Poll: Where Will Johnny Gaudreau Sign?
We’re just under a month away from free agent frenzy and the potential UFA class is loaded. Franchise icons like Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Claude Giroux, and Patrice Bergeron are all without contracts. Top-six pivots like Nazem Kadri, Ryan Strome, and Vincent Trocheck appear to be available. Even a few interesting goaltending targets are about to hit the market. But ahead of all those, at least according to some, is Johnny Gaudreau, arguably the top free agent available after his 115-point regular season.
Gaudreau, 28, has long been one of the most dynamic offensive players in the league but this season he took it to an entirely new level. After a few rather disappointing goal outputs, he set a new career-high with 40 tallies, while playing on arguably the most effective line in hockey. His plus/minus was a staggering +64 to lead the league, as a huge amount of his damage was done at even-strength.
The Calgary Flames, knowing that he is the lynchpin of their offense, are trying hard to sign Gaudreau to an extension. For the next few weeks, they have the added benefit of being able to offer him an eighth year, something that would likely seem very appealing to a player that will turn 29 later this summer. This contract could very well take Gaudreau to the end of his career, and reward him very handsomely for his outstanding platform year.
But with Gaudreau especially, there have always been whispers of a return to the east coast. The New Jersey native played his college hockey at Boston College and a return to the U.S. always seemed inevitable, even if it was at the very end of his career. Now, with just a month left before he could listen to every team’s pitch, that transition is certainly possible, if not likely.
This isn’t a player who has made his intention to go to free agency clear though. Gaudreau told the Flames before the season started that he didn’t want to discuss a contract during the year, and both sides followed his wishes. He’s only ever spoken glowingly about the city and explicitly stated at his end-of-year press availability how much his wife loves it in Calgary.
So where will he be, when the dust settles on July 13? Will Gaudreau stay in Calgary and potentially become the highest-scoring Flame of all time (he is currently 486 points behind Jarome Iginla)? Or will he take his talents elsewhere, adding his talents to a program much closer to his family? Cast your vote below, and make sure to explain it in the comments.
Where will Johnny Gaudreau sign?
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Calgary Flames 31% (1,038)
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Philadelphia Flyers 15% (516)
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New Jersey Devils 14% (486)
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Boston Bruins 5% (170)
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New York Islanders 4% (148)
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Detroit Red Wings 3% (114)
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Pittsburgh Penguins 3% (109)
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New York Rangers 3% (102)
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Buffalo Sabres 2% (71)
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Los Angeles Kings 2% (59)
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Seattle Kraken 1% (48)
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Montreal Canadiens 1% (46)
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St. Louis Blues 1% (45)
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Edmonton Oilers 1% (43)
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Toronto Maple Leafs 1% (39)
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Nashville Predators 1% (32)
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Anaheim Ducks 1% (29)
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Washington Capitals 1% (27)
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Columbus Blue Jackets 1% (24)
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Carolina Hurricanes 1% (23)
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Dallas Stars 1% (23)
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Chicago Blackhawks 1% (22)
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Ottawa Senators 1% (21)
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Vancouver Canucks 1% (20)
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Winnipeg Jets 1% (19)
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Minnesota Wild 0% (16)
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Colorado Avalanche 0% (14)
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Florida Panthers 0% (14)
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San Jose Sharks 0% (13)
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Tampa Bay Lightning 0% (13)
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Arizona Coyotes 0% (12)
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Vegas Golden Knights 0% (10)
Total votes: 3,366
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Buffalo Sabres To Retire Ryan Miller’s Number
The Buffalo Sabres will have a second goaltender in the rafters next season. Ryan Miller‘s No. 30 will be retired by the team, joining Dominik Hasek as the only two netminders in franchise history to receive the honor.
Miller will join Tim Horton (2), Rick Martin (7), Gilbert Perreault (11), Rene Robert (14), Pat LaFontaine (16), Danny Gare (18), and Hasek (39) as the numbers retired by the organization.
Sabres’ general manager Kevyn Adams released the following statement:
Ryan Miller embodied what people in Western New York expect from those who wear a Buffalo Sabres uniform: on-ice excellence, commitment, and authentic love for this community. His lasting relationship with the people here in Buffalo remains a standard we strive to follow every day.
We are thrilled for Ryan to take his rightful place alongside his fellow Sabres legends and look forward to celebrating his career.
One of the greatest American-born goaltenders in history, Miller played 540 regular season games for the Sabres over parts of 11 seasons, the most in franchise history. He also leads in wins (284) and saves (16,217), having posted a strong .916 save percentage over his time in Buffalo. While that doesn’t quite touch what Hasek did, Miller’s time with the Sabres was outstanding, culminating in a Vezina Trophy in 2010 as the league’s best netminder.
Interestingly enough, it was 39 that Miller wore at Michigan State and what he would have worn in Buffalo, had it not been for Hasek’s legacy with the team. The two have been compared and linked for decades, as the younger netminder came into the spotlight soon after the legend left. They’ll now both be in the rafters at the KeyBank Center, though a date has not been revealed for Miller’s ceremony to this point.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Looking At A Pair Of Intriguing Colorado Avalanche UFAs
With the Colorado Avalanche headed to their first Conference Finals in 20 years and vying for their first Stanley Cup Championship since 2001, much has been made about their impending UFAs and their ability to re-sign them. The bulk of that discussion has centered around star center Nazem Kadri and starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper, both of whom were brought in to take Colorado to the next level as a playoff team, and the noise surrounding them has been more than justified. Kuemper posted another strong season, his first in Colorado, with a .921 save-percentage and 2.54 goals-against average. Kadri, already a strong performer, had nothing short of a sensational breakout year, with 28 goals and 59 assists in 71 games. Not surprisingly, both have carried their production over to the playoffs. If and when Kadri or Kuemper hit the UFA market in July, they will have plenty of interest.
As much as the chatter around those two is justified, there are two key pieces of the Avalanche also on the heels of breakout seasons, headed for free agency, who appear to have considerably less buzz. Despite the lack of hype, or maybe being overshadowed on a star-studded team, forwards Valeri Nichushkin and Andre Burakovsky will hit free agency with, one would expect, strong markets for their services.
Burakovsky’s production is not exactly a new phenomenon, as the winger has averaged 0.79 points-per-game over his three seasons in Colorado, his 61 points in 2021-22 actually representing a (very small) step down at 0.76 points-per-game, but is a major step-up from the 0.44 points-per-game he averaged with the Washington Capitals previously. For the most part, COVID-19’s schedule disruptions are responsible for Burakovsky’s lower point totals in the two seasons prior to this one, however this season represent’s Burakovsky’s ability to produce at this rate not over 50-60 games, but over a full NHL season. Although Burakovsky has amassed his numbers on an incredible offensive team like Colorado, during a period of increased scoring league-wide, he has shown the ability to stay in the lineup and produce consistently, and at just 27 years of age, he appears ripe for a longer-term contract.
Unlike Burakovsky, Nichuskin had a true breakout season, setting a career-high with 52 points, 18 more than his previous career-high of 34 set in his rookie season in 2013-14 with the Dallas Stars. After three seasons with Dallas, Nichushkin left the NHL to play with CSKA Moscow of the KHL, but returned for the 2018-19 season, where he struggled to just 10 assists in 57 games for Dallas. He would leave Dallas for Colorado, where he would find consistent production before a strong 2021-22 season. Though Nichushkin does not have Burakovsky’s consistency, he has shown his ability to adapt and produce throughout his career, entering the league as an 18-year-old, where he put up 34 points. He has shown an ability to produce in the NHL since then, and while his production back home in the KHL was no more impressive than his NHL production to date, he proved he could take his game from one league and one side of the globe to another and produce, then back once again. Nichushkin also has a factor in his game that cannot be taught or taken away: his size. Listed at 6’4 and 210 pounds, Nichushkin is able to use his body to impose himself and create space for him and his teammates.
Nichushkin may have trouble finding the term that Burakovsky might be able to, however his unique skillset and his recent production should be enough to land him a contract with a strong AAV, and at just 27 years old, if he can continue to match his 2021-22 production over the life of a shorter contract, perhaps two or three years, he could be in line for a long-term deal in the future.
Looking at the market for these two certainly does not mean that Colorado will not be able to retain one or both of them, however the organization does have several questions to ask. First and foremost among them is how do they fit along with trying to re-sign the aforementioned Kadri and Kuemper? After letting goaltender Philipp Grubauer sign in Seattle, replacing him with Kuemper, Colorado will likely push to retain Kuemper. As brilliant as Kadri was this season, he is likely headed for a long-term deal with a reasonably high AAV this offseason, and at 32 years of age on opening night, it might not be the most prudent investment for Colorado, especially if they can, instead, re-sign both Nichushkin and Burakovsky.
With $26.485MM in projected cap space this offseason, Colorado could, in theory, bring all four back, leaving things a bit tight cap-wise (and would likely necessitate Josh Manson leaving via free agency). However, issues then arise after next season, when Nathan MacKinnon becomes a UFA, and would require a significant raise over his current, team-friendly $6.3MM cap hit. Defenseman Erik Johnson’s $6MM cap hit would also expire, and while he might take a reduced salary to stick around, it would probably not be enough to balance out MacKinnon’s raise, all of this before considering J.T. Compher‘s UFA status, and the expiration of Bowen Byram and Alex Newhook‘s ELCs. As much as some of these things seem like future problems for Colorado, the questions they pose back up into now, and how the organization could approach this upcoming offseason with four of their key pieces set to become UFAs.
2022 King Clancy Finalists Announced
After revealing the 32 nominees earlier this month, the NHL has announced the finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually presented to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Last year’s winner was Pekka Rinne of the Nashville Predators.
The selection committee, a group of senior NHL executives led by Gary Bettman and Bill Daly, applies the following criteria to determine a winner:
- Clear and measurable positive impact on the community
- Investment of time and resources
- Commitment to a particular cause or community
- Commitment to the League’s community initiatives
- Creativity of programming
- Use of influence; engagement of others
The finalists this year are Ryan Getzlaf of the Anaheim Ducks, Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers, and P.K. Subban of the New Jersey Devils.
In reality, all of this year’s nominees deserve recognition for their efforts, and picking a single winner doesn’t change the impact that each player has. Like usual, the award will have a new winner this year, as none of the three have taken it home previously. There has only ever been one player to be awarded the King Clancy multiple times; Henrik Sedin won it in 2016 on his own, and split it with his brother Daniel Sedin in 2018.
Subban has been a finalist three times previously, including each of the past two seasons. Other active winners include Patrice Bergeron, Nick Foligno, Jason Zucker, and Matt Dumba. You can read more about each of their community efforts here.
Latest On St. Louis Blues Defensemen
After St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug left last night’s game midway through the first period with a lower-body injury, Blues head coach Craig Berube said today that he expected Krug to be out for “some time” (link). The loss of Krug is yet another in a growing list of St. Louis defensemen who are out with injury, joining Nick Leddy, Robert Bortuzzo, and rookie Scott Perunovich. Krug has been an important piece for a deep Blues team this season, playing a pivotal role on their powerplay while averaging 20:33 in time-on-ice in the regular season. No timetable, beyond Berube’s comments, has been given.
Looking at those other three names, returns for Leddy, Bortuzzo, and Perunovich could be fairly soon. According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who spoke with Berube, Perunovich is a possibility for Game Four against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday (link). Perunovich had been out since January 15th with a left wrist injury, which ultimately required surgery in March. The young defenseman’s regular season would end after just 19 NHL games, in which he tallied six assists.
A return for Leddy and Bortuzzo does not appear to be as imminent as that of Perunovich, however the pair did practice Saturday with St. Louis. Still, as Thomas reports, the team will have to wait and see on their status. Leddy, who played in Game One, missed games Two and Three against Minnesota with an upper-body injury. It’s unclear what exactly the nature of Leddy’s injury is, however he did take an awkward hit into the boards during Game One from the Wild’s Matt Boldy. Bortuzzo’s injury was more clear, having taken a puck to his face while attempting to block a shot during Game Two.
There was concern about Justin Faulk, as the defenseman did not practice with the team on Saturday. However, Thomas reports, Faulk’s absence was merely for rest, after playing heavy minutes in last night’s game. Faulk was not only one of the Blues’ best players this season, but one of the league’s best, recording 16 goals and 31 assists in 76 games along with a stellar plus-41 rating, all while averaging 23:12 time-on-ice.
Latest On Andrew Copp
While first-round picks were being thrown around at the trade deadline, the New York Rangers were able to hang onto theirs and land pending free agent Andrew Copp for a package of other pieces. While one of those could be upgraded to a first if they find immediate playoff success, it certainly seems so far like they got a bargain from the Winnipeg Jets. Copp has fit right in alongside Artemi Panarin and has eight goals and 18 points in 16 games with the Rangers, including a hat trick against the rival New York Islanders.
All of that makes it easy to understand why the Rangers will try to do everything in their power to retain Copp’s services past this season. Darren Dreger explained the situation on TSN’s Insider Trading last night, indicating that the team “will push hard” to extend him before he hits the open market this summer. Our John Gilroy recently looked at some comparables, including the six-year, $30MM contract that Jean-Gabriel Pageau signed with the Islanders in 2020.
Unfortunately, Copp left a game earlier this week with a lower-body injury, and although the Rangers called it nothing more than a cautious approach to keep him out on Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens, he was still absent from morning skate and will not play this evening against the Washington Capitals. Panarin was also missing and won’t play, though head coach Gerard Gallant did tell Mollie Walker of the New York Post that he still expects both to be ready for the playoffs.
Interestingly enough, if he does miss any time with the injury, it could actually drastically affect the Jets’ return given the conditions attached to one of the picks. Not only do the Rangers need to advance past the second round for the 2022 second-round pick to upgrade to a first, but Copp needs to play in at least 50 percent of those games.
Obviously, the Rangers are hoping to have him in the lineup, now and in the future. The 27-year-old center has already set career highs with 21 goals and 53 points this season, and could easily reach new heights in the playoffs as well. Copp has just three goals in 34 career postseason appearances.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Follow The NFL Draft At Pro Football Rumors
The 87th NFL draft begins tonight from Las Vegas. Our sister site, Pro Football Rumors (@pfrumors on Twitter), has all the top stories covered. Although this draft differs from the past several, as it appears to lack a top-end quarterback, the event features a host of teams with high-stakes decisions. This promises to be the most enigmatic NFL draft in at least nine years.
Picking first for the second straight year, the Jaguars have their quarterback (2021 top pick Trevor Lawrence) and are focusing on their lines. Georgia defensive end Travon Walker has become the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick, despite fellow D-end standout Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan) producing far better college numbers. But Jags owner Shad Khan was believed to disagree with GM Trent Baalke‘s Walker preference, adding intrigue to tonight’s top pick. The Jaguars are also interested in trading down, though a lack of interested suitors may force them to stay at No. 1.
The Panthers look to represent the draft’s first quarterback domino, having needed an answer here since Cam Newton‘s injury run began years ago. Rather than the NFC South team gambling on one of this class’ polarizing QBs, waiting for a mid- or post-draft trade for the Browns’ Baker Mayfield is in play. That said, Panthers head coach Matt Rhule recruited one of this class’ top QBs (Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett) when he was Temple’s coach years ago; a belated partnership remains a possibility. The Falcons (No. 8), Seahawks (No. 9), Saints (No. 15) and Steelers (No. 20) also loom as quarterback suitors. Liberty’s Malik Willis and Ole Miss’ Matt Corral join Pickett as this class’ top signal-caller prospects; the group could be in for an Aaron Rodgers-esque green-room wait.
This draft’s most interesting subplot: the 49ers’ Deebo Samuel decision. The All-Pro wide receiver requested a trade last week. Reports of Samuel disenchantment with the 49ers’ first extension offer, his unconventional role as a part-time running back, and a desire not to live in California have come up as reasons for the request. The Jets are viewed as Samuel’s most likely landing spot, and the 49ers’ future with the fourth-year playmaker could come down to the wire tonight — with a loose deadline being the Jets’ No. 10 overall pick.
For the latest updates throughout tonight’s first round, and the final six rounds this weekend, stay with Pro Football Rumors and follow us on Facebook and Twitter — @pfrumors.
Michael Misa Selected First Overall In OHL Draft
The next exceptional status player is on his way, as Michael Misa was announced as the first-overall pick in the upcoming OHL draft. The Saginaw Spirit, who won the lottery to select first, confirmed that Misa would be their selection, despite the draft not actually being held until Friday evening.
Misa, 15, is the sixth player to be granted exceptional status by the OHL and eighth overall. He joins John Tavares, Connor McDavid, Aaron Ekblad, and Shane Wright as those who have been selected first in the OHL draft following that status. Sean Day, the other exceptional status player for that league, went fourth to the Mississauga Steelheads in 2013.
While many will point to Day–who only made his NHL debut this season after being selected in the third round by the New York Rangers in 2016–as proof that the exceptional status moniker doesn’t necessarily guarantee future success, three of the other players given it in the OHL ended up going first overall in their respective NHL drafts, and Wright is expected to continue that trend this year. Misa will now carry that pressure as the “next one” after a brilliant performance at the OHL Cup, where he tallied 20 points in just seven games, winning the tournament MVP and tying the all-time record.
Not eligible for selection into the NHL until 2025, the young Oakville native will still have to prove it at the OHL level before anyone puts him at the top of a draft board. Ending up in Saginaw means he won’t have to deal with his older brother Luke Misa as much, as he plays for the Mississauga Steelheads in the league’s other conference.
He’ll also have the pressure of turning Saginaw into a contender. The Spirit went 24-43-1 this season and have never won an OHL championship in their history, going only as far as the third round in 2019 when they were led by the likes of Cole Perfetti and Owen Tippett.
Maple Leafs Notes: Bunting, Tavares, Muzzin, Liljegren
In talking to TSN’s Mark Masters, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe gave several updates on his team, which has several players banged-up. One of those players is rookie Michael Bunting. The breakout forward suffered an undisclosed injury in last night’s game, and while he did take a puck to the face, the belief is that the injury is in fact to Bunting’s leg. According to Keefe last night, he expected Bunting to miss some time, but did not disclose how much. Today, Keefe reiterated that Bunting would certainly miss some time, but did add that he woke up feeling a lot better than expected (link). Still, the team will wait until they get back to Toronto after their road trip to further evaluate Bunting and get a more clear picture of how much time he will miss.
Bunting’s absence, especially at this juncture, is of concern for Toronto. The team has several formidable offensive weapons, but Bunting’s breakout season, which has seen him score 23 goals along with 40 assists in 79 games has helped to take some focus off of Toronto’s other weapons. Tonight’s game at the Washington Capitals will be the first Bunting has missed this season.
- John Tavares, the Maple Leafs’ captain, will also miss tonight’s game, his second of the season and first since November (link). Tavares’ absence should be of no concern to Maple Leafs fans, as Keefe assured that this was merely a case of load management, acknowledging that despite being injured, Matthews’ absence from the lineup provided him with a break heading into the playoffs, something Tavares has not had.
- Defenseman Jake Muzzin will also be out of the lineup tonight, missing his sixth straight game (link). The exact nature of Muzzin’s injury is not clear, however it is not believed to be connected to the concussion that saw him miss significant time in February and March. Keefe did not provide any timeline for Muzzin on a return or any further absence. Muzzin has played in just 45 of the Maple Leafs’ 79 games this season, but getting him back in the lineup would be a key addition heading into the playoffs.
- Also missing tonight’s game is defenseman Timothy Liljegren, though his injury is considered a minor one (link). Keefe did not elaborate on the nature of Liljegren’s injury, or mention any timetable, however it does appear that the recently recalled Carl Dahlstrom will draw into the lineup in his place. The 27-year-old Dahlstrom has played in just two games at the NHL level this season for the Maple Leafs, recording an assist. In 47 games at the AHL level with the Toronto Marlies, Dahlstrom has 14 points, all assists.
Canada Notes: World Juniors, Coronato, Knies, Senators
After the 2022 Men’s U20 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship (WJC) was cancelled amid an outbreak of COVID-19 in late December, the IIHF announced that it would hold the tournament in August, 2022 in Alberta, Canada. While this was certainly great news for Hockey Canada and the country itself, Hockey Canada may stay busy. In the wake of the IIHF pulling the 2023 WJC out of Russia, the organization has asked Hockey Canada if it would be able to host the 2023 tournament, reports Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek on Saturday night’s Hockey Night in Canada.
Currently, the IIHF is awaiting a response from Hockey Canada, but Marek adds that the belief is the tournament could be hosted in Ontario or to the east, perhaps somewhere in the Maritimes. Ontario has seen a World Juniors as recently as 2017, when the tournament was split between Toronto and Montreal (and consequently, Ontario and Quebec), but the tournament has not been held to the east since 2003, when it was held in Nova Scotia, split between Halifax and Sydney.
- With Harvard University’s season coming to an end after a 4-3 loss to Minnesota State on Thursday, attention turned to Harvard forward and Calgary Flames prospect Matthew Coronato, to see if he may turn professional and sign with Calgary. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the Flames are going to talk to the forward, but the belief is that he will ultimately return to Harvard for another season. Friedman mentions the concern Flames fans may have with talented Harvard prospects after their experience with Adam Fox, but cautions that Coronato shouldn’t be an issue for Calgary. Coronato, the 13th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, had 18 goals and 18 assists in 34 games this season for Harvard.
- Friedman also touched on another big-time NCAA prospect while speaking on Hockey Night in Canada: Matthew Knies. Knies has been the focus of recent discussion after being named in alleged trade discussions between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks. When asked about Knies, Friedman made it abundantly clear that there was an important distinction in these discussions, which is that Toronto was not shopping Knies, but instead that he was simply a demand of the Blackhawks in those discussions. After the discussions involving Knies and then-Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury were made public, attention was brought on the top prospect, drawing the ire of Toronto GM Kyle Dubas.
- The Ottawa Senators will not face any subsequent fines or discipline for any role they may have played with the issues surrounding Evgenii Dadonov‘s no-trade clause, reports Friedman, appearing to finally close the book on the non-trade. There had been speculation that the Ottawa Senators could be fined for the role they played in the matter, dating back to their trade of Dadonov to Vegas this offseason.