Off-Season Live Blog: Predators receive 'numerous' calls on Askarov
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The NHL's off-season is in full swing with the first buyout window now open and teams are expected to be active with just hours remaining before draft. Follow all the latest right here on TSN.ca.
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Askarov drawing interest
The Nashville Predators have gotten numerous calls on goaltender Yaroslav Askarov in the last 24 hours in the wake of the Juuse Saros extension news, reports TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun.
LeBrun adds the Predators are willing to move him but have set a high price they feel is warranted. Nashville would like to move into the top five in Friday's 2024 NHL Draft and while they have not yet found the ideal fit, they will keep talking to teams.
Askarov, 22, appeared in two games with the Predators last season, going 1-0 with a .943 save percentage and 1.47 goals-against average.
He went 30-13-7 with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirials last season with a .911 save percentage and 2.39 GAA.
Matthews addresses Marner rumours
Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Auston Matthews showed some support for longtime teammate Mitch Marner as trade rumours continue to swirl about the star forward heading into the final year of his deal.
"All I'm going to say is we love Mitch. Obviously there's a lot of noise involving all that, but we love Mitchy. He's a great person, a great teammate and I can't speak highly enough about him," he said during Friday's media avalibility discussing the 4 Nations Face-off.
Blues acquire, extend Texier
The St. Louis Blues have acquired Alexandre Texier from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick and signed him to a two-year, $4.2 million contract extension.
The deal carries a $2.1 average annual value.
Texier, 24, had 12 goals and 18 assists for 30 points in 78 games last season, his fifth with the Blue Jackets.
He was selected in the second round (No. 45 overall) by Columbus in the 2017 NHL Draft.
Wild, Faber to begin talking extension
Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin and assistant GM Mat Sells are expected to meet Friday with defenceman Brock Faber to begin talking extension, reports The Athletic's Michael Russo.
Russo adds that there is no rush from either side to complete a potential deal.
Faber, 21, is entering the final season of his three-year, entry-level contract and was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
The 6-foot-1 right-shot defenceman recorded eight goals and 47 points in all 82 games during his rookie season and finished second to Chicago Blackhawks phenom Connor Bedard in Calder Trophy voting.
Zadorov to test free agency
Vancouver Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin told reporters that pending unrestricted free agent Nikita Zadorov will hit the open market on Monday.
The Vancouver Canucks dented their cap space over the past two days, bringing back Teddy Blueger, Dakota Joshua and Tyler Myers, while also freeing $4 million by sending Ilya Mikheyev to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Canucks also remain a potential suitor for Jake Guentzel as they look to make a free-agent splash.
Zadorov, 29, finished last season with the Vancouver Canucks after he was acquired from the Calgary Flames in November of 2023 in exchange for a draft pick.
The 6-foot-6 left-shot defenceman recorded six goals and 20 points in 75 games split between the Flames and Canucks last season. He added four goals and eight points in 13 playoff games before the Canucks were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round.
Zadorov is coming off a two-year, $7.5 million deal he signed with the Flames in July of 2022.
Flames getting calls on Kadri
The Calgary Flames are getting calls on forward Nazem Kadri, but TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports a deal is far from imminent.
"Calgary isn’t in a full tear down," Dreger wrote on X. :They’re trying to reset their roster and Kadri is a big part of that. He also has a No Move and likes Calgary."
The 33-year-old is set to enter the third year of a seven-year, $49 million contract he signed with the Flames in August of 2022. The deal pays him $7 million annually.
Calgary finished 38-39-5 for a total of 81 points last season and have already traded away veteran forward Andrew Mangiapane and former All-Star goaltender Jacob Markstrom so far this off-season.
Kadri has played in in all 82 games in each of the last two seasons, scoring 29 goals and assisting on 46 for a total of 75 points. He has 24 goals and 56 points the year before in his first season with the Flames.
The latest from Las Vegas
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger shares the latest on Steven Stamkos, targets for the Maple Leafs on defence, and what type Habs GM Kent Hughes may be up to ahead of the draft:
Habs move up in Draft, more to come?
The Montreal Canadiens have moved up to the 21st overall pick in tonight's draft in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings.
The Kings received the 26th, 57th and 198th overall selections back from Montreal in the deal.
The Canadiens, however, may not be done dealing, just yet.
"Will be interesting to see if [Canadiens general manager Kent] Hughes is able to work more magic," TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger wrote on X. "He’s hoping to add another top 10 pick and is listening to interest in moving up or slightly down from 5.
"He’s also involved in a number of player related discussions. "
Utah re-signs Kesselring
The Utah Hockey Club has re-signed forward Michael Kesselring on a two-year contract extension, TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston reports.
Kesselring had five goals 21 points in 65 games this past season with the Arizona Coyotes.
Oilers re-sign Dineen, Stars re-up Petrovic
The Edmonton Oilers re-signed defenceman Cam Dineen to a two-year, way contract on Friday.
The deal will carry a cap hit of $775,000 at the NHL level for Dineen, who had five goals and 25 points in 58 games with the AHL's Bakersfield Condors this season.
Minutes later, the Dallas Stars announced they have re-signed Alexander Petrovic to a two-way, two-year deal.
The 32-year-old appeared in one game with the Stars last season.
Stamkos set to hit the market
While Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois kept the door open to Steven Stamkos re-signing before Monday earlier today, the forward's agent may have just closed it.
"He will be a free agent on July 1,” Stamkos' agent Don Meehan told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun.
LeBrun notes that something could still change for Stamkos, who is the Lightning's captain, to stay but for now he appears set to hit the open market.
The long-term cap space for the Lightning may be running low as BriseBois said Friday the team expects to announce an extension for Victor Hedman once he can sign one on Monday. Hedman, 33, is entering the final season of his eight-year, $63 million deal with a cap hit of $7.875 million.
"We've had discussions with Victor's agent about an extension," BriseBois said on a Zoom call with reporters. "In his case, we have more runway before we have to get a deal done. He still has one year left on his current agreement. That being said, the plan remains to be in a position to announce an agreement or a new contract with Victor in the coming days."
"As we stand here right now, we haven't been able to reach an agreement yet," BriseBois added of Stamkos. "I don't know if we will be able to reach an agreement but we met with Steven's agent again yesterday and both sides are still interested in getting a deal done but we have not been able to agree to terms that are satisfactory for both sides.
"I think, at this time, it's probably best if I leave my comments to that for the time being."
Suter buy out official
The Dallas Stars have confirmed the buyout for veteran defenceman Ryan Suter, as reported on Thursday.
Flyers buying out Atkinson
The Philadelphia Flyers are buying out the contract of forward Cam Atkinson, general manager Daniel Briere announced.
Atkinson is signed through next season at a cap hit of $5.875 million. He posted 13 goals and 28 points in 70 games this season, but became a regular healthy scratch late in the year. A veteran of 770 NHL games, Atkinson has 249 goals and 480 points over his career with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Flyers.
Buying out the 35-year-old forward will leave the Flyers with a cap hit of $2.36 million for next season and add a cap charge of $1.76 million in 2025-26.
"When it comes to someone with the accomplishments and character of Cam, this was an exceptionally tough decision to make," Briere said in a team release. "Throughout his time with the Flyers, Cam has displayed an incredible work ethic and level of professionalism that is a true credit to him as a player and person. I've witnessed firsthand the amount of effort, dedication, and perseverance he went through during an incredibly tough rehabilitation process in order to come back and be a leader for our team on and off the ice.
"I would like to thank Cam for all he has put into raising the standard of our team. Cam will always have a place in the Flyers organization, and we wish all the success for him and his family in the future."
Briere had previously said the team was weighing a buyout for goaltender Cal Petersen, but no announcement was made on his status Friday.
Petersen, acquired in a trade from the Los Angeles Kings last summer, spent the majority of this season in the American Hockey League. He appeared in five games with the Flyers, positing a 2-2-0 record with a .864 save percentage and a 3.90 goals-against average. He counted for $3.85 million against the Flyers cap last season while in the minors as the Flyers received some relief on his $5 million cap hit. He is signed through next season as well and a buyout would leave Philadelphia with a $1 million cap hit in the upcoming season and a $2 million charge the following year.
USA Names Four Nations First Six
Auston Matthews, Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes, Adam Fox and Charlie McAvoy have been named to Team USA's roster for the Four Nations Face Off.
Sidney Crosby, Brayden Point, Brad Marchand, Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid are Canada's first six players for their tournament roster.
Sweden and Finland named their first six roster players earlier on Friday, with Sweden selecting Victor Hedman, Erik Karlsson, Gustav Forsling, Filip Forsberg, Mika Zibanejad and William Nylander. Finland's first six are Juuse Saros, Esa Lindell, Miro Heiskanen, Alex Barkov, Mikko Rantanen and Sebastian Aho.
The four-team tournament made up of NHL players features teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the U.S. makes its debut next year and will be held Feb. 12 to Feb. 20 in Montreal and Boston.
Sabres Re-Sign Clague
The Buffalo Sabres re-signed defenceman Kale Clague on a one-year, two-way contract on Friday morning.
The deal will carry a cap hit of $775,000 at the NHL level.
Canada's Four Nations First Six
Sidney Crosby, Brayden Point, Brad Marchand, Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid are Canada's first six players selected for next year's 4 Nations Face-off, it was announced Friday.
The four-team tournament made up of NHL players features teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the U.S. makes its debut next year and will be held Feb. 12 to Feb. 20 in Montreal and Boston.
Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper will lead Team Canada at the tournament, and the federation also announced he would coach Canada's men's team at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics.
Sweden and Finland named their first six roster players earlier on Friday, with Sweden selecting Victor Hedman, Erik Karlsson, Gustav Forsling, Filip Forsberg, Mika Zibanejad and William Nylander. Finland's first six are Juuse Saros, Esa Lindell, Miro Heiskanen, Alex Barkov, Mikko Rantanen and Sebastian Aho.
UFA Landing spots?
FanDuel has released betting odds for some of the top UFAs ahead of Monday. They include:
BRANDON MONTOUR
FLORIDA +105
TORONTO +550
UTAH +850
ANAHEIM +900
CAROLINA +1000
JAKE GUENTZEL
CAROLINA -230
NY RANGERS +950
CHICAGO +1200
NY ISLANDERS +1200
VANCOUVER +1200
VEGAS +1200
JONATHAN MARCHESSAULT
VEGAS -160
MONTREAL +700
DETROIT +800
CAROLINA +950
NY RANGERS +1600
UTAH +1600
STEVEN STAMKOS
TAMPA BAY -160
NASHVILLE +195
DETROIT +650
MONTREAL +1100
TORONTO +1100
CHICAGO +1200
Setting the stage for a big day
ESPN's Emily Kaplan relays that four general managers have told her they're open to moving their first-round picks and adds "blockbuster trades involving NHL players could go down."
Martin Necas of the Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets prospect Rutger McGroarty are among the names that have popped up in the rumour mill, but could something come out of left field?
"I'd be shocked if we got through Friday without something shocking," an unnamed general manager told Kaplan.
The wait continues for our first move of the day...
Stamkos, Lightning running out of time
Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said Friday the team has been unable to reach a deal with pending unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos, though both sides still have interest in finding common ground.
The long-term cap space for the Lightning may also be running low as BriseBois said the team expects to announce an extension for Victor Hedman once he can sign one on Monday. Hedman, 33, is entering the final season of his eight-year, $63 million deal with a cap hit of $7.875 million.
"We've had discussions with Victor's agent about an extension," BriseBois said on a Zoom call with reporters. "In his case, we have more runway before we have to get a deal done. He still has one year left on his current agreement. That being said, the plan remains to be in a position to announce an agreement or a new contract with Victor in the coming days."
"As we stand here right now, we haven't been able to reach an agreement yet," BriseBois added of Stamkos. "I don't know if we will be able to reach an agreement but we met with Steven's agent again yesterday and both sides are still interested in getting a deal done but we have not been able to agree to terms that are satisfactory for both sides.
"I think, at this time, it's probably best if I leave my comments to that for the time being."
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reported earlier this week that the Nashville Predators have "serious interest" in Stamkos, while TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston pointed to the Detroit Red Wings, who are flush with cap space, as a another potential landing spot.
Stamkos has spent his entire 16-year career with the Lightning and expressed his disappointment with the lack of contract talks prior to the season. Playing out the last of an eight-year, $68 million deal signed in 2016, the 34-year-old forward posted 40 goals and 81 points in 79 games during the regular season.
Stamkos took pitches from various teams before ultimately re-signing with the Lightning in 2016.
RFA Watch
Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis said Thursday the team has granted pending RFA Kailer Yamamoto permission to talk with other teams as it appears he will either be traded or not tendered by the Kraken before Sunday's deadline.
The 25-year-old had eight goals and 16 points in 59 games with the Kraken after joining the team on a one-year, $1.5 million deal last summer. That signing came after he was bought out by the Detroit Red Wings following a trade from the Edmonton Oilers.
Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports the Senators are trying to trade defenceman Erik Brannstrom before having decide whether to qualify him on Sunday to retain his rights.
Brannstrom was once a top prospect in the Senators system, acquired as part of their return for Mark Stone from the Vegas Golden Knights in 2019. He appeared in 76 games with the team this season, posting three goals and 20 points. He had two goals and 18 points in 74 games last season. The 24-year-old was selected 15th overall by the Golden Knights in the 2017 draft.
He's due a qualifying offer of $2 million to retain his rights.
Will we see draft day trades?
The NHL Draft is less than 12 hours away and eyes are on the Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets to see if they will accept trades to land first-round picks this year.
The Hurricanes have received tons of interest on pending restricted free agent Martin Necas, but have yet to accept an offer. TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reported earlier this week that the Hurricanes do have an offer on the table that includes a first-round pick tonight. He pointed to the Buffalo Sabres as a strong suitor for the forward.
Necas is reportedly seeking a move from Carolina, but after posting 24 goals and 53 points in 77 games this season, he is also seeking a significant raise from his current $3 million cap hit. Selected 12th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft, he has topped the 20-goal mark in each of the past two seasons and recorded a career-high 71 points in 82 games last season.
The Jets appear set to part ways with prospect Rutger McGroarty, who was selected 14th overall in the 2022 draft. TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger said Thursday the Jets were looking for "a draft pick, maybe a prospect or a young player" in return for the 20-year-old winger. More on that below.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported earlier this week that the Rangers were aggressively shopping former No. 2 overall pick Kaapo Kakko and have considered packaging him with the 30th overall pick in Friday's draft to move up in the first round.
Kakko, 23, just re-signed with the Rangers on a one-year, $2.4 million deal earlier this month, which Brooks writes was a trade proxy. He recorded 13 goals and 19 points in 61 games with the Rangers this season and added a goal and two points in 15 playoff games. Drafted second overall by the Rangers in 2019, Kakko has 57 goals and 117 points in 300 career games.
Bruins eyeing McGroarty?
Mike McIntyre of the Winnipeg Free Press reports the Boston Bruins held trade talks with the Winnipeg Jets Thursday on a potential deal for Rutger McGroarty.
McIntyre notes that those talks came after the Buffalo Sabres, Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders also checked in.
"Lots of speculation around prospect Rutger McGroarty and he’s taking calls there," TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger said of Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff Thursday. "They’re interested in making a move there for a draft pick, maybe a prospect or a young player. Winnipeg is still in it to win it."
Murat Ates of The Athletic wrote last week that the University of Michigan star’s relationship with the Jets has deteriorated since the end of the NCAA season and he no longer believes his future is with the Jets.
McGroarty was the No. 14 overall pick in 2022 and had 16 goals and 36 assists for 52 points in 36 NCAA games last season, his second at Michigan. The Wolverines went 23-15-3 on the season and were eliminated in the semifinals of the Frozen Four. McGroarty registered 18 goals and 21 assists for 39 points in 39 games the season before.
First six players named for Sweden, Finland Four Nations Rosters
The first six players on each roster for next year's Four Nations Face Off are being revealed today.
Sweden and Finland got the ball rolling early, with their first players being named.
Sweden named Victor Hedman, Erik Karlsson, Gustav Forsling, Filip Forsberg, Mika Zibanejad and William Nylander to their roster.
Finland's first six are Juuse Saros, Esa Lindell, Miro Heiskanen, Alex Barkov, Mikko Rantanen and Sebastian Aho. Saros' inclusion comes just hours after he agreed to an eight-year extension with the Nashville Predators, which can't be officially signed until Monday.
The 4 Nations Face-Off, featuring teams from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States made up of NHL players, makes its debut next year and will be held Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston.
Will Guentzel hit the open market?
The opening of free agency is just on the other side of the weekend the clock is ticking for the Carolina Hurricanes to get Jake Guentzel re-signed.
"Well, first of all, the team that still has his rights for a few more days, the Carolina Hurricanes, keep pushing hard," TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun said Thursday. "They’re the only team that can offer the eight-year max and that offer has gone up. It’s given Jake Guentzel a lot to think about but there’s been no decision yet.
"In the meantime, there is a list of teams that want to get in on Guentzel keeps growing and some teams might surprise you. They would have to move some pieces around to get after it but they’re willing to do it if he gets there Monday."
The Vancouver Canucks dented their cap space over the past two days, bringing back Teddy Blueger, Dakota Joshua and Tyler Myers, while also freeing $4 million by sending Ilya Mikheyev to the Chicago Blackhawks. The Canucks remian a potential suitor for Guentzel as they look to make a free-agent splash.
"I think Vancouver would be one of those teams, right? Guentzel is a hot commodity. The issue that [general manager] Patrik Alvin and the Canucks have is cap space, and how do you create that?" TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger said. "They’re looking at their own UFAs. I look at Elias Lindholm, who we know is going to the open market. Could he be a good fit with the Boston Bruins?
"You look on defence, Chris Tanev, if he gets to the open market and doesn’t re-sign in Dallas he could be an option for a number of teams including the Canucks. A lot going on there."
CapFriendly projected the Canucks at $14.5 million with Tucker Poolman on LTIR with 19 players signed for next season.
A reunion in Toronto?
TSN Director of Scouting Craig Button makes the argument for the Toronto Maple Leafs to give the Calgary Flames a call to try to acquire Nazem Kadri.