Hello everyone,
Hope all is well with you. We have some big news from around the league and in the world of hockey.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed Auston Matthews to a 4-year, $53 million dollar contract (with an AAV of $13.25 million), which will make him the league’s highest-paid player beginning in 2024-25, surpassing Nathan MacKinnon out in Colorado. Matthews, who won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 2021-22, also had 40 goals and 45 assists in 74 games, due to some injury. He also helped the team get past the 1st round in the playoffs only to be knocked out by the Florida Panthers. This comes after the exit of GM Kyle Dubas and the entrance of Brad Treliving as the new GM. This is a big deal and it shows that upper management believe in the core they want to build around. Treliving also did some minor work by signing Simon Benoit to a 1 year, $775,000. Benoit, 24, played 78 games for the Anaheim Ducks last year, had 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points, but was a big body for the Ducks, something that Treliving likes on the blue line. Now Treliving has to place his focus on William Nylander.
- The Edmonton Oilers have also locked up their young defenceman Evan Bouchard, to a 2-year, $7.8 million contract (with an AAV of $3.9 million) Bouchard, 23, had 8 goals and 32 assists in 82 games for the Oilers last season and followed that up with 4 goals and 13 assists in the playoffs. He has taken a bigger role with the team since Tyson Barrie was traded. He was picked by the Oilers 10th overall in the 2018 NHL draft and has gone on to put up 23 goals and 66 assists in 184 regular-season games. They also have announced that they have invited Sam Gagner and Brandon Brandon Sutter to pro-sign tryouts with the team. Gagner did play for Edmonton before and is back again, while Sutter who was off during e has been sidelined since with long-COVID symptoms.
- The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) has announced that there will be six franchises in their new league. The cities that they will be based in are the New York tri-state area, Minnesota, Boston, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Each market had an account with an @PWHL prefix and will feature the top female players in the game. They plan to play in January 2023, and are backed by Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter and retired women’s tennis star Billie Jean King. This should be a fun time and we are excited here to watch.
- The Washington Capitals have promoted Brian MacLellan to President of Hockey Operations & General Manager all while promoting Chris Patrick to Associate General Manager. In addition, the Capitals have appointed Dick Patrick to the position of chairman of the Capitals. This coming season will be MacLellan’s 23rd with the organization, 10th as general manager and first as president of hockey operations and general manager. Since his appointment, the Washington Capitals have compiled a record of 409-213-77 (.640 winning percentage) and have recorded the third-most wins in the NHL in that span, winning a cup in 2018. He has made this team competitive, and he will continue to push Washington, after missing the playoffs this past season.
- The Carolina Hurricanes have also added two more skaters on professional tryout agreements (PTOs. They will have Cory Conacher and Brendan Perlini come out for training camp to try and compete for contracts. Conacher, 33, will try to play for his 13th professional season, putting up 340 points in 371 games in the AHL, and won the AHL’s Most Valuable Player Award, as well as a Calder Cup with the Norfolk Admirals in 2012. Perlini, 27, on the other hand, comes to Raleigh after skating in 26 games with the Chicago Wolves during the 2022-23 season, who has played in 262 career NHL games.
- Joonas Donskoi has announced his retirement from the NHL after seven seasons in the league. Donskoi, 31, who was selected by the Florida Panthers in the fourth round (No. 99) of the 2010 NHL Draft, put up 208 points (80 goals, 128 assists) in 474 regular-season games with the San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche and the Seattle Kraken. He also had 32 points (15 goals, 17 assists) in 69 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He noted in an Instagram post that his decision was based on the “multiple concussions” he sustained throughout his career. He was a great depth piece and we will miss seeing him on the ice.
Thoughts?
Pawel the ‘Cat’
