belleville Senators. Both players, who were sent to Rochester on paper on March 21st, are eligible to compete for the team in the Calder Cup playoffs. The two have each spent time in Rochester and Buffalo this season and are viewed as key pieces of Buffalo’s future. For now, they will get valuable experience competing in professional playoff games.
Devils Notes: Hamilton, Hughes, Wood, Bernier, World Championships
After another disappointing season, the New Jersey Devils began their wrap-up today with the first half of the team speaking to the media for exit interviews. The Devils’ Amanda Stein had a chance to speak to many members of the Devils to gather injury updates and plans for the summer. One somewhat surprising note was the lingering injury issues that defenseman Dougie Hamilton had been dealing with in the second half of the season. Hamilton had initially been injured when he took a puck to the face in a January 2nd game against the Washington Capitals, causing him to require surgery and miss nearly two months. The defenseman was able to return on February 24th and finish out the regular season, but was clearly not the same player he was before the injury.
According to Stein, Hamilton said that he had never really felt quite the same after returning from the injury, which could have contributed to his dip in play (link). He also mentioned to the Devils’ Sam Kasan that he had actually broken his toe in the game prior to his jaw injury, perhaps also contributing to his second-half slump (link). As Stein cautions, the broken toe was only “one of” Hamilton’s other ailments in addition to his jaw, not the only other ailment (link). In 30 games prior to the injury, Hamilton had seven goals and 13 assists, which fell to just two goals and eight assists in 32 games after his return to the lineup.
- From one Devils cornerstone to another, Jack Hughes indicated to Stein that his recovery from his latest injury has been going really well, although he has not been back on the ice yet (link). Hughes suffered a season-ending knee injury after a hit from Oliver Wahlstrom on April 3rd when the Devils took on the New York Islanders, his second major injury of the year, after a shoulder injury caused him to miss a roughly six weeks in October and November. Despite the time missed, the Devil’s young star turned in an exceptional breakout season, putting up 26 goals and 30 assists in 49 games. Keeping the 2019 first-overall pick healthy will be a critical factor in New Jersey taking the next step in their build.
- Continuing on injuries, an unfortunate key story of the Devils’ 2021-22 season, Miles Wood shared with Stein that he was shut down after just three games this season after the hip injury that had kept him out until March 27th, wasn’t recovering as fast as he had expected after each game (link). With the Devils out of the playoff race in early April, it seemed to make more sense for the Devils to shut the veteran winger down and allow him to completely work through his injury and be able to start fresh for 2022-23. Speaking of next season, Wood is set to become an RFA this summer after the expiration of his four-year, $11MM contract and though the Devils have control of him, where Wood plays next season, and what his next contract looks like, could be a particularly interesting storyline to follow this offseason.
- The final injury update from today’s Devils interviews came from goaltender Jonathan Bernier, who had season-ending hip surgery on January 3rd. Bernier told Stein that he is hoping to be ready for the start of training camp in September, however he is not happy with where he currently is in terms of his recovery and rehab (link). On a positive note, Bernier did mention he had resumed skating last week, albeit without equipment. Hip surgery is always concerning for a goaltender, but from the Devils perspective, the organization now has a full offseason to address their goaltending situation, including Bernier’s rehab. Regardless of the goaltender’s recovery or New Jersey’s moves this offseason, Bernier still has another year at $4.125MM with the Devils next season.
- Looking to some positive news for New Jersey this spring, several players confirmed to Stein that they plan to represent their countries at the upcoming World Championships. Forward and team captain Nico Hischier (link) and defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler (link) both plan to represent Switzerland in the tournament, with forward Tomas Tatar (link) representing Slovakia, and defenseman Damon Severson (link) representing Canada.
Del Zotto, Dries, Petan All Clear Waivers
All three players placed on waivers yesterday, Michael Del Zotto (OTT), Sheldon Dries (VAN), and Nic Petan (VAN), cleared waivers today and can be assigned to their respective AHL clubs (link). Though these three do not belong to playoff teams in the NHL, their being sent to the AHL is not necessarily insignificant, as both the Belleville Senators and the Abbotsford Canucks, the AHL affiliates of the Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks, respectively, have made the AHL’s Calder Cup playoffs.
On Del Zotto, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia says that even though Del Zotto cleared and could join Belleville, it’s not entirely clear if he will actually join the team (link). A veteran of 736 NHL games, the 31-year-old Del Zotto has been an NHL regular since his rookie season in 2009-10 with the New York Rangers, last seeing AHL time in 2010-11. This season, however, has been a different story. Del Zotto managed only 26 games with the struggling Ottawa Senators, though when he was in the lineup, he impressed, posting 13 points in those 26 games. The defenseman did see his first AHL action in over a decade as well, dressing in as many games (26), but had an impeccable 27 points for Belleville. Having Del Zotto suit up for Belleville to help their run would not only benefit Belleville of course, but would help Ottawa as well, with Del Zotto providing a major boost to a team full of young, future Ottawa Senators getting experience with meaningful professional playoff games.
Much of the same sentiment can be placed on Petan and Dries, who also made contributions to the NHL team this season, but could provide a major impact in the Calder Cup playoffs. Petan played in 18 games this season for Vancouver, recording just two assists, but was a star in the AHL, where he had 12 goals and 32 assists in just 37 games. Dries, like Petan, suited up in a few games with Vancouver (11), recording two goals and an assist, but was a critical piece in Abbotsford’s playoff berth, scoring an impressive 35 goals and 27 assists in only 54 games.
Notably, because these three players were in the AHL in some capacity, even if just on paper as in Petan’s case, on March 21st, the NHL’s trade deadline, they are all eligible to participate in the AHL playoffs.
Playoff Injury Notes: Penguins, Wild, Nurse
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced, per Head Coach Mike Sullivan, that forward Jason Zucker and goaltender Tristan Jarry have been updated as day-to-day, though they are not expected to play in at least the next couple of games (link). Having the two players come back into the lineup would be a major step for Pittsburgh, with Zucker increasing their forward and scoring depth, a crucial key to playoff success, and Jarry of course being their number one goaltender. Though it appears neither will be able to go for the Penguins in Game 1 or 2 in New York against the Rangers, they could look to Game 3 at home on Saturday night as a return for the pair.
Zucker has dealt with his share of injuries this season, ultimately playing in just 41 of the Penguins 82 games this season, recording 17 points in the process. The veteran forward had been playing down the stretch for Pittsburgh, but was injured early in Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers and has not played since. Jarry had been having a stellar season in net for the Penguins, posting a 2.42 goals-against average and .919 save-percentage, however he was declared week-to-week on April 16th after last playing April 14th against the New York Islanders, a game in which he did play the full 60 minutes.
- The Minnesota Wild could be due to get a couple of key pieces in the lineup in time for their playoff series against the St. Louis Blues. As The Athletic’s Michael Russo reports, both Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Foligno practiced this morning for the Wild (link). Zuccarello has done well to stay healthy for a majority of this season, however he has not played since April 22nd after suffering a lower-body injury. Foligno on the other hand was only injured on Friday night against the Colorado Avalanche, the Wild’s final game of the season. As encouraging as the news is, the Wild have not confirmed whether either player will be available for Game 1 on Monday night. Having both players in the lineup is crucial for the Wild, as both earned career-highs in points this season, with Zuccarello ranking third on the team in points and Foligno considered one of the better two-way players in the sport.
- According to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector, Edmonton Oiler’s defenseman Darnell Nurse was on the ice practicing this morning (link). The star defenseman had been injured in the Oilers April 22nd game against the Colorado Avalanche and has not played since. This news is definitely encouraging for Edmonton, but according to Derek Van Diest of Postmedia, Nurse was still non-committal about whether or not he’d play in Game 1 Monday night (link). While much of the attention in Edmonton goes to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and for good reason, Nurse is an essential component for the Oilers, logging 25 minutes per night on the backend, contributing shutdown defense to go along with quality offensive production.
Anton Stralman Hopes To Continue Playing, Open To Arizona Reunion
In talking with Jose Romero of Arizona Central Sports, Arizona Coyotes defenseman Anton Stralman emphasized his desire to continue playing, adding that he is open to returning to the Coyotes (link). Stralman, who just finished the final year of a three-year, $16.5MM contract that he signed with the Florida Panthers prior to the 2019-20 season, was traded this past offseason to Arizona in what amounted to a salary cap dump, with Arizona also receiving a second-round pick and prospect Vladislav Kolyachonok in exchange for just a seventh-round pick.
The veteran defenseman told Romero that he came to the Coyotes hoping to prove he could still play in the NHL, and he believes he did that this season. It would be hard to disagree with Stralman’s assessment of his season, as the 35-year-old turned in a 23 point campaign over 74 games, the most points he has had since 2015-16, combining that with steady defense and veteran leadership on a young and rebuilding Coyotes team. He may not be the player he was when he helped lead the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning in consistently deep playoff runs between 2012 and 2018, but Stralman has shown this season that he still has something to offer.
As a free agent for the first time since 2019, it’s hard to say what Stralman’s next contract could look like, or what kind of team would pursue him. It’s unlikely he would get more than a year or two max given his age and recent decline, however given his presumptive affordability, Stralman could parlay his free agency into an inexpensive contract with a team looking for depth and leadership as it pursues a Stanley Cup. On the other hand, Stralman could maximize his potential, signing with a team that is looking for leadership for its young players as they rebuild, trying also to hit the salary cap floor, such as a reunion with Arizona.
As for Arizona, it’s not insignificant that Stralman would want to return. The Coyotes are slated to play their home games at Arizona State University next season in a much smaller arena, not necessarily desirable for NHL play. Having a veteran like Stralman, who also has the option to retire or perhaps chase a Stanley Cup, express desire to stay with the team through an uncertain time, in an odd situation, and during a rebuild, speaks to the upsides of the organization from a player’s perspective.