NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 27, 2024

by | Jun 27, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 27, 2024

The latest on Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Linus Ullmark, Rangers front office executive Glen Sather retires, the Canucks trade Ilya Mikheyev to the Blackhawks, rule changes for next season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TSN: Edmonton Oilers stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl played through injuries during the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch said Draisaitl injured his hand and ribs, leaving the training staff wondering whether he could play. Knoblauch declined to comment on McDavid’s undisclosed injury, saying he didn’t have much information on the injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl’s performance and production noticeably declined through the final two rounds of the postseason, prompting many observers to suspect he was battling an injury.

It’s speculated McDavid suffered an abdominal injury that might require surgery. We’ll likely learn more about his condition soon, especially if he has to go under the knife.

TSN: Draisaitl talked about a contract extension while speaking with the media on Wednesday. “I’m going to give you the most boring answer here,” he said. “I’m obviously going to sit down with my agents here and talk to the Oilers and see what their plan is, see what our plan is, and go from there.”

Draisaitl has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $8.5 million. He indicated that he wants to take a little time to think about what he wants and what the club wants. “Obviously I love being an Oiler more than anything.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That last line was overlooked by some nervous local observers who remain worried Draisaitl could depart as a free agent next summer. It’s far too early to get into that kind of speculation.

Draisaitl wants to win the Stanley Cup and be paid his true worth on his next contract. He came very close to accomplishing the former and the Oilers will open the vault for the latter. It’ll be surprising if he doesn’t re-sign.

TSN’s Chris Johnston reported last night that the Oilers and Draisaitl appear to be on the same page. The club doesn’t want him to leave and Johnston doesn’t they’ll allow that to happen.

SPORTSNET: A new general manager could handle negotiations for Draisaitl’s next contract. Elliotte Friedman reports multiple sources told him the club won’t renew GM Ken Holland’s contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the end of an era in Edmonton. Holland had his critics but the Oilers never missed the playoffs during his five years as their general manager. That includes two appearances in the Western Conference Final and their recent run to the Stanley Cup Final.

SPORTSNET: Linus Ullmark looks forward to playing with the Ottawa Senators next season. The 30-year-old goaltender was acquired from the Boston Bruins on Monday. He also indicated that the Senators were never on his no-trade list.

Ullmark is entering the final season of his contract with a cap hit of $5 million. He said there’s been no extension talks with the Senators, adding he won’t get involved until his agent tells him there’s something to discuss.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ullmark will be in his contract year so he’ll be motivated to have a strong performance in 2024-25. He could find it challenging as the Senators aren’t as strong defensively as the Bruins. General manager Steve Staios will attempt to rectify that issue during the summer.

TSN: Speaking of Staios, he said he won’t be buying out any of his players. The buyout window expires on June 30 at 5 pm ET.

NEW YORK POST: Long-time Rangers front office executive Glen Sather is retiring. He spent 24 years with the Blueshirts, including 19 years as team president and 14 as general manager. Sather spent the past five years as senior advisor to the team owner and alternate governor.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sather, 80, spent nearly a half-century as an executive, starting with his successful run with the Edmonton Oilers from 1979-80 to 1999-2000. Before that, he spent 10 seasons as an NHL forward from 1966-67 to 1975-76.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks traded forwards Ilya Mikheyev and Sam Lafferty and a 2027 second-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick. The Canucks will also retain 15 percent of Mikheyev’s $4.75 million annual cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a cost-cutting move by the Canucks. They’re rumored to be interested in signing Carolina Hurricanes winger Jake Guentzel if he heads to the free-agent market on July 1. They could also be clearing space to re-sign pending UFA defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

Meanwhile, the Canucks signed checking-line forward Teddy Blueger to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.8 million.

NHL.COM: The league announced several rule changes starting in 2024-25.

It has expanded the coach’s challenge to allow for a penalty to be taken down if a puck gets knocked out of play.

A defensive team whose goaltender accidentally dislodges the net won’t be allowed a line change on the ensuing play.

The center on offense on a faceoff will receive only one warning for a faceoff violation.

Teams will receive one warning for players sitting on the boards. After that, they will be awarded a bench minor.

TSN: The Utah Hockey Club signed forward Liam O’Brien to a three-year, $3 million contract.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER/THE SCORE: The Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings unveiled their 1990s throwback jerseys.

TORONTO SUN: Former NHL forward Sergei Berezin died on Wednesday in Florida at age 52. Drafted by the Maple Leafs in 1994, Berezin spent seven seasons with the Leafs, Arizona Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks and Washington Capitals from 1996-97 to 2002-03. He had 160 goals and 286 points in 502 regular-season games and 13 goals and 30 points in 52 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Berezin’s family, friends and former teammates.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 26, 2024

by | Jun 26, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – June 26, 2024

The latest speculation over Leon Draisaitl’s future with the Oilers, possible buyout candidates, updates on Jake Guentzel and Jakob Chychrun, and the latest on the Rangers and Blackhawks in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE LATEST ON LEON DRAISAITL’S FUTURE WITH THE OILERS

THE ATHLETIC: Chris Johnston reports there is no more important business for the Edmonton Oilers than what happens next for Leon Draisaitl. The 28-year-old superstar forward has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $8.5 million and could seek a considerably higher annual average value on his next deal.

Multiple sources tell Johnston the Oilers have no intention of letting Draisaitl play out the final year of his contract and walk away as a free agent next summer, especially when Connor McDavid will be a year away from UFA eligibility by then.

Given the length of their playoff run, the Oilers haven’t yet started serious contract extension talks with Draisaitl’s camp. Re-signing him this summer is a “massive priority”. They do have some wiggle room if they attempt to move him as he has a 10-team no-trade list. Going that route would be a franchise-defining move.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

Johnston’s colleague Daniel Nugent-Bowman believes the Oilers should not trade Draisaitl if an extension cannot be reached. Trading him would be an almost no-win situation. He felt they should retain him for next season and one more shot at winning the Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers possess an aging roster in win-now mode. Re-signing Draisaitl will eat up a lot of cap space going forward even with the cap expected to rise significantly for the foreseeable future. That could hamper their efforts to bolster their roster down the road. Still, it’ll be shocking if Draisaitl isn’t re-signed this summer.

LATEST “32 THOUGHTS” RUMOR ROUNDUP

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes Jeff Skinner is a name to watch when the buyout window opens on Wednesday. The 32-year-old Buffalo Sabres winger has three years left on his contract with an AAV of $9 million. Other buyout possibilities include Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Nate Schmidt, and New York Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Teams considering buyouts can’t afford to waste time this year. The buyout window opens 48 hours following the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final and closes on June 30 at 5 pm ET.

Friedman believes there are some “really good teams” looking at whether they can afford to acquire and sign Jake Guentzel. The 29-year-old Carolina Hurricanes winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. There’s talk the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks looked into it but they are rebuilding clubs.

The Pittsburgh Penguins re-signing goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic leaves Friedman wondering if they might trade Tristan Jarry.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: He’s not the only pundit pondering that possibility. Jarry has four more years left on his contract with an AAV of $5.375 million and a 12-team no-trade list.

The Winnipeg Jets could move prospect Rutger McGroarty sooner rather than later. The 20-year-old winger has expressed concern over the Jets’ plans for his future. Friedman dismissed the notion that the Jets have no trade leverage with McGroarty wanting out, suggesting they could make an interesting deal that gets them a first-round pick and perhaps more.

THE LATEST ON JAKOB CHYCHRUN

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators are trying to determine what the trade market looks like for Jakob Chychrun. The 26-year-old defenseman has a year left on his contract with a $4.6 million cap hit and a 10-team no-trade list.

It’s believed the Senators seek a first and a second-rounder or a high-end prospect for Chychrun. The Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks are among the clubs that have shown an interest.

UPDATE ON THE RANGERS

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks reports there is no indication the Rangers intend to buy out the final two season of captain Jacob Trouba’s contract. He also claims his sources are divided over whether GM Chris Drury will attempt to trade Trouba after he submits his 15-team no-trade list on July 1. Brooks believes the Rangers have little stomach to turn over their captaincy after only two years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s doubtful Trouba will be traded. His performance declined partly because he played on a broken ankle over the final month of the regular season and during their playoff run. As Brooks pointed out, he’s well-respected by his teammates.

The Rangers are believed to be aggressively shopping Kaapo Kakko despite signing him to a one-year, $2.4 million contract. Sources tell Brooks they could bundle him with the 30th overall pick to move up in the first round of the upcoming draft.

UPDATE ON THE BLACKHAWKS

THE ATHLETIC: Scott Powers and Mark Lazerus report league sources suggest the Chicago Blackhawks aren’t sold enough on Carolina Hurricanes winger Martin Necas to send him an offer sheet or acquire and sign him to a long-term contract.

The Blackhawks are intrigued by Necas but the Hurricanes aren’t in the market for draft picks and prospects. They instead prefer NHL-ready talent.

Hurricanes forward Teuvo Teravainen could be open to returning to Chicago as a free agent.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 26, 2024

by | Jun 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 26, 2024

Pavel Datsyuk, Shea Weber, and Jeremy Roenick are among seven new Hockey Hall of Fame inductees, the Avalanche sign Casey Mittelstadt, the Jets re-up Dylan DeMelo, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Pavel Datsyuk, Shea Weber and Jeremy Roenick were the former NHL stars elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Pavel Datsyuk and Shea Weber have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (NHL.com)

Former United States women’s national team forwards Natalie Darwitz and Krissy Wendell-Pohl were also inducted in the player category.

Former Nashville Predators general manager David Poile and current NHL senior executive vice-president Colin Campbell were elected into the builder category.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the inductees for this well-deserved honor.

Meanwhile, Alexander Mogilny’s ongoing snub by the Hall of Fame is getting ridiculous.

Many of Mogilny’s former Vancouver Canucks teammates have called for his inclusion. He was a five-time All-Star, earning an appearance on all four NHL teams he played for in his career (Buffalo, Vancouver, New Jersey, Toronto). He’s among a handful of players to score over 70 goals in a season.

For whatever reason, Mogilny continues to be passed over. Maybe he’ll get his due next year.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed center Casey Mittlestadt to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5.75 million. Mittestadt, 25, was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres before the March trade deadline. He was slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mittestadt was coming off back-to-back 50-plus point seasons. He quickly fit well within the Avs’ lineup. The young center was coming off a three-year deal with an AAV of $2.5 million.

This is a win for both sides here. Mittelstadt gets a significant raise and an opportunity to become an unrestricted free agent at age 28 when he’ll still be in his playing prime. The Avalanche, meanwhile, look up their second-line center at a reasonable rate. They also buy some time to grow more cap room to attempt to re-sign him down the road.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets signed Dylan DeMelo to a four-year contract extension with an AAV of $4.9 million. The 31-year-old defenseman was completing a four-year, $12 million contract and was due to become a UFA on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeMelo was a key part of the Jets blueline corps pairing with the puck-moving Josh Morrissey.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: On Tuesday, the Flyers officially announced that top prospect Matvei Michkov had officially terminated his contract with KHL club SKA St. Petersburg. The 19-year-old winger will join the Flyers for the 2024-25 season.

TSN: The Detroit Red Wings traded defenseman Jake Walman and a 2024 second-round draft pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for future considerations. Walman, 28, has two seasons remaining on his contract with an AAV of $3.4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Can you say, “salary dump”, kids? I knew you could!

SPORTSNET: Hockey Canada officially named Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Jon Cooper as head coach of Canada’s team at the NHL’s 4Nations Face-Off next February and of its Men’s Olympic team in 2026.

SPORTICO: Arizona Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo has told his remaining executives he is dissolving what’s left of the franchise. He will no longer pursue the construction of a new NHL-worthy arena in the Phoenix area. The franchise should be disbanded within a month.

The hockey operations and players were sold to Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith in April and moved to Utah, where they will play the 2024-25 season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And with that, the Coyotes saga comes to a close. Some observers still believe the NHL will one day return to Arizona. That won’t occur until a suitable arena is constructed and that’s not happening in the foreseeable future.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 25, 2024

by | Jun 25, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – June 25, 2024

What next for the Panthers and Oilers following the Stanley Cup Final? Do the Bruins and Senators have any more moves in store? What’s the latest on Predators goalie Juuse Saros? Find out in the NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE PANTHERS AND OILERS?

ESPN.COM: Kristen Shilton observed the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers have most of their core players under contract for next season. However, Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour head a list of 11 pending unrestricted free agents.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Recent media speculation suggests the Panthers will sign Reinhart to a long-term deal for slightly less than market value, possibly around $9 million annually. However, their re-signing of Gustav Forsling over Montour earlier this year suggests the latter will be going to market on July 1.

Turning to the Oilers, Ryan S. Clark believes the cap-strapped club will again attempt to round out their roster with players on team-friendly contracts. Warren Foegele, Adam Henrique, and Mattias Janmark are among their seven pending UFAs.

Clark also wondered if they might seek a goalie upgrade. Stuart Skinner played well during the Stanley Cup Final but was shaky earlier in the postseason.

Leon Draisaitl is a year away from UFA eligibility. Clark believes the Oilers will do everything possible to turn its promise into a Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been reported that Oilers management has held preliminary contract extension discussions with the Draisaitl camp. The serious negotiations will soon begin.

The Oilers can afford to retain Foegele, Henrique, or Janmark but not all three. As for Skinner, they’ll stick with him. They could attempt to shed Jack Campbell’s contract via trade or buyout once that window opens Wednesday evening.

ARE THE BRUINS AND SENATORS DONE DEALING FOLLOWING THE ULLMARK TRADE?

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Nick Goss analyzed the pros and cons of the Bruins shipping Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators with Joonas Korpisalo heading to Boston as part of the return.

Goss noted Korpisalo was one of the NHL’s worst goalies this season. The Senators retained 25 percent of his annual cap hit but it still works out to $3 million per season with four years remaining on his contract.

The Bruins are likely to carry Korpisalo on their roster for next season. However, Goss speculated they could attempt to flip him this summer to another club by attaching a draft pick or offering to retain part of his cap hit. They could also buy out the remainder of his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins could attempt to peddle Korpisalo this summer. However, he’s more likely to serve as Jeremy Swayman’s backup next season.

OTTAWA SUN: Tim Baines wondered if Senators general manager Steve Staios will attempt to trade left-shot defenseman Jakob Chychrun and what type of return he might fetch.

Chychrun, 26, had a good season with the Senators in 2023-24. He played all 82 games and netted 41 points. He has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $4.6 million and will be expensive to re-sign.

With left-shot blueliners Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson under long-term contracts, the Senators can’t afford to sign Chychrun to an extension. They could carry him on the roster for next season and attempt to move him at the trade deadline but Baines considers that unlikely. They’re also unlikely to trade Chabot and re-sign Chychrun.

Baines noted there’s been rumblings of a pending deal between the Senators and the Philadelphia Flyers. He wonders if Chychrun might be part of it.

Staios could attempt to recoup some of the draft capital used to acquire Chychrun last season. However, Baines believes it best to acquire young players who can bring more immediate roster help.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the musings about this rumored swap between the Flyers and Senators suggest Chychrun will be part of it. The deal could occur before the upcoming NHL Draft, starting on Friday.

UPDATE ON JUUSE SAROS

102.5 THE GAME NASHVILLE: Predators GM Barry Trotz provided an update on contract extension talks with Juuse Saros. The 29-year-old goaltender has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $5 million.

Trotz claimed he’s had good dealings thus far with Saros’ agent, adding they’re hoping to find common ground on a win-win deal. He also confirmed the netminder has reached the stage of his career where he’s earned a no-move clause, something that’s not in his current deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trotz has been open with the media regarding his negotiations with the Saros camp. The netminder has frequently surfaced in trade rumors, with the most recent having the Predators shipping him to the Toronto Maple Leafs for winger Mitch Marner.

Trotz has swatted aside these rumors. It appears Saros will be staying in Nashville beyond next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 25, 2024

by | Jun 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 25, 2024

The Panthers are the 2024 Stanley Cup champions, Oilers captain Connor McDavid named playoff MVP, selections for the 2024 Hall of Fame class are to be made today, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

FLORIDA PANTHERS ARE 2024 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions for the first time in franchise history.

Sam Reinhart snapped a 1-1 tie in the second period as the Panthers held off the Edmonton Oilers for a 2-1 victory in Game 7. Carter Verhaeghe also scored for the Panthers and Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves for the win. Mattias Janmark replied for the Oilers, who had overcome a 3-0 series deficit to force the seventh and deciding game.

The Florida Panthers are 2024 Stanley Cup Champions (NHL.com).

Panthers center Aleksander Barkov became the first Finnish captain in NHL history to lead his team to the Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Panthers on winning the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. They faced adversity in this series, becoming the first team in 79 years to blow a 3-0 series lead in the final. However, when it mattered most, they regained their focus, shutting down the Oilers with a solid defensive effort.

This is a historic moment for the Panthers. It wasn’t long ago they were considered a laughingstock, overshadowed by their rivals in Tampa Bay and regularly near the bottom of the league in terms of the standings and attendance. They’ve now emerged from the Lightning’s shadow as a league powerhouse in their own right.

Fun fact: since 2020, a Florida-based team has played in the Stanley Cup Final, winning hockey’s holy grail three times.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice ended 25 years of futility with the first Stanley Cup championship of his long coaching career. Following the game, he gave a shout out to his former club, the Winnipeg Jets. “If I could have one more thing, it would be for the Winnipeg Jets to win the next Stanley Cup.”

Meanwhile, Oilers captain Connor McDavid was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. McDavid led all postseason scorers with 42 points, becoming only the third player in Stanley Cup playoff history to exceed the 40-point plateau. McDavid also set a single postseason record with 34 assists. He is the sixth player on a losing team to win the Smythe and the first since 2003.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid received criticism on social media for not accepting the award. He was crushed by his club’s loss in Game 7 after rallying back from a 3-0 deficit. The Oilers captain spoke with the media following the game, acknowledging the honor but still coming to grips with the game’s outcome.

This was a heartbreaking end to the Oilers’ Stanley Cup dream. They will try to follow the example of the Panthers, who were thumped by the Vegas Golden Knights in last year’s Final but returned to win it all this year.

IN OTHER NEWS…

The Boston Bruins traded goaltender Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators before the start of Game 7. You can read the details and my take here.

NHL.COM: Former Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk is among the first-time candidates for the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Others include Patrick Marleau, Shea Weber, Pekka Rinne, and Ryan Miller.

The vote will take place on Tuesday morning with the results to be announced in the afternoon.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Alex Meruelo is reportedly walking away from ownership of the Coyotes with no plans to pursue a future arena. This comes after a land auction the Coyotes expected to win as the first step toward building a new arena was canceled last week.

The team was sold to a group led by Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith in April and moved to Utah. A condition of the sale was that Meruelo would have an opportunity to bring an expansion franchise back to Arizona if a new NHL arena could be constructed within the next five years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Meruelo is out the dream of bringing the NHL back to Arizona goes with him unless someone else steps up and succeeds in getting a new arena constructed.

BOSTON HERALD: The Bruins signed goaltender Brandon Bussi to a one-year, two-way contract with a cap hit of $775K.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This signing was made before the Bruins traded Ullmark to Ottawa for Joonas Korpisalo. He’ll be spending next season in the minors unless the Bruins trade Korpisalo.

THE MERCURY NEWS: San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier said his club was not tendering a qualifying offer to Calen Addison. The 24-year-old defenseman will be eligible for unrestricted free-agent status on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Addison was once considered a promising puckmoving defenseman. He could become a reclamation project for another club seeking affordable blueline depth.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Hershey Bears won the AHL’s Calder Cup for the second straight year with a 5-4 overtime victory over Coachella Valley in Game 6. Hendrix Lapierre was named playoff MVP.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Bears on becoming back-to-back Calder Cup champions.










Boston Bruins Trade Linus Ullmark To The Ottawa Senators

by | Jun 24, 2024

Boston Bruins Trade Linus Ullmark To The Ottawa Senators

​The Boston Bruins traded goaltender Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, center Mark Kastelic, and a 2024 first-round pick.

The Senators will also retain 25 percent of Korpisalo’s $4 million annual salary cap hit through 2027-28. The Bruins are receiving the No. 25 pick in this year’s draft.

Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was speculated that Senators general manager Steve Staios had conversations with teams before the trade deadline that could lay the groundwork for offseason moves. It seems one of those lines of discussion paid off.

It was reported that the Senators attempted to acquire Ullmark before the March trade deadline by offering up Korpisalo. The Bruins declined because they couldn’t afford Korpisalo’s full cap hit.

The offseason and the rising salary cap changed the equation. The Senators still had to retain part of Korpisalo’s cap hit. However, it’s now easier for the Bruins to take him knowing the salary cap will rise significantly this summer and in the foreseeable future.

Staios wanted to improve the Senators goaltending. He’s picked up a big upgrade by landing the winner of the 2022-23 Vezina Trophy.

Ullmark won’t have the same caliber of defense in front of him in Ottawa as he did in Boston, If he can adjust (and if Staios can upgrade the blueline this summer) the Senators should be in good shape next season.

It’ll be interesting to see if Ullmark agrees to a contract extension with the Senators. He has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5 million.

Korpisalo struggled in his first season with the Senators. He’ll get a chance for a fresh start with the Bruins. He better be prepared for a backup role as Jeremy Swayman is now the undisputed starter in Boston.

The Bruins also get back the first-round pick they originally traded to the Detroit Red Wings last year in the Tyler Bertuzzi deal. The Wings subsequently shipped that pick to Ottawa last summer in the Alex DeBrincat trade.

Kastelic spent the past three seasons as a checking-line forward for the Senators. He has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of over $821K.