Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Snapshots

Snapshots: Sharks, Shesterkin, Perfetti, Clutterbuck

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The San Jose Sharks have rounded out their kinesiological staff with the hiring of Will Leonard as head athletic trainer, Ryan Ledwon as assistant athletic trainer, and Patrick Dugan as assistant strength and conditioning coach according to beat reporter Max Miller.

Leonard will take over as the team’s second athletic trainer for the team since the 1997-98 season. The position was previously held by Ray Tufts who was relieved of duties the same day as former-head coach David Quinn on April 24th of this year. Leonard had previously served as the head athletic trainer for the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda before working under Tufts for the last two years with the Sharks as an assistant athletic trainer.

Ledwon and Dugan are rookies to the organization with the former having experience in his role with the AHL’s San Diego Gulls of the Anaheim Ducks organization. Dugan’s new role with the Sharks will be marked as his first position in professional hockey.

Other snapshots:

  • All signs point to Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin eclipsing the retired Carey Price to become the league’s highest-paid goalie, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast. If that’s the case, his inevitable extension to keep him off the free agent market in 2025 will check in with a cap hit north of $10.5MM. The Rangers already have over $58MM tied up for 2025-26 with only 10 players signed, per PuckPedia.
  • Jets RFA Cole Perfetti may still be without a contract, but the young forward has returned to Winnipeg to train before hopefully signing a new deal before training camp, Darren Dreger of TSN reports. Dreger adds that Perfetti, 22, still intends to represent the Jets at next week’s player media tour in Las Vegas, even if he doesn’t have a deal. Multiple Winnipeg-based pundits have posited a two-year bridge deal is the most likely outcome. However, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period said yesterday that Perfetti’s camp is still awaiting a firm offer from the Jets.
  • Free agent winger Cal Clutterbuck has spurned PTO offers as he continues to search for guaranteed employment next season, reports James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now. Clutterbuck, who turns 37 in November, is on the open market after spending the last 11 years in an Islanders uniform, plying his trade as a valuable fourth-line checking presence. The 2006 third-round pick of the Wild played in all 82 games last season for the first time in his 17-year NHL career, posting seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed to this article. 

Snapshots: Kane, Ducks, Seider, Malone

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

For the past several months, there has been plenty of speculation about the availability of Oilers winger Evander Kane (or lack thereof).  Even following a report last month that he would be undergoing surgery, there is still some uncertainty about how long he might be out for.  It appears that we should soon have some clarity on that front as GM Stan Bowman indicated on a recent Oilers Now segment (audio link) that they’re hoping to have an update on Kane in the next seven to ten days.  Kane played through a sports hernia injury for much of last season and the playoffs but still managed to put up 24 goals and 20 assists in 77 regular season appearances.  Edmonton’s roster movement this summer has positioned themselves to operate without necessarily needing LTIR so even if Kane will be out long-term, they may not choose to put him there when the season starts.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The Ducks announced (Twitter link) that third-overall pick Beckett Sennecke suffered a fractured foot during offseason training that will keep him out for six to eight weeks. Meanwhile, the team also revealed that goaltender Tomas Suchanek had successful surgery to repair a ruptured ACL and will miss six to eight months.  Sennecke was a late-riser heading into the draft with his selection coming as a surprise to many.  The injury will derail any outside chance he had at making the team but he should be good to go by the time the World Juniors come around.  Suchanek, meanwhile, posted a 2.92 GAA and a .910 SV% in 29 games with AHL San Diego last season and was in position to likely be Anaheim’s third-string option this year.  This injury likely led to today’s earlier signing of Oscar Dansk to a one-year deal.
  • Earlier today, The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta relayed that the Red Wings were making progress on a long-term contract for RFA winger Lucas Raymond. Later in the day, he added (Twitter link) that Detroit and RFA Moritz Seider are also working away at a long-term pact.  The 23-year-old has been a key cog on the back end for the last three seasons, recording at least 42 points while logging over 22 minutes a night in each of them.  Detroit has over $17MM in cap room, per PuckPedia, which should be enough to get both key youngsters signed to long-term agreements.
  • Back in April, it was reported that veteran winger Brad Malone would be calling it a career. It was made official today with Malone announcing it on his Twitter page.  Malone played in 217 career NHL games between Colorado, Carolina, and Edmonton, while also seeing time in a dozen AHL campaigns, spanning 552 contests.  His days in hockey aren’t over, however, as OHL Oshawa announced that they’ve hired Malone as their Player Development Coach.

Snapshots: Ullmark, Morrissey, LeBreton Flats

at CDT | by 2 Comments

According to the team’s general manager, Steve Staios, rumors of extension negotiations between Linus Ullmark and the Ottawa Senators may have been overblown. TSN’s Bruce Garrioch reported that Staios prefers Ullmark get comfortable with the organization before beginning any discussions.

One would surmise that Staios means more comfortability with on-ice and locker-room culture as Ullmark has already proven himself comfortable with the city by purchasing a home near the arena. Ullmark is in the last year of a four-year, $20MM contract signed with the Boston Bruins in 2021 and is transitioning to an organization that doesn’t have a similar recent track record of success.

The Senators are hoping to avoid a contract similar to that of Joonas Korpisalo whom the team signed to a five-year agreement last offseason after one solid year split between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Los Angeles Kings. Ullmark has certainly generated more credibility than Korpisalo but the Senators would still do well by taking their time. The 2022-23 Vezina Trophy winner has all season to determine if he is willing to commit to the Senators organization long-term in what might be his last big payday.

Other happenings around the league:

  • Shawn P. Roarke argued the 2024-25 Norris Trophy winner to be Winnipeg Jets’ defenseman Josh Morrissey in a recent debate on NHL.com. It’s taken nearly seven years for Morrissey to reach his potential but it’s now tough to argue he isn’t one of the league’s top blue-liners. He’s scored 26 goals and 145 points in his last 159 games in Winnipeg including finishing in the top-10 in Norris voting each season. Morrissey has averaged a 91.2 on-ice save percentage in all situations despite his offensive output and has proven exceptional on both sides of the puck.
  • Garrioch reported in a recent article that talks are heating up between the Senators organization and the National Capital Commission for an arena deal at the LeBreton Flats location. Chief executive officer and team president Cyril Leeder recently spoke to season ticket holders saying, “We did meet with the NCC this week and we made a little bit of progress so we’ll see. We’re still talking. As I said last week, we’re hopeful we’ll find common ground, but we’ve got less than three weeks now to get there“. The Senators are certain to be more aggressive leading up to the arbitrary September 20th deadline as they look to build an arena for the first time since 1996.

Snapshots: Norris, Fehervary, Bjorkstrand, Johansson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After undergoing shoulder surgery back in March, Senators center Josh Norris is expected to be a full participant when training camp gets underway next month, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.  The 25-year-old has had three separate shoulder procedures done and he has yet to play more than 66 games in a single season.  Last season, Norris played in 50 games for Ottawa, recording 16 goals and 14 assists.  He has six years remaining on his contract with a $7.95MM cap charge and the Sens will be counting on him to stay healthy and play a prominent role in 2024-25.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary will not suit up for Slovakia in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, Hockey Slovakia announced. The blueliner recently indicated that he has been dealing with a minor injury and clearly, he hasn’t fully recovered from it to be able to play.  The 24-year-old had 16 points in 66 games for Washington last season while adding 188 hits and 109 blocked shots in 19:38 per night and would have played a prominent role for the Slovaks in the tournament.
  • Kraken winger Oliver Bjorkstrand was a late scratch for Denmark in their Olympic Qualifying Tournament game against Great Britain today. Team radio host Mike Benton relays (Twitter link) that the injury, which occurred in a tune-up game for the tournament, isn’t believed to be serious but GM Ron Francis noted that it’s something that needs to be looked at which means it’s highly unlikely he’ll play in the other two games.  Bjorkstrand, who had 20 goals and a career-high 39 assists last season, is expected to be ready to participate in training camp.
  • While unrestricted free agent Simon Johansson has received interest from overseas (particularly SHL Djurgarden), the blueliner is focusing on playing in North America this season, notes Hockey Sverige’s Mans Karlsson. The 25-year-old spent the last two seasons in Minnesota’s system and recorded 21 points in 72 games with AHL Iowa in 2023-24.  However, he was still non-tendered back in June.

Snapshots: Ullmark, Tuomaala, Penguins

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The newest Ottawa Senators starter Linus Ullmark is reportedly getting comfortable in Ottawa. TSN’s Shawn Simpson shares that the former Vezina Trophy winner has purchased a home in the area and could begin discussing a contract extension soon. Ullmark is entering the final year of a four-year, $20MM contract signed with the Boston Bruins. He spent the deal emerging as one of the NHL’s premier goalies, posting a dazzling 88 wins and .924 save percentage across 130 games in Boston. But the emergence of Jeremy Swayman made Ullmark’s role expendable and the Bruins decided to sell high – sending him to Ottawa in exchange for a first-round pick, Joonas Korpisalo, and Mark Kastelic.

Ullmark now stands as the most promising Senators goalie in at least a few years. Korpisalo served as the team’s most recent starter and performed dismally, posting just 21 wins and an .890 save percentage in 55 games played. The performance was the peak of a string of struggling years for the Senators goaltending room, which has featured a different starter in every season since 2019-20. Ullmark will look to buck that trend this year by upholding his strong play under the scrutiny of the Canadian market.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Philadelphia Flyers prospect Samu Tuomaala shared in an interview with Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer that he almost retired from hockey two years ago – one year after his second-round selection in the 2021 NHL Draft. He had worked his way up to the Liiga, Finland’s top league, but struggled to find much of a role, or much scoring. Those woes continued into the 2022-23 season and through moves across four Finnish teams – but Tuomaala ultimately managed just three points in 40 Liiga games. His struggles continued into the Mestis, Finland’s second-tier league, until Tuomaala was finally moved to Kettera, where he resurged with 46 points in 29 games. He rode that momentum into a rookie AHL season this past year, tallying an impressive 43 points in 69 games – good for third on the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in scoring. The wind is clearly back behind Tuomaala’s sails and, at just 21, there’s still plenty of time for him to become a true top prospect. He’ll have a chance to prove that worth, and maybe even fight for an NHL debut, next season.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins haven’t been shy about trades this offseason but they may still sit a few moves away from a compliant roster. Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now points out that the current lineup would force the Penguins to send multiple six-figure contracts down to the minor leagues. That’s a hefty investment – and is likely a prevalent thought as the team considers moving players like Lars Eller and Noel Acciari. Pittsburgh currently carries $874K in cap space, per PuckPedia.

Snapshots: Gustavsson, Flyers, Khaira

at CDT | by 2 Comments

After re-signing Marc-Andre Fleury and indicating that they’d like Jesper Wallstedt to see more NHL action in 2024-25, it looked as if Filip Gustavsson was set to be on the move this summer.  That hasn’t happened as of yet and Joe Smith of The Athletic notes (subscription link) that it appears that Gustavsson will now be sticking around, meaning that Minnesota will be juggling three goalies at times when they want Wallstedt to get a look.  Gustavsson is coming off a tough year, one that saw him post a 3.06 GAA with a .899 SV% in 45 games after putting up 2.10 and .931 respectively in 2022-23.  The Wild’s cap situation will make it tricky to carry three goalies; GM Bill Guerin acknowledged that Wallstedt could be in a “hybrid” situation that sees him spend time with Minnesota and AHL Iowa as a result.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The Flyers have added a pair of prospects to their upcoming rookie camp roster. Jonathan Bailey of Philly Hockey Now relays that goaltender Sam Hillebrandt and forward Josh Zakreski will join them in September.  Hillebrandt had a 3.67 GAA with a .899 SV% in 36 games last season with OHL Barrie while serving as the third goalie for Team USA at the World Juniors.  Zakreski, meanwhile, is their lone undrafted invitee from July’s development camp to move on to rookie camp so far.  He had 21 goals and 28 assists in 68 games in 2023-24 with WHL Portland.
  • Unrestricted free agent forward Jujhar Khaira was on Vancouver’s radar for the PTO slot that went to Sammy Blais earlier this week, report Thomas Drance and Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic (subscription link). The 30-year-old is a veteran of 337 career NHL games but only one of those came last season as he spent most of the season with AHL Iowa where he had 18 points in 22 games.  Drance and Dhaliwal add that the Canucks have not shown interest in Nick Cousins or Milan Lucic who are also looking for a new place to play for the upcoming season.

Snapshots: Swayman, Brodzinski, Yager

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman is at risk of entering September without a contract for the season. But team president and NHL Hall of Famer Cam Neely isn’t bothered by negotiations dragging on. In an appearance on The Rich Shertenlieb Show, Neely said, “Something will get done. There’s no question. I mean, not every negotiation is as smooth as you’d like it. I know our fan base would certainly love to have something done by now. But I’m fully confident that both sides will come to an agreement before too long here.”

Swayman has expressed confidence of his own that a deal will get done – making the ongoing holdout a bit surprising. The Bruins carry $8.64MM in projected cap space, per PuckPedia, and a full roster signed otherwise. That should be plenty of budget to sign Swayman to, at least, a short-term deal – perhaps an indication that contract details like signing bonuses are the impeding factor. Swayman has had a stellar NHL career through three seasons, posting a .919 save percentage in 132 games, but he’s yet to exceed 45 starts in a single season. That’s set to change in a big way with Linus Ullmark now in Ottawa – and if Swayman can withstand the barrage is yet to be seen.

Other notes from around the league:

  • College free agent Bryce Brodzinski has signed a one-year deal with the AHL’s Ontario Reign. The Philadelphia Flyers drafted Brodzinski in the seventh round of the 2019 NHL Draft, but didn’t sign before August 1, 2024 deadline – pushing him into free agency after a five-year career at the University of Minnesota. Brodzisnki scored more-and-more in every season, ultimately posting a career-high 36 points in 39 games this year. He’ll look to continue growing next year, stepping into a competitive Ontario lineup where he’ll battle Los Angeles Kings prospects Martin Chromiak, Koehn Ziemmer, and Kaleb Lawrence for ice time on the wings.
  • The newest top Winnipeg Jets prospect, Brayden Yager, will either play in the NHL or CHL this season Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff shares with The Athletic’s Murat Ates. Yager remains eligible for the NHL-CHL agreement by just four days – keeping him eligible to return to the Moose Jaw Warriors, where he won a WHL championship last season. Yager played a pivotal role in the ring-winning year, scoring a career-high 35 goals and 95 points in 57 regular-season games and 27 points in 20 playoff games. He’s lived up to his 14th-overall standing thus far, and will have now receive a chance to break into the next step as part of a new team.

Afternoon Snapshots: Couture, Chernyshov, Draft Location

at CDT | by 7 Comments

San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture has been ramping up his training in San Jose this summer, new head coach Ryan Warsofsky shared with Sirius XM. Warsofsky added, “He’s working extremely hard. He’s in San Jose. He’s been in San Jose. He’s training. He’s working out. I know he’s feeling good, and I know when Logan is feeling good, we will let him play.”

Warsofsky’s comments continue the sentiment laid out by his predecessor, David Quinn, who emphasized that the team had a plan for Couture’s path back to the ice. It seems the next big step hinges on when Couture feels ready to return to the lineup, though where he’ll slot in when he’s back will also be a big question. The Sharks recently signed star prospects Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith to their entry-level contracts. Both players project confidently as centerman at the top level, though they may need a bit of support as they find their footing. That could be where Couture comes in – playing on the rookie’s wing and supporting them on faceoffs or in the defensive end. It’d be a well-timed move to the flanks – after all, Couture hasn’t posted a faceoff percentage above 50 percent in a decade. A new role next to high-upside prospects should be enough to maintain Couture’s other stats, though, adding a player with 25-goal and 50-point upside into a Sharks lineup desperate for offense.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Sticking in San Jose – Sharks forward prospect Igor Chernyshov has undergone a shoulder repair surgery known as a Latarjet Procedure, per his agent Dan Milstein. Chernyshov is slated to join the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit for next season, though his debut in the league will likely be delayed by the one-to-two months it takes to recover from surgery. Chernyshov was the first pick of this year’s second round, after a confident season with Russia’s Dynamo Moscow – where he recorded 28 points in 22 juniors game and four points in 34 KHL games. He’s a hefty and responsible forechecker who’s strong both on and off of the puck. The Sharks will hope those traits hold strong through shoulder surgery. If they do, Chernyshov could be on a fast track to the pros, having signed his entry-level contract at the beginning of this month.
  • The NHL is looking to keep the excitement around the NHL Draft, eyeing Los Angeles as the frontrunner to host the 2025 Draft and NHL Awards ceremonies, shares David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. 2025 will mark the first time that the draft is decentralized, allowing team staff to stay in their local market rather than populating the draft floor. That will certainly change the back-end approach for teams, though the front-facing structure is likely to be largely maintained – with players greeting commissioner Gary Bettman on stage after their selection. That’s the format of both the NFL and NBA Drafts, which both succeed the NHL in annual viewership despite being decentralized for years.

Snapshots: Emberson, Bruins, Bertucci, Loponen

at CDT | by 8 Comments

While Ty Emberson’s acquisition was largely viewed as Edmonton merely adding some extra depth on the back end, they have an opportunity to keep him around beyond the upcoming season but will need to play him somewhat regularly to do so.  PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the Oilers will need to play the 24-year-old in at least 50 games in 2024-25 in order to retain his RFA rights (with arbitration eligibility at that time).  Otherwise, Emberson will be eligible to become a Group Six unrestricted free agent.  He was only able to play in 30 games with San Jose last season in his first taste of NHL action, missing 36 games due to injuries along the way.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The Bruins are believed to be considering offering UFA wingers Kailer Yamamoto and Blake Wheeler tryouts for next month’s training camp, suggests Shawn Hutcheon of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). Yamamoto is coming off a down year that saw him record just 16 points in 55 games with Seattle while Wheeler had 21 points in 54 contests while also missing considerable time with a leg injury.  Boston could stand to add some depth on the wing but until they get Jeremy Swayman’s contract sorted out, they’re unlikely to do any guaranteed contracts.
  • Stars defense prospect Tristan Bertucci is on the move as OHL Flint announced they’ve moved him to Barrie as part of a three-team swap. The 19-year-old was a second-round pick by Dallas in 2023, going 61st overall; he has already signed his entry-level contract.  Bertucci played in 61 games with the Firebirds last season, notching 10 goals and 34 assists while adding four helpers in four playoff contests.  He also was able to make his professional debut, suiting up once for AHL Texas after Flint was eliminated from the postseason.
  • Jets prospect Markus Loponen requested and was granted a contract termination from his deal with Karpat, per a team release from the Finnish squad. The 18-year-old was a fifth-round pick back in June, going 155th overall.  Loponen had 25 goals and 29 assists in 45 games last season on Karpat’s under-20 team, earning him a first-round selection by Victoria in the CHL Import Draft this summer.  Loponen will now suit up for the Royals this season.

Snapshots: Celebrini, Ovechkin, Avalanche

at CDT | by 8 Comments

The San Jose Sharks are eagerly anticipating first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini, emphasized by new head coach Ryan Warsofsky, who told Tom Gulitti of NHL.com that he’s expecting Celebrini to drive the lineup. Warsofsky said, “He’s so driven. I think at times we’re going to have to reel him back just because he wants to go, go, go, but he’s a super competitive, self-driven young person, which you don’t see a lot this day and age. That’s what impressed me the most.”

There’s certainly plenty of opportunity available in San Jose. The Sharks couldn’t make it to 20 wins last season, largely thanks to their 2.20 goals-per-game – the second-lowest in the NHL since 2017, behind the Chicago Blackhawks’ 2.17 average last season. San Jose has since parted with Tomas Hertl, Anthony Duclair, Filip Zadina, and Mike Hoffman – four of their top seven scorers from last season. They’ve been replaced by new signees Tyler Toffoli and Alexander Wennberg, as well as team captain Logan Couture, who’s expected to return from injury soon, and fellow rookie Will Smith. But those additions pale in comparison to Celebrini, who’s coming off a collegiate season that made him the youngest Hobey Baker Trophy winner in NCAA history – one year after winning the USHL MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. He’s a driven and impressive playmaker who seems poised for quick success. The Sharks will look to lean into that momentum by putting Celebrini into an immediate premier role in the lineup.

Other quick notes around the league:

  • Superstar Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin is planning to return to the United States in early September to prepare for his 20th NHL season, agent Gleb Chistyakov shared with MatchTV. Some Capitals have already returned to practices with their teammates, shares Sammi Silber of The Hockey News, though those skates remain informal. Ovechkin has stayed on the ice this summer, participating in a variety of event skates including a recent NHL vs KHL event that pitted Russia’s top pros against a menagerie of NHL stars. He’ll transition back into pro-mode soon, looking to continue his chase for Wayne Gretzky’s goal-scoring record into its second decade. Ovechkin currently sits 42 goals back from the record – a mark he’s reached in 13 different seasons, including in two of the last three years.
  • The Colorado Avalanche are still working to round out their lineup amid a cap crunch, which could lead the team to take advantage of professional try-outs as September rolls around. Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now posited four different options for a PTO, notably including former Ottawa Senators winger Dominik Kubalik. Rawal shared that Colorado frequently scouted Ottawa’s games last season and could be drawn to Kubalik’s scoring upside. The 28-year-old winger took a hard fall last season, netting just 11 goals and 15 points in 74 games – after scoring at least 30 points in his previous four NHL seasons. His rookie season in 2019-20 still stands as Kubalik’s career year, marked by 30 goals and 46 points in 68 games. He could rediscover that spark in Colorado, though he’ll first have to negotiate a PTO and win out a roster spot – both uphill battles.

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

scroll to top