- There has been some nervousness from people across the NHL regarding Russian players and whether they’ll be able to easily return to North America from offseasons spent in Russia for training camps this fall. For the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, they won’t need to worry much longer about two of their players. CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal has learned from agent Dan Milstein that the Canucks’ big offseason signing, Ilya Mikheyev, has arrived in North America in order to begin his preparations for the upcoming season. The New York Post’s Mollie Walker has also learned from Milstein that winger Vitali Kravtsov has arrived in New York City in advance of training camp.
Canucks Rumors
Michael DiPietro Given Permission To Talk With Teams To Help Facilitate A Trade
- According to CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal, the Vancouver Canucks have given goaltender Michael DiPietro and his agent, Darren Ferris, permission to talk with other teams to help facilitate a trade for the goaltender (link). Once a heralded goaltending prospect out of the OHL, DiPietro has yet to live up to the expectations set for him when Vancouver drafted him in the third-round in 2017. The goaltender had a strong 2019-20, his first full pro season, but dealt with injuries and limited playing time in 2020-21. He would rebound in 2021-22, but still hasn’t been able to pull himself back to the blue-chip status he once had. Even if DiPietro could make a full turnaround, he’ll find the net in Vancouver considerably blocked by that of 26-year-old star netminder Thatcher Demko, who is signed through 2025-26. A key distinction with this permission to talk to other teams is not to negotiate a contract, much like Anthony DeAngelo was allowed to do earlier this offseason, but to help find a trade to a destination that will work for DiPietro, with the goaltender having already accepted his qualifying offer yesterday.
Michael DiPietro Accepts Qualifying Offer
Per CapFriendly, Vancouver Canucks goaltender Michael DiPietro has accepted his one-year qualifying offer. DiPietro’s offer carries an $840K cap hit and a $70K minors salary. DiPietro re-joins a crowded min0r-league goaltending situation in Vancouver, as the team already has prospect goalie Arturs Silovs in place as well as offseason signing Collin Delia.
DiPietro, 23, was drafted 64th overall at the 2017 draft. A star in the OHL, DiPietro has had a difficult transition to professional hockey. DiPietro played 36 games as a rookie for the Utica Comets in 2019-20 and did well, going 21-11-2 with a .908 save percentage. DiPietro’s 2020-21 was a nightmare, as he barely saw the ice thanks to a mix of injuries and his situation as a third goalie.
DiPietro’s 2021-22 was okay, but not the resounding step forward many were hoping for. In 34 AHL games, DiPietro went 15-13-4 with a .901 save percentage. CHEK’s Rick Dhaliwal reported in June that the Canucks and DiPietro could be headed for a divorce this offseason, and it could be that a change of scenery is what DiPietro needs to live up to the hype as a prospect that he once held.
Andrew Brunette Joins Devils As Associate Coach
July 15: The Devils have officially announced Brunette as the team’s new associate coach, mentioning how he was a teammate of general manager Tom Fitzgerald with the Nashville Predators in 1998-99.
July 13: It’s not just players making news today. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports the New Jersey Devils have reached a three-year agreement with Andrew Brunette on an associate coaching role. TSN’s Darren Dreger was first to report that things were tracking toward an agreement between Brunette and the New Jersey Devils, but also listed the Winnipeg Jets, Philadelphia Flyers, and Vancouver Canucks as teams with interest in the 2022 Jack Adams Award finalist.
Not often do you see a coach of the year contender immediately hit the open market, let alone do you see them settle for an associate coaching role. But with just five years of coaching experience in the NHL in total, and the Panthers opting to hire the more experienced Paul Maurice, Brunette hits the open market as a high-end support man for teams’ benches. In New Jersey, he’d serve behind an extremely experienced bench boss in Lindy Ruff, allowing him to gain just a little more time in the league before undoubtedly returning to a head coaching role down the road.
And after those three seasons, that’s undoubtedly what he’ll do. It wouldn’t surprise anyone to see him take over for Ruff in three years’ time, or even sooner if New Jersey decides to part with Ruff before that. It’s a good backup plan in case things go wrong with Ruff at the helm.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Christian Wolanin
Per CapFriendly, the Vancouver Canucks have signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Christian Wolanin to a one-year, two-way deal paying him $750K in the NHL and $350K in the AHL.
Wolanin, 27, has 70 games of NHL experience between Ottawa, Buffalo, and Los Angeles. While it looked like Wolanin had legitimate NHL upside a few seasons ago with a 12-point year in 2018-19 in just 30 games at 23 years old, those days are behind him. A good option for a seventh defenseman, Wolanin adds to the pool of defensive depth Vancouver has built.
He’ll be competing with players like Kyle Burroughs, young Jack Rathbone, Noah Juulsen, and Wyatt Kalynuk to make the Canucks come training camp in September. If he doesn’t make the squad, he’s a risk to get claimed on waivers if the injury bug strikes other teams on defense.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Five Players
Outside of the big signing of Ilya Mikheyev, the Vancouver Canucks have added depth all over the roster today. The team has signed Curtis Lazar to a three-year contract worth a total of $3MM, Wyatt Kalynuk to a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL salary of $750K, Collin Delia on a one-year, one-way contract worth $750K, Dakota Joshua on a two-year contract worth a total of $1.65MM, and Phillip Di Giuseppe on a one-year, two-way contract with an NHL salary of $750K.
On Lazar, the biggest signing of the group, general manager Patrik Allvin released the following statement:
Curtis is a valuable addition to our group. He grew up a Canucks fan, was raised in BC, and already has a strong connection to our club. He is a responsible 200-foot player who can line up at centre or on the wing. Curtis brings energy, an ability to kill penalties and takes draws from the right side, which will be extremely valuable for our team.
Lazar will likely receive regular minutes in Vancouver, after proving he could handle them for the Boston Bruins this season. In 70 games, the 27-year-old scored eight goals and 16 points while racking up 186 hits. He’ll replace a player like Tyler Motte, who was traded away at the deadline, in bringing energy to the fourth line every night.
Joshua, meanwhile, was getting a good bit of attention in free agency because of his performance with the Springfield Thunderbirds in the Calder Cup playoffs. The 26-year-old forward had 15 points in 18 games, an impressive total given he hadn’t ever brought that kind of offense to the table in the past. His deal suggests he’ll also be in the mix for NHL minutes, though that is sort of a lottery ticket for the Canucks given how little experience he has to this point. Joshua has played in just 42 regular season NHL matches.
There was a time when Delia looked like he might be the next starting goaltender for the Chicago Blackhawks but now he appears to be nothing more than some minor league depth. In 32 career appearances at the NHL level, he has a .904 save percentage and just nine wins. With Spencer Martin installed as the full-time backup, Delia shouldn’t be spending much time with the Canucks this season.
Kalynuk, 25, could though, if he can show that the early promise he had in 2020-21 was for real. The former University of Wisconsin standout played 21 games for the Chicago Blackhawks that season and had nine points but was limited to mostly minor league work this year. There are a lot of names ahead of him on the Vancouver depth chart but it’s not like all of them are consistent performers.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Ilya Mikheyev
The Vancouver Canucks have made a big depth splash, signing forward Ilya Mikheyev to a four-year deal worth $4.75MM per season. Mikheyev signs in Vancouver after a successful run with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team he signed with as an undrafted KH free agent.
Mikheyev’s 2021-22 season was a bit of a breakout year, as he scored 21 goals in 53 games, showing that he could effectively utilize his speed and nose for the puck to score goals. While many Maple Leafs fans may gripe about Mikheyev’s finishing ability, he was an impactful scorer at the KHL level and now seems to be figuring out how to be a scorer in the NHL.
At $4.75MM with four-year term, this signing is not without risk. Mikheyev’s breakout season proved he could be worth $4.75MM at his best, but it’s fair to question if Mikheyev is going to play like a player worth nearly $5MM for the duration of the deal with consistency. Mikheyev struggled with injuries last season and only has 146 NHL games to his name, which isn’t a massive NHL track record. But that lack of experience can work both ways, as the Canucks clearly believe Mikheyev has more to his game than he’s shown so far.
With this signing now on the books, all eyes are on J.T. Miller and a potential trade that could be involving him. Now that Mikheyev has been added, the Jim Rutherford/Patrik Allvin era of Canucks hockey is starting to take shape.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Andrei Kuzmenko
July 13th: Kuzmenko’s agency, Gold Star Hockey, has now officially announced the signing.
June 20 3:50 pm: The deal is now official, the Vancouver Canucks announcing it via press release.
June 20 12:30 pm: The chase for the latest Russian free agent has ended, and the Vancouver Canucks have won. According to his agent Dan Milstein, Andrei Kuzmenko has agreed to sign with the Canucks to begin his career in North America. The free agent forward had interviewed with several teams after his eye-popping 2021-22 campaign for SKA St. Petersburg. Milstein notes that contract details are still being worked out. Because of his age and playing status, Kuzmenko will be limited to a one-year entry-level contract.
Kuzmenko, 26, had 20 goals and 53 points in just 45 regular season games, before then adding another 14 points in 16 postseason contests. He was named to the First All-Star Team at the end of the year and had teams falling over themselves trying to land his services for next year. Importantly, it will for now be only that one year, as Kuzmenko was limited to a one-year deal and will be an unrestricted free agent at the expiry of the contract.
That will limit the risk for the Canucks but also give him complete control over the direction of his NHL career, should it last longer than some of the other highly-touted Russian forwards in recent history.
A very skilled forward that has been a strong contributor for years, Kuzmenko’s game improved dramatically this season, to the point where he was one of the most dominant offensive forces in the league. Just five of his goals came on the powerplay, and he did all of his damage while averaging fewer than 17 minutes a night. It will be interesting to see what kind of opportunity he is given in Vancouver and whether or not he can bring that kind of production overseas.
The Canucks, led by president Jim Rutherford and general manager Patrik Allvin, have put an emphasis on adding talent to the organization from non-traditional avenues such as undrafted international and college players. This is a major win for that direction, though it still remains to be seen how much of an impact Kuzmenko can really make at the NHL level.
Rutherford: Canucks Won't Look To Re-Sign Chiasson, Richardson, Or Sutter Early In Free Agency
- Canucks president Jim Rutherford told CHEK TV’s Rick Dhaliwal (Twitter link) that the team will not be looking to re-sign pending UFA forwards Alex Chiasson, Brad Richardson, and Brandon Sutter right away but could circle back at some point this summer. Chiasson had 13 goals in 67 games last season, a decent return on a league minimum deal while Richardson won over 58% of his faceoffs in 2021-22. Sutter, meanwhile, missed all of last season with long COVID symptoms and there’s no word yet on whether or not he’ll be able to play in 2022-23.
Latest On J.T. Miller
It’s sweepstakes time at the Bell Centre. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports that the Vancouver Canucks and J.T. Miller’s representatives met in Montreal yesterday and are still far apart on any potential contract extension. Darren Dreger of TSN adds that the “Miller watch” is now at full speed, with the Canucks’ asking a lot in any trade talks.
With the entire league gathered in Montreal for tomorrow’s draft, talks between teams can happen quickly, meaning the Miller story is a developing one. The Canucks already reached an extension with Brock Boeser and have had productive talks with Bo Horvat, meaning moving on from the 29-year-old Miller might be the most prudent option.
Still, he’s also an incredibly important piece of the team that is signed for this year and could help them push toward the postseason in 2022-23. Keeping him, at least until it becomes clear whether or not the Canucks are playoff contenders, could also be a lucrative option.
Coming off his career-high 99-point season, Miller is the kind of player that almost every team in the league could use. Versatile enough to play center or the wing, physical enough to contribute at a high level in the playoffs, and skilled enough to line up beside your team’s best, there are likely countless suitors for his services if Vancouver is making him available.
That level of talent could bring back a huge haul for the Canucks–especially if an extension is involved with the acquiring team. Of note, that couldn’t actually be signed right away, as he won’t be eligible for an extension until July 13 when he officially has just one year remaining on his contract.