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Snapshots: Gustavsson, Groulx, Bertuzzi

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As the cap penalties the Minnesota Wild will be paying due to the Zach Parise/Ryan Suter buyouts are set to hit a combined $14.7MM, Wild general manager Bill Guerin has quite the task ahead of him as he looks to build a team that can take the next step after back-to-back impressive regular seasons and first-round playoff exits. Perhaps the most important piece of business for him to address is a new contract for netminder Filip Gustavsson, who is set to become an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent. Complicating Gustavsson’s case is his extremely impressive performance this past season, where he posted a .931 save percentage in 39 games. With those sorts of numbers, is it possible Gustavsson has priced himself out of Minnesota?

That seems unlikely, as The Athletic’s Joe Smith relays positive word from Gustavsson’s agent about the ongoing contract negotiations: “we’ve started a dialogue and everything is really positive,” says agent Kurt Overhardt, “I don’t think it’s a matter of getting something done. It’s just a matter of when it’s done.” (subscription link) Smith notes that a three-year, $3MM AAV pact would fit with the comparables to Gustavsson’s current situation, and that would likely be a palatable number for the team. In any case, it seems the talented 24-year-old netminder is set to remain in Minnesota after a breakout campaign, despite some cap-related challenges on the team’s side.

More notes from across the NHL:

  • Benoit Groulx, the longtime head coach of the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, is ending his tenure in the Salt City according to a report from JF Plante of Le Droit. Groulx has spent the last seven years as the Crunch’s bench boss and has led the team on multiple playoff runs, including a run to the Calder Cup Final in 2016-17. A respected player developer, Groulx’s Crunch teams have produced numerous difference-making NHLers, including Carter Verhaeghe, Yanni Gourde, Taylor Raddysh, Ross Colton, and Anthony Cirelli. Plante cites Arizona Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny’s current assistant coach opening as a possible landing spot for Groulx, and should such a move materialize that would be a significant and highly valuable addition to the Coyotes organization.
  • Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in his 32 Thoughts blog that the Boston Bruins are “exploring what it needs to do to keep Tyler Bertuzzi,” a player set to hit unrestricted free agency later this summer. The Bruins traded their 2024 first-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings to acquire Bertuzzi, and the 28-year-old subsequently impressed in the black and gold, scoring 16 points in 21 regular-season games and 10 points in the team’s seven-game first-round playoff series. Bertuzzi is likely to have wide-ranging interest this summer in what is considered a thinner free agent class, so it’s unclear whether Boston will be able to get his signature on a contract extension. But given Friedman’s report, we at least now know that the Bruins are actively looking for an avenue to retain the former 30-goal scorer.

Snapshots: Vancouver, Pettersson, Combine

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Thomas Drance and Harman Dayal wrote an article for The Athletic today outlining the best third line center options for the Vancouver Canucks to look at when free agency opens on July 1st. Vancouver has an excellent 1-2 punch down the middle of the ice with Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller currently occupying the top two spots. Drance and Dayal begin their article by highlighting the fact that Vancouver not only needs a third line center, but they also need the right fit for the third line, preferably one with more of a defensive skill set.

While this year’s free agent class leaves a lot to be desired, there are some good top-9 center options for the Canucks to consider. Drance and Dayal produce an exhaustive list that includes bargain bin shopping as well as some players that will likely fall outside of Vancouver’s price range given their salary cap constraints. The most realistic targets, and the ones on the top of the list are Pius Suter and David Kampf.

What a change two years can make. In the case of Pius Suter, it’s the difference between being non-tendered (as he was in 2021 by the Chicago Blackhawks) and being a sought after unrestricted free agent (after two good seasons with the Detroit Red Wings). Suter is a bit undersized but could offer the Canucks a solid top-9 option at a reasonable price. Over two seasons in Detroit Suter put up 29 goals and 31 assists in 161 games. While those numbers won’t blow anyone away, the 27-year-old did this while hardly benefiting from any powerplay time as he saw just six minutes of ice time this season with the man advantage.

Kampf offers much stronger defensive metrics than Suter and is a bigger body, however he is more limited offensively as he had just 18 goals and 35 assists in 164 games over the past two seasons. He also saw very little powerplay time but struggles to drive play at even strength as he has a negative offensive impact even at 5v5. Drance and Dayal do wonder if having a better defensive player such as Kampf in the third line center role might make more sense for Vancouver as it could free up the top two line for more offensive deployment.

Other snapshots from around the league:

  • The Score is reporting that J.P. Barry, the agent for Vancouver Canucks superstar Elias Pettersson expects talks between his client and the club to begin this summer as they look to hammer out a long-term deal for the 24-year-old. Pettersson is just a year from being a restricted free agent and two years away from unrestricted free agency. He is due $10.25MM this upcoming season and would require an $8.82MM qualifying offer next summer for Vancouver to retain his rights. Given that he is coming off a 102-point season it would make sense for the young Swede to try and sign a long-term deal to obtain some security and peace of mind heading into next season. For the Canucks it would also give the club some cap certainty as they try to re-tool after missing the playoffs this past season.
  • Mike Morreale of NHL.com tweeted today that no Russian prospects who played overseas this season will be attending the NHL combine. The combine will run from June 4-10 in Buffalo and will give all 32 clubs the chance to get a look at the top prospects in this year’s entry draft. It’s an interesting development, but not a surprising one. Projected top-3 pick Matvei Michkov stated in Russian media back in May that he likely wouldn’t be at the combine but would be at the draft.

Snapshots: Hjorth, Trotz, Blue Jackets

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As the deadline to sign players with expiring draft rights is tomorrow, the Columbus Blue Jackets will at least lose one player in the process. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the Blue Jacket’s fourth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Eric Hjorth, will not be signed by tomorrow’s deadline.

For the most part, Hjorth has spent most of his playing time since his draft year in the Swedish minor leagues. Most recently, playing in the HockeyAllsvenskan for the HC Vita Hasten, Hjorth scored three goals and six assists in 43 games played this year.

Although most teams are hoping for NHL-bound talent even into the later rounds, it does not appear that Columbus is missing out on a player that is ready for professional hockey in North America. Fortunately for the Blue Jackets, Hjorth is the only player in the organization that had expiring draft rights this season.

Other snapshots:

  • In an interview with the press today, Barry Trotz partly explained the draft plan for the Nashville Predators this year. Alex Daugherty of PenaltyBoxRadio, reports that Trotz has told his scouts to “take some swings” and be aggressive in this month’s draft. Although coaching his teams to a relatively “boring” style of hockey, it appears that Trotz may employ a much different tactic as General Manager of the Predators.
  • Earlier this week, it was reported that the Blue Jackets were on the edge of hiring the next head coach of the team. Unfortunately, Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch reports that the expectation is the team will not name a new head coach tonight, or at any point tomorrow. The Blue Jackets are still close to making a decision, but it appears that the front office has not yet come to a fully unanimous agreement.

 

Snapshots: Rangers, Lucic, Hrabal

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Mark 2023 down as a formative offseason for the New York Rangers, who are looking to stamp out any doubts next season after a disappointing First Round exit against the New Jersey Devils. While they’re already looking for a new head coach after firing Gerard Gallant, general manager Chris Drury has some offseason player personnel decisions to make, too, after going all in at this year’s trade deadline.

In his latest column for The Athletic, Arthur Staple listed forwards Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko, as well as defenseman Niko Mikkola, as the least likely returnees to the Rangers roster in 2023-24. All pending unrestricted free agents, they’ll likely be too rich for the Rangers’ blood, at least in terms of what they’ll offer to the team over the life of their next contracts.

As Staple concurs, Kane’s health is an obvious question mark moving forward, and Mikkola’s cap hit on his next deal will price the Rangers out of what they can afford for a depth defenseman, especially when offensive acumen from the blueline is an area of need on the third pair. Tarasenko is likely a pure cap casualty, with a strong showing down the stretch boosting his value on the open market.

  • Speaking with CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, pending Calgary Flames unrestricted free agent Milan Lucic hinted at a potential return to his hometown of Vancouver this offseason. While Calgary hasn’t given any indication of whether they’d like to retain Lucic, the veteran forward likely wouldn’t say no if the Canucks came calling after July 1. Lucic will be 35 by the time next season starts and had just seven goals and 19 points in 77 games with Calgary last season.
  • Czech goaltender Michael Hrabal, one of the best prospects available in net for the 2023 NHL Draft, has committed to the University of Massachusetts for the 2023-24 season. The 6-foot-6 18-year-old posted a .920 save percentage in five appearances for Czechia at the World Juniors this year, also earning USHL All-Rookie Team honors with the Omaha Lancers (9-13-4, .908 SV%, 31 games played). Hrabal could hear his name called as early as the late first round.

Snapshots: World Championship, Grzelcyk, Ceci

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The medal games have been set at the IIHF World Hockey Championship.  After Latvia and Germany were able to pull off significant upsets to get to the semi-finals, one of them was able to do so again as the Germans scored late in the third to tie it at three send their game against Team USA to overtime, paving the way for former Pittsburgh prospect Frederik Tiffels to score the winner late in the extra session.  Meanwhile, in the first semi-final, the presumptive second-overall pick next month, Adam Fantilli, picked up the winner in the third period as Canada doubled up the Latvians 4-2.  Latvia and the US will face off for Bronze while Germany and Canada will battle for Gold with both games slated for Sunday.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic examines (subscription link) some potential trade options for the Bruins this summer, including defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. The 29-year-old has been a capable secondary producer offensively for the past several seasons, including notching a career-high 26 points in 75 games in 2022-23.  However, his $3.6875MM AAV is a bit on the high side relative to his ice time which is that of a player on the third pairing and with the team facing quite a cap crunch this summer, Grzelcyk is a luxury they might not be able to afford.  He, along with fellow left-shot defenders Derek Forbort and Mike Reilly, are all a year away from unrestricted free agency and there’s a good chance one of them, if not more, will be on the move in the coming months.
  • While the Oilers will need to free up some cap space to re-sign Evan Bouchard and round out their roster this summer, David Staples of the Edmonton Journal argues that one of those money-saving moves shouldn’t involve moving defenseman Cody Ceci. The 29-year-old still has two years left on a contract that carries a $3.25MM price tag and saw his output dip from 28 to 15 points this season while seeing his playing time go down slightly as well.  However, the fact that he can still handle second-pairing minutes remains valuable on a team that has some unproven defenders and others that are best served with limited ice time so if they can find a way to cut costs elsewhere, that might be a better way for them to go.

Snapshots: Reynolds, Andersen, Vegas Goalies

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Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch is reporting this morning that actor Ryan Reynolds has officially pulled himself out of the running to own a stake in the Ottawa Senators, per sources. Reynolds, who had aligned himself with Canadian developer Chris Bratty and the Remington Group, intended not to join other bids at the beginning of the sale process and has held true to his initial position, despite offers from groups still in the running to join their bids.

Garrioch also reports that Michael Andlauer, a minority owner of the Montreal Canadiens and one of the four bidders remaining under consideration to purchase the team, remains “confident” he’ll be the party anointed by the team and the league as Ottawa’s next owner. Two other bids were also receiving “serious consideration,” per Garrioch, but one name notably not mentioned was Neko Sparks, the Los Angeles-based investor whose bid includes backing from Snoop Dogg and the Kitigan Zibi Anishinābeg First Nations group.

  • After he was given the night off for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final, thanks to Game 1 stretching well into the fourth overtime period, the Carolina Hurricanes are returning to Frederik Andersen tonight, per TVA’s Renaud Lavoie, to help them climb out of a 2-0 series hole against the Florida Panthers. His .936 save percentage leads all netminders in the playoffs, but unfortunately, the only goalie who’s played better than he, Sergei Bobrovsky, is in the opposing crease.
  • Laurent Brossoit and Logan Thompson will remain out of the Vegas Golden Knights goalie rotation for Games 3 and 4 of the Western Conference Final, as head coach Bruce Cassidy today confirmed they won’t travel with the team to Dallas. While Brossoit wasn’t expected to play at all in this series, Thompson is working his way back from a lower-body injury that’s cost him the last few months and was potentially an option for the team. Adin Hill, who now boasts a .930 save percentage in seven playoff appearances, will continue in the starter’s net for Vegas.

Snapshots: Vladar, Rangers, Brodzinski

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Back in October, the Flames signed goaltender Daniel Vladar to a two-year contract extension, suggesting their intention for him to be part of the plans in goal for a little while longer.  However, Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson wonders if the 25-year-old might be better off being a trade option for Calgary this summer.  With AHL MVP Dustin Wolf waiting in the wings while being on a contract that’s nearly $1.4MM cheaper, it’s possible that the Flames could be better served by moving Vladar and getting some much-needed cap space; they currently are pegged to have just $1.25MM in cap room this summer, per CapFriendly, with several roster spots needing to be filled.  Vladar posted a 2.87 GAA with a .894 SV% in 27 appearances this season and if he was to be made available, Calgary could have a few teams inquiring about his services.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Mollie Walker of the New York Post examines some low-cost goaltending options for the Rangers this summer, including a possible reunion with Jaroslav Halak. The 38-year-old posted a 2.72 GAA with a .903 SV% in 25 games this season and Walker suggests that there’s mutual interest in a return.  However, with cap space being at a premium next season, Halak would almost certainly have to take a pay cut from the $1.5MM in guaranteed money he had in 2022-23.
  • Flyers prospect Bryce Brodzinski will return for his fifth and final NCAA season with Minnesota, the Golden Gophers announced. The 22-year-old forward was a seventh-round pick by Philadelphia back in 2019 (196th overall) and had 19 goals and 12 assists in 40 games this season.  Had he not opted to stay in school, the Flyers would have lost his rights if he was unsigned by August 15th.  Instead, they’ll hold his rights one season longer.

Snapshots: Coyotes, Penguins, Canucks

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After the recent public referendum on a potential new arena for the Arizona Coyotes fell short last Tuesday, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont pitched the team to relocate its services to the American Northeast. Connecticut has not seen a professional team since the Hartford Whalers, who held a place in the NHL from 1979-1997, before moving to Raleigh, NC before the start of the 1997-98 season.

In an interview, Lamont said, “This is a great hockey state and a great hockey town,” Lamont said. “It’s evidenced by the passion we have for the Whalers going back years — still one of the best selling jerseys. I think we can guarantee them a very strong market right here, and a government that’s ready to come and be their partner.”

To throw cold water on the idea that the Coyotes may be relocating after the recent disappointment of not receiving a stadium, the CEO of the team, Xavier A. Gutierrez, confirmed to Arizona fans that the team is not for sale. For the time being, Arizona will continue its stay at Mullett Arena, originally home of the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Other snapshots:

  • Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins have finished their second round of interviews for their opening at General Manager. LeBrun indicates that Eric Tulsky, Dan MacKinnon, Steve Greeley, and Jason Karmanos have all had interviews up to this point. Although Kyle Dubas has indicated that it was Toronto Maple Leafs or bust for his future, the opening for General Manager of the Penguins may prove enticing as the offseason progresses. As far as potential candidates go, Tulsky and Dubas both show a much different trajectory for the Penguins organization, as both possess extensive knowledge of the analytical side of hockey.
  • In an interview with Swedish writer, Ronnie Ronnkvist, General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks, Patrik Allvin, states that the team is looking to add help at center and the blue line for the upcoming 2023-24 NHL season. As Allvin states that the Canucks are looking for potential fits for their third-line center role, Lars Eller, Evan Rodrigues, and Nick Bjugstad all seem like ideal candidates.

Snapshots: Sullivan, Lomberg, Hainsey, Martinsen Lilleberg

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There has been some speculation recently that a possible chain reaction of hirings could eventually result in Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan being let go and moving behind the bench for the Rangers.  However, the bench boss poured cold water on that idea, telling Mollie Walker of the New York Post that he is “here for the long haul” with Pittsburgh.  Sullivan has four years left on his contract with Pittsburgh and is expected to have some sort of say in who the team brings in to fill out their front office after dismissing GM Ron Hextall and Brian Burke at the end of the regular season.  Accordingly, it stands to reason that he’ll be behind the bench when the puck drops on the 2023-24 campaign in October.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Panthers winger Ryan Lomberg was a full participant at practice today, notes George Richards of Florida Hockey Now (Twitter link). The 28-year-old suffered an upper-body injury partway through the first round against Boston and missed the entire second round versus Toronto.  Head coach Paul Maurice indicated after practice today that his full team is available for the series opener tomorrow in Carolina so it appears that Lomberg will be back after missing the last eight games.
  • Ron Hainsey is moving up the ranks at the NHLPA as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli relays (Twitter link) that the long-time NHL blueliner is now their Assistant Executive Director. Hainsey, who played 17 seasons in the league with eight different teams, played a significant role in the search new Executive Director Marty Walsh and he has been rewarded for those efforts with a promotion.
  • Coyotes prospect Emil Martinsen Lilleberg is on the move as Vaxjo of the SHL announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a two-year contract. The 22-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Coyotes (107th overall) back in 2021 and had three goals and eight assists in 46 games with IK Oskarshamn and is currently playing in his third straight World Championship with Norway.  Drafted as a 20-year-old, Arizona only has Martinsen Lilleberg’s draft rights until June 1st so it appears that they will not be signing him based on this new agreement in Sweden.

Snapshots: Tempe Arena Vote, Lilja, Korshkov

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Today is the day Arizona Coyotes fans have been nervously waiting for. In Tempe, it’s the final day to cast a vote in the local referendum, which determines whether the team can move forward with its plan for a new arena and entertainment district in the city, as NHL insider Frank Seravalli outlines in his latest for Daily Faceoff.

While an already high turnout thanks to lots of mail-in ballots have the Coyotes optimistic about a ’yes’ result, Seravalli says it’s anything but a sure thing. Seravalli relayed reports from NHL sources that political opposition groups outspent the Coyotes massively on advertising ahead of the election, while the Coyotes management (including general manager Bill Armstrong) has been actively soliciting votes door-to-door in the community.

Results could be announced as soon as 10 p.m. CT tonight, with a ’no’ vote effectively killing the Coyotes’ future in the state. Further hurdles still need to be cleared in order for the project to move forward if Tempe voters opt to approve the project, such as ongoing legal battles with the City of Phoenix, but regardless, it’s a transformative night for the NHL and its most maligned franchise.

More from around the hockey world today:

  • Per reports out of Russia, former Columbus Blue Jackets winger Jakob Lilja could be extending his stay overseas — this time with the NL’s HC Ambrì-Piotta. The 29-year-old Swedish winger played in 37 games with Columbus in 2019-20, his only season in North America to date, recording five points. Since then, he’s had three relatively successful seasons in the KHL with Barys Nur-Sultan (now Barys Astana) and Dynamo Moskva, but he’ll have a bit more ice time available to him in Switzerland. Ambrì-Piotta’s roster for next season already includes former NHLers Tim Heed and Filip Chlapik, as well as Arizona Coyotes center prospect Manix Landry.
  • 2016 second-round pick Egor Korshkov has been dealt in the KHL, heading to Amur Khabarovsk after three seasons with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. The former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect never panned out, only playing one full season in the AHL, but he did score one goal in his only NHL appearance in the 2019-20 season. His player rights have since been traded to the Carolina Hurricanes and, later, the Florida Panthers, where he remains on their reserve list should he ever choose to return to the NHL. Now 26, Korshkov had just four goals in 40 KHL games last season.

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