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Pro Hockey Rumors
Avalanche sign 2023 first-round selection to his ELC
The Colorado Avalanche may have found an answer to their lack of depth up front as they’ve announced a three-year, entry-level contract with forward Calum Ritchie. The organization selected Ritchie as the 27th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft with their highest selection since the 2020 NHL Draft.
Sabres sign first-round pick
The Sabres have signed 2024 14th overall pick Konsta Helenius to his three-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. Helenius, 18, fell a bit below his expected draft slot last month. He was the first Finn off the board and the third right winger after the Ducks took Beckett Sennecke third and the Canadiens took Ivan Demidov fifth, although he can also play center. Most public scouting sites had him as a top-10 prospect in the class, and he checked in at No. 9 in TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s final pre-draft polling of NHL scouts.
Capitals make internal promotion for GM role
The Capitals will have a new general manager next season for the first time in a decade. Chris Patrick is being promoted to the role, as well as senior VP of hockey operations, after serving as an assistant GM for the past three seasons, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. He’s replacing Brian MacLellan, who remains with the organization as their president of hockey operations. The Capitals announced the move shortly thereafter.
Penguins making progress on extension with franchise cornerstone
After beginning formal extension discussions late last month, the Penguins are close to keeping their franchise cornerstone in the mix for a few more years. Sources tell The Athletic’s Rob Rossi that Pittsburgh should formalize an extension for captain Sidney Crosby in the coming days. The three-time Stanley Cup champion could earn an AAV as high as $10M on a three-year deal, Rossi indicated back in April.
Examining Penguins' options to play on Sidney Crosby’s line
The Pittsburgh Penguins reportedly took a swing at acquiring veteran free agent winger Vladimir Tarasenko to play in their top-six forward group alongside Sidney Crosby but lost out on his services to the Detroit Red Wings. Tarasenko signed a two-year $9.5M deal with the Red Wings and the Penguins’ interest indicates that they aren’t satisfied with their top two lines as they head into what is likely to be a transitional season for the franchise. The Penguins have Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Michael Bunting returning next season and finished last season with youngster Drew O’Connor replacing Jake Guentzel on the top line as Crosby’s left winger.
Controversial coach not a candidate for Blue Jackets job
The Columbus Blue Jackets remain the only team without a head coach for the 2024-25 NHL season after Don Waddell fired previous bench boss Pascal Vincent on June 17. Since being reinstated by the league on July 1, multiple reports have linked Joel Quenneville with the head coaching vacancy in Columbus. However, it appears Quenneville will have to wait for a new NHL home. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports the Blue Jackets have no interest in Quenneville.
Flyers sign first-round pick to entry-level contract
The Philadelphia Flyers have put pen to paper with their first-round pick of the 2024 NHL Draft as the team announced it had signed forward Jett Luchanko to a three-year, entry-level contract. Luchanko was the 13th overall pick of last week’s draft and the Flyers organization did not seem comfortable letting him walk away from the team’s development camp without a deal in place.
Hurricanes pursuing veteran winger
One of the storylines heading into the 2024 offseason was the number of players on the trading block. Although a few players have already been moved to new clubs, Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets has still not found a new home. Hoping to change that, Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reported yesterday that the Carolina Hurricanes are pushing heavily for Ehlers’ services.
Blackhawks sign No. 2 pick to entry-level contract
The last of the top-three selections of the 2024 NHL Draft has signed his entry-level contract as the Chicago Blackhawks announced they have signed the second overall pick, Artyom Levshunov. Levshunov foregoes his sophomore season at Michigan State University to compete for a spot on the Blackhawks’ opening night roster out of training camp.
Leon Draisaitl's agent outlines timeframe for potential Oilers extension
With the bulk of the heavy lifting already done in the 2024 class of unrestricted free agents, many have started looking ahead to a 2025 group that is currently star-studded. Among the headliners is Oilers center Leon Draisaitl who, despite making $8.5M per season, has been one of the better bargains in the NHL in recent years. That should soon change as the 28-year-old will undoubtedly become one of the NHL’s highest-paid players on his next contract.
Capitals sign 17-year-old draft pick
A day after signing their first-round pick, the Capitals have signed another one of their 2024 draft picks. Dan Milstein, the agent for Ilya Protas, announced that Washington has signed the forward to a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. The 17-year-old was the 75th pick last month,...
Future of former 11th-overall pick further clouded by agent's comments
Since he was drafted 11th overall in 2020, it had been widely expected that Yaroslav Askarov would eventually become the long-term goalie for the Predators. However, the eight-year, $61.92M contract extension they handed Juuse Saros earlier this week that runs through the 2033-34 campaign immediately called Askarov’s future with the franchise in question.
Avalanche re-sign young forward
Keeping a bit of internal depth through the system, the Colorado Avalanche have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with forward Jason Polin. As an undrafted free agent, Polin signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Avalanche in late March of 2023. It is difficult to say anything other...
Ducks sign two first-rounders to entry-level contracts
Another top-10 selection from the 2024 NHL Draft has signed an entry-level contract as the Anaheim Ducks announced the team has agreed to terms with Beckett Sennecke. The Toronto native was drafted by the Ducks with the third overall selection of last week’s draft. According to CapFriendly, the deal...
L.A. Kings sign depth defenseman
The Los Angeles Kings brought some depth to their defensive core announcing a one-year, two-way contract with defenseman Caleb Jones. It will mark the second year in a row that Jones will have to settle for a league minimum contract on the open market. Jones originally signed a one-year contract...
Panthers sign veteran defenseman
The Florida Panthers announced the team has signed defenseman Jaycob Megna to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2024-25 NHL season. The deal will pay Megna the league minimum of $775K at the NHL level as Megna joins the fourth organization of his career. Two summers ago, Megna signed on...
Sabres re-sign defenseman coming off career-best season
Rather than wait for an arbitrator to sort out his next contract, the Buffalo Sabres, and Henri Jokiharju have agreed to a one-year, $3.1M contract. The deal will keep Jokiharju in Buffalo for his sixth season with the team and he will become an unrestricted free agent upon expiration. Jokiharju...
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