Pro Hockey Rumors Originals – Page 67

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Anaheim Ducks

By Brian La Rose | at October 14, 2023 3:59 pm

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2023-24 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Anaheim Ducks

Current Cap Hit: $75,316,667 (under the $83.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Leo Carlsson (three years, $925K)
D Jackson LaCombe (one year, $925K)
D Tristan Luneau (three years, $897K)
F Mason McTavish (two years, $894K)
D Pavel Mintyukov (three years, $918K)

Potential Bonuses
Carlsson: $3.25MM
LaCombe: $925K
Luneau: $80K
McTavish: $2.5MM
Mintyukov: $550K
Total: $7.31MM

Carlsson was the second-overall pick back in June and while he opens the season as a cap-exempt player on SOIR, that won’t be the case for long. With Anaheim’s depth down the middle, they have the luxury of easing him in at center if they want or to start him on the wing. It’s far too early to forecast a second contract but he’s a big part of their future plans. McTavish is also a key cog for them for the long haul. The third-overall pick in 2021 had a strong first full season and is expected to play a bigger role this year. If he stays on that upward trajectory, he could command a long-term deal around the $8MM range that other young middlemen have landed. That is, if GM Pat Verbeek is willing to break from his tendency of sticking with bridge deals. In that case, something around $6MM could be the target.

LaCombe made his NHL debut late last season, burning the first year of his deal in the process. He was quite productive with the University of Minnesota in his college career, particularly the last two years. However, with him really only having one year to base his second contract on, it’s almost certain to be a short-term agreement. If he holds a regular role this year, it could check in around the $1.5MM mark. Luneau and Mintyukov both broke camp with the team but might not be up for too long. Two of the top blueliners in major junior last season, both have considerable offensive upside which will serve them well on their second contracts.

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

F Sam Carrick ($850K, UFA)
F Benoit-Olivier Groulx ($775K, RFA)
F Adam Henrique ($5.825MM, UFA)
F Brett Leason ($775K, RFA)
F Isac Lundestrom ($1.8MM, RFA)
D Ilya Lyubushkin ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Max Jones ($1.295MM, RFA)
F Jakob Silfverberg ($5.25MM, UFA)
D Urho Vaakanainen ($850K, RFA)

Get used to hearing Henrique’s name in trade speculation throughout the season. When healthy, he has shown he can still play on a second line although his role on a contender might be a bit lower. Henrique’s injury trouble will limit his value on the open market, however. He’s still capable of putting up 20 goals – he did so just last season – but as he starts to look more like a third-liner moving forward, his value will drop accordingly. Something in the $3.5MM range might be the right spot. Silfverberg is another trade deadline rental candidate assuming the Ducks retain a sizable portion. He has struggled the last few years and is more of a role player at this point in his career. In free agency, those players typically get about a third of what he’s making now.

Lundestrom’s platform year isn’t off to a good start as he suffered a torn Achilles tendon back in August, keeping him out for the first half of the season at a minimum. Between that, the fact he’s coming off just a four-goal showing, and the fact that he filed for arbitration on his last deal, it’s possible that he becomes a non-tender candidate. Otherwise, a one-year agreement at or very close to this price tag is where his next deal should be. Jones has also battled injuries on his current deal but is coming off a career-best showing last year. If he can build on that, he could land a bit more than his $1.5MM qualifying offer next summer.

Carrick had 11 goals back in 2021-22 which helped him earn this deal after being primarily an AHL regular before that point. He’s a pure fourth liner which will cap his earnings upside unless he’s able to put up another double-digit showing offensively this season. Groulx is the beneficiary from Lundestrom’s injury as he was able to break camp with the team. He has primarily been in the AHL so far which doesn’t give him much leverage in negotiations but if he can lock down a full-time role, he could come in close to the $1MM mark. Leason was claimed off waivers last season and played a somewhat regular role. Similar to Groulx, if he can become an every-game player, he could land a small raise next summer as well.

Lyubushkin comes over following a late-summer trade as Verbeek continues to add grit to his roster. He’s a third-pairing blueliner with some limitations but if last summer was any indication, it’s quite possible that he lands a similar-sized multi-year agreement in 2024 given the desire for right-shot blueliners around the league. Vaakanainen just hasn’t been able to stay healthy. Anaheim picked him up as part of the Hampus Lindholm trade, hoping he could be a part of their future plans on the back end. That still could happen but with how much time he has missed, a one-year deal next summer is likely, one that should check in near the $1MM mark.

Signed Through 2024-25

G Lukas Dostal ($812.5K, RFA)
F Brock McGinn ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Frank Vatrano ($3.65MM, UFA)

Vatrano’s first season with Anaheim was a successful one as he set a new career high in points with 41 while topping the 20-goal mark for just the second time. At the time the deal was signed in 2022, this looked like a bit of an overpayment but if he can sustain those numbers, they’ll get a good return on the contract while the veteran will have a strong case for another multi-year pact in the $4MM range. McGinn was a salary dump from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline but while he’s overpaid for his role, he’s still a serviceable checker. His market value is around $1MM less than what he’s making now.

Dostal is in his first full NHL season after being up and down between Anaheim and AHL San Diego the last couple of years. If he can hold his own as a backup, he should easily double this price tag. If he can push to play more than just a typical backup, something closer to $3MM becomes potentially plausible.

Signed Through 2025-26

D Jamie Drysdale ($2.3MM, RFA)
D Cam Fowler ($6.5MM, UFA)
D Radko Gudas ($4MM, UFA)
F Ross Johnston ($1.1MM, UFA)
F Trevor Zegras ($5.75MM, RFA)

It took a while for Zegras and Anaheim to come to terms on the bridge deal that many expected but an agreement was reached just before the season. The contract gives both sides more time to assess if he can become a true number one middleman. If so, it’s possible that his next contract is closer to the $9MM mark while even if he stays around the 60-point mark that he has reached the last two years, he’d still be well-positioned for a decent raise with arbitration rights in 2026. Johnston was just claimed off waivers this week, giving the Ducks a true enforcer, further enhancing their grit. He had a very limited role with the Islanders and will need to lock down a regular spot by the time this deal is up if he wants another seven-figure AAV.

Fowler isn’t a true number one blueliner from the standpoint of being a high-end offensive producer who also plays on the top penalty kill. But he’s not far from that either. He is typically Anaheim’s best offensive weapon each season while logging big minutes in all situations. For the contract that he’s on relative to the role he fills on their back end, this deal has aged well for the Ducks so far. Fowler will be turning 35 soon after his next contract begins, however, which will hurt him a bit. Performance-wise, there’s a case to be made that he’s worthy of a fair-sized raise. However, his age will negate that. Accordingly, a multi-year deal around this price point might be where his next deal lands assuming his recent level of performance holds up.

Gudas was another addition made with an eye on upgrading team toughness. He has shown that he’s best suited to play on a third pairing but that he can log bigger minutes if needed. This is an overpayment for that type of role but with so many of their blueliners being youngsters that could legitimately be a couple of years away, the term shouldn’t hurt them much. Drysdale’s deal also just came together recently; his contract was more complex after he missed almost all of last season with a shoulder injury. He’s going to be part of the long-term core but with just 113 games under his belt, it’s still hard to assess how much of an impact he’ll be able to make.

Signed Through 2026-27 Or Longer

G John Gibson ($6.4MM through 2026-27)
F Alex Killorn ($6.25MM through 2026-27)
F Ryan Strome ($5MM through 2026-27)
F Troy Terry ($7MM through 2029-30)

Terry is a great example of why bridge contracts still have value to both team and player. The Ducks thought he had more to provide when they signed him originally but it took a while for him to get going. Now, the 26-year-old is coming off back-to-back years of at least 61 points. In doing so, he has established himself as a legitimate top-six forward, giving him much more leverage in discussions this time around. It took until right before a scheduled salary arbitration hearing to get this contract done but Terry is now entrenched as a part of their long-term future. Speculatively, it’s quite possible that this contract represents the high end of their salary scale until Zegras is up for renewal in 2026.

Not many expected Killorn to wind up with a rebuilding team but Anaheim saw fit to give him the richest AAV for any forward in free agency in the summer to be a leader on a young forward group. He’s coming off back-to-back career years which helped him earn this price tag but it’s hard to see him continuing that trend at the age of 34 in a more offensively-challenged environment. Strome saw his numbers dip last year as expected after coming over from the Rangers. He’s capable of being a placeholder down the middle to take pressure off the likes of McTavish and Carlsson but this price tag for 40-point production is certainly on the high side.

At one point, Gibson’s contract looked like quite a bargain as he was a top goalie making only a bit more than the median mark for a starter. However, he has struggled the last few years with last season, in particular, being a significant struggle as he posted a 3.99 GAA. Granted, some of that is attributable to a rebuilding team in front of him but they’re currently paying above-average money to a goalie providing below-average play between the pipes.

Buyouts

D Simon Despres ($662.5K through 2024-25, cap-exempt)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Best Value: Dostal
Worst Value: Gibson

Looking Ahead

Few teams have more cap space than the Ducks go, leaving them well-positioned to add if they have the budget room to do so. At a minimum, they should be in a spot to retain on Henrique and Silfverberg’s contracts to help facilitate a trade closer to the trade deadline.

With those two big contracts coming off the books, Verbeek will have plenty of cap space at his disposal next summer as well and with few long-term commitments at the moment, that flexibility will be there for several years. It’s going to be a rough couple of years ahead for Anaheim but when they’re ready to start building up again, they’ll be well-positioned to spend to do so.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Toronto Maple Leafs

By Brian La Rose | at October 12, 2023 7:07 pm

Toronto Maple Leafs

Current Cap Hit: $93,989,461 (over the $83.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Matthew Knies (two years, $925K)
F Fraser Minten (three years, $845K)

Knies made an immediate impression late last season, eventually playing his way into Toronto’s playoff lineup. He should be counted on to play a regular role this year but if he spends a lot of time on the third line as he’s starting on, it’ll be hard to make a case for an early extension. If he progresses as planned, a bridge deal could push around the $2.5MM mark. Minten somewhat surprisingly made the team after a strong training camp. It’s possible his stint is a short-term one so it’s a bit premature to forecast what his next deal might cost. Neither deal has performance bonuses (no player in the organization has any) so they’re not as risk of carryover charges on that front.

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

F Tyler Bertuzzi ($5.5MM, UFA)
D T.J. Brodie ($5MM, UFA)
F Max Domi ($3MM, UFA)
D Mark Giordano ($800K, UFA)
F Noah Gregor ($775K, RFA)
D John Klingberg ($4.15MM, UFA)
D Timothy Liljegren ($1.4MM, RFA)
G Matt Murray ($4.6875MM, UFA)*
D Jake Muzzin ($5.625MM, UFA)
F William Nylander ($6.962MM, UFA)
G Ilya Samsonov ($3.55MM, UFA)

*-Ottawa is retaining another $1.5625MM on Murray’s deal.

Nylander is shaping up to be one of the more interesting pending unrestricted free agents. He has certainly outproduced his contract, becoming a legitimate top-line threat. Now, the team has dabbled with him playing down the middle (which could resume if/when Minten is returned to junior) and even killing penalties. If he does well in those situations, his value will only go up. It’s believed his asking price is at least $10MM on a max-term agreement, a price tag Toronto isn’t willing to pay at the moment. Negotiations were hard-fought last time around with a deal coming down to mere minutes before the deadline that would have made him ineligible. It won’t come quite to that point next summer though as he’ll have enough suitors to get a deal done quickly if he makes it to the open market.

Bertuzzi’s market didn’t materialize to his liking this past summer. Seeking a long-term deal and bigger money, he landed neither of those, quickly pivoting instead to a pillow contract. He’s a good fit inside their top six and if things go as planned (while staying healthy), he should line himself up for at least a small raise and a multi-year deal next summer. The same can’t be said for Domi, a player who has bounced around the last few years. His two UFA contracts have been at this price point and unless he drastically improves (or regresses), it’s reasonable to think the next one should check in close to this as well. Gregor was able to convert a PTO into a full deal after being non-tendered by San Jose. Arbitration eligibility could work against him next summer as this is a roster spot the Maple Leafs will need to keep at the league minimum while he could make a case for a bit more than that if he holds down a spot on the fourth line.

Brodie is capable of logging big minutes but, in recent years, his offensive production hasn’t been the most consistent. If he’s putting up 30 points as he was in Calgary, this price tag is one he can justify. When that’s not the case, it becomes an above-market deal and considering he’ll be 34 next summer, he might be hard-pressed to command this much at that time. Klingberg, for the second year in a row, had to settle for a pillow deal with the hopes of bolstering his market for the following summer. On a more offensive-minded squad, he might have a better chance of succeeding this time around. A big raise might not be likely but a multi-year agreement might be in reach.

Liljegren has been eased into the league with last season being his heaviest workload even though it was still in a limited role. On a thinner back end depth-wise, that should change as in-season injuries come into play. If he does well, he should be in a position to push for $1MM more than his $1.5MM qualifying offer. But if he remains in a depth role, Toronto will be trying to keep his price closer to where it is now. Giordano left a lot of money on the table to stay with his hometown team. Yes, he’s now the oldest player in the league but he can provide a lot of surplus value on this agreement. If he plays another season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see it around this price tag as he aims for one last push for a Stanley Cup.

Muzzin and Murray are both done for the season already and have been placed on LTIR. Muzzin, who was recently named as a scout for the Maple Leafs, is likely done for his career while Murray’s situation isn’t quite as certain. The two sides opted to wait several months for surgery, allowing him to stay on LTIR for the whole season but it wouldn’t be surprising to see him try to catch on somewhere. However, with his injury history, it’ll be on a contract that’s close to the minimum.

Samsonov wound up going to a hearing to get this contract, one that felt a bit lower than some expected. However, he still doesn’t have the track record of being a successful long-term starter. One more good, healthy year with Toronto might get him there and if that’s the case, he could push toward the $5MM or more range on a multi-year agreement next summer.

Signed Through 2024-25

F Mitch Marner ($10.903MM, UFA)
D Jake McCabe ($2MM, UFA)*
F John Tavares ($11MM, UFA)
D Conor Timmins ($1.1MM, RFA)
G Joseph Woll ($767K, RFA)

*-Chicago is retaining another $2MM on McCabe’s contract.

Tavares has had a good run with Toronto, averaging nearly a point per game since signing with them in 2018. Of course, at that price tag, they were expecting a bit more production from him while the stagnation in the salary cap has made this contract sting more as well. He’ll be 35 when his next contract starts and it’s fair to say he’ll be heading for a fairly significant dip in pay. The same can’t be said for Marner who will still be in his prime (28) when this deal is up. Assuming his next two seasons are similar to the last two, he’ll be in a position to take aim at the priciest deal for a winger in NHL history; he’s about $740K below that now.

McCabe fared a bit better in Chicago compared to his time with Buffalo, resulting in the Maple Leafs parting with a first-round pick to get him near the trade deadline. He won’t light up the scoresheet but can play in the top four and log some tough minutes. Those players aren’t getting huge deals on the open market now but McCabe should be able to land a small raise (on his full deal, not just Toronto’s portion) and another multi-year agreement. Timmins has shown some flashes of offensive upside in his limited NHL action but first, he’ll need to establish himself as a third-pairing regular before his value will start to go up. If he can eventually work his way onto the second power play pairing, he’ll have a chance to double his current AAV in a couple of years. Otherwise, his arbitration eligibility could work against him.

This is Woll’s first season as a full-fledged NHL backup which means he doesn’t have much of a track record to build on yet. If he has success in the number two role over the next couple of years, an AAV in the $2MM range is achievable. If he forces his way into more playing time though, then he could push his way toward Samsonov’s deal.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Calle Jarnkrok ($2.1MM, UFA)
F Ryan Reaves ($1.35MM, UFA)

Jarnkrok opted for a longer-term deal than many expected last summer, a deal that worked out pretty well for Toronto in year one as he put up 20 goals for the first time in his career. History suggests he might not get back to that point but even if he drops a few from that total, they’ll still get good value here. Reaves also signed for longer than many expected as 36-year-old fourth liners typically don’t command three years. However, while enforcers aren’t as plentiful as they were before, there’s a reason that Reaves always seems to be coveted by teams. Speculatively, it’s hard to see him getting another contract in three years but stranger things have happened.

Signed Through 2026-27 Or Longer

F David Kampf ($2.4MM through 2026-27)
F Auston Matthews ($11.64MM in 2023-24, $13.25MM from 2024-25 through 2027-28)
D Morgan Rielly ($7.5MM through 2029-30)

For the last couple of years, it was considered a matter of when, not if, Matthews would set the new benchmark for the most expensive AAV in NHL history. That indeed came to fruition last month as he beat Nathan MacKinnon’s $12.6MM cap charge when he signed his extension. The question with his contract would be if he signed a long-term deal or another medium-term one and clearly, it was the latter. That will position Matthews quite nicely for one more significant contract as he’ll have turned 31 when the 2028-29 campaign gets underway, making a max-term agreement an option at that time if he wants it. By then, it’s likely that his price tag won’t be the new benchmark but if he continues to be a top scorer in the league, he could break the record once again.

Free agency hasn’t been kind to checking forwards but Toronto clearly valued what Kampf provided for them as they handed out this four-year agreement in advance of the open market. He did fare a bit better offensively with the Maple Leafs compared to his time with Chicago which gave him a bit more leverage in discussions. If he stays around the 25-point mark while providing his defensive reliability, they’ll be happy with this deal.

Rielly isn’t a true number one defender but the good news for Toronto here is that this contract doesn’t pay him like one. If he keeps putting up 40 points and playing more than 20 minutes a night, this should be a fair-market deal at least. He might slow down a bit by the end of the deal but that’s a concern for another day as far as the Maple Leafs are concerned.

Buyouts

None

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Best Value: Nylander
Worst Value: Tavares

Looking Ahead

Even with more than $10MM on LTIR, cap space is still at a premium for Toronto and with Muzzin and Murray out for the year, the spot they’re in now is where they’re going to be throughout. That means a minimum-sized roster or close to it will be the norm.

Looking to next season, they have over $54MM in commitments already and an extension for Nylander, if one comes, will take up a big chunk of that space. Re-signing or replacing Samsonov, Bertuzzi, Klingberg, and Domi will take care of the bulk of the rest of it.

That said, GM Brad Treliving has somewhat of a clean long-term slate in front of him with only three long-term commitments on the books. That gives him a chance to reshape the core if he wants to but with all the pending UFAs plus Marner and Tavares a year later, the potential flexibility isn’t likely to last.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

2 comments Pro Hockey Rumors Originals Salary Cap Deep Dive 2023 Toronto Maple Leafs

Summer Synopsis: Washington Capitals

By Gabriel Foley | at October 10, 2023 8:30 am

The Washington Capitals had a quiet summer, entering the 2023-24 season with only a few key departures and a handful of additions to fill the gaps. They will have to rely on their veterans, but it will be their depth pieces that will likely determine Washington’s playoff hopes.

Draft

1-8: F Ryan Leonard, USNTDP (NTDP)
2-40: F Andrew Cristall, Kelowna (WHL)
4-104: F Patrick Thomas, Hamilton (OHL)
5-136: D Cameron Allen, Guelph (OHL)
7-200: F Brett Hyland, Brandon (WHL)
7-206: G Antoine Keller, Genève-Servette (Swiss U20)

The Capitals’ biggest splash of the summer undoubtedly came in the draft, where they brought in standout names in Leonard, Cristall, and Allen. Leonard headlines the group – a heavy-framed winger with phenomenal play-driving abilities and one of the better shots in the 2023 NHL Draft. He’s a promising forward headed to Boston College for the 2023-24 season, where he’ll stick with his linemates of the past two seasons: Will Smith and Gabriel Perreault.

Cristall was the only player who could challenge Connor Bedard’s scoring in the WHL this year, finishing with a staggering 95 points through only 54 games. He added another six points in seven games at the World U18 Championship, flexing that his scoring prowess isn’t limited to league play. However, many scouts had concerns with Cristall’s skating posture and ability to gel with teammates, leading to questions about his ability to translate to the next level. He’s a dominant winger with a strong shot and a great ability to work into the slot from the boards, but maintaining that dominance in the NHL will be a heavy ask. Cristall was considered a lock for the first round by many public scouting services but fell considerably when draft day came around. He’ll represent a boom-or-bust pick for the Capitals – exactly the thing that could help out the aging organization.

The same ‘boom-or-bust’ prescription can be applied to Cameron Allen, who was arguably the most impressive defender at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup but very quickly lost his steam as the 2022-23 season rolled around. Allen is a tall defender who uses clean strides and good agility to keep up with his forwards and get involved in plays. But as the year went on, his quickness and ability to jump in and out of offensive attacks wore down – leading to disappointing results as Allen only recorded 25 points through 62 games. This was a step down from his rookie season in the OHL, where Allen netted 37 points in 65 games. Once lauded as a potential first-round pick, Allen fell considerably – speaking to the concerns surrounding him. The Capitals may have a long road ahead of them in developing Allen, but his upside could make it worthwhile.

Trade Acquisitions

D Joel Edmundson (trade with Montreal)

The Capitals sent a third and seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft to Montreal in exchange for Joel Edmundson, adding veteran support behind a blueline that doesn’t jump off of the page. While Edmundson has never been dominant, he remains a favorite of NHL execs thanks to his physical presence on the ice and leadership presence in the locker room. Unfortunately, he’ll start the 2023-24 campaign on injured reserve, nursing a fractured hand that required surgery in late September. He was given a timetable of four to six weeks for his return.

UFA Signings

F Matthew Phillips (one year, $775K)
F Alex Limoges (one year, $775K)*
D Chase Priskie (one year, $775K)*
F Max Pacioretty (one year, $2MM)
D Dylan McIlrath (two years, $1.55MM)*
G Hunter Shepard (two years, $1.55MM)*

The Capitals only gave out two one-way contracts to UFAs this summer. Luckily, they were given to two high-impact forwards. Pacioretty joins Washington after missing nearly the entire 2022-23 season with Carolina. Given he missed nearly the entirety of last season thanks to back-to-back Achilles injuries, Pacioretty’s $2MM contract can double in value if he hits all the games-played performance bonuses in his deal. For Washington, it’s a solid bet on a player who was on pace for 40 goals in each of his final two seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020-21 and 2021-22. The 34-year-old seemed to still have his scoring touch in limited appearances last season with the Hurricanes, too, notching three markers in five contests. If he can slide into a top-six role upon his return, expect him to maintain some semblance of previous form.

The other major player of interest here is Phillips, who’s now made the roster out of training camp after spending years toiling in the minors for the Flames. He’s been one of the more explosive scorers in the AHL over the past two seasons, notching well over a point per game, but only has three NHL appearances to his name. He will increase significantly on that total this season, as he would require waivers to be assigned to AHL Hershey. The 25-year-old is projected to begin the season in a top-nine role.

RFA Re-Signings

D Martin Fehervary (three years, $8MM)
F Riley Sutter (one year, $775K)*

Washington’s lone major RFA signing was Fehervary, a 2018 second-round pick who’s well on his way to a consistent top-four role in the nation’s capital. He spent most of last season stapled to John Carlson on the team’s top pairing (when Carlson was healthy), but that spot is now in jeopardy with the trade acquisition of Rasmus Sandin at the tail end of last season. Still, the 24-year-old averaged 20 minutes per game on the nose last season and should provide dependable play over the next three seasons. He recorded 16 points in 67 contests last year.

Departures

D Bobby Nardella, (HV71, SHL)
F Carl Hagelin, (retirement from NHL)
F Connor Brown, (Edmonton, one year, $775K)
F Conor Sheary, (Tampa, three years, $6MM)
F Craig Smith, (Dallas, one year, $1MM)
D Gabriel Carlsson, (Växjö, SHL)
F Garrett Pilon, (Ottawa, one year, $775K)*
F Kody Clark, (unsigned UFA)
D Matt Irwin, (Vancouver, one year, $775K)*
F Mike Vecchione, (Hershey, AHL)
G Zachary Fucale, (Trakor, KHL)
F Henrik Borgstrom, (Hv71, SHL)

At the beginning of 2022-23, someone looking at this list would have called Brown the biggest departure. However, the winger sustained an ACL injury early in the season that ended his time in D.C. after just four games. It stands to reason, then, that Sheary will leave the biggest hole in the lineup, one that quickly looks to be replaced by a combination of Phillips and the Capitals’ other NHL-ready young talent. He’d been a solid middle-six contributor for the Caps over the past three seasons, solidifying himself as a solid bet for around 15 goals and 40 points.

Hagelin did not play last season as he attempted to rehab eye and hip injuries that eventually forced his retirement from the league. Smith disappointed mightily with the Boston Bruins last season, and he was dealt to Washington in the blockbuster Dmitry Orlov deadline deal. He fared a bit better in Washington, recording five goals in 22 contests, and he’ll now try and add value to the Stars’ fourth line.

Salary Cap Outlook

At the time of publication, the Capitals are in the midst of making paper transactions to maximize the LTIR relief of Pacioretty and Edmundson to begin the season. Because of that, they technically have $0 in cap space at the time of writing, per CapFriendly, but will have $1.75MM in flexibility to play with after placing Edmundson on LTIR (likely later today). That will last until he’s ready to return to the lineup.

Key Questions

Is Sandin The Real Deal?: The 23-year-old defenseman was electric after coming over via trade from Toronto last season, notching 15 points in just 19 games as a Cap while averaging nearly 23 minutes per game. If he can stay anywhere close to that pace next season, he’ll solidify himself as a suitable replacement for Orlov, who flew under the radar for a decade as one of the most underrated complementary players in the league behind Carlson. It’ll also force his value up in contract talks – Sandin is making just $1.4MM against the cap this season but is a restricted free agent next summer. A true breakout campaign could convince Washington to sign him to a long-term extension.

Can The Youth Movement Help Now?: Connor McMichael, Hendrix Lapierre and Ivan Miroshnichenko are all names under 23 looking to log NHL minutes for Washington this season. Can their campaigns be promising enough to convince the Caps’ brass that they’ll be enough to replace the aging core around Alex Ovechkin over the next few seasons as he chases the all-time goals record? If so, the team could look to rebound from an expected mediocre season in 2023-24 and remain closer to playoff contention in their captain’s twilight years.

What’s The Deal In The Crease?: Darcy Kuemper is still an undisputed NHL starter, but injuries remain a concern for the netminder as he enters his age 33 season. Backup Charlie Lindgren had a nice start to last season but flamed out near the end, recording a below-average save percentage of .899 on the year. Kuemper, meanwhile, posted a solid .907 but has also notched over a .920 in three of the last five seasons. He’s due for a bit of positive regression and, if that’s the case, could help keep Washington in the Wild Card conversation later into the season.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

0 comments Pro Hockey Rumors Originals Summer Synopsis 2023 Washington Capitals

2023-24 Opening Night Roster Tracker

By Josh Erickson | at October 10, 2023 7:41 am

As final roster cuts across the league are made, PHR will keep track of projected opening-night rosters for all 32 teams as they get under the 23-player limit. Only teams with current rosters under the limit, not including players on waivers today for the purpose of assignment to the minors, will appear here. This page will be updated over the course of the next 24 hours or so under the roster deadline, which is Monday at 4 p.m. CT.

These rosters will be presented in projected line combination form. These projections are not representative of writers’ opinions and come courtesy of CapFriendly. These are also not representative of any paper transactions for the purpose of LTIR compliance that will likely be reversed after the deadline.

Atlantic Division

Boston Bruins

James van Riemsdyk – Pavel Zacha – David Pastrnak
Brad Marchand – Charlie Coyle – Jake DeBrusk
Trent Frederic – Matthew Poitras – Morgan Geekie
Milan Lucic – John Beecher – Jakub Lauko
Extra F:Danton Heinen*

*still signed to a professional try-out contract

Matt Grzelcyk – Charlie McAvoy
Hampus Lindholm – Brandon Carlo
Derek Forbort – Kevin Shattenkirk
Extra D: Ian Mitchell

Linus Ullmark
Jeremy Swayman

Buffalo Sabres

Jeff Skinner – Tage Thompson – Alex Tuch
John-Jason Peterka – Dylan Cozens – Victor Olofsson
Jordan Greenway – Casey Mittelstadt – Zach Benson
Zemgus Girgensons – Peyton Krebs – Kyle Okposo
Extra F: Tyson Jost
Injured reserve: Jack Quinn, Matthew Savoie

Mattias Samuelsson – Rasmus Dahlin
Owen Power – Henri Jokiharju
Erik Johnson – Connor Clifton
Extra D: Jacob Bryson

Devon Levi
Eric Comrie
Extra G: Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Detroit Red Wings

Alex DeBrincat – Dylan Larkin – David Perron
Lucas Raymond – J.T. Compher – Robby Fabbri
Daniel Sprong – Andrew Copp – Michael Rasmussen
Klim Kostin – Joe Veleno – Christian Fischer
Injured reserve: Matt Luff, Carter Mazur

Jake Walman – Moritz Seider
Ben Chiarot – Jeff Petry
Olli Määttä – Shayne Gostisbehere
Extra D: Justin Holl

Ville Husso
James Reimer
Extra G: Alex Lyon

Florida Panthers

Carter Verhaeghe – Aleksander Barkov – Evan Rodrigues
Mackie Samoskevich – Eetu Luostarinen – Matthew Tkachuk
Nick Cousins – Anton Lundell – Sam Reinhart
Ryan Lomberg – Steven Lorentz – Kevin Stenlund
Extra F: Sam Bennett (injured)

Gustav Forsling – Josh Mahura
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Dmitry Kulikov
Niko Mikkola – Mike Reilly
Extra D: Uvis Balinskis
Injured reserve: Aaron Ekblad, Brandon Montour

Sergei Bobrovsky
Anthony Stolarz

Montreal Canadiens

Cole Caufield – Nick Suzuki – Josh Anderson
Juraj Slafkovský – Kirby Dach – Alex Newhook
Tanner Pearson– Sean Monahan – Brendan Gallagher
Rafaël Harvey-Pinard – Jake Evans – Jesse Ylönen
Extra F: Joel Armia, Michael Pezzetta
Injured reserve: Christian Dvorak

Mike Matheson – David Savard
Kaiden Guhle – Johnathan Kovacevic
Jordan Harris – Justin Barron
Injured reserve: Chris Wideman

Sam Montembeault
Jake Allen
Extra G: Cayden Primeau
Injured reserve: Carey Price

Ottawa Senators

Brady Tkachuk – Tim Stützle – Claude Giroux
Mathieu Joseph – Ridly Greig – Drake Batherson
Dominik Kubalík – Rourke Chartier – Vladimir Tarasenko
Parker Kelly – Mark Kastelic – Zack MacEwen
Injured reserve: Joshua Norris

Jakob Chychrun – Thomas Chabot
Jake Sanderson – Artem Zub
Erik Brännström – Travis Hamonic

Joonas Korpisalo
Anton Forsberg

Tampa Bay Lightning

Steven Stamkos – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel – Anthony Cirelli – Tyler Motte
Michael Eyssimont – Nick Paul – Conor Sheary
Tanner Jeannot – Luke Glendening – Waltteri Merelä
Extra Fs: Alex Barré-Boulet, Austin Watson
Injured reserve: Logan Brown, Jack Finley

Victor Hedman – Nicklaus Perbix
Mikhail Sergachev – Darren Raddysh
Calvin de Haan – Erik Cernak
Extra D: Haydn Fleury
Injured reserve: Roman Schmidt, Brent Seabrook

Jonas Johansson
Matt Tomkins
Injured reserve: Andrei Vasilevskiy

Toronto Maple Leafs

Tyler Bertuzzi – Auston Matthews – Mitch Marner
Max Domi – John Tavares – William Nylander
Matthew Knies – Fraser Minten – Calle Järnkrok
Noah Gregor – David Kämpf – Ryan Reaves
Injured reserve: Bobby McMann

Morgan Rielly – T.J. Brodie
Jake McCabe – John Klingberg
Mark Giordano – Timothy Liljegren
Injured reserve: Jake Muzzin, Conor Timmins

Ilya Samsonov
Joseph Woll
Injured reserve: Matt Murray

Metropolitan Division

Carolina Hurricanes

Michael Bunting – Sebastian Aho – Seth Jarvis
Teuvo Teräväinen – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Martin Necas
Jordan Martinook – Jordan Staal – Jesper Fast
Brendan Lemieux – Jack Drury – Stefan Noesen
Injured reserve: Vasili Ponomarev, Ryan Suzuki, Andrei Svechnikov

Jaccob Slavin – Brent Burns
Brady Skjei – Brett Pesce
Dmitry Orlov – Anthony DeAngelo
Extra D: Jalen Chatfield

Frederik Andersen
Antti Raanta

Columbus Blue Jackets

Johnny Gaudreau – Patrik Laine – Kirill Marchenko
Alexandre Texier – Boone Jenner – Jack Roslovic
Kent Johnson – Adam Fantilli – Cole Sillinger
Eric Robinson – Sean Kuraly – Emil Bemström
Extra Fs: Justin Danforth, Liam Foudy
Injured reserve: Yegor Chinakhov, Jordan Dumais, Mathieu Olivier

Zach Werenski – Damon Severson
Ivan Provorov – Adam Boqvist
Jake Bean – Erik Gudbranson
Extra D: Andrew Peeke

Elvis Merzlikins
Spencer Martin
Injured reserve: Daniil Tarasov

New Jersey Devils

Jesper Bratt – Jack Hughes – Tyler Toffoli
Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Alexander Holtz
Ondrej Palat – Erik Haula – Dawson Mercer
Tomas Nosek – Michael McLeod – Curtis Lazar
Extra Fs: Chris Tierney, Nathan Bastian
Injured Reserve: Nolan Foote, Brian Halonen

Jonas Siegenthaler – Dougie Hamilton
Kevin Bahl – John Marino
Luke Hughes – Brendan Smith
Extra D: Colin Miller

Akira Schmid
Vitek Vanecek
Injured Reserve: Nico Daws, Keith Kinkaid

New York Islanders

Kyle Palmieri – Bo Horvat – Mathew Barzal
Pierre Engvall – Brock Nelson – Hudson Fasching
Anders Lee – Jean-Gabriel Pageau – Oliver Wahlstrom
Matt Martin – Casey Cizikas – Cal Clutterbuck
Extra Fs: Julien Gauthier, Ross Johnston

Adam Pelech – Noah Dobson
Alexander Romanov – Ryan Pulock
Sebastian Aho – Scott Mayfield
Extra D: Samuel Bolduc

Ilya Sorokin
Semyon Varlamov

New York Rangers

Chris Kreider – Mika Zibanejad – Kaapo Kakko
Artemi Panarin – Filip Chytil – Alexis Lafrenière
William Cuylle – Vincent Trocheck – Blake Wheeler
Jimmy Vesey – Nick Bonino – Barclay Goodrow
Extra F: Tyler Pitlick

Ryan Lindgren – Adam Fox
K’Andre Miller – Jacob Trouba
Erik Gustafsson – Braden Schneider
Extra D: Zachary Jones

Igor Shesterkin
Jonathan Quick

Philadelphia Flyers

Joel Farabee – Sean Couturier – Tyson Foerster
Owen Tippett – Morgan Frost – Cam Atkinson
Scott Laughton – Noah Cates – Travis Konecny
Nicolas Deslauriers – Ryan Poehling – Garnet Hathaway
Extra F: Bobby Brink
Injured Reserve: Jon-Randall Avon

Marc Staal – Travis Sanheim
Cameron York – Yegor Zamula
Nick Seeler – Sean Walker
Extra D: Emil Andrae
Injured Reserve: Rasmus Ristolainen, Ryan Ellis

Carter Hart
Samuel Ersson
Extra G: Felix Sandstrom

Pittsburgh Penguins

Jake Guentzel – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Reilly Smith – Evgeni Malkin – Rickard Rakell
Drew O’Connor – Lars Eller – Jansen Harkins
Matthew Nieto – Noel Acciari – Jeff Carter
Injured reserve: Raivis Ansons

Marcus Pettersson – Erik Karlsson
Ryan Graves – Kris Letang
Pierre-Olivier Joseph – Chad Ruhwedel
Extra Ds: Ryan Shea, John Ludvig
Injured reserve: Will Butcher

Tristan Jarry
Alex Nedeljkovic

Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin – Nicklas Bäckström – T.J. Oshie
Anthony Mantha – Evgeny Kuznetsov – Tom Wilson
Matthew Phillips – Dylan Strome – Sonny Milano
Beck Malenstyn – Nic Dowd – Riley Sutter
Extra F: Ivan Miroshnichenko
Injured reserve: Max Pacioretty

Rasmus Sandin – John Carlson
Lucas Johansen – Nick Jensen
Martin Fehérváry – Trevor van Riemsdyk
Extra D: Alexander Alexeyev
Injured reserve: Joel Edmundson

Darcy Kuemper
Charlie Lindgren

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Tampa Bay Lightning

By Brian La Rose | at October 8, 2023 8:24 pm

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2023-24 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Current Cap Hit: $90,448,333 (under the $83.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

None that are projected to make the roster or play a prominent role this season.

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

F Alex Barre-Boulet ($758K, UFA)
D Zach Bogosian ($850K, UFA)
F Logan Brown ($775K, RFA)
D Calvin de Haan ($775K, UFA)
D Haydn Fleury ($762.5K, UFA)
F Tyler Motte ($800K, UFA)
D Philippe Myers ($1.4MM, UFA)
D Brent Seabrook ($6.875MM, UFA)
F Steven Stamkos ($8.5MM, UFA)

Considering the number of times that Tampa Bay has extended its core players as soon as possible under GM Julien BriseBois, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the same thing would happen to Stamkos. Surprisingly, it hasn’t, an outcome that the captain himself isn’t too pleased about. While his output slowed last season, he still put up 34 goals and averaged more than a point per game. At this price point, that’s still pretty good value. Stamkos will be 34 next summer and in a position to earn another multi-year agreement, likely with a market value around what he’s making now unless he slows down considerably this year. BriseBois is taking a wait-and-see approach to see if Stamkos still fits on the team moving forward, a question that might not be able to be answered until we know the actual Upper Limit for 2024-25.

Motte was a late-summer signing after Josh Archibald decided to not play this year. This is the second straight summer where his camp has misread the market, resulting in a lower-than-expected contract. Assuming he has a similar showing this year as he has had lately, a small raise should be achievable as long as he doesn’t set his sights too high again early in free agency. Brown comes in after being non-tendered by St. Louis and if he can earn a spot in the lineup when he returns from an injury that will keep him out at the start of the season, he could get a small raise or at least more guaranteed money next year. Barre-Boulet is listed here as he’s tied for the lowest cap hit in the league which gives him a shot at a spot on the fourth line. Primarily a minor leaguer the last two years, he’s likely to stay around the minimum salary next year.

Among the blueliners, Seabrook’s career has been over since late 2019. He’ll be on LTIR for one more season and then the Lightning can try to work back to being a non-LTIR team, ideally giving them a chance to back a bit of in-season flexibility. Meanwhile, Myers isn’t even on the roster now as a decision to extend him around this time last year didn’t pan out as he’s already cleared waivers. However, they’ll still carry a $250K charge even with him in the minors. Considering what they’re currently over their LTIR ceiling by, that small amount is notable. Myers will likely wind up with a deal close to the minimum next summer.

Bogosian’s days of being an every-game player are done but he can still hold his own on a third pairing. With his usage the last few years though, it’s hard to see him getting more than this on the open market next year. Tampa Bay brought in de Haan this summer and it’s possible he winds up platooning with Bogosian in that part-time role. Barring him having a bounce-back year, this is the range he’ll be in price-wise moving forward. Fleury is another player on a sub-minimum contract which gives him some value from a depth perspective. He has had a very limited role the past couple of years and at this point, he might be heading for a two-way deal next summer.

Signed Through 2024-25

F Michael Eyssimont ($800K, UFA)
F Luke Glendening ($800K, UFA)
D Victor Hedman ($7.875MM, UFA)
F Tanner Jeannot ($2.665MM, UFA)
G Jonas Johansson ($775K, UFA)
D Nick Perbix ($1.125MM, UFA)

The Lightning paid a high price at the trade deadline to land Jeannot and they weren’t exactly rewarded for their investment. He’s poised to have an important role this season and if he can get close to his 2021-22 performance, he could be in line for a decent-sized raise with the premium power forwards typically get. Eyssimont opted to take some job security over testing the open market in the summer, understandable considering he was a waiver claim last year. If he can secure a full-time spot with Tampa Bay, he could set himself up for a small bump, even if he stays on the fourth line. Glendening is basically a faceoff specialist who can kill penalties at this point of his career. He might have left some money on the table to sign with Tampa Bay but his value is going to be limited moving forward.

The same can’t be said for Hedman. While he couldn’t match his career-best 85 points from 2021-22, he still produced at better than a 50-point pace while averaging nearly 24 minutes a night. While he’ll be 34 when his next contract starts (turning 35 early the following season), he should still be capable of covering 20 minutes a night while playing in all situations. A small pay cut might be needed but he’ll have plenty of interest if he gets to the open market. Perbix had a nice rookie season after being a college free agent signing. He’ll be tasked with covering a regular role on the third pairing and if he can hold that down for two years, he’ll hit the market in his prime (at 27) which could allow him to possibly double this AAV at that time.

Johansson was a bit of a curious signing to be Tampa Bay’s backup given his lack of NHL success but keeping the cost as low as possible (in this case, it couldn’t be lower) was a priority. Now that he’ll be thrust into the number one role for a couple of months, this will be his chance to show the league that he’s a capable netminder at the top level. A good showing in this stretch – even though it’s not his free agent year – might be enough to allow him to push for a seven-figure AAV next time out.

Signed Through 2025-26

D Darren Raddysh ($762.5K in 2023-24, $975K in 2024-25 and 2025-26)
F Conor Sheary ($2MM, UFA)

Sheary comes over from Washington after two consecutive seasons of being a capable secondary scorer. The risk here is relatively low for the Lightning as if he even produces 30-35 points, they should get a good return on this deal.

Raddysh didn’t play a lot during the regular season but logged more than 25 minutes a game in the playoffs, giving him enough leverage to get a two-year, one-way extension back in June, a pretty good outcome for someone who has cleared waivers in each of the last two training camps. That shouldn’t be the case this time around and as a capable producer in the minors, this could be a team-friendly deal if he’s able to become a secondary point provider from the back end.

Signed Through 2026-27 Or Longer

D Erik Cernak ($5.2MM through 2030-31)
F Anthony Cirelli ($6.25MM through 2030-31)
F Brandon Hagel ($1.5MM in 2023-24, $6.5MM from 2024-25 through 2031-32)
F Nikita Kucherov ($9.5MM through 2026-27)
F Nick Paul ($3.15MM through 2028-29)
F Brayden Point ($9.5MM through 2029-30)
D Mikhail Sergachev ($8.5MM through 2030-31)
G Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9.5MM through 2027-28)

Kucherov is about as consistent as they come, averaging better than a point per game in each of his last six seasons while being a premier playmaker. Had he tested free agency back in 2019 when he was eligible to, it’s fair to suggest he’d have landed a bigger deal than this one. He might slow down a bit in the final year or two but even if so, they’ve had enough value on this contract to make up for it. His deal basically represented the ceiling for Point’s contract when it was completed back in 2021. He’s on the smaller side for a number one center but has twice surpassed 40 goals and 90 points. As long as he’s putting up those numbers, they’ll do fine with this contract.

Cirelli’s deal was one of three early extensions signed last summer, one that looks to be a bit above market based on the year he had. He’s a quality two-way middleman but they’ll be relying on him to become more productive to live up to this deal. Still just 26, there’s time for that to happen. Paul’s extension was an unexpected one with a presumed rental player landing a seven-year agreement last year. He’s now had back-to-back 32-point seasons which isn’t bad but with their cap constraints, they’re likely hoping for a bit more production to justify the price tag. Hagel has fit in quite well after being acquired from Chicago and is coming off a career year that saw him score 30 goals, giving them a fantastic return on his current contract. That led to an extension that shows that the Lightning believe he has it in him to continue to produce at that level. That will need to happen for them to do well with that contract.

Sergachev had shown steady improvement over his first few years with the Lightning but found another level last season, putting himself in the mix for being considered as their number one defender. That made the decision to extend him a year early last summer look like a smart one. If this is Sergachev’s level moving forward, this will be a team-friendly agreement in a hurry. Cernak also got extended last summer, a move that doesn’t look great at this point. He’s a capable defender on the second pairing and does well for them but he’s the style of player that shouldn’t cost that much to have in that spot on the depth chart. Had they waited until this summer to sign him, it’s unlikely that the deal would have cost as much as it does now. It’s not a terrible contract but given their constraints, any above-market agreement is going to hurt them.

Vasilevskiy has been one of the top goalies in the league for several years now so it’s no surprise that he’s near the top of the NHL in cost for a netminder. As long as he plays at a Vezina-caliber level, they’ll do fine this deal. It will never be a below-market contract (especially with how the goalie market has changed lately) but he’s worth the premium price tag.

Buyouts

F Vincent Lecavalier ($1.762MM through 2026-27, cap-exempt)

Retained Salary Transactions

F Pat Maroon ($200K in 2023-24)

Best Value: Hagel (for this season)
Worst Value: Cernak

Looking Ahead

Tampa Bay’s biggest rival over the years hasn’t been a who but rather a what. It hasn’t been a specific team but rather the salary cap itself. That isn’t changing anytime soon.

For this season, they’ll be capped by LTIR which won’t allow them to bank any in-season room and once injuries hit, they’re a team that’s likely to have to play short for a game to access the cap-exempt emergency recalls once Vasilevskiy returns. Adding to a roster in that situation at the trade deadline will be difficult.

They presently have over $76MM in commitments for 2024-25 already to just 16 players, none of which are named Stamkos. Re-signing the captain will be difficult without clearing out money first. Re-upping with Hedman a year later will basically eat up their extra flexibility that summer as well. Basically, expect the same old refrain for the Lightning when it comes to the salary cap for the foreseeable future.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

0 comments Pro Hockey Rumors Originals Salary Cap Deep Dive 2023 Tampa Bay Lightning

2009 NHL Draft Take Two: Fifteenth Overall

By Brian La Rose | at October 8, 2023 6:40 pm

Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.” Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended. For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now. Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

The results of our redraft so far are as follows, with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Victor Hedman, New York Islanders (2)
2nd Overall: John Tavares, Tampa Bay Lightning (1)
3rd Overall: Ryan O’Reilly, Colorado Avalanche (33)
4th Overall: Matt Duchene, Atlanta Thrashers (3)
5th Overall: Chris Kreider, Los Angeles Kings (19)
6th Overall: Nazem Kadri, Phoenix Coyotes (7)
7th Overall: Mattias Ekholm, Toronto Maple Leafs (102)
8th Overall: Evander Kane, Dallas Stars (4)
9th Overall: Brayden Schenn, Ottawa Senators (5)
10th Overall: Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Edmonton Oilers (6)
11th Overall: Ryan Ellis, Nashville Predators (11)
12th Overall: Dmitry Orlov, New York Islanders (55)
13th Overall: Anders Lee, Buffalo Sabres (152)
14th Overall: Tyson Barrie, Florida Panthers (64)

After being an early third-rounder originally, Barrie fares much better this time around, going in the final lottery spot. It was a narrow margin of victory as he checked in with just 18.5% of the votes, barely 2% ahead of the next-highest player.

Barrie was, unsurprisingly, a high-end point producer from the back end in junior. After putting up 52 points in his draft-eligible year, he followed it up with back-to-back seasons with greater than a point-per-game average.

While he spent a good chunk of his first two professional campaigns in the minors, Barrie did see action with Colorado and by the midway mark of that second year, he was a regular with the Avs. Before long, he was one of the more consistent offensive blueliners, putting up a double-digit goal total in five of six years, notching at least 49 points in four of those.

In 2019, the Avs decided to trade for an impact center, acquiring Kadri from Toronto (who went sixth in this redraft) as part of a four-player, two-pick swap. The Maple Leafs were hoping Barrie would be a big boost to their top power play but it didn’t go as planned as he had just five goals and went to Edmonton via free agency the next summer on a three-year deal with a $4.5MM AAV, one that expires at the end of the upcoming season.

Barrie did have some success with the Oilers in that power play specialist role but last season, his contract was needed for cap matching purposes when they picked up Mattias Ekholm from Nashville. A speculative trade candidate over the summer, a move didn’t come to fruition but if the Predators are out of the playoff picture by the trade deadline, he could be on the move again.

Very quietly, Barrie sits eighth in scoring among all players from this draft class, second to only Hedman amongst blueliners. All in all, he has had a pretty impressive career for a third-round pick, one that likely will still have a few years left in it after this coming season.

Now, we shift our focus to pick number fifteen, held by the Anaheim Ducks. They opted to look for help down the middle with their original selection, selecting Peter Holland out of OHL Guelph. Holland had a somewhat successful tryout with Colorado this training camp, eventually earning himself a longer look with their AHL affiliate but there are certainly better options for Anaheim in this redraft. Who should they take? Make your selection by voting in our poll below.

2009 Redraft: Fifteenth Overall

Reilly Smith 19% (83)
Darcy Kuemper 17% (73)
Tomas Tatar 10% (43)
Kyle Palmieri 8% (36)
Mike Hoffman 6% (25)
Marcus Foligno 5% (21)
Nick Leddy 5% (21)
Robin Lehner 4% (17)
Jakob Silfverberg 4% (17)
Marcus Johansson 3% (13)
Sami Vatanen 3% (12)
Brian Dumoulin 3% (11)
Ben Chiarot 2% (9)
Erik Haula 2% (8)
Dmitry Kulikov 2% (7)
Brayden McNabb 1% (6)
Kyle Clifford 1% (5)
David Savard 1% (5)
Calvin de Haan 1% (4)
Casey Cizikas 1% (3)
Mikko Koskinen 1% (3)
Craig Smith 1% (3)
Alex Chiasson 0% (2)
Zack Kassian 0% (2)
Cody Eakin 0% (1)
Nick Jensen 0% (0)

Total votes: 430

If you can’t access the poll above, click here to vote.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

0 comments Anaheim Ducks Polls Pro Hockey Rumors Originals

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Ottawa Senators

By Brian La Rose | at October 4, 2023 7:59 pm

Ottawa Senators

Current Cap Hit: $83,379,047 (under the $83.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Jake Sanderson (one year, $925K)

Potential Bonuses
Sanderson: $1.85MM

We’ll get more in depth on Sanderson’s deal later on but this deal has $850K in ‘A’ bonuses, four valued at $212.5K each. He hit all four last year (All-Rookie team, blocks, ATOI, and assists) and while the first one is no longer available, he has a decent chance of maxing them out again or at least coming very close.

Signed Through 2023-24, Non-Entry-Level

D Erik Brannstrom ($2MM, RFA)
F Parker Kelly ($762.5K, UFA)
F Dominik Kubalik ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Vladimir Tarasenko ($5MM, UFA)

Tarasenko’s market never really materialized as he was hoping for as even after an agent change, the price tag came in lower than expected with just a one-year term. He didn’t repeat his better than a point-per-game effort from 2021-22 but still produced nicely at a top-six level. This contract is certainly fair for a 50-point player with a track record suggesting he’s capable of more. While it has created the crunch they find themselves in, it’s not a bad value agreement. We’ll see if going this route winds up propelling him into a longer-term deal next summer.

Kubalik came over from Detroit as part of the Alex DeBrincat trade. He had a career year last season although he slowed down as the year went on. If he can get a fifth season of at least 15 goals under his belt, he could position himself for at least a small raise on another multi-year deal. Kelly was a serviceable fourth liner last season, showing he can kill penalties and play with some physicality. The offense needs to come around, however, if he wants to move off the minimum salary.

Brannstrom established himself as a regular last season but his offensive game, one that made him a first-round pick by Vegas several years ago, hasn’t come around just yet. Additionally, his playing time dipped by over three and a half minutes per game as he went from a part-time spot in the top four to a full-time spot on the bottom pair. It’s fair to say that the Sens still see some upside in him as evidenced by this contract but another season like this could have him approaching non-tender territory since he’ll be eligible for salary arbitration. Speculatively, this could be a deal they wind up trying to move to open up cap room.

Signed Through 2024-25

D Jakob Chychrun ($4.6MM, UFA)
G Anton Forsberg ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Claude Giroux ($6.5MM, UFA)
D Travis Hamonic ($1.1MM, UFA)
F Mark Kastelic ($835K, RFA)

Giroux showed last season that he can still be a top-line player, posting his best showing since the 2018-19 campaign while giving Ottawa a strong return on that first year. He’ll be 37 when his next contract comes due, however, so the expectation will be that he either goes year-to-year at that point or takes a discounted two-year deal as players in his situation often do. Kastelic had a limited role last season but was effective on the fourth line, earning himself his first one-way deal in the process. As is the case with Kelly, he’ll need to show a bit more offensively to get past the $1MM mark (when he’ll also have arbitration rights) in 2025.

Chychrun came over in a late-season trade from Arizona and really helped to stabilize a relatively inexperienced back end. He hasn’t been able to match his 2020-21 breakout showing offensively with the Coyotes and if that holds up, that will hold back his earnings upside somewhat. Despite that, if he can stay healthy, his next deal could push into the $7MM range. Hamonic took a sizable cut compared to his previous contract to stay in Ottawa although that was going to happen no matter where he wound up. He’s effective in a limited role and this price point works for the Senators.

Forsberg took a step back last season with his on-ice performance while dealing with injury issues that limited him to just 28 appearances. Now set as the backup after GM Pierre Dorion turned to free agency to shore up his goaltending, that workload might be closer to his new normal. It’s a tier below the top backups which is around where he should slot in. He’ll need more years like his 2021-22 showing if he wants to get to upper-end backup money.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Mathieu Joseph ($2.95MM, UFA)
F Zack MacEwen ($775K, UFA)

Joseph showed lots of promise down the stretch in 2022 when Ottawa acquired him, resulting in this contract. Unfortunately for them, he struggled mightily last season, scoring just three times in 56 games which is hardly what anyone was expecting. This is the contract that the Sens are believed to be trying to move right now although in this cap environment, that’s much easier said than done. MacEwen accepted a rare three-year, minimum-salary deal this summer, one that guarantees him a one-way deal throughout. He’s projected to be on the fourth line or as a reserve forward if and when they can carry extra players so it’ll be difficult for them not to get a reasonable return.

Signed Through 2026-27 Or Longer

F Drake Batherson ($4.875MM through 2026-27)
D Thomas Chabot ($8MM through 2027-28)
G Joonas Korpisalo ($4MM through 2027-28)
F Joshua Norris ($7.95MM through 2029-30)
D Jake Sanderson ($8.05MM from 2024-25 through 2031-32)
F Tim Stutzle ($8.35MM through 2030-31)
F Brady Tkachuk ($8.206MM through 2027-28)
D Artem Zub ($4.6MM through 2026-27)

Over the past few years, Dorion has opted to skip the bridge deals for his core youngsters. Stutzle earned the biggest contract of the group, one that was signed before he went and put up 90 points, more than his first two years combined. It looked like it might take a year or two for Ottawa to get positive value under the assumption that Stutzle’s improvement might be a bit slower, an understandable expectation for most youngsters. That’s no longer the case, especially now that he started to see some regular minutes down the middle in 2022-23. As long as he produces close to this level, Ottawa should get a strong return on this contract.

Tkachuk’s contract talks were certainly the most contentious of the bunch and of their ‘core five’, he was the only one not to get eight years, getting seven instead. There’s a power forward premium attached but if he’s able to hover around the point-per-game mark as he did last season, his production will justify the price tag in its own right.

The first year of Norris’ deal didn’t go as planned thanks to a shoulder injury that cost him most of the season. Accordingly, it might take him a couple of years before he can live up to the price tag but assuming he progresses and becomes a consistent impact middleman, they’ll do well with this deal as well. Batherson put up nearly a point per game in an injury-shortened 2021-22 campaign but while he wasn’t able to duplicate that level of production over a full season last year, he still set career highs across the board, collecting 62 points. If he maintains that type of scoring, this will become quite a team-friendly deal.

Sanderson’s extension is a freshly signed one, one that is certainly banking on the 21-year-old having another level to get to. He had a strong rookie campaign, one that saw him collect 32 points while logging nearly 22 minutes a night, second only to Chabot. A high first-round pick in 2020 (fifth overall), he’ll be a core cog on their back end for years to come but it might take a year or two for him to start living up to the contract.

Chabot, whose deal is basically the one Sanderson wound up with, was the first Senator to go this route back in 2019. He has become a legitimate number one defenseman although he has battled injuries in each of the last two seasons. Considering that the market for top blueliners is considerably higher than this, Ottawa has gotten a nice bargain on this contract. As for Zub, he has just three NHL seasons under his belt but has quickly become an important part of their second pairing. His offensive numbers aren’t the strongest which will make it difficult for him to get into that higher tier of money but if he can play at a similar level as he has the past three seasons, they’ll do fine with this deal.

Buyouts

D Michael Del Zotto ($750K in 2023-24)
F Bobby Ryan ($1.833MM in 2023-24)
F Colin White ($875K in 2023-24, cap credit of $625K in 2024-25, $875K from 2025-26 through 2027-28)

Retained Salary Transactions

G Matt Murray ($1.563MM in 2023-24)

Still To Sign

F Shane Pinto

Pinto’s situation is well-known at this point. Ineligible for an offer sheet, he’s not a true restricted free agent and Ottawa has a bit more leverage here. Even so, they don’t have enough cap room to make him a fair-market offer. A two-year deal around the $2.5MM mark is the expectation of where an agreement will get done but they might have to carry a minimum-sized roster and bury a contract in the minors to open up enough room to do a deal like that. A one-year pact could also happen which, from a value perspective, should be closer to the $2MM range but even that will be tricky. Dorion will need to find a way to open up some flexibility in the near future.

Best Value: Chychrun
Worst Value: Joseph

Looking Ahead

Pinto’s situation looms large in the immediate term. This is something they need to get done sooner rather than later; Norris’ setback with his shoulder only amplifies that. What they’re able (or not able) to do will dictate what else they can do this season. If they can clear out Joseph’s deal entirely and still opt to carry a roster close to the minimum, they might be able to bank a bit of cap room for in-season activity. If not, they’ll need to match money in a trade to add to their roster closer to the trade deadline.

Being tight to the cap ceiling is going to be a regular occurrence for the Sens for the foreseeable future. They already have nearly $74MM in commitments for 2024-25 and few teams around the league have more than $45MM on the books in 2027-28. The contracts they have are good ones (or should be over time) but, barring a big spike in the salary cap, they might be in tough to make too many more core acquisitions beyond replacing their expiring deals.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

1 comment Ottawa Senators Pro Hockey Rumors Originals Salary Cap Deep Dive 2023

Summer Synopsis: Vancouver Canucks

By Gabriel Foley | at October 4, 2023 3:31 pm

The Vancouver Canucks are back to square one, once again questioning whether their depth is strong enough to earn a spot in the playoffs. And while the team has done well at using free agency and trades to round out their roster, the Pacific Division has improved substantially around them – eating against Vancouver’s postseason hopes. How the club adjusts to what’s sure to be an eventful season ahead should be very telling of their short-term and long-term prospects.

Draft

1-11: D Tom Willander, Rögle (Sweden U20)
3-75: D Hunter Brzustewicz, Kitchener (OHL)
3-89: D Sawyer Mynio, Seattle (WHL)
4-105: F Ty Mueller, Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA, NCHC)
4-107: F Vilmer Alriksson, Djurgårdens (Sweden U20)
4-119: F Matthew Perkins, Youngstown (USHL)
6-171: D Aiden Celebrini, Brooks (AJHL)

The Canucks brought in four defenders at the draft, the most they’ve brought in in a single class since 2013. This group is headlined by Tom Willander, who Vancouver took shockingly early, selecting him two picks before Buffalo took Zach Benson and six spots ahead of Axel Sandin-Pellikka, the defender who played above Willander for Sweden’s national team. The Canucks will hope those picks don’t come back to haunt them, although Willander’s early showings have proven optimistic. The Swedish defender was lauded for his leadership abilities and composed two-way play, showing a great ability to command a line. Willander is also playing for Boston University this season, where he’ll likely serve as Lane Hutson‘s batterymate and should continue to round out his two-way abilities.

After landing the reliable Willander, Vancouver favored offensive upside with their next pick, landing Hunter Brzustewicz, who was considered a First Round prospect by many public scouting agencies. Questions about how he’ll translate to the professional level, as well as concerns about his defensive abilities, pushed Brzustewicz down the draft board, but Vancouver could be landing a high-upside talent with their third-round pick. Brzustewicz recorded 51 assists and 57 points in 68 OHL games last season, ranking third among the league’s U19 defenders in scoring behind Ty Nelson and Michael Buchinger.

Vancouver was similarly targeted with the rest of their draft class, landing a large-frame defender in Mynio, two responsible and passive centermen in Mueller and Perkins, and a hometown talent in Celebrini. These picks add good depth to a Canucks prospect pool that could use a boost, although none of their selections jump off the page as immediate change-makers.

UFA Signings

D Carson Soucy (three years, $9.8MM)
D Ian Cole (one year, $3MM)
D Matt Irwin (one year, $775K)*
F Teddy Blueger (one year, $1.9MM)
F Tristen Nielsen (two years, $870K)*
G Zach Sawchenko (one year, $775K)*
F Pius Suter (two years, $3.2MM)

The Canucks brought in a slew of solid veteran talent through free agency, helping to solidify the depths of their NHL roster. Carson Soucy likely headlines the group and take on the biggest role, vying for a role in the team’s top four. Soucy can play either side on the blue line, although he favors left defense, giving him a prime shot at either the second-pair LD role or potentially even top-line minutes if Quinn Hughes doesn’t gel with new partners. But Soucy doesn’t have a clear run to the top four just yet, with Ian Cole also capable of winning over either position. Like Soucy, Cole is capable of playing either side and has shown prowess as a serviceable role player. The natural competition for ice time between Soucy and Cole should serve the Canucks blue line well, as both players will need to bring their A-game to try and beat out the other.

Vancouver faces a similar storyline with their newest forwards, adding the capable Pius Suter and Teddy Blueger down the middle. The duo will likely operate as the team’s third and fourth-line centers, although who wins out which role is yet to be seen. When it comes to statistics, the two are fairly evenly matched, with Suter recording 87 points through 216 career games and Blueger with 98 points through 268 career games. It’ll be a toss-up to see who wins out what role, but adding two 200-game veterans for cheap is slick work from a Vancouver team that struggled to make their depth pieces stand out last year.

RFA Re-Signings

D Noah Juulsen (two years, $1.55MM)*
D Akito Hirose (two years, $1.6MM)*
F Nils Hoglander (two years, $2.2MM)

Vancouver’s RFA signings all share a similar undertone of being talented players who have yet to solidify their NHL presence. The group is head manned by Nils Hoglander, the 40th-overall selection in the 2019 NHL Draft. Hoglander has 141 NHL games on his resume but only 54 points to show for it. Half of these points came in his rookie year when Hoglander recorded 13 goals and 27 points in 56 games. He hasn’t been able to maintain that momentum in the two seasons since, earning his first taste of the AHL last year after starting the year in the NHL. And while it’s never encouraging to see a young forward move backward, Hoglander did perform admirably in the minor leagues, netting 32 points in 45 games. Vancouver will hope that means a newfound confidence for the goal-scoring winger, who could be a productive X-factor operating on their third line if all goes well.

Hirose appeared in seven NHL games last season, recording three points and playing just under 17-and-a-half minutes per night. Juulsen also got a handful of NHL appearances – 12 to be exact – but failed to score and averaged under 15 minutes of ice time. And while neither performance jumps off the page, the duo will likely serve as the first line of reserves in the event that any Canucks defenders miss time.

Departures

D Travis Dermott (Arizona, one year, $800K)*
D Ethan Bear (unsigned UFA)
G Collin Delia (Winnipeg, one year, $775K)
F Brady Keeper (Montreal, one year, $775K)*
F Tanner Pearson (trade with Montreal)
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Florida, one year, $2.25MM)
F Micheal Ferland (unsigned UFA)

Oliver Ekman-Larsson headlines the list of Canucks to switch teams this summer. The 32-year-old defenseman’s place on the roster has long been a point of contention since Vancouver acquired him from the Arizona Coyotes. Ekman-Larsson appeared in a total of 133 games as a Canuck, recording a mere seven goals and 51 points – far from the 40-or-50-point seasons he put up earlier in his career. This breakup felt imminent, and the Canucks did it by way of a contract buy-out. Vancouver will carry a cap penalty through the 2030-31 season as a result of this buy-out.

Outside of Ekman-Larsson, the Canucks only lost one player that appeared in more than 20 games last season: currently unsigned defender Ethan Bear. The now-26-year-old Bear recorded 16 points in 61 games with Vancouver last season, performing serviceably but not leaving a hole that can’t be filled by Soucy or Cole. Collin Delia operated as the team’s third-string goalie, appearing in 20 games compared to backup Spencer Martin‘s 27 games and recording a modest .882 save percentage.

Otherwise, the Canucks lineup experienced little turnover – dealing Pearson to Montreal alongside a third-round pick in exchange for Casey DeSmith and cutting ties with Travis Dermott, who failed to successfully blend in with the rest of the Canucks lineup.

The summer saw minimal turnover for a team that made strong additions via free agency – a best-case scenario for Vancouver.

Salary Cap Outlook

Vancouver is held relatively tight to the cap, needing to move Tucker Poolman to long-term injured reserve to be cap-compliant. Once they make that move, the Canucks should have roughly $450K in cap space, just enough to get through the year without much stress. With Elias Pettersson set to be an arbitration-eligible RFA next summer, the Canucks are set to face difficult questions about their cap fairly soon. But they’re in fine enough standing for the short term.

Key Questions

What Encore Is In Store? While Vancouver faces a slurry of questions about their roster makeup, there’s no denying that they have one of the best centers and one of the best defenders in the entire NHL. Elias Pettersson shattered his career-high in scoring last season, netting 39 goals and 102 points in 80 games. And Quinn Hughes, the team’s newest captain, recorded a dazzling 76 points in 78 games. These seasons accounted for the highest-scoring season from a Vancouver defender ever, topping Hughes’ previous career-high of 68 points, and the highest-scoring performance from a Canuck forward since Daniel Sedin put up 104 points in 2011. Pettersson and Hughes are pivotal pieces of Vancouver’s success, and how they can build on their historic 2022-23 seasons should be a strong indicator of the team’s overall success this year.

Has Vancouver Found Their Goaltending Duo? Thatcher Demko won the starting job outright at the start of the 2021-22 season. In the two years since then, he’s had five different backups. Vancouver looked to curb that issue this year, finally bringing in a solid #2 in Casey DeSmith. DeSmith has performed very well throughout his NHL career, putting up a .912 save percentage through 134 career games, which should be enough to squash any worries about the Canucks goaltending. If that is the case, Vancouver could be ridding itself of one of their weakest links over the last few seasons.

Which Depth Forwards Will Step Up? The question of which depth pieces can be difference-makers has surrounded Vancouver for the past few seasons, to little avail. But new additions in Blueger and Suter, as well as newfound excitement surrounding players like Hoglander and Jack Studnicka, could be the reason for optimism. Many recent Stanley Cup champions have gotten to that point largely thanks to X-factors in their bottom six. Vancouver will need to find these impact players if they want to confidently establish themselves in a tough Pacific Division.

1 comment Pro Hockey Rumors Originals Summer Synopsis 2023 Vancouver Canucks

Summer Synopsis: Vegas Golden Knights

By Josh Cybulski | at October 3, 2023 9:14 pm

The Vegas Golden Knights won the ultimate prize this past spring in just their sixth season in existence. It was a spectacular rise that is the envy of almost every franchise in the NHL. The Knights shot to their first championship just a year after they missed the playoffs and are looking like a possibility to repeat. Now just because a team looks as though they can repeat doesn’t mean they will. Only two teams have accomplished this feat in the past 25 years and they both required a lot of good luck both on and off the ice to accomplish it. No one knows if Vegas will be able to repeat, but there is little doubt that they must be one of the favorites to come out of a weak Western Conference.

Vegas was strapped once again by the salary cap this summer and had to move on from some players who had been with the club for a long time. But like every team that wins hockey’s ultimate prize, they will be counting on new blood to inject some energy into the lineup.

Draft

1-32: C David Edstrom, Frolunda-JR (Sweden-JR)
3-77: C Mathieu Cataford, Halifax (QMJHL)
3-96: D Arttu Karki, Severstal Tappara JR. (Finland-JR)
6-192: RW Tuomas Uronen, HIFK JR. (Finland-JR)

With the last pick in the first round of this year’s NHL entry draft, Vegas elected to take big two-way center Edstrom out of Sweden. The 18-year-old was a point-a-game player in almost every league he played in last season as he bounced around to different tournaments and league teams. He is slated to start the year in the SHL and will have the opportunity to play against men. Edstrom has a very balanced game that surprises a lot of people, he is an excellent passer, is very good off the rush and can turn from defense to offense very quickly. His transition game is very underrated, and it could become his calling card as he is sound defensively.
Cataford is unlikely to wow anyone with his offensive ability, but he is an honest player who is difficult to contend with in one-on-one battles and has a nose for the net. He is well suited to be a bottom-six NHLer as his defensive game is his strongest attribute. He is good at identifying defensive zone issues and is quick to close gaps, he has good speed north to south and can use his physicality to separate player from puck. His movement laterally isn’t great, and he will likely need to improve on it if he wants to become an NHL penalty killer.

Trade Acquisitions

None

UFA Signings

D Mason Geertsen (two years, $1.55MM)*

Due to cap constraints, the Golden Knights were far less active in free agency than they had been in any previous offseason. Mason Geertsen was signed to a two-way contract and will likely spend the bulk of the season in the AHL with Henderson. The 28-year-old offers little in the way of offensive production as he had just four goals and four assists last season in 61 AHL games with Utica. The native of Drayton Valley, Alberta, has dressed in 25 career NHL games with the New Jersey Devils and has yet to register a point.

RFA Re-Signings

LW Pavel Dorofeyev (one year, $825K)
C Brett Howden (two years, $3.8MM)
G Jiri Patera (one year, $775K)*
D Brayden Pachal (two years, $1.55MM)*

*-denotes two-way contract

Vegas didn’t have much business to take care of on the restricted free-agent market. Brett Howden is a player that scouts were high on when he first broke into the league with the New York Rangers in 2018-19. Howden registered six goals and 17 assists that season in 66 games and appeared poised to be a two-way threat from the center position. Now five years into his NHL career, Howden has never reached the same offensive numbers posting just six goals and seven assists in 54 games last season, however, his defensive game has improved over time. Howden’s lines don’t typically drive the play when he is on the ice, but he is defensively sound and has become much more responsible with the puck as his career has gone on. He is also sneaky good at stripping the puck off opponents using both his size and skill.

Departures

F Phil Kessel (unsigned UFA)
C Nolan Patrick (unsigned UFA)
C Sakari Manninen (signed in Champions Hockey League)
C Maxim Marushev (signed in KHL)
D Connor Corcoran (signed in AHL)
RW Spencer Foo (signed in KHL)
LW Reilly Smith (traded to Pittsburgh)
G Jonathan Quick (New York Rangers, one year, $825K)
G Laurent Brossoit (Winnipeg, one year, $1.75MM)
C Teddy Blueger (Vancouver, one year, $1.9MM)
F Sven Baertschi (Retired)

On paper it looks like Vegas lost a lot of pieces, however, a deeper dive into the list shows you that the Golden Knights only lost a single player that dressed in their Stanley Cup winning game this past June.

Smith was the cap casualty that allowed the Golden Knights to be cap-compliant for the upcoming season. The 32-year-old was shipped to Pittsburgh for a third-round pick in a trade that looks lopsided on paper but appears less so after putting it into context. Vegas badly needed to clear cap room and was able to recoup an asset for Smith rather than having to attach one to ship out another contract. As the summer went on teams had a difficult time moving out money and Vegas was able to shed all of Smith’s contract without having to retain any of his cap hit. Pittsburgh did well in the trade, Smith is still a terrific player and should have every opportunity to play alongside Evgeni Malkin.

Blueger dressed in just six games for Vegas during their run to the Stanley Cup. He has never been able to post much in the way of offense but is a decent penalty killer and a good defensive center. He was snakebit offensively last year but still managed to get a decent payday this summer from the Vancouver Canucks. Vegas has enough depth to overcome his departure and shouldn’t have too much cause for concern that he will not be in the lineup come opening night.

Kessel dressed in all 82 regular season games for the Golden Knights last season and registered 14 goals and 22 assists while averaging 12:49 of ice time a game. It was the first time Kessel had averaged less than 15 minutes a game since 2007-08. Kessel’s game has been in decline since his exit from Pittsburgh in 2019 and it became evident in April that he wasn’t able to keep up with the pace of playoff hockey. The 36-year-old had two assists in just four playoff games for Vegas and didn’t dress after the first round. He was not re-signed before July 1st allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent and to this point, he has gone unsigned which will likely mean the end of his incredible Iron Man streak.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Golden Knights salary cap situation was dire this offseason as evidenced by their lack of roster improvement. Long term the club currently has about $17MM available next summer to sign 6-7 players and depending on the salary cap increase that number could top $20MM. At first glance it seems like an opportunity to make a splash however Vegas has several key unrestricted free agents to re-sign in Chandler Stephenson and Jonathan Marchessault, who are both due raises on their current cap hits. Stephenson has posted several strong seasons and is currently making just $2.75MM, he should easily double that on his next contract.

Key Questions

Who Will Be The Starter? Adin Hill has a new two-year deal in hand, but he has yet to cement himself as an NHL starter despite having a Stanley Cup on his resume. Hill has never dressed in more than 27 NHL games in any one season and was a bit of a journeyman prior to being acquired for a fourth-round pick last summer. The good news for Vegas is that they still have Logan Thompson waiting in the wings and he showed last year that he is more than capable of taking hold of the net.

Can Vegas Repeat? Vegas was never really in danger in last year’s playoffs as they were able to neutralize the likes of Connor McDavid, Matthew Tkachuk, and Leon Draisaitl with stifling defense while riding the hot hand of Hill to the Stanley Cup final. Vegas used multiple goalies and had a lot of luck along the way, which begs the question as to whether they can win it all a second time. They have virtually the same roster that they did a year ago, meaning the odds of a repeat are actually pretty good.

Can Mark Stone Stay Healthy? Stone is a warrior, he showed that in the playoffs when he returned to the lineup to captain Vegas to their first Stanley Cup. Stone had 11 goals and 13 assists in 22 games while playing almost 19 minutes a night. However, he has played just 80 games over the past two seasons as he has dealt with back issues that have persisted. It will be interesting to see if his body can hold up to the grind of a gruelling 82-game regular season.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

1 comment Pro Hockey Rumors Originals Summer Synopsis 2023 Vegas Golden Knights

Summer Synopsis: Toronto Maple Leafs

By Gabriel Foley | at October 2, 2023 10:24 am

The Toronto Maple Leafs are entering a new era in the team’s history, replacing Kyle Dubas with Brad Treliving as the team’s general manager, and appointing Shane Doan to Jason Spezza’s special assistant role. These changes bring a culture shift and a new face in negotiations – something that’s already proving beneficial, with Auston Matthews signing a contract extension and William Nylander working towards a new deal. It’s also helped Toronto in the free-agent market, with big names coming in to fill the holes left by key departures. The Leafs enter the season with a strong roster, on paper, but they’ll need multiple players to embrace their newfound opportunity if they want to maintain the success they found last season.

Draft

1-28: F Easton Cowan, London (OHL)
5-153: F Hudson Malinoski, Brooks (AJHL)
6-185: D Noah Chadwick, Lethbridge (WHL)

The draft didn’t represent much of a test for Brad Treliving, who only had one pick in the top 150 of the draft. But even with one pick, Treliving found a way to make noise – drafting a player that many public scouting services viewed as a high-mid round pick in the First Round. And while the pick remains hotly debated, Cowan may have earned the title of ‘biggest eye-opener’ out of the team’s training camp. He’s recorded one goal and two assists in two preseason games and looked solid throughout team skates, bringing credence to Toronto’s faith in him. He’ll return to the London Knights this season, looking to add next-level talent to a skillset that already looks natural in professional systems.

Toronto also brought in Malinoski, a re-entry forward who appeared on the Brooks Bandits second-line last season – his first year of juniors hockey – as well as Noah Chadwick, who played his first full season in the WHL last year. Interestingly, both players spent their 2021-22 playing in 18U hockey in Saskatoon, Malinoski with the Blazers, and Chadwick with the Contacts. The duo adds depth to Toronto’s center and left defense depth charts, both areas of need for the NHL club.

UFA Signings

D John Klingberg (one year, $4.2MM)
D Marshall Rifai (two years, $1.6MM)*
D Maxime Lajoie (one year, $775K)*
D William Lagesson (one year, $775K)*
F Ryan Reaves (three years, $4MM)
F Max Domi (one year, $3MM)
F Tyler Bertuzzi (one year, $5.5MM)
F Dylan Gambrell (one year, $775K)
D Simon Benoit (one year, $775K)
G Martin Jones (one year, $875K)

* indicates a two-way contract

The Leafs spent a combined $12.7MM on one year of John Klingberg, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Max Domi this off-season, spending big to patch holes at the top of their lineup. And while certainly on rich deals, all three players have the opportunity to be difference-makers quickly. Domi and Bertuzzi should get a full run at top-six minutes with the team’s forward group, while Klingberg’s upside could be as high as

playing on the top defensive pair.

Klingberg’s addition offers the Leafs one of the more solid blue lines they’ve iced in recent years. The 30-year-old defender has taken a step back in the latter half of his career, largely a result of a reoccurring bout with injuries. Klingberg hasn’t played in 75-or-more games since 2017-18, getting moved to injured reserve in each of the three subsequent seasons. But he does offer high-scoring upside, averaging 54 points-per-season over the course of his nine-year NHL career. He did miss parts of training camp with injury, fueling skeptics – although reports shared that his absence was largely precautionary. But if Klingberg can return to the dangerous form he possessed early in his career, he could be an X-factor for this Toronto lineup.

Domi and Bertuzzi bring similar impacts to the lineup: both gritty and physical forwards with solid scoring upside but concerns around injury history and discipline. Domi’s the volume shooter of the two, recording 179 shots last season. And while Domi hasn’t found consistent scoring in recent years, he did net 28 goals and 72 points in the 2018-19 season. That gives Toronto a fine-enough replacement for Michael Bunting in the team’s high-volume top-six. Bertuzzi brings more balance to the forward group, recording an impressive 30 goals and 62 points in just 68 games during the 2021-22 season. He lost that edge a bit last year but still flexes great upside. Toronto is needing to get creative with their top-six to fit in both Bertuzzi and Domi – doing things like moving Nylander to center – but if they can find a way to bring both players back to their former glory, it could give the team a scary forward group.

And while potentially impactful, these three signings didn’t raise eyes like the Leafs’ signing of 36-year-old Ryan Reaves did. In an effort to add the team’s obligatory enforcer, Treliving signed Reaves to a one-way deal that carries Reaves through his age-38 season, with a $1.35MM cap hit. This contract isn’t outrageous but it’s an interesting allocation of cap for a team already carrying Kyle Clifford. How Reaves slots into the day-to-day lineup will be interesting to follow, with the similarly-deployed Wayne Simmonds only appearing in 18 games last season.

The team rounded out free agency with a slew of attractive depth pieces, bringing in consistent bottom-six help in Gambrell and giving a second chance to players like Lagesson and Lajoie. It’s not certain whether any of these depth signings will impact the NHL roster but their additions provide comfortability behind the team’s main guys.

Key RFA Re-Signings

F Pontus Holmberg (two years, $1.6MM)
F Nick Abruzzese (two years, $775K)*
G Ilya Samsonov (one year, $3.6MM)

The Leafs RFA signings fail to jump off of the page. Ilya Samsonov is undoubtedly the most notable re-signing, giving the Leafs their starting goalie for at least the next season. Samsonov needed to file for salary arbitration to get a deal done, despite a clear path to the starter’s net, which could make for an interesting negotiations come next summer. Toronto also locked in low-cost, high-upside wingers in Holmberg and Abruzzese, likely to give both players a chance to earn a bigger contract in their next round of negotiations.

Key Departures

D Filip Kral (Lahti, Liiga)
D Mac Hollowell (New York Rangers, one year, $775K)*
D Victor Mete (Philadelphia, one year, $775K)*
F Alexander Kerfoot (Arizona, two years, $7MM)
D Carl Dahlstrom (Färjestad, SHL)
D Erik Gustafsson (New York Rangers, one year, $825K)
G Erik Kallgren (New Jersey, one year, $775K)*
D Jordie Benn (unsigned UFA)
D Justin Holl (Detroit, three years, $10.2MM)
D Luke Schenn (Nashville, three years, $8.25MM)
F Michael Bunting (Carolina, three years, $13.5MM)
F Noel Acciari (Pittsburgh, three years, $6MM)
F Radim Zohorna (Pittsburgh, one year, $775K)*
F Ryan O’Reilly (Nashville, four years, $18MM)
F Wayne Simmonds (unsigned UFA)
F Zach Aston-Reese (unsigned UFA)
F Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (Traktor, KHL)

* indicates a two-way contract

It’s impressive to see how strong of a lineup the Leafs are entering the season with, given the fact that they lost nearly a full lineup in NHL talent over the summer. Ryan O’Reilly and Michael Bunting headline the group – two top-of-the-lineup forwards, one boasting great goal-scoring upside and the other being a consistent standout for the Selke Trophy. They’re joined by middle-of-the-lineup pieces in Alexander Kerfoot, Luke Schenn, Noel Acciari, and Justin Holl – all getting modest deals in new locations fairly quickly. Interestingly, it was Kyle Dubas that signed Acciari and Radim Zohorna in Pittsburgh, bringing both forwards with him as he left Toronto.

Losing this much solid lineup talent could be enough to send a team into a panic. But Toronto’s lucrative signings of Bertuzzi, Domi, and Klingberg help patch holes in the top-end, while young depth pieces like Abruzzesse finally vie for a roster spot in the wake of changes to the bottom-six. The ability to handle such great turnover speaks to Toronto’s impressive depth and Treliving’s ability to bring in top free agents, and the team will remain competitive this year as a result.

These departures don’t represent a blow to the Toronto lineup as much as they represent boosts to the Leafs’ competition. Bunting brings even more volume and scoring to an already-strong Carolina Hurricanes lineup and O’Reilly could be the solidifying piece that the Nashville Predators needed. If, and how, these signings could impact Toronto’s push for the playoffs and Stanley Cup will be notable, even with the team’s ability to fill their holes.

Salary Cap Outlook

Toronto is, once again, pushing the boundaries of the NHL’s cap ceiling. The team will have just enough money to enter the season, after moving Jake Muzzin and Matt Murray to long-term injured reserve, but they’ll likely still need to move on from one or two players to make enough breathing room for the rest of the year. But if there’s any team that can handle a tight bind with the cap, it’s Toronto.

Key Questions

Can The New Additions Fit In? If the Leafs end up making a run for the Cup, it’ll likely be largely thanks to their free agent signings. Bertuzzi, Domi, and Klingberg all represent really exciting upside, and seem to be passionate about getting a chance to play for Toronto. How each of them can embrace the new setting, cushier roles, and increased attention will be one of the biggest storylines of the year. This season could represent an explosive return to form, marked by impressive scoring totals, or another slide in already-slipping careers.

Who Will Be Starting By The End Of The Year? Ilya Samsonov has a clear hold over the starter’s net entering the season. But if he can

maintain that grip is yet to be seen. Not only does backup Joseph Woll offer competition – posting a .932 save percentage through seven NHL games last season – but the health of all Toronto goaltenders has warranted questioning in recent years. Samsonov himself battled plenty of injuries throughout last year, even missing time in the postseason with an upper-body injury. Reports out of training camp share that he’s back up to speed but with little goalie depth behind him and Woll, Toronto could be at risk of another stressful year between the pipes.

What Impact Will Matthew Knies and Nicholas Robertson Make? The Leafs should be adding two potential heavyweights to their roster full-time this season, in Matthew Knies and Nicholas Robertson. Both players have some form of NHL experience, with Knies playing 10 games between the regular season and playoffs last year and recording five points; while Robertson has recorded 31 career NHL games and seven career points. In a lineup flanked by free agent additions and open roster spots, Knies and Robertson should have every opportunity to show their worth. If they live up to the hype, they could be pivotal pieces of the Leafs roster for years to come.

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