Avalanche Sign Jere Innala To Entry-Level Deal
The Avalanche announced today that they’ve signed forward Jere Innala to a one-year, entry-level deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.
In doing so, the Avs dip their toes into international free-agent waters. Innala, 26, is an undersized sniper who was never drafted by an NHL club, but the Finnish winger has been a mainstay in the two top leagues in Scandinavia for the past six years.
Standing at 5’9″ and 183 lbs, Innala has spent the last two seasons with Frölunda HC of the Swedish Hockey League. His point production there has been decent, totaling 26 goals and 54 points in 94 regular-season games, but not reminiscent of the point-per-game pace he flashed in his native Liiga with HPK and HIFK in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
However, Innala is coming off an electric postseason showing with Frölunda that boosted his NHL stock. While they were eliminated in seven games by eventual champion Skellefteå AIK in the league semifinals, Innala still managed to lead the league in playoff scoring with 11 goals and 15 points in 14 games. He also capped off his season with a solid showing for Finland at the World Championship, scoring twice and adding three assists in eight games en route to being named a top-three player on the team.
Innala’s game relies on his speed and edgework to be effective, lacking the strength or checking ability to compensate for his frame. As such, the likelihood of him playing in the NHL next season is slim, but he could be a leading scorer for the Avs’ minor-league affiliate.
That’s not to say he doesn’t have any NHL upside – there’s likely a ceiling of him making the team as a fourth-line scoring winger with power play time. With his cheap entry-level cap hit, that could prove beneficial for a club dealing with a confirmed season-opening absence of top-six forward Valeri Nichushkin and another potential absence of captain Gabriel Landeskog as he continues to recover from multiple knee surgeries.
Innala will turn 27 next March, so he’ll be an unrestricted free agent upon completing his deal.
Rangers’ Kaapo Kakko Signs Qualifying Offer
Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko will sign his one-year, $2.4MM qualifying offer and avoid restricted free agency, reports the New York Post’s Larry Brooks. The deal will yield a $300K increase over his previous $2.1MM cap hit but will pay him the same salary he earned in the 2023-24 season. The Rangers later made the signing official but did not confirm financial details.
Kakko, 23, did reach RFA status briefly after his entry-level deal expired in 2022 but agreed to a two-year, $4.2MM pact in late July. He would have been arbitration-eligible this summer if he remained unsigned.
Coming off a career-high 40 points in 2022-23, Kakko was expected to build on his offensive showing and play closer to the potential indicated by his second-overall billing in the 2019 draft. It didn’t go as planned, however, as he dropped firmly back into a bottom-six role under head coach Peter Laviolette, managing 13 goals and 19 points in 61 games while averaging a career-low 13:17.
While he still managed to score 13 goals and shoot 14.3%, north of his career average, his normally high-end even-strength possession impacts dipped, making it harder to justify giving him fringe top-six minutes with his otherwise limited offensive production. His 49.4 xGF% was his worst since his rookie season, per Hockey Reference.
Kakko’s offensive struggles continued in the playoffs, as he scored just one goal and one assist and had a -4 rating in 15 games. He was a healthy scratch for Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Final loss to the Panthers, a move that some speculated may lead to a trade request. The Rangers were fielding trade interest in Kakko as far back as January, but general manager Chris Drury publically reaffirmed his belief in his potential earlier this month.
No matter what, getting an extension done a couple of weeks in advance of the draft helps the Rangers. It either provides them with more cost certainty heading into free agency next month or makes it easier to put together a trade by providing any potential acquiring teams with cost certainty.
For now, Kakko’s signing brings the Rangers’ projected cap hit next season to $78.8MM, $9.2MM short of the $88MM upper limit. They still have two RFAs to re-sign in defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider, and have multiple notable pending UFAs, including Erik Gustafsson, Jack Roslovic and Alexander Wennberg.
Kakko will be in the same situation when his new deal expires next summer as an arbitration-eligible RFA with a $2.4MM qualifying offer.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Senators Re-Sign Angus Crookshank
The Senators have taken care of one of their pending restricted free agents with an early contract. The team announced that they’ve re-signed forward Angus Crookshank to a one-year, two-way agreement. The deal pays $775K in the NHL and $120K in the minors. GM Steve Staios released the following statement on the signing:
Angus has established himself as a reliable point producer in Belleville. He’s a strong competitor and a proven goal scorer who doesn’t back down, especially when it comes to getting to the opponent’s net. We’re pleased with his progress and expect further improvement from him next season.
The 24-year-old played on the final year of his entry-level deal in 2023-24, spending most of it in the minors with AHL Belleville. With them, as Staios alluded to, Crookshank was quite reliable offensively, posting 24 goals and 22 assists in just 50 games. That performance helped earn him his first NHL opportunity as he got into 13 games with Ottawa where he picked up two goals and an assist while logging just over 10 minutes a night.
Crookshank still has a year of waiver exemption remaining, something that doesn’t happen too frequently for players exiting a three-year rookie deal. That means he’s likely earmarked to start with Belleville once again in 2024-25 but if he can produce at a similar level next season, he should be one of Ottawa’s first recalls when injuries strike.
Bruins Name Jay Leach Assistant Coach
Now taking his third trip through the Boston Bruins organization, Jay Leach will return to the team as an assistant coach for the 2024-25 NHL campaign. The Bruins announced the hiring of Leach this afternoon as well as the promotion of Joe Sacco as an associate coach.
Leach began his tenure in the Original Six organization in the 2003-04 season as he suited up in three games for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Providence Bruins. Leach would not get his first taste of NHL action until 2005-06, registering two games in Boston without any points.
Over the next five years, Leach played on four additional teams before retiring as the captain of the Albany Devils after the 2013-14 AHL season. Shortly thereafter, Leach began his coaching tenure with Adler Mannheim of the DEL as an assistant coach before a brief stint in the same role with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins the following year. Ahead of the 2016-17 AHL season, Leach returned to the Bruins organization for a second stint as an assistant coach of Providence before being named the team’s head coach ahead of 2017-18.
Leach earned his first opportunity in the NHL after a four-year run in Providence in which the team produced a 136-77-26 record under the then-rookie head coach. Shortly after the inception as the league’s 32nd franchise, Leach was hired as an assistant coach by the Seattle Kraken to join Dave Hakstol‘s staff. With the Kraken looking to re-create their coaching staff after a disappointing 2023-24 season, Leach was granted the opportunity to pursue other options.
Sacco, on the other hand, is seeing a well-deserved promotion after spending the last decade as an assistant coach for the Bruins. During his tenure, Boston has made it to one Stanley Cup Final appearance while also winning two Presidents’ Trophies as the top team in the regular season.
Nathan Todd Clears Unconditional Waivers; Signs In KHL
6/12: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Todd has cleared waivers this morning. The Sharks organization can now release Todd making him an unrestricted free agent, and they will open up a contract spot before a busy summer. Instead of pursuing an AHL contract this summer, reports from the Kontinental Hockey League indicate Todd has already signed a deal with HC Salavat Yulaev for the 2024-25 KHL season.
6/11: Beat writer for the San Jose Sharks, Curtis Pashelka is reporting that the organization has placed forward Nathan Todd on unconditional waivers for contract termination. Although the move does not carry significant weight at the NHL level, it will impact the Sharks’ AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.
As an undrafted free agent, Todd spent much of his first four professional years in the ECHL before making the full-time jump to the AHL in 2020-21 for the Manitoba Moose. After securing nearly a point-per-game season with the Moose, Todd left to join the Springfield Thunderbirds for the next two seasons. In his first year with the Thunderbirds, the team would make it to the Calder Cup Final before finally being ousted by the Chicago Wolves in five games. During that postseason, Todd became a quality depth scorer, putting up four goals and 11 points in 18 games.
Last offseason, Todd signed on with the Sharks organization to a two-year, two-way contract. Playing the entire year for the Barracuda, Todd rewarded the team nicely, scoring 19 goals and 55 points in 69 games which is far and away his most productive season to date. Todd tied for 27th in the AHL in total scoring while also leading the Barracuda in assists and points.
Assuming Todd is not picked up on waivers over the next 24 hours, he will hit the open market to search for another AHL franchise to call home this summer. After failing to make the Calder Cup playoffs in the last two years, Todd’s breakout year in the minor leagues may earn him a spot on a much more competitive roster next season.
Islanders Sign Jesse Nurmi To Entry-Level Deal
The Islanders signed left winger Jesse Nurmi to a three-year, entry-level contract earlier this week, per PuckPedia. His deal carries an $870K cap hit and breaks down into an NHL salary of $775K, a signing bonus of $95K, a games played bonus of $80K, and a minors salary of $82.5K each season.
The Isles picked up Nurmi’s signing rights in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. The 19-year-old has played in parts of three major-league seasons overseas, all with KooKoo of the Finnish Liiga. Since his 20th birthday doesn’t fall until next year, his deal will be eligible for an entry-level slide. His contract won’t go into effect until 2025-26 if he plays less than 10 NHL games next season.
Nurmi is still looking for his first professional goal, but he has three assists in 29 Liiga games, including a career-high 19 appearances this season. The checking winger has good speed and good offensive instincts, as evidenced by his 21 goals and 50 points in 41 junior games last season. However, despite a 6’0″ frame, he weighs only 172 lbs, so adding muscle will likely be a priority before he has a shot at making his NHL debut.
And with so little professional experience in his home country to date, Nurmi isn’t close to competing for an NHL roster spot. While he’ll collect a signing bonus from the Isles next season, he’ll likely spend the campaign on loan back to KooKoo, where he’ll have the chance to solidify himself as an everyday contributor in the pros. That will kick in his aforementioned slide and extend the expiry of his ELC to 2028.
Nurmi becomes the first member of the Isles’ most recent draft class to sign. The team’s first pick, second-round selection Danny Nelson, is coming off his freshman campaign at the University of Notre Dame and won’t sign his deal until he’s ready to turn pro.
Blues Sign Colten Ellis To Two-Way Extension
The Blues have signed goaltender Colten Ellis to a one-year, two-way extension, per a team announcement. The deal carries a cap hit and NHL salary of $775K and an AHL salary of $85K.
Ellis, 23, is the second Blues minor-leaguer to ink extensions in the past few days. Winger Mathias Laferrière signed a similar deal to remain in the St. Louis organization on Sunday.
Like Laferriere, Ellis was slated to be a restricted free agent this summer following the completion of his entry-level contract. The Blues’ 2019 third-round choice is coming off his third professional season, and while he’s failed to earn a full-time job with AHL Springfield to date, it seems to be around the corner.
Ellis played a career-high 16 AHL contests this year, leading Springfield goalies with a 2.89 GAA and .924 SV% behind a defensively-challenged club. Add on a .923 SV% in 21 appearances with ECHL Orlando, and he’s put together a solid case for full-time backup duties with the Blues’ top affiliate next season.
The Nova Scotia native still has some time to develop and is one of the more under-the-radar goalie prospects in the league. He went on to have an illustrious junior career after being drafted by St. Louis, culminating in a lights-out 2020-21 campaign that saw him post a remarkable 23-1-0 record, seven shutouts and a .926 SV% in 24 games with the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders. He led the league in both GAA and SV% during the COVID-shortened season and was named to the year-end First All-Star Team.
Ellis will be slated for restricted free agency again next summer when his extension expires. He’ll likely split goaltending duties in Springfield next season with fellow 2019 pick Vadim Zherenko.
Lightning RFA Waltteri Merela Signs In Switzerland
After one season in the Lightning organization, forward Waltteri Merela is headed back overseas. The Finnish winger has signed a one-year deal with SC Bern of the Swiss National League, per a team announcement.
Merela, 25, is a pending restricted free agent. Tampa can retain his NHL rights until July 1, 2026, by issuing him a qualifying offer before the June 30 deadline.
Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois signed Merela as an undrafted free agent a little over a year ago, inking him to a one-year, two-way deal with an $870K cap hit. The 6’2″ right wing had been a two-way force in his native Finland in the preceding years, capping off his 2022-23 season with 14 points in 14 playoff games for Tappara as he helped the club win back-to-back Liiga championships.
Merela then made the Bolts out of camp, and while it wasn’t a huge surprise, he was far from a lock. While that indicated Tampa may have found a diamond in the rough, Merela struggled to produce, logging just one goal through 19 games before being sent to AHL Syracuse for the majority of the season. He wasn’t much of a factor possession-wise in his fourth-line minutes, posting a -2 rating and average shot attempt numbers while averaging 9:49 per game.
On the farm in Syracuse, Merela performed much better, potting 15 goals and 34 points in 55 games. Still, without a dedicated path back to NHL minutes with the Lightning next season, it’s unsurprising to see him try his luck overseas again. He’s still young enough that an NHL return may be in the cards someday.
Merela joins a Bern roster next season with a handful of former NHL talent, including Dominik Kahun and Patrik Nemeth.
Kings Sign Akil Thomas To Two-Year Extension
June 6: The Kings made Thomas’ extension official Thursday. It carries a cap hit of $775K, confirming he’ll earn the league-minimum base salary in both seasons of the deal.
June 5: The Kings have agreed to terms on a two-year extension with center Akil Thomas, reports The Fourth Period’s Dennis Bernstein. Thomas was slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1. He’ll have a two-way salary structure next season before converting to a one-way deal in 2025-26.
A second-round pick of in 2018, Thomas returns for his fifth and sixth professional seasons in the Kings organization. He’s been a mainstay for their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, since making his professional debut in 2020.
Thomas only recently made his NHL debut, impressing with three goals and an assist in a late-season seven-game call-up a few months back. It was a good sign for the one-time World Juniors gold medalist, who was once viewed as one of the Kings’ top prospects but has had significant injury struggles in the past few years. His 71 combined games played for the Kings and Reign this season were his most at any level.
With added health came added production. The 24-year-old right-shot pivot served as an alternate captain for the Reign while putting up career highs offensively, ranking fourth on the team in scoring with 46 points (22 goals, 24 assists) in 64 games.
Thomas’ rookie deal ran out last summer, prompting him to sign a one-year, two-way deal that paid him $775K in the NHL and $100K in the minors this season. While financial details haven’t been reported yet, he’ll likely earn a significant AHL pay bump with the potential for a slightly increased NHL salary.
He’s no longer waiver-exempt, so if the Kings cut him from the roster, they would have to expose him to the league’s other 31 teams during training camp. Signing Thomas to a two-year deal is partially a deterrent to keep teams away from claiming him if they go that route, but a one-way commitment in the second half is a promising sign that they envision Thomas still capping out as an NHL contributor as he enters his mid-20s.
Lightning Sign Declan Carlile To Two-Year Extension
3:15 p.m.: Carlile’s deal carries a $775K base salary in both seasons, which will serve as his cap hit. He’ll earn $100K in AHL salary with a $150K guarantee next season, increasing to a $250K AHL salary with a $350K guarantee in 2025-26.
The Lightning have signed defenseman Declan Carlile to a two-year, two-way extension, per a team announcement Thursday. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Carlile, 24, made his NHL debut this season on Jan. 4 against the Wild, posting a +1 rating, one hit and two blocks in 11:27 of ice time. It remains his only major-league appearance to date.
The Bolts picked up the undrafted blue liner as a free agent signing out of Merrimack College in 2022, and his entry-level contract was set to expire this summer. He’s spent nearly all of the past two seasons on assignment to AHL Syracuse, where he finished second in scoring among defensemen this season with 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists) in 61 contests. He also added a goal and four assists in eight playoff games as the Crunch were eliminated in the North Division Finals by the Cleveland Monsters.
He’ll now remain in the Tampa Bay organization through the 2025-26 season. He’ll be a restricted free agent upon expiry, but he’ll be eligible to reach unrestricted free agency early via Group VI status if he plays fewer than 80 career NHL games by the time the extension runs out.
In the likely event that Carlile doesn’t crack the Bolts’ opening night roster, they won’t need to place him on waivers to return him to Syracuse to begin next season. He has one season and 69 NHL games played remaining until he loses his waiver exemption, meaning they would need to waive him to begin 2025-26 if he’s cut from training camp.