Gabriel Vilardi Out 4-6 Weeks With MCL Sprain
Winnipeg Jets head coach Rick Bowness told reporters today that forward Gabriel Vilardi has been diagnosed with a sprained MCL and will miss four to six weeks (via Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press). Vilardi sustained the injury in the first period of Tuesday’s game against Los Angeles in an awkward tangle with the stick of Kings center Blake Lizotte.
Vilardi, 24, was the 11th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft by the Kings but struggled to make an immediate impact, with multiple long-term injuries sidelining him early in his development. He finally stayed healthy for most of 2022-23, though, and had a breakout campaign with 23 goals and 41 points in 63 contests for Los Angeles. The young forward would never get to realize his full potential with the Kings, however, as his signing rights were the primary piece of the return to the Jets as part of this summer’s Pierre-Luc Dubois blockbuster deal.
The Jets immediately made it clear they viewed Vilardi as a potential high-end contributor for them, signing him to a two-year, $6.875MM deal in July. He got an early look in a high-end role, riding shotgun on the top line with Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele. His strong underlying numbers from last season appeared to carry over in a short sample, as the Connor-Scheifele-Vilardi line has absolutely dominated possession together – controlling 81% of expected goals when they’re on the ice together, per MoneyPuck. It’s a significant blow to the Jets to be without that chemistry until around American Thanksgiving. Vilardi did, however, have just one assist through three contests.
Bowness says Mason Appleton will take Vilardi’s place on Scheifele’s wing for Thursday’s game against the Golden Knights. 23-year-old David Gustafsson, who’s served as a healthy scratch for the first three games of the season, will draw into the lineup in a fourth-line role alongside Morgan Barron and Rasmus Kupari.
In 155 NHL contests since first appearing in a game in 2019-20, Vilardi has 41 goals, 38 assists and 79 points – 17th in career scoring among the 2017 class.
Vilardi Leaves Game With Lower-Body Injury
For the first time since being acquired from the Winnipeg Jets this offseason, forward Gabriel Vilardi would take on his former team, the Los Angeles Kings. Unfortunately, Vilardi would only play around six minutes of the game before leaving with an apparent knee injury. Shortly thereafter, the Jets would announce that Vilardi would miss the rest of the game, and more would be known about the severity after the game.
Although it is too early to tell, if Vilardi is set to miss significant time for the Jets, it would obviously be a big blow to both him and the team. There have been injury concerns for Vilardi in the past, but with him now playing on the top line in Winnipeg, it creates a much larger hole to fill. As it is well known throughout the league, Conor Garland of the Vancouver Canucks is on the trade block and could be a potential landing spot if Vilardi is set to hit the LTIR.
Bowness Made Attempt To Keep Dubois
In an article by Carter Brooks of The Hockey News, it was reported that the current head coach of the Winnipeg Jets, Rick Bowness, spent some time trying to convince Pierre-Luc Dubois to stay with the Jets long-term, but ultimately fell short of that goal. In the end, as he was publicly vocal about his desire to leave Winnipeg, the Jets would trade him to the Los Angeles Kings for a trio of forwards this past summer, and Dubois would sign an eight-year, $68MM extension in Los Angeles.
Nevertheless, the Jets are making good on their end of the trade, as the forwards acquired, Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, and Rasmus Kupari have all scored a combined one goal and two assists in the team’s first two games of the season, while Dubois has yet to find the scoreboard for the winless Kings. Tonight, Dubois will make his first return to Winnipeg since the trade, in front of what is likely to be an extremely vocal crowd.
Summer Synopsis: Winnipeg Jets
After qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons, the Winnipeg Jets entered more of a transitionary period this offseason than many expected. The team ended its contractual obligations to then-captain Blake Wheeler, as well as dealing Pierre-Luc Dubois to an up-and-coming Western Conference rival.
Nevertheless, after even more speculation of a full-on teardown, the Jets managed to extend both Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck, committing to a significant part of their core. In a tough Central Division, Winnipeg will again have another uphill battle to make it to the postseason.
Draft
1-18: F Colby Barlow, Owen (OHL)
3-82: F Zach Nehring, Shattuck (18U Prep)
5-146: F Jacob Julien, London (OHL)
5-151: G Thomas Milic, Seattle (WHL)
7-210: F Connor Levis, Kamloops (WHL)
Without much available in draft capital, the Jets were able to select Barlow in the back half of the first round, one of the better goal scorers out of the Ontario Hockey League last season. In 59 games played, Barlow would score 46 goals and 33 assists, finishing top-five in the league in goal-scoring. If his goal-scoring ability doesn’t dissipate, and he can bring it to professional hockey, Barlow should fit nicely into the future of Winnipeg’s top-six forward unit.
Aside from Barlow, the Jets primarily selected fringe players, as well as Milic in the fifth round. He was a standout player in the WHL last season, posting a 27-3-1 record for Seattle, garnering a .928 SV% as well as a 2.08 GAA. Aside from his time spent in the state of Washington, Milic helped lead Team Canada to a gold medal finish in the World Junior Championships, managing zero losses, with a .932 SV% and a 1.76 GAA.
Trade Acquisitions
F Alex Iafallo (trade with Los Angeles)
D Artemi Kniazev (trade with San Jose)
F Rasmus Kupari (trade with Los Angeles)
F Gabriel Vilardi (trade with Los Angeles)
Unable to acquire a first-round pick in the deal that sent Dubois to the Los Angeles Kings, the Jets were still able to acquire two players with upside potential. Kupari has yet to break out in any real way, but given the relevant proximity to his draft year, he should be able to become a long-term fixture in the Winnipeg lineup with more playing time.
Since the beginning of his career with the Kings, Iafallo has always proven to be a solid option in the middle-six of any organization, but the real prize for Winnipeg lies in Vilardi. Although dealing with injuries, after seeing an approximate two-minute average increase in playing time last season, Vilardi was able to score 23 goals and 18 assists in 63 games for Los Angeles. Now with the ability to play on the first line of a competitive team, Vilardi could see his production increase considerably.
UFA Signings
G Laurent Brossoit (one year, $1.75MM)
G Collin Delia (one year, $775K)
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby (two year, $1.55MM)*
F Vladislav Namestnikov (two year, $4MM)
F Jeffrey Viel (one year, $775K)
*denotes two-way contract
After a back-and-forth season last year, Winnipeg was able to bring Brossoit back into the fold this offseason. Posting incredible regular season stats in a very limited set of games, Brossoit would entertain a 7-0-3 record, garnishing a .927 SV% and a 2.17 GAA. Finally returning to the Golden Knights for their playoff run, after posting very mild numbers, and succumbing to yet another injury, Brossoit would fully relinquish the net to Adin Hill, who would lead Vegas to its first Stanley Cup title in franchise history.
Aside from Brossoit, the Jets mostly nibbled around the edges of the free agency pool, most notably bringing back trade deadline acquisition Namestnikov to a two-year contract. In 20 games after being acquired from the San Jose Sharks, Namestnikov would score two goals and eight assists in 20 games, chipping in two assists in five playoff games.
RFA Re-Signings
F Morgan Barron (two year, $2.7MM)
D Declan Chisholm (one year, $775K)*
F Rasmus Kupari (two year, $2MM)
D Dylan Samberg (two year, $2.8MM)
D Logan Stanley (one year, $1MM)
F Gabriel Vilardi (two year, $6.875MM)
The Jets were able to sign both Vilardi and Kupari relatively quickly once acquired from Los Angeles, and proceeded to re-sign other important factors, using up most of their available cap space. However, one of the most surprising RFA signings of the offseason came out of Winnipeg in the retention of Stanley on defense.
In March, Stanley publicly requested a trade away from the Jets but instead chose to re-sign with the team in mid-August (albeit with limited negotiation power). Coming off of a relatively down season in 2022-23, even for his standards, Stanley was granted the chance to rebuild his value in the hopes of moving on from Winnipeg.
Departures
F Pierre-Luc Dubois (traded to Los Angeles)
F Loen Gawanke (traded to San Jose)
F Karson Kuhlman (NY Islanders, one year, $775K)
F Alex Limoges (Washington, one year, $775K)
F Kevin Stenlund (Florida, one year, $1MM)
F Blake Wheeler (NY Rangers, one year, $1.1MM)
In the middle of two career-high seasons for Wheeler between 2018-20, Winnipeg would sign him to a five-year, $41.25MM contract extension. Unfortunately, as the captain of the franchise, Wheeler would only see four of those years, before finally being bought out by the Jets this offseason. Losing him as a leader in the locker room is going to be a tough pill to swallow, but factoring in his production over the last couple of seasons, the Jets should be able to replace Wheeler on the ice adequately.
Receiving a solid return package for Dubois in the trade that sent him to the Kings, the Jets are left a little bit thin at the center position. For now, they will rely on top prospect, Cole Perfetti, to slide into Dubois’ formal role on the Jets’ second line. Given his skill set, Winnipeg should have every reason to believe that Perfetti can fit that role, but given his injury history, may not be the best short-term option if the team wishes to compete.
Salary Cap Outlook
If the Jets are indeed looking to compete for a Western Conference playoff spot this season, they will have ample cap space at the deadline to acquire any additional assets they may require. With $2.3MM in cap space heading into the season, as well as gaining an additional $16+ this offseason without much in the way of retention.
The team will have to ink a new deal with Perfetti, but given how he performs this season, should be able to fit it in comfortably given their cap situation. If the team is in a relatively competitive spot this season, look for the Jets as a potential suitor for the services of Elias Lindholm if he is unable to sign a new extension with the Calgary Flames by the trade deadline.
Key Questions
What Is Left To Add? For most clubs, the Jets are still in an envious position given their contract structure. They have their franchise center, defenseman, and goaltender signed to long-term contracts, but still feel as if they are missing an important cog in their organization. For the most part, the team could benefit greatly from adding an additional offensive weapon to their lineup, as it appears to be the only weak link. Depending on the performance of Vilardi, Kupari, and Iafallo, the Jets could be a surprise buyer at next year’s trade deadline.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Winnipeg Assigns Three To ECHL
- Murat Ates of The Athletic shares that the Winnipeg Jets have sent Simon Kubicek, Mark Liwiski, and Thomas Milic to their ECHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals. Last year, Kubicek also played in the AHL for the Manitoba Moose, while Liwiski spent his entire season in the ECHL for the Wichita Thunder. Milic, on the other hand, was the 151st overall selection for the Jets in the 2023 NHL Draft, coming out of the Seattle Thunderbirds organization of the WHL.
[SOURCE LINK]
Nikolaj Ehlers Healthy For Opening Night
Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers will be healthy for the team’s opening game against the Calgary Flames. The star has been dealing with neck spasms and wore a non-contact jersey through part of training camp. Ehlers missed multiple pre-season games, calling into question his availability for opening night, although it seems he’s mounted a recovery in the second half of camp.
Winnipeg Jets Extend Mark Scheifele, Connor Hellebuyck
3:34 p.m.: Both contracts carry a full no-movement clause from 2024-25 through 2026-27 and a modified no-trade clause for the rest of the deal, per PuckPedia.
2:27 p.m.: The Winnipeg Jets have signed center Mark Scheifele and netminder Connor Hellebuyck to matching seven-year extensions carrying an $8.5MM cap hit, according to a team announcement Monday. PuckPedia has the full breakdown of both contracts:
2024-25: $5MM salary, $5MM signing bonus
2025-26: $10MM salary
2026-27: $7.5MM salary
2027-28: $10MM salary
2028-29: $9MM salary
2029-30: $7MM salary
2030-31: $6MM salary
This is absolutely massive news for the Jets franchise on the eve of the 2023-24 NHL season. Not only have they retained their number-one center and star netminder for the remainder of the decade, but they’ve taken two of the top pending free agents off the market next summer.
Scheifele, 30, was entering the final season of an eight-year deal carrying a $6.125MM cap hit. Hellebuyck, also 30, was nearing the end of a similar deal earning him $6.167MM per season. It’s a raise of around $2.4MM per season for both as they remain Jets throughout (and past) their primes. Both players will be 38 when their deals expire, meaning these are potentially the last contracts they’ll sign in the NHL. Per CapFriendly, Winnipeg now has around $18MM in cap space for the 2024-25 campaign assuming an Upper Limit of $87.5MM with five to eight roster spots to fill. With no other big negotiations to worry about (other than young forward Cole Perfetti), it’s a reasonable financial picture for general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff as he enters his 12th year on the job.
Scheifele is as core as core gets for a franchise. He was the team’s first draft pick after relocating from Atlanta, selected 7th overall in the 2011 NHL Draft, and he’s the team’s leader in goals since their relocation. The 6-foot-3, 207-pound pivot has notched 272 goals, 373 assists and 645 points in 723 career games as a Jet across 12 seasons – a number that will increase to a spectacular 21 should he finish out this contract in Manitoba. His value has never been higher, either – he just eclipsed the 40-goal mark for the first time in his career and logged over 20 minutes per game for the seventh straight season in 2022-23.
He is quite the opposite of a defensive specialist, however, and his liabilities without the puck will likely lead to debate over whether he’s worth the money on this extension. Still, he’s notched at least a point per game in six out of the last seven seasons and more than deserves a shot to help lead the Jets to their first championship in franchise history. By sinking significant resources into their core until their late 30s, Cheveldayoff is sending a clear message that Cup contention remains the goal entering 2023-24.
There will surely be concerns about the value of these massive contracts as they age. However, if the cap continues to increase in five percent intervals as initially laid out by the league, the Upper Limit could be as high as $117.25MM in 2030-31. In that case, Scheifele’s and Hellebuyck’s contracts would amount to roughly 14.5% of the cap, softening the blow of their potential declines in value.
Hellebucyk is also a career Jet, selected 130th overall a year after Scheifele during the 2012 NHL Draft. He made his big-league debut at age 22 during the 2015-16 season, and he claimed his role as the team’s undisputed starter a season later when he posted a 26-19-4 record and a .907 save percentage in 53 starts in 2016-17.
2017-18 saw Winnipeg win their first playoff series in franchise history, advancing all the way to the Western Conference Final. Hellebuyck’s breakout that season as a truly elite netminder was the driving force behind it, as he led all NHL netminders in starts (67) and wins (44) that season while recording a .924 save percentage. He’s now posted a save percentage north of .920 three times in his career (including last season), and his 357 starts over the past six seasons lead all NHL goalies – as do his 10,412 saves. Hellebuyck is nothing short of a workhorse and has been incredibly consistent over the past years, an incredibly rare quality in a goaltender. He projects to remain in the NHL’s upper echelon of netminders well into his 30s.
His contract comes in just a hair more expensive than New York Islanders superstar Ilya Sorokin, who signed an eight-year extension carrying an $8.25MM cap hit earlier this summer. He’s two years younger than Hellebuyck, but the added eighth year on the extension means that the contract will expire after Sorokin’s age-37 season. Reports earlier this summer suggested Hellebuyck was rather closed to the idea of re-signing in Winnipeg and wanted a $9MM AAV offer from teams interested in trading for him, but those offers never materialized.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Waivers: 10/08/23
Oct. 9: Four players on this list were claimed today: A.J. Greer (Calgary), John Ludvig (Pittsburgh), Ivan Prosvetov (Colorado), and Lassi Thomson (Ottawa). All others have cleared and are expected to be assigned to their team’s respective AHL affiliates, aside from Boyd, who PHNX Sports’ Craig Morgan reports remains on the Coyotes’ active roster for now.
Oct. 8: It’s expected to be a busy day on the waiver wire, as NHL teams are making their final adjustments to the roster they’ll bring into the start of the 2023-24 season. There have already been numerous notable names exposed to the waiver wire thus far this preseason, and that list could only expand today. All players from yesterday’s waiver wire have cleared.
Anaheim Ducks
D Lassi Thomson
G Alex Stalock
F Andrew Agozzino
Boston Bruins
Arizona Coyotes
F Travis Boyd
F Zach Sanford
G Ivan Prosvetov
Carolina Hurricanes
Chicago Blackhawks
Colorado Avalanche
Dallas Stars
Detroit Red Wings
Edmonton Oilers
F Raphael Lavoie
F Lane Pederson
D Ben Gleason
Florida Panthers
F Zac Dalpe
D John Ludvig
D Casey Fitzgerald
Los Angeles Kings
Montreal Canadiens
F Joel Armia
D Gustav Lindström
Ottawa Senators
Pittsburgh Penguins
G Magnus Hellberg
F Colin White
D Mark Friedman
F Vinnie Hinostroza
F Radim Zohorna
St. Louis Blues
F Mackenzie MacEachern
D Calle Rosen
G Malcolm Subban
F Nathan Walker
Tampa Bay Lightning
D Zach Bogosian
F Gabriel Fortier
Toronto Maple Leafs
G Martin Jones
F Kyle Clifford
F Dylan Gambrell
D William Lagesson
D Maxime Lajoie
Vancouver Canucks
F Jack Studnicka
D Christian Wolanin
Vegas Golden Knights
Winnipeg Jets
D Kyle Capobianco
G Collin Delia
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby
The big surprise here out of Arizona regards Boyd. The versatile 30-year-old veteran doesn’t have an exorbitant contract (just $1.75MM through the end of the season) and has scored 69 points across the last two seasons.
He’s been something of a breakout player for the Coyotes as his 17-goal, 35-point 2022-23 was far and away his best season in his career, so it’s definitely a surprise to see him exposed on waivers.
For Anaheim, the move to waive Stalock likely means that Lukáš Dostál has won the Ducks’ backup goalie job behind John Gibson, as should Stalock clear the Ducks will have the option to send him down to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls.
In Edmonton, it comes as a little bit of a surprise to see Lavioe waived. The 23-year-old power forward was drafted just outside of the 2019 first round, and took a real step forward in his development last season. He became a genuinely impactful AHLer, scoring 25 goals and 45 points. He’s a name to watch in terms of players with the potential to be claimed out of this group.
Anderson-Dolan finally made the NHL on an extended basis last season, and scored 12 points in 46 games. He even got some playoff action under his belt, but seeing as he was a near-point-per-game scorer in his last season in the AHL, it seems the Kings could prefer to have him start the season with the AHL’s Ontario Reign.
Rosen appears the likeliest candidate from the Blues’ group of waived players to be of interest to other teams, as he’s owed just a $762.5k cap hit this season and impressed in 49 games of NHL action last season. He scored 18 points in that span and could interest teams in need of some additional defensive help.
Out of Tampa is Bogosian, and it’s reported that the Lightning are hoping to put the veteran blueliner in a position to land on another team where he can play a bigger role than he’d be offered in Tampa. The 33-year-old won a Stanley Cup for the Lightning and it seems that the organization is looking to do right by the player while also turning to other options to staff their defense.
One of the biggest names on waivers comes out of Toronto, as Jones played in 48 games last season but now finds himself exposed to 31 other clubs. With an $875k cap hit, the veteran netminder could end up claimed by teams in need of instant goaltending support, such as the Lightning who don’t have much depth after the injury to superstar Andrei Vasilevskiy.
This page will be updated throughout the day.
Winnipeg Jets Place Ville Heinola On Injured Reserve
The Winnipeg Jets have announced that defenseman Ville Heinola has been placed on injured reserve. According to head coach Rick Bowness, Heinola suffered a fractured ankle and is expected to be out on an eight-to-twelve-week timeline.
This is a brutal development for Heinola, who will head home to Finland to be around family as he recovers. Heinola, 22, was drafted 20th overall by the Jets at the 2019 draft. He’s been pushing for an NHL job for several years now, but hasn’t been able to carve out a consistent role in Winnipeg. Winnipeg has had a deep blueline for much of his time with the organization, and as a result he’s logged quite a few games at the AHL level.
Last season, Heinola was exceptional for the Moose, scoring 37 points in just 48 games. He’s a well-regarded puck mover and offensive presence, but now his chance to finally break into the league on a full-time basis will have to wait at least a few months.
In his place, left-shot blueliners such as Dylan Samberg and Logan Stanley could be in line to receive a larger role at the NHL level, eating into some of the minutes Heinola would likely have received if healthy.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/06/23
Less than a week away from the opening night of the 2023-24 NHL season, teams continue to make roster cuts in an effort to finalize their official roster heading into the year. As always, we’ll track roster moves here.
Anaheim Ducks (via team release)
D Robert Hägg (to San Diego, AHL)
D Noah Warren (to Victoriaville, QMJHL)
D Colton White (to San Diego, AHL)
Boston Bruins (via team release)
G Brandon Bussi (to Providence, AHL)
Carolina Hurricanes (via team release)
F Zach Aston-Reese (released from PTO)
F Kieffer Bellows (released from PTO)
F Cory Conacher (released from PTO)
F Brendan Perlini (released from PTO)
F Nick Shore (released from PTO)
D Nathan Beaulieu (released from PTO)
F Noel Gunler (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Blake Murray (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Justin Robidas (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Anttoni Honka (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Griffin Mendel (to Norfolk, ECHL)
D Ronan Seeley (to Norfolk, ECHL)
F Jamieson Rees (to Springfield, AHL)
D Aleksi Heimosalmi (to Pori, Liiga)
Columbus Blue Jackets (via team release)
G Jet Greaves (to Cleveland, AHL)
F James Malatesta (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Hunter McKown (to Cleveland, AHL)
F Justin Pearson (released from PTO)
F Stefan Matteau (released from PTO, expected to join AHL Cleveland via tryout)
Detroit Red Wings (via team release)
F Alexandre Doucet (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Marco Kasper (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Amadeus Lombardi (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Albert Johansson (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Antti Tuomisto (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D Eemil Viro (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
D William Wallinder (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
G Sebastian Cossa (to Grand Rapids, AHL)
F Joel L’Esperance (released from PTO)
F Riley Sawchuk (released from PTO)
F Dominik Shine (released from PTO)
F Tyler Spezia (released from PTO)
D Josiah Didier (released from PTO)
G Michael Hutchinson (released from PTO)
Florida Panthers (via team release)
G Spencer Knight (to Charlotte, AHL)
Los Angeles Kings (via team release)
D Brandt Clarke (to Ontario, AHL)
D Alex Laferriere (to Ontario, AHL)
F Alex Turcotte (to Ontario, AHL)
New York Islanders (via team release)
F William Dufour (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Aidan Fulp (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Ruslan Iskhakov (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Eetu Liukas (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Kyle MacLean (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Matt Maggio (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Travis Mitchell (to Bridgeport, AHL)
F Reece Newkirk (to Bridgeport, AHL)
D Calle Odelius (to Bridgeport, AHL)
New York Rangers (via team release)
F Brennan Othmann (to Hartford, AHL)
Vegas Golden Knights (via the Las Vegas Sun’s Danny Webster)
F Brendan Brisson (to Henderson, AHL)
Washington Capitals (via team release)
F Ethen Frank (to Hershey, AHL)
F Hendrix Lapierre (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)
D Vincent Iorio (to Hershey, AHL)
D Chase Priskie (to Hershey, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets (via team release)
F Parker Ford (to Manitoba, AHL)
It’s relatively big news coming out of Florida today, as Knight’s reassignment to Charlotte means veteran Anthony Stolarz will begin the season as the backup goalie behind Sergei Bobrovsky in Sunrise. Stolarz struggled last season to the tune of an .899 save percentage in 19 games, though he was playing in difficult circumstances as a member of the Anaheim Ducks. Stolarz does have a track record of quality play from as recently as 2021-22, when he posted a strong .917 save percentage in 28 games, and it’s likely the Panthers believe Stolarz will perform closer to how he did in 2021-22 than 2022-23.
As for Knight, he’ll get to build himself back to the NHL by getting some lower-pressure game action under his belt in the AHL. Knight has been away from the ice for the better part of a year as he’s participated in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, so it’s understandable that the Panthers would want to ease him back into the rigors of being an NHL goalie rather than begin the season with him in the NHL and potentially risk losing Stolarz on waivers.
In New York, it’s no real surprise to see Othmann sent to Hartford. While there was an outside chance that the Rangers would take advantage of one of their top prospects’ affordable cap hit for their opening-night roster, Othmann has not yet made his professional debut and thrusting a rookie into a win-now environment with a demanding veteran head coach in Peter Laviolette may not have been the best place for Othmann to develop.
In Hartford, Othmann is likely to play a major all-situations role for head coach Kris Knoblauch and he’s likely to be near the front of the line for a call-up should the Rangers have forward injuries. Assuming he can hit the ground running for the Wolf Pack and put together a productive rookie AHL campaign, he’ll likely be a full-time NHL player a year from now.
A few notable prospects were sent down elsewhere, including on Long Island where a trio of talented wingers were sent to the AHL. Maggio is looking to have a strong first season as a professional hockey player while Iskhakov and Dufour each posted solid numbers in Bridgeport last season, but just missed the cut in terms of making the NHL roster.
In the American capital, Lapierre finished his debut AHL campaign well but his poor start did cause some concern. As a result, it seems as though Washington will look to see him put together a more consistently productive campaign at the pro level before testing him in the NHL. The Golden Knights likely sent down their own 2020 first-round pick, Brisson, for the same reasons after he scored a decent but not overwhelming 18 goals and 37 points in the AHL last season.
There’s a bit of a curious player development decision made in Carolina, where a slate of prospects have been sent to the ECHL. Certain names, such as Honka, who scored 34 points in the AHL last season, are clearly players capable of playing in the AHL and will have to instead play 2023-24 in the ECHL due to the Hurricanes’ lack of an AHL affiliate.
While the lower level of competition does set the stage for players such as Honka, Robidas, and Gunler to have highly productive seasons, one wonders if playing third-tier hockey rather than in the AHL, widely regarded as one of the world’s best leagues outside the NHL, is going to end up the best choice for those players’ development.
This page will be updated throughout the day.