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Sharks Notes: Celebrini, Chernyshov, Afanasyev, Ulmer

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Sharks first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini will decide whether he’s turning pro for 2024-25 shortly after this week’s development camp ends, he told reporters yesterday (via San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng). The high-end two-way center prospect won the Hobey Baker Award for the top player in college hockey last season after recording 64 points in 38 games for Boston University as a freshman and didn’t turn 18 until well after the season had ended.

It’s overwhelmingly likely he’ll be in the San Jose lineup come opening night, as Peng says he’s been led to believe Celebrini is turning pro for months now. Only two first-overall picks out of college in recent memory – Erik Johnson (2006) and Owen Power (2021) – have returned to school after their draft year. In Johnson’s case, it wasn’t a return, either. He’d spent his draft year in the U.S. National Team Development Program before attending the University of Minnesota in 2006-07. Either way, both players were defenders, and neither was viewed as the true franchise talent Celebrini is.

Elsewhere out of the Bay Area:

  • San Jose is also facing a similar decision from their third pick of the draft – Russian winger Igor Chernyshov, who they picked up with the first pick of the second round (33rd overall). While he was under contract to continue with Dynamo Moskva in the Kontinental Hockey League, that may no longer be the case. Mikhail Zislis of Sport-Express reports he’s terminating the deal to head to North American juniors. Chernyshov’s agent, Dan Milstein, followed up to Peng that there’s “nothing imminent” about Chernyshov’s decision for next season but did confirm it was up in the air. If he is joining the junior ranks on this side of the Atlantic, it would be with the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League. They selected Chernyshov in today’s CHL Import Draft.
  • While one Russian is getting closer to San Jose, another appears to be leaving. Peng reported earlier this week that RFA forward Egor Afanasyev is set to sign a two-year deal in the KHL, presumably with CSKA Moskva, who owns his rights. The Sharks acquired Afanasyev’s signing rights in a swap with the Predators last month, sending 2020 first-round pick Ozzy Wiesblatt the other way. He made just two NHL appearances with Nashville last season but had 54 points in 56 games on assignment to AHL Milwaukee.
  • On the off-ice side, the Sharks are reportedly adding to their coaching staff in the form of former AHL Abbotsford assistant Jeff Ulmer, The Hockey News’ Max Miller reports. It’s unclear in what capacity, although there is one assistant opening on the Sharks’ bench under first-year head coach Ryan Warsofsky. Ulmer, 47, had spent the last three seasons in the Canucks organization as an assistant in Abbotsford and was also a member of the Coyotes’ player development department from 2019 to 2021.

Golden Knights Sign Victor Olofsson

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1:17 p.m.: Vegas has confirmed the Olofsson signing.

12:20 p.m.: The Golden Knights are expected to add some depth scoring in the form of UFA winger Victor Olofsson, PuckPedia reports. It’ll be a one-year deal worth $1.075MM, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.

With the signing, the 28-year-old Olofsson leaves the only NHL home he’s ever known. A seventh-round pick of the Sabres, Olofsson ended up giving Buffalo great value for such a late-round selection. While a well-documented one-dimensional talent, he’s a three-time 20-goal scorer and is two years removed from a career-best 49 points in 72 games with the Sabres.

2023-24 was an extremely trying campaign for Olofsson, though, and it was clear he wouldn’t be brought back. After a difficult start to the season, he requested a trade prior to the deadline, although GM Kevyn Adams couldn’t find a deal. Now, he had a bit more agency in finding his next team on the open market.

Last year was inarguably Olofsson’s worst since breaking into the league in 2019. He was a frequent healthy scratch and was rendered largely ineffective when in the lineup, limited to seven goals and 15 points in 51 games in solely fourth-line minutes (11:34 per game). And without his goal-scoring, there isn’t much to like about his game. Looking at traditional plus-minus ratings to develop an informed opinion about a player’s defensive acumen isn’t always the best idea, but his career -63 rating in 314 games is telling. He’s also never had an xGF% above 50 at even strength in his five full NHL seasons and has struggled to control shot attempts, particularly over the past two seasons.

However, it’s a no-risk signing for Vegas at a one-year term with a cap hit that’s fully buriable in the minors. They’ll need a group effort to shoulder the loss of forwards Michael Amadio, Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson, who all headed elsewhere when the UFA market opened yesterday.

Marchessault’s 40-plus goals last season will be especially difficult to replace, but a full season of deadline add Tomáš Hertl will take a lot of that burden away from Vegas’ young players and depth additions like Olofsson. He joins a group of secondary scorers that includes Golden Knights draft picks Brendan Brisson and Pavel Dorofeyev, as well as Devils 2020 top-10 selection Alexander Holtz, who was acquired via trade over the weekend and will be relied upon to help replace the aforementioned trio’s offense by committee.

Capitals Sign Luke Philp, Spencer Smallman To Two-Way Deals

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The Capitals have signed forwards Luke Philp and Spencer Smallman to two-way deals, according to a team release. They both carry $775K cap hits and NHL salaries. Philp will earn $375K while in the minors, and Smallman will earn $350K.

Now entering his sixth professional season, Philp, 28, will look to rebound after an injury-plagued 2023-24 campaign. An Achilles injury sustained in August limited him to 15 games of action last season, all with the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate in Rockford. There, he had two goals and six points in 15 games. He’s one year removed from making his NHL debut with Chicago, recording an assist and an even rating in three games in 2022-23.

Philp is a top-six AHL forward when healthy and can play both center and right wing. After recording 53 points in 60 games with Rockford a season ago, he’ll presumably head to Washington’s affiliate, the Hershey Bears, who have won back-to-back Calder Cup championships.

Smallman will join Philp in Hershey. The 27-year-old has spent the last two seasons on a two-way deal with the Avalanche, which didn’t result in any NHL time. The 6’1″ right-winger is a decent minor-league depth scoring presence and had 12 goals and 21 points in 53 games last season.

Neither are likely candidates to receive NHL call-ups next season and will be far down the list of potential injury replacements in Hershey, although Philp could see some action if Washington needs immediate short-term help down the middle. Both will become UFAs upon expiry next summer.

Free Agent Rumors: Stamkos, Bennett, Verhaeghe, Stolarz, Ekman-Larsson, Grzelcyk, Martinez

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The Devils are in the market for a top-six forward today, and they may end up as one of the finalists for Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, per ESPN’s Kevin Weekes.

They’ll be one of many teams making Stamkos’ agent’s phone ring off the hook today. TSN’s Bob McKenzie also expects the Ducks, Hurricanes, Predators and Red Wings to make aggressive pushes for the future Hall-of-Fame forward.

A return to Tampa Bay is extremely unlikely for Stamkos, whose 555 career goals and 1,082 games played have all come in a Lightning uniform. They weren’t close to an extension as of last weekend, and their signing of top UFA left winger Jake Guentzel to a seven-year, $63MM deal this morning has all but completely boxed him out.

More from around the Eastern Conference amid an already busy morning:

  • The Panthers are working hard on extensions for forwards Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe as they become eligible to sign at 11 a.m. CT today, sources tell David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. They’ve already gotten one big piece of business done today by keeping Sam Reinhart away from the open market on an eight-year, $69MM deal, but Bennett and Verhaeghe are two crucial pieces of their top-six forward group that remain unsigned past next season. It’s unclear what these deals may look like, but Reinhart taking a considerable discount on market value to remain in South Florida is surely a good indicator that Panthers GM Bill Zito can get them locked into deals that won’t break the bank.
  • TSN’s Darren Dreger adds the Panthers are also trying to re-sign UFA netminder Anthony Stolarz, but they have some competition. The Blackhawks and Maple Leafs are also in the mix for the veteran’s services. While a career backup, he’s one of the best options on the market in a UFA class devoid of starters. He was electric when used in Florida last year, posting a .925 SV% and 2.03 GAA in 27 appearances.
  • After making Chris Tanev’s six-year deal official, expect the Leafs to add another veteran blue liner in Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Dreger says. OEL is coming off a Stanley Cup win in Florida after putting up 32 points in 80 regular-season games, averaging 18:24 per night. He’d likely anchor a third pairing in Toronto on the left side behind Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe.
  • The Penguins are among the teams linked to defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reports. Grzelcyk is likely on his way out of Boston after spending the entirety of his eight-year, 445-game career there. He had 11 points and a +13 rating in 63 games last season while logging 17:36 per night.
  • Alec Martinez could continue his NHL career with the Blackhawks on a one-year deal, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The three-time Cup winner fell down the Golden Knights’ depth chart last year, limited to 55 games due to injuries and healthy scratches. He still managed 17 points, though, his most offense in three years, but had a -2 rating while averaging 19:03 per game.

Follow NBA Free Agency At Hoops Rumors

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NBA teams can begin negotiating with outside free agents on Sunday evening at 5:00 p.m. CT, and our sister site Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors on Twitter) has all the latest news, rumors and transactions for each of the league’s 30 teams.

For the first time in 2024, NBA teams were permitted to negotiate with their own free agents one day after the NBA Finals ended (the Celtics won their 18th championship on June 17). That’s why several of 2024’s top free agents — including Pascal Siakam (Pacers), OG Anunoby (Knicks) and Immanuel Quickley (Raptors) —  have already agreed to new contracts.

However, there are some huge names heading for unrestricted free agency, including LeBron James, James Harden, Paul George, DeMar DeRozan, and Klay Thompson. James is widely expected to return to the Lakers; there hasn’t been much news about Harden, but the Clippers hope to re-sign him; George’s future is unclear after spending the past five years with the Clippers; there has been “growing buzz” that DeRozan won’t be back with the Bulls; and the Warriors are reportedly preparing for Thompson’s departure after he spent his first 13 years with Golden State, winning four championships.

We’ve already seen a flurry of trade activity this offseason, both leading up to, during, and after the NBA draft, which took place over two days (on Wednesday and Thursday) for the first time this week. Former Defensive Player of the Year runner-up Mikal Bridges (Knicks), former All-Star Dejounte Murray (Pelicans), rising forward Deni Avdija (Trail Blazers), and defensive ace Alex Caruso (Thunder) are among the players on the move.

For the latest updates on NBA free agency, check out Hoops Rumors today! There will be a whirlwind of activity over the next couple of weeks as teams reshape their rosters for next season, and we’ll be covering it all. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter – @HoopsRumors.

Predators Hire Darby Hendrickson As Assistant Coach

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The Predators are close to announcing Darby Hendrickson as their newest assistant coach, reports Minnesota’s FOX 9 Sports. The Predators later announced that the longtime Wild coach and player will reunite with former Minnesota teammate Andrew Brunette behind the Nashville bench.

Hendrickson and Brunette spent parts of three seasons together with the Wild shortly after their inception, including one of the great Cinderella runs of the decade when they advanced to the 2003 Western Conference Final. The Twin Cities native began his coaching career as an assistant with the Wild in 2010, a role he held under multiple head coaches until being fired last month.

The Preds didn’t say which responsibilities would fall under Hendrickson’s purview. He held a variety of different roles during his time in Minnesota. General manager Barry Trotz had this to say on Hendrickson’s addition:

After spending more than a decade as a professional player, he has now been a quality coach in the NHL for a long time and further strengthens our staff’s ability to communicate and teach the game at a high level. His familiarity with Andrew Brunette – having been both teammates and coaches together in the past – adds to the cohesiveness of our group, and his experience as an NHL player and coach makes him very relatable to today’s player. With Darby now on our staff, our coaches own more than 2,200 combined games of NHL playing experience, something we feel is incredibly valuable for our team’s growth as we strive to achieve our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.

Hendrickson also worked with Brunette on the Wild bench between 2014 and 2016. He fills out Nashville’s staff for next season alongside assistants Derek MacKenzie and Todd Richards and goalie coach Ben Vanderklok. He replaces Dan Hinote, who the team parted ways with last month after four seasons behind the Preds bench.

The Preds also announced that former defender Cody Franson is joining their amateur scouting department. Now 36, Franson retired after the 2021-22 campaign but last played in the NHL with the Blackhawks in 2017-18. A third-round pick of the Preds in 2005, Franson also spent last season in the Wild organization as an assistant coach with AHL Iowa.

East Notes: Steen, Blue Jackets Coaching Search, Holl

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The Bruins won’t re-sign pending Group VI unrestricted free agent Oskar Steen, his agent Joakim Persson told Värmlands Folkblad’s Johan Ekberg. Steen, 26, isn’t eligible for standard UFA status until 2025 but hits the open market early with less than 80 NHL games played and three or more professional seasons accumulated.

A sixth-round pick of the Bruins in 2016, Steen played in a career-high 34 games this season but managed just one goal on 24 shots. He averaged 9:04 per game and had poor possession metrics, although he was disproportionately deployed in defensive zone usage.

He ends his Bruins career with four goals and eight points in 60 games over the last four years. While he may not have turned into a regular contributor, getting even brief NHL action out of a late-round pick is good value.

The Karlstad, Sweden native, had 12 goals in 25 AHL games this year as well and will look to land a two-way contract with another club next month. Persson indicated that the Bruins have given him permission to seek other NHL fits for Steen, and it doesn’t appear he’ll be heading overseas.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • After middling results under first-time head coaches the past few seasons, expect the Blue Jackets to opt for someone with experience behind an NHL bench as they search for Pascal Vincent’s replacement. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic lists Jeff Blashill, Dean Evason, Todd McLellan and Jay Woodcroft to be a part of a long list of interview candidates.
  • In his latest mailbag piece, The Athletic’s Max Bultman covered what the Red Wings might do with defenseman Justin Holl moving forward. He was expected to play a key shutdown role for the club this season after inking a three-year, $10.2MM deal in free agency last summer, but he wasn’t even a regular in the lineup halfway through the year. Holl played in just 38 games, posting five assists and a +8 rating while averaging 15:05 per game. Bultman thinks it may be wise to pump the brakes on any buyout/trade speculation despite the tough season, though – after all, this is the same front office that gave him the three-year commitment less than a year ago. But he does point out the Red Wings offloading winger Klim Kostin, who carries a $2MM cap hit, on the Sharks midseason. He was in a similar situation to Holl, falling into frequent healthy scratch territory after being acquired by GM Steve Yzerman last summer.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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We’re just a few games away from this year’s Stanley Cup champion being crowned and less than a month away from the draft and free agency. As such, the draft and trade rumor cycle is shifting into high gear. That makes it a great time for the next edition of our mailbag.

Last time, our mailbag was split into three parts. Among other topics, the first covered the likelihood of a Sean Monahan extension in Winnipeg, the second dealt with some Mitch Marner trade speculation, and the last looked over some potential bargain options on the UFA market.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below.  The mailbag will run on the weekend.

Evening Notes: Bowman, Quenneville, LTIR, Levshunov

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Touching on a variety of topics before the start of the Stanley Cup Final, Commissioner Gary Bettman spoke directly about the futures of executive Stan Bowman and head coach Joel Quenneville. With both rumored to be speaking reinstatement into the NHL, Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reports that neither will be back in the league next season.

Around this time last season, at the same press conference, Bettman confirmed that both were seeking individual appointments to consider reinstatement. As things would turn out, neither has returned to the NHL and may never be awarded reinstatement while Bettman is Commissioner.

Both Qunneville and Bowman resigned from their previous positions in 2021 after both were found partly responsible for “inadequate internal procedures and insufficient and untimely response in the handling of matters related to former video coach Brad Aldrich’s employment” according to the league’s investigation of the sexual assault allegations made by former-player Kyle Beach during the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs. Despite rumored interest around the league over the last two years, it appears both will have to continue and wait for Bettman to consider reinstatement.

Other notes:

  •  According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Deputy Commissioner of the NHL, Bill Daly, has begun taking calls from numerous General Managers across the league regarding LTIR usage around the salary cap in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Unlikely to be resolved before the end of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and the NHLPA, it is most likely an issue that will be debated over the next rendition of the CBA. Over the last several years, teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights have allegedly kept players “hidden” on LTIR throughout the regular season, only to be activated for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs to avoid the need for salary cap compliance.
  • Even if the Blackhawks take Artyom Levshunov with the second-overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft according to their reported interest, he may not be playing for them next season. In an interview between Levshunov and Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports Chicago, Levshunov is undecided about playing in the NHL next or returning to Michigan State University for his sophomore season. If selected by Chicago, it is more than likely that Levshunov would have direct access to top-level minutes, which could be enticing for the 18-year-old Belarusian. However, if Levshunov slips to third overall and winds up in Anaheim, a loaded defensive pipeline may make Levshunov reconsider and push his rookie campaign a year or two down the road.

Lightning Sign Mitchell Chaffee To Two-Year Extension

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The Lightning have re-signed winger Mitchell Chaffee to a two-year contract, per a team announcement Thursday. The deal, his first one-way pact, carries a cap hit of $800K and a total value of $1.6MM.

Chaffee, 26, landed with the Lightning last summer on a one-year, two-way contract with a $350K guarantee after reaching Group 6 unrestricted free agency. An undrafted free agent signing by the Wild in 2020, Chaffee made his NHL debut in Minnesota in 2021-22 but played just two games with the club, instead spending most of his time on assignment to AHL Iowa.

The Michigan native had set himself up as a top-six minor-league contributor early on, totaling 23 goals and 39 points in 49 games by his second professional season. But a torn ACL in his right knee ended his 2022-23 campaign after seven points in 10 games, after which the Wild opted not to bring him back and let him walk to free agency.

Healthy once again, Chaffee began the season on assignment to AHL Syracuse after clearing waivers and was solid on a middling offensive club, recording 12 goals and 26 points in 36 contests. He was recalled twice on brief stints in December and January but remained on the NHL roster for the rest of the regular season and playoffs after a Feb. 5 recall. In 30 games with the Bolts, primarily stepping in for the injured Tanner Jeannot, the 6’1″ winger had four goals in seven points while averaging 11:17 per contest. He struggled to get the puck on net, averaging less than one shot on goal per game but was a skilled finisher and shot nearly 15%.

Possession numbers weren’t particularly kind to Chaffee, who posted a below-average 47.4 CF% and 41.1 xGF% at even strength, per Hockey Reference. He did manage to stay out of the box, though, taking just two minor penalties

He’ll be in consideration for an opening-night roster spot next season, but ideally, he serves as their 12th or 13th forward option. He didn’t display enough offensive talent to elevate into a top-nine role long-term, and his poor relative possession numbers, despite seeing even offensive and defensive usage at even strength, don’t paint the best picture of him as a third-line checking threat.

After re-upping Chaffee, the Lightning have $11.79MM in projected cap space next season with a roster size of 17, per CapFriendly. A good chunk of that will go toward attempting to re-sign captain Steven Stamkos and avoiding losing him after 16 years and nearly 1,100 games with the club. Chaffee was set to become a Group 6 UFA yet again this summer if not extended.

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