NHL Notebook: Pierre-Luc Dubois tops trade target list, Blue Jackets acquire and sign Damon Severson, and more
1 year ago
The latest trade targets list from Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli was released on Friday afternoon featuring a new name at the top: Pierre-Luc Dubois.
The disgruntled forward is forcing his way out of his second organization after reportedly asking for a trade out of Winnipeg. According to Seravalli, Dubois said he’s not interested in signing a new contract as a pending RFA.
That’s not the only new name on the list, as Seravalli included 10 others. Edmonton Oilers forward Kailer Yamamoto, meanwhile, remains on the list.
1. Pierre-Luc Dubois
Center, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 24
Stats: 73 GP, 27 G, 36 A, 63 Pts
Contract: Pending RFA, $6 million qualifying offer
Scoop: Dubois has rocketed to the top of the list by virtue of his formal trade request. He’s informed the Jets he will not be signing a new contract. The Jets could force him to return next season with a qualifying offer and club-elected arbitration award. That doesn’t appear to be the path Winnipeg will travel down. Instead, the most likely outcome is very similar to what the Flames did last year with Matthew Tkachuk: find a willing party, negotiate an eight-year extension, and then complete the sign and trade. With size, youth and production, Dubois is a power forward in demand.2. Connor Hellebuyck
Goaltender, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 30
Stats: 64 GP, 2.49 GAA, .920 Sv%
Contract: 1 more season, $6.17 million AAV
Scoop: Hellebuyck is one of the most consistently excellent netminders playing one of the most fickle positions in pro sports. Hellebuyck is coming off a season that rivaled only his 2019-20 campaign that garnered him the Vezina Trophy, and he was voted a finalist again this season for the third time in six years. He’s in his prime, under a manageable cap hit for one more year, and could vault a roster into serious contender contention. Los Angeles, New Jersey, Ottawa, Toronto, Carolina, Pittsburgh and Vegas all have openings based on play or contractual status.…21. Kailer Yamamoto
Right Wing, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 24
Stats: 58 GP, 10 G, 15 A, 25 Pts
Contract: 1 more season, $3.1 million AAV
Scoop: Like Mantha, Yamamoto is a buyout candidate. Just about every part of this season was a little bit “off” for Yamamoto. He didn’t seem quite right. He’s been dealing with a vestibular system issue, symptoms not all that different than a concussion, for a large chunk of the year, which also kept him out of the lineup in the early part of 2023. When he’s been healthy, Yamamoto can be an impact contributor. He collected 20 goals last season. It’s just that the Oilers will have other players to pay (see: Evan Bouchard) and limited room to make deals, making him expendable.
THE NHL NOTEBOOK IS PRESENTED BY BETWAY
Blue Jackets acquire and sign Damon Severson
The Columbus Blue Jackets made a splash Friday further solidifying their defensive corps by acquiring and signing pending UFA defenceman Damon Severson.
The Blue Jackets subsequently inked Severson to an eight-year deal with a $6.25 million AAV. The deal will run until 2031 and includes a full no-trade clause in the first four years, and a modified no-trade clause in the final four. In return, the Devils received a 2023 third-round pick.
Here’s what Daily Faceoff‘s Steven Ellis has to say about the deal:
Severson was the top free agent on Seravalli’s most recent top 50 board, with a salary projection of $6.1 million over six years according to AFP Analytics. Severson is coming off of a of a six-year deal with the Devils with an AAV of $4.166 million.The 28-year-old from Melville, Saskatchewan, has proven to be a valuable NHL defenseman, scoring a career-high 11 goals and 46 points in 2021-22. He had had seven goals and 33 points in the regular season and another three points during the playoffs this year with the Devils, the team that drafted him 60th overall in 2012.
OT goal gives Panthers 3-2 win to get into series
The Florida Panthers gave themselves a lifeline with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Panthers were down 2-0 moving into game 3 on Thursday night, but thanks to goals from Brandon Montour, Matthew Tkachuk, and an overtime winner from Carter Verhaege, they secured the win.
Daily Faceoff‘s Scott Maxwell gives the details on the Panthers’ first Stanley Cup Final win in franchise history.
Brandon Montour’s wrist shot from the point beat Adin Hill to open the scoring, giving the new father his first goal and point since Game 1 of the second round against the Toronto Maple Leafs.However, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses for the Panthers in the game. First, they took a big hit to the lineup, with Matthew Tkachuk getting lit up by Keegan Kolesar and leaving the game for a while. And then on a 4-on-3 power play late in the first, the Golden Knights tied up the game, as a Jonathan Marchessault one-timer got deflected in front by Mark Stone.The Golden Knights carried that momentum into the second period, getting plenty of chances but still struggling to beat Sergei Bobrovsky for most of the frame. It wasn’t until about five minutes to go when they finally broke through to take a 2-1 lead, with Jack Eichel making a nifty cross-seam pass to Marchessault for the one-timer goal, which would tie him with Leon Draisaitl for the most goals in the playoffs with 13.It seemed like Vegas was going to hold on and win with their play in the third, limiting the chances and getting a few of their own to extend the lead, but with 2:13 left in the game, Matthew Tkachuk came up clutch again, as he was perfectly positioned in the crease for a rebound off of a Carter Verhaeghe slapshot to tie the game.And we only needed 4:27 to decide a winner and make it a series again. Verhaeghe threw the puck on net as the Panthers were just entering the offensive zone, and it beat hill to give Florida the 3-2 win in overtime, and cut Vegas’ series lead in half at 2-1.
Aleena Aksenchuk is an intern with Oilersnation and the Nation Network. She can be found on Twitter at @A_Aksenchuk8
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