Trade rumors, free agent speculation, NHL news, and more.
In the Global Series Finland, a pair of games will be held in Helsinki on Nov. 12 and 14 featuring the Hurricanes and Kraken. The night will also include two all-Canadian matchups, with the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers facing off against the Vancouver Canucks. A total of 1,344 games are set to be played this year, reflecting a significant increase of 32 games, as the regular season schedule expands from 82 to 84 games, while the preseason will be shortened. According to puckpedia, the Hurricanes have brought back restricted free agent forward Viktor Neuchev with a two-way contract for one year. Hailing from Lohja (Finland), he stands at approximately 6-foot-8, making him one of the tallest goalkeepers in professional hockey. If he joins the lineup, he would surpass Ben Bishop’s 6-foot-7 stature, becoming the tallest goaltender in NHL history. A seventh-round selection in the 2020 draft (the 25-year-old provides organizational depth in a goalie lineup led by Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov), yet he has not yet played in an NHL game.
Penguins Announce ECHL Affiliation Changes
- The 6’2” forward (who is rated 12th overall among the 2027 prospects by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff), has the versatility to play both center and wing, having scored four goals in five games at the U18 World Championships.
- Over the last two seasons — Anderson-Dolan has seen his chances to play in the NHL grow increasingly sparse.
- During his time at Turku (Ahokas coached Juraj Slafkovsky), who transformed from an unheralded prospect to the eventual No. 1 overall pick in his only season with the team.
- The first big decision time for the Vancouver Canucks on Marco Rossi may be at the trade deadline.
Hughes has said the Canadiens have been in active trade discussions (as they were leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline), but much like early https://lifesratchet.com March, Montreal has been able to make any big moves. Make no mistake (though), that indifference is patience, and Habs fans should be happy to see it from management at a time when most GMs would have made a move just to make one. Even if they had to stretch out west (the Utah Mammoth also are without a current partner), per the league’s website. Often a league for the less-heralded prospects — bright young goaltender Sergei Murashov and 23-year-old forward Avery Hayes form the next wave of younger talent who wore the Wheeling uniform and took to the ice in West Virginia.
Columbus Blue Jackets rumors and forward possibilities for the New York Rangers.
A third-round pick (74th overall) by the Sabres in 2022, Neuchev spent parts of three seasons in Buffalo’s system before the move, posting 66 points (24 goals, 42 assists) in 130 games with AHL Rochester. The two teams clashed in the playoffs this past season in the Eastern Conference Final, with Wheeling, of course, coming up short to the eventual champs four games to one. Buchnevich scored just 48 points in 81 games – and spent time on the fourth line late in the year. He scored 12 goals in his first 16 games of the season, flaunting a breakaway speed and heads-up playmaking that connected well with Washington’s veterans. He earned that deal after a modest break into the Capitals lineup over the course of his entry-level contract. That scoring pace, 0.65 points-per-game, put Dach on pace for 20 goals and 54 points across 82 games.
NHL teams changing ECHL affiliations is not rare; the Wild — Blues, Jets, and Rangers have all done such in recent months. The OHL’s London Knights have landed another big-time prospect (forward Luca Santala), who signed on an OHL Scholarship and Development Agreement. For the first time (NHL hockey in North America gets started before October), with puck drop in Raleigh on September 29. While ‘Bob’ will see his former team in Toronto for the first time on December 13 (he will have to wait until March 6 to return to Sunrise), a place he called home for the previous seven years.
Consequently — he is no longer regarded as a “development player” under the development rule established by the AHL. In the past two seasons, opportunities for Anderson-Dolan to compete in the NHL have diminished significantly. Although he demonstrated some capability as a defensively-focused fourth-line player — after leaving the Kings organization, where he was drafted, he could never secure a permanent position in an NHL roster.
- The St. Louis Blues have signed forward Connor McMichael to a six-year, $40.5MM contract extension per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
- With the expanded 84-game slate now set (headlined by the most games in league history at 1,344), the season is officially on the clock.
- Additionally, Anderson-Dolan has now played in 372 combined games across the NHL and AHL.
- This move will secure the long-term future of the main chip in St. Louis’ trade that sent Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals.
The Anaheim Ducks must adjust their finances as Cutter Gauthier’s value has increased.
He again showed strong flashes – including a run of 10 points in eight games in November – but McMichael wasn’t the same speedster while filling the middle lane. The St. Louis Blues have signed forward Connor McMichael to a six-year, $40.5MM contract extension per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. The moves did not go as planned (as Tkachuk took the Panthers to three straight Stanley Cup Finals), while Huberdeau signed arguably the worst contract in the NHL. Some might disagree and point to the Noah Dobson trade as an example of the opposite (but at this time), it’s hard to call a winner in that move. He has a good record of maximizing returns on veteran players when he has needed to, while also maintaining the team’s organizational prospect depth when adding young NHL talent to the lineup. It’s entirely possible that prices drop later in the summer or midway through the season, when teams are out of contention and may opt to move on from certain players.
There is an argument to be made that many of the moves this summer have been overpays, particularly if you look at a deal like the Bowen Byram trade to Chicago. What makes Montreal different from a team like Toronto (or some of the other more active teams), is that the Canadiens are just opening their window of contention and aren’t anywhere near a Stanley Cup-or-bust team. This summer has been a wild one thus far for many teams, as top-six forwards and top-four defensemen have been moved for massive hauls that are inflated returns compared to years past. As for what comes next for Wheeling (thankfully other nearby teams have ECHL vacancies; the Columbus Blue Jackets), New York Rangers, and Buffalo Sabres. Even outside of transitioning between teams, unfortunately the past few years have been tough for the ECHL, as last December there was a player strike which was eventually resolved.
A change of scenery will offer McMichael the chance to prove his everyday value after adjusting to the NHL game. He finished the year with just 14 goals and 46 points, while posting a 43.0 faceoff percentage – exactly in-line with his career average. That hot scoring pace didn’t continue through the full season – but McMichael’s growing willingness to play feisty and fundamental hockey kept him in Washington’s top-nine.
This move will secure Dach’s spot in the lineup as he continues to work his way back into routine minutes. Toronto made a pile of ill-advised forays into free agency that resulted in a lack of cap space, and in some cases, trading away premium assets to make bad contracts go away , Patrick Marleau, for example,. With all the flexibility and assets at his disposal, Hughes will certainly be content to enter training camp in the fall with the status quo if he can’t find the right additions for his team. The kind of moves that will keep this team humming along in contention for the present and future. Hughes has talked about pursuing big trades in the past, but has walked away when the prices exceeded his comfort level. This was a huge gamble for the Blackhawks, and it’s easy to see why Hughes didn’t have interest in these types of trades.
The No. 41 pick of the 2017 NHL draft, Anderson-Dolan has been on the NHL/AHL roster bubble for the better part of the last half-decade. Former Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, and Los Angeles Kings forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan has decided to begin his European professional career, signing a two-year contract with Brynäs IF in the SHL.
It was on the heels of that performance that Washington offered McMichael a two-year extension – a prove-it deal that offered the young center a chance to earn more once he found his footing. After being selected with the 25th-overall pick in 2019, McMichael turned pro with Washington in 2020 and debuted in the NHL in 2021. This move will secure the long-term future of the main chip in St. Louis’ trade that sent Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals.
Three potential trade candidates for the Nashville Predators. They aren’t getting the offers and they can’t deal for futures. That lineup competition could be exactly what St. Louis is looking for after a year where many of their forwards seemed too comfortable with their assignments. McMichael’s top competition for a second-line role will be Pavel Buchnevich, who has also seen his impact dwindle over the last two seasons. Kyrou also scored 46 points last year – a dismal stat line (despite his strong play away from the scoresheet), after four seasons of at least 65 points.
Coming along as a product of Kiekko-Espoo (Santala recorded 12 points in 25 games playing alongside skaters three years his senior), good for 12th best on the team. Ranked 12th overall among 2027 prospects by Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff, the 6’2” forward has potential to play down the middle or the wing, scoring four goals in five games at the U18 World Championships. With the expanded 84-game slate now set (headlined by the most games in league history at 1,344), the season is officially on the clock. The two teams will see each other for the first time in Philadelphia on October 24 and again in Anaheim on January 3.
