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Coyotes Confirm Extension For Corey Schwab

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Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg is geared up for the upcoming training camp, telling The Athletic’s Ian Mendes he’s fully recovered from a double MCL tear sustained during a goalmouth collision in February.

“I’ve been back to 100 percent for a long time,” Forsberg told Mendes. “I would have been back last year if we made the playoffs.” He’ll be entering next season as part of what Ottawa hopes is a more fortified goalie tandem, with Joonas Korpisalo replacing Cam Talbot as Forsberg’s partner in the crease. Forsberg has given Ottawa some solid play since once again breaking out as a full-time NHLer in Canada’s capital, accumulating a 33-28-6 record, .912 save percentage, 2.98 goals-against average, and three shutouts over the past two seasons. He says he can return to that level of play, as he told Mendes he doesn’t feel any lingering effects from the major knee injuries – a remarkable statement given they occurred just six months ago. If he can maintain the solid numbers and challenge Korpisalo for the lion’s share of the starts, Ottawa does have a true shot at breaking through into the postseason for the first time since losing in the 2017 Eastern Conference Final.

Some other goalie-related items of interest:

  • Buffalo Sabres goalie prospect Topias Leinonen will miss the beginning of 2023-24 due to injury, The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski relays. Buffalo selected the massive 6-foot-5, 234-pound netminder in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, but he struggled last season with just a .885 save percentage in the Finnish junior circuit. He’ll miss around the first two months of the Liiga season, although he’s expected to take on a backup role for JYP once he returns.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have confirmed the last of their remaining extensions for their assistant coaches, signing goalie coach Corey Schwab to a multi-year deal. Schwab is one of the Coyotes’ longest-tenured organizational members at this point, serving with the team as a coach in some capacity since 2015. While the team hasn’t had much success during his tenure, goaltending has been far from an issue – names like Adin Hill, Darcy Kuemper, Antti Raanta, and Karel Vejmelka have all churned out solid performances under Schwab’s tutelage.

Alex Galchenyuk Signs With KHL’s St. Petersburg

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August 25: Galchenyuk has indeed signed in the KHL, although it’s not with the expected team. He’s joining SKA St. Petersburg on a two-year contract, according to the team. Galchenyuk recently took a plea deal for a misdemeanor charge as part of the July incident, which resulted in five other charges against him being dropped, per Katie Strang of The Athletic.

August 6: Per a report out of Russia, free agent forward Alex Galchenyuk is likely to sign with the KHL’s Spartak Moscow this summer. Galchenyuk had signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Coyotes when NHL free agency opened on July 1, but the team terminated his contract over a week later after Galchenyuk was arrested on a number of charges, which included a private property hit-and-run and resisting arrest. The 29-year-old issued public apologies to the Coyotes organization and the Scottsdale, Arizona, police department and is currently in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

Galchenyuk, who has now amassed over 650 NHL games over an 11-season career, played a career-low 11 NHL games last season for the Colorado Avalanche and spent most of the campaign in the minors. Returning to the Coyotes would have brought him back to the organization where he’s had his most productive seasons since the Montreal Canadiens, who drafted him third overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, dealt him away in 2018. Formerly a 30-goal scorer, Galchenyuk was held off the scoresheet entirely in his games with Colorado last season, but he did post 16 goals, 26 assists and 42 points in 42 games while in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles.

Even in limited minutes with Colorado last season, Galchenyuk no longer looked comfortable in NHL action. Averaging just 7:06 per game, Galchenyuk posted a rather horrid relative Corsi for percentage at even strength of -11.6. Head coach Jared Bednar’s usage of him likely didn’t help matters, though. He started just 39.2% of his zone starts at even strength in the offensive zone, by far a career low.

It’s unclear for how long Galchenyuk is expected to sign with Moscow, but after his arrest and lack of sustainable NHL play last season, it’s conceivable he plays the rest of his pro career overseas. Galchenyuk was born in the United States and has represented the U.S. internationally, but was born to Belarusian parents and is fluent in Russian. He has never played professionally in Russia, however. If he does indeed join Spartak, he’d line up alongside a forward corps ripe with former NHLers, including Alexander Burmistrov, Nikolay Goldobin, Andrei Loktionov, and Shane Prince.

Coyotes Confirm Extension For Assistant Coach John Madden

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As expected, the Arizona Coyotes announced they’d signed assistant coach John Madden to a multi-year contract extension today.

When the initial report of head coach Andre Tourigny’s extension came in from PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan earlier this week, he expected similar announcements for Tourigny’s assistants to follow in the coming days. Morgan had reported earlier in the summer that Tourigny would not put pen to paper on an extension until agreements were in place for the rest of his staff.

Arizona announced an extension for Mario Duhamel yesterday, so only goalie coach Corey Schwab is left without a deal in place, at least officially. Duhamel, Madden and Schwab are joined on Tourigny’s bench by assistant Blaine Forsythe, who joined the Coyotes earlier this summer after a 16-year stint with the Washington Capitals.

Madden, 50, will continue in his role in the desert as the team’s primary penalty kill coach, an area in which he excelled during his playing days as a four-time Selke Trophy finalist (and winner in 2001). Last season was his first behind the Arizona bench, and the team’s 74.6% penalty kill success rate managed to escape the league’s bottom five. While not anything impressive, it’s hard to truly judge a team’s defensive metrics during a rebuild.

He’s now entering his seventh year of NHL coaching experience. Madden previously served as an assistant for the Florida Panthers from 2013 to 2016 and an assistant for the San Jose Sharks from 2020 to 2022. In between, Madden took on the head coach role for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters from 2016 to 2019 in the Columbus Blue Jackets organization.

Coyotes Extend Assistant Coach Mario Duhamel

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It’s been more than a half-decade since the Anaheim Ducks made it to the NHL’s postseason, and despite acquiring some talented players this offseason they remain likelier to finish the season outside of the playoff picture looking in. But even though Pat Verbeek’s rebuilding team may not be ready to earnestly compete for a Stanley Cup in 2023-24, Anaheim may not be far away. That’s at least according to The Athletic’s Corey Pronman, who ranked the Ducks’ prospect pool as the NHL’s best. (subscription link) Headlined by a trio of highly talented pivots in ascending star Trevor Zegras, 2023 second-overall pick Leo Carlsson, and 2021 third-overall pick Mason McTavish, the Ducks have the sort of foundation down the middle that most true contenders boast.

But even beyond those three centers is a deep group of high-upside players, including a glut of talented defensemen. Pavel Mintyukov, Olen Zellweger, and Tristan Luneau each scored at high rates in the CHL last season and all three would be in the conversation for best prospect in several other NHL systems. In Anaheim, they rank fifth, sixth, and ninth, according to Pronman. So regardless of how the Ducks ultimately perform in the standings next season, it appears fans in Orange County will have plenty to look forward to.

Some other notes from across the NHL:

  • The New York Rangers are hiring Hockey Hall of Famer Angela Ruggiero as a hockey operations advisor, according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post. Ruggiero is one of the most accomplished women’s hockey players of all time, winning four Olympic medals (one gold), four IIHF Women’s World Championships gold medals, and numerous All-Star and top defender honors. Her playing career ended in 2011-12 and since her retirement Ruggiero has built up an impressive off-ice resume, serving on the board of the IIHF and the executive board of the IOC. She’ll join Rangers GM Chris Drury’s front office in New York and have a voice in shaping the team’s quest for its first Stanley Cup since 1994.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have officially confirmed that assistant coach Mario Duhamel has been signed to a multi-year contract extension. Duhamel’s relationship with Tourigny stretches back all the way to 2005-06, when Duhamel joined Tourigny’s staff with the QMJHL’s Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Duhamel oversees the Coyotes’ defense, and a recent breakout season for waiver claim Juuso Välimäki, the rapid rise of J.J. Moser, and the near-resurrection of Shayne Gostisbehere’s career after a trade from Philadelphia all speak to the value Duhamel brings to Tourigny’s squad.
  • The WHL’s Vancouver Giants have hired Manny Viveiros to be the team’s next head coach, according to a team announcement on X. Viveiros, 57, served as the head coach for the Henderson Silver Knights, the Vegas Golden Knights’ AHL affiliate, for the last three seasons. Although he didn’t produce overwhelming on-ice results this past season with the Silver Knights, Viveiros does have valuable WHL experience, such as from 2017-18 when he won a league title with the Swift Current Broncos and was named WHL Coach of the Year. Viveiros’ one-year stint in 2019-20 with the Spokane Chiefs was also highly successful (he went 41-18-5 in 64 games before the WHL season was scuttled by the COVID-19 pandemic) and it’s likely that the Giants are hoping for big things from Viveiros and his potential partnership with 2023 Calgary Flames first-rounder Samuel Honzek.

Summer Synopsis: Arizona Coyotes

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Last season, Coyotes GM Bill Armstrong suggested that he felt his team was still a few years away from truly getting to a point of contention.  However, Arizona made several moves this summer to improve their team in the short term.  While it probably won’t be enough to get them into the playoff picture, these moves shouldn’t have them in the discussion for 32nd in the NHL either.

Draft

1-6: D Dmitri Simashev, Yaroslavl (MHL)
1-12: F Daniil But, Yaroslavl (MHL)
2-38: G Michael Hrabal, Omaha (USHL)
3-70: F Jonathan Castagna, St. Andrew’s (CAHS)
3-72: F Noel Nordh, Brynas (Sweden U20)
3-81: F Tanner Ludtke, Lincoln (USHL)
3-88: F Vadim Moroz, Minsk (KHL)
4-102: D Terrell Goldsmith, Prince Albert (WHL)
5-134: G Melker Thelin, Bjorkloven (Sweden U20)
5-160: D Justin Kipkie, Victoria (WHL)
6-162: F Samu Bau, Ilves (Liiga)
6-166: G Carsen Musser, USA U-18 (NTDP)

The Coyotes made a pair of selections that many would qualify as perceived reaches with their first two selections.  Simashev is a tall, strong-skating blueliner who hasn’t really had much of a chance to show his offensive upside just yet.  Arizona is hoping that he’ll become a top-half option in time but they’ll have to wait at least two years to bring him over.  But, meanwhile, was one of the tallest forwards in the draft and showed a nice scoring touch at the MHL level in Russia.  He isn’t a true power forward, however, as he isn’t particularly physical overseas.  Nonetheless, there’s a profile there that makes him an intriguing top-six option down the road but one that went 10-15 spots earlier than most rankings had him.

On the flip side, their lone second-round selection is someone who slid a bit more than most expected.  Hrabal, one of the tallest goalies in the draft, was viewed as a possible first-round selection but in the end, he wasn’t even the first netminder off the board.  Hrabal did relatively well in his first season in North America in the USHL and is going the college route and thus is several years away from being a possible option for the Coyotes.

Trade Acquisitions

D Sean Durzi (from Los Angeles)

Durzi has shown considerable promise offensively in his first two NHL seasons and was second on the Kings in points by a blueliner last season.  However, their cap situation and strong right-side depth made him the odd man out.  Durzi goes from being in a more limited role with Los Angeles to one where he should play a much bigger role.  Considering he’s heading into the final year of his bridge deal and has arbitration eligibility for the first time next summer, the timing of this move could work out quite well for the 24-year-old.

Key UFA Signings

F Nick Bjugstad (two years, $2.1MM)
D Travis Dermott (one year, $800K)*
D Matt Dumba (one year, $3.9MM)
F Alexander Kerfoot (two years, $7MM)
D Troy Stecher (one year, $1.1MM)
F Jason Zucker (one year, $5.3MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

Zucker’s addition raised some eyebrows as they weren’t expected to be shopping in the higher end of the UFA pool up front.  However, it’s worth noting that several players didn’t get the type of interest they were hoping for and the 31-year-old wasted little time pivoting toward a pillow contract instead.  Zucker should be able to land a top-six role which could give him a shot at another 25-goal campaign.  In a perfect world for him, another performance like last year could boost his value in what he (like many others) hopes will be a more favorable market next summer.  Meanwhile, in a perfect world for the Coyotes, Zucker becomes one of the more prominent rental players to move closer to the trade deadline.

Kerfoot feels like a transition player for the Coyotes.  When they signed him, they likely eyed him on the second line (before Logan Cooley had a change of heart and decided to turn pro).  Now, he might be a better fit on the third line.  Either way, he’s the type of player that can fill a few different roles in a lineup while allowing prospects more time to develop.  Bjugstad returns after being flipped at the deadline.  He went to the Coyotes last summer to rebuild his value and did just that, scoring more goals last season than he did in the previous three combined.  He should give them a bit more scoring punch in their bottom six compared to the group that finished up the year.  Dermott missed most of last season due to continuing concussion symptoms but with 279 career NHL appearances under his belt, he could push for a full-time spot on the roster.

Dumba is another player who simply didn’t have as strong of a market as he hoped for.  Unlike Zucker who took his one-year deal on the first day of free agency, Dumba opted to wait it out but still had to take a one-year pact himself.  After a tough year with Minnesota, the 29-year-old should get plenty of opportunities to play a bigger role, see some power play time, and try to improve his value for next summer.  Meanwhile, the Coyotes likely have another strong trade deadline asset.  Stecher also returns after being flipped at the deadline and is likely to reprise his role on the third pairing.

Key RFA Re-Signings

F Michael Carcone (two years, $1.55MM)
G Connor Ingram (three years, $5.85MM)
F Jack McBain (two years, $3.2MM)

McBain (who took $1 less than $1.6MM for his cap hit) is coming off his first full NHL campaign.  He brought plenty of physicality to the table and showed some offensive promise with 26 points but with such a limited track record, a bridge deal was the only route they could realistically take.  Carcone has spent most of his career in the minors but made an impression at the Worlds back in May.  In doing so, he gave himself enough leverage to land a one-way deal which should give him a legitimate opportunity to make Arizona’s roster in training camp.

Ingram got off to a rough start, posting a save percentage of just .866 in his first eight appearances.  However, he played at a .921 mark the rest of the way (spanning 19 games), bolstering his case heading into arbitration eligibility.  He’s set to remain Karel Vejmelka’s backup for the upcoming season and could push for more playing time if he starts out the way he finished last year.

Key Departures

F Christian Fischer (Detroit, one year, $1.125MM)
F Zack Kassian (buyout, unsigned UFA)
D Connor Mackey (NY Rangers, one year, $775K)*
D Patrik Nemeth (buyout, Bern, NLA)
F Brett Ritchie (unsigned UFA)

Kassian’s primary value to Arizona came on the trade front when they moved up three spots in the first round in 2022 while also picking up a pair of other picks for assuming the rest of his contract.  The 32-year-old struggled mightily last season, however, managing just two goals without a single assist in 51 games, resulting in Arizona opting to pay him to go away.  Fischer was considerably more effective with 27 points but the Coyotes didn’t want to run the risk of an arbitration award coming in higher than they were willing to pay.  With the added depth up front, they should be well-positioned to cover these two departures.  Ritchie came over at the trade deadline from Calgary (in a swap for his brother, no less) and held his own with five points in 16 games.  He’s a candidate to land a PTO in the coming days.

Like Kassian, Nemeth’s main value for the Coyotes came in the draft picks (a pair of second-rounders) that came with him to take on the two remaining years of his contract.  The 31-year-old held down a regular spot on the third pairing but wasn’t going to be part of their future plans, resulting in the buyout.  As for Mackey, he had a very limited role with Calgary for the bulk of last season but averaged nearly 16 minutes a night after being acquired at the deadline but Arizona opted to go in another direction rounding out their back end for the upcoming season.

Salary Cap Outlook

Even with more than $21MM of injured veterans on the roster, the Coyotes find themselves nearly $4MM under the cap ceiling, per CapFriendly.  That gives them ample room to free up in-season space while if they get hit with a rash of injuries, any of Shea Weber, Bryan Little, or Jakub Voracek can be placed onto LTIR so the cap will not be a problem for them at all in 2023-24.

Key Questions

What Will Cooley’s Impact Be? Cooley’s decision to opt to turn pro gives Arizona a player who could push for big minutes relatively quickly.  As one of the key cogs of their rebuild, he should find himself with a prominent role right away.  His presence as a top rookie is likely to be overshadowed by another freshman in his division (who will be playing for Chicago) but a strong showing could help to provide some light at what has already been a long rebuild for Arizona.

Notably, Cooley is also worth keeping an eye on to see how his presence affects Barrett Hayton’s progress.  The 2018 fifth-overall pick had somewhat of a breakout year last season while working his way onto the top line in the process.  If Cooley is able to play his way up the depth chart quickly, will Hayton’s numbers dip?  It’s a contract year for the 23-year-old so Cooley’s presence and performance could make an impact in those discussions for Hayton.

Can Ingram Secure A Bigger Role? Which version of Ingram will the Coyotes get this season?  He certainly finished up on a strong note which helped him land nearly $6MM guaranteed despite having just 30 career regular season games under his belt.  Vejmelka has done a nice job in his two seasons in the desert but Ingram outperformed him in the second half of last season.  If Ingram secures a bigger share of the workload, it’s possible that Vejmelka – who has been in trade speculation before – could become a more plausible candidate to move.

Is Schmaltz Next? In recent seasons, there has been no shortage of veterans moving out of Arizona.  One who hasn’t moved yet is Nick Schmaltz.  He is coming off two productive seasons of 59 and 58 points, each in 63 games while moving primarily to the wing after spending a lot of time down the middle.  However, his heavily backloaded contract starts to loom large as he’s owed $24.45MM over the final three years of his deal.  If the Coyotes are still a few years away from contention, Schmaltz might not be part of their longer-term plans.  If that’s the case, it stands to reason that Arizona might look to move him at some point to save some money while landing some strong younger assets as well.  It might not be the case early but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Schmaltz in trade speculation as the season progresses.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Arizona Coyotes Extend André Tourigny

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August 23: Arizona has confirmed Tourigny’s extension, which lasts for three years.

August 22: Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports is reporting that the Arizona Coyotes have officially signed head coach André Tourigny to a contract extension. It was reported earlier this month that the two sides were involved in negotiations and that a deal was close, but sources now tell Morgan it is completed.

At the time of the negotiations, Morgan reported that the holdup was Tourigny’s desire to get extensions in place for his coaching staff as well as himself – something that has reportedly been accomplished as the Coyotes have also locked up John Madden, Mario Duhamel and goalie coach Corey Schwab to extensions.

A native of Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Tourigny is about to embark on his third season at the helm of the Coyotes. And while his 53-90-21 record with Arizona is ugly on the surface, he has been guiding a roster that largely consists of prospects and castoffs. But record aside, Tourigny has done a good job keeping the group competitive on most nights and fostering a culture that must be positive given that several players who have been traded away previously have elected to return when they hit free agency.

No terms of the new contract have been released, but it should make the upcoming season more comfortable for Tourigny and his staff as they start a season where there will be expectations on the club to win some games. Arizona has been one of the busier teams in the off-season, swinging a trade for Sean Durzi and signing Jason Zucker, Alexander Kerfoot, Matt Dumba, and Nick Bjugstad.

Tourigny hasn’t had pressure to win thus far in his reign as the head coach of the Coyotes, but with a new contract in hand, and some serious depth added to the lineup, the pressure will begin to mount for Tourigny and Arizona to win some games.

2009 NHL Draft Take Two: Sixth Overall Pick

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Hindsight is an amazing thing, and allows us to look back and wonder “what could have been.”  Though perfection is attempted, scouting and draft selection is far from an exact science and sometimes, it doesn’t work out the way teams – or players – intended.  For every Patrick Kane, there is a Patrik Stefan.

We’re looking back at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and asking how it would shake out knowing what we do now.  Will the first round remain the same, or will some late-round picks jump up to the top of the board?

The results of our redraft so far are as follows, with their original draft position in parentheses:

1st Overall: Victor Hedman, New York Islanders (2)
2nd Overall: John Tavares, Tampa Bay Lightning (1)
3rd Overall: Ryan O’Reilly, Colorado Avalanche (33)
4th Overall: Matt Duchene, Atlanta Thrashers (3)
5th Overall: Chris Kreider, Los Angeles Kings (19)

At fifth overall, PHR voters elected to take one of the draft’s better goal-scoring specialists in Kreider, who received 25% of the total votes. Selected straight out of high school, Kreider was drafted as a center but would end up on the wing for the New York Rangers, who took him in the mid-first round. It took him a few years to make the NHL, but he quickly became a dependable middle-six winger once he did, posting solid two-way numbers and routinely scoring over 20 goals. The last two seasons have done wonders for Kreider’s legacy, though, posting 88 markers over 160 games.

Coming up to the podium at sixth overall is the Phoenix Coyotes. The era of Wayne Gretzky behind the bench is now over after four underwhelming seasons, and the franchise is still looking to return to postseason play for just the third time since the year 2000.

They selected Swedish defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who had spent the entire 2008-09 campaign playing pro hockey with Leksands IF in the Swedish second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan. He posted a massive two-way season there, recording 17 points in 39 games and a +44 rating. Few argued with the pick at the time, and given his peak with the Coyotes, it’s hard to argue they truly made the wrong selection.

He played one more season in Sweden before coming over to the Coyotes in 2010, splitting his rookie year between the NHL and AHL but getting decent NHL action with 48 games, albeit in a bottom-pairing role. He broke into a top-four role during his sophomore season and never looked back, routinely earning Norris Trophy votes and was eventually named the team’s captain in 2018 after the retirement of Shane Doan.

His all-around game began to decline significantly beginning with the 2019-20 season, though, and in the summer of 2021, the Coyotes were able to offload his contract on the Vancouver Canucks in a deal that’s turned out quite well for Arizona, in retrospect. That doesn’t change the fact he provided the Coyotes with solid top-pairing performance for the better part of a decade, however, finishing his stint in the desert with 388 points and averaging 23:26 per game across 769 games.

He didn’t last particularly long in Vancouver, either, and the Canucks executed the largest non-compliance buyout in NHL history this summer to get out of the remaining four years of his massive eight-year, $66MM extension signed with the Coyotes that kicked in just as his decline began in 2019. He’ll suit up for the Florida Panthers next season, looking to prove he can turn things around on a one-year deal.

Ekman-Larsson trails only Hedman and Nick Leddy in total games played for a defenseman from the 2009 class with 902, and he’s third in career points behind Hedman and Tyson Barrie with 439. Despite his solid tenure as a member of the Coyotes, though, should the team have gone in a different direction? Let us know who you think the Coyotes should have selected below:

If you can’t access the poll above, click here to vote.

August Free Agency Update: Central Division

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As even most mid-tier free agents are now off the market, it’s a good time to look at how each team has fared on the free agent market this offseason. We’re publishing a list of one-way signings (i.e., likelier to start the season on the NHL roster) by team, per division, to keep you updated on NHL player movement since the new league year began on July 1.

Asterisked players denote a restricted free agent. Double-asterisked players denote the contract starts in the 2024-25 season. Next up is the Central Division. You can check out the list of Atlantic Division signings here and the list of Metropolitan Division signings here.

Arizona Coyotes

F Jason Zucker (one year, $5.3MM cap hit)
D Mathew Dumba (one year, $3.9MM cap hit)
F Alexander Kerfoot (two years, $3.5MM cap hit)
*F Matias Maccelli (three years, $3.425MM cap hit)
F Nick Bjugstad (two years, $2.1MM cap hit)
*F Jack McBain (two years, $1.599MM cap hit)
D Troy Stecher (one year, $1.1MM cap hit)

Chicago Blackhawks

*F Philipp Kurashev (two years, $2.25MM cap hit)
F Ryan Donato (two years, $2MM cap hit)

Colorado Avalanche

*F Ross Colton (four years, $4MM cap hit)
*D Bowen Byram (two years, $3.85MM cap hit)
F Miles Wood (six years, $2.5MM cap hit)
F Jonathan Drouin (one year, $825K cap hit)
F Andrew Cogliano (one year, 35+ contract, $825K cap hit)
D Jack Johnson (one year, 35+ contract, $775K cap hit)
*F Ben Meyers (one year, $775K cap hit)

Dallas Stars

F Matt Duchene (one year, $3MM cap hit)
F Craig Smith (one year, $1MM cap hit)
*F Ty Dellandrea (one year, $900K cap hit)
F Sam Steel (one year, $850K cap hit)
D Joel Hanley (two years, $787.5K cap hit)
D Gavin Bayreuther (one year, $775K cap hit)

Minnesota Wild

*G Filip Gustavsson (three years, $3.75MM cap hit)
*F Brandon Duhaime (one year, $1.1MM cap hit)

Nashville Predators

F Ryan O’Reilly (four years, $4.5MM cap hit)
F Gustav Nyquist (two years, $3.185MM cap hit)
D Luke Schenn (three years, $2.75MM cap hit)
*F Cody Glass (two years, $2.5MM cap hit)
*D Alexandre Carrier (one year, $2.5MM cap hit)
F Denis Gurianov (one year, $850K cap hit)

St. Louis Blues

*F Alexey Toropchenko (two years, $1.25MM cap hit)
F Mackenzie MacEachern (two years, $775K cap hit)
F Oskar Sundqvist (one year, $775K cap hit)

Winnipeg Jets

*F Gabriel Vilardi (two years, $3.438MM cap hit)
F Vladislav Namestnikov (two years, $2MM cap hit)
G Laurent Brossoit (one year, $1.75MM cap hit)
*D Dylan Samberg (two years, $1.4MM cap hit)
*F Morgan Barron (two years, $1.35MM cap hit)
*F Rasmus Kupari (two years, $1MM cap hit)
G Collin Delia (one year, $775K cap hit)
F Jeffrey Viel (one year, $775K cap hit)

Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

Coyotes Prospect Jan Jeník Reportedly Seeking Trade Options

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Arizona Coyotes 2018 draft pick Jan Jeník remains without a contract for next season and is reportedly seeking a trade to continue his career in North America, according to a report from PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan.

The Coyotes issued Jeník a qualifying offer before the June deadline and retained his exclusive signing rights as a restricted free agent, but Morgan says he doesn’t appear close to signing with Arizona. The 22-year-old winger was the Coyotes’ 65th overall pick in 2018 and has three years of pro experience under his belt, mainly with AHL Tucson.

He’s put up strong offensive totals on a weak Roadrunners team over the past two seasons, even finishing second on the team in scoring with 17 goals, 30 assists and 47 points in 51 games during the 2021-22 campaign. After more solid play with 23 points in 30 games for Tucson this season, though, he didn’t receive much of an NHL chance – only two games at the major-league level in 2022-23 and just 17 overall over the past three seasons.

Arizona drafted Jeník directly out of the 1. Liga, Czechia’s second-tier pro league behind the Extraliga and not at all a traditional stomping ground for draft-eligible prospects. It was after the 2018 draft that Jeník established some decent stock as a prospect, coming to North America and scoring 86 points in 54 games across two seasons with the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. He looked well on his way to solidifying himself as a potential top-five prospect in the organization, but without much of any NHL experience to show for it and a crowded forward corps next season, it makes sense he’s looking for other opportunities.

He may not get the trade he desires anytime soon, though, as Morgan reports the Coyotes “seem content to let Jeník sit,” given he has very little leverage as an RFA. He’s got a few options moving forward if the Coyotes don’t move him – he can sit out and hope the team folds before December 1, the deadline by which he needs to sign to play in the NHL this season; he can sign in Europe; or he can hope another team signs him to an offer sheet which Arizona opts not to match. Teams do not need to send compensation for signing offer sheets worth less than $1.416MM per season.

It doesn’t seem likely a team would issue an offer sheet of any significance, though, as despite his wishes, few believe Jeník is ready for a full-time NHL role as things stand. Arizona will likely match any offer he realistically receives and send him back to Tucson to start next season.

Update On This Year’s August 15 Free Agents

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Most NHL free agent business is dealt with in the early summer months. There is one important date later each year, however. August 15 marks the date when NHL teams lose their exclusive signing rights to most college-drafted players if they’ve graduated (or completed without graduating) college and are not yet signed to an entry-level contract.

Earlier this month, we published a list of players slated to hit the UFA market yesterday if not signed to an ELC within the coming days. However, the guidelines the NHL uses to determine a college graduate are some of the most complex sets of rules relating to contractual obligations in pro sports. That means it’s often impossible to glean a full list of players whose rights have expired (or not expired) until after the August 15 deadline has passed.

This year was no different, as CapFriendly issued multiple updates today on their X account regarding the list of August 15 free agents they’d made public earlier in the month. Three players who were slated to expire actually remained on their team’s reserve list: Calgary Flames 2018 fourth-round pick F Demetrios Koumontzis, Ottawa Senators 2018 seventh-round pick F Jakov Novak, and Senators 2018 second-round pick D Jonny Tychonick.

On the flip side, 12 players they expected to remain on teams’ reserve lists hit the free-agent market yesterday. With that in mind, we have a revised, accurate list of players who became unrestricted free agents yesterday. Asterisked players were not originally expected to come off their team’s reserve list.

Anaheim Ducks

*F Trevor Janicke (2019 fifth round, 132nd overall)

Arizona Coyotes

F John Farinacci (2019 third round, 76th overall)
*F Anthony Romano (2019 sixth round, 176th overall)

Boston Bruins

*D Dustyn McFaul (2018 sixth round, 181st overall)

Calgary Flames

*F Joshua Nodler (2019 fifth round, 150th overall)

Carolina Hurricanes

F Kevin Wall (2019 sixth round, 181st overall)

Chicago Blackhawks

F Jake Wise (2018 third round, 69th overall)

Colorado Avalanche

*F Matt Stienburg (2019 third round, 63rd overall)

Columbus Blue Jackets

D Robbie Stucker (2017 seventh round, 210th overall)

Detroit Red Wings

F Robert Mastrosimone (2019 second round, 54th overall)
*F Ethan Phillips (2019 fourth round, 97th overall)

Edmonton Oilers

F Skyler Brind’Amour (2017 sixth round, 177th overall)

Minnesota Wild

*D Marshall Warren (2019 sixth round, 166th overall)

New Jersey Devils

*D Case McCarthy (2019 fourth round, 118th overall)
*F Patrick Moynihan (2019 sixth round, 158th overall)

New York Islanders

D Christian Krygier (2018 seventh round, 196th overall)
F Jacob Pivonka (2018 fourth round, 103rd overall)

New York Rangers

*F Eric Ciccolini (2019 seventh round, 205th overall)
*F Riley Hughes (2018 seventh round, 216th overall)

Ottawa Senators

*F Luke Loheit (2018 seventh round, 194th overall)

Philadelphia Flyers

F Jay O’Brien (2018 first round, 19th overall)

San Jose Sharks

D Arvid Henrikson (2016 seventh round, 187th overall) Originally drafted by the Montreal Canadiens

Toronto Maple Leafs

D Ryan O’Connell (2017 seventh round, 203rd overall)

Winnipeg Jets

G Jared Moe (2018 sixth round, 184th overall)

Of the list above, Krygier and Pivonka are remaining in the Islanders organization on confirmed AHL contracts for 2023-24, although they remain eligible to sign with another NHL team should one come calling. All others are either returning to school for 2023-24, have contracts signed in other leagues, or are not signed for next season.

Notably, this is the official confirmation that the Flyers’ exclusive signing rights of O’Brien have lapsed. As compensation for not signing a first-round pick to their entry-level contract, the Flyers will receive a compensatory second-round pick from the league in the 2024 NHL Draft.

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