NHL Rumor Mill – October 3, 2024

by | Oct 3, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – October 3, 2024

Looking at possible trade destinations for Jeremy Swayman and the latest on Kirill Kaprizov in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

DAILY FACEOFF: Mike Gould looks at some potential trade destinations for Jeremy Swayman if the Boston Bruins decide to move him.

Gould suggested the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers as clubs that need a reliable starting goaltender.

SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon proposed the Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Hockey Club, and the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trade rumors about Swayman started on Monday after Bruins president Cam Neely hinted his club had offered the goaltender a contract worth $64 million, breaking down as an average annual value of $8 million for the league maximum eight seasons.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

That prompted an immediate response from Swayman’s agent claiming no such offer had been made. Gould’s colleague Frank Seravalli recently reported the actual offer from the Bruins was $62.4 million, or $7.8 million annually for eight seasons.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman had reported that Swayman was seeking a contract comparable to teammate Charlie McAvoy (eight years, $9.5 million per season). It’s believed he’s reduced that asking price to “low 9’s, high 8’s” but the Bruins are sticking with 8×8.

It’s also been reported the Bruins remain determined to sign Swayman. There’s no indication that he’s going to ask for a trade.

Nevertheless, the Bruins will seek a big return for Swayman if they put him on the trade block. The acquiring team must also be able to afford to pay what he’s seeking on his next contract.

Looking at Gould’s and Dixon’s lists, Utah is in the best position in terms of cap space ($9.92 million) and tradeable assets thanks to their depth in draft picks and promising young talent.

The Blackhawks ($5.9 million) and Flyers ($3.17 million) also have the draft picks and prospects to make a competitive pitch. However, they would have to send some salary to Boston to make room for Swayman’s new contract.

The Red Wings also have depth in tradeable assets to tempt the Bruins but they have just over $198K in cap space after re-signing Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond to lucrative new contracts. They’d have to shed a significant amount of salary to do this deal.

Colorado has over $2 million in cap space but they also face uncertainty about the futures of forwards Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin. They won’t make major moves until they get clarity on those two.

The Golden Knights always seem to be sniffing around for a big deal to keep them among the Stanley Cup contenders. However, they lacked cap space and depleted their prospect pool in previous deals.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Dylan Loucks reports Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold isn’t concerned about his club’s ability to re-sign Kirill Kaprizov.

The 28-year-old winger’s name surfaced in recent speculation suggesting the Blackhawks would pursue him if he goes to free agency in 2026. The earliest the Wild can sign him to a contract extension is next July.

Leipold pointed out his club will get a significant increase in cap space next summer. That’s when the contract buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter dropped from a combined $14.7 million to $1.66 million over the remainder of the buyouts.

The Wild owner insists his club will re-sign Kaprizov. “I will tell you nobody will offer more money than us, or longer,” said Leipold. “So all we have to do is prove to him that we want to win.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is the Wild’s foundation player and leading scorer. They want to build around him but are handcuffed by their expensive buyouts of Parise and Suter. They’ll likely be major players in next summer’s trade and free-agent markets once the cap hit of those buyouts drops.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 1, 2024

by | Oct 1, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – October 1, 2024

The latest on the Bruins’ negotiations with Jeremy Swayman plus an update on the Leafs in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We are experiencing technical difficulties today that are affecting the layout of today’s updates. We hope to have this rectified soon. Your patience is appreciated. 

LATEST ON SWAYMAN

TSN: Boston Bruins president Cam Neely seemed to let the cat out of the bag regarding the club’s contract offer to Jeremy Swayman.

“I don’t want to get into the weeds with what his ask is but I know that I have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now,” Neely told reporters on Monday.

His remarks suggest the Bruins have offered Swayman an average annual value of $8 million at the league’s maximum term of eight years.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Andrew Fantucchio reports that Swayman’s agent, Lewis Gross, took to social media Monday refuting Neely’s claim that the Bruins offered them a deal worth $64 million. 

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

“I feel the need to defend my client,” wrote Gross. “This was the first time ($64 million) was discussed in our negotiations. Prior to the press conference, no offer was made approaching that level.”

Gross concluded by saying his camp was “extremely disappointed” and it was unfair to Swayman. “We will take a few days to discuss where we go from here.” 

RG.ORG: Jimmy Murphy cites NHL sources suggesting Bruins ownership could be unhappy over Swayman’s comments in August regarding his contract negotiations. During an interview with Marc Lewis of Savage Sports, Swayman described his unhappiness over the arbitration process for his last contract, adding he’s since educated himself on the business side of the game and doesn’t want to adversely affect the market value of comparable goaltenders. 

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman examined where things could go in the Swayman negotiations from here. 

Friedman believes the goalie’s camp is calling a timeout as they carefully evaluate the situation. That could include a trade as speculation “ran rampant” following Neely’s remarks. He also thinks the Bruins have publicly indicated how far they’re willing to go with their negotiations, putting the pressure firmly on Swayman. 

Both sides are in agreement on a league-maximum eight-year contract but remain far apart on the money. Friedman thinks the Bruins may have offered between $60 million and $62 million. He also mentioned hearing trade rumors a couple of weeks ago but the Bruins were intent on signing Swayman but he wonders if things may have changed. 

THE ATHLETIC: Despite the contract standoff between Swayman and the Boston Bruins, Fluto Shinzawa reports the Bruins aren’t ready to trade the 25-year-old goaltender. 

Shinzawa points out that the Bruins need Swayman. The 25-year-old is poised to be their starting goalie for the next several seasons. He also noted that the Bruins would set a very high asking price while the acquiring team must sign him to a new contract.

It’s believed Swayman seeks an average annual value of $9.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shinzawa’s report was published before Neely’s comments and Gross’ reply.

The Bruins have until the Dec. 1 deadline for signing restricted free agents to get Swayman under contract. The sooner they can accomplish that, the better it’ll be for the team and the netminder, who has already missed most of training camp and preseason play with the Bruins’ Oct. 9 season opener fast approaching.

It’s still premature to suggest trading Swayman. Nevertheless, the longer this standoff continues, the more speculation will be raised about his future in Boston. Neely’s comments and Gross’ reply suggest the crossroads has been reached. We’ll learn soon enough which direction they take. 

HOW WILL THE MAPLE LEAFS SHED SALARY?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Evan Doerfler cited TSN’s Darren Dreger last week suggesting Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf as cost-cutting candidates for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Leafs are above the $88 million salary cap for the upcoming season. They must be cap-compliant before the start of the regular season.

Jarnkrok, 33, has an injury history and has already missed preseason play with a lower-body injury, raising concerns about his availability this season. He’s signed through 2025-26 with an AAV of $2.1 million and has a 10-team no-trade list.

Kampf, 29, has earned praise for his defensive work on the Leafs’ fourth line. Those skills might give him value in the trade market but his $2.4 million AAV through 2026-27 could be a sticking point for some teams. Like Jarnkrok, he has a 10-team no-trade list.

TORONTO SUN: Terry Koshan also mentioned Jarnkrok and Kampf as cost-cutting trade candidates. He suggested defenseman Conor Timmins and his $1.1 million cap hit could also be a trade option.

Nick Robertson requested a trade during the offseason but Koshan doesn’t expect he’ll be traded. The 23-year-old winger played well in training camp after signing a one-year deal with the Leafs.

THE ATHLETIC: James Mirtle speculates the Leafs could get some early-season cap relief by placing Jani Hakanpaa and Connor Dewar on long-term injury reserve. He also suggested Timmins could end up on waivers and Marshall Rifai be used as their seventh defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Puckpedia has the Leafs sitting above the cap by $1.069 million. They must be cap-compliant but must also find room to sign forwards Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz.

It’ll be interesting to see how they address this issue.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 25, 2024

by | Sep 25, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – September 25, 2024

Check out the latest on Igor Shesterkin and Jeremy Swayman in today’s NHL Rumor mill.

LATEST ON SHESTERKIN’S CONTRACT TALKS WITH THE RANGERS

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks believes Igor Shesterkin will become the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history, eclipsing Carey Price’s $10.5 million average annual value with the Montreal Canadiens.

Brooks writes that the Shesterkin camp seeks an AAV of $12 million. He would be shocked if Rangers general manager Chris Drury hasn’t already pitched an offer between $10.5 million and $11 million.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (NHL Images).

However, Brooks believes Shesterkin wants to be the highest-paid player on the Rangers. That would mean exceeding Artemi Panarin’s team-leading cap hit of $11.642 million. A $12 million AAV would represent 13.04 percent of next season’s projected $92 million cap.

Brooks also doesn’t understand why some observers are fixated on the percentage of the cap going to goaltenders. He pointed out there was no fuss when Panarin signed his contract with the Rangers or Leon Draisaitl’s new deal with the Edmonton Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s probably tied to Shesterkin’s somewhat limited body of work compared to Panarin and Draisaitl plus the nature of his position. The performances of today’s NHL goaltenders tend to fluctuate more than their predecessors.

Shesterkin holds all the leverage and seeks the best deal he can get. If the Rangers won’t pay up, another club will via free agency.

Losing Shesterkin would signal a transitional phase for the Blueshirts. They need him between the pipes to keep their Stanley Cup window open because they have no one in their system to replace him and no comparable options to pursue in the trade and free-agent markets.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports dialogue continues between Rangers management and Shesterkin. He noted that the goalie’s camp has informed the club that they’d rather not negotiate once the puck drops on the Blueshirts’ season opener on Oct. 9.

The Rangers are willing to pay Shesterkin north of Price’s $10.5 million but it remains to be seen how high they’re willing to go.

SPECTOR’ S NOTE: Brooks was dismissive of that Oct. 9 deadline, suggesting the two sides could get a deal done in-season if the Rangers meet Shesterkin’s asking price. Nevertheless, Drury and his staff would likely prefer to sign a deal that emerges from their current negotiations.

UPDATE ON JEREMY SWAYMAN

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports of ongoing dialogue between Jeremy Swayman and the Boston Bruins. However, things remain status quo as they’re still not there in terms of a deal.

He thinks the real deadline for a contract is the Bruins’ season opener (Oct. 8) rather than the recent start date of training camp. Swayman is fixed on getting an eight-year contract. The Bruins also hope to sign him to a long-term deal.

LeBrun also believes the Swayman camp is trying to push through what other goalies have recently signed. He noted Juuse Saros signing an eight-year extension worth $7.74 million this summer with the Nashville Predators and Connor Hellebuyck agreeing to an eight-year extension worth $8.5 million last summer with the Winnipeg Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: To recap, Swayman is a restricted free agent coming off a one-year, arbitration-awarded contract worth $3.475 million.

Conflicting reports suggest Swayman seeks an AAV between $8.5 million and $10 million on an eight-year contract. Those reports agree the Bruins offered up between $6.2 million and $6.4 million.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 21, 2024

by | Sep 21, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – September 21, 2024

Are the Bruins considering trading Jeremy Swayman? What will the Kings do with Arthur Kaliyev? Is former Oilers GM Ken Holland joining Utah HC? What’s the latest on Flyers goalie Alexei Kolosov? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: During the Sept. 20 edition of “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman said he’d had some people ask if the Boston Bruins might consider trading Jeremy Swayman.

Negotiations between the Bruins and the Swayman camp have stalled, keeping the 25-year-old goaltender out of training camp.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

Friedman said he hasn’t spoken with Bruins general manager Don Sweeney. He said Sweeney is trying to keep a low profile, but he isn’t always happy with some of the reporting on this situation. Nevertheless, Friedman doesn’t believe the Bruins want to trade Swayman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins see themselves as Stanley Cup contenders. They need Swayman between the pipes to achieve that goal. Trading him over this standoff would derail those plans. They also know they won’t get equal value back in return.

I doubt this situation would’ve reached this stage had Swayman not gone through arbitration last summer. He admitted it was a bruising experience having to hear what he said were things that no player should ever hear from management.

Swayman is digging in, using his leverage to his advantage, especially with Linus Ullmark traded to Ottawa in June. The Bruins’ front office might not think he’s worth between $8.5 million and $10 million annually (depending on who you listen to) at this stage in his career, but they could have little choice but to pony up and get Swayman back into the lineup as soon as possible.

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens wondered what the Los Angeles Kings have in store for Arthur Kaliyev after signing him to a one-year, $825K contract earlier this week.

Stephens doubts the new contract means Kaliyev’s place with the Kings is resolved. He pointed out the 23-year-old forward rejected the club’s qualifying offer. Frustrated by fourth-line duty and healthy scratches, he reportedly requested for a trade earlier this year.

Kaliyev saw his ice time further decline despite a midseason coaching change, sending his trade value plummeting.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stephens believes the Kings should play Kaliyev to showcase him to other teams. That’ll mean giving him more ice time than last season. They’ll also have to work with him to address the deficiencies in his game.

SI.COM: Nick Horwat cited a report by former NHL player turned podcaster Jordan Schmaltz claiming former Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland could be joining Utah HC in some capacity.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Holland was invited to Utah’s training camp as a guest by people he knew within the organization. There’s nothing formal in terms of a position for him at this time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We can’t rule out the possibility of Holland joining Utah or another club at some point. He’s well-respected around the NHL.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Bailey listed some possible trade destinations for Alexei Kolosov if the Flyers should decide to trade him. The 22-year-old goaltender remains home in Belarus after refusing to report to Flyers training camp. That’s prompted some NHL clubs to come calling.

Bailey suggested the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Ottawa Senators, New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild as destinations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE Kolosov reportedly wants a guaranteed spot with an NHL club. Those other teams likely won’t give him that opportunity without him spending at least one season with their AHL affiliate.

Some NHL teams might be interested in Kolozov but I doubt they’re banging down the door of Flyers GM Daniel Briere to get him.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 19, 2024

by | Sep 19, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – September 19, 2024

Check out the latest on Jeremy Swayman and Mitch Marner plus the latest on the Canucks and the Canadiens in today’s NHL Rumor Mill. 

LATEST ON SWAYMAN’S NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE BRUINS

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Christopher Hurley reports Bruins general manager Don Sweeney responded to a report by “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcaster Paul Bissonnette regarding his contract negotiations with goaltender Jeremy Swayman. 

Bissonnette claimed the Bruins GM ignored calls from Swayman. “I think it’s bullshit that somebody says I wouldn’t return a call for three weeks,” said Sweeney. 

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).

Sweeney declined to go into detail regarding the negotiations with the Swayman camp. “I have respect for the position that Jeremy and his camp have taken,” he said. “And we continue to try and find common ground.”

The Bruins GM said he’s disappointed but remains optimistic that a deal can be reached before Dec. 1. He also scoffed at reports claiming he refused to offer Swayman an eight-year contract or was unwilling to compromise with the netminder. 

“That’s far from the truth,” said Sweeney, adding that there’s been constant dialogue and communication between the two sides. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dec. 1 is the deadline for Swayman to be under contract or he’ll be forbidden to play for the rest of this season. That’s not a scenario either side wants. It would cost Swayman a year of his playing prime while robbing the Bruins of their promising starter. 

The last notable standoff involving a restricted free agent was in 2018 when last-second negotiations led to an agreement between William Nylander and the Toronto Maple Leafs before the 5 pm ET deadline on Dec. 1. 

It’ll be interesting to see how long this saga goes. It could drag on for weeks or a breakthrough could happen within days. 

MARNER DECLINES TO DISCUSS CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. 

SPORTSNET: Mitch Marner met with the media on Wednesday but indicated he wouldn’t discuss his contract situation. The 27-year-old winger is in the final season of his deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs and can become an unrestricted free agent next July. 

Leafs GM Brad Treliving has also declined to publicly discuss Marner’s contract status until there’s news to announce. 

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel believes Marner and the Leafs are holding contract talks despite their public unwillingness to discuss it with the media. He cited Marner’s agent Darren Ferris releasing a statement earlier this week indicating he preferred to keep “ongoing negotiations” confidential. 

TORONTO STAR: Rosie DiManno believes Marner’s contract situation could fester if it remains unresolved during the coming season. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner and Treliving won’t discuss this with the media, but the latter abhors a vacuum, leaving this situation ripe for speculation the longer this goes. 

CANUCKS UNCERTAIN IF THEY’LL NEED TO ADD A GOALIE

THE PROVINCE: Patrick Johnston reports Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin doesn’t know when sidelined starting goaltender Thatcher Demko will return to action. It could be a talking point that dogs the club for weeks or months. 

Allvin was asked if he would need to add another goaltender before the start of the season. “I don’t know,” he replied, adding he’ll see how Demko comes along rehabbing his injury and how well their young netminders perform over the next two weeks in training camp. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Adding a goaltender won’t be easy. There are few available in the trade market while the free agent market has been mostly picked clean. 

The Canucks reached out to former Predators backup Kevin Lankinen. It’s rumored they offered him a one-year deal for less than $1 million but he’s seeking more than that.

LATEST ON THE CANADIENS

RDS.CA: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang laughed off a rumor from earlier this summer claiming he requested a trade to the Montreal Canadiens. 

“People were talking about that? They weren’t talking to me!”, replied Letang. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Assuming Letang wanted a trade to Montreal, I doubt the rebuilding Canadiens would be interested in a 37-year-old defenseman who’s past his prime carrying an annual cap hit of $6.1 million through 2027-28. 

TVA SPORTS: Eric Fichaud doesn’t expect Cayden Primeau to finish the season with the Canadiens. The 25-year-old netminder will serve as Samuel Montembeault’s backup this season. 

Fichard believes the Canadiens need a more experienced veteran backing up Montembeault. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens had that with Jake Allen and they shipped him to the New Jersey Devils at the March trade deadline. They wouldn’t have made that move if they didn’t have faith in Primeau. They spent most of last season carrying three goalies because they didn’t want to risk losing Primeau to another club via waivers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 19, 2024

by | Sep 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 19, 2024

The Lightning and Blackhawks name their new captains, the latest on Jeremy Swayman’s contract talks, several notable players are already sidelined by injuries, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning named Victor Hedman as their new captain. He replaces Steven Stamkos, who signed with the Nashville Predators on July 1.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise here. Hedman was the logical choice to succeed Stamkos having spent his 15-season NHL career with the Lightning.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks announced Nick Foligno as the 35th captain in franchise history. He’s the first to wear the “C” since Jonathan Toews from 2008 to 2023.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Foligno has plenty of experience as a team captain. He held that role with the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2015-16 to 2020-21. This move could pave the way for franchise player Connor Bedard to succeed Foligno when the latter’s contract expires in 2026.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman will not be in training camp as he remains unsigned. He and Bruins management still haven’t agreed on a new contract.

Bruins GM Don Sweeney expressed disappointment that the 25-year-old restricted free agent is not under contract in time for training camp. He didn’t forecast when an agreement could be reached but stressed that every day Swayman is absent is detrimental to the goalie and the team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed a wide gap exists between the two sides with Swayman rumored to be seeking an AAV between $8.5 million and $9.5 million while Bruins are said to be offering around $6.2 million annually.

Swayman has until Dec. 1 to sign or become ineligible to play the rest of this season. He doesn’t want to risk that as it’ll cost him a season of work and wages. I’ll have more about this situation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets will memorialize Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau this season with helmet stickers featuring the brothers’ last name and their respective jersey numbers. They’ll wear jersey patches with Johnny’s No. 13 once the regular season begins.

The brothers were killed on Aug. 30 by an alleged drunk driver while they were bicycling in Oldmans Township, New Jersey.

SPORTSNET: As expected, Thatcher Demko will miss the start of the Vancouver Canucks’ training camp as he continues rehabbing a nagging knee injury. Checking-line forward Teddy Blueger will be out for a week with a lower-body injury and defenseman Tucker Poolman (migraines) will be placed on long-term injury reserve for the entire season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said Demko will speak to the media on Thursday about his condition. Meanwhile, Poolman also missed last season and hasn’t played since Oct. 2022.

TSN: The Washington Capitals placed winger T.J. Oshie on LTIR for the entire 2024-25 season. Oshie, 37, has been plagued by a chronic back injury that limited him to 52 games last season. The decision was made following his training camp medical.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oshie is in the final season of his eight-year contract with an average annual value of $5.75 million.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Vegas Golden Knights are reviewing their options after goaltender Robin Lehner failed to report for his mandatory training camp medical. Lehner, 33, is expected to miss his third straight season after undergoing hip surgery in Aug. 2022. He’s entering the final season of his five-year contract with an AAV of $5 million and $4.5 million in actual salary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates contract termination is among those options, which would remove his $5 million cap hit from the Golden Knights’ books.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Evander Kane reveals he’ll be undergoing surgery to repair two sports hernias and four muscle tears that took him out of the lineup for his club’s final five playoff games last spring.

TSN: Speaking of the Oilers, they’ve signed winger Mike Hoffman to a professional tryout offer (PTO).

THE HOCKEY NEWS: St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug underwent season-ending surgery on his left ankle on Tuesday to address a pre-arthritic condition. Teammate Oskar Sundqvist continues to recover from offseason surgery to repair a torn right ACL. He’s not expected to participate in training camp but should be ready for the start of the season.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Blues announced they’ve signed Scott Harrington, Matthew Peca, Nikita Alexandrov and Sam Bitten to PTOs.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars winger Jason Robertson will miss most of training camp after undergoing offseason surgery to remove a cyst from his foot. He’s expected to be ready for their season-opener against the Nashville Predators on Oct. 10.

Speaking of the Stars, recently retired defenseman Jordie Benn has returned to the club as a player development assistant and AHL scout.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Sabres blueliner Rasmus Dahlin left practice on Wednesday. Head coach Lindy Ruff described the injury as “mid-range” when asked if it was upper or lower body. It’s not believed to be serious.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed winger Alex Chiasson to a PTO.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: The Predators signed winger Philip Tomasino to a one-year, $825K contract.

CALGARY SUN: Former Flames forward Matt Stajan has joined the team as a skills consultant.

SPORTSNET: released their preseason broadcast schedule beginning Sept. 21 and running through Oct. 2.

TSN: Bell sold its 37.5 percent interest in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to Rogers Communication, giving the latter the majority stake in Canada’s most valuable sports empire.

As part of the deal, Bell Media secured access to content rights for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors on TSN for the next 20 years.