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Kevin Constantine Under WHL Investigation

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While preseason matchups are underway in the NHL, a bit of drama is coming out of the Western Hockey League this evening. The WHL announced via a press release that the head coach of the Wenatchee Wild, Kevin Constantine, has been suspended for the foreseeable future.

Without much specificity into the allegations, the WHL will investigate Constantine due to alleged WHL Regulations and Policy violations. Constantine was originally hired as the first coach in franchise history for the Wild this summer, having recently moved and rebranded away from the Winnipeg Ice.

This is not the first time that Constantine has found himself in hot water, having been suspended twice already as a professional coach. In 1996, as an assistant coach for the Calgary Flames, Constantine and fellow coach, Guy Lapointe, were suspended one game, and two games, respectively, after trying to assault a fan during a game against the Edmonton Oilers. During his first run as head coach of the Everett Silvertips, in 2006, Constantine was suspended four games and fined $5,000 USD for forcing his players to only remove their helmets, skates, and gloves, requiring them to wear their full gear to eat the post-game meal, as well as on the bus ride back to Everett.

He previously had a run as the head coach of a few NHL organizations from 1993 to 2002 with the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New Jersey Devils. After his last head coaching stint in Everett at the conclusion of the 2016-17 WHL season, Constantine spent time being a head coach in South Korea, Poland, and Hungary, before finally returning to North America this summer.

It is important to note, that prospects for the Buffalo Sabres Zach Benson and Matthew Savoie, as well as Arizona Coyotes prospect, Conor Geekie, were all projected to start the year in Wenatchee, now leaving their head coaching situation in doubt for the upcoming season. Last season in Winnipeg, the team finished first in the Eastern Conference, losing to the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL Finals.

List Of NHL-Affiliated Prospects Expected To Play In The WHL This Season

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NHL preseason is just 20 days away, but the WHL season kicks off even sooner the day prior. One of the NHL’s largest feeder leagues is getting a new market this season – Central Washington’s Wenatchee Wild, who were relocated from Winnipeg earlier this summer. It has the largest United States presence of all three of the major Canadian junior leagues and churned out last year’s first overall pick – Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats (now of the Chicago Blackhawks). Nine teams do not have any drafted prospects projected to suit up in the WHL next year: the Carolina Hurricanes, Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, St. Louis Blues, and Tampa Bay Lightning. If you’re a fan of one of the other 23 NHL teams, keep reading to find out where your team’s future players are skating next season if you’re looking to catch some WHL action.

Anaheim Ducks

F Connor Hvidston (Swift Current Broncos) – 2022 fifth round, 139th overall
F Nico Myatovic (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 second round, 33rd overall
D Vojtech Port (Edmonton Oil Kings) – 2023 sixth round, 161st overall
F Yegor Sidorov (Saskatoon Blades) – 2023 third round, 85th overall

Arizona Coyotes

F Conor Geekie (Wenatchee Wild) – 2022 first round, 11th overall
D Terrell Goldsmith (Prince Albert Raiders) – 2023 fourth round, 102nd overall
D Justin Kipkie (Victoria Royals) – 2023 fifth round, 160th overall

Boston Bruins

G Reid Dyck (Swift Current Broncos) – 2022 sixth round, 183rd overall

Buffalo Sabres

F Zach Benson (Wenatchee Wild) – 2023 first round, 13th overall
D Mats Lindgren (Red Deer Rebels) – 2022 fourth round, 106th overall
G Scott Ratzlaff (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 fifth round, 141st overall
F Matthew Savoie (Wenatchee Wild) – 2022 first round, 9th overall

Calgary Flames

F Parker Bell (Tri-City Americans) – 2022 fifth round, 155th overall
F Samuel Honzek (Vancouver Giants) – 2023 first round, 16th overall
F Jaden Lipinski (Vancouver Giants) – 2023 fourth round, 112th overall

Chicago Blackhawks

D Kevin Korchinski (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2022 first round, 7th overall

Colorado Avalanche

D Jeremy Hanzel (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 sixth round, 187th overall

Columbus Blue Jackets

D Denton Mateychuk (Moose Jaw Warriors) – 2022 first round, 12th overall
F Martin Rysavy (Moose Jaw Warriors) – 2021 seventh round, 197th overall

Detroit Red Wings

F Nate Danielson (Brandon Wheat Kings) – 2023 first round, 9th overall
F Emmitt Finnie (Kamloops Blazers) – 2023 seventh round, 201st overall

Florida Panthers

D Marek Alscher (Portland Winterhawks) – 2022 third round, 93rd overall
F Josh Davies (Portland Winterhawks) – 2022 sixth round, 186th overall
F Gracyn Sawchyn (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 second round, 63rd overall

Los Angeles Kings

F Koehn Ziemmer (Prince George Cougars) – 2023 third round, 78th overall

Minnesota Wild

F Riley Heidt (Prince George Cougars) – 2023 second round, 64th overall
D Kalem Parker (Victoria Royals) – 2023 sixth round, 181st overall

Nashville Predators

F Kalan Lind (Red Deer Rebels) – 2023 second round, 46th overall
D Tanner Molendyk (Saskatoon Blades) – 2023 first round, 24th overall
F Austin Roest (Everett Silvertips) – 2023 sixth round, 175th overall
D Graham Sward (Wenatchee Wild) – 2022 fifth round, 146th overall

New Jersey Devils

F Josh Filmon (Swift Current Broncos) – 2022 sixth round, 166th overall

Philadelphia Flyers

G Carson Bjarnason (Brandon Wheat Kings) – 2023 second round, 51st overall
D Carter Sotheran (Portland Winterhawks) – 2023 fifth round, 135th overall

Pittsburgh Penguins

D Owen Pickering (Swift Current Broncos) – 2022 first round, 21st overall
F Brayden Yager (Moose Jaw Warriors) – 2023 first round, 14th overall

San Jose Sharks

G Mason Beaupit (Wenatchee Wild) – 2022 fourth round, 108th overall
D Luca Cagnoni (Portland Winterhawks) – 2023 fourth round, 123rd overall

Seattle Kraken

D Lukas Dragicevic (Tri-City Americans) – 2023 second round, 57th overall
F Jagger Firkus (Moose Jaw Warriors) – 2022 second round, 35th overall
D Kaden Hammell (Everett Silvertips) – 2023 fifth round, 148th overall
D Caden Price (Kelowna Rockets) – 2023 third round, 84th overall

Toronto Maple Leafs

D Noah Chadwick (Lethbridge Hurricanes) – 2023 sixth round, 185th overall
F Brandon Lisowsky (Saskatoon Blades) – 2022 seventh round, 218th overall
F Fraser Minten (Kamloops Blazers) – 2022 second round, 38th overall

Vancouver Canucks

D Sawyer Mynio (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 third round, 89th overall
G Ty Young (Prince George Cougars) – 2022 fifth round, 144th overall

Vegas Golden Knights

F Jordan Gustafson (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2022 third round, 79th overall
F Ben Hemmerling (Everett Silvertips) – 2022 sixth round, 177th overall

Washington Capitals

F Andrew Cristall (Kelowna Rockets) – 2023 second round, 40th overall
F Brett Hyland (Brandon Wheat Kings) – 2023 seventh round, 200th overall
F Alexander Suzdalev (Regina Pats) – 2022 third round, 70th overall

Winnipeg Jets

F Connor Levis (Kamloops Blazers) – 2023 seventh round, 210th overall
G Thomas Milic (Seattle Thunderbirds) – 2023 fifth round, 151st overall

Offseason Notes: Peters, Pacioretty, Voronkov

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In a surprising turn of events, controversial head coach, Bill Peters, has landed a new coaching role in North America. Making his way back to the Western Hockey League, Peters will find himself manning the bench of the Lethbridge Hurricanes for the 2023-24 WHL season. Peters had spent the last several years coaching the Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg of the KHL after an unceremonious end to his time with the Calgary Flames in 2019.

As a reminder, back during the 2019-20 season, former player Akim Aliu, accused Peters of anti-Black racism when the two had been together in 2010 with the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL. More specifically, Aliu lambasted Peters’ usage of the ’N’-word, as well as writing letters to Chicago Blackhawks management tarnishing Aliu’s future career. The NHL did execute an investigation into the matter, but those results have not been released to the public up to this point.

Salim Valji of TSN reported that a current coach, who remained nameless, had attempted to broker a conversation between himself and Peters, but Aliu declined. With the negative stories now associated with his coaching career, it is more than unlikely that Peters will ever coach in the NHL again, even in spite of the shocking development that he was been hired for a role in the WHL.

Other notes:

  • Far be it from a confirmation, but the going notion is that new forward for the Washington Capitals, Max Pacioretty, will not be ready for opening night according to Jason Chen of The Hockey News. Even after suffering another Achilles tendon tear in January, Pacioretty was still able to land a one-year, $2MM contract from Washington this summer. If he is able to rebound in any meaningful way, he would certainly become a solid secondary scoring option for the Capitals down the stretch.
  • Although he spent his last four professional seasons in the KHL, a prospect for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Dmitry Voronkov, will report to the team for training camp in September (X Link). Originally the 114th selection in the 2019 NHL Draft for Columbus, Voronkov became quite the goal scorer in the KHL last year. In 54 games played, the young forward would have 18 goals and 13 assists, showing that he is ready to continue his professional career in North America next season.

Snapshots: Ducks Prospects, Ruggiero, Duhamel, Viveiros

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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.

Minor Transactions: 08/21/23

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Training camps are now exactly one month away, and NHL news is starting to heat up again with a pair of PTOs signed today. Nonetheless, corresponding moves are set to be made at the minor-league and overseas levels. We’re keeping track of those, as always, on a daily basis.

  • The AHL’s Rockford IceHogs are adding forward Bryce Kindopp on a one-year deal, according to a team release. Kindopp broke into the NHL sphere in March 2020, when the Anaheim Ducks signed him to an entry-level deal after getting passed over in the draft but posting back-to-back point-per-game seasons with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. He had quite the solid rookie season in the minors, notching 20 points in 39 games with the San Diego Gulls in 2020-21, but he hasn’t since recaptured that form. Last year was incredibly trying for Kindopp, who scored just six goals (and added only three assists) for nine points in 65 games with San Diego, who finished last in the AHL. Kindopp has made one NHL appearance with Anaheim, coming in the 2021-22 season. The Ducks did not issue a qualifying offer to Kindopp when his entry-level deal expired this summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

  • The WHL’s Vancouver Giants are set to name Manny Viveiros as their new head coach later this week. The report comes from Steve Ewen of The Province who credits multiple sources. The 57-year-old Viveiros was previously the head coach of the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL up until this past April when he and the club mutually agreed to part ways. Henderson missed the playoffs this past season with a record of 29-38-0-5 sparking Viveiros and the club to move on. Viveiros will be the replacement for former Giants head coach Michael Dyck who took an assistant coach job with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies in July.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Atlantic Notes: Gostisbehere, Robertson, Davies

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The Red Wings added defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere early in free agency to help replace some of the production they lost when they moved Filip Hronek to Vancouver last season.  Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News notes that the blueliner didn’t have a ton of interest on the open market despite recording 92 points in the last two seasons which resulted in him picking the team that he thought gave him the best chance of securing a multi-year agreement next summer, either with Detroit (who gave him a $4.125MM deal) or elsewhere.  That approach worked for Olli Maatta who signed a one-year deal last summer and then inked a two-year extension back in February and it’s one that the 30-year-old Gostisbehere will be looking to follow.

More from the Atlantic:

  • Toronto winger Nick Robertson told TSN’s Mark Masters (video link) that he has fully recovered from his season-ending shoulder surgery in January and will be ready to participate in training camp next month. It has been a rough go for the 21-year-old who has battled injury trouble in each of the last three seasons.  He played in just 17 games last season between the NHL and AHL with 15 of those coming with the Maple Leafs where he had a respectable five points.  This is the final year of Robertson’s entry-level deal and with cap space expected to be limited, his cap hit of less than $800K will certainly help his chances of seeing NHL action in 2023-24.
  • Panthers prospect Josh Davies is on the move in junior as WHL Portland announced that they’ve acquired the forward from Swift Current. The 19-year-old was a sixth-round pick by Florida in 2022 (186th overall) after a 36-point, 119-PIM season.  However, Davies wasn’t able to build on those numbers in 2022-23, recording 20 goals and 14 assists along with 131 penalty minutes.  He’ll be hoping that a fresh start could help him find another gear offensively to try to land an entry-level deal from Florida by the June 1st deadline.

Minor Transactions: 07/29/23

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Player moves in the NHL are slowing to a grinding halt, although a few notable free agents remain unsigned. Those talents include the NHL’s all-time ironman, Phil Kessel (link), and top-four defender Matt Dumba (link), whose free agencies we’ve examined in detail.

However, moves are still coming in from the CHL, AHL, and major European leagues, all of which we’re keeping track of on a daily basis as the offseason rolls along. Here’s a list of today’s minor transactions for July 29, 2023:

  • The WHL’s Vancouver Giants made a significant add on the back end today, parting with valuable assets to acquire 2024 NHL Draft-eligible defenseman Marek Howell from the Moose Jaw Warriors, according to a team release. In total, the Giants gave up a solid middle-six scorer in forward Ethan Semeniuk, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2024 fifth-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick. Howell, a shutdown defender, joins the Giants after going to Moose Jaw at 16th overall in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, and he registered four points in 44 games during his rookie season with the Warriors last year. The Giants have finished below the .500 mark in back-to-back seasons, and they’ll look to Howell to help them get back to relevancy in the WHL’s B.C. Division. He joins a squad likely to be led by Calgary Flames 2023 first-round selection Samuel Honzek, who signed his entry-level deal with the team earlier this week. Semeniuk, who was passed over in the 2023 NHL Draft, could be a nice add for Moose Jaw in this deal – he tied for fifth on the Giants in goals last year with 12 tallies in 64 games.
  • Defenseman Anthony Constantini, formerly of the OHL’s Ottawa 67s, has found a home to begin his pro career. After four years in the nation’s capital, Constantini is heading to the lower ranks of the Swedish hockey system to join Tranås AIF of HockeyEttan, Sweden’s third-tier league below the SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan. A smooth-skating right-shot defender, Constantini logged top-four minutes for the 67’s last year and finished second among their defensemen in scoring with seven goals, 29 assists and 36 points in 67 games. He’ll try and help Tranås earn a promotion to the Allsvenskan, a feat they haven’t achieved since 2003. Constantini is the twin brother of netminder Marco Constantini, who won the OHL championship with the Hamilton Bulldogs in 2021-22 and led the league in multiple stats that season, including GAA, SV%, and shutouts.
  • Former Montreal Canadiens prospect Nichlas Torp’s latest stint in the SHL will be a short one, as he’s dropped back down a level in Swedish hockey by signing a two-year contract with Allsvenskan club Nybro Vikings IF. Selected in the sixth round of the 2007 NHL Draft, the 34-year-old never did come over to North America and has spent his entire pro career in Sweden and Germany. He’d spent the last two seasons playing with HV71, with whom he helped gain promotion from the Allsvenskan to the SHL in 2022. A strong, hard-hitting defender, Torp’s effectiveness waned in his play with HV71 last season, signaling that a move to second-tier pro hockey may be more his pace as he enters his mid-30s. Nybro will look to his veteran leadership to help them stay afloat after gaining promotion from the HockeyEttan for the first time since 2009.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Snapshots: Constantine, Jarry, Tulsa Oilers

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Kevin Constantine, a former NHL head coach who served as bench boss for the Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, and New Jersey Devils has been hired as the next head coach of the WHL’s Wenatchee Wild. The 64-year-old American has worked behind the bench of WHL teams before, with a combined eight seasons of experience in the league across two stints with the Everett Silvertips.

Constantine reached the WHL Finals in 2003-04, and since his last stint with the Silvertips ended after 2016-17 he’s had quite the coaching journey. Constantine has coached in South Korea, Poland, and has most recently served as head coach for Fehervar AV19 in the ICEHL and as Hungary’s head coach at the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championships. Constantine will coach a Wild team stocked with some high-end NHL prospects, including three NHL first-round picks: Matthew Savoie, Conor Geekie, and Zach Benson.

Some other notes from across the hockey world:

  • Penguins netminder Tristan Jarry told the media today that he’s feeling “100% right now” in terms of his health. Jarry, 28, recently signed a major five-year, $5.375MM AAV contract extension to remain the Penguins’ number-one netminder for what will likely be the rest of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang’s playing days. Given the significant investment the Penguins have made in Jarry’s future, his health is of the utmost importance to the entire organization. Jarry has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, so hearing from him that he’s feeling recovered and at his full capacity is encouraging news for the Penguins’ hopes of competing next season.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have announced that they’ve extended their affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers, extending a developmental and business relationship that began in 2020. While it’s not entirely common to see teams utilize ECHL affiliates to develop premier prospects, the option to develop a player in North America’s third-tier league is still a valuable one to have. The Detroit Red Wings utilized their ECHL affiliate to develop 2021 15th overall pick Sebastian Cossa, and now by extending this affiliation agreement the Ducks have secured their ability to elect a similar path for their own prospects moving forward.

Minor Transactions: 6/20/23

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Buyouts are the transaction du jour in the NHL, with the first window about a third of the way through completion. Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Patrik Nemeth, and Zack Kassian are three players who will now unexpectedly need to look for new homes next season, while others are settling on their short-term futures in other leagues. As always, we’re keeping an eye out for any of today’s notable moves outside of the NHL:

  • ECHL standout and 2017 Hockey East champion Ryan Dmowski has signed a one-year deal with HK Poproad in the Slovak Extraliga, the team announced. The 26-year-old forward helped his Idaho Steelheads finish first in the ECHL during the regular season and reach the Kelly Cup Final, leading the team by a decent margin with 41 goals and 85 points in 91 combined regular-season and playoff games. Dmowski’s strong performances in the ECHL over the past few seasons haven’t translated to any sustained AHL production, though, and he’ll choose to play high-level professional hockey in Europe without a realistic NHL opportunity in the cards.
  • Undrafted CHL free agent Landon Kosior will begin his professional career with the AHL’s Iowa Wild, as the Minnesota Wild affiliate announced they’ve signed him to a one-year, two-way AHL deal. Passed over in the 2020 NHL Draft, Kosior’s since exploded on the blue line for the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders and notched over a point per game there in his final season. Set to turn 21 in August, Kosior will now look to stick in second-tier pro hockey and catch the eye of the Wild’s NHL brass.
  • A former top undrafted free agent prospect is getting another chance in the AHL as the Milwaukee Admirals have brought in Tye Felhaber on a one-year AHL deal. Once a promising signing by the Dallas Stars in 2019 after he recorded 109 points in 68 games with the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s, Felhaber’s AHL production never came close to translating to pro hockey. He had to settle for an ECHL contract for 2022-23, which paid massive dividends – he exploded for 63 points in 51 games with the Fort Wayne Komets and even recorded a respectable 13 points in 21 games on loan to Milwaukee. He’ll get a full-time chance there now as the 24-year-old looks to revive his career.

This post will be updated throughout the day.

Snapshots: Winnipeg, Hayes, Sharangovich

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The WHL’s Winnipeg Ice are on the move again after spending just four years in the city, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports Friday. After moving from Cranbrook in the Kootenay region of British Columbia in 2019, a condition of the sale to new owners in Winnipeg was a new facility for the team. The condition was never met, and now the team has been sold to former 2017 BCHL executive of the year David White, who will move them to Wenatchee, Washington, a town with a population of about 35,000 people in the center of the state. For now, it seems the new Wenatchee WHL squad will share the ice with White’s BCHL team, the Wenatchee Wild, at the Town Toyota Center with a capacity of 4,300 people.

Winnipeg lost in this year’s WHL championship series and boasts an eye-popping record of 110-20-6 over the past two seasons combined. The franchise’s debut season in Wenatchee could include Buffalo Sabres prospect Matthew Savoie and Arizona Coyotes prospect Conor Geekie, both first-round picks in the 2022 NHL Draft.

Other notes from around the hockey world today:

  • On today’s episode of Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts, Elliotte Friedman dumped some cold water on the rumors of a Kevin Hayes trade between the Philadelphia Flyers and Columbus Blue Jackets. After the two teams were involved in a three-way deal that saw Ivan Provorov head from the Flyers to the Jackets, reports said the move didn’t eliminate the possibility of the long-rumored Hayes deal coming to fruition. However, the Blue Jackets now have under $6MM in projected cap space for 2023-24 (CapFriendly) after getting defender Damon Severson from the New Jersey Devils in a sign-and-trade, which would force the Flyers to retain a high amount of Hayes’ $7.14MM cap hit through 2025-26. While Columbus remains in desperate need of centers, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen now has seven defensemen on the roster that cost more than $2MM against the cap, including a combined $6.75MM wrapped up in Erik Gudbranson and Andrew Peeke, who both had very disappointing campaigns last season.
  • Another name mentioned by Friedman was that of New Jersey Devils forward Yegor Sharangovich, who Friedman believes could hit the trade market this offseason. The 25-year-old Belarusian is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights after completing a two-year, $4MM contract signed in August of 2021 and has registered at least 30 points in all three of his NHL campaigns. He is a decent depth scorer, but he’s not of much value defensively and posted the lowest point-per-game output of his NHL career (0.40) last season. He was a healthy scratch for most of New Jersey’s playoff run, appearing in three out of 12 games.

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