Morning Notes: Islanders, Paquette, Leonard
Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News writes that the New York Islanders’ recent trade of draft picks with the Chicago Blackhawks could be a prelude to a bigger move. Rosner wonders if the extra second-round draft pick the Islanders acquired might be used to clear salary cap space in a similar fashion to the trade the Islanders made last summer in which they traded Josh Bailey and his $5MM cap hit a second-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations.
The Islanders have several contracts on the books that they would love to move to acquire additional help in the top 6, but most of those contracts would require a sweetener to facilitate a trade. The Islanders are slated to have just over $6MM in cap space available heading into the summer.
In other morning notes:
- Former Tampa Bay Lightning forward Cedric Paquette has reportedly signed a two-year extension with Dynamo Moskva of the KHL (as per KHL). Paquette is a veteran of 448 NHL games and last played in the league back in 2021-22 with the Montreal Canadiens tallying two assists in 24 games. The 30-year-old won a Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020, before eventually moving on to play for Ottawa, Carolina, and eventually Montreal. Paquette spent his final season in North America split between the NHL and AHL before signing in the KHL in 2022 with Dinamo Minsk. Since making the move overseas, the Gaspe, Quebec native has seen his offensive numbers trend upwards as he enjoyed his best offensive season in a decade last year with 22 goals and 13 assists in 57 games.
- Sean Shapiro of EP Rinkside is reporting that if Boston College forward Will Smith signs his entry-level contract with the San Jose Sharks as expected, it could create a ripple effect that might see his teammate Ryan Leonard move to sign his ELC as well. A report surfaced a few weeks ago that the Washington Capitals would re-engage in contract talks this summer with the 19-year-old in the hopes of having him turn pro, but now with the possibility of his teammate leaving the NCAA, it seems more likely that Leonard would move on as well. The Amherst, Massachusetts native had a terrific freshman year posting 31 goals and 29 assists in 41 games with the Eagles.
Snapshots: Devils, Leonard, Berube
At the beginning of the season, the Devils weren’t expected to be picking in the top ten but that’s where they find themselves after the lottery earlier this week. Speaking after the lottery, GM Tom Fitzgerald indicated to reporters including team reporter Amanda Stein that it’s not a guarantee he’ll use the tenth pick next month, suggesting it’s an option to be moved if the right trade presents itself. It’s not very often that top-ten picks are dealt but with New Jersey being a team in win-now mode, they could be inclined to try to use that selection for someone who is more established and can contribute right away.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Capitals prospect Ryan Leonard opted not to sign with Washington for their playoff run, instead choosing to stay at Boston College instead. However, with San Jose getting the first-overall pick (which is expected to be used on Macklin Celebrini), it’s possible that Celebrini signing will also result in San Jose getting Will Smith to turn pro and become their one-two punch down the middle. If that happens, Colby Cohen suggested on a recent Daily Faceoff appearance (video link) that Washington could then try to re-engage on getting Leonard, a current teammate of Smith, to sign for 2024-25. Leonard had a dominant campaign, putting up 31 goals and 29 assists in 41 games in his freshman year.
- While the Kings haven’t decided on if they’ll remove the interim tag from Jim Hiller who took over as head coach midseason, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports in his latest Toronto Star column that Los Angeles is kicking the tires on Craig Berube. Berube has also been speculatively linked to the openings in New Jersey and Toronto and appears to be well-positioned to return behind an NHL bench in the coming weeks. The 55-year-old has been an NHL bench boss for parts of eight seasons with his teams playing to a .584 points percentage.
Ryan Leonard To Remain At Boston College Next Season
Following a dominant freshman year at Boston College and the fact that the Capitals are heading to the playoffs, some wondered if prospect Ryan Leonard would opt to turn pro and potentially suit up for Washington in the postseason. However, that will not be the case as GM Brian MacLellan released a statement (Twitter link) announcing that Leonard will return for his sophomore year:
Ryan Leonard indicated his desire to return for his sophomore season at Boston College. We support Ryan’s decision to return to one of the best programs in the nation to continue his development. Ryan showed great leadership and made tremendous progress during his first year, which saw him score the most goals by a freshman in Boston College program history and the third-most goals in the NCAA. We will continue to monitor his development and progress next year and look forward to watching Ryan build upon his successful freshman season.
The 19-year-old was the eighth overall pick back in June and has only seen his stock go up since then. Leonard appeared in 41 games with the Eagles this season, tallying 31 goals and 29 assists, good for third on the team in scoring but also fourth in NCAA Division I scoring. He played a key role for Boston College on their way to the Frozen Four finals where they were ousted by the University of Denver.
Now, Leonard will set his sights on helping the Eagles have another long run next season. While they’ve lost Cutter Gauthier to the pros, their forward group still features – for now, at least – Will Smith and Gabe Perreault, two high-scoring first-rounders from last year, giving Boston College a very strong core to work from to do just that.