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Zach Whitecloud

Pacific Notes: Gaudreau, McTavish, Whitecloud, Doughty

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Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau is one of the more intriguing players in the 2022 UFA class.  He’s not that far removed from being a point-per-game player – a mark he hit as recently as 2018-19 – but his per-game production has dipped the last two seasons.  In a piece for Daily Faceoff, former Sabres assistant GM Steve Greeley examined Gaudreau’s situation, highlighting how term will be a big element as the 28-year-old will likely be looking for that one last big deal over a short-term pact that gets him back to the market in a more favorable cap environment a few years from now.  Gaudreau is in the final year of a deal that carries a $6.75MM AAV and it will cost a bit more than that on his next contract.

More from around the Pacific Division:

  • Ducks center Mason McTavish returned to practice on Friday as he works his way back from a lower-body injury sustained on Monday against Calgary, notes Elliott Teaford of the Orange County Register. The third-overall pick in 2021 has a goal and an assist in three games this season and could be activated for Tuesday’s game versus Winnipeg.
  • Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud is listed as week-to-week after suffering an injury in the second period last night against Edmonton, relays Jesse Granger of The Athletic (Twitter link). Granger adds that there is concern that the 24-year-old may have broken his hand.  That paves the way for Daniil Miromanov to make his NHL debut on Sunday.
  • Kings defenseman Drew Doughty won’t play in the remaining two games of their current road trip and will undergo imaging for the injury he sustained last night, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). That paves the way for Olli Maatta to make his season debut tonight against St. Louis.

Golden Knights Sign Zach Whitecloud To Two-Year Extension

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3:28: Puckpedia reports that the deal is a one-way deal, meaning that he will be paid the $725K regardless of whether he’s in the NHL or AHL next season.

1:11 pm: The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have signed defenseman Zach Whitecloud to a two-year, $1.45MM extension ($725K AAV), giving the team some significant flexibility for next season as the team is expected to be right up against the cap once again. It’s actually a pay cut as Whitecloud was making $925K on his entry-level deal.

“We really have seen in his time with the NHL team that he has developed into a real good NHL defenseman,” said Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon. “He has earned the extension. It was a real good free-agent signing by us to be able to put him on our organization.”

Whitecloud, who was heading for restricted free agency this offseason, had taken on a key role with the Golden Knights after the team recalled him on Feb. 1. He has since played in 16 games, offering Vegas a solid defensive-minded third-pairing option and saw his playing time increase over the past five games before the season was suspended. He has one assist in those 16 games, but is averaging 14:19 of ATOI.

The Golden Knights looked to have picked up a big victory in 2018 when they beat out several teams to sign Whitecloud, who was considered to be one of the prize unsigned college free-agents after two impressive seasons at Bemidji State University. Whitecloud has worked on his game with the Chicago Wolves in the AHL where he even showed a little offensive prowess. He had six goals and 28 points that season. Those offensive numbers dipped this year as Chicago has struggled more with just seven points in 35 games. However, it was believed he was ready to take on an NHL role when he swapped places with Vegas rookie defenseman Nicolas Hague.

Whitecloud’s role is likely to increase with both Jonathon Merrill and veteran Deryk Engelland both expected to hit unrestricted free agency. And with salary cap at a premium, the team is likely going to depend more on their young blueliners, including Whitecloud, Hague and Jimmy Schuldt.

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