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Snapshots: Dumba, Svechnikov, Halak

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It took more than a month for Matt Dumba to find a new home before inking a one-year, $3.9MM deal with Arizona.  PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan relays an interesting wrinkle in the contract – the $1.15MM signing bonus he received is actually payable on April 15th, not right away.  It has already been speculated that Dumba could be a trade candidate if the Coyotes aren’t in the playoff picture by then.  The structure of this agreement means that whoever gets him at the deadline in that scenario would actually be the one responsible for paying out the $1.15MM bonus.  There wouldn’t be any additional cap charge for the acquiring team but the cash outlay to acquire Dumba as a midseason rental will be considerably more than it might have seemed at first glance.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • In a recent appearance on the NHL Network (video link), Hurricanes GM Don Waddell indicated that winger Andrei Svechnikov is on schedule if not slightly ahead as he works his way back from ACL surgery. The 23-year-old had surgery back in mid-March, a procedure that typically carries a recovery time of six-to-seven months.  Despite the positive news, Waddell stopped short of confirming that Svechnikov will be available on opening night but if that’s not the case, he shouldn’t be out much longer which will give Carolina a big boost after missing one of their top wingers down the stretch and in the playoffs.
  • Earlier this week, Martin Jones signed with Toronto to play what’s likely to be a third-string role. Jaroslav Halak doesn’t appear to be interested in that, telling Tomas Prokop of Dennik Sport that it’s a role he isn’t looking to fill and is focused on trying to land a contract with a team that would give him the backup spot.  The 38-year-old put up a 2.72 GAA with a .903 SV% in 25 games with the Rangers last season but sits five wins shy of 300 for his career, a milestone Halak acknowledged that he’d like to reach in 2023-24.

Snapshots: Marchessault, Ellis, Kerfoot

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During the Vegas Golden Knights run to their first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, forward Jonathan Marchessault played a vital role in that effort. Finishing as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner of the 2022-23 Stanley Cup playoffs, Marchessault has cemented himself as a fan and locker room favorite in Vegas. With one year remaining on his current contract with the club, Marchessault should be one of the more important extension candidates for the team.

In an interview with TVA Sports, Marchessault spoke on extension talks, and also his relationship with head coach Bruce Cassidy. In his article on this relationship, Chris Gawlik of VegasHockeyNow reports a quote from Marchessault saying, “It hasn’t always been the rainbow and the good weather between us. We got into each other a couple of times, on the bench, during games, during the playoffs. But I think he wanted the best out of me and we managed to be able to work together“. Although interesting, it is hardly a surprising take from Marchessault, as Cassidy was regularly noted as an incredibly difficult coach to play for during his time with the Boston Bruins.

On the extension front, it does not sound like anything is close between the two parties. Marchessault said, “There are no negotiations that have been done. I know that sometimes the Golden Knights like to take their time with that. We will see what it will give“. Over the years, the Knights have been known to move some of their veteran original members, such as Reilly Smith and Marc-Andre Fleury, and if an extension cannot be agreed upon at a reasonable price for both player and team, Vegas may need to make another difficult decision with Marchessault this upcoming season.

Other snapshots:

  • Speaking with the new President of Hockey Operations for the Philadelphia Flyers, Keith Jones, Adam Kimelman of the NHL reports that Jones firmly believes that the playing days of defenseman Ryan Ellis are over. Due to a back injury, Ellis has only been able to suit up in four games for the Flyers during the 2021-22 season and missed the entirety of last year. Ellis still has four years and $25MM remaining on his current contract and will spend the rest of that time on LTIR if his contract is not moved off the team before then.
  • One of the several signings made by the Arizona Coyotes this offseason, Alexander Kerfoot is more than excited to get started with his new club. Speaking with Patrick Brown of the NHL, Kerfoot shed some light on his choosing Arizona over other offers saying, “It just feels like they’re in a different spot now. It feels like they’re trying to take the next step. Being part of that change and helping grow the culture is fun to be a part of. Things are trending really well for this group, and I’m happy to be part of it“. It is hard to envision the Coyotes returning to the playoffs anytime within the next two years, but they have set themselves up nicely by developing their core players and bringing in solid auxiliary pieces.

Snapshots: Swayman, Lindholm, Couture, Pisani

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Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman met the media yesterday (video link) to discuss his new one-year, $3.475MM deal that came from an arbitrator.  He indicated that while he’s grateful for having gone through the process, he has no desire to do so in the future.  Swayman is coming off a breakout campaign that saw him post a 2.27 GAA with a .920 SV% and four shutouts in 37 games last season, helping to form the best tandem in the NHL.  It’s quite possible that he could go through this process again, however, as he has two arbitration-eligible seasons remaining; he isn’t able to hit unrestricted free agency until 2026.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Earlier this offseason, it appeared as if Flames center Elias Lindholm wasn’t willing to sign a contract extension. That doesn’t appear to be the case anymore as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported in a recent appearance on the NHL Network (video link) that the two sides appear to be well into discussions on an eight-year extension.  The 28-year-old has been one of the more impressive two-way middlemen over the last few years, making his $4.85MM AAV a nice bargain.  However, to get him to put pen on a new deal, that price tag could push closer to the $9MM range.
  • Don’t expect Sharks center Logan Couture to be following Erik Karlsson out of San Jose. The veteran told NHL.com’s Jon Lane that he wants to help turn things around with the only NHL franchise he has ever suited up for.  Couture is coming off a solid season, picking up 27 goals and 40 assists in 82 games to lead all Sharks forwards in scoring.  The 34-year-old has four years left on his contract with an AAV of $8MM.
  • The Canadiens have hired former NHL winger Fernando Pisani as an amateur scout, per their Hockey Operations page. He spent eight seasons playing at the top level, getting into 462 games between Edmonton and Chicago.  Since then, Pisani has spent the last nine seasons working as either an assistant coach or a development coach primarily at the CIS and WHL levels.  This will be his first foray into scouting.

Penguins Notes: Guentzel, Additional Moves, Cap Flexibility

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It appears the Pittsburgh Penguins won’t be getting any long-term injured reserve relief from Jake Guentzel at the beginning of the season after all. Speaking with reporters today in the wake of yesterday’s Erik Karlsson trade, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said Guentzel is only expected to miss around the first five games of the season after undergoing ankle surgery last week, which wouldn’t qualify him to start the year on LTIR. LTIR requires players to miss ten games or 24 days with an injury.

After clearing $3.1MM in cap space via yesterday’s massive trade, Pittsburgh wouldn’t have needed Guentzel’s $6MM cap hit on LTIR to start the season to become cap-compliant anyways. It’s good news for Pittsburgh, who now won’t be without their top-line goal-scoring winger as long as previously thought. As they learned the hard way last season, every game will matter for the Penguins to avoid missing the postseason for a second straight campaign.

More from Dubas on the state of the Penguins today:

  • The Penguins are likely done with any major moves, Dubas confirmed, saying, “I think this will be the group,” with training camp six weeks away. It’s been quite an eventful first offseason in Pittsburgh for Dubas, whose forward corps projects to have at least six new faces on opening night – Reilly Smith, Matthew Nieto, Noel Acciari, Lars Eller, Vinnie Hinostroza, and Rem Pitlick, making it a 50% turnover from last season. With virtually no financial flexibility left to exhaust, this isn’t a surprising comment.
  • Dubas also gave some insight into how he’ll manage the salary cap in-season, saying he won’t be afraid to place players on waivers, something he did with frequency during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He also confirmed Pittsburgh is on track to carry one player short of the maximum 23-man roster and will just have one extra forward and one extra defenseman on the roster for opening night. Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Travis Boyd, Michael Amadio, and Adam Brooks are some notable players Dubas lost on waivers recently with Toronto.

Snapshots: Power, Spooner, Oilers

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The Sabres are trying to work on a long-term extension for defenseman Owen Power, relays Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.  The top pick in 2021 is already into the final year of his entry-level contract despite having just 87 career professional appearances under his belt.  79 of those came with Buffalo last season where he did well, collecting 35 points while averaging nearly 24 minutes per game which helped him finish third in Calder Trophy voting as the NHL’s top rookie.  With barely one full season of experience, a long-term agreement could be difficult to come to, one that would likely surpass the $8MM mark.  One alternative the two sides could take is to do what they did with their other first-overall blueliner (Rasmus Dahlin) and work on a bridge agreement.  However, that type of move might be better off being made next summer instead of this one.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Long-time NHL forward is on the move in the KHL as Avangard Omsk announced they’ve added the 31-year-old on a one-year contract. Spooner recorded 167 points in 315 games across seven NHL seasons with four different organizations but has played overseas since the 2019-20 campaign.  Last season, he had 19 goals and 28 assists during the regular season for Dinamo Minsk, good for a tie for 21st in league scoring.
  • Postmedia’s Kurt Leavins suggests that the Oilers should be a team to keep an eye on when it comes to tryout offers closer to the start of training camp. Depending on what happens with the eventual new contract for RFA defenseman Evan Bouchard, Edmonton is likely going to need to have several players on the roster at the league minimum salary.  They added a couple of those early in free agency (Lane Pederson and Drake Caggiula) but as the asking price comes down for free agents still unsigned, it could be an opportunity for the Oilers to bring in a low-cost upgrade.

Metropolitan Notes: Johnston, Nosek, Penguins

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It is unlikely forward Ross Johnston remains on the New York Islanders’ NHL roster for the entire upcoming season, according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic. Despite acknowledging Johnston’s dedication, demeanor and other positive off-ice intangibles, Kurz argues carrying an enforcer with limited playing time is not practical in today’s league. The expectation is the team will either try to trade Johnston before or during training camp or reassign him to the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders to free up cap space.

The Islanders made Johnston one of the most oft-healthy scratched players in the league in 2022-23, only playing him in 16 out of a possible 88 combined regular-season and playoff games. Johnston did not have any sustained injuries or suspensions on record last season, nor was he ever assigned to the minors for conditioning purposes or otherwise. He posted two assists and 37 penalty minutes in 7:48 of ice time per game, and moving him will be a tough sell with three years remaining at a $1.1MM cap hit. In seven seasons as an Islander, Johnston has suited up in just 134 games despite being given 11 total contract years from the team.

Elsewhere in the Metropolitan Division tonight:

  • Czech forward Tomas Nosek expressed his desire to stay with the Boston Bruins after a successful season, but they showed little interest in re-signing him. However, a phone call from Czech legend Patrik Elias convinced him to join the New Jersey Devils on a one-year, one-way deal worth $1MM, notes Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com. Nosek’s decision was influenced by Elias’ praise for the Devils and their potential to compete for the Stanley Cup, telling Novozinsky the call from Elias “made a positive impact on my decision.” Now with almost 400 NHL games under his belt, Nosek aims to continue his personal six-year playoff streak with the Devils and will likely factor in heavily on their penalty kill while playing a fourth-line center role, as he’s done with success in recent years for the Bruins and Vegas Golden Knights.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have brought in Cam Charron as a hockey research and development analyst, according to the team’s staff listing on their website. It’s yet another add for the Penguins from general manager Kyle Dubas’ former regime in Toronto, where Charron served as an analyst from 2014 to 2022. Based in Vancouver, Charron took his year off last season to enter the media sphere, serving as a contributor for The Athletic.

East Notes: Sabres, Allison, Pridham

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Defensemen Jacob Bryson and Ilya Lyubushkin could be in play on the trade market ahead of the regular season, the Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski said today. In Bryson’s case, he could find his way off the team via waivers as well, as there will be a significant roster crunch in Buffalo with nine defensemen signed to one-way contracts. The team added Connor Clifton and Stanley Cup champion Erik Johnson via free agency to bolster their back end, pushing anyone not named Mattias Samuelsson, Owen Power, or Rasmus Dahlin two spots down the team’s depth chart.

Both Bryson and Lyubushkin have just one year of term left on their contracts, making them easily movable if Buffalo so chooses. However, both of their cap hits aren’t the best value – Bryson is a seventh defender on a contending team at best, making $1.85MM against the cap, while Lyubushkin is a capable shutdown defender but limited otherwise and costs $2.75MM. It’s hard to envision a contending team trading for those pieces at those salaries, but the Sabres could find a willing trade partner among teams like the Anaheim Ducks, Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks, who may want to plug some short-term holes in their blueline.

More from around the Eastern Conference:

  • Winger Wade Allison is likely facing a make-or-break year with the Philadelphia Flyers, writes Charlie O’Connor of The Athletic. While he has potential as an intriguing young power forward, the team has a number of higher-upside, younger wingers fighting for spots, such as Bobby Brink, Olle Lycksell, and Tyson Foerster. Allison did score nine goals in 60 games last season but dealt with a handful of injuries, something that’s becoming a worrying track record for a player who sustained a significant ACL tear to end his college career and missed most of the previous two seasons before last. If he can’t improve on his production or force his way onto some special teams unit, he’s a potential non-tender candidate next offseason as a pending restricted free agent.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs assistant general manager Brandon Pridham is likely sticking with the organization despite rumors to the contrary, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said while appearing on NHL Network yesterday. Friedman connected Pridham’s preference to stay in Toronto to new Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas’ wait on filling the GM position in Pittsburgh full-time, saying Pridham was his top candidate for the Penguins’ GM role. Instead, Pridham informed the Leafs earlier this summer that he’d prefer to stay with the organization instead of following his former boss to Pittsburgh. The Penguins announced yesterday that Dubas will serve as the team’s full-time GM in addition to his president of hockey operations role.

Snapshots: Silfverberg, Carlsson, Jones, Seattle

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Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg missed the final 23 games of the 2021-22 season due to a blood clot and had to deal with one once again this summer.  Gefle Dagblad’s Daniel Sandstrom reports that the 32-year-old sustained one while suiting up for his native Sweden at the Worlds back in May.  Fortunately, he is expected to be ready for the start of next season.  Silfverberg is coming off a 26-point season while playing over 80 games for the first time since 2015-16 and is entering the final year of his contract which carries a cap hit of $5.25MM.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Still with Anaheim, while there is an expectation that Ducks prospect Leo Carlsson will make the jump to the NHL next season, GM Pat Verbeek told NHL.com’s Nick Cotsonika that no determination has been made just yet on their plans for him. Carlsson was the second overall pick back in June and had a productive year with SHL Orebro, recording 10 goals and 15 assists in 44 games.  If Carlsson doesn’t make the team, Verbeek indicated that he’d be assigned to AHL San Diego next, not back to the Swedish league.  If he does make the team at his natural center position, Verbeek feels that Trevor Zegras who would move to the wing to make room for him.
  • At the moment, the defensive depth chart for the Rangers suggests that defenseman Zac Jones – now waiver-eligible – could be in line to land the seventh spot on the back end. However, in that scenario, Arthur Staple of The Athletic believes (subscription link) that the likelier outcome would be New York trading the 22-year-old over risking having his value stagnate as a frequent healthy scratch.  Jones seemed likely to crack the top six before the Rangers brought in veteran Erik Gustafsson (who played for new head coach Peter Laviolette last season in Washington) which should give him a leg up in the competition for a regular spot on the third pairing.
  • Seattle will be entering a bid to host the 2026 World Juniors, reports NHL Network’s Jon Morosi (Twitter link). If their proposal is accepted, Climate Pledge Arena – the home of the Kraken – would be one of the host facilities which means the Kraken would be eyeing a long road trip during the event.  A decision on the host city for the event is expected later this year.

Snapshots: Comtois, Johnson, Hockey Canada

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Max Comtois remains unsigned nearly four weeks into free agency after being non-tendered by Anaheim who opted not to give him a $2.445MM qualifying offer.  Speaking with TVA Sports’ Louis Butcher, the 24-year-old called the parting of ways a mutual decision.  Back in 2021-22, Comtois looked to have a breakout year, picking up 16 goals and 17 assists in 55 games but has struggled offensively since then, tallying just 15 goals and 20 helpers in 116 contests over the last two years.

Despite the struggles, Comtois revealed that a handful of teams have shown interest in him thus far, giving him confidence that he’ll have a place to play when training camps open up in mid-September.  While he wouldn’t reveal which ones have shown interest, he did indicate that his hometown Canadiens are not among the teams that have reached out to his camp to express any interest in signing him.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Free agent winger Luke Johnson has decided to try his hand overseas as Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL announced they’ve signed the 28-year-old to a one-year deal. Johnson, a veteran of 32 NHL games dating back to 2018-19, has spent most of his professional career in the minors, suiting up in 333 AHL contests.  That plus his NHL time now qualifies him for veteran status in the AHL – teams are capped with how many veteran-status players they can dress per game – so it’s not entirely surprising to see Johnson look elsewhere.  Last season, he had 18 points in 67 games with San Jose’s farm team.
  • Hockey Canada didn’t hold an in-person summer evaluation camp as they often do but they revealed the list of players that took part in their virtual meetings. The majority of the 45 players on the list have already been drafted while 2024 top prospect Macklin Celebrini is also on there.  Canada’s roster in the December World Juniors will likely be comprised of many players on this list.

Snapshots: DeAngelo, Sutter, Kowal

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Now that Anthony DeAngelo is back with the Carolina Hurricanes under a one-year agreement, questions arose around the desire of the Philadelphia Flyers to buy out his contract, merely a year after signing it. Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer shed some insight on this, getting a quote from DeAngelo saying, “The coach and I wound up not fitting together, I guess that would be the main reason” (Tweet Link).

This is not the first instance of a player not fitting with head coach John Tortorella in Philadelphia, or even over the course of Tortorella’s career. Arguably the Flyers’ top offensive player last season, Tortorella infamously benched forward Kevin Hayes earlier in the season, leading to a divorce in late June, as Hayes was traded to the St.Louis Blues.

In his only season with Philadelphia, DeAngelo actually received more playing than at any other point in his career, sitting second out of all Flyers’ players averaging just over 22 minutes a night. However, his effort on the defensive side of the puck, or lack thereof, was called into question again, evidenced by his low oiSV%. Historically, Tortorella has not only desired but required a high defensive work ethic even from more of his offensively gifted talent.

Other snapshots:

  • The Calgary Wranglers of the AHL have announced a one-year deal to retain their captain, Brett Sutter. A veteran with 60 games played at the NHL level earlier in his career, Sutter is most known for his play in the minor leagues. Playing 1,044 games over 17 seasons spent with the Calgary Wranglers, Ontario Reign, Iowa Wild, and Charlotte Checkers, Sutter has accrued 190 goals and 263 assists, wearing the “C” for three different organizations.
  • In more unfortunate news, the NHL Alumni Association announced the passing of former Buffalo Sabre, Joe Kowal today at the age of 67. Kowal was drafted by the Sabres with the 33rd overall pick in the 1976 NHL Draft and managed 22 games in Buffalo over two years at the NHL level. All of us at PHR extend our condolences to Kowal’s family.

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