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Leafs Sign Dakota Mermis, Philippe Myers, Cédric Paré

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Dakota Mermis to a one-year, league-minimum contract, per CapFriendly (Twitter link). The deal was first reported by Jonas Siegel of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Toronto followed up this deal by signing defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Cédric Paré, shares Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link). All three deals will expire next summer, with Pare’s deal a two-way contract.

Mermis clawed his way into an everyday role with the Minnesota Wild this season, after starting the year as their de facto call-up for injuries. He pulled into a bottom-line role following an injury to Alex Goligoski, proceeding to post eight points and 33 penalty minutes across 47 games. It was Mermis’ first year in the NHL, having spent the last seven years in the AHL, where he’s totaled 139 points across 431 games. Mermis will serve as a stout, defense-first depth option for Toronto.

Myers spent the past two seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, shuttling back and forth between the NHL and AHL. Last year, the 27-year-old dressed in five NHL games and went scoreless, while he played 61 AHL games with the Syracuse Crunch, registering four goals and 19 assists in 61 games. Myers was a highly coveted defenseman just a few years ago and was traded for Ryan Ellis in 2021 and Ryan McDonagh in 2022.

Paré will serve as AHL depth for the Toronto Marlies in 2024-25. The 25-year-old is a former sixth-round pick of the Boston Bruins and hasn’t dressed in an NHL game in four professional seasons. The Levis, Quebec native played for two different organizations last season and was relegated to the ECHL at one point. This past year, Paré tallied 14 goals and 21 assists in 61 AHL games.

Philadelphia Flyers Willing To Take On Salary

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Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period is reporting that the Philadelphia Flyers are prepared to weaponize their cap space to acquire additional assets. The Flyers begin today with less than $1MM in salary cap space, a number that would translate to roughly $3.9MM at the NHL trade deadline. Now that number might not seem significant, but the Flyers can easily free up over $6MM by placing defenseman Ryan Ellis on LTIR, something they’ve been hesitant to do thus far, but are willing to do to make a trade work.

After years of being slammed up against the salary cap, the Flyers have finally created roster and salary cap flexibility after a summer in which they moved on from veterans Kevin Hayes, Tony DeAngelo, and Ivan Provorov. General Manager Daniel Briere seems fully committed to rebuilding the Flyers and appears willing to take on undesirable contracts in exchange for future assets.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported just two weeks ago that the Flyers were open to taking on Ottawa Senators forward Mathieu Joseph and his $2.95MM cap hit in exchange for a high prospect or a first-round pick, something Ottawa appears uninterested in entertaining. However that could change if they start the season slow without their second and third-line centres.

While a Joseph deal hasn’t materialized the Flyers will likely have their pick of suitors as the flat cap has created a financial landscape in which 19 NHL teams are within $1MM of the salary cap ceiling (including Philadelphia). There are a lot of teams that see themselves as Stanley Cup contenders who will be hard-pressed to make in-season improvements unless they can move out some salary, this is where the Flyers cap space could be leveraged to acquire assets.

The Flyers are early in their rebuild and are at least three or four years away from turning the corner. With that in mind, any contract they take on will probably fall into the one to three-year range similar to the contract they acquired with Cal Petersen. Philadelphia has several of their own undesirable contracts as well as over $5MM in dead cap space for the next few seasons in the DeAngelo buyout and the retained salary on Hayes.

Snapshots: Marchessault, Ellis, Kerfoot

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During the Vegas Golden Knights run to their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, forward Jonathan Marchessault played a vital role in that effort. Finishing as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner of the 2022-23 Stanley Cup playoffs, Marchessault has cemented himself as a fan and locker room favorite in Vegas. With one year remaining on his current contract with the club, Marchessault should be one of the more important extension candidates for the team.

In an interview with TVA Sports, Marchessault spoke on extension talks, and also his relationship with head coach Bruce Cassidy. In his article on this relationship, Chris Gawlik of VegasHockeyNow reports a quote from Marchessault saying, “It hasn’t always been the rainbow and the good weather between us. We got into each other a couple of times, on the bench, during games, during the playoffs. But I think he wanted the best out of me and we managed to be able to work together“. Although interesting, it is hardly a surprising take from Marchessault, as Cassidy was regularly noted as an incredibly difficult coach to play for during his time with the Boston Bruins.

On the extension front, it does not sound like anything is close between the two parties. Marchessault said, “There are no negotiations that have been done. I know that sometimes the Golden Knights like to take their time with that. We will see what it will give“. Over the years, the Knights have been known to move some of their veteran original members, such as Reilly Smith and Marc-Andre Fleury, and if an extension cannot be agreed upon at a reasonable price for both player and team, Vegas may need to make another difficult decision with Marchessault this upcoming season.

Other snapshots:

  • Speaking with the new President of Hockey Operations for the Philadelphia Flyers, Keith Jones, Adam Kimelman of the NHL reports that Jones firmly believes that the playing days of defenseman Ryan Ellis are over. Due to a back injury, Ellis has only been able to suit up in four games for the Flyers during the 2021-22 season and missed the entirety of last year. Ellis still has four years and $25MM remaining on his current contract and will spend the rest of that time on LTIR if his contract is not moved off the team before then.
  • One of the several signings made by the Arizona Coyotes this offseason, Alexander Kerfoot is more than excited to get started with his new club. Speaking with Patrick Brown of the NHL, Kerfoot shed some light on his choosing Arizona over other offers saying, “It just feels like they’re in a different spot now. It feels like they’re trying to take the next step. Being part of that change and helping grow the culture is fun to be a part of. Things are trending really well for this group, and I’m happy to be part of it“. It is hard to envision the Coyotes returning to the playoffs anytime within the next two years, but they have set themselves up nicely by developing their core players and bringing in solid auxiliary pieces.

List Of Players Expected To Start 2023-24 On LTIR

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We’re at the point in the summer where most major signings are complete, meaning only a handful of free agents left on the market could still command over the maximum buriable threshold of $1.15MM per year on their next contract. That means financial pictures are mostly set league-wide, and general managers can now focus more on the arduous task of salary cap management.

For many teams nowadays, long-term injured reserve (LTIR) is an important tool in helping teams keep below the salary cap’s Upper Limit, which is set at $83.5MM for 2023-24. It’s not as straightforward as it seems at first glance, though. Placing a player on LTIR does not eliminate their cap hit from the team’s books until they’re activated again. Instead, a team only gains cap relief if they exceed the Upper Limit, and the specific amount of relief received depends on the team’s cap situation on the day they place a player on LTIR. A more detailed explanation of how LTIR works can be found on CapFriendly.

All LTIR situations are not created equal. To be eligible for LTIR, a player must miss at least ten games or 24 days of action. However, they don’t need to be placed on LTIR if they’re projected to miss more than that amount of time. Oftentimes, a team operating far below the Upper Limit that won’t need any relief will simply keep the player on standard injured reserve, especially if they’re relying on an injured player’s cap hit to stay above the Lower Limit (set at $61.7MM next season).

With that said, here is a list of players who are projected to meet the injury requirements for LTIR to start 2023-24:

Atlantic Division

Buffalo Sabres – Jack Quinn

This offseason was a tough break for the young Quinn, who sustained an Achilles injury during offseason training in June and is expected to be out of the lineup through Thanksgiving. While eligible, he’s unlikely to actually be placed on LTIR. He’s still on his entry-level contract and carries a marginal cap hit of $863K, making a move extremely inconsequential to the Sabres, who CapFriendly projects with over $6MM in space.

Florida Panthers – Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour

The Panthers are set to begin the season without the services of their top two defensemen, thanks to shoulder injuries sustained and exacerbated during their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. Combined, the players carry a rather significant $11MM cap hit, which should give the Panthers some season-opening flexibility. Ekblad’s expected to miss more time than Montour, but neither is expected to miss the whole season – both should be back in the fold by the time the calendar flips to 2024. CapFriendly currently projects the Panthers dipping into LTIR relief by $1.175MM to start the season.

Montreal Canadiens – Carey Price

The team’s legendary netminder isn’t expected to play again after a knee injury, and he hasn’t suited up since the end of the 2021-22 campaign. He’ll likely spend the last three seasons of his contract (carrying a $10.5MM cap hit) on LTIR. As we covered earlier in the week, Montreal is in a bit of a no man’s land with Price’s contract. They’ll likely either look to shed salary to get under the Upper Limit entirely (which they currently sit around $5MM over) or add money to maximize’s Price’s LTIR relief, which they could then weaponize in-season to be a cap broker for trades.

Tampa Bay Lightning – Brent Seabrook

Like Price, Seabrook will be on LTIR for the remainder of his $6.875MM cap hit contract, which expires next summer. Acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks after his injury made it clear he wouldn’t play again, Seabrook has provided additional options for cap flexibility for the Lightning over the last two seasons. Tampa is expected to use close to all of Seabrook’s potential relief to stay compliant throughout the season.

Toronto Maple Leafs – Jake Muzzin, Matt Murray

While not confirmed, Muzzin’s playing future remains in serious doubt after sustaining a cervical spine fracture at the beginning of last season. No recent update has been issued on his recovery, and he’s expected to miss the entire 2023-24 campaign and will spend the final year of his contract on LTIR. Murray’s situation is shrouded in much more mystery, however. The team announced last month he’d begin next season on LTIR, but no specific details of his injury were confirmed, and no timetable was issued for a potential return. Murray missed significant time last season with a concussion and an adductor injury.

Metropolitan Division

Philadelphia Flyers – Ryan Ellis

Forwards Cam Atkinson and Sean Couturier are expected to return to the lineup after missing all of last season with injuries, but the same can’t be said for Ryan Ellis. President of hockey operations Keith Jones said a few days ago that Ellis is unlikely to “be able to continue his playing career because of a torn psoas muscle in his back.” Ellis played just four games for the Flyers after they acquired him from the Nashville Predators in 2021 before sustaining the career-ending injury.

Washington Capitals – Max Pacioretty

Pacioretty’s timeline for a return after sustaining back-to-back Achilles injuries isn’t clear, but he likely won’t be available to the team to start the season and should meet the requirements for LTIR. The financial circumstances surrounding the potential relief will be tricky to navigate given the performance bonuses included in his contract, however. Pacioretty should be joining the Capitals after signing a one-year deal last month, sometime in November or December if everything goes well in his recovery.

Central Division

Arizona Coyotes – Jakub Voracek, Shea Weber, Bryan Little

All three are players acquired by the Coyotes for the express consideration of helping them stay above the cap floor – which they are now far above after being big players on the free-agent market this summer. Nonetheless, all three are done with their NHL careers due to various injuries and will remain members of the Coyotes organization by contract only.

Colorado Avalanche – Gabriel Landeskog

Colorado will be without their captain for a second straight season after the winger underwent a cartilage transplant on his right knee this summer. Landeskog hasn’t played since hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2022, a playoff run during which he played through a knee injury. He’s signed through 2029, and there’s still the potential he plays again, although it won’t be anytime soon.

Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks – Isac Lundeström

Lundeström projects to be on the shelf through next January after sustaining an Achilles injury during offseason training in Sweden. Given the Ducks are far from the Upper Limit, and Lundeström carries just a $1.8MM cap hit, Anaheim could keep him on standard injured reserve for the duration of his absence.

Vegas Golden Knights – Robin Lehner

All has been quiet on Lehner’s health after he missed all of last season. The All-Star-caliber netminder had double hip surgery last summer, keeping him out for the entire 2022-23 campaign. He was not around the team at all during their run to the 2023 Stanley Cup, and the team has issued no updates on his recovery since undergoing the surgery last summer. Without any indication that he’s close to a return, Lehner closes out our list.

Latest On Availability Of Sean Couturier, Cam Atkinson, Ryan Ellis

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Philadelphia Flyers president of hockey operations Keith Jones addressed the health and availability of three of his organization’s bigger-name players to NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman today. He spoke on Flyers number-one center Sean Couturier, veteran goal scorer Cam Atkinson, and defenseman Ryan Ellis.

On Couturier and Atkinson, Jones said that both are expected to be healthy and on the ice for the start of Flyers training camp next month. That’s not only major news for each player but also the Flyers organization at large, as the team’s offensive attack has suffered tremendously in the absence of two of the team’s most experienced players.

Couturier, 30, is arguably the Flyers’ best player. Couturier hasn’t played an NHL game since December 2021 and has had two back surgeries since that point.

Kimelman notes that Couturier “Couturier was practicing before the end of last season and had been hoping to get into a game,” but the Flyers made the decision not to rush Couturier back into what was a lost season, preferring to afford him the more extended timeline of a full offseason of training leading up to his first game back.

When healthy, Couturier is a top-of-the-line two-way center who is capable of scoring at a near-point-per-game rate. (he has crossed the 75-point plateau twice in his career) The 2019-20 Selke Trophy winner could very well compete for more Selke trophies when healthy, especially now that Patrice Bergeron has retired.

With the Flyers intensely interested in developing their young talent and providing young players with prime opportunities to succeed in the NHL, having Couturier healthy is a huge asset. For young wingers such as Tyson Foerster or Bobby Brink, players the Flyers desperately want to succeed in the NHL, having the chance to play on a line centered by Couturier could do wonders in easing their adjustment to the NHL.

As for Atkinson, as a 34-year-old under contract only through the 2024-25 season he is unlikely to be with the Flyers by the time they enter their next competitive phase. That’s unlike Couturier, who is signed to a long-term, $7.75MM AAV contract through the end of the decade. Atkinson is a favorite of head coach John Tortorella but missed all of last season after undergoing neck surgery.

The fact that the Flyers’ next playoff run will likely happen outside of Atkinson’s contract doesn’t mean he can’t provide value to the Flyers for the rest of his deal. The former 41-goal scorer returning to full health could improve the developmental environment in Philadelphia, just as having a healthy Couturier would.

Atkinson is a widely respected veteran who can capably score 20 goals and 50 points in a full season. For a young center the Flyers wish to see continue to develop, such as Morgan Frost or Noah Cates, having an accomplished veteran winger to play with and help the line succeed offensively could be genuinely helpful.

The key to the right developmental environment for a rebuilding club is to provide the right mix of young players and established talent, rather than just stocking a roster with as many unproven youngsters as possible. The issue for the Flyers has been that so many of the team’s key veteran forwards have been injured (such as Couturier and Atkinson) or a poor fit with Tortorella. (Kevin Hayes)

Getting both Atkinson and Couturier back from their season-long injuries not only helps the Flyers win more games in the immediate term, but it should also yield real benefits for the development of the Flyers’ young talent.

As for Ellis, Jones told Kimelman that the defenseman is unlikely to “be able to continue his playing career because of a torn psoas muscle in his back.” Jones added that Ellis is “exhausting everything that he can in order to play” but that the injury is simply making his return to the ice impossible.

Ellis, 32, was a high-end defenseman for the Nashville Predators for 562 games before he was dealt to Philadelphia in the summer of 2021 in exchange for Philippe Myers and 2017 number-two pick Nolan Patrick.

Ellis only managed to play in four games for the Flyers, scoring five points, before injuries knocked him out of the lineup. As long as this injury keeps Ellis from being able to play he will likely remain on the Flyers’ long-term injured reserve list in order for the team to receive cap relief for Ellis’ $6.25MM AAV contract, a deal that runs through 2026-27.

While Ellis appears to have every desire to return to the ice and continue his career, based on Jones comments it appears that expecting Ellis to ever suit up for another NHL game would be a mistake. While the organization must be happy to have Atkinson and Couturier back for training camp, the seemingly permanent absence of Ellis is undoubtedly unfortunate for both the Flyers and Ellis himself.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. 

Flyers Confirm Ryan Ellis Will Not Play This Season

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Though it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher confirmed to reporters including Adam Kimelman of NHL.com earlier today that Ryan Ellis will not play this season. In training camp, the team had admitted that it didn’t look likely.

Ellis, 31, has played just four games for the Flyers since arriving in the summer of 2021, acquired for Nolan Patrick and Philippe Myers. The former Nashville Predators star had five points in those four appearances, a tantalizing example of what he could have brought to the Philadelphia attack.

Instead, the team is stuck with him on injured reserve for another year, using his $6.25MM cap hit as LTIR flexibility instead. With Ellis ruled out, the team is in no danger of facing a cap squeeze later in the year, though with their recent struggles it likely wouldn’t matter much anyway. The Flyers are now 1-6-3 in their last ten after winning on Tuesday night, and don’t have the appearance of a team ready to compete for a playoff spot.

The frustrating part for fans and management alike is that Ellis has four more years on his contract after this one. Even if he never plays again, that will restrict some of the ways in which the team can operate. LTIR relief is not just free cap space, it has negative effects as well, like forcing bonus carryovers. The Flyers are paying $295K in those carryovers this year and could face more next season if a player like Noah Cates secures some of his performance bonuses.

It’s not like Ellis was ready for retirement. He won’t turn 32 until January and was legitimately in the prime of his career when the team acquired him, though injury was always a concern. In his last full season, 2018-19, the right-shot defenseman recorded a career-high 41 points. He was even better the following year, with 38 in just 49 games during the COVID-shortened campaign, but then was able to suit up just 35 times in 2020-21.

Now, it is unclear if he’ll ever get back on the ice with the Flyers or anyone else.

Ryan Ellis Not Expected To Play This Season

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There is a chance we never see Ryan Ellis on the ice at an NHL hockey game again. Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher met with the media today and explained to reporters including Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic that there is no timetable for Ellis’ return and that it would be a “bonus” if he played at all this season. Though he can’t say now, Fletcher explained that there is a possibility Ellis’ career is threatened by this injury, which he described as “multi-layered.”

Clarity on what Ellis’ injury actually is has been hard to come by, but Fletcher indicated today that it includes a torn psoas and issues with his hip and adductor muscle. He missed all but four games last season – the first four he had ever played outside of the Nashville Predators organization.

Acquired for Nolan Patrick (who also may not play this season) and Philippe Myers, Ellis was supposed to reshape the Flyers’ defense and give Ivan Provorov or Travis Sanheim a long-term partner. The 31-year-old is signed through the 2026-27 season and carries a $6.25MM cap hit, making him the second highest-paid defenseman on the Flyers roster.

It appears that contract will live on long-term injured reserve for a while.

Sean Couturier, meanwhile, hasn’t been ruled out for the entire season so far, though he is getting a second opinion this morning and has not been cleared to play at this point. Fletcher called it premature to speculate about his season-long outlook or even his career, despite this being his second back injury in 12 months.

Snapshots: Ellis, Gallant, Svechnikov

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After two straight nightmarish seasons, the Philadelphia Flyers are desperate to return to contention in 2022-23. Last offseason, the Flyers acquired defenseman Ryan Ellis from the Nashville Predators, hoping that adding Ellis, a veteran top-pairing defenseman, would revamp their defense and help out young goalie Carter Hart. Unfortunately for the Flyers, though, Ellis’ health issues limited him to just four games in a Flyers uniform, and the Flyers in his absence struggled to keep pucks out of the net.

Now, it seems Ellis’ absence looks set to continue. When asked by NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman if Ellis would be ready for the team’s season opener, Flyers head coach John Tortorella responded “I doubt it,” and elaborated that despite Ellis’ best efforts it’s doubtful he’d be ready to even participate in training camp. Ellis is currently battling what he termed a “multilayered” issue involving his “whole pelvic region.” While it’s definitely possible that Ellis returns next season and gets into games with the Flyers, Philadelphia spent significant resources this offseason preparing to survive without Ellis. The team traded for and extended Tony DeAngelo to presumably partner with Ivan Provorov on the team’s top pairing, and they also signed Justin Braun to round out the right side of their defense. The Flyers are likely expecting to eventually see Ellis back on the ice, but unfortunately it doesn’t seem like that’ll happen any time soon.

Now, for some other news from across the NHL:

  • Forward Brett Gallant has played for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters for the past six seasons, and now it’s been announced that he’ll be returning for his seventh year there. The Monsters announced today that they’ve signed Gallant to a one-year AHL contract. The physical Gallant, 33, is a veteran of nearly 500 AHL games and last played in the NHL in 2013-14. He had four goals and 98 penalty minutes in 53 games last season and has logged nearly 1,500 penalty minutes in his AHL career.
  • Despite finally playing a year as a full-time NHL-er last season, Evgeny Svechnikov is still without a contract for next season. The 2015 first-round pick played in 72 games last season and scored 19 points. Kevin Weekes of ESPN reports that Svechnikov has changed representation, and has joined up with Dan Milstein’s Gold Star Hockey agency, a group that represents a multitude of Svechnikov’s fellow Russian NHLers.

Snapshots: Forsberg, Ellis, Jets

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Nashville Predators’ general manager recently publically announced that he had offered Filip Forsberg an eight-year deal to stay in town and avoid free agency, and now Forsberg’s agent has done the same. JP Barry told Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV that they are talking about an eight-year deal and though he noted they are not yet in agreement on salary, the two sides are grinding away at it.

The Predators are the only team that is allowed to offer Forsberg an eight-year deal at the moment, and even that right will expire in two weeks when free agency begins. The 40-goal winger will turn 28 in August, meaning a contract of that length would take him well into his mid-thirties and potentially represent the final big payday of his career.

  • Ryan Ellis has played in just four games for the Philadelphia Flyers since they acquired him in the summer of 2021 and that total may not increase for a while. When speaking with media including Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic, general manager Chuck Fletcher explained that there is still plenty of work to do in Ellis’ rehab and would not confirm that the veteran defenseman will be ready for the start of the season. Ellis, who was acquired for Philippe Myers and Nolan Patrick, has five years remaining on his contract and carries a cap hit of $6.25MM.
  • The Winnipeg Jets had an option as part of the Andrew Copp trade to take either the St. Louis Blues 2022 second-round pick or the New York Rangers 2023 second. They’ve chosen the former, relays Murat Ates of The Athletic, which will be the 55th overall selection this year. While the 2023 draft is generally considered deeper, the Jets obviously feel as though it is more beneficial to get a player into their system right away.

Snapshots: Ellis, PHF, Kane

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It’s been a trying year for Ryan Ellis, who played just four games for the Philadelphia Flyers after a trade from the only organization he had ever known previously. Injured, recovered, and injured again, the 31-year-old has basically lost an entire season, while watching his new team go down in flames. Now, the speculation over his future in Philadelphia is starting to ramp up, with a report today from Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period, who writes that some within the Flyers “wonder if Ellis even wants to be part of the organization.”

There has certainly been some confusion around where the veteran defenseman stands in his current recovery, as in late March, more than four months after he last appeared in a game, general manager Chuck Fletcher told reporters that they were still making a decision on whether Ellis needed surgery. Of course, with five years remaining on his contract and carrying a $6.25MM cap hit, Ellis is one of the most important players the Flyers have and one that is integral to any thoughts of competing for the playoffs next season.

  • The PHF has announced that free agency will open May 1 and this year will not include an entry draft. Instead, all amateur athletes graduating from NCAA and USports programs will immediately qualify for unrestricted free agency. The salary cap has also been confirmed to be set at $750K for this season, with a floor of $562.5K, and players are now eligible to sign two-year contracts which can include signing bonuses up to 10 percent of the total value. These increases all come following a massive private investment earlier in the year, which has also allowed the league to provide comprehensive benefit plans.
  • Evander Kane’s grievance hearing was started yesterday but will require a second day, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. Unfortunately, that doesn’t come right away, and the second day is still to be determined. As suggested yesterday, the outcome of this grievance is still not expected for some time and should not have any effect on Kane’s current contractual status with the Edmonton Oilers.

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