Notable NHL Moves For July 1, 2023

by | Jul 1, 2023

Notable NHL Moves For July 1, 2023

Check in regularly for today’s notable player moves during the opening day of the NHL’s annual free-agent market.

New York Islander sign goaltender Semyon Varlamov to a four-year, $11 million contract. 

Detroit Red Wings sign center J.T. Compher to a five-year, $25.5 million contract.

New York Islanders sign Scott Mayfield to a seven-year, $24.5 million contract. 

Seattle Kraken signed Brian Dumoulin to a two-year, $6.3 million contract.

Colorado Avalanche signs Jonathan Drouin to a one-year, $825K contract.

Pittsburgh Penguins sign Lars Eller to a two-year, $4.9 million contract.

New York Islanders sign Pierre Engvall to a seven-year, $21 million contract. 

Colorado Avalanche sign winger Miles Wood to a six-year, $15 million contract. 

Pittsburgh Penguins sign defenseman Ryan Graves to a six-year, $27 million contract. 

Pittsburgh Penguins bring back goaltender Tristan Jarry on a five-year, $28.875 million contract.

Anaheim Ducks sign Alex Killorn to a four-year, $25 million contract. 

Arizona Coyotes sign Jason Zucker to a one-year, $5.3 million contract. 

Detroit Red Wings sign Daniel Sprong to a one-year, $2 million contract.

Dallas Stars sign Matt Duchene to a one-year, $3 million contract

Tampa Bay Lightning sign Conor Sheary to a three-year $6 million contract. 

Boston Bruins sign defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Nashville Predators sign forward Gustav Nyquist to a two-year, $6.37 million contract. 

Detroit Red Wings sign defenseman Justin Holl to a three-year, $10.20 million contract. 

Washington Capitals sign Max Pacioretty to a one-year, $2 million contract.

Vancouver Canucks sign Carson Soucy to a three-year, $9.75 million contract. 

Nashville Predators sign Ryan O’Reilly to a four-year, $18 million contract. 

Carolina Hurricanes sign defenseman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year. $7.75 million contract. 

Carolina Hurricanes bring back goaltender Frederik Andersen on a two-year, $6.8 million contract. 

Ottawa Senators sign goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year, $20 million contract.

Buffalo Sabres sign defenseman Erik Johnson to a one-year, $3.25 million contract. 

Edmonton Oilers sign winger Connor Brown to a one-year, $4 million contract. 

Anaheim Ducks sign defenseman Radko Gudas to a three-year, $12 million contract. 

San Jose Sharks sign goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to a two-year $4.7 million contract. 

New York Rangers sign right wing Blake Wheeler to a one-year, $800K salary plus $300K max bonuses.

Boston Bruins sign left wing James van Riemsdyk to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Boston Bruins sign winger Milan Lucic to a one-year, $1 million contract. 

Los Angeles Kings sign Cam Talbot to a one-year, $1 million contract.

Montreal Canadiens traded defenseman Joel Edmundson to the Washington Capitals for a third-round pick and a seventh-rounder in the 2024 NHL draft.  The Canadiens are retaining 50 percent of his cap hit.

Nashville Predator sign Luke Schenn to a three-year contract with an AAV of $2.75 million

Florida Panthers sign defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson to a one-year, $2.25 million contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs sign forward Ryan Reaves to a three-year contract with an AAV of $1.3 million.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 1, 2023

by | Jul 1, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – July 1, 2023

The NHL’s annual free-agent market opens at noon ET today. Here’s the latest on the notable pending UFAs such as Tyler Bertuzzi, Vladimir Tarasenko, Max Pacioretty and Blake Wheeler plus the latest on Alex DeBrincat and Logan Thompson in the Rumor Mill.

LATEST RUMORS ON NOTABLE UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman believes the Carolina Hurricanes will be aggressive in the UFA market. He wouldn’t be surprised if they pursued such notables as Tyler Bertuzzi, Vladimir Tarasenko, Dmitry Orlov or Blake Wheeler.

The Toronto Maple Leafs could also have an interest in Bertuzzi and could also pursue a UFA defenseman. They’ve also been linked to former Minnesota Wild enforcer Ryan Reaves.

Ryan O’Reilly has been linked to the Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators and Vancouver Canucks.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Ryan O’Reilly (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll be surprised if the Canadiens, Predators and Canucks seriously pursue O’Reilly given their current state of retooling/rebuilding their rosters. Still, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected in free agency (hello there, Johnny Gaudreau to Columbus) so never say never, I guess.

DAILY FACEOFF: reported significant interest in former Carolina Hurricanes winger Max Pacioretty despite his twice-injured Achilles tendon last season. Team indicated the Hurricanes granted Pacioretty permission to speak with other clubs prior to July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given those injuries I expect Pacioretty ends up signing an affordable one-year contract. He’s 34 so he’s not eligible for a 35-plus bonus-laden deal. **Update** As reader “Chris” pointed out, Pacioretty would be eligible to sign a 35-plus contract due to his number of career games played (400-plus) and the number of days spent on injured reserve (100-plus days) on injured reserve in the last year of their most recent contract.

TSN: Darren Dreger speculates the Boston Bruins or Florida Panthers as possible destinations for Blake Wheeler.

SPORTSNET: Friedman reports that we shouldn’t expect any immediate decisions from Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane on where they’ll be signing.

Jonathan Quick could be heading to the New York Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: ESPN’s Kevin Weekes broke the news of Quick potentially heading to the Rangers to back up Igor Shesterkin.

The Wings and Predators have also been linked to former Colorado Avalanche center J.T. Compher.

Speaking of the Wings, Friedman expects them to make a big move given their plentiful cap space this summer. “All eyes are on Alex Killorn, with Alex DeBrincat trade talks stalled.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Killorn player for Wings general manager Steve Yzerman when the latter was GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

One team with an interest in defenseman Scott Mayfield told Friedman they believe he is all but re-signing by the New York Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello usually doesn’t officially announce his UFA re-signings until September. Don’t be surprised if Mayfield’s name is still listed as unsigned in a month’s time.

Friedman believes the Leafs and Edmonton Oilers are in on former Washington Capitals winger Connor Brown.

The Vancouver Canucks could be interested in a UFA defenseman such as Ian Cole or Carson Soucy.

LATEST DEBRINCAT TRADE RUMORS

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the New York Islanders and Washington Capitals are among the teams interested in Senators winger Alex DeBrincat, along with the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Sammi Silber cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying the Red Wings are no longer the favorites to land DeBrincat. He also listed the Capitals, Islanders and Stars as possible trade partners as well as the Anaheim Ducks.

Silber believes the Capitals’ limited salary-cap space would make it difficult to acquire and re-sign DeBrincat. They could get cap relief if they could shed the contracts of Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha via trade but those moves seem unlikely.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators would prefer to move DeBrincat as soon as possible but they’re willing to be patient. If a trade can’t be found before their club-elected arbitration date later this summer, they’ll retain him for 2023-24 and try again to move him during the season. Nevertheless, I expect him to be moved soon.

COULD THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS TRADE THOMPSON?

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Chris Gawlik cited ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reporting a few teams contacted the Golden Knights about the availability of goaltender Logan Thompson. This came amid word they were close to signing playoff hero Adin Hill to a two-year contract, which was completed on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gawlik doesn’t rule out the possibility of Thompson getting traded, pointing to the Reilly Smith deal earlier this week that no one saw coming. However, he noted there are no indications the Golden Knights are shopping the 26-year-old netminder.

With Robin Lehner facing an uncertain future due to health issues and the limited options within their system, the Golden Knights will likely return this season with a tandem of Hill and Thompson.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 5, 2023

by | Jun 5, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 5, 2023

Could the Bruins trade Hampus Lindholm to re-sign Tyler Bertuzzi or Dmitry Orlov? Who could become candidates for contract buyouts later this month? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD THE BRUINS TRADE LINDHOLM AND RE-SIGN BERTUZZI OR ORLOV?

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy recently cited a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicating the Bruins were exploring how to retain Tyler Bertuzzi. The 28-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Boston Bruins winger Tyler Bertuzzi (NHL Images).

Murphy also noted 98.5 The Sports Hub producer James Stewart claiming Bertuzzi was seeking $7 million annually on his next contract. Stewart also claimed the Bruins preferred Dmitry Orlov over Hampus Lindholm, who is about to enter the second season of an eight-year, $52 million contract. Like Bertuzzi, Orlov was a trade deadline acquisition who is due to become a UFA on July 1.

Stewart said the Bruins had “buyer’s remorse” with Lindholm and he was available in a trade. Murphy cited a former NHL executive saying he’d hear the same thing but two current NHL executives said they had no knowledge that Lindholm was available.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sweeney would undoubtedly love to re-sign Bertuzzi and/or Orlov. However, I think he’ll have to move other players if he hopes to accomplish that feat.

Lindholm has a full no-trade clause plus a no-movement clause that prevents his demotion to the minors. I don’t see him waiving those clauses to be shipped to another team.

I also share Murphy’s doubts that Bruins general manager Don Sweeney will give up on Lindholm after acquiring and signing him last season to that long-term contract. The 29-year-old blueliner played well for the Bruins this season until being hampered by a broken foot in the playoffs.

POTENTIAL CONTRACT BUYOUT CANDIDATES

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli recently listed five NHL players who could become candidates for contract buyouts this summer. The buyout period begins on June 15 or 48 hours following the completion of the final game of the Stanley Cup Final. It runs until 5 pm ET on June 30.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A 48-hour buyout window also opens in late July/early August for a team following the settlement of their final salary arbitration case or receipt of their final arbitration award.

Seravalli listed Edmonton Oilers winger Kailer Yamamoto, Boston Bruins defenseman Mike Reilly, Pittsburgh Penguins winger Mikael Granlund, Washington Capitals winger Anthony Mantha and Dallas Stars defenseman Ryan Suter as his buyout candidates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buyouts for players 26 and older are two-thirds of the remaining value of the contract over twice the remaining tenure. The exception is the 24-year-old Yamamoto, whose buyout would be one-third of the remaining value over the two-thirds period.

Those clubs could attempt to move those players via trades rather than buying them out. Seravalli that the Capitals have informed teams they’re willing to move on from Mantha. Even if these teams have to retain some salary to facilitate those trades, it could still be more affordable than a buyout.

Nevertheless, if these cap-strapped clubs can’t find any takers for those players, they could have no other choice but to go the buyout route.

 










NHL Rumor Mill – May 12, 2023

by | May 12, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – May 12, 2023

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we look at the Devils’ possible offseason moves and if there are other clubs besides the Canadiens that could pursue Pierre-Luc Dubois.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE DEVILS?

ESPN.COM: Kristen Shilton looked at the potential offseason plans for the New Jersey Devils following their playoff elimination by the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Devils must determine if Timo Meier is part of their long-term future. They parted with a package of players, prospects and draft picks to acquire the 26-year-old winger from the San Jose Sharks before the trade deadline.

Meier is a restricted free agent who’s a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility. It will cost the Devils $9 million to qualify his rights unless they agree to a more economical long-term contract.

New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt (NHL Images).

What they do with Meier will also determine what they do to improve their lineup next season. Winger Jesper Bratt is coming off a 73-point performance and is also an RFA this summer while Miles Wood, Damon Severson and Ryan Graves are slated to become UFAs. Shilton speculates the Devils’ improvement and promising future could make them a desirable destination for free agents.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau believes improving the defense should be the Devils’ offseason priority. They have over $34 million in cap space with 12 players under contract for 2023-24.

Some might prefer Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald use some of that cap room to re-sign Meier but their offense remains potent without him. Their defense needs a direct boost. Proteau suggested pursuing a UFA such as Minnesota’s Matt Dumba or Boston’s Dmitry Orlov.

THE ATHLETIC: Shayna Goldman believes Fitzgerald’s goal will be to re-sign Meier and Bratt and balance the books around them or replace the high-end skill of whichever one departs.

To balance the rising cost of those two, they should maximize players on entry-level contracts like defensemen Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec. Goldman also believes they must stabilize their goaltending situation.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils have core players like Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Dougie Hamilton and Ondrej Palat under long-term contracts.

They have plenty of salary-cap room to address those aforementioned issues. However, they must ensure they have sufficient long-term space for when their up-and-coming talents like Dawson Mercer and Luke Hughes are ready for new contracts within the next couple of years. The anticipated big jump in the salary cap after next season should help them in that regard.

The situation with Meier and Bratt will be interesting. It can be argued that they didn’t produce as expected in the postseason. That could have an effect on their contract negotiations.

COULD THERE BE OTHER CLUBS INTERESTED IN DUBOIS?

SPORTSNET: In a recent mailbag segment, Ken Wiebe was asked if the Boston Bruins could be front-runners for Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois.

The potential departures of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci suggest Dubois would be a good fit with the Bruins but Wiebe doubts the cap-strapped club can afford to re-sign him. The 24-year-old center is a restricted free agent this summer and could seek over $8 million annually on a long-term contract.

Wiebe believes a lot of contending teams will be interested in Dubois even if it’s for one shot at winning the Stanley Cup. His appeal is enhanced if he’s willing to sign an extension with the team that trades for him.

The Colorado Avalanche could be a possibility as they’ll be looking for a second-line center. The Montreal Canadiens still look like the front-runner but Wiebe believes it’s not a “Habs-or-bust” scenario. He believes an Eastern Conference team close to New York is the most likely outcome but doesn’t rule out the Los Angeles Kings as a sleeper.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wiebe is among the few pundits I’ve read or heard that aren’t pushing the narrative of Montreal as Dubois’ sole destination. Some, like Nick Kypreos, have floated the scenario of a contender signing Dubois for just a one-year deal for a chance at pursuing the Cup next season even at the risk of him walking away as a free agent next summer.

The Canadiens likely remain Dubois destination of choice but we can’t rule out the possibility that he ends up with another club, perhaps on a lengthy contract extension. That will provide fodder for Montreal followers demanding the Canadiens trade for Dubois this summer and ink him to a long-term deal.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2023

by | May 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2023

The Stars fall to the Kraken despite Joe Pavelski’s record-setting performance, the Panthers draw first blood against the Leafs, the Selke Trophy and Lady Byng Trophy finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Seattle Kraken blew a 4-2 lead to the Dallas Stars but emerged with a 5-4 overtime victory in Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round series. Stars winger Joe Pavelski set an NHL record as the oldest player (38) to score four goals in a playoff game. Yanni Gourde tallied the game-winner and Jordan Eberle had a goal and an assist for the Kraken. Game 2 is Thursday in Dallas.

Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The previous record was held by Maurice “Rocket” Richard, who was 35 when he scored four goals in a playoff game in 1957. It was Pavelski’s first game since being sidelined by a concussion during Game 1 of the Stars’ first-round series against the Minnesota Wild.

Six goals were scored in the first period with the Kraken taking that early two-goal lead. I don’t think we’ll see another period like that as both teams become more familiar with each other as this series rolls along.

Kraken winger Jared McCann did not make the trip with his teammates to Dallas. He’s expected to miss both games there. The Kraken’s leading scorer in the regular season, McCann’s been sidelined by an undisclosed injury after being hit by Cale Makar in Game 4 of the Kraken’s first-round series with the Colorado Avalanche.

Speaking of blown two-goal leads and recovering to win, the Florida Panthers doubled up the Toronto Maple Leafs in the opening game of their second-round series. The Leafs overcame a 2-0 deficit with two second-period goals but Carter Verhaeghe tallied what proved to be the winning goal. Matthew Tkachuk collected three assists while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 34 shots. Leafs rookie Matthew Knies netted his first-ever NHL goal. Game 2 is Thursday in Toronto.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers had little time to rest and recuperate from their first-round upset of the Boston Bruins. Nevertheless, they showed plenty of jump in this game while the Leafs at times seemed to struggle to get up to speed. I expect we’ll see a better effort from the latter in Game 2.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier and Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner are this year’s finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy as this season’s top defensive forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the 12th consecutive season that Bergeron has been a finalist for the Selke. He won it last season for a record-setting fifth time and could be the sentimental favorite given the uncertainty over whether he’ll return for another season. This is the first time Hischier and Marner have been finalists for this award.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar and Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point are finalists for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy awarded to the NHL’s most gentlemanly player.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kopitar is a three-time finalist who won the award in 2015-16. This is the first time that Hughes and Point are been named as finalists.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy said he dealt with minor injuries and didn’t give himself sufficient recovery time. He believes that affected his play down the stretch and in their first-round series against the Leafs.

TSN.CA: Speaking of the Lightning, Victory Hedman dealt with a hip impingement suffered in Game 1 against the Leafs. Brayden Point suffered a rib cage cartilage fracture in that series. Defenseman Erik Cernak is making progress in his recovery from a concussion suffered in Game 1 as a result of an illegal hit to the head by the Leafs’ Michael Bunting. Winger Tanner Jeannot was in and out of the lineup with a high-ankle sprain.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark played coy over a report suggesting that he suffered from a debilitating injury that affected his movement during his club’s first-round series against the Florida Panthers. Asked several times if he was hurt in that series, he replied, “No. Yes and no.” He said he wasn’t going to clarify his status until he completed his end-of-season physical.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Speaking of the Bruins, Dmitry Orlov expressed interest in returning to the Washington Capitals but isn’t sure if that’s possible given their salary-cap constraints. The 32-year-old defenseman is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He spent his entire career with the Capitals until acquired by the Bruins before the March 3 trade deadline.

TSN: Darren Dreger reported there’s a chance Joel Quenneville could return to the NHL coaching ranks if he receives clearance from the league this summer.

Quenneville stepped down as head coach of the Florida Panthers in 2021 after specifics were revealed of how the Chicago Blackhawks mishandled allegations that player Kyle Beach was sexually abused by a member of their coaching staff in 2010. Quenn3ville was the head coach of the Blackhawks at that time.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild signed forward Marcus Johansson to a two-year, $4 million contract. He was eligible for UFA status on July 1.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: The Capitals signed defenseman Alex Alexeyev to a two-year, $1.65 million contract extension. He was due to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers signed defenseman Egor Zamula to a one-year, $775K contract.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings prospect Simon Edvinsson underwent surgery on his left shoulder on Monday. His recovery time is four-to-six months.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former first-round draft pick Henrik Borgstrom has signed with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chosen 23rd overall by the Florida Panthers in 2016, the 25-year-old Borgstrom struggled to earn a regular roster spot in the NHL. He bounced between the big league and the minors with the Panthers, Chicago Blackhawks and the Capitals since 2017-18, netting 13 goals and 26 points in 111 NHL games.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 3, 2023

by | Apr 3, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – April 3, 2023

A look at some of the notable players in this summer’s unrestricted free agent rankings in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli last week released his list of this summer’s top 50 unrestricted free agents. He assesses it as one of the weakest overall free-agent classes. Here’s a look at some of the more noteworthy players.

Topping his list is Michael Bunting due to the 27-year-old winger putting together two solid seasons (44 goals and 109 points) with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Seravalli believes Bunting could garner interest similar to what former Leaf Zach Hyman received two years ago.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bunting’s placement did surprise me considering more notable stars like Patrick Kane, Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko are also slated for UFA eligibility this summer. However, Servalli has a point since Bunting is in his prime while the other three are now in their 30s and their best seasons are behind them.

Bunting is completing a two-year, $1.9 million contract. He could get a contract comparable to Hyman’s seven-year, $38.5 million deal with the Edmonton Oilers.

Seravalli had another surprise on his list as Damon Severson sat in second place. He believes the 28-year-old New Jersey Devils defenseman will be a hot commodity “as a steady, right-shooting defenseman who can chew up minutes.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I can’t help but compare Severson to John Klingberg. He was expected to draw plenty of interest in last year’s UFA market but had to settle for a one-year, $7 million contract with the Anaheim Ducks.

Severson tumbled down the Devils’ defense chart this season behind Dougie Hamilton and John Marino. He could suffer the same fate as Klingberg this summer, especially if the NHL and NHLPA cannot reach an agreement to raise next season’s salary cap by more than the projected $1 million.

Speaking of the New York Rangers’ Patrick Kane and Toronto Maple Leafs’ Ryan O’Reilly, Seravalli has them third and fourth respectively on his list.

The 34-year-old Rangers winger could have hip surgery this summer plus he’ll have a limited market of suitable destinations. O’Reilly, meanwhile, missed considerable playing time this season to injuries. He’s also rumored to be interested in returning to the St. Louis Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Expect both players to take pay cuts to end up where they want. It’s hard to say what destinations Kane could have in mind but I don’t believe the Rangers can afford to re-sign him unless he accepts a big drop in pay. O’Reilly must agree to accept less if he hopes to return to the Blues.

Boston Bruins defenseman Dmitry Orlov is fifth on this list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s rumored Orlov sought a seven-year deal worth well over $6 million annually from the Washington Capitals which is why they traded him to Boston before the March 3 deadline. He’s not going to get that from the cap-strapped Bruins. He also turns 32 in July which will make teams leery about making a long-term investment in him.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Alex Killorn checks in at No. 6 and Rangers winger Vladimir Tarasenko at No. 9. While both are productive former Stanley Cup winners, their ages could be a factor.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Killorn is 33 and has played a lot of hockey with the Tampa Bay Lightning since 2013-14 with 132 playoff games under his belt along with 762 regular-season contests. Playoff clubs will be very interested in him but he’s not getting a long-term deal. Taranseko is 31 but his history of shoulder injuries could limit the number of suitors.

Colorado Avalanche center J.T. Compher sits seventh on this list while Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal is eighth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Compher turns 28 on April 8 and is enjoying a career-best 50-point campaign skating on the Avalanche’s second line. He’s currently earning $3.5 million annually on a four-year contract and could seek over $5 million per season on a longer-term deal from the Avalanche. That will bite deeply into their limited cap space. If they can’t pay it, another team happily will via free agency.

Staal, meanwhile, will be 35 in September and is completing a 10-year, $60 million contract. Seravalli said talks remain cordial with the Hurricanes and he’d like to stay in Carolina but the longer he goes unsigned the greater the chance he tests the market.

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry ranked 10th.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: On the one hand, I can see the Penguins looking at other options for their starting goaltender position. On the other, they might have little choice but to re-sign Jarry if no suitable replacements can be found. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t be surprised if they part ways with him in favor of acquiring someone else via trade or free agency.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Max Pacioretty (No. 11) and Washington Capitals winger Connor Brown (No. 50) both missed most of this season to injuries. However, Seravalli pointed out that they both have more than 400 career NHL games and missed 100 days this season to injury. That makes them eligible to sign contracts for the league minimum salary that includes performance bonuses that don’t have to accrue on next season’s salary cap. If they achieve those bonuses, they can be pushed ahead to 2024-25.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seravalli explained that’s why he has Pacioretty ranked so high on his list as he’s still among the league’s elite snipers when healthy. Given that he’s torn his Achilles’ tendon twice within a year, however, we cannot be certain if the 34-year-old left winger is still capable of regaining his usual level of productivity. Still, he’d be an affordable gamble if he’s willing to accept that low-cost one-year contract.

Seravalli also noted that injury concerns will affect the market value for players such as Tyler Bertuzzi, Jason Zucker, Nick Foligno, Jonathan Drouin and Sean Monahan.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Of this group, the 28-year-old Bertuzzi will likely draw the most interest based on his physical style of play. As Seravalli observed, his injury history will affect the length of the contract and the annual salary.