NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 3, 2023

Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi sign with the Leafs, the Wild acquire Pat Maroon, Kailer Yamamoto joins the Kraken, the latest on Max Pacioretty and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Tyler Bertuzzi to a one-year, $5.5 million contract.

TSN: The Leafs also signed Max Domi to a one-year deal, this one worth $3 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs general manager Brad Treliving made up for his underwhelming moves on the opening day of free agency. Adding two forwards with offensive skills who also bring a physical edge to the roster, Treliving is attempting to address a longstanding issue for the Leafs during postseason play.

Boston Bruins winger Tyler Bertuzzi (NHL Images).

Bertuzzi, 28, is often sidelined because of his gritty style of play. Nevertheless, he has three seasons with 20-plus goals and 40-or-more points on his resume, including a career-best 30-goal, 62-point performance in 2021-22 with Detroit. Traded to Boston at the March trade deadline, he had 16 points in 21 regular-season games for the Bruins and was tied for the club lead in playoff points with 10.

This is a homecoming for the 28-year-old Domi, having grown up in Toronto and around the Leafs when his father played for the club. A skilled but inconsistent playmaker, he’s reached or exceeded 40 points five times in his eight previous NHL campaigns. Entering 2023-24, the Leafs will be his seventh team in nine seasons.

The high number of clubs with limited cap space made it difficult for Bertuzzi and Domi to find more lucrative offers with longer terms. By accepting one-year contracts, they can hit the open market again next summer when the salary cap is expected to jump by at least $4 million.

Cap Friendly indicates both signings push the Leafs to over $8 million above the $83.5 million cap. Teams are allowed to be above the cap by 10 percent during the offseason but must be compliant when the season begins in October. We’ll have a look at how they could address this in today’s Rumor Mill update.

SPORTSNET: The notable players available in the UFA market include Vladimir Tarasenko, Matt Dumba, Patrick Kane, Patrice Bergeron, and Zach Parise.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The amount of quality talent remaining in this shallow free-agent pool is quickly draining away. Kane isn’t expected to sign a contract anytime soon as he continues to rehab from a hip procedure. Bergeron remains undecided if he’ll return with the Bruins or retire.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: Max Pacioretty hopes to prove he’s still the scorer he once was following two surgeries to repair a torn Achilles tendon. On Saturday, Pacioretty inked a one-year, $2 million contract with the Capitals. The deal also includes $2 million in performance bonuses.

TWINCITIES.COM/TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Minnesota Wild acquired forward Pat Maroon and minor leaguer Max Cajkovic from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a seventh-round pick in 2024. The Lightning retained 20 percent of Maroon’s $1 million cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maroon has a 16-team no-trade clause but Minnesota either wasn’t on that list or he agreed to go there. The three-time Stanley Cup champion is an affordable addition to the cap-strapped Wild, bringing considerable playoff experience and leadership to the roster along with an additional physical edge.

This is yet another cost-cutting move by the Lightning that bites further into their supporting cast. Their core talent remains intact but salary-cap limitations have forced them to cut into the roster depth that made them a perennial Stanley Cup finalist.

SPORTSNET: The Seattle Kraken signed Kailer Yamamoto to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. He was traded last week by the Edmonton Oilers to the Detroit Red Wings, who bought out the final year of his contract.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Sabres general Kevyn Adams has opted not to pursue a goaltender in this summer’s trade and free-agent markets. He is prepared to go into this season with Eric Comrie and youngsters Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This summer’s free-agent goalie market was thin on talent plus the cost of acquiring someone like Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebucyk and Philadelphia’s Carter Hart is expensive. Nevertheless, this is a gamble for Adams. Inconsistent goaltending could once again hamper his club’s chances of ending their long playoff drought.

THE TENNESSEAN: Mark Borowiecki has been hired by the Nashville Predators as a pro development coach. He announced his retirement as a player in May after 12 NHL seasons.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 1, 2023

The free-agent market opens today, Matt Duchene and Blake Wheeler join the list of notable UFAs, the Golden Knights re-sign Adin Hill, a large number of RFAs don’t receive qualifying offers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE TENNESSEAN: On the final day of the June buyout window, the Nashville Predators bought out the contract of forward Matt Duchene, making him an unrestricted free agent when the market opens today at noon ET.

Duchene, 32, had three years remaining on his seven-year contract with an average annual value of $8 million. The buyout counts as $2.55 million against the Predators’ salary cap payroll for 2023-24, rising to $5.55 million in 2024-25 and $6.55 million in 2025-26 before dropping to $1.55 million for each of the final three years of the buyout.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: New Predators general manager Barry Trotz continues to make an immediate impact on his roster. Duchene had been inconsistent over the previous four seasons and his play was not up to the level expected of his salary. The cap hit is significant in years two and three of the buyout but the anticipated sharp increase of the cap over the period will lessen the pain.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets bought out the final season of winger Blake Wheeler’s contract. The cap hit for that year was $8.25 million. The buyout will count as $2.75 million against their cap for this season (2023-24) and 2024-25.

Former Winnipeg Jets winger Blake Wheeler (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the end of an era for the Jets. Wheeler, 36, was the last player remaining from the club’s relocation from Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2011.

Wheeler put up decent numbers this season (55 points in 72 games) but the wear and tear of his long career has caught up with him and he no longer fits into the club’s plans. Whispers of divisions within the dressing room saw him stripped of the club’s captaincy last year. The Jets tried to trade him before June 30 but couldn’t find any takers.

DAILY FACEOFF: Duchene and Wheeler join this summer’s unrestricted free-agent class, sitting among the top 10 on Frank Seravalli’s list of notable UFAs.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins bought out defenseman Mike Reilly before Friday’s buyout deadline. They’ll have a cap hit for 2023-24 of over $333K and $1.333 million for 2024-25.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings bought out recently-acquired Kailer Yamamoto. Because he’s under 26, the 24-year-old winger’s buyout is one-third of the remaining value over twice the remaining term. The cap hit for this season is over $433K and $533K for 2024-25.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like Duchene and Wheeler, Reilly and Yamamoto enter this summer’s UFA class. They could draw interest from clubs seeking affordable depth.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: As expected, the Golden Knights officially announced their signing of goaltender Adin Hill to a two-year contract with an AAV of $4.9 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The expectation is Hill will share the Golden Knights’ goaltending duties with Logan Thompson. However, there is some trade speculation swirling about Thompson. I’ll have more on that in today’s Rumor Mill.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Carolina Hurricanes signed winger Jesper Fast to a two-year contract extension with an AAV of $2.4 million.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers signed Mattias Janmark to a one-year, $1 million contract. The 30-year-old checking-line forward took a slight pay cut from last season’s $1.25 million cap hit, citing his desire to be part of “something special” with the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Janmark believes the Oilers are a Stanley Cup contender for 2023-24 and was willing to take less money to stay put.

PUCK PEDIA: 113 players did not receive qualifying offers by yesterday’s deadline, making them unrestricted free agents. Among the notables are Mackenzie Blackwood, Jesse Puljujarvi, Max Comtois, Christian Fischer, Tyson Jost, Denis Gurianov, Nolan Patrick, Daniel Sprong, Caleb Jones, Klim Kostin, Colin White and Sam Steel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some of these players had arbitration rights this summer which might’ve resulted in them receiving more from an arbitrator than their clubs could comfortably afford. The cost of qualifying some of them would’ve also been more expensive than their actual value based on performance.

Not every player will end up signing with other teams. Kostin, for example, is reportedly close to a new contract with the Detroit Red Wings, who acquired his rights earlier this week from the Oilers.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Columbus Blue Jackets will formally introduce Mike Babcock as their new head coach at a 10 am ET press conference today.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 30, 2023

The 2023 Draft is completed, the Blackhawks acquire Corey Perry and Josh Bailey, the Red Wings acquire Klim Kostin and Kailer Yamamoto, plus updates on David Krejci, Tyler Bertuzzi, Jesse Puljujarvi and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

2023 NHL DRAFT NEWS

NHL.COM: The 2023 NHL Draft finished up yesterday with the completion of Rounds 2 through 7. You can see the complete list of each player selected (including Round 1) by following this link.

Among the notable numbers emerging from this year’s draft:

PICKS BY POSITION

Defense: 69
Center: 63
Right Wing: 34

Left Wing: 32

Goaltender: 26

PICKS BY BIRTH COUNTRY

Canada: 86
United States: 50
Sweden: 24
Russia: 19
Finland: 15
Czechia: 7
Slovakia: 7

Belarus: 5
Germany: 4
Kazakhstan: 1

France: 1
Switzerland: 1
Norway: 1
Italy: 1
Denmark: 1

Austria: 1

PICKS BY AMATEUR LEAGUE

USHL: 39 (includes NTDP)
OHL: 35 

WHL: 33 

SWEDEN-JR: 22 

RUSSIA-JR: 15 

QMJHL: 12 

FINLAND-JR: 11 

BCHL: 4 

BIG 10: 4 

FINLAND: 4 

HIGH-MN: 4 

RUSSIA: 4 

SWEDEN: 4 

AJHL: 3 

CZECHIA: 2 

ECAC: 2 

GERMANY-JR: 2 

HOCKEY EAST: 2 

RUSSIA-2: 2 

SLOVAKIA: 2 

SWEDEN U-18: 2 

SWEDEN-2: 2 

SWISS-JR: 2 

GERMANY: 1 

GOJHL: 1 

HIGH-CT: 1 

HIGH-IN: 1 

HIGH-MA: 1 

HIGH-ON: 1 

KAZAKHSTAN U-20: 1 

MJHL: 1 

NAHL: 1 

NCHC: 1 

SWISS: 1 

USMAAAE: 1 

Chicago Blackhawks acquire Corey Perry (NHL Images).

The second day of the draft also saw three trades involving NHL veterans:

The Chicago Blackhawks acquired winger Corey Perry from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round draft pick. The Blackhawks subsequently signed Perry to a one-year, $4 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning couldn’t afford to re-sign Perry so they shipped out his rights for a draft pick. As for why the 35-year-old winger signed with the rebuilding Blackhawks, the $4 million salary was one reason but the opportunity to play with a potential generational talent like Connor Bedard also likely appealed to him. If Perry plays well, the Blackhawks can peddle him to a playoff contender before next season’s trade deadline.

Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson was reportedly a big fan of Perry’s going back to when he coached the winger in Montreal two years ago. His experience and leadership will be invaluable to this team.

The Blackhawks also acquired winger Josh Bailey and a 2026 second-round pick from the New York Islanders in exchange for future considerations. They placed him on waivers for the purpose of buying out the final year of his contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a straightforward salary dump by the Islanders. Bailey was their longest-serving active player but the cap-strapped club had to offload his $5 million cap hit for 2023-24 to free up space for other moves.

The Blackhawks can afford the buyout, which will count as $2.66 million against their salary cap for 2023-24 and $1.166 million for 2024-25. With 16 active roster players under contract, they’ll be roughly $3.2 million within range of the $61.7 million cap minimum for 2023-24.

Bailey, meanwhile, becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The Detroit Red Wings acquired forwards Klim Kostin and Kailer Yamamoto from the Edmonton Oilers for future considerations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was also a cost-cutting move as shipping out Yamamoto clears $3.1 million from the Oilers’ books. Kostin, meanwhile, is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights whom the Oilers evidently believed they couldn’t afford to re-sign. Part of that cap space could be spent on signing UFA Connor Brown on July 1 as well as re-signing RFA defenseman Evan Bouchard.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff believes Kostin was the main prize for the Red Wings while Yamamoto could be a buyout candidate. If so, the Wings have until 5 pm ET today to do so.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs have confirmed that Sheldon Keefe will return as their head coach next season. He has a year remaining on his contract but general manager Brad Treliving indicates that an extension will be discussed during this summer.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: cites a report out of Czechia indicating that Bruins center David Krejci remains undecided whether he’ll return to the club for another season. There was speculation he will retire or return to play in Czechia.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Bruins, winger Tyler Bertuzzi is expected to head to free agency when the market opens at noon ET on Saturday (July 1).

TSN: Jesse Puljujarvi will become a UFA as the Carolina Hurricanes will not issue him a qualifying offer. The 25-year-old winger recently underwent double hip surgery and could be sidelined for some time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could also spell the end of Puljujarvi’s NHL career. The fourth overall pick by the Oilers in the 2016 draft struggled to play up to expectations as a scoring winger.

DAILY FACEOFF: Buffalo Sabres rookie forward Jack Quinn will be sidelined for four to six months following surgery to repair his Achilles tendon. The 21-year-old winger suffered the injury during training this week.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Patric Hornqvist’s NHL playing career appears to be over following two concussion injuries this season. However, the Florida Panthers are hoping to bring him back in another role.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 21, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – June 21, 2023

The Devils contact the Jets about Connor Hellebuyck, updates on Pierre-Luc Dubois, Ryan O’Reilly, Brett Pesce and Kailer Yamamoto in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST FROM TSN’S “INSIDER TRADING”.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the New Jersey Devils are among the teams that Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck would be interested in a sign-and-trade.

LeBrun indicates the Devils have looked into it but what gives them pause is the amount of money the 30-year-old Hellebuyck would seek in his next contract. It’s believed he’d seek something comparable to the $9.5 million annual cap hit of Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy. LeBrun believes the price would have to come down for the Devils to get more involved.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck is a former Vezina Trophy winner who is a finalist this year for the award. Of course, he’s going to seek something comparable to Vasilevskiy, especially if he wins the Vezina again.

Bear in mind that Hellebuyck lacks no-trade protection. The Jets can send him to anyone willing to meet their asking price. However, they’ll get a better return if he’s willing to sign with whichever team he’s dealt to. That could be a limited number of possible destinations.

Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois (NHL Images).

Turning to Hellebuyck’s teammate Pierre-Luc Dubois, Darren Dreger reports there are more teams than the Montreal Canadiens and the Los Angeles Kings interested in the Jets center. The Kings have limited salary-cap space while the Canadiens have made it clear they’re willing to wait until Dubois becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The “Dubois-to-Montreal” speculation hasn’t been as heated as it was a couple of weeks ago. That doesn’t mean a trade to the Canadiens isn’t possible. However, it appears they’ve made it clear that they’re comfortable with Dubois heading somewhere else if the Jets asking price is too high. The same applies to his contract.

LeBrun was asked whether there was a pathway for Ryan O’Reilly to return to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Acquired from the St. Louis Blues near the trade deadline, O’Reilly sounded like he would be heading to free agency during his end-of-season interview perhaps because of the Leafs cap constraints.

However, new Leafs GM Brad Treliving has informed the O’Reilly camp that they’re interested in bringing him back. The 31-year-old center also hasn’t ruled out a possible return. However, he appears to be the top center in an otherwise weak UFA market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly isn’t the dominant two-way center he was when he lead the Blues to the 2019 Stanley Cup. Nevertheless, he’s still a very effective one when healthy and will draw plenty of interest from playoff contenders. The Leafs will face competition for his services.

UPDATES ON PESCE AND YAMAMOTO

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Evan Rawal cited Yvon Pedneault of Le Journal de Montreal listing the Avalanche among the teams interested in Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce. The 28-year-old defenseman is a year away from UFA status. The Hurricanes hope to re-sign him but it’s believed they could trade him if a deal cannot be worked out.

Rawal doesn’t buy into it citing how much they’re already paying for defensemen with Bowen Byram and Devon Toews due for raises soon. He believes the only way this works is if they trade away one of their defensemen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I agree with Rawal that if the Avs pursue a defenseman this summer it’ll be a depth blueliner, not Pesce.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: David Staples cited TSN’s Chris Johnston and Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli believe there should be a market for Oilers winger Kailer Yamamoto. Seravalli doesn’t believe they’ll get much of a return but won’t have to pay to move him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The objective here for the cap-strapped Oilers is shedding Yamamoto’s $3.1 million cap hit for 2023-24. If all they get back is a draft pick or prospect it’ll be worth it if the money can be put toward re-signing a key player or adding an upgrade.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – June 18, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – June 18, 2023

The latest on the Leafs, the Devils could shop Yegor Sharangovich and an update on the Oilers in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

LATEST ON THE LEAFS

TORONTO SUN: Lance Hornby reports Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews is still expected to sign a contract extension. Matthews and his agent met in Arizona this week with Brad Treliving, the Leafs new general manager.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reported on Friday that he believes Matthews will re-sign with the Leafs. He felt the club will try to sign him to a maximum eight-year extension though he’s not sure how likely it is that Matthews will agree to a term that long.

Freidman believes there’s a sense of urgency on the Leafs’ part to get this done as soon as possible rather than have negotiations drag on through the summer so as not to adversely affect their long-term plans.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s rumored the Matthews camp envisions a three to five-year deal so the 25-year-old superstar can still cash in on another lucrative contract while he’s still in his playing prime. Either way, his next deal will likely exceed the league-leading $12.6 million average annual value of Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon.

Hornby also noted there are rumors suggesting the Carolina Hurricanes might trade Brett Pesce if they fail to sign the 28-year-old defenseman to a contract extension.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander (NHL Images).

At $4.025 million, Pesce would be a welcome addition to the Leafs blueline but they’d have to trade a salary. Hornby suggested William Nylander, who would play a larger role with the Hurricanes than his current one in Toronto. The 26-year-old winger is a year away from UFA eligibility.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed the Hurricanes are intent on signing Pesce but there are rumors that the negotiations got off to a rocky start. It’ll be interesting to see how those talks unfold in the coming weeks.

I’m just spitballing here but I think the Hurricanes would be interested in a Pesce-for-Nylander swap if the Leafs were on board. The Canes have the cap space to take on the winger’s $6.962 million cap hit for next season.

Nylander has a 10-team no-trade clause starting July 1. If the Hurricanes are on that list, this hypothetical deal would have to go down by June 30 unless he’s willing to waive it for Carolina.

In other Leafs news, Hornby believes pending unrestricted free agents Alex Kerfoot and Justin Holl won’t be back. UFA forward Michael Bunting will have to accept a hometown discount to remain with the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Elliotte Friedman believes Bunting has priced himself out of Toronto.

The Leafs would welcome back UFA center Ryan O’Reilly. However, many clubs will look to pay him more than the cap-strapped Leafs.

Hornby mentioned the Leafs could buy out or attempt to trade goaltender Matt Murray.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The preference would be trading him but they’ll have to package him with a sweetener or retain some of his salary to make it happen. Given his injury history, a buyout before the June 20 deadline wouldn’t be surprising.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Leafs reportedly aren’t close to a new contract for pending UFA defenseman Luke Schenn. It’s believed he’s seeking term and no-trade protection in his next deal.

COULD THE DEVILS TRADE SHARANGOVICH?

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wondering about whether the Devils could put Yegor Sharangovich on the trade block. The 25-year-old is a restricted free agent coming off a down year of 13 goals and 30 points following a 24-goal, 46-point performance in 2021-22.

Friedman said that he’d heard that “some talks picked up around him”. He indicated that someone told him not to be surprised if something went down here.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Evan Rawal believes the Avalanche could be interested in Sharangovich if he hits the trade block. He pointed out how they’d landed players in the past such as Andre Burakovsky, Devon Toews and Alexandar Georgiev made available by other clubs looking to cut salary or in need of a change of scenery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharangovich is coming off a two-year deal with an AAV of $2 million. He’d be an affordable pickup for any club seeking a versatile middle-six forward in his mid-twenties with 20-goal ability. The asking price could be a second-round pick.

UPDATE ON THE OILERS

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Kurt Leavins thinks Kailer Yamamoto is in play this offseason. He believes the Oilers want to get an asset in return to clear his contract from their books. A buyout is also a possibility.

Leavins also anticipates that defenseman Cody Ceci will be back next season. He felt Ceci when fully healthy can return to being the player he was a year ago plus his $3.25 million AAV is a good fit for the cap-strapped Oilers.

The Oilers are unlikely to part ways with Philip Broberg. Leavins also dismissed the notion of defenseman Evan Bouchard signing an offer sheet with another club.










NHL Rumor Mill – June 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.