Capitals Sign Cam Allen To Entry-Level Contract
The Washington Capitals got some work done today regarding one of the draft selections from the 2023 NHL Draft. The organization announced they have signed defenseman Cam Allen to a three-year, entry-level contract with an average annual value of $866.7K at the NHL level.
The Capitals drafted Allen with the 136th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft out of the Guelph Storm program of the Ontario Hockey League. During his draft season, Allen scored five goals and 25 points for the Storm in 62 games which was good for third on the team in scoring amongst defensemen. There may be concerns about Allen’s discipline as he finished second on the team in penalty minutes with 72.
This past season, Allen only managed to suit up in 25 games for Guelph as he recovered from an injury towards the beginning of the season. The young defenseman scored two goals and nine points for the Storm down the stretch while collecting 23 penalty minutes and posting a -7 rating. Allen was largely ineffective in Guelph’s appearance in the OHL playoffs this year as he registered zero points in four games and the team was quickly swept in the first round by the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
Before the 2023 NHL Draft, Allen was ranked 12th among North American defensemen by NHL Central Scouting due to his play for Team Canada at the international level. During his draft year, Allen scored one goal and seven points over five games in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and four assists in seven games during the under-18 World Junior Championship. Allen served as team captain on both renditions of Team Canada’s roster.
Sharks Sign Macklin Celebrini To Entry-Level Contract
A little after a week drafting him with the first overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft the San Jose Sharks have locked up their new player. The team announced they have signed Macklin Celebrini to a three-year, entry-level contract starting in the 2024-25 NHL season.
According to Puckpedia, Celebrini will make a base salary of $877.5K each year of his entry-level deal. Additionally, the team has offered Celebrini the maximum amount of signing bonuses possible, as he will receive a signing bonus of $97K, Group “A” performance bonuses totaling, $1MM, and Group “B” performance bonuses of $2.5MM in all three years which could bring his AAV up $4.475MM if all conditions are met.
The signing confirms that Celebrini will suit up for the Sharks next season as players become ineligible for NCAA participation after signing professional contracts. The young prospect will become a one-and-done player with Boston University and move to the Bay Area to start his professional career.
It was not a bad lone collegiate season for Celebrini as he joined the Terrier program after spending one season with the Chicago Steel of the USHL in the year prior. In 38 games for Boston University this past season, Celebrini scored 32 goals and 64 points which was good for third in league-scoring in his freshman campaign. At the end of the season, Celebrini was named the Hockey East Player of the Year, Hockey East Rookie of the Year, Hockey East Scoring Champion, Hockey East Three Stars Award, and the Hobey Baker Award winner.
Celebrini became the youngest player in NCAA history to win the Hobey Baker and the fourth freshman all-time behind Paul Kariya (1993), Jack Eichel (2015), and Adam Fantilli (2023). Celebrini became the unanimous best prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft by achieving such a dominant season in the American collegiate scene. He will continue his rise to stardom in the Sharks organization as the team looks to rebuild its team from the ground up. San Jose has not quite taken the next step to be considered a playoff contender for the 2024-25 NHL season but they should be exciting to watch with Celebrini and former fourth overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, Will Smith, on the roster after signing his entry-level contract at the end of May.
Capitals Sign Ilya Protas
3:15 PM: The Capitals have officially announced the contract.
12:35 PM: A day after signing their first-round pick, the Capitals have signed another one of their 2024 draft picks. Dan Milstein, the agent for Ilya Protas, announced (Twitter link) that Washington has signed the forward to a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms were not disclosed but PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the deal carries a cap hit of $889K and an AAV of $975K if he reaches his games played bonuses each season.
The 17-year-old was the 75th pick last month, going in the third round. Protas spent 2022-23 in the Belarusian junior system before coming to North America last season, suiting up with USHL Des Moines. He had a solid first season with them, collecting 14 goals and 37 assists in 61 games which helped get him on the draft radar.
Protas is the younger brother of Capitals center Aliaksei Protas, who is coming off his best season, one that earned him a five-year deal along the way. However, it will be a while before the two have a chance to play together.
By signing his entry-level contract, Protas will no longer be able to go the NCAA route. Accordingly, his two most likely options for next season are to remain with Des Moines or to go to the CHL. In this week’s Import Draft, Protas was the first player to be picked by an OHL team, going third overall to Windsor. By picking him that early, the Spitfires are likely quite confident that they’ll be able to get Protas onto their roster for next season.
As long as Protas doesn’t play in more than nine NHL games next season (a likely scenario at this point), his contract will eventually slide and will still have three years remaining on it heading into the 2025-26 campaign.
Wild Re-Sign Declan Chisholm
Minnesota had just one remaining restricted free agent who saw regular NHL action with them last season and they’ve quickly reached an agreement with that player. Michael Russo of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the Wild have inked blueliner Declan Chisholm to a one-year, $1MM contract. Chisholm was eligible to file for salary arbitration by yesterday’s deadline but elected not to do so.
The 24-year-old was a productive blueliner in Winnipeg’s system but failed to land a full-time spot with them over his entry-level contract. That led to a one-year, two-way deal for the league minimum last season where he was waiver-eligible. The Jets didn’t want to lose Chisholm for nothing at the end of training camp but weren’t confident enough to play him. As a result, he got into just two games with them before finally being waived in late January where he was promptly claimed by the Wild.
With Minnesota, Chisholm became much more of a regular, getting into 29 games with them over the final three months when he had eight points and 36 blocked shots in a little under 17 minutes a night. While that output pales in comparison to the 43 points he had in the minors the year before, the fact he was able to lock down a regular role demonstrated that his defensive game improved enough to the point where he could be relied on.
This deal represents a low-risk move for the Wild as $1MM for someone who can hold their own on the third pairing represents strong value. At the moment, Minnesota has just six regular blueliners under contract for next season so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them shop around for some more depth over the coming weeks. However, with minimal cap space to work with, they’ll have to shop for some lower-cost options.
Jets Re-Sign Logan Stanley And David Gustafsson
The Jets took care of a pair of their restricted free agents on Saturday, announcing the re-signings of defenseman Logan Stanley and center David Gustafsson to two-year contracts. Stanley will carry a $1.25MM AAV while Gustafsson checks in at $835K. Both players were eligible to file for salary arbitration but elected not to do so on Friday.
Stanley was a first-round pick by Winnipeg back in 2016, going 18th overall. At the time, they were hoping that they’d secured a key cog of their future back end. However, that has yet to become the case.
Playing time has been hard to come by for the 26-year-old in recent years. He played in just 19 games in 2022-23, leading to an indication that he wouldn’t mind a change of scenery. He wound up re-signing the following summer but the lack of playing time continued as Stanley got into just 25 games last season where he had one goal and one assist while logging less than 14 minutes a night. He also saw action in three of their five playoff contests.
However, with Brenden Dillon departing in free agency, there could be an opportunity for Stanley to play more of a regular role next season although Ville Heinola (who is now waiver-eligible) is likely to be in the mix there as well. This deal gives him a $250K raise while Winnipeg gets an extra year of club control to see if Stanley can become at least a regular part of their back end.
As for Gustafsson, the 24-year-old was a late second-round pick in 2018 (60th overall) and spent most of last year with Winnipeg, albeit in a limited role. He suited up in 39 games last season, picking up three goals and four assists in just over nine minutes a night of action while winning more than 54% of his faceoffs. He got into four postseason contests, scoring once. Gustafsson also played in six regular season games with AHL Manitoba where he collected three assists.
Gustafsson won’t have the option of returning to the Moose next season without going through waivers first. The likelier scenario is that he once again stays in the mix to anchor the fourth line or hold onto the 13th spot on Winnipeg’s forward group. He will still have another year of RFA eligibility once this contract ends.
With these signings, the Jets are down to four remaining restricted free agents. On the back end, Heinola, newly-acquired Dylan Coghlan, and Simon Lundmark need new deals while up front, Cole Perfetti still needs to be signed. They have a little over $4.25MM in remaining cap space, per CapFriendly.
Jets Acquire Dylan Coghlan From Hurricanes
Saturday: The deal is now official, per an announcement from the Hurricanes. The official return is future considerations.
Friday: The Jets are set to acquire the signing rights to RFA defenseman Dylan Coghlan from the Hurricanes, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Winnipeg is sending a conditional seventh-round pick to Carolina in return, per Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey.
Coghlan, 26, went undrafted but got his start back in 2017 when the Golden Knights signed him to an entry-level contract. Coghlan developed well in Vegas, spending another year back in juniors and another two in the AHL before jumping to a taxi squad role for the 2020-21 season. He avoided any minor league assignments with the Knights after that, recording 19 points in 88 games during the following two seasons while primarily serving as their extra defenseman. His time in Nevada came to an end when he was sent to Carolina as a sweetener to take the final season of Max Pacioretty‘s deal in the summer of 2022.
The right-shot blue liner struggled to find a role with the Canes, though. He spent most of the 2022-23 season in the press box, only appearing in 17 games (three assists, -1 rating, 12:43 ATOI). He also had two goals and an assist in five games on a conditioning loan to AHL Chicago in December.
The Canes liked him enough to qualify and re-sign him on a one-way, $850K deal last summer, leading most to believe he’d be on their opening night roster. That wasn’t the case, though, as he failed to crack the team out of camp and was waived in October. Without a dedicated AHL affiliate last season, the Hurricanes found a home for him on loan to the Springfield Thunderbirds, the Blues’ primary affiliate.
Coghlan earned a couple of recalls throughout the season that resulted in a lone appearance for Carolina, but he otherwise played with a chip on his shoulder in Springfield as he looked to give himself another NHL chance. The British Columbia-born defender suited up in 61 games for the T-Birds, earning an All-Star Game appearance and leading all AHL defensemen in goals with 16. He added 25 assists for 41 points, breaking his previous career high of 40 set in his first pro season.
He’ll look to leverage that shot and his 6’2″, 207-lb frame into a roster spot with the Jets in the fall, assuming he signs a new deal. Winnipeg is looking for added defensive depth after losing Brenden Dillon to the Devils in free agency and buying out Nate Schmidt. They’ve already made one acquisition in veteran Colin Miller, who will be Coghlan’s chief competitor for minutes as a fellow right-shooting D-man. They’ll likely rotate in bottom-pairing minutes behind Dylan DeMelo and Neal Pionk.
Anaheim Ducks Re-Sign Pavol Regenda
Shortly after signing their first-round selections from the 2024 NHL Draft, the Anaheim Ducks got to work on some of their internal restricted free agents. The organization announced they have signed forward Pavol Regenda to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2024-25 NHL season worth a league minimum $775K salary at the NHL level.
Regenda will enter his third season with the Ducks organization after signing as an international free agent on June 1st, 2022. In the two years before his initial deal with Anaheim, Regenda suited up in 93 games for HK Dukla Michalovce in Slovakia where he collected 26 goals and 64 points. Regenda has also joined Team Slovakia in the last three World Championships where he has scored six goals and eight assists in 23 tournament games.
The Michalovce, Slovakia native is becoming quite the secondary scorer in the Ducks organization as he’s collected 32 goals and 59 points in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls over 104 regular season games. Regenda has finished eighth and seventh in scoring for the Gulls in back-to-back years, respectively, but the team has failed to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs throughout his tenure.
Regenda may find a spot on Anaheim’s bottom six this upcoming season to provide additional offense as a physically capable power forward. The Slovakian winger may be a solid candidate to replace Ross Johnston on the team’s fourth line but could use more seasoning at the AHL level.
Colorado Avalanche Re-Sign Jason Polin
Keeping a bit of internal depth through the system, the Colorado Avalanche have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with forward Jason Polin. As an undrafted free agent, Polin signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Avalanche in late March of 2023.
It is difficult to say anything other than ‘subpar’ regarding Polin’s first full season within the Avalanche organization. This past season Polin dressed in 42 games for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles, where he only mustered four goals and 10 points overall. Colorado hoped for much more production coming from Polin considering his collegiate career at Western Michigan University.
Polin spent four years for the Broncos and was named team captain before the 2022-23 NCAA season. In 39 games that season, Polin potted a whopping 30 goals and 47 points while collecting five hat tricks throughout the year. Polin tied the would-be third overall pick of that year’s draft, Adam Fantilli, in goals across the entire NCAA. Adding to his resume; Polin set an NCHC record for goals scored during the regular season and was named NCHC Player of the Year and NCHC Forward of the Year while finishing top-10 in Hobey Baker Award voting.
Polin has already collected seven games at the NHL level with the Avalanche in which he has scored one goal. With Colorado being desperate for cheap depth at the forward position, they may give Polin another chance in the NHL. However, if he cannot produce similarly to his playing days in the NCAA, his time with the Avalanche organization may only last another season.
Ducks Sign Beckett Sennecke, Stian Solberg To Entry-Level Contracts
Another top-10 selection from the 2024 NHL Draft has signed an entry-level contract as the Anaheim Ducks announced the team has agreed to terms with Beckett Sennecke. The Toronto, ON native was drafted by the Ducks with the third overall selection of last week’s draft.
According to CapFriendly, the deal will have a base salary of $875K at the NHL level with a $97.5K yearly signing bonus in addition to $1MM per year in performance bonuses. After factoring in the performance and signing bonuses attached to the deal, Sennecke will have the ability to make $1.975MM per year on his entry-level deal.
Sennecke was one of the later risers in the draft after an outstanding performance in the Ontario Hockey League playoffs this past year. The young forward scored 27 goals and 68 points for the Oshawa Generals over 63 games in the regular season and scored an impressive 10 goals and 22 points in 16 postseason contests. Not only did Sennecke lead the Generals in goals and points throughout the 2024 OHL playoffs — he led the entire league.
Even though he is considered a considerable reach with the third overall pick, the Ducks are still getting an exceptional talent. Sennecke has mature awareness and puckhandling for his age and should help Anaheim on both sides of the puck.
Outside of Sennecke, the Ducks have also signed 23rd overall pick from the 2024 NHL Draft, Stian Solberg, to his entry-level contract according to a team announcement. Solberg spent last season playing for Vålerenga of Norway’s top professional league, the Eliteserien.
In 42 games against other professional players, Solberg scored five goals and 15 points while carrying a +2 rating. Also putting in impressive work during the postseason, Solberg scored two goals and nine points in 17 postseason contests while his regular season scoring was the fourth-most by a defenseman under the age of 18.
Next season, Solberg is expected to take his talents to the Swedish Hockey League where he will play for Färjestad BK. The club has a decent history of producing NHL-caliber defensemen as Fredrik Olausson, Jonas Brodin, and Oliver Kylington, among others are products of the 91-year-old Swedish franchise.
Los Angeles Kings Sign Caleb Jones
The Los Angeles Kings brought some depth to their defensive core announcing a one-year, two-way contract with defenseman Caleb Jones. It will mark the second year in a row that Jones will have to settle for a league minimum contract on the open market.
Jones originally signed a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes last offseason but couldn’t find any playing time on a deep Hurricanes blue line. Carolina traded Jones to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Callahan Burke exactly two months after signing the depth defenseman. He would go on to split the year between the Avalanche and their AHL affiliate, the Colorado Eagles.
During his time in the American Hockey League, Jones managed six assists for the Eagles over 12 games and produced a -2 rating. He was recalled on three separate occasions to the Avalanche on an emergency loan and would end up playing 25 games where he tallied five helpers. Still, Jones was rarely used by Colorado during his time on the NHL roster as he only averaged 12:12 of ice time per night. Nevertheless, the team still opted to use him when they could, and Jones was able to suit up in three postseason games for the Avalanche for the first time since the 2019-20 Stanley Cup playoffs.
It will be interesting to see where Jones fits into the lineup for Los Angeles as the team already has eight defensemen signed to NHL contracts without factoring in the next deal for Jordan Spence. In all likelihood, Jones will start the year with the Kings’ AHL affiliate in Ontario, CA unless there is an injury to the blue line during training camp.