Free Agent Rumors: Stamkos, Bennett, Verhaeghe, Stolarz, Ekman-Larsson, Grzelcyk, Martinez
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
For three-quarters of the league, the offseason is now underway. We’ve seen some exciting playoff matchups in the opening round while several teams now find themselves looking for new coaches with others potentially following suit in the coming days. With that in mind, it’s a good time to open up the mailbag.
Our last mailbag was split into two columns. Topics in the first included Chicago’s goaltending situation, the potential offseason coaching carousel, and college free agency. Meanwhile, in the second, topics included what’s next for San Jose, if this is the summer where Nashville moves a goalie, and expansion.
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.
NHL-Affiliated Players Participating In The 2024 World Championship
May 8, 3:38 p.m.: Blue Jackets 2023 second-round pick Gavin Brindley has been added to Team USA’s roster.
May 8, 12:15 p.m.: A few notable changes were announced today, including Penguins netminder Alex Nedeljkovic heading to Czechia to complement Red Wings Trey Augustine and Alex Lyon in the crease. Sweden’s national governing body also confirmed their full roster for the tournament.
May 6: Nearly every one of the 16 countries participating has confirmed their whole roster ahead of the 2024 IIHF World Championship, which begins Friday in Czechia. The following is a full list of NHL-affiliated players, including those both under contract with teams in 2023-24 or on reserve lists, attending the tournament. For fans of non-playoff bound teams, the Worlds are always a great chance to watch your team’s players skate in competitive hockey in May. Countries without any NHL-affiliated representation are Great Britain, Kazakhstan and Poland.
There’s one notable change to report from already announced/reported rosters: Norris Trophy finalist Roman Josi has been added to Switzerland’s roster, per Elite Prospects. The Predators captain will participate in his first World Championship since 2019.
Anaheim Ducks
G Lukáš Dostál (Czechia)
D Radko Gudas (Czechia)
F Isac Lundeström (Sweden)
F Pavol Regenda (Slovakia)
F Trevor Zegras (USA)
D Olen Zellweger (Canada)
Boston Bruins
F Dans Locmelis (Latvia)
Buffalo Sabres
D Bowen Byram (Canada)
F Dylan Cozens (Canada)
D Rasmus Dahlin (Sweden)
F Victor Olofsson (Sweden)
F John-Jason Peterka (Germany)
D Owen Power (Canada)
Calgary Flames
F Andrew Mangiapane (Canada)
F Martin Pospisil (Slovakia)
Carolina Hurricanes
F Juha Jääskä (Finland)
F Felix Unger Sörum (Sweden)
Chicago Blackhawks
F Connor Bedard (Canada)
D Seth Jones (USA)
F Philipp Kurashev (Switzerland)
G Petr Mrázek (Czechia)
D Vili Saarijärvi (Finland)
D Alex Vlasic (USA)
Columbus Blue Jackets
F Adam Fantilli (Canada) REMOVED FROM ROSTER
F Johnny Gaudreau (USA)
G Elvis Merzļikins (Latvia)
D Damon Severson (Canada)
F Calvin Thurkauf (Switzerland)
D Zach Werenski (USA)
Dallas Stars
F Arttu Hyry (Finland)
Detroit Red Wings
G Trey Augustine (USA)
G Alex Lyon (USA)
D Olli Määttä (Finland)
D Jeff Petry (USA)
F Lucas Raymond (Sweden)
Florida Panthers
F Alexander True (Denmark)
Los Angeles Kings
F Carl Grundström (Sweden)
F Pierre-Luc Dubois (Canada)
F Adrian Kempe (Sweden)
Minnesota Wild
F Matt Boldy (USA)
D Jonas Brodin (Sweden)
F Joel Eriksson Ek (Sweden)
G Filip Gustavsson (Sweden)
G Samuel Hlavaj (Slovakia)
F Marcus Johansson (Sweden)
C Marco Rossi (Austria)
D David Špaček (Czechia)
G Jesper Wallstedt (Sweden)
F Mats Zuccarello (Norway)
Montreal Canadiens
F Cole Caufield (USA)
D Kaiden Guhle (Canada)
F Oliver Kapanen (Finland)
F Vinzenz Rohrer (Austria)
F Juraj Slafkovsky (Slovakia)
Nashville Predators
D Roman Josi (Switzerland)
New Jersey Devils
G Nico Daws (Canada)
F Nico Hischier (Switzerland)
D Luke Hughes (USA)
F Dawson Mercer (Canada)
D Simon Nemec (Slovakia)
F Ondřej Palát (Czechia)
G Akira Schmid (Switzerland)
D Jonas Siegenthaler (Switzerland)
New York Islanders
F Brock Nelson (USA)
Ottawa Senators
F Ridly Greig (Canada)
F Dominik Kubalík (Czechia)
F Shane Pinto (USA)
D Jake Sanderson (USA)
F Brady Tkachuk (USA)
Philadelphia Flyers
G Samuel Ersson (Sweden)
F Joel Farabee (USA)
G Matej Tomek (Slovakia)
Pittsburgh Penguins
F Raivis Ansons (Latvia)
F Michael Bunting (Canada)
D Erik Karlsson (Sweden)
G Alex Nedeljkovic (USA)
D Marcus Pettersson (Sweden)
F Jesse Puljujärvi (Finland)
F Valtteri Puustinen (Finland)
San Jose Sharks
F Mikael Granlund (Finland)
F Luke Kunin (USA)
D Jan Rutta (Czechia)
F Will Smith (USA)
F Nico Sturm (Germany)
F Fabian Zetterlund (Sweden)
Seattle Kraken
F Pierre-Édouard Bellemare (France)
F André Burakovsky (Sweden)
G Philipp Grubauer (Germany)
F Jared McCann (Canada)
F Oskar Fisker Mølgaard (Denmark)
D Jamie Oleksiak (Canada)
F Brandon Tanev (Canada)
F Tomas Tatar (Slovakia)
St. Louis Blues
G Jordan Binnington (Canada)
F Kevin Hayes (USA)
G Joel Hofer (Canada)
D Matthew Kessel (USA)
D Colton Parayko (Canada)
Tampa Bay Lightning
F Michael Eyssimont (USA)
F Brandon Hagel (Canada)
D Victor Hedman (Sweden)
F Nick Paul (Canada)
Toronto Maple Leafs
F Fabrice Herzog (Switzerland)
F Pontus Holmberg (Sweden)
F David Kämpf (Czechia)
NHL Utah
F Dylan Guenther (Canada)
F Milos Kelemen (Slovakia)
D Michael Kesselring (USA)
D Patrik Koch (Slovakia)
F Jack McBain (Canada)
D Maksymilian Szuber (Germany)
G Karel Vejmelka (Czechia)
Vegas Golden Knights
F Martins Dzierkals (Latvia)
Washington Capitals
D Martin Fehérváry (Slovakia)
G Antoine Keller (France)
F Ryan Leonard (USA)
Winnipeg Jets
F Nino Niederreiter (Switzerland)
West Notes: Henrique, Marchment, Hakanpää
Oilers forward Adam Henrique has been downgraded to doubtful for tomorrow’s Game 1 of their second-round series against the Canucks, The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman reports.
Henrique, 34, has been dealing with a lower-body injury for at least the past few days, missing a practice last Friday. It wasn’t believed he would miss any time until today, and he’s now been officially listed as day-to-day by head coach Kris Knoblauch.
The trade deadline pickup from the Ducks was solid in Edmonton’s dispatching of the Kings in the first round, posting a goal and an assist in five games while averaging 15:52 per game. His lone goal, coming in the first period of Game 1, set an NHL record for the longest period of time between postseason goals for a player. His last came with the Devils in the 2012 Stanley Cup Final – also against Los Angeles.
The domino effect of Henrique’s absence will force depth winger Mattias Janmark into a first-line role with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman, per Nugent-Bowman. He’s averaged only 10:27 per game against the Kings but still managed two assists. Edmonton’s other trade pickup from Anaheim, Sam Carrick, has been a healthy scratch since Game 4 in L.A. and isn’t expected to re-enter the lineup.
Elsewhere in the West:
- As the Stars set to get their second-round series kicked off tonight against the Avalanche, they’ll again be without the services of winger Mason Marchment. He remains sidelined with the undisclosed injury he sustained back in Game 2 against the Golden Knights in the first round, head coach Pete DeBoer told Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News. DeBoer did say Marchment isn’t too far away from returning, meaning he could return before the series stretches into elimination territory. After recording a career-high 22 goals and 53 points in the regular season, Marchment scored once against Vegas before exiting the lineup.
- Further away from returning is defenseman Jani Hakanpää, DeBoer added. Both he and Marchment are skating but he’s behind the winger in his recovery. The 32-year-old has missed a significant chunk of time with a lower-body injury, a blow to their defensive depth, although trade pickup Chris Tanev has replaced his top-four shutdown role and excelled while doing it. Hakanpää, a pending unrestricted free agent, last played against the Kings on March 16.