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Snapshots: Team Sweden, Bennett, Kuzmenko

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Team Sweden named their leadership group for the 2024 IIHF World Championship ahead of their opening game on Friday (Twitter link). Long-time Swedish star Erik Karlsson will serve as the team’s captain, flanked by Victor Hedman and Lucas Raymond as assistant captains.

Karlsson is taking on a significant leadership role in his first appearance with Sweden since the 2017 World Cup. And while he wore an ‘A’ with Sweden in that tournament, this news marks his first time wearing the ’C’ with his home country. Karlsson is no stranger to leadership, having served as the Ottawa Senators captain from 2014 to 2018. He’s also no secret to international hockey, with 23 points across 28 games with Sweden’s Men’s team, including appearances at the World Championship, World Cup, and Olympics.

Sweden won their first contest of the 2024 Worlds, beating Team USA 5-2 thanks to a three-point performance from Joel Eriksson Ek and 28 saves from Filip Gustavsson. They’ll look to maintain the confident start through the rest of the tourney, chasing their first Gold Medal win since 2018.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Florida Panthers welcomed forward Sam Bennett back to the lineup on Friday (Twitter link). It was his first game since suffering an upper-body injury in Game 2 of Round 1. Bennett recorded a primary assist on Florida’s second goal of the matchup, stepping right back into his role alternating with Anton Lundell. Nick Cousins stepped out of the lineup to make room for Bennett. Cousins has appeared in seven games this postseason, recording one assist and 20 penalty minutes. Bennett offers a big boost to a Florida lineup that’s gone blow-for-blow with the Boston Bruins. He was a major piece of their success last spring, posting 15 points in 20 postseason games.
  • Calgary Flames winger Andrei Kuzmenko has changed agencies, now represented by Newport Sports. The swap was first reported by former Sportsnet reporter Irfaan Gaffar, and seconded by Ryan Pike of Flames Nation (Twitter link). Kuzmenko will now be represented by the same management company as Robert Thomas, Vasily Podkolzin, and Tomas Hertl. He leaves Gold Star Agency, where he was notoriously represented by Daniel Milstein, who served a role in Kuzmenko’s swap from the Vancouver Canucks to the Flames. Kuzmenko found a strong scoring groove in Calgary, netting 25 points in 24 games, and should be poised for a top role next season.

Snapshots: Devils, Leonard, Berube

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At the beginning of the season, the Devils weren’t expected to be picking in the top ten but that’s where they find themselves after the lottery earlier this week.  Speaking after the lottery, GM Tom Fitzgerald indicated to reporters including team reporter Amanda Stein that it’s not a guarantee he’ll use the tenth pick next month, suggesting it’s an option to be moved if the right trade presents itself.  It’s not very often that top-ten picks are dealt but with New Jersey being a team in win-now mode, they could be inclined to try to use that selection for someone who is more established and can contribute right away.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Capitals prospect Ryan Leonard opted not to sign with Washington for their playoff run, instead choosing to stay at Boston College instead. However, with San Jose getting the first-overall pick (which is expected to be used on Macklin Celebrini), it’s possible that Celebrini signing will also result in San Jose getting Will Smith to turn pro and become their one-two punch down the middle.  If that happens, Colby Cohen suggested on a recent Daily Faceoff appearance (video link) that Washington could then try to re-engage on getting Leonard, a current teammate of Smith, to sign for 2024-25.  Leonard had a dominant campaign, putting up 31 goals and 29 assists in 41 games in his freshman year.
  • While the Kings haven’t decided on if they’ll remove the interim tag from Jim Hiller who took over as head coach midseason, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reports in his latest Toronto Star column that Los Angeles is kicking the tires on Craig Berube. Berube has also been speculatively linked to the openings in New Jersey and Toronto and appears to be well-positioned to return behind an NHL bench in the coming weeks.  The 55-year-old has been an NHL bench boss for parts of eight seasons with his teams playing to a .584 points percentage.

Snapshots: Smith, Schenn, Second Round, DiPietro

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Forward Cole Smith was held out of Friday night’s Game 6 lineup due to a lower-body injury, per the team (Twitter link). Smith was replaced by Juuso Parssinen making his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut. Parssinen took on a larger role than Smith’s received, stepping into the team’s second line and bumping Mark Jankowski down the lineup. Only three Predators forwards, including Smith, have failed to record at least one point through their first five playoff games. Parssinen will need to quickly join that list, with Nashville down 3-2 in the series.

The Predators also welcomed Luke Schenn back to the lineup, after he missed Game 5 with illness, shares The Athletic’s Thomas Drance (Twitter link). Schenn’s absence made way for Tyson Barrie to return to the lineup. Barrie brought speed and tempo to the lineup, even recording an assist in Nashville’s eventual 2-1 win. But with elimination so close, the Predators opted for the more physical and defensive presence of Schenn.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The NHL has announced the start times for the Second Round’s Eastern Conference matchups. The round will begin with Game 1 between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers on Sunday, while the Florida Panthers will take on the winner of Toronto versus Boston on Monday. Start times for each of these games haven’t yet been announced. This schedule marks a quick turnaround for Boston or Toronto, while each of Carolina, New York, and Florida will have at least five days off.
  • The Boston Bruins have returned goaltender Michael DiPietro to the minor leagues, per NHL.com’s Mark Divver (Twitter link). DiPietro has served as Boston’s emergency third-string goalie for a handful of playoff games, though he’s yet to play his first game as a Boston Bruin. He instead spent all season with the AHL’s Providence Bruins, where he recorded 18 wins and a .918 save percentage in 30 appearances. He’ll now return to a prime role for Providence, as they prepare to take on one of Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Charlotte, or Hartford in the Atlantic Division’s Semifinals.

Morning Snapshots: Matthews, Team Canada, Capitals

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The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled star Auston Matthews ahead of Game Four’s third period last night. When asked about it postgame, head coach Sheldon Keefe said it was the team doctor’s that made the decision, pulling Matthews because of illness. Toronto went on to lose the game 3-1, a scorecard that also matches Boston’s lead on the series. Matthews has played through the illness for the last two games, taking maintenance days at Toronto’s practices in between to try and regain energy. No indication has been made about his availability for Game Five, though it could be dependent on how he’s feeling each day moving forward.

Matthews, like the rest of the Maple Leafs lineup, hasn’t had a particularly strong first round – managing one goal and three points in four games and adding one penalty. It’s a tremendous step down from a historic regular-season that saw Matthews become the first player to score 69 goals since Mario Lemieux, who pulled off the feat in just 70 games in 1996. Matthews wasn’t able to crack the illustrious 70-goal mark, but still managed unprecedented scoring in this day-and-age. Unfortunately, something about that scoring hasn’t translated to the playoffs, and Matthews now finds his Leafs on the brink of elimination. While his illness has clearly not improved much, it’s hard to imagine Matthews will sit out of a chance to save Toronto’s season.

Other notes from around the hockey world:

  • Top 2025 NHL Draft prospect Roger McQueen will miss the remaining U18 World Championship with an injury suffered in the first period of  Canada’s latest game against Team Czechia, shares FloHockey’s Chris Peters (Twitter link). McQueen managed one point across three games this tournament, including his early exit against Czechia. Canada has added fellow 2025 prospect Caleb Desnoyers to the roster in McQueen’s absences. Desnoyers is one of the draft’s top names out of the eastern Canada and posted 20 goals and 56 points in 60 games as a QMJHL rookie this season. He also scored three goals and five points in eight games during the World U-17 Hockey Challenge. Desnoyers will now get to run with the big dogs in U18s, and is expected to draw in right away, with Canadian forward Carson Wetsch receiving a one-game suspension for a hit-from-behind. Wetsch, a 2024 Draft prospect, has scored two goals in two tournament games.
  • The Washington Capitals saw three defensemen progress from injury at Sunday morning’s practice. Most notably, defenders Rasmus Sandin and Nick Jensen both returned to full contact, with Sandin even taking reps on the team’s power-play, shares The Hockey News (Twitter link). At least one of them is expected to return to the lineup ahead of Game Four, with Trevor van Riemsdyk ruled out with an upper-body injury, per Ben Raby of Capitals Radio (Twitter link). Lucas Johansen also skated as a healthy scratch, opening up room should both Sandin and Jensen be ready. Rookie defender Vincent Iorio also returned to the team’s practice in a no-contact jersey after suffering an upper-body injury in Game One. These moves should give Washington a new-look on defense, after they’ve allowed the New York Rangers to average 3.67 goals through Round One’s first three games.

Snapshots: Bengtsson, Lomberg, Lorentz, Broberg

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After his college career came to an end in the 2024 National Championship, defenseman Jacob Bengtsson has found his new home. Earlier today, the Toronto Marlies, AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced they had signed Bengtsson to a one-year AHL contract beginning in the 2024-25 AHL season.

One of the more unheralded members of the Boston College Eagles, Bengtsson had spent the last three years playing for Lake Superior State University. In those three combined seasons, Bengtsson played in 100 games for the Lakers, scoring six goals and 57 points while earning a role as an assistant captain in his junior season.

Transferring to Boston College for his senior year, Bengtsson played in 40 games for the Eagles, scoring three goals and 14 points in total while earning a +21 rating. Even though the Marlies were able to sneak into the 2024 Calder Cup playoffs, Bengtsson will have to wait until after the conclusion of summer to make his debut with the organization.

Other snapshots:

  • In today’s Game 2 matchup against the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, the Panthers will be without forward Ryan Lomberg as he is out with an illness (X Link). Taking his place in the lineup will be forward Steven Lorentz, who managed 38 games for Florida over the regular season. It will mark Lorentz’s first postseason matchup since the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs, as he skated in five games as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.
  • After being recalled earlier today by the Edmonton Oilers, defenseman Philip Broberg was able to skate with the team in practice as they prepare to take a two-game lead over the Los Angeles Kings tomorrow night. Unfortunately, it does not appear as if Broberg will get to have that opportunity with the team, as Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic reports Broberg has been loaned back to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors. Fortunately for Broberg, he should not miss playoff action entirely, as the Condors begin their opening-round matchup against the Ontario Reign tomorrow evening.

Snapshots: Pinto, Sergachev, Girard

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The Ottawa Senators are reportedly working on signing young forward Shane Pinto to a new deal, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in his latest 32 Thoughts article. Friedman adds that negotiations have been a “grind”. That lines up with Pinto’s previous negotiations, with Pinto holding out on a new deal last summer, before being suspended for 41 games in late October for sports wagering. Pinto signed a one-year, league-minimum contract in January that carried him the duration of this season. He went on to tally nine goals and 27 points in 41 games – a big step down from his 20-goal season last year.

The Senators originally drafted Pinto with the 32nd-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft – then a second-round selection. He made his NHL debut in 2020-21, after two years at the University of North Dakota, and has since managed 70 points in 140 career NHL games. The 23-year-old centerman has proven capable of scoring, though he’s yet to find a consistent groove. He’s entering this off-season as a restricted free agent, meaning he’s likely due for a reunion with Ottawa, even if negotiations take some time.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has shared that Mikhail Sergachev will miss at least Round One, says Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). Sergachev hasn’t played since breaking his leg on February 7th. It was a freak injury that occurred in Sergachev’s first game back from a separate lower-body injury that held him out for two months. He was limited to just 34 games last season, though he did manage a solid 19 points. Sergachev has remained a top defender for the Lightning, averaging over 22 minutes of ice time this season. The Bolts will hope he can return as soon as possible to patch up what is currently a weaker defense group.
  • Colorado Avalanche defender Samuel Girard has returned to full practice, wearing a regular jersey at the team’s Sunday morning skate per Colorado Hockey Now’s Evan Rawal (Twitter link). Girard has been battling a concussion that held him out of the team’s final two regular-season contests. They seem to have benefited from taking their time with the defender, who is now possible for Sunday’s Game One – though nothing has been confirmed. Girard has once again provided stout depth for Colorado, scoring 18 points in 59 games and averaging over 19 minutes of ice time.

Snapshots: Buchnevich, Fedotov, Stone, Pietrangelo

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The St. Louis Blues are expected to work on a contract extension with winger Pavel Buchnevich, shares Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in the latest 32 Thoughts article. This news comes after the Blues were reportedly shopping around Buchnevich at the Trade Deadline, though they were said to be asking for as much as two first-round picks in return. No deal came to fruition and Buchnevich went on to finish the year with 27 goals and 63 points in 80 games. It was the least productive season he’s had in St. Louis, though he’s still totaled an impressive 206 points in 216 games with the club.

St. Louis has been living lavishly with Buchnevich’s current deal – getting nearly point-per-game scoring for just $5.8MM against the cap. They’ll get one more year of that team-friendly deal, before likely having to shell out a hefty amount to Buchnevich on his next deal. The Blues will have to be careful to find the balance between term and salary, though, with Buchnevich set to be 30 when an extension would begin.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Friedman also shared that the Philadelphia Flyers are expected to sign goaltender Ivan Fedotov to a two-year extension soon. The 27-year-old netminder was finally able to move to North America this season, playing in the first three NHL games of his career earlier this month. He was admittedly shaky, allowing 10 goals on 53 shots, good for an .811 save percentage in his first looks at North American ice. But the Flyers have to simply be excited to finally have the stout Russian goaltender under their control, and will give him much more of a chance to get comfortable in North America with a new deal.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights could be getting another big boost to their lineup, with winger Mark Stone back to full-contact practice and a game-time decision for Game One of the postseason, per the team (Twitter link). They also shared that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo underwent an appendectomy and returned to a full practice on Saturday. Chandler Stephenson and William Carrier also took full practices. All four players will be hopeful to slot into the lineup as the Golden Knights get ready to take on the Dallas Stars.

Snapshots: Marlies, Sabres, Hall, Golden Knights

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The Toronto Marlies have signed Boston University forward Sam Stevens to a one-year AHL contract set to begin next season (Twitter link). He’ll finish off this year on an amateur try-out contract with the Marlies. Stevens is turning pro after completing his fifth year with the Terriers, totaling 142 games across his collegiate career. That’s the most any one player has played for Boston University since 2018 when Brandon Hickey wrapped up his collegiate career with 147 games.

Stevens never found much of a scoring groove in Boston, totaling just 50 points in his appearances. 35 of those points came in the last two seasons when Stevens managed 18 and 17 points respectively. And while certainly modest scoring, Stevens was able to earn his keep with very stout defense for a centerman. He’s simply reliable, winning faceoffs and guarding opponents well. He’ll certainly need to improve his energy on the offensive side of the red-line as he approaches pro hockey, but Stevens’ ability to shut down play in his own zone could adapt well to the next level. He’ll look to slot into one of the Marlies remaining two games this regular season.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Buffalo Sabres will have good reason to tune into the 2024 World Championship, as five different Sabres are expected to represent their country, per Rachel Hopmayer of Spectrum News in Buffalo (Twitter link). This includes Owen Power, Bowen Byram, and Dylan Cozens representing Team Canada; Rasmus Dahlin representing Team Sweden; and John-Jason Peterka representing Team Germany. Zach Benson and Jack Quinn also mentioned that they haven’t yet been contacted by Team Canada, though they’d have to discuss with general manager Kevyn Adams before committing, per X (Twitter link).
  • Taylor Hall won’t be slotting into the Chicago Blackhawks’ season finale, per Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun Times (Twitter link). This news comes despite Hall appearing at the team’s Thursday morning skate. He’ll close his season having not played since November 19th, when he suffered an ACL injury that required surgery. Hall played in just 10 games this year, the fewest games of a season in his 14-year career. He scored four points in those appearances. Hall is under contract with Chicago through the end of next season, carrying a $6MM cap hit.
  • William Carrier and Mark Stone both took the ice at the Vegas Golden Knights’ optional Thursday practice, donning no-contact jerseys, per SinBinVegas (Twitter link). Both players are working their way back from long-term injuries, with Stone out since February 20th with a spleen injury and Carrier sidelined since March 25th with an upper-body injury. Stone returned to practice on April 12th and will push to be ready for the start of Vegas’ playoff race this weekend, though his continued no-contact assignment could shed doubt on his Game One availability.

Snapshots: Drysdale, Thompson, Lee, Draft Lottery, Playoffs

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It was a tough season for Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale as he battled injury woes at multiple parts of the year.  Speaking with reporters today (video link), the blueliner indicated that when he was in the lineup, he was often playing hurt and that he might need a procedure done this summer to get back to full health for next season.  The 22-year-old was the centerpiece of the return they received for Cutter Gauthier back in January but he was limited to just 24 games with his new team and 34 on the season, a year after playing in only eight contests in 2022-23.  Drysdale is still viewed as a key piece of Philadelphia’s future and they’ll certainly be hoping that he can not only stay healthy but be an impactful player next season.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • During his end-of-season media conference (video link), Sabres GM Kevyn Adams indicated that the lower-body injury that Tage Thompson sustained in Monday’s season finale against Tampa Bay will take a few weeks to heal. Accordingly, he won’t play for Team USA at the upcoming Worlds.  After a slow start to his year, Thompson wound up collecting 29 goals and 27 assists in 71 games, an output that was down from the past two seasons but was still good enough to finish with three points of the team lead.
  • Islanders winger Anders Lee was a late scratch for their game tonight against Pittsburgh but it wasn’t for injury reasons. Instead, the team announced (Twitter link) that the veteran was scratched for personal reasons.  Lee’s season comes to an end with 20 goals and 17 assists in 81 games.  He also chipped in with a career-high 176 hits despite having his lowest ATOI (15:34) since the 2016-17 campaign.
  • The draft lottery will be held on either May 6th or 7th, pending finalization of the first-round schedule, relays David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). The lottery will set the order for the first 16 selections for the upcoming draft in June.
  • The league announced the first game for each of the four Eastern Conference playoff series. Two series will begin on Saturday and two on Sunday.  The full schedule for each series will be released at a later date.  Heading into tonight’s action, three of the four series in the West weren’t set so those schedules aren’t likely to come for another couple of days.

Snapshots: Coyotes, Lipkin, Jiricek

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The Coyotes have a lot of work to do contract-wise on their back end for next season as none of their regulars are under contract for 2024-25.  However, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (video link) that the team does not have the green light to start working on contracts for next season at this time.  As has been well documented, their arena situation is once again in some question for a few more months at least, pending a possible land purchase which would be late in the spring.  It was also reported after the trade deadline that GM Bill Armstrong wasn’t able to retain salary, limiting the returns they received on Jason Zucker and Matt Dumba.  At this point, it’s far from a must to begin extension discussions at this point in the season but if those internal restrictions continue into the offseason, it could be something to keep an eye on.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Still with the Coyotes, prospect Sam Lipkin is expected to decide between turning pro or returning for his junior year within the next 24 hours, reports PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan (Twitter link). The 21-year-old was the second-last pick in the 2021 draft, going 223rd overall but has outperformed his draft stock, scoring 78 points in 78 games over his first two seasons with Quinnipiac, yielding a contract offer from Arizona.  Quinnipiac’s leading scorer (Collin Graf) is expected to sign soon while their second-leading scorer (Jacob Quillan) signed with Toronto earlier this week; those signings could significantly impact Lipkin’s decision.
  • The Blue Jackets intend to keep defenseman David Jiricek up for the remainder of the regular season, relays team reporter Jeff Svoboda (Twitter link). Columbus recalled the 20-year-old yesterday, the latest of a busy series of transactions as it’s his fifth recall of the season.  Jiricek has played in 36 games with the Jackets this season, notching a goal and eight assists while averaging a little under 15 minutes a night.  He has been more productive in the minors, however, collecting seven goals and ten helpers with the Monsters.  Notably, he’s four NHL appearances away from accruing a season toward UFA eligibility.  Accordingly, while Columbus might keep him up for the last couple of weeks, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his game action limited as a result.

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