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Poll: Which Team Has Had The Best Offseason?

at CDT | by 39 Comments

There have been several notable events of the current offseason with draft selections, trades, and marquee free agent signings. Several teams have aggressively gotten a leg up on the competition while others are putting the building blocks together for a successful future. For different reasons, the Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Washington Capitals have all had successful offseasons up to this point.

As arguably the most aggressive team once free agency opened up on July 1st, the Predators added $20.5MM to their 2024-25 salary cap total by signing Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. The team also committed to their goaltender by signing Juuse Saros to an eight-year, $61.92MM extension that will kick in for the 2025-26 season. Nashville made the playoffs without this trio of players last year and is well-positioned to get into the top three of the NHL’s Central Division. The Predators finished the 2023-24 season averaging 3.24 GF/G (10th) and a 21.56% powerplay rate (16th) and could come close to leading the league in both categories next season.

The Sharks benefitted from being the team with the first overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft this summer and used it to select Macklin Celebrini out of Boston University. Celebrini has already committed to San Jose next year after signing his entry-level contract while the team will also see the fourth-overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, Will Smith, join the team. These two alone will make the Sharks far more exciting to watch after finishing the 2023-24 season with 19 wins, and the team also added Tyler Toffoli, Alexander Wennberg, and Ty Dellandrea up front.

Unexpectedly one of the most active teams this offseason, the general manager of the Lightning, Julien BriseBois, showed off his skills as a salary cap manipulator. After picking up defenseman Ryan McDonagh from the Predators before the draft, the team moved out Mikhail Sergachev and Tanner Jeannot in separate trades that brought back J.J. Moser, Conor Geekie, Utah’s second-round pick in 2025, Los Angeles’ second-round pick in 2025, Los Angeles’ fourth-round pick in 2024, and Utah’s seventh-round pick in 2024. They also added the market’s biggest fish, Jake Guentzel on a respectable seven-year, $63MM contract. Unfortunately, all the moves couldn’t stop the team from losing their captain, as Stamkos left the organization via the free agent market.

The Capitals were certainly not happy about being swept in Round One of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs and want to prove they are not solely focused on Alex Ovechkin breaking the all-time goal-scoring record. The front office took major steps in building up their defensive core as the team brought in Jakob Chychrun and Matt Roy which should certainly help the team improve upon their 3.07 GA/G average from the 2023-24 season. Washington also brought in goaltender Logan Thompson and his $766K salary from the Vegas Golden Knights for a pair of third-round selections as insurance for Charlie Lindgren. Lastly, to fill the team’s second-line center vacancy, the Capitals brought in the controversial Pierre-Luc Dubois in a trade with the Kings in one of the riskier moves of the offseason.

It’s been an exciting offseason up to this point, with plenty of action from all around the league. Which team has stood out the most in having the best summer up to this point? Vote below!

Which Teams Make Sense For A Jeremy Swayman Offer Sheet?

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The deadline for teams to elect for arbitration came and went yesterday afternoon. Notably, the Boston Bruins decided not to elect for salary arbitration with goaltender Jeremy Swayman leaving them vulnerable to a potential offer sheet since Swayman himself did not elect either. The Bruins have $8.6MM in cap space to deal with their lone restricted free agent but several teams could put Boston in trouble.

A hypothetical offer sheet for Swayman would likely come in at the ’Tier Five’ range which would need a salary of $6.87MM-$9.16MM and would require the signing team to send their upcoming first, second, and third-round picks (the picks may not be the original property of another team) to the Bruins if they are unwilling to match. Boston would likely match a max offer for Swayman even if it approaches the $9.16MM range but they would become uncomfortably close to the salary cap ceiling for the upcoming season.

According to CapFriendly, the only teams able to sign Swayman to a deal in that range would be the Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, and Seattle Kraken. The Sabres and Red Wings seem unlikely as they will have limited cap space to make moves once they sign the rest of their restricted free agents while the Predators and Islanders already have established goaltenders at the NHL level. Additionally, the Flyers and Kraken don’t hold enough cap space to cause Boston problems.

So why not theorize about reigniting one of the best rivalries in the game?

The Canadiens only have two pending restricted free agents left to sign with just over $10MM in space in Arber Xhekaj and Justin Barron. Neither player projects to cut too much into that cap and wouldn’t necessarily prohibit Montreal from making a move of this magnitude. The Canadiens are not far removed from making a statement via offer sheet as they infamously signed Sebastian Aho to a five-year, $42.27MM offer later matched by the Carolina Hurricanes.

Montreal could open up additional cap space this summer by trading Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia for nothing in return. By trading away both players, the Canadiens could open up nearly $8MM in cap space and could easily give their roster spots to younger players. This is still without factoring in their trump card.

As of right now, former goaltender Carey Price’s $10.5MM salary for the upcoming season has not been officially factored into the Canadiens’ LTIR space. Montreal would not need to put Price’s contract on LTIR space at all this season but if they choose to, their cap space would buoy up to $20.68MM — giving the Canadiens all the room in the world to safely add Swayman’s contract.

The draft picks that would need to go back to Boston would be a manageable cost for the Canadiens. Through several different trades, Montreal holds a conditional first-round pick from the Calgary Flames in 2025, Pittsburgh’s second-round selection in 2025, a conditional third-round pick from New Jersey in 2025, and Vancouver’s third-round pick in 2025. Even if the Canadiens had to part with their first, second, and third-round picks for the 2025 NHL Draft, they would still make four selections in the first three rounds.

The major drawback of signing Swayman to an offer sheet would be the negative consequences to the Canadiens’ current starting netminder, Sam Montembeault. Montembeault did not have an earth-shattering performance last season but still produced a 16-15-9 record in 40 starts with a .903 save percentage and 3.14 GAA. Montreal’s brass committed to Montembeault based on his performance by signing him to a three-year, $9.45MM extension on December 1st, 2023.

Montembeault’s consistency doesn’t come close to Swayman’s performance in Boston; however, as the netminder has produced a 79-33-15 record in 125 starts while collecting an impressive .919 SV% and 2.34 GAA throughout his career. The Canadiens can procure one of the best goaltenders in the game while subsequently punching up at their bitter rivals.

NHL 2024 Free Agency: Day 1 Recap

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Today was a ridiculously busy first day of NHL free agency – in fact, it’s the busiest of all time. With over 120 signings, today marked the first day in league history where more than $1B in total contract value was doled out, per CapFriendly. Most of our Top 50 UFAs are already off the board since the signing period officially began at 11:00 am CT, although many were reported in principle prior to the technical start of the new league year.

There was some notable action on the trade market, too, with a pair of deals to cap off a busy lead-up weekend of swaps.

Listed below are all the notable one-way free agent agreements, contract extensions, trades, and other notable news items from the first day of free agency.

Notable UFA signings

Note: Some of these salary figures may include options, incentives, or non-guaranteed money.

  1. Sam Reinhart, Panthers agree to eight-year, $69MM contract. (signed at the June 30 11:00 pm CT deadline)
  2. Jake Guentzel, Lightning agree to seven-year, $63MM contract.
  3. Elias Lindholm, Bruins agree to seven-year, $54.25MM contract.
  4. Brandon Montour, Kraken agree to seven-year, $50MM contract.
  5. Brady Skjei, Predators agree to seven-year, $49MM contract.
  6. Chandler Stephenson, Kraken agree to seven-year, $43.75MM contract.
  7. Jake DeBrusk, Canucks agree to seven-year, $38.5MM contract.
  8. Matt Roy, Capitals agree to six-year, $34.5MM contract.
  9. Brett Pesce, Devils agree to six-year, $33MM contract.
  10. Steven Stamkos, Predators agree to four-year, $32MM contract.
  11. Nikita Zadorov, Bruins agree to six-year, $30MM contract.
  12. Jonathan Marchessault, Predators agree to five-year, $27.5MM contract.
  13. Sean Monahan, Blue Jackets agree to five-year, $27.5MM contract.
  14. Chris Tanev, Maple Leafs agree to six-year, $27MM contract.
  15. Tyler Toffoli, Sharks agree to four-year, $24MM contract.
  16. Tyler Bertuzzi, Blackhawks agree to four-year, $22MM contract.
  17. Sean Walker, Hurricanes agree to five-year, $18MM contract.
  18. Teuvo Teräväinen, Blackhawks agree to three-year, $16.2MM contract.
  19. Joel Edmundson, Kings agree to four-year, $15.4MM contract.
  20. Anthony Duclair, Islanders agree to four-year, $14MM contract.
  21. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Maple Leafs agree to four-year, $14MM contract.
  22. Yakov Trenin, Wild agree to four-year, $14MM contract.
  23. Brenden Dillon, Devils agree to three-year, $12MM contract.
  24. William Carrier, Hurricanes agree to six-year, $12MM contract.
  25. Alexandre Carrier, Predators agree to three-year, $11.25MM contract.
  26. Warren Foegele, Kings agree to three-year, $10.5MM contract.
  27. Alexander Wennberg, Sharks agree to two-year, $10MM contract.
  28. Shayne Gostisbehere, Hurricanes agree to three-year, $9.6MM contract.
  29. Jordan Martinook, Hurricanes agree to three-year, $9.15MM contract.
  30. Stefan Noesen, Devils agree to three-year, $8.25MM contract.
  31. Viktor Arvidsson, Oilers agree to two-year, $8MM contract.
  32. David Perron, Senators agree to two-year, $8MM contract.
  33. Michael Amadio, Senators agree to three-year, $7.8MM contract.
  34. T.J. Brodie, Blackhawks agree to two-year, $7.5MM contract.
  35. Mathew Dumba, Stars agree to two-year, $7.5MM contract.
  36. Laurent Brossoit, Blackhawks agree to two-year, $6.6MM contract.
  37. Ilya Lyubushkin, Stars agree to two-year, $6.5MM contract.
  38. Adam Henrique, Oilers agree to two-year, $6MM contract.
  39. Jason Zucker, Sabres agree to one-year, $5MM contract.
  40. Anthony Stolarz, Maple Leafs agree to two-year, $5MM contract.
  41. Cam Talbot, Red Wings agree to two-year, $5MM contract.
  42. Dmitry Kulikov, Panthers agree to four-year, $4.6MM contract.
  43. Danton Heinen, Canucks agree to two-year, $4.5MM contract.
  44. Mattias Janmark, Oilers agree to three-year, $4.35MM contract.
  45. Alec Martinez, Blackhawks agree to one-year, $4MM contract.
  46. Vincent Desharnais, Canucks agree to two-year, $4MM contract.
  47. Erik Gustafsson, Red Wings agree to two-year, $4MM contract.
  48. Sam Lafferty, Sabres agree to two-year, $4MM contract.
  49. Ryan Lomberg, Flames agree to two-year, $4MM contract.
  50. Kevin Stenlund, Utah agree to two-year, $4MM contract.
  51. Brandon Duhaime, Capitals agree to two-year, $3.7MM contract.
  52. Blake Lizotte, Penguins agree to two-year, $3.7MM contract.
  53. Pavel Dorofeyev, Golden Knights agree to two-year, $3.67MM contract.
  54. Anthony Mantha, Flames agree to one-year, $3.5MM contract.
  55. Jake Bean, Flames agree to two-year, $3.5MM contract.
  56. Ian Cole, Utah agree to one-year, $3.1MM contract.
  57. Matt Duchene, Stars agree to one-year, $3MM contract.
  58. Jeff Skinner, Oilers agree to one-year, $3MM contract.
  59. Jani Hakanpää, Maple Leafs agree to two-year, $3MM contract.
  60. Colin Miller, Jets agree to two-year, $3MM contract.
  61. Kiefer Sherwood, Canucks agree to two-year, $3MM contract.
  62. Scott Wedgewood, Predators agree to two-year, $3MM contract.
  63. Josh Brown, Oilers agree to three-year, $3MM contract.
  64. Sam Carrick, Rangers agree to three-year, $3MM contract.
  65. Casey DeSmith, Stars agree to three-year, $3MM contract.
  66. Matt Grzelcyk, Penguins agree to one-year, $2.75MM contract.
  67. Zemgus Girgensons, Lightning agree to three-year, $2.55MM contract.
  68. Jonathan Drouin, Avalanche agree to one-year, $2.5MM contract.
  69. Max Jones, Bruins agree to two-year, $2MM contract.
  70. Ilya Samsonov, Golden Knights agree to one-year, $1.8MM contract.
  71. A.J. Greer, Panthers agree to two-year, $1.7MM contract.
  72. Eric Comrie, Jets agree to two-year, $1.65MM contract.
  73. Parker Kelly, Avalanche agree to two-year, $1.65MM contract.
  74. Kaedan Korczak, Golden Knights agree to two-year, $1.65MM contract.
  75. Joey Anderson, Blackhawks agree to two-year, $1.6MM contract.
  76. Troy Stecher, Oilers agree to two-year, $1.575MM contract.
  77. Tanner Laczynski, Golden Knights agree to two-year, $1.55MM contract.
  78. Jeff Malott, Kings agree to two-year, $1.55MM contract.
  79. Nicolas Aubé-Kubel, Sabres agree to one-year, $1.5MM contract.
  80. Derek Forbort, Canucks agree to one-year, $1.5MM contract.
  81. Corey Perry, Oilers agree to one-year, $1.4MM contract.
  82. Pat Maroon, Blackhawks agree to one-year, $1.3MM contract.
  83. Anthony Beauvillier, Penguins agree to one-year, $1.25MM contract.
  84. Nils Lundkvist, Stars agree to one-year, $1.25MM contract.
  85. Mike Reilly, Islanders agree to one-year, $1.25MM contract.
  86. Christian Fischer, Red Wings agree to one-year, $1.125MM contract.
  87. Urho Vaakanainen, Ducks agree to one-year, $1.1MM contract.
  88. Brett Leason, Ducks agree to one-year, $1.05MM contract.
  89. Connor Brown, Oilers agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
  90. Erik Johnson, Flyers agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
  91. Kaapo Kähkönen, Jets agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
  92. Kasperi Kapanen, Blues agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
  93. Taylor Raddysh, Capitals agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
  94. Brendan Smith, Stars agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
  95. Craig Smith, Blackhawks agree to one-year, $1MM contract.
  96. Eric Robinson, Hurricanes agree to one-year, $950K contract.
  97. Jacob Bryson, Sabres agree to one-year, $900K contract.
  98. Matt Murray, Maple Leafs agree to one-year, $875K contract.
  99. Noah Gregor, Senators agree to one-year, $850K contract.
  100. Pheonix Copley, Kings agree to one-year, $825K contract.
  101. Dennis Gilbert, Sabres agree to one-year, $825K contract.
  102. Calvin de Haan, Avalanche agree to one-year, $800K contract.
  103. Trevor Lewis, Kings agree to one-year, $800K contract.
  104. Alex Barré-Boulet, Canadiens agree to one-year, $775K contract.
  105. Emil Bemström, Penguins agree to one-year, $775K contract.
  106. Jesper Boqvist, Panthers agree to one-year, $775K contract.
  107. Jack Campbell, Red Wings agree to one-year, $775K contract.
  108. Tyson Jost, Hurricanes agree to one-year, $775K contract.
  109. William Lagesson, Red Wings agree to one-year, $775K contract.
  110. Ben Meyers, Kraken agree to one-year, $775K contract.
  111. Tomáš Nosek, Panthers agree to one-year, $775K contract.

Contract extensions

  1. Juuse Saros, Predators agree to eight-year, $61.92MM extension.
  2. Juraj Slafkovsky, Canadiens agree to eight-year, $60.8MM extension.
  3. Jaccob Slavin, Hurricanes agree to eight-year, $51.69MM extension.
  4. Yegor Sharangovich, Flames agree to five-year, $28.75MM extension.
  5. Jacob Middleton, Wild agree to four-year, $17.4MM extension.
  6. Joseph Woll, Maple Leafs agree to three-year, $10.98MM extension.
  7. Garnet Hathaway, Flyers agree to two-year, $4.8MM extension.
  8. Connor McMichael, Capitals agree to two-year, $4.2MM extension.

Trades

  1. Senators trade Jakob Chychrun to Capitals in exchange for Nick Jensen and a 2026 third-round pick.
  2. Penguins trade Reilly Smith (25% retained) to Rangers in exchange for a conditional 2025 fifth-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.

Other notable headlines

  1. NHL reinstates former Blackhawks executives/coaches Stan Bowman, Al MacIsaac and Joel Quenneville.
  2. Flyers officially sign top prospect Matvei Michkov to three-year, entry-level contract.

After yesterday’s craziness, only four players remain on our Top 50 UFAs list: Vladimir Tarasenko, Joe Pavelski, Jack Roslovic and Daniel Sprong.

Free Agent Focus: Chicago Blackhawks

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Free agency is now less than a week away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Blackhawks.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Taylor Raddysh – In his first full season with the Blackhawks during the 2022-23 NHL season, Raddysh led the pack after Chicago parted ways with Patrick Kane at the trade deadline. In 78 games, Raddysh scored 20 goals and 37 points and appeared to be locking down a position in the Blackhawks’ top six. Unfortunately, his production dropped precipitously this past season as Raddysh only mustered five goals and 14 points in 73 contests. Because of the roster flexibility, Chicago will likely give Raddysh one more chance on a one-year contract to determine his staying power with the organization.

D Isaak Phillips – As a strong performer for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs over the last several years, Phillips was beginning to look like a rising prospect in the Blackhawks’ farm system. Those same talents have been able to transfer to the NHL level, however, as Phillips has struggled to one goal and 11 points in 53 games over the last three seasons. Similarly to Raddysh, Chicago may give Phillips one more chance at the NHL level on a one-year pact to determine if they want to keep Phillips for the long haul. If he is unable to make the cut, the Blackhawks will have several prospects to pick from to graduate to the NHL.

Other RFAs: F Mackenzie Entwistle, F Joey Anderson, F Reese Johnson, F Michal Teply, D Louis Crevier, D Filip Roos, G Jaxson Stauber

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Tyler Johnson – It has been quite some time since Johnson has been worthy of a $5MM salary at the NHL level. Before the 2017-18 season, the Tampa Bay Lightning signed Johnson to a seven-year, $35MM contract and he only managed two quality seasons under that extension. Once his play completely came off the rails during the 2020-21 NHL season, the Lightning dealt Johnson and his contract to Chicago for the contract of defenseman Brent Seabrook. Outside of an injury-riddled 2021-22 season, Johnson has combined for 29 goals and 63 points over the last two years. Johnson could garner some interest as a bottom-six option on the free-agent market this summer but all signs indicate it will not be with the Blackhawks.

F Colin Blackwell – If Blackwell had it his way, he would already be under contract with the Blackhawks next season as he has already publicized his desire to stay with the organization. However, with the amount of prospects in Chicago, the forward core may become too saturated to defend re-signing Blackwell. Even though he is a defensively-minded forward and can help prevent pucks from going in Chicago’s net, the Blackhawks will likely look for a younger option internally to replace Blackwell’s minutes.

Other UFAs: F Rem Pitlick, F Mike Hardman, F Luke Philp, F David Gust, D Nikita Zaitsev, D Jarred Tinordi, D Jaycob Megna

Projected Cap Space

The Blackhawks could go in a lot of different directions this summer as they own the fourth-most cap space of any team in the league. Heading into tomorrow’s action, Chicago has approximately $28.9MM to work with. With the team making notable noise in the past two drafts, the Blackhawks should have a clear vision of their short and long-term plans.

It will be important to stay mindful though as Chicago will not want to put itself into a bloated future. The team is only two years away from being able to offer rookie phenom Connor Bedard an extension and it will be important for the team to build their cap structure around him. Whatever direction they ultimately take this summer, the Blackhawks have a superb amount of freedom to operate compared to other teams around the league.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Cap information courtesy of CapFriendly.

2024 NHL Draft Pick Tracker By Team

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Now that the 2024 NHL Draft officially concluded earlier this afternoon, we can break down every draft pick by each team. Utah Hockey Club led the way with 11 picks in total (with six of those coming in the top 100) and the Dallas Stars selecting three individuals. The following list breaks down every selection for each team over the 2024 NHL Draft:

Anaheim Ducks

1-3: RW Beckett Sennecke / Oshawa Generals (OHL)
1-23: D Stian Solberg / Vålerenga (Norway)
2-35: C Lucas Pettersson / MoDo Hockey J20 (J20 Nationell)
3-66: RW Maxim Massé / Chicoutimi Saguenéens (QMJHL)
3-68: C Ethan Procyszyn / North Bay Battalion (OHL)
3-79: D Tarin Smith / Everett Silvertips (WHL)
4-100: C Alexandre Blais / Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL)
6-182: RW Austin Burnevik / Madison Capitols (USHL)
7-214: D Darels Uļjanskis / AIK J20 (J20 Nationell)

Boston Bruins

1-25: C Dean Letourneau / St. Andrew’s College (U18 AAA)
4-110: D Elliott Groenewold / Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL)
5-154: C Jonathan Morello / St. Michael’s Buzzers (OJHL)
6-186: D Loke Johansson / AIK J20 (J20 Nationell)

Buffalo Sabres

1-14: C Konsta Helenius / Jukurit (Liiga)
2-42: D Adam Kleber / Lincoln Stars (USHL)
3-71: RW Brodie Ziemer / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
4-108: D Luke Osburn / Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
4-123: D Simon-Pier Brunet / Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMJHL)
6-172: D Patrick Geary / Michigan State (NCAA)
7-204: RW Vasily Zelenov / RB Hockey Juniors (AlpsHL)
7-219: G Ryerson Leenders / Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)

Calgary Flames

1-9: D Zayne Parekh / Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
1-28: RW Matvei Gridin / Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
2-41: LW Andrew Basha / Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
2-62: RW Jacob Battaglia / Kingston Frontenacs (OHL)
3-74: D Henry Mews / Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
3-84: G Kirill Zarubin / AKM Tula (MHL)
4-106: RW Trevor Hoskin / Cobourg Cougars (OJHL)
5-150: C Luke Misa / Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)
6-170: C Hunter Laing / Prince George Cougars (WHL)
6-177: D Eric Jamieson / Everett Silvertips (WHL)

Carolina Hurricanes

2-34: D Dominik Badinka / Malmö Redhawks (SHL)
2-50: LW Nikita Artamonov / Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
3-69: D Noel Fransén / Färjestad BK J20 (J20 Nationell)
4-124: D Alexander Siryatsky / Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk (MHL)
5-133: LW Oskar Vuollet / Skellefteå AIK J20 (J20 Nationell)
5-156: RW Justin Poirier / Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
6-168: D Timur Kol / Omskie Krylia (VHL)
6-184: D Roman Shokhrin / Loko-76 Yaroslavl (MHL)
6-188: LW Fyodor Avramov / Kapitan Stupino (MHL)
7-220: LW Andrei Krutov / Chaika Nizhny Novgorod (MHL)

Chicago Blackhawks

1-2: D Artyom Levshunov / Michigan State (NCAA)
1-18: C Sacha Boisvert / Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
1-27: LW Marek Vanacker / Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
3-67: C John Mustard / Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
3-72: RW AJ Spellacy / Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
3-92: RW Jack Pridham / West Kelowna Warriors (BCHL)
5-138: C Joel Svensson / Växjö Lakers HC J20 (J20 Nationell)
6-163: D Ty Henry / Erie Otters (OHL)

Colorado Avalanche

2-38: G Ilya Nabokov / Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL)
3-76: LW William Zellers / Shattuck St. Mary’s 18U Prep (USHS-Prep)
4-121: C Jake Fisher / Fargo Force (USHL)
5-132: G Louka Cloutier / Chicago Steel (USHL)
5-137: G Ivan Yunin / Yastreby Omsk U18 (Russia U18)
5-161: C Maxmilian Curran / Tri-City Americans (WHL)
6-185: D Tory Pitner / Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
7-215: C Christian Humphreys / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
7-217: C Nikita Prishchepov / Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets

1-4: C Cayden Lindstrom / Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
2-36: D Charlie Elick / Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
2-60: G Evan Gardner / Saskatoon Blades (WHL)
3-86: D Luca Marrelli / Oshawa Generals (OHL)
4-101: D Tanner Henricks / Lincoln Stars (USHL)
6-165: D Luke Ashton / Langley Rivermen (BCHL)

Dallas Stars

1-29: RW Emil Hemming / TPS (Liiga)
5-158: D Niilopekka Muhonen / KalPa U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
7-222: C William Samuelsson / Södertälje SK J20 (J20 Nationell)

Detroit Red Wings

1-15: RW Michael Brandsegg-Nygård / Mora IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
2-47: LW Max Plante / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
3-80: C Ondřej Becher / Prince George Cougars (WHL)
4-126: G Landon Miller / Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
5-144: D John Whipple / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
6-176: LW Charlie Forslund / Falu IF J18 (J18 Region)
7-203: LW Austin Baker / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
7-208: D Fisher Scott / Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)

Edmonton Oilers

1-32: RW Sam O’Reilly / London Knights (OHL)
2-64: G Eemil Vinni / JoKP (Mestis)
5-160: LW Connor Clattenburg / Flint Firebirds (OHL)
6-183: D Albin Sundin / Frölunda HC J20 (J20 Nationell)
6-192: C Dalyn Wakely / North Bay Battalion (OHL)
7-196: C William Nicholl / London Knights (OHL)
7-218: D Bauer Berry / Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)

Florida Panthers 

2-58: C Linus Eriksson / Djurgårdens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan)
3-97: D Matvei Shuravin / Krasnaya Armiya Mosvka (MHL)
4-129: C Simon Zether / Rögle BK (SHL)
6-169: C Stepan Gorbunov / Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)
6-193: LW Hunter St. Martin / Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
7-201: G Denis Gabdrakhmanov / Tyumenski Legion (MHL)

Los Angeles Kings

1-26: RW Liam Greentree / Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
2-57: G Carter George / Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
6-164: D Jared Woolley / London Knights (OHL)
7-198: RW James Reeder / Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)

Minnesota Wild

1-12: D Zeev Buium / University of Denver (NCAA)
2-45: RW Ryder Ritchie / Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)
4-122: D Aron Kiviharju / HIFK (Liiga)
5-140: D Sebastian Soini / KOOVEE (Mestis)
5-142: G Chase Wutzke / Red Deer Rebels (WHL)
6-174: D Stevie Leskovar / Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)

Montreal Canadiens

1-5: RW Ivan Demidov / SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)
1-21: C Michael Hage / Chicago Steel (USHL)
3-70: C Aatos Koivu / TPS U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
3-78: C Logan Sawyer / Brooks Bandits (BCHL)
4-102: D Owen Protz / Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
5-130: RW Tyler Thorpe / Vancouver Giants (WHL)
5-134: G Mikus Vecvanags / Tukums (Latvia2)
6-166: C Ben Merrill / St. Sebastian’s School (USHS-Prep)
7-210: RW Makar Khanin / Dynamo St. Petersburg (VHL)
7-224: D Rasmus Bergqvist / Skellefteå AIK J20 (J20 Nationell)

Nashville Predators

1-22: C Yegor Surin / Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
2-55: C Teddy Stiga / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
3-77: D Viggo Gustafsson / HV71 J20 (J20 Nationell)
3-87: RW Miguel Marques / Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)
3-94: RW Hiroki Gojsic / Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
4-99: G Jakub Milota / Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL)
4-127: LW Viktor Nörringer / Frölunda HC J20 (J20 Nationell)
7-213: C Erik Påhlsson / Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)

New Jersey Devils

1-10: D Anton Silayev / Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod (KHL)
2-49: G Mikhail Yegorov / Omaha Lancers (USHL)
3-85: RW Kasper Pikkarainen / TPS U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
3-91: RW Herman Träff / HV71 J20 (J20 Nationell)
5-139: C Max Graham / Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
5-146: G Veeti Louhivaara / JYP U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
6-171: C Matyáš Melovský / Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)

New York Islanders

1-20: LW Cole Eiserman / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
2-54: D Jesse Pulkkinen / JYP (Liiga)
2-61: C Kamil Bednarik / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
4-115: G Dmitry Gamzin / Zvezda Moskva (VHL)
5-147: G Marcus Gidlöf / Leksands IF J20 (J20 Nationell)
6-179: D Xavier Veilleux / Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)

New York Rangers

1-30: D EJ Emery / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
4-119: C Raoul Boilard / Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
5-159: LW Nathan Aspinall / Flint Firebirds (OHL)
6-191: LW Rico Gredig / HC Davos (NL)

Ottawa Senators

1-7: D Carter Yakemchuk / Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
2-39: D Gabriel Eliasson / HV71 J20 (J20 Nationell)
4-104: LW Lucas Ellinas / Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
4-112: LW Javon Moore / Minnetonka High (USHS-MN)
4-117: LW Blake Montgomery / Lincoln Stars (USHL)
5-136: D Eerik Wallenius / HPK U18 (U18 SM-sarja)

Philadelphia Flyers

1-13: C Jett Luchanko / Guelph Storm (OHL)
2-51: C Jack Berglund / Färjestad BK J20 (J20 Nationell)
2-59: D Spencer Gill / Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL)
4-107: C Heikki Ruohonen / Kiekko-Espoo U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
5-148: RW Noah Powell / Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
6-173: RW Ilya Pautov / Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)
7-205: D Austin Moline / Shattuck St. Mary’s U18 Prep (USHS-Prep)

Pittsburgh Penguins

2-44: D Harrison Brunicke / Kamloops Blazers (WHL)
2-46: LW Tanner Howe / Regina Pats (WHL)
4-111: D Chase Pietila / Michigan Tech (NCAA)
6-175: D Joona Väisänen / Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
7-207: C Mac Swanson / Fargo Force (USHL)
7-223: D Finn Harding / Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)

San Jose Sharks

1-1: C Macklin Celebrini / Boston University (NCAA)
1-11: D Sam Dickinson / London Knights (OHL)
2-33: LW Igor Chernyshov / Dynamo Moskva (KHL)
2-53: D Leo Sahlin Wallenius / Växjö Lakers HC J20 (J20 Nationell)
3-82: RW Carson Wetsch / Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
4-116: G Christian Kirsch / Zug U20 (U20-Elit)
5-131: D Colton Roberts / Vancouver Giants (WHL)
5-143: D Nate Misskey / Victoria Royals (WHL)
7-194: G Yaroslav Korostelyov / SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)

Seattle Kraken

1-8: C Berkly Catton / Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
2-40: C Julius Miettinen / Everett Silvertips (WHL)
2-63: C Nathan Villeneuve / Sudbury Wolves (OHL)
3-73: D Alexis Bernier / Baie-Comeau Drakkar (QMJHL)
3-88: G Kim Saarinen / HPK U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
4-105: C Ollie Josephson / Red Deer Rebels (WHL)
5-141: LW Clarke Caswell / Swift Current Broncos (WHL)
7-202: D Jakub Fibigr / Mississauga Steelheads (OHL)

St. Louis Blues

1-16: D Adam Jiříček / HC Plzeň (Czechia)
2-48: D Colin Ralph / Shattuck St. Mary’s 18U Prep (USHS-Prep)
2-56: D Lukas Fischer / Sarnia Sting (OHL)
3-81: LW Ondrej Kos / KOOVEE (Mestis)
3-95: C Adam Jecho / Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
4-113: C Tomas Mrsic / Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
5-145: D William McIsaac / Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
7-209: C Antoine Dorion / Québec Remparts (QMJHL)
7-211: C Matvei Korotky / SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)

Tampa Bay Lightning

4-118: D Jan Goličič / Gatineau Olympiques (QMJHL)
4-128: RW Hagen Burrows / Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
5-149: C Joona Saarelainen / KalPa U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
6-181: C Kaden Pitre / Flint Firebirds (OHL)
7-195: LW Joe Connor / Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
7-199: LW Noah Steen / Mora IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
7-206: G Harrison Meneghin / Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL)

Toronto Maple Leafs

1-31: D Ben Danford / Oshawa Generals (OHL)
4-120: D Victor Johansson / Leksands IF J20 (J20 Nationell)
5-151: C Miroslav Holinka / HC Oceláři Třinec U20 (Czechia U20)
5-152: LW Alexander Plesovskikh / Mamonty Yugry (MHL)
5-157: G Timofei Obvintsev / Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)
7-200: D Matthew Leahy / Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL)
7-216: LW Sam McCue / Owen Sound Attack (OHL)
7-225: D Nathan Mayes / Spokane Chiefs (WHL)

Utah Hockey Club

1-6: C Tij Iginla / Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
1-24: C Cole Beaudoin / Barrie Colts (OHL)
2-65: D Will Skahan / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
3-89: D Tomas Lavoie / Cape Breton Eagles (QMJHL)
3-96: D Veeti Väisänen / KooKoo (Liiga)
4-98: D Gregor Biber / Rögle BK J20 (J20 Nationell)
4-103: C Gabe Smith / Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
5-135: C Owen Allard / Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
5-153: D Aleš Čech / BK Mladá Boleslav (Czechia)
6-167: C Vojtěch Hradec / BK Mladá Boleslav (Czechia)
6-190: D Ludvig Lafton / Färjestad BK J20 (J20 Nationell)

Vancouver Canucks

3-93: RW Melvin Fernström / Örebro HK J20 (J20 Nationell)
4-125: C Riley Patterson / Barrie Colts (OHL)
6-162: RW Anthony Romani / North Bay Battalion (OHL)
6-189: D Parker Alcos / Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
7-221: D Basile Sansonnens / Gottéron U20 (U20-Elit)

Vegas Golden Knights 

1-19: LW Trevor Connelly / Tri-City Storm (USHL)
3-83: G Pavel Moysevich / SKA-Neva St. Petersburg (VHL)
6-180: LW Trent Swick / Kitchener Rangers (OHL)
7-197: C Lucas Van Vliet / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)

Washington Capitals

1-17: RW Terik Parascak / Prince George Cougars (WHL)
2-43: D Cole Hutson / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
2-52: D Leon Muggli / EV Zug (NL)
3-75: LW Ilya Protas / Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
3-90: LW Ēriks Mateiko / Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
4-114: G Nicholas Kempf / U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
6-178: C Petr Sikora / HC Oceláři Třinec U20 (Czechia U20)
7-212: C Miroslav Šatan / HC Slovan Bratislava U20 (Slovakia U20)

Winnipeg Jets

2-37: D Alfons Freij / Växjö Lakers HC J20 (J20 Nationell)
4-109: LW Kevin He / Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
5-155: C Markus Loponen / Kärpät U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
6-187: C Kieron Walton / Sudbury Wolves (OHL)

Offseason Checklist: Florida Panthers

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After this year’s Stanley Cup champion was crowned, the offseason has arrived for everyone. It’s time to examine what teams will need to accomplish over the coming months.  Last up is a look at the Cup champion Panthers.

After reaching the Cup Final last year before bowing out fairly quickly to Vegas, there was only one way Florida could improve on their fortunes.  They did just that, surviving losing three straight to Edmonton to erase a 3-0 series lead to win their first title in franchise history.  Now, GM Bill Zito has a lot to contend with concerning his roster for the summer and not a lot of time to do it.

Try To Keep Key UFAs

The Panthers have a sizable list of pending unrestricted free agents, many of which are core pieces.  How successful their offseason ultimately is will be determined by how many they’re able to keep or how well they’re able to replace them with the roughly $19.5MM in cap room they have, per CapFriendly.

Up front, the biggest name is Sam Reinhart.  After a quieter second season in Florida, the 28-year-old turned things around, putting together a career year that saw him put up 57 goals and 94 points during the regular season while adding 16 points in the playoffs.  A strong defensive player, Reinhart can also play down the middle if called upon which would only boost his value.  After making an average of $6.5MM over the last three years, Reinhart is well-positioned to earn a significant raise and a long-term deal.  He could conceivably cost up to half of Florida’s remaining cap room.

Then there’s Vladimir Tarasenko.  After his market didn’t materialize as planned, he settled for a one-year, $5MM deal with Ottawa, who flipped him to the Panthers at the trade deadline.  Notably, the 32-year-old made it known he’d only waive to go to Florida.  With 23 goals and 32 assists, he should be able to command a similar-sized price tag which could price him out of their range unless he’s willing to take a team-friendly deal.

On the back end, they took care of one key pending free agent when they signed Gustav Forsling to an eight-year, $46MM extension to keep him away from the open market.  But they have the top blueliner from this year’s class in Brandon Montour as well.  The 30-year-old broke out with Florida, living up to the high-end potential many felt he had.  He posted a career-best 73 points in 2022-23 but only managed 33 in 66 games during the regular season which will likely lower his overall price.  Having said that, he could still more than double the $3.5MM AAV he had over the past three years which could make it hard to keep him around.  Oliver Ekman-Larsson also had a nice bounce-back year and is set to hit the open market where he should command more than the $2.275MM he made this season.

Early Extension Talks

If those pending free agents weren’t notable enough, the Panthers have three key pieces that will be entering the final year of their respective contracts on July 1st, making them extension-eligible at that time.  While getting them locked up early isn’t necessary, Zito at least needs to get a sense of what those players are looking for as that will likely impact how many of their current free agents (who should all command multi-year contracts this time around) they’re able to try to re-sign.

One of those players is Carter Verhaeghe.  When he first arrived with Florida, he had yet to establish himself as a full-time NHL player.  Now, just four years later, he has been one of the better bargains in the NHL while his offensive game has taken off.  In 2022-23, he potted 42 goals and 31 assists and followed that up with 34 goals and 38 helpers this season.  Those are top-line numbers that will have him positioned to command a long-term agreement and a significant raise.  For context, Verhaeghe made just $1MM in his first two seasons with the Panthers and currently has a cap charge of $4.167MM.  Next time out, he could potentially double it with an AAV that should check in around the $8MM range.

Meanwhile, Aaron Ekblad will soon be in need of a new deal on the back end.  The agreement that he’s on now was a record-setting deal at the time for a defenseman coming off his entry-level contract as he took an eight-year deal that carried a $7.5MM AAV.  While he never really took off offensively (aside from the 2021-22 campaign), the Panthers have still done rather well with that contract as Ekblad has been a workhorse for most of that time.  However, he dealt with some injury issues this season while his playing time was more limited; his 20:52 per game was a career-low.  It’s possible that Florida will try to get him to take a bit less this time around which makes it more challenging to see a deal get done in the coming weeks.  Those discussions will come with a new agent as PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that he’s now represented by Newport’s Craig Oster.

Then there’s Sam Bennett.  His regular season numbers don’t jump off the page (his career-high in points is 49) but he’s coming off two strong playoff performances that saw him produce at a better rate, something that doesn’t generally happen.  On top of that, he’s a power forward who also plays center.  That’s a combination that will have a lot of teams gearing up to put in offers so it stands to reason that he’s in line for a considerable raise on his current $4.425MM AAV.

Again, they don’t have to get these players signed just yet.  Simply knowing what the asking prices are likely to be should give Zito enough information to formulate his plan for his pending free agents.

Knight Decision

With Spencer Knight spending a good chunk of 2022-23 away from the team while being in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, Zito decided he needed some insurance between the pipes, inking Anthony Stolarz to a one-year, $1.1MM contract, a deal that couldn’t have worked out any better for them.  With Knight being young enough to get to the minors without waivers, he entered the season as Florida’s third-string option.

From a games-played perspective, things worked out relatively well for Knight as he played 45 times, his highest amount of appearances since his draft year.  However, his numbers with AHL Charlotte weren’t dominant by any stretch the way you’d hope someone making $4.5MM would be able to put up.  While he finished eighth among qualifying netminders in GAA (2.41), his SV% (.905) was only good for a tie for 28th place.  He got to play but management was probably hoping he’d have been more effective.

At this point, Stolarz is likely to price himself out of what Florida can afford as he’s slated to be one of the better options in a UFA goaltending class that is relatively weak.  Accordingly, Zito needs to decide if Knight is ready to re-assume the second-string duty behind Sergei Bobrovsky.  If so, then he has his very expensive tandem in place.  If not, then he’ll need to find a replacement.

And if the decision is made that Knight isn’t going to be the backup next season, Florida will need to contemplate a buyout.  He’s young enough that the buyout cost would only be $750K for four years.  If he’s buried in the minors again (he remains waiver-exempt), the cap charge would be $3.325MM.  That $2.575MM difference could be enough for a lower-cost backup on a deal similar to the one Stolarz received a year ago while freeing up funds to up an offer to one of their core free agents.

Knight didn’t play a single second for Florida during the regular season or playoffs but he could still play a big role in what the Panthers can and can’t do in the coming days and weeks.

Add Low-Cost Depth

Last summer, Zito had to make some low-cost acquisitions, bringing in Kevin Stenlund, Steven Lorentz, Dmitry Kulikov, Mike Reilly, Uvis Balinskis, and Stolarz on cheap deals worth $1.1MM or less.  For the most part, they did quite well with those pickups.

Now, Zito will be trying to repeat that level of success on what’s likely to be a mostly new group (only Balinskis is still signed) while also trying to replace some other veteran UFAs including Ryan Lomberg and Nick Cousins.  They could be looking at signing five or six forwards and a couple of defensemen with their remaining cap space while keeping in mind how much some of those top players are likely to command on the open market.

It’s quite possible that the $1.1MM line might be too steep for the Panthers this time around.  Now, they might have to shop for options much closer to the league minimum if not right at the $775K minimum salary to stretch every dollar.  Zito will have to find a way to find veterans who can provide a similar level of performance as his group from last summer while being even more constrained financially, assuming he’s able to keep at least one of his key free agents.  That will be a tough needle to thread for a second straight year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Focus: Colorado Avalanche

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Free agency is now less than a week away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Avalanche.

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Jonathan Drouin – One summer ago, the Avalanche brought Drouin into the fold on a low-risk one-year, $825K contract. Paired with Nathan MacKinnon for the first time since their time with the Halifax Mooseheads, Drouin would be among the highest-value signings of the previous offseason. Over 79 regular season games, Drouin scored 19 goals and 37 assists in Colorado, with the latter statistic marking a career-high. As much as there is a mutual interest between Drouin and the Avalanche on a contract extension, the organization will have to be very frugal this summer based on the pending status of Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin. Although he has more than earned a raise upon his previous salary, Drouin will still need to take a fairly hefty discount to remain in Denver.

D Sean Walker – Acquired to offset the departure of Bowen Byram during a busy trade deadline for the Avalanche, Walker will likely depart this summer. Walker was acquired by the Philadelphia Flyers last summer as a salary dump before finally making his way to Colorado for a top-10 protected first-round pick and the contract of Ryan Johansen. Walker logged heavy minutes during his time with the Flyers and rewarded the team with six goals and 22 points in 63 games. His average ice time dipped nearly two minutes after the trade to the Avalanche but he still managed four goals and seven points in the remaining 18 games of the regular season. Regardless of going scoreless through 11 games in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs; Walker should command $4-5MM per year on a multi-year contract agreement on the open market.

F Brandon Duhaime – A part of a rare intra-division trade during the trade deadline, Duhaime was brought in to serve as a bruiser in Colorado’s bottom six. Not much of a weapon in the points department — Duhaime has averaged 2.63 hits a game since making his debut with the Minnesota Wild during the 2021-22 NHL season. Unlike most of the other trade deadline acquisitions made by the Avalanche, Duhaime’s price tag wouldn’t necessarily prohibit him from staying in Denver. The team already has Josh Manson, Miles Wood, and Ross Colton as reliable physical options; but contending teams will always be looking for more physicality come springtime.

F Yakov Trenin – Similarly to Duhaime, Trenin was brought in via an intra-division trade with the Nashville Predators at the trade deadline as a physical presence. However, Trenin has been known to score much more than Duhaime evidenced by his 41 goals since the start of the 2021-22 NHL season. Trenin saw his role reduced considerably with the Avalanche, and may want to join a team where he can once again average 15 minutes of ice time per game. Colorado should have the financial flexibility to retain Trenin if they desire, but he will likely move on for a better opportunity this summer.

Other UFAs: F Joel Kiviranta, D Jack Johnson, D Caleb Jones, F Fredrik Olofsson, F Spencer Smallman, F Riley Tufte, D Brad Hunt, D Corey Schueneman, G Ivan Prosvetov

Projected Cap Space

This is where matters become incredibly complicated for the Avalanche. Going into the summer, the team will largely have to assume Landeskog and Nichushkin will return at some point during the 2024-25 NHL season, which would tack on another $13.125 million to the salary cap. Even though Colorado has just under $10.5MM available in cap space, the contract for Nichushkin alone would bring that value down to $4.34MM if he eventually returns.

Much like last offseason, the Avalanche will have to nibble around the fringes of the free agent market with the hope of landing some high-value contracts similar to Drouin. However, this approach does leave considerable room for danger. If Landeskog and Nichushkin do not return at any point next season, the Avalanche will have a bevy of unused cap space. As a team primed for Stanley Cup contention, this is a reality that Colorado can not allow to happen.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Cap information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Free Agent Focus: Columbus Blue Jackets

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Free agency is now less than a week away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Blue Jackets.

Key Restricted Free Agents

D Jake Bean – A couple of years ago, the Blue Jackets made a move for Bean with the hope that he could become a longer-term option on the back end.  His first season went well before injuries were a significant issue in 2022-23.  This season, Bean was able to stay healthy but struggled while remaining limited in a third-pairing role.  At 26 with nearly 200 career NHL games under his belt, there is definitely a role for him on an NHL roster.  However, is he worth $2.8MM and granting him arbitration rights?  This is the decision that GM Don Waddell has to weigh.  If you’re wondering which way he might be leaning, remember that Waddell was the GM who moved him to Columbus in the first place.

F Kent Johnson – After a strong showing in his first full NHL campaign in 2022-23 that saw him put up 40 points in 79 games, expectations were high for the 2021 fifth-overall pick heading into the season.  However, he wound up not making the team out of training camp and when he was recalled later on, offensive success was harder to come by.  To make matters worse, he suffered a torn labrum in late February, ending his season prematurely while also affecting his offseason training.  It’s safe to say that he’s heading for a bridge contract and as a 10.2 (c) player, the Blue Jackets don’t have to worry about any potential threat of an offer sheet as he’s not eligible for one.

F Kirill Marchenko – The Blue Jackets haven’t had much success in the goal-scoring department in recent years but Marchenko is one of the exceptions.  The 23-year-old scored 21 goals in 59 games in his rookie year and followed it up with a 23-goal effort in 2023-24.  If Waddell is inclined to hand out a long-term agreement this summer, Marchenko is probably the candidate to receive it.  Otherwise, he could also be heading for a bridge deal.  Since he has arbitration rights, there’s a good chance that the agreement will push past the $3MM mark.

F Cole Sillinger – After a sophomore year to forget, Sillinger had a good bounce-back campaign, getting back around the numbers he had in his rookie year, notching 13 goals and 19 assists while improving at the faceoff dot and taking a regular turn on the penalty kill.  While it’s not the numbers they were hoping for from the 2021 first-rounder, Sillinger at least appears to be back on the upswing.  Once again, a short-term second contract is expected, one that should surpass $2MM per season.

F Alexandre Texier – After spending 2022-23 in Switzerland and having his contract tolled, Texier returned to Columbus and put up a career-best 30 points albeit with a lower point-per-game rate than in 2021-22.  There have been times when he has looked like a capable top-six piece but he hasn’t been able to play at that level consistently enough to stay there.  Accordingly, another short-term agreement is likely heading his way though he should get a raise from his $1.75MM salary which also serves as his qualifying offer.

Other RFAs: F Tyler Angle, D Marcus Bjork, D Jake Christiansen, G Jet Greaves, F Alexander Nylander

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Nick Blankenburg – It’s a pretty thin crop of pending unrestricted free agents which isn’t much of a surprise for a rebuilding team.  Blankenburg isn’t even a typical UFA as he qualifies as a Group Six free agent as a player who is 25 or older, has at least three professional seasons, and less than 80 NHL appearances.  Blankenburg was a full-timer on the NHL roster in 2022-23 but spent the bulk of this season in the minors where he also battled injury trouble.  Still, as someone who has had a bit of success at the top level (18 points in 55 games while logging over 18 minutes a night on average) and being a right-shot defenseman, Blankenburg should have fairly strong interest on the open market.

D Jakub Zboril – Zboril didn’t see any NHL action in 2023-24, instead splitting time between the AHL affiliates for Boston and Columbus.  Part of that could be attributable to the seven-figure cap hit he had, something that shouldn’t be the case next season.  The 27-year-old has 76 career NHL games under his belt and should have interest on two-way offers.  However, if he feels that the AHL is his likeliest destination, it’s also possible that he will consider his options overseas.

Other UFAs: F Joshua Dunne, F Brendan Gaunce, F Carson Meyer, G Malcolm Subban, D Billy Sweezey

Projected Cap Space

Cap space won’t be an issue for the Blue Jackets this summer as they enter the offseason with $21.675MM in spending room.  None of their pending restricted free agents are poised to command a pricey contract although there are enough of them to put a dent into that figure.  Nonetheless, there is enough room for them to try to make a splash this summer if Waddell wants to put his stamp on his new team early.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Cap information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Offseason Checklist: Edmonton Oilers

at CDT | by 6 Comments

After this year’s Stanley Cup champion was crowned, the offseason has arrived for everyone. It’s time to examine what teams will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at the Oilers.

A horrid 3-9-1 start to the season had the Oilers in dangerous territory in November, leading them to be the first team to make an in-season coaching change. They were raucous after replacing Jay Woodcroft with Kris Knoblauch behind the bench, rebounding to go 46-18-5 the rest of the way and finishing second in the Pacific Division with 104 points. Their star-studded roster got within one goal of their first Stanley Cup since 1990 but ultimately fell short in an incredible 2024 Stanley Cup Final that saw them erase a 3-0 series deficit to force a Game 7. Now, the focus quickly turns to next season, with the draft and free agency less than a week away.

Find Holland’s Successor

The 2024 NHL Draft is in just three days, but the Oilers won’t have a full-time general manager at the table, it seems. Ken Holland’s contract is up and he won’t be returning in the role next season, as he’s headed for something between pseudo-retirement and full retirement. There’s a sense Holland may still remain affiliated with Edmonton in 2024-25, but it won’t be as GM, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports.

That leaves Edmonton with some choices to make, both short-term and long-term. In terms of who will run the draft on Friday night and Saturday morning, that’ll likely fall on the shoulders of assistant GMs Keith Gretzky, Brad Holland and Bill Scott. Director of Amateur Scouting Bill Pracey and Chief Amateur Scout Bob Green will also likely have more increased responsibility than normal. One thing is for sure, though – Ken Holland won’t be on the floor in his former capacity.

They haven’t been linked to any external GM candidates yet, but they’ll need to conduct a search. Brad Holland, who holds a director of professional scouting specification under his AGM title, seems to be the likeliest candidate to take over as the de facto interim GM when free agency begins if Edmonton doesn’t name a permanent replacement in the next week.

Draisaitl Extension Talks

German superstar Leon Draisaitl has more than solidified himself as a top-five forward in the league, giving the Oilers a one-two punch down the middle only rivaled by the prime of the Penguins’ Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in recent memory. He’s done so on an absolute steal of an $8.5MM cap hit that’s served them well over the last seven seasons, but he’s now hurtling toward unrestricted free agency in 2025 and will require a hefty raise.

It doesn’t help that his deal is expiring at a time when the salary cap is seeing hefty 5% raises annually, and the top end of skater contracts is seemingly moving north every summer. As Chris Johnston pointed out in his latest for The Athletic, Draisaitl is surely in line to at least match or exceed the $13.25MM cap hit that’s kicking in for Leafs star Auston Matthews next season. That would at least temporarily have him eclipse Connor McDavid as Edmonton’s highest-paid player. Is that something the organization is comfortable with?

We’ll find out soon enough. If Draisaitl signs an extension for the same cap hit percentage as Matthews, 15.87%, that would work out to $13.97MM per season with an $88MM upper limit. Evolving Hockey has a slightly more conservative extension projection for Draisaitl at eight years with a $13.54MM cap hit. It would still give him the largest cap hit in the league for a brief period of time – he’d surely be eclipsed by McDavid when his deal runs out in 2026.

Getting cost certainty on Draisaitl long-term is necessary for the Oilers’ planning this summer as they look to make commitments in free agency and offload some bloated deals. They’re likely not very comfortable with extension discussions drawing out into the season, either – letting him potentially walk for nothing next summer isn’t something they’re even entertaining, per Johnston.

Replenish Scoring Depth

The Oilers have a bevy of forwards who were regulars in postseason play hitting free agency this summer, headlined by 20-goal man Warren Foegele and trade deadline pickup Adam Henrique. Their penalty-killing duo of Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark, who had a strong playoff and an incredible breakthrough Cup Final against Florida, are also both up.

As it stands, four forwards who spent most or all of last season in the AHL (Xavier Bourgault, James Hamblin, Raphael Lavoie, Lane Pederson) are slated for their 2024-25 opening night lineup if they don’t sign any UFAs. That’s not a realistic scenario. Anyone who can be had for a relatively affordable price will likely brought back – after all, their scoring behind McDavid, Draisaitl, Zach Hyman and company was strong enough to get them oh-so-close to a championship. Foegele especially was a crucial depth piece throughout the season, not just the playoffs, with his career-high 41 points.

But with only just over $10MM in projected cap space with nine open roster spots, that’s going to be an extremely tough ask. Money will need to be moved out no matter who they retain, which brings us to our next point…

Offload Campbell

Ridding themselves of or significantly reducing Jack Campbell’s $5MM cap hit is a much higher priority for Edmonton than its fourth-item placing in this article indicates. He’s taking up nearly 6% of their cap space and still costs $3.85MM when buried in the minors. While he did have a strong campaign in AHL Bakersfield, posting a .918 SV% in 33 games, the uncertainty of what you’re getting from him if you promote him back to the NHL is simply too great to stomach for a championship-caliber, cap-strapped team like Edmonton.

Whether that’s a trade or a buyout remains to be seen. He does have some trade protection, but a 10-team no-trade list isn’t absurdly difficult to deal with. A buyout would reduce his cap hit to $1.1MM next season, saving them $2.75MM in cap space compared to burying him in the minors. That’s enough for a pair of serviceable depth scorers in free agency.

Campbell had a .873 SV% in five NHL appearances to begin the season before being waived and sent to Bakersfield, where he spent the rest of the campaign. They would still need to find a backup for Stuart Skinner if they buy Campbell out or move him, but that can be done for a league-minimum contract (or close to it).

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Full 2024 NHL Draft Order

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Updated 6/28/24. Originally published 6/7/24.

With the draft lottery behind us (spoiler alert: there were no changes) and all but the most important playoff series decided, the final order for the 2024 NHL Draft has come into clear view.

We’ll likely see some of these picks change hands on June 28 or 29 or in the days before the draft. We’ll be sure to update the list below if and when picks are traded.

Here’s the full 2024 NHL draft order:

First Round

1. San Jose Sharks
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Anaheim Ducks
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Utah Hockey Club
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Seattle Kraken
9. Calgary Flames
10. New Jersey Devils
11. San Jose Sharks (from BUF)
12. Philadelphia Flyers
13. Minnesota Wild
14. Buffalo Sabres (from PIT)
15. Detroit Red Wings
16. St. Louis Blues
17. Washington Capitals
18. Chicago Blackhawks (from NYI)
19. Vegas Golden Knights
20. New York Islanders (from TBL)
21. Montreal Canadiens (from LAK)
22. Nashville Predators
23. Toronto Maple Leafs
24. Colorado Avalanche
25. Boston Bruins
26. Los Angeles Kings (from WPG)
27. Carolina Hurricanes
28. Calgary Flames (from VAN)
29. Dallas Stars
30. New York Rangers
31. Anaheim Ducks (from EDM)
32. Philadelphia Flyers (from FLA)

Second Round

33. San Jose Sharks
34. Chicago Blackhawks
35. Anaheim Ducks
36. Philadelphia Flyers (from CBJ) (Note: CBJ has until after the first round to decide whether they’re sending their 2024 or 2025 second-round pick to PHI)
37. Winnipeg Jets (from MTL)
38. Utah Hockey Club
39. Ottawa Senators
40. Seattle Kraken
41. Calgary Flames
42. Buffalo Sabres (from NJD)
43. Buffalo Sabres
44. Pittsburgh Penguins (from PHI)
45. Minnesota Wild
46. Pittsburgh Penguins
47. Detroit Red Wings
48. St. Louis Blues
49. Utah Hockey Club (from WSH)
50. Chicago Blackhawks (from NYI)
51. Philadelphia Flyers (Note: compensatory pick for not signing 2018 first-round pick Jay O’Brien)
52. Washington Capitals (from VGK)
53. San Jose Sharks (from TBL)
54. New York Islanders (from LAK)
55. Nashville Predators
56. St. Louis Blues (from TOR)
57. Los Angeles Kings (from COL)
58. Anaheim Ducks (from BOS)
59. Nashville Predators (from WPG)
60. Carolina Hurricanes
61. New York Islanders (from VAN)
62. Calgary Flames (from DAL)
63. Seattle Kraken (from NYR)
64. Edmonton Oilers
65. Utah Hockey Club (from FLA)

Third Round

66. Anaheim Ducks (from SJS)
67. Chicago Blackhawks
68. Anaheim Ducks
69. Columbus Blue Jackets
70. Montreal Canadiens
71. Utah Hockey Club
72. Chicago Blackhawks (from OTT)
73. Seattle Kraken
74. Calgary Flames
75. New Jersey Devils
76. Buffalo Sabres
77. Philadelphia Flyers
78. Montreal Canadiens (from MIN)
79. Anaheim Ducks (from PIT)
80. Detroit Red Wings
81. St. Louis Blues
82. Washington Capitals
83. Washington Capitals (from NYI)
84. Calgary Flames (from VGK)
85. San Jose Sharks (from TBL)
86. Columbus Blue Jackets (from LAK)
87. Nashville Predators
88. Seattle Kraken (from TOR)
89. Utah Hockey Club (from COL)
90. Washington Capitals (from BOS)
91. New Jersey Devils (from WPG)
92. Carolina Hurricanes
93. Vancouver Canucks
94. Nashville Predators (from DAL)
95. St. Louis Blues (from NYR)
96. Utah Hockey Club (from EDM)
97. Florida Panthers

Fourth Round

98. Utah Hockey Club (from SJS)
99. Nashville Predators (from CHI)
100. Anaheim Ducks
101. Columbus Blue Jackets
102. Montreal Canadiens
103. Utah Hockey Club
104. Ottawa Senators
105. Seattle Kraken
106. Calgary Flames
107. Calgary Flames (from NJD)
108. Buffalo Sabres
109. Buffalo Sabres (from PHI)
110. Minnesota Wild
111. Pittsburgh Penguins
112. Ottawa Senators (from DET)
113. St. Louis Blues
114. Washington Capitals
115. New York Islanders
116. San Jose Sharks (from VGK)
117. Ottawa Senators (from TBL)
118. Los Angeles Kings
119. Nashville Predators
120. Toronto Maple Leafs
121. Colorado Avalanche
122. Boston Bruins
123. Winnipeg Jets
124. Carolina Hurricanes
125. Vancouver Canucks
126. Detroit Red Wings (from DAL)
127. New York Rangers
128. Tampa Bay Lightning (from EDM)
129. Florida Panthers

Fifth Round

130. Montreal Canadiens (from SJS)
131. San Jose Sharks (from CHI)
132. Colorado Avalanche (from ANA)
133. Columbus Blue Jackets
134. Montreal Canadiens
135. Utah Hockey Club
136. Ottawa Senators
137. Colorado Avalanche (from SEA)
138. Chicago Blackhawks (from CGY)
139. New Jersey Devils
140. Minnesota Wild (from BUF)
141. Florida Panthers (from PHI)
142. Minnesota Wild
143. San Jose Sharks (from PIT)
144. Detroit Red Wings
145. St. Louis Blues
146. Washington Capitals
147. New York Islanders
148. Philadelphia Flyers (from VGK)
149. Tampa Bay Lightning
150. Philadelphia Flyers (from LAK)
151. Toronto Maple Leafs (from NSH)
152. Toronto Maple Leafs
153. New Jersey Devils (from COL)
154. Boston Bruins
155. Winnipeg Jets
156. Carolina Hurricanes
157. Toronto Maple Leafs (from VAN)
158. Dallas Stars
159. New York Rangers
160. Edmonton Oilers
161. Buffalo Sabres (from FLA)

Sixth Round

162. Vancouver Canucks (from SJS)
163. Chicago Blackhawks
164. Anaheim Ducks
165. Columbus Blue Jackets
166. Montreal Canadiens
167. Utah Hockey Club
168. Carolina Hurricanes (from OTT)
169. Seattle Kraken
170. Calgary Flames
171. New Jersey Devils
172. Buffalo Sabres
173. Philadelphia Flyers
174. Minnesota Wild
175. Pittsburgh Penguins
176. Detroit Red Wings
177. Philadelphia Flyers (from STL)
178. Washington Capitals
179. New York Islanders
180. Vegas Golden Knights
181. Tampa Bay Lightning
182. Los Angeles Kings
183. Edmonton Oilers (from NSH)
184. Carolina Hurricanes (from TOR)
185. Colorado Avalanche
186. Boston Bruins
187. Winnipeg Jets
188. Carolina Hurricanes
189. Vancouver Canucks
190. Utah Hockey Club (from DAL)
191. New York Rangers
192. Edmonton Oilers
193. Florida Panthers

Seventh Round

194. San Jose Sharks
195. Tampa Bay Lightning (from CHI)
196. Edmonton Oilers (from ANA)
197. Vegas Golden Knights (from CBJ)
198. Los Angeles Kings (from MTL)
199. Utah Hockey Club
200. Toronto Maple Leafs (from OTT)
201. Seattle Kraken
202. Seattle Kraken (from CGY)
203. Detroit Red Wings (from NJD)
204. Buffalo Sabres
205. Philadelphia Flyers
206. Tampa Bay Lightning (from MIN)
207. Pittsburgh Penguins
208. Detroit Red Wings
209. St. Louis Blues
210. Montreal Canadiens (from WSH)
211. St. Louis Blues (from NYI)
212. Vegas Golden Knights
213. Nashville Predators (from TBL)
214. Los Angeles Kings
215. Colorado Avalanche (from NSH)
216. Toronto Maple Leafs
217. Colorado Avalanche
218. Edmonton Oilers (from BOS)
219. Winnipeg Jets
220. Carolina Hurricanes
221. Vancouver Canucks
222. Dallas Stars
223. Pittsburgh Penguins (from NYR)
224. Montreal Canadiens (from EDM)
225. Florida Panthers

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