Free Agent Profile: Max Comtois
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.
Update On Erik Karlsson To Pittsburgh Rumblings
Rob Rossi of The Athletic wrote a column today with regard to the Erik Karlsson trade saga. While many of the updates offered were hardly surprising, there were a few pieces of information that gave some insights into how the Pittsburgh Penguins became involved in the trade talks. Pittsburgh always seemed like a team that couldn’t squeeze a player with Karlsson’s cap number into their lineup, but based on the recent reporting it appears that they are the front-runner.
Rossi begins the article by dropping the news that Kyle Dubas reportedly identified Erik Karlsson as a trade target while he was in the interview process with Penguins ownership. Now, aside from the Tristan Jarry extension to this point much of Dubas’ work has been to tinker around the edges of the Penguins lineup. But it does appear that he’s built up the club’s depth in the bottom six and their defense core for the possibility that some players could be shipped out very soon.
Another newer piece of information that Rossi mentions is that Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang have reportedly endorsed the potential Karlsson acquisition and in Letang’s case, he’s even agreed to make changes to his own role within the Penguins lineup. If a potential trade were to go through, Letang would remain as Pittsburgh’s number one defenseman, however, Letang would change his powerplay role to allow Karlsson to quarterback the Penguin’s powerplay.
San Jose was also reportedly interested in defenseman Marcus Pettersson being part of a potential blockbuster, however, Dubas has squashed that notion thus far as head coach Mike Sullivan sees Pettersson and newly acquired defender Ryan Graves as the top two options for the left side of Pittsburgh’s defensive group. Pettersson was terrific for Pittsburgh last season after seeing his name all over trade rumors boards for much of the summer of 2022.
Lastly, Dubas apparently wants to put top-5 protection on any first-round pick he trades in a Karlsson deal and has reportedly floated the idea of putting other conditions such as home-ice advantage on lower-round draft picks that could be involved in the deal.
While it appears that the Penguins are still the front-runner to land the reigning Norris Trophy winner, it doesn’t appear that a trade is imminent anytime soon. Pittsburgh would have to navigate an awful lot of moving parts to push the trade through, however, as we’ve seen in the past these trades can come together quickly when teams are motivated to make the move happen. Regardless of the outcome, it does look like Dubas has plans to continue his makeover of the Penguins roster before the start of the 2023-24 season.
Penguins Notes: Karlsson, Guentzel, O’Connor
Josh Yohe of The Athletic writes that all is quiet on the Erik Karlsson trade talks, but the Pittsburgh Penguins remain very interested in the reigning Norris Trophy winner. Yohe doesn’t know whether a deal will materialize quickly or if it could drag out all summer, but Mark Madden has one theory on the matter that Tim Benz writes about in the Pittsburgh Tribute-Review. Madden says that his sources have told him that the San Jose Sharks have the Penguins and the Carolina Hurricanes’ best offers and everyone is in a holding pattern to see if the Sharks will crack and take one of the deals.
Kyle Dubas and the Penguins would clearly love to complete a deal, but they do have a reasonably good top-4 defensive group should they miss out on landing Karlsson. While trading for Karlsson would dramatically improve the Penguins offense, they do have a good fallback option should he end up elsewhere. At the moment, Pittsburgh has Jeff Petry penciled in on the right side of their second pairing, and while he didn’t play up to his $6.25MM cap hit last year, his pairing with Marcus Pettersson was quite good.
In other Penguins notes:
- Yohe writes in The Athletic that the Penguins and pending unrestricted free agent forward Jake Guentzel have had no talks on a contract extension for the two-time 40-goal scorer. Yohe doesn’t find this surprising given that acting Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas has been busy taking care of other business and adds that he and Guentzel’s agent have a good working relationship. Yohe’s sense is that the Penguins’ veteran players want Guentzel in the fold long-term, and he figures that the two sides will come to an agreement on an extension in the not-too-distant future. Guentzel has scored 76 goals in the past two seasons and has been the most productive winger that Sidney Crosby has played with, however, he is small in stature and will be 30 years old by the time his next contract kicks in. He will also be looking to cash in on what is likely to be the last lucrative long-term deal he will sign.
- Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now wonders if the outcome of restricted free agent Drew O’Connor’s contract negotiations is tied to the Penguins’ desire to facilitate a trade for a defenseman. O’Connor filed for arbitration a few weeks ago meaning that once his case is settled or he re-signs it will open a second buyout window for the Penguins. Pittsburgh currently sits over the salary cap even with O’Connor unsigned but could buyout one of their undesirable contracts to create space once O’Connor puts pen to paper. The 25-year-old isn’t expected to demand much of a cap hit as he posted just five goals and six assists in 46 games last season and spent a good chunk of the year in the AHL, however, the days after he signs his next deal could send shockwaves through the NHL.
Latest On Erik Karlsson Trade Talks
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported today on the NHL Network that the San Jose Sharks remain steadfast in their efforts to trade reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson. Friedman goes on to say that the Carolina Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Penguins are the two teams that the Sharks are talking to and adds that Carolina may need to work out of a move for defenseman Brett Pesce to acquire some assets to complete a Karlsson deal.
On the Pittsburgh side of things, Josh Yohe of The Athletic wrote an article today that outlined why Erik Karlsson is the type of player that general manager Kyle Dubas needs to acquire. Yohe highlights exactly why Karlsson is the right player for the team and the situation the Penguins are currently in. While most of Yohe’s article is in defense of the Penguins acquiring the defenseman, he also adds a couple of pieces of information regarding a potential move. Yohe says that any move Pittsburgh makes for Karlsson would be complex and would involve a third team, which is no surprise given that Karlsson is owed $11.5MM annually for the next four seasons.
Friedman reported Tuesday on his 32 Thoughts Podcast that one hold-up to the potential deal was that teams wanted the Sharks to retain more of Karlsson’s cap hit. He went on to add that at the trade deadline in March San Jose was willing to retain between 18-20% of Karlsson’s cap hit to facilitate a deal. Friedman believes the Sharks will need to retain closer to 30% of the deal which would turn Karlsson into an $8MM player for the acquiring team, and should net the Sharks a better return. Something they are open to. Friedman also reported today on the NHL Network that he believes the Sharks have pursued unrestricted free-agent defenseman Matt Dumba as a possible replacement for Karlsson.
At this point, it almost feels as though the Penguins must acquire Karlsson. Not only would they block Carolina from adding Karlsson to their already stacked defensive unit, but it would help to jump-start their offence which became stale last year for long stretches. Pittsburgh feels like a team that needs a jolt as they have been unable to get out of the first round of the playoffs since 2018 and didn’t even qualify for the postseason last year. Adding a 101-point defenseman would also alleviate some of the offensive pressure off Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the rest of the Penguins’ top-6 forward group who almost single-handily carried the team last season. And while Dubas has been busy overhauling the black hole that was the Penguins’ bottom six, he still hasn’t added much in the way of offensive firepower.
Pittsburgh Penguins Facing Big Decision On Jake Guentzel
Josh Yohe and Rob Rossi of The Athletic write that the Pittsburgh Penguins have a big decision to make on star winger Jake Guentzel as the team enters the free agency period. The perennial 30-goal scorer has a year left on his contract at the bargain price of $6MM and is just a year away from reaching unrestricted free agency. Guentzel’s extension is a delicate balancing act for the Penguins as they are likely at the tail end of their window to contend and they have a lot of needs, but Guentzel remains Sidney Crosby’s favorite linemate and is still highly productive.
Guentzel had 36 goals and 37 assists last season in 78 games in what a lot of people considered a down year for the 28-year-old. He and Crosby were still able to provide much of the scoring for the Penguins, but they did have several cold stretches where they weren’t able to find the net. The team faltered in these stretches due to the lack of a strong supporting cast.
Yohe and Rossi wonder if the Penguins might considering trading Guentzel rather than signing him. The return for the player would likely allow the Penguins to fill in some of the many holes they have, but it would create big hole in their top-6 on Crosby’s wing. Yohe and Rossi point out the risk involved would be great, but signing a small, slow forward to a lucrative long-term deal on the wrong side of thirty carries a great deal of risk as well.
The Athletic projects that Guentzel’s next contract could have an average annual value around $9.2MM. That would make him the highest paid Penguin, and while Guentzel has been incredibly consistent throughout his career, he would spend much of his next contract without the benefit of Sidney Crosby as his center.
Guentzel is also one of the few roster players the Penguins have who doesn’t have trade protection, meaning that if Dubas and company want to turn over their underwhelming roster then Guentzel might be the biggest trade chip they could dangle.
Pittsburgh Penguins Will Hire General Manager And President
Hockey Insider Frank Seravalli stated today on the Daily Faceoff Rundown podcast that he expects the Pittsburgh Penguins to employ the same management structure they had with their previous group and hire a General Manager and a President of Hockey Operations. Previous GM Ron Hextall and President of Hockey Ops Brian Burke were fired after the season ended as they led the Penguins to their first season out of the playoffs in 16 years.
While it comes as no surprise that the Penguins would want to use that structure, some of the names of who they’ve reportedly interviewed are quite surprising. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun is reporting that Pittsburgh spoke with 10-12 candidates in their first round of interviews and included in that list were Marc Bergevin, Eric Tulsky, Jason Karmanos and Peter Chiarelli. LeBrun added that he expects some of those men to be interviewed a second time as the process goes on.
One name that will likely not be interview is Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas. The young GM held a press conference today where he expressed his desire to remain in Toronto while simultaneously stating he didn’t want to look elsewhere at this time after the past season was so difficult for him and his family.
Whoever ultimately lands the Penguins management jobs will be in tough to build around an aging core with multiple bad contracts to try and navigate. Pittsburgh correctly committed to Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin last summer, as well as Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. However, they were saddled with a bottom six that couldn’t get going offensively, and a team that couldn’t find a defensive identity. All of this, coupled with inconsistent goaltending from Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith led to the Penguins missing the playoffs for just the second time in the Sidney Crosby era.
It’ll be a long summer in Pittsburgh; however, it could be the most interesting one they’ve had since Jim Rutherford plucked Phil Kessel from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 2015 trade and kickstarted a two-year run of brilliance in the steel city. The Penguins still have a very strong top-6 and will have around $20MM in cap space once free agency begins.
NHL Announces Initial All-Star Rosters
According to a league release, the NHL has named the first eight selections to the four divisional All-Star teams for the 2023 NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise, Florida.
The league names one player to represent each team at the game, a rule in standing since the league switched to a divisional format for its mid-season talent showcase. A public fan vote will decide the three remaining players per division next week.
Each division’s leader in points percentage after gameplay concludes on January 11 will determine coaches for these teams. The Boston Bruins have already clinched the best such number in the Atlantic at that time, meaning Jim Montgomery will be behind the bench for the star-studded Atlantic Division, arguably the league’s best contingent of talent.
The initial rosters for each division are as follows:
Atlantic Division
Boston: G Linus Ullmark (1st appearance)
Buffalo: C Tage Thompson (1st appearance)
Detroit: C Dylan Larkin (3rd appearance)
Florida: RW Matthew Tkachuk (2nd appearance)
Montreal: C Nick Suzuki (2nd appearance)
Ottawa: LW Brady Tkachuk (3rd appearance)
Tampa Bay: RW Nikita Kucherov (4th appearance)
Toronto: RW Mitch Marner (2nd appearance)
Metropolitan Division
Carolina: LW Andrei Svechnikov (1st appearance)
Columbus: LW Johnny Gaudreau (7th appearance)
New Jersey: C Jack Hughes (2nd appearance)
NY Islanders: C Brock Nelson (1st appearance)
NY Rangers: G Igor Shesterkin (1st appearance)
Philadelphia: C Kevin Hayes (1st appearance)
Pittsburgh: C Sidney Crosby (5th appearance)
Washington: LW Alex Ovechkin (8th appearance)
Central Division
Arizona: LW Clayton Keller (3rd appearance)
Chicago: RD Seth Jones (4th appearance)
Colorado: RD Cale Makar (2nd appearance)
Dallas: LW Jason Robertson (1st appearance)
Minnesota: LW Kirill Kaprizov (2nd appearance)
Nashville: G Juuse Saros (2nd appearance)
St. Louis: RW Vladimir Tarasenko (injured) (4th appearance)
Winnipeg: LD Josh Morrissey (1st appearance)
Pacific Division
Anaheim: RW Troy Terry (2nd appearance)
Calgary: C Nazem Kadri (2nd appearance)
Edmonton: C Connor McDavid (6th appearance)
Los Angeles: LW Kevin Fiala (1st appearance)
San Jose: RD Erik Karlsson (7th appearance)
Seattle: C Matthew Beniers (1st appearance)
Vancouver: C Elias Pettersson (3rd appearance)
Vegas: G Logan Thompson (1st appearance)
The most important note on these rosters is obviously that of Tarasenko’s status. The 31-year-old is on injured reserve with a hand injury, and likely won’t be able to suit up. His replacement will be named shortly.
More to come…
Afternoon Notes: Crosby, Allvin, O’Reilly
When the Pittsburgh Penguins signed Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang to extensions this summer, they committed themselves to a “win-now” short-term competitive plan, focusing the energy and resources of their franchise into squeezing one last Stanley Cup victory out of their three franchise pillars. The face of the franchise, Sidney Crosby, has three years remaining on his current contract, and as things currently stand he’s not thinking beyond that point.
In an interview with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek for their 32 Thoughts Podcast, Crosby was asked about his playing future and whether he’d like to play into his forties as Zdeno Chara has. Crosby responded that he wouldn’t, and added on that he’s “thinking about [the] three more years” remaining on his contract before considering the next step for his career. At 35 years old, Crosby isn’t “Sid the Kid” anymore, but he did score 84 points in 69 games last year and remains an elite player. But based on these comments, the Penguins will need to consider that Crosby may not be playing for the entirety of Malkin or Letang’s new extensions.
Now, for some other notes from across the NHL:
- Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin has been a busy man this summer, signing major contracts with J.T. Miller, Ilya Mikheyev, and Andrei Kuzmenko. And despite the fact that training camps are close, he may not be done. In a conversation with The Athletic’s Thomas Drance, Allvin stated that the team would still be looking to add to its current group of players, saying that there is enough “cap space, and roster spots, and contract slots” to be able to facilitate an addition. (subscription link) We’re certainly late into the offseason free agent market, but with the preseason waiver wire set to be active and a few free agents still remaining, it’s possible that the Canucks get a new face or two into the mix before they open their 2022-23 campaign.
- The St. Louis Blues have signed some major extensions recently, specifically with their two top young players: Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. While the Blues are undoubtedly better off having signed those deals, they could come with a cost. As Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, the byproduct of these extensions is that the team could find it difficult to match the sort of offer captain Ryan O’Reilly could receive on the open market. Since both O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko will be unrestricted free agents next summer, the Blues seem to have made retaining their two franchise pillars a more difficult task with their recent moves.
Penguins To Name Kevin Acklin President of Business Operations
The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to overhaul their front office and management after a recent sale to Fenway Sports Group. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Mike DeFabo reports that the team is expected to name Kevin Acklin the team’s President of Business Operations, filling the role left by longtime executive David Morehouse.
Morehouse vacated the role two months ago when the CEO of 16 years stepped down, reportedly on his own terms.
As DeFabo notes, Acklin is an internal promotion. Since 2018, Acklin had been the team’s COO and general counsel. Similar to Morehouse, Acklin is a Pittsburgh native.
The changes in leadership come as the Penguins are set to embark on a tough road ahead over the next decade or so. As stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang age and/or leave the organization, the team will need strong leadership to avoid the business concerns the team has had in the past during periods of poor play. Acklin will now have a big part to play in that role, and his choices will have a significant effect on the team’s future.
Crosby, Rakell, Jarry All Playing In Game 7
Some fantastic news for Pittsburgh Penguins fans just minutes ahead of puck drop on an obviously pivotal Game 7 against the New York Rangers. Sidney Crosby, Rickard Rakell, and Tristan Jarry are all in the lineup after dealing with injuries.
The news is monumental for the Penguins, who greatly missed the presence of all three players in Game 6.
Crosby was injured in Game 5 on a controversial hit from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba. Prior to the hit, he had a stellar nine points in five games. He returns to center the top line between Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust, who have both performed well in this series. Crosby was sidelined with reported concussion symptoms after the hit, however, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported this morning that Crosby did test negative for a concussion.
Rakell, the team’s big trade deadline acquisition, was injured after playing just 4:28 in Game 1’s triple-overtime win. With 13 points in 19 games down the stretch in Pittsburgh, he proved he could be an impactful scorer for them. He’ll fill out the top six on a line with Evgeni Malkin and Kasperi Kapanen.
Jarry is potentially the biggest piece to return, though. Not having played for a month, Jarry comes in to replace third-string netminder Louis Domingue, who had performed admirably but struggled in Games 5 and 6. They’ll rely on Jarry to exorcise last year’s playoff demons and deliver for them in a big way tonight.
It’s not all good news, however. Assistant coach Mike Vellucci, whose main areas of emphasis are the penalty kill and the forwards, entered COVID protocol and is unavailable for the game.