Compete Level

Albert Johansson gets two years 1.125 per, news that is important to me and not the broader hockey world.

I do think he's a solid third-pair guy moving forward.

Right now, I guess, excluding Kane and other UFAs

Kasper / Larkin / Raymond
Berggren / Copp / DeBrincat
Soderblom / Compher / ?
? / Rasmussen / Mazur

Chiarot / Seider
Edvinsson / AlJo
Holl / Gustafsson

Gibson
Talbot

I still assume Kane comes back, though.

On top of Kane, Yzerman needs: one scoring line winger, (at least) one bottom-six forward, one top-four D. They have a lot of cap space so that's not an issue.

Ehlers / Larkin / Raymond
Kane / Kasper / DeBrincat
Compher / Copp / Soderblom
Tanev / Rasmussen / Mazur
Berggren

K'andre Miller / Seider
Edvinsson / AlJo
Chiarot / Gustafsson
Holl

Gibson
Talbot

Other rookies who could conceivably make it:

Danielson: I don't think they'll gift him a spot but I do wonder what more he needs to get out of the AHL. The most likely after Mazar.
ASP: Seems like he needs some AHL time at least.
Brandsegg-Nygard: Looked great in the AHL playoffs and the World Championships.
Wallinder / Buium / Tuomisto: If a D gets hurt I'd rather see any of them over Lagesson.

Anton Johansson went back to the SHL for this year, which is a bit of a bummer but not unforeseen.

Berggren's back for one year 1.825

Maybe he pops off without having to play with Tarastinko

Another year for Patrick Kane, up to 7 mil with bonus.

More than before but who cares

JVR feels like a good cheap (a million plus another million in incentives) option for the fourth line / PP2 who can chip in some goals, which the fourth line did not do last year.

Jacob Bernard-Docker seems like an OK third-pair option. Found money if he works out, no commitment if he doesn’t. Probably nothing but better than Cody Ceci.

Ian Mitchell seems like AHL depth who could come up in a pinch. Enjoy your time on waivers, buddy.

John Leonard also signed, presumably an AHL scorer. Had 36 goals there last year. GR needs help in that department.

guy on the athletic seems to think JVR will be on the first line with larkin and raymond

it made me sad to read

I think Elmer Soderblom has the best shot to stick there. JVR is too slow for it.

Can’t say there’s a great option. Berggren? Copp?

The obvious solution is to clone Marco Kasper so he can play both 1LW and 2C.

Elliotte Friedman reports that the Red Wings had interest in Nikolaj Ehlers, who didn't have interest in meeting with Detroit.

Also notes Arvidsson and Marchment as trade targets that Yzerman was interested in that didn't pan out.

A relief on Arvidsson because he looks washed but obviously a bummer on Ehlers

sometimes at work I come across the name/work of prominent neuroscience researcher Henrik Zetterberg (https://openalex.org/authors/a5079766290)

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