Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

RFA

Snapshots: Hronek, Friedman, Pickering, Sillinger, Chinakhov

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek is expected to miss a “while” with an upper-body injury per Irfaan Gaffar of Daily Faceoff. Hronek seemed to suffer a shoulder injury in Vancouver’s Wednesday loss to the Penguins, after getting hit awkwardly into the boards by Pittsburgh defenseman Jack St. Ivany.

Any extended absence from Hronek would be hard for Vancouver to bear. He’s continued to serve a top-line role this season, averaging over 23 minutes of ice time a game opposite of Canucks superstar Quinn Hughes. Hronek has managed one goal and nine points in 21 games in the role – on pace for 35 points, a dip from the 48 points he scored last season.

Hronek’s stat line may not jump off the page, but he’s seemed to be the key to unlocking a Norris Trophy-level Quinn Hughes. The two have outscored opponents 18-to-10 at even-strength this season, compared to Hughes’ tying opponent scoring five-to-five without Hronek. The two have recorded a 55.07 expected-goals-for percentage since being paired together last year.

The Canucks are expected to recall veteran defenseman Mark Friedman in response to Hronek’s injury, per Noah Strang of Daily Hive. Friedman has four points through eight AHL games this year but has yet to make his season debut with Vancouver. He recorded one assist in 23 games with the Canucks last year, marking his sixth season serving the role of seventh or eighth defenseman for an NHL club. Friedman has tallied 13 points in 88 career games in the minutes he’s earned. Friedman will likely step right into the lineup hole, though he’ll face pressure from Vincent Desharnais on the bench – and Jett Woo and Cole McWard from the minors. With a potential long-term vacancy opening up, all four defenders could find a way into the lineup.

Other Thanksgiving notes:

  • Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Owen Pickering missed another practice due to illness shares Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports. Head coach Mike Sullivan added that the rookie is still being evaluated, and remains questionable for the team’s road game in Boston on Friday. Pickering sat out of Wednesday’s game against Vancouver. He has one point – an assist – through the first four career games. Pickering will return to competition with Ryan Shea when he’s back to full health.
  • The Columbus Blue Jackets will have the services of Cole Sillinger on Friday, but Yegor Chinakhov is “banged up” and questionable, per Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers. Both players missed Columbus’ Thursday practice. The two have returned as core pieces of Columbus’ middle-six. They sit next to each other on the team’s scoring ranks, with Chinakhov posting 14 points in 21 games and Sillinger posting 12 in 20 games.

Flames Sign Cole Schwindt And Ilya Solovyov

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Calgary Flames have signed their last two pending RFAs ahead of training camp, agreeing to a one-year, two-way contract with forward Cole Schwindt, and a two-year, hybrid contract with defenseman Ilya Solovyov. Schwindt will carry an $800K cap hit at the NHL level. Solovyov will earn a league-minimum $775K salary at the NHL level, while his deal will be two-way in year one and one-way in year two. Schwindt’s deal was first reported by Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960, while Solovyov’s contract was announced by agent Dan Milstein.

Schwindt has spent the last four seasons clawing his way up minor-league depth charts, beginning his career with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch in the shortened 2020-21 season. He scored two points in 10 games in his first year – production that paled in comparison to the 40 points he’d score in 72 games with the Charlotte Checkers in the following year. That hot scoring boosted Schwindt to Charlotte’s top line and ultimately earned him the first three games of his NHL career when the Florida Panthers faced injury. He failed to score in those appearances but flashed enough to be included in the infamous Matthew Tkachuk trade a few months later – joining Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, and a draft pick in being moved to the Calgary Flames.

That deal moved Schwindt to the Calgary Wranglers lineup, where he took some time to find his footing, scoring just 32 points in 70 games in 2022-23. He improved on that a bit this year, climbing back to 36 points in 66 games and once again earning NHL ice time – though he again failed to score through four outings.

Schwindt seems set to return to his role of top minor-leaguer next season, looking to continue to improve his scoring. If he does, the 23-year-old winger could be a favorite depth fill-in as Calgary pushes through the 2024-25 campaign with a much younger lineup than last season.

Solovyov has been in a similar spot to Schwindt, fighting up the minor-league lineup, though he’s spent the entirety of his three-year pro career in the Flames organization. He moved to the AHL in 2021-22, recording just eight points in 51 games as a rookie. Solovyov boosted that production to 18 points in 68 games in the following year. That seems to be more in line with his routine scoring, vindicated by his 15 points in 51 games this year, which was enough to earn Solovyov his first 10 NHL games in the middle of the year. He recorded three assists and four penalty minutes in those outings, looking fairly stout on a Flames defense in need of help.

While Schwindt will need to work his way up to the NHL fringe, Solovyov will jump straight into a competition for minutes with peers like Joel Hanley, Kevin Bahl, and Jake Bean. Each member of that trio carries more NHL experience than Solovyov, but his deal featuring a one-way year could be a strong indication of his lineup upside.

RFA Notes: Raymond, Berggren, Pelletier, Perfetti

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Detroit Red Wings are making progress on a long-term contract with star forward Lucas Raymond, shares David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. Raymond is one of three restricted free agents still awaiting a deal from the Red Wings, alongside winger Jonatan Berggren and defender Moritz Seider.

Pagnotta added that talks between Raymond and Detroit have picked up over the last 10 days, but that the two sides are, “still grinding away at it.” The Red Wings kick off training camp on September 18th.

While Seider was Detroit’s unrivaled top defender last season, it’s Raymond who feels like the chore that needs done. The 22-year-old winger broke out this season, leading the Red Wings in scoring with a career-high 31 goals and 72 points in 82 games, topping his previous high of 23 goals and 57 points set as a rookie. He’s now up to 174 points in 238 career games, and stands as perhaps the most promising player on a Wings lineup in flux. His next contract will likely eat up the bulk of Detroit’s remaining $17.648MM in cap space, though the Wings will need to walk a fine line to not price themselves out of a similarly-hefty deal for Seider.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Pagnotta also mentioned that Detroit and Berggren are expected to agree to a contract before the start of training camp, though the deal will hinge on the final price given to Raymond and/or Seider. Berggren led the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins in scoring with 56 points in 53 games last season. It was Berggren’s first year back in the minors, after playing through his NHL rookie season in 2022-23 – ending with 15 goals and 28 points in 67 games. Detroit will have plenty of room to award hard-workers at training camp with NHL ice time to start the season – a group Berggren will hope to lead after signing a new deal.
  • Detroit’s forward momentum with their RFAs hasn’t trickled up to Canada, with the Calgary Flames still far off from a deal with RFA forward Jakob Pelletier, per TSN’s Salim Nadim Valji. Valji adds that things could change quickly but are, for now, quiet. Pelletier has become a fan-favorite prospect, solidified by his routinely strong performances in the minor leagues. The 23-year-old has 111 points through 119 AHL games, but has struggled to translate that production to the top flight, with just 10 points in 37 career NHL games. Like Detroit, Calgary stands a chance to award young players with strong lineup roles. Pelletier seems a favorite to handle one of those spots, though he’ll first need to bridge the gap in quiet negotiations.
  • Winnipeg is going through sluggish talks of their own with RFA winger Cole Perfetti, who has yet to hear back on a firm offer reports Pagnotta. Perfetti potted 19 goals and 38 points in 71 games last year – but looked capable of much more with a stronger role in the lineup. He’s 22, and carries an admirable 75 points and 140 games of NHL experience. Those numbers fall closely in line with Senators centerman Shane Pinto, who recently signed a two-year, $7MM extension after missing the bulk of the 2023-24 campaign. That deal stands as Perfetti’s strongest comparable, though it may be hard to bear for a Winnipeg team with just $5.776MM in remaining cap space.

Canadian Notes: Robertson, Perfetti, Demko

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nicholas Robertson has emerged as a top name on the trade market headed into training camp, following reports that he’s still hoping to start the year on a new team. But Sportsnet’s Luke Fox shared he isn’t expecting the recent momentum to spark a trade before the Leafs kick off camp, citing Robertson’s lack of much negotiating power.

Robertson’s name has floated around trade rumors since last season’s Trade Deadline and peaked with a formal trade request at the start of free agency. But nothing has come together yet, placing Robertson in a mix of young, shoot-first wingers on the trade market, alongside the likes of Arthur Kaliyev (link) and Connor McMichael (link).

Robertson played in his first full NHL season this year, though it only resulted in 56 games and a third-line role. He showed flashes of strong play, ultimately scoring 14 goals and 27 points. That brings his career totals up to 34 points, split evenly, in 87 games – commendable production for a former second-round pick and in line with Kaliyev and McMichael. That lack of distinction might make Robertson a tougher sale so close to the season. That is if the Leafs even choose to fulfill his trade request – which seems growingly unlikely as the team’s brass continues sharing excitement over Robertson’s potential in a growing role.

More notes from around the league:

  • The Winnipeg Jets are one of many teams still negotiating with top RFAs, needing to work out a deal for winger Cole Perfetti after he managed a stout 29 goals and 75 points in 140 NHL games on his entry-level contract. The Athletic’s Murat Ates took to projecting what Perfetti’s next deal could look like given his minimal experience in Winnipeg’s top-six. Ates drew a strong comparison to Ottawa’s negotiations with Shane Pinto, which ultimately ended in a two-year, $7.5MM bridge contract. Pinto also has 140 games of NHL experience and 70 total points, earned while planting his feet as Ottawa’s third-line center. That’s proven a more reliable role than Perfetti’s earned up to this point, though Ates reasoned that the two are comparable enough to earn Perfetti a similar bridge deal.
  • Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko has reportedly returned to the ice, shares CHEK Sports’ Rick Dhaliwal, who added that the starting goaltender could be healthy enough to participate in training camp. The Canucks were previously prepared for Demko to sit out of the team’s opening camp as he recovered from a groin injury taking longer than expected to heal. That’s certainly a timely update, with Vancouver recently sharing that Arturs Silovs – Demko’s presumed backup – is also bearing through a lower-body injury. The Canucks have been connected to free agent goaltenders like Kevin Lankinen but could be waiting out Demko’s early steps back before they make any signings official.

Blue Jackets RFA Kirill Marchenko Still Awaiting Offer

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Columbus Blue Jackets are entering the dog days of July with a long list of chores still not done, including four remaining restricted free agents. New general manager Don Waddell has shared that the team is solely focused on finding their next head coach, but the dragging negotiations have started to get to forward Kirill Marchenko, who voiced his unease to Daria Tuboltseva of Responsible Gambling. Marchenko said he hasn’t yet spoken with Waddell, adding, “I haven’t received any worthy offers yet, so I can’t say for sure… I’m considering both a long-term and a bridge contract, but I prefer the process to move faster.”

Marchenko went on to describe the 2023-24 season as up-and-down, both in his feelings with the Blue Jackets and his performance on the ice. He managed a career year despite the mixed feelings, recording a team-leading 23 goals and a third-ranked 42 points in 78 games. It was his first full year with the Blue Jackets, after spending last season – his first year in North America – split between the NHL and AHL lineups. He showed off unusually high goal-scoring as a rookie as well, potting 21 goals and just four assists through his first 59 NHL games.

And while Marchenko improved that imbalance this year, he’s still hard to project beyond next season. On the one hand, he’s managed two 20-goal seasons in the first two years of his career – impressive for any rookie, especially one on the desolate Blue Jackets. But he’s also shooting at a gaudy 13.6 percent through 137 career games, tied with Patrik Laine for the highest of any active Blue Jacket. Columbus signed a heap of prospects to entry-level deals at the end of the season, including Gavin Brindley and Luca Del Bel Belluz, who received their NHL debuts. That burgeoning prospect pool gives Waddell a unique challenge ahead – with plenty of young and promising forwards deserving ice time and core pieces Kent Johnson, Cole Sillinger, and Marchenko still left unsigned.

List Of Players Not Receiving A 2024 Qualifying Offer

at CDT | by 9 Comments

The window to issue a qualifying offer to pending restricted free agents closed at 5 pm CT today, making any player who did not receive an offer eligible to become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow. Below are the players who will not be issued a qualifying offer, listed by team. Players with an asterisk next to their name carry arbitration eligibility.

This is a complete list as of 6:00 a.m. CT, the morning after the deadline.

Anaheim Ducks

F Benoit-Olivier Groulx, F Max Jones, F Brett Leason, D Gustav Lindstrom, F Blake McLaughlin, F Brayden Tracey, D Urho Vaakanainen

Boston Bruins

F Joey Abate, F Jesper Boqvist, F Curtis Hall

Buffalo Sabres

D Jacob Bryson, D Calle Sjalin, D Riley Stillman

Calgary Flames

F Riley Damiani, F Dillon Dube

Carolina Hurricanes

F Max Comtois, F Tuuka Tieksola, F Blake Murray, D Griffin Mendel

Chicago Blackhawks

F Filip Roos, F Michal Teply, F Joey Anderson, F Reese Johnson, G Jaxson Stauber

Colorado Avalanche

(none)

Columbus Blue Jackets

F Tyler Angle, F Alexander Nylander, D Jake Bean

Dallas Stars

D Nils Lundkvist, F Sam Steel, F Max Ellis, G Matthew Murray

Detroit Red Wings

D Jared McIsaac

Edmonton Oilers

G Ryan Fanti, F Carter Savoie

Florida Panthers

(none)

Los Angeles Kings

F Blake Lizotte, F Tyler Madden, G Jacob Ingham

Minnesota Wild

F Mason Shaw, F Sam Hentges, F Dmitry Ovchinnikov, D Simon Johansson, G Hunter Jones

Montreal Canadiens

F Lias Andersson, F Filip Cederqvist, D Mattias Norlinder, F Jesse Ylonen

Nashville Predators

(none)

New Jersey Devils

F Michael McLeod, D Michael Vukojevic, D Callan Foote

New York Islanders

F Reece Newkirk

New York Rangers

(none)

Ottawa Senators

F Parker Kelly, F Boris Katchouk, D Erik Brannstrom

Philadelphia Flyers

G Carter Hart, D Mason Millman, D Will Zmolek

Pittsburgh Penguins

D Pierre-Oliver Joseph

San Jose Sharks

D Calen Addison, F Jacob Peterson, F Jack Studnicka, F Filip Zadina

Seattle Kraken

F Kailer Yamamoto

St. Louis Blues

F Keean Washkurak

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Logan Brown, F Felix Robert

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Noah Gregor

Utah Hockey Club

(none)

Vancouver Canucks

F Aiden McDonough, D Filip Johansson, D Nick Cicek

Vegas Golden Knights

F Ivan Morozov, F Mason Primeau, D Layton Ahac, G Akira Schmid

Washington Capitals

(none)

Winnipeg Jets

D Artemi Kniazev, G Oskari Salminen

2023 Salary Arbitration Tracker

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Originally published July 10th

This morning, the NHLPA announced the calendar of dates for this offseason’s slate of salary arbitration hearings. 23 players are slated for hearings, including the 22 players who elected arbitration last week, although some names below have been settled. As contracts are reached before hearing dates arrive, we’ll continuously update this article with the terms of settled contracts.

July 20

F Philipp Kurashev, Chicago (decided, two years, $4.5MM)
F Brandon Duhaime, Minnesota (settled, one year, $1.1MM)
F Alexey Toropchenko, St. Louis (settled, two years, $2.5MM)
F Noah Cates, Philadelphia (settled, two years, $5.25MM)

July 21

G Ilya Samsonov, Toronto (decided, one year, $3.55MM)

July 24

F Brett Howden, Vegas (settled, two years, $3.8MM)
D Vince Dunn, Seattle (settled, four years, $29.4MM)
F Tanner Jeannot, Tampa (settled, two years, $5.33MM)

July 26

D Ian Mitchell, Boston (settled, one year, $775K)
D William Borgen, Seattle (settled, two years, $5.4MM)

July 27

F Ross Colton, Colorado (settled, four years, $16MM)

July 28

F Gabriel Vilardi, Winnipeg (settled, two years, $6.875MM)
D Cale Fleury, Seattle (settled, two years, $1.6MM)

July 30

G Jeremy Swayman, Boston (decided, one year, $3.475MM)
F Jack McBain, Arizona (settled, two years, $3.2MM)

July 31

*F Alex DeBrincat, Detroit (settled, four years, $31.5MM)

*The Ottawa Senators filed for team-elected arbitration with DeBrincat before trading his rights to Detroit

August 1

F Trent Frederic, Boston (settled, two years, $4.6MM)

August 2

F Morgan Barron, Winnipeg (settled, two years, $2.7MM)
F Troy Terry, Anaheim (settled, seven years, $49MM)

August 4

F Ryan McLeod, Edmonton (settled, two years, $4.2MM)
D Brandon Scanlin, NY Rangers (settled, one year, $775K)
G Filip Gustavsson, Minnesota (settled, three years, $11.25MM)
F Drew O’Connor, Pittsburgh (settled, two years, $1.85MM)

A reminder of the rules surrounding salary arbitration, per CapFriendly:

  • A player and team can settle on a deal at any point before the hearing starts
  • Once the hearing has taken place, the arbitration decision must be issued by email within 48 hours of the closing
  • Arbitration awards can only be one or two years in length
    • Players who are in their final year of restricted free agency are only entitled to a one-year term
  • The team decides on the awarded term, save for any team-elected arbitration cases
  • The team can walk away from the arbitration decision if a contract with an average annual value of more than $4.54MM is granted

Snapshots: Blues, Lightning, Coyotes

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Settling with Alexey Toropchenko today gave the St. Louis Blues come salary cap flexibility, says CapFriendly. Much like the Philadelphia Flyers did with Anthony DeAngelo, settling with Toropchenko, the Blues’ last remaining player who had filed for arbitration, opens a second buyout window for the team, which will open in three days and last for 48 hours. The rules for this unique buyout are limited, though – a player must have been on their reserve list at the trade deadline and must carry a cap hit of at least $4MM.

The Blues are cap-compliant but barely – CapFriendly projects them with roughly $290K in space with a full 23-player roster. They’ve expressed a clear desire to move out one of their aging top-four defensemen via trade, but nothing’s manifested yet, and it’s becoming less and less likely as the offseason trods on. It’s entirely possible general manager Doug Armstrong could choose to execute a buyout for someone like Nick Leddy, who’s struggled during his time in St. Louis and carries a $4MM cap hit through 2026. It would be a hefty buyout, running through 2028-29, but it wouldn’t carry a cap penalty of more than $2MM in any of the six seasons – it might be appealing.

More from around the NHL this weekend:

  • The Tampa Bay Lightning are also granted a second buyout window after settling with forward Tanner Jeannot before arbitration. The team has cut costs wherever possible, but they still have less than $1MM in cap space, even taking into account Brent Seabrook’s long-term injured reserve relief. Unfortunately for them, there are no possible candidates here – all of their players carrying a cap hit of $4MM are core parts of the team and won’t be considered for a buyout. General manager Julien BriseBois is prepping for another long season of cap management on a day-to-day basis.
  • PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan today offered updates on a pair of Arizona Coyotes RFA forwards – Jan Jenik and Jack McBain. Morgan notes that Jenik’s deadline to accept his qualifying offer passed yesterday, meaning the team now has to negotiate a new deal with him to return to the desert. The 22-year-old was a 2018 third-round pick and notched 23 points in 30 games with the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners last season. Morgan also notes that there hasn’t been any progress between the Coyotes and McBain on a new contract with his arbitration hearing looming at the end of the month, although they still have about two weeks to come to a deal before the hearing.

Philadelphia Flyers Sign Olle Lycksell

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Philadelphia Flyers have signed restricted free agent forward Olle Lycksell to a two-year, two-way contract, per a team announcement. The deal is worth $1.575MM and carries an average annual value of $787.5K.

A 2017 sixth-round pick, Lycksell is quickly climbing up the organizational depth chart after a pair of very impressive seasons in other leagues. The 23-year-old Swede posted 45 points in 53 games for the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms last season, finishing second on the team in scoring during his first campaign in North America while playing heavy minutes.

It was the season before that where he saw a real breakout, though, finishing off his Swedish pro career (for the time being) with 34 points in 47 games for SHL side Vaxjo Lakers HC while on loan from the Flyers. Now, Lycksell has some financial security for the next two seasons, during which time he’ll attempt to break through into the Flyers’ lineup full-time.

He did make his NHL debut last season, not looking entirely out of place and registering an assist in eight appearances. With some free agent additions (and a healthy Cam Atkinson and Sean Couturier) in the fold, however, the chances of him being on the Flyers’ opening night roster are slim.

That being said, he’s set to reprise a top-line role with the Phantoms and continue working toward rounding out his game. With another year of pro hockey under his belt, look for Lycksell to provide some solid value for the Flyers in the second year of this deal.

When his contract expires in 2025, he’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Dallas Stars Sign Ty Dellandrea

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Dallas Stars’ most important remaining restricted free agent has a new contract. Today, the team signed forward Ty Dellandrea to a one-year deal worth $900K.

Drafted 13th overall in 2018, Dellandrea’s development has been a slow burn, but he burst onto the scene last season as a full-time player in the strictest sense of the word. One of eight Stars to play in all 82 regular-season games, Dellandrea tallied nine goals and 28 points. Interestingly enough, Dellandrea was not eligible for Calder voting, nor was he considered a rookie – he suited up in 26 games for Dallas two seasons ago in 2020-21, putting him just above the cut-off mark.

Nevertheless, Dellandrea demonstrated high-end two-way upside in a bottom-six role, posting high-end possession numbers and even excelling when used on the penalty kill. Still just 22 years old, there is still plenty of time for his offensive totals to improve. He showed strong scoring flashes in the minors in 2021-22, posting 23 goals and 50 points in 68 games with the AHL’s Texas Stars.

Despite those positive strides, Dellandrea will likely get boxed out of a top-nine role, at least to start next season. The team’s re-signing of Evgenii Dadonov and acquisition of Matt Duchene via free agency gives them one of the best top-nine forward units in the entire league, but it does diminish Dellandrea’s potential for increased ice time. If injuries strike, however, he carries the most upward mobility of any depth forward on the Stars and will get a chance higher up in the lineup.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top