West Notes: Stastney, Sprong, Lorentz
Predators RFA defenseman Spencer Stastney is indeed having his arbitration hearing today, Nick Kieser of the team’s radio network confirms. The NHLPA is deviating from past tradition this year by not releasing a calendar of hearing dates, but arbitration figures are always exchanged two days before the hearing. When Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported the filings on Saturday, it was clear Stastney’s hearing was slated for Monday.
The Preds are down to $595K in projected cap space with a bare-minimum roster of 12 forwards, six defensemen and two goalies, per PuckPedia. Even though Stastney’s cap hit will come in under $1MM after arbitration (the player filed at $950K), a league-minimum $775K deal would still put Nashville slightly over the cap for now.
Even without Stastney’s arbitration hearing, a cap-clearing move would likely be coming for the Preds this offseason for the sake of roster flexibility. One has to think a cap dump would come from the blue line, where none of Nashville’s six rostered defensemen cost less than $2MM against the cap. Dante Fabbro is the only pending UFA of the bunch, and his $2.5MM cap hit is fair value for his services. He’ll be a likely trade candidate, given his cap hit could be replaced by three league-minimum players – Stastney being one of them.
They’ll get exact clarity on Stastney’s cap hit next season within the next 48 hours.
Elsewhere out West:
- In his latest for The Athletic, Thomas Drance took a deep dive into the Canucks’ signing of Daniel Sprong over the weekend. Among other points, Drance articulates that Sprong is likely viewed internally as a lower-cost replacement for Andrei Kuzmenko, who was dealt to the Flames in last season’s Elias Lindholm blockbuster. If so, it seems the Canucks will be more willing to utilize Sprong in top-six spot duty, likely on Elias Pettersson‘s right flank, than his recent homes. His offensive success with the Kraken and Red Wings the past two seasons has come despite receiving solidly bottom-six minutes.
- It’s bottom-of-the-barrel time for teams still looking to add depth from the UFA market. Thus, the next few weeks will be the time for cap-strapped teams who were rather quiet around July 1 to shine. The Avalanche are one of those squads, and if they’re looking to replenish some fourth-line depth, it’ll need to be a league-minimum pact. Colorado Hockey Now’s Evan Rawal names ex-Panther Steven Lorentz as a candidate who fits that bill. Lorentz, 28, had three points in 16 playoff games for the Cats in their run to the 2024 Stanley Cup and would provide competition for veteran Chris Wagner and youngster Jean-Luc Foudy for fourth-line center duties in Denver.
Predators, Spencer Stastney Exchange Arbitration Figures
With the schedule for arbitration hearings not being made public this year, it’s generally unknown when hearings are going to be held. However, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link), the Predators and defenseman Spencer Stastney have exchanged figures, meaning his hearing is slated for Monday.
Stastney’s request was a one-year deal worth $950K. With the blueliner initiating the filing, it’s Nashville that gets to determine if it’s a one-year or a two-year award should it actually go through the process. They opted for the latter, filing a two-way offer for both seasons, worth $775K and $125K in the minors for 2024-25 and $775K and $175K for 2025-26.
The 24-year-old is coming off his entry-level deal, one which saw him carry a $925K cap hit between his base salary and signing bonuses. Nashville’s offer actually comes in below the qualifying offer they tendered late last month but those offers have since lapsed meaning that they can go as low as they want with an offer.
Last season, Stastney split the year between Nashville and AHL Milwaukee. In the minors, he suited up in 44 games, notching five goals and 15 assists, improving on his rookie point total by seven. He got into 20 regular season games with the Preds, picking up two goals and two helpers while logging just under 16 minutes a night. Stastney also played in three games in their opening-round playoff loss to Vancouver.
The two sides now have just under 48 hours to come to an agreement. If they can’t come to one and the hearing starts, it will go the distance and have a contract awarded by the arbitrator. If a contract is awarded, Stastney will once again be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent next summer.
14 Players Elect For Salary Arbitration
Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and originally produced by the National Hockey Leaguer Players’ Association, 14 players have elected for salary arbitration this summer. The deadline for team-elected arbitration is tomorrow. Friedman also notes the arbitration hearings will happen between July 20th and August 4th. To add context, not every one of these players will appear for a hearing with their respective teams as they may continue to negotiate on a new contract. However, each player who elects for salary arbitration is now prohibited from negotiating with other teams or signing an offer sheet. Here is a list of the players that have elected for arbitration:
F Beck Malenstyn (Buffalo Sabres)
G Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (Buffalo Sabres)
F Martin Necas (Carolina Hurricanes)
F Jack Drury (Carolina Hurricanes)
D Jake Christiansen (Columbus Blue Jackets)
G Jet Greaves (Columbus Blue Jackets)
F Kirill Marchenko (Columbus Blue Jackets)
F Joe Veleno (Detroit Red Wings)
D Spencer Stastney (Nashville Predators)
F Oliver Wahlstrom (New York Islanders)
D Ryan Lindgren (New York Rangers)
D Ty Emberson (San Jose Sharks)
D J.J. Moser (Tampa Bay Lightning)
F Connor Dewar (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Predators Reassign Spencer Stastney
The Predators have reassigned defenseman Spencer Stastney to AHL Milwaukee, general manager Barry Trotz announced Thursday.
Stastney wasn’t sent down with three other fringe players last weekend, likely because he was still rehabbing the upper-body injury he sustained on a hit from Canucks forward Dakota Joshua in Game 3 of Nashville’s first-round loss. Today’s move indicates he’s been cleared to return.
The 24-year-old graduated from rookie status this season, skating in a career-high 20 regular season games with the Preds. A Nashville fifth-round pick in 2018, Stastney is wrapping up his second full professional season after finishing his collegiate career at Notre Dame in 2022.
It was a solid run for the 6’0″, 183-lb left-shot defender. He was passable at worst in his limited role, compiling two goals and two assists with a +9 rating while averaging 15:59 per game. Advanced metrics painted an optimistic picture of Stastney’s game, logging a 51.9 CF% and 59.3 xGF% at even strength.
Stastney played a handful of games for the Preds early on in the season but remained in Milwaukee for most of the year until a mid-March recall. After a three-month minor-league assignment, he sustained an upper-body injury in his first game back in the NHL but returned to play in Nashville’s final 10 games of the regular season.
That earned him a spot in head coach Andrew Brunette‘s Game 1 lineup against Vancouver ahead of the more experienced Tyson Barrie and Dante Fabbro. Before leaving the series due to the Joshua hit, Stastney had a +1 rating, one shot on goal and one block against the Canucks.
Stastney now returns to Milwaukee for some Calder Cup Playoff action after posting five goals, 20 points and a +27 rating in 44 regular-season games there. The Admirals trail 2-1 in their best-of-five division semifinal series against Texas, with Stastney expected to draw in for a must-win Game 4 on Friday. He’s in need of a new contract this summer, with his two-year entry-level contract set to expire and make him a restricted free agent.
Central Notes: Faksa, Marchment, Stastney, McCarron, Hellebuyck, Dillon
The Stars still don’t know if banged-up forwards Radek Faksa and Mason Marchment can play in Game 3 against the Golden Knights as they try to overcome a 2-0 series deficit. As relayed by The Dallas Morning News’ Lia Assimakopoulos, they’re both game-time decisions after sustaining undisclosed injuries in Game 2.
Dallas lost their services in the third period of Wednesday’s game, as neither player took a shift in the final 10 minutes of the 3-1 loss. The potential loss of Marchment is an especially large blow to the Stars’ elite secondary scoring, which Vegas has managed to keep quiet through two games. He’s one of three Stars with a goal in the series so far and set career highs across the board in the regular season with 22 goals and 53 points in 81 games. He’d been skating on their second line with Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin.
While dragged down by his late-game absence Wednesday, Faksa’s only averaged 9:01 through two playoff games and has a -1 rating. The fourth-line shutdown pivot has gone 6/10 in the faceoff dot with nine hits and was centering a line with Evgenii Dadonov and Sam Steel. Dallas recalled top forward prospect Mavrik Bourque from AHL Texas yesterday, and he could slot into the lineup if Faksa and Marchment are unavailable and make his postseason debut just days after being awarded the MVP for the 2023-24 AHL season. The more experienced Ty Dellandrea and Craig Smith are also available to enter the lineup.
Other Central Division updates from a busy day of playoff hockey:
- The Predators lost defenseman Spencer Stastney to an upper-body injury in last night’s Game 3 loss to the Canucks, and he won’t be back anytime soon. He’s been ruled out on a week-to-week basis, per The Tennessean’s Paul Skrbina, potentially sidelining him for the rest of the first round. The 24-year-old was on the receiving end of a hard hit from Canucks forward Dakota Joshua that was initially declared a major penalty for boarding, causing his head to hit the glass. He remained on the ice for a few seconds after the collision but skated off under his own power. Officials downgraded the penalty to a two-minute minor upon review. The first three games of this series were the first of Stastney’s playoff career, posting a -1 rating and unfavorable possession metrics in bottom-pairing minutes. Stastney, a 2018 fifth-round pick of the Preds, made a career-high 20 appearances in the regular season with two goals, two assists and a +9 rating. That wasn’t the only piece of news stemming from a controversial first-period collision last night, either. Preds center Michael McCarron was fined $2K by the Department of Player Safety today for his interference penalty (video link) on Canucks goalie Casey DeSmith, per the league. He was assessed a minor penalty on the play.
- Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck is the odds-on favorite to take home the Vezina Trophy, but you wouldn’t know it based on his early playoff showing. While the team in front of him is conceding nearly 40 shots per game, his .871 SV% through three games is far below expectations, and his -2.3 goals saved above expected (MoneyPuck) rank 17th out of 19 playoff goalies. That led to some remote speculation that Winnipeg may turn to above-average backup option Laurent Brossoit to tie the series in Game 4, but head coach Rick Bowness confirmed today that won’t be the case (via Sportsnet’s Eric Engels). Hellebuyck has a .913 SV% in 43 career postseason starts. Additionally, the team has avoided the worst with defenseman Brenden Dillon, who sustained a hand laceration from Avs winger Brandon Duhaime‘s skate at the end of last night’s loss. He’s only been ruled out day-to-day, Bowness said, and has avoided major ligament damage. If he’s unable to go for tomorrow’s Game 4, expect the 6’7″ Logan Stanley to re-enter the lineup after serving as a healthy scratch last night.
Central Notes: Yurov, Stastney, Hayes
Wild prospect Danila Yurov won’t be making the jump to North America next season after all, at least at the start. Championnat’s Pavel Novikov reports that the 20-year-old has inked a one-year extension with Magnitogorsk Metallurg of the KHL, keeping him signed through next season. Yurov was the 24th overall selection back in 2022 and had a particularly impressive showing this year, notching 21 goals and 28 assists in 62 games, good for the team lead in scoring while finishing 17th in points league-wide. Countryman Marat Khusnutdinov went to the NHL after his KHL campaign ended back in February and since Minnesota hasn’t signed Yurov to an entry-level deal yet, it’s possible that he follows that path next season.
More from the Central:
- The Predators lost Friday’s third game against Vancouver and also lost a blueliner in the process with the team announcing (Twitter link) that Spencer Stastney suffered an upper-body injury. The injury occurred early in the first period on a hit from Dakota Joshua; a major penalty for boarding was initially assessed before being dropped to a minor. Postgame, head coach Andrew Brunette didn’t have an update on Stastney’s condition. The 24-year-old only played in 20 games during the regular season but has suited up in all three postseason games so far.
- The Blackhawks have re-assigned prospect Gavin Hayes to the minors, per an announcement from their AHL affiliate in Rockford. The winger was a third-round pick in 2022 (66th overall) and split the season between OHL Flint and Soo, combining for 37 goals and 39 assists in 55 games along with 16 points in 11 postseason contests for the Greyhounds. Hayes has already signed his entry-level deal and will now get a taste of professional hockey before playing there full-time next season.
Central Notes: Tanev, Stastney, Avalanche
Chris Tanev’s time in Dallas has been limited so far – just five games since being acquired – but GM Jim Nill already knows he’d like to have the veteran in the fold for the long haul. Speaking with David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, Nill expressed a desire to re-sign the pending UFA after the season:
Whenever you make a move for somebody you like, and you’ve done your research on, and I’ve seen Chris Tanev play a lot, heard all the stories about him, and now we get to live it and stuff. And he has everything we’ve heard, living up to the billing, so we think he’s a great fit for us. Let’s get the games going, let’s get the playoffs going. And but he’s definitely a guy that if we can make it work, we’d love to bring him back here.
The 34-year-old rarely puts up points but is known as one of the better defensive blueliners in the NHL. Accordingly, he is well-positioned to earn a raise on his current $4.5MM price tag in the summer, one that will be tricky for the Stars to afford within their salary structure.
More from the Central Division:
- The Predators announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Spencer Stastney is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. The 24-year-old was injured on Thursday, his first game with Nashville since mid-December. Stastney has a goal in ten NHL contests so far this season while he has chipped in with 20 points in 44 appearances with AHL Milwaukee. With Dante Fabbro also injured, Nashville is down to just six healthy defensemen so they may recall someone before today’s game against Seattle.
- Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen is expected to return tonight versus Edmonton after missing the last two games due to illness, relays play-by-play voice Conor McGahey (Twitter link). The 28-year-old has been limited to just 30 games so far this season but has done well when he has been in the lineup, collecting 11 goals and 11 assists. Meanwhile, McGahey adds that wingers Zach Parise and Jonathan Drouin are also expected to return tonight. Parise has missed two straight with a lower-body injury while Drouin missed Wednesday’s contest with a lower-body injury of his own. Parise has seven points in 15 games in his final NHL season while Drouin has done well, picking up 38 points in 64 appearances so far.
- With those returns, the Avalanche announced (Twitter link) that they’ve returned forward Fredrik Olofsson to AHL Colorado. The 27-year-old played in two games on this recall to bring his season total to 57. Olofsson has nine points in those appearances while averaging 9:45 per contest.
Predators Recall Spencer Stastney With Dante Fabbro Week-To-Week
The Nashville Predators have made their first move since the Trade Deadline, recalling defenseman Spencer Stastney. Stastney will fill in for Dante Fabbro, who the team shared is out for two-to-three weeks with an upper-body injury. Fabbro suffered the injury in the first period of Nashville’s Sunday night loss to the Minnesota Wild, exiting the game early.
This is the third recall of Stastney’s season, with the 24-year-old previously serving two weeks on the Predators roster in late November and one week in December. He’s totaled nine NHL games on the season, with his first career goal marking his only scoring on the year. Stastney has also managed five goals and 20 points in 44 AHL games this season. It’s his second full year as a pro, after joining the Predators at the end of the 2021-22 season. He recorded five goals and 13 points in 56 games as an AHL rookie last year, adding two assists in his first eight NHL games.
Stastney will enter the lineup as a depth option, with the team likely to ice Jérémy Lauzon ahead of him. Lauzon has appeared in 66 games this season, netting six goals and 13 points. He is one of six Predators defenders, including Fabbro and Stastney, to not yet reach the 20-point mark. Stastney could also slot in for Luke Schenn – Nashville’s least-used defenseman, with just 15 minutes of average ice time across 47 games. Schenn has six points on the season, the lowest of Nashville’s current blue-line.
Stastney’s recall will limit the Predators to just three remaining this season.
Predators Assign Liam Foudy And Spencer Stastney To AHL
After clearing waivers earlier today, the Predators wasted little time sending forward Liam Foudy to the minors. The team announced that both Foudy and defenseman Spencer Stastney were assigned to AHL Milwaukee. No subsequent recalls were announced.
Foudy was claimed off waivers from Columbus early in the season but was in and out of the lineup with Nashville. Between the two teams, he has played in 13 games so far, picking up three assists and seven shots on net in just under ten minutes a night of ice time.
The 23-year-old spent all of last season in the NHL with the Blue Jackets, getting into a career-high 62 contests. Now, he’ll head back to the minors where he should have a chance to play a much bigger role for the Admirals. Foudy’s last AHL stint was in the 2021-22 campaign when he had 19 points in 29 games with Cleveland.
As for Stastney, the 23-year-old has been up for a pair of stints with the Preds this season, spanning nine games in total where he has his first career goal while logging just over 16 minutes a night. He also has four points in ten games so far with the Admirals.
Nashville’s skater roster now stands at just a dozen healthy forwards and seven blueliners so they have a couple of open spots at their disposal. Considering they’re back in action on Saturday against Toronto, it wouldn’t be surprising to see at least one of those spots filled by then.
Predators To Recall Spencer Stastney, Alexandre Carrier Out Week-To-Week
The Predators will recall defenseman Spencer Stastney from AHL Milwaukee while fellow defender Alexandre Carrier is sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury, Nick Kieser of Nashville Hockey Now reports. Carrier sustained the injury early in yesterday’s loss to the Wild, skating less than two minutes in the contest. The Predators had two open spots on the 23-man roster and, therefore, do not need to place Carrier on IR to accommodate Stastney’s recall.
After signing a one-year, $2.5MM contract as a restricted free agent in July, Carrier continues to see a more limited role than the top-four duties that earned him a tenth-place Calder Trophy finish in 2021-22. He has, however, been a steady fixture in the lineup. He’s played in all 22 of Nashville’s games thus far after appearing in just 43 out of 82 contests last season. He’s been paired almost equally with Jeremy Lauzon and Ryan McDonagh this year, posting high-quality possession numbers with the latter and posting a goal and eight points.
Stastney, 23, returns to the NHL roster just three days after being returned to the minors. After being cut from the roster during training camp, the Predators recalled Stastney for a two-week stint with the team in late November, playing him in five contests. The 2018 fifth-round pick now has 13 NHL appearances to his name after finishing out last season in the NHL, notching one goal, two assists, and a strong +9 rating in 16:44 of average ice time. The Notre Dame grad, now in his second full season of pro hockey, remains a strong two-way prospect who could convert these early call-ups to an eventual long-term role on the Predators’ second or third pairing.
The Woodbridge, Illinois-born defender will battle depth defenders Dante Fabbro and Luke Schenn for playing opportunities while on the roster, although he projects to serve as a healthy scratch with Carrier as the only injured defenseman. Stastney is in the final season of a two-year, entry-level contract and will be eligible for salary arbitration in the summer.