Boxing Day Shopping: Profiling 11 Remaining NHL Free Agents

Who doesn't like a good deal?

“They Gave Up On Me.” Those were the words that 2x NBA All-Star Isaiah Thomas managed to say through tears after a dominant 81-point performance in the Crawsover Pro-Am league run by former NBA star Jamal Crawford. Up to that point, Thomas was just a few years removed from his All-NBA days, yet his NBA future was in jeopardy with minimal interest in his services a month into NBA free agency.

My name is Taahaa Lone, I am a scout and a writer, but on this Substack blog, I love telling stories about the underdogs. For the past few years, I’ve had a habit of looking into and writing profiles about remaining free agents. For most players, being unsigned but unofficially retired this far into the season is game over. However, many players in this situation have come back to the NHL (see: Brian Boyle, Eric Staal, Nick Seeler, Andreas Englund).

It’s a nice exercise for me to flex my professional scouting side, as I’m used to focusing on the amateur side of the game. This is more of a fun post for fans of lower-tier professional teams looking for potential targets than anything else, but I’m taking it to a new level this year. 11 full-length profiles complete with status updates, scouting reports, and projections. Let’s get into it.

Table of Contents:

(Click to Skip to the Profile)
The Veterans
1. John Klingberg (Edmonton Oilers, NHL - 2025-01-17)
2. Sam Gagner (Belleville Senators, AHL - 2025-01-24)
3. Mark Giordano
4. Phil Kessel
5. Mike Hoffman
NHL Depth
6. Rem Pitlick (San Jose Barracuda, AHL - 2025-02-06)
7. Victor Mete (Retired)
8. Kasimir Kaskisuo (Bloomington Bison, ECHL - 2025-02-13)
AHL Key Options
9. Kyle Rau (Kunlun Red Star, KHL - 2024-12-27)
10. Anders Bjork (Milwaukee Admirals, AHL - 2025-01-12)
11. Chase De Leo (Milwaukee Admirals, AHL - 2025-01-18)

Important League Rules to Consider

The AHL veteran rule has made it a lot harder for teams to give opportunities to local talents with experience. Many of these players seek opportunities abroad, but there are a few rules that these players have to navigate.

AHL: Veteran Rule - 5 skaters with >260 GP + 1 skater with between 260 and 320 GP.
KHL: Minimum 10 rostered players with citizenship in the team’s home country (or Russian citizens irrespective of country, relevant for Kunlun). Limit of 1 Foreign Goalie.
NL: 6 imports allowed (Has increased drastically over the last few years).
SHL: The import rule was abolished 10 years ago.
Liiga: The import rule was abolished 10 years ago.
Czech Extraliga: 6 imports allowed.
DEL: 11 imports allowed.
ICEHL: Maximum 10 non-domestic players.
EIHL: 15 non-homegrown players (max 1 foreign goaltender).

Tier 1: NHL Contributors (The Vets That Can Play)

1. John Klingberg (Signed)

Position (and Positional Rank): RHD (#1)
Age: 32
Height/Weight: 6’1/185 lbs
Birthplace: Gothenburg, SWE
2023-24 Statistics:
0g/5a/5p in 14 GP with the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
Accolades: 1x NHL All-Star, 2x World Championship Gold Medalist, 1x SHL Champion, 633 NHL GP

Status

Jan 17 2025 - Signed, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

John Klingberg doesn’t have the luxury of sitting around weighing his options. Instead, he’s on this list for a different reason. Two years ago, Klingberg infamously (allegedly) turned down a multi-year deal from the Dallas Stars. After receiving no long-term offers weeks into free agency, he fired his agent and eventually settled on a one-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks. Last July, Klingberg signed a $4,150,000 x 1-year contract with the Leafs – a second lucrative “prove-it” deal that Klingberg had to take to prove he could consistently return to some form of the All-Star puck mover he was in Dallas.

His first 6 games were actually not too bad. Klingberg was given a spot on the Leafs’ top power-play unit and looked to provide relief for Morgan Rielly’s workload. He saw close to 5 minutes of PP time on multiple occasions, exceeding that on October 29th against Florida when he saw 5:29 on the man advantage. Klingberg put up 5 points in his first 6 games, and despite shaky defensive results, was really holding his own in the offensive zone.

Everything after that was a disaster.

Klingberg (Blue, #3) was physically labouring out there. Looking back, it’s pretty clear that he really wanted to play at home when the Leafs travelled to Sweden for the Global Series. His body gave up on him. In an emotional scrum in Stockholm, Klingberg described hitting “rock bottom” with his nagging hip injury, which had plagued him since his double hip surgery in 2014 (before he became an NHL All-Star) and admitted it had affected his hamstring and overall mobility. A week later, he was placed on LTIR, and just a week after that, the Leafs shut him down for the year.

One double hip surgery from Dr. Edwin Su – the New York surgeon who operated on Patrick Kane before he put up 47 points in 50 games – later, and Klingberg is almost a year into extensive rehab in the Greater Toronto Area, per Chris Johnston.

Klingberg is eligible for a performance bonus-laden deal, as he fits the following criteria (from Puckpedia): “Players with a minimum of 400 NHL Games Played signing a 1-year contract after having a long-term injury. A long-term injury is defined as a player on Injured Reserve for a minimum of 100 days in the last year.”

This is similar to what Connor Brown signed with the Oilers last year after missing most of 2022-23 with the Capitals. It removes the risk from the deal. Rather than just relieving the cap hit via LTIR in case of re-aggravation, teams get the added security of not committing actual dollars/extra cap to a player who cannot perform after injury.

Johnston also reported that Klingberg was aiming for a comeback in the New Year, presumably before the March 7th deadline. Dr. Su and Alex Shafiro might just be the Shaq and Kobe of double hip resurfacing – which involves replacing the hip socket with a prosthetic. They’ve overseen NHLers such as Patrick Kane and Jesse Puljujarvi returning from this under their supervision.

So, no. John Klingberg isn’t at home weighing his options. Instead, he’s working his butt off, not just to live a normal life, but to return to a job that requires him to be one of the best athletes on the planet.

Scouting Report

Sorting through John Klingberg's 2023-24 tape is hard. His skating visibly deteriorates to the point that he’s barely even moving around. Early on, though, to be honest, you could tell that Klingberg was labouring a bit after missing much of the preseason with an undisclosed injury.

The Leafs knew that they were getting a highly gifted but defensively-deficient blue liner. They were mostly right. Klingberg proved to be very gifted with the puck on his stick, using his vision to find breakout passes that most NHL defenders wouldn’t spot.

They also already knew that he was extremely deficient in his own zone, which wasn’t going to miraculously fix itself. What they didn’t realize was that Klingberg had lost half of the combination that made him so gifted. When he got to Toronto, the details of his skating were decimated. The lateral skating that made him so gifted was nowhere to be seen. Klingberg continued to make the risky offensive pinches he is known for but found himself labouring to get back on defense afterward.

Here’s a compilation posted last year by scout Tim Archambault showcasing Klingberg’s lateral skating ability before his time in Toronto (sorry, Elon doesn’t let me embed tweets anymore):

And just a sick highlight from a few years ago (for fun):

Klingberg was a shell of himself last year. It would make sense that his rapid decline has been a result of him trying to play through a rapid deterioration of his hips. To believe that he is the #1 option on this list, you have to completely buy into the idea that the work of Dr. Edwin Su and Alex Shafiro will do the same for John Klingberg that they have done for Patrick Kane and Jesse Puljujarvi… and the thumbnail of this post, Isaiah Thomas, who described the feeling to ESPN with the following:

“It's like night and day for me. There's no more pain. I've got my full range of motion. For three years, I was trying to play the best players in the world on one leg.”

I’m going to buy into the hype. I think that there is a high chance that John Klingberg will return to the NHL level. At 32, though, even I will have to be realistic about what that will look like. I think that Klingberg will gain mobility and confidence without the pain and limited motion in his lower body, which will free him to become a PP QB with the potential to play on a team’s primary power-play unit. I think his 5v5 play will improve immensely now that he can do a better job of making up for his risky plays when he gets burnt. However, while I think his 5v5 defense will improve due to this renewed mobility, I still cannot project him as more than a #5 defenseman with PP time. Shayne Gostisbehere is excelling in this role for Carolina, but it’ll be hard to convince a team to open this up for Klingberg mid-season.

Projection

It might be too soon to project where Klingberg will sign for the rest of this season, but it is clear that his intention is to return to the NHL. Teams will have to check back in around February, but they will need to be convinced that Klingberg is in game shape. Would the former All-Star accept a tryout in the AHL? Does he have to take a tryout in his native Sweden to prove that the game hasn’t left him?

Being an offensive defenseman who isn’t a top-4 lock is a thankless role in the NHL, one that very few players can convince teams to open up. Klingberg, at this point in his career, would be best suited to finding a team that takes a chance on him to run the point on the power play and shelters his 5v5 minutes. There is legitimate reason to believe that Klingberg can spark life in an NHL team’s power play, and if these hip issues were as chronic as Klingberg described, the work of Dr. Su could breathe new life into his mobility at 5v5.

The Boston Bruins’ power play has been ice-cold this year, but I have a feeling that the focus is less on their defense and more on their forwards. Still, could Klingberg push the struggling Mason Lohrei? I don’t think there’s an appetite to roadblock Lohrei on the PP and Andrew Peeke at 5v5, so maybe not.

Similar issue with the New York Islanders, whose PP woes may have more to do with their forwards than their formidable defensive group. The Edmonton Oilers are looking for a right-shot defenseman, but I’m not sure if they would take a bet like this on their 2nd pairing.

The point I’m trying to make is that there’s no clean fit for Klingberg, yet. An NHL team will be interested in making him an extra defenseman for the playoffs if he is in game shape, but the determining factor is Klingberg’s willingness to prove himself. I don’t think Klingberg has come this far for nothing, though, and perhaps a savvy rebuilding team takes a chance on him in hopes of flipping him for an asset in March.

Everything will be clear in the New Year, as Klingberg works his way to game shape. If I had to guess, I think he takes a tryout in Sweden before his NHL options become clear.

2. Sam Gagner (Signed)

Position (and Positional Rank): C/RW (#1/#1)
Age: 35
Height/Weight: 5’11/196 lbs
Birthplace: London, ON, Canada
2023-24 Statistics:
5g/5a/10p in 28 GP with the Edmonton Oilers (NHL)
3g/6a/9p in 15 GP with the Bakersfield Condors (AHL)
Accolades: 1043 NHL GP, 1x Spengler Cup Champion

Status:

Signed: Belleville Senators, AHL - 2025-01-24

Man, I love Sam Gagner. Life as a 35-year-old depth winger is hard, though. In fact, no one would’ve blamed Gagner if his NHL career ended 6 years ago when the Vancouver Canucks loaned him to the Toronto Marlies – closer to Gagner’s home rather than sending him to Utica. In fact, when Gagner found a way to play 6 seasons in the NHL after that, he caused Yahoo Sports to name him the “NHL's definitive cockroach.” Here are Gagner’s dates of signing since he first became a UFA in 2016 (and how many days it took for him to get signed).

August 1st, 2016 (31 days) - Columbus
July 1st, 2017 (0 days) - Vancouver
Extended in Detroit for 1 year
July 28th, 2021 (0 days) - Detroit
September 2nd, 2022 (51 days) - Winnipeg
October 22nd, 2023 (113 days) - Bakersfield
Signs with their NHL affiliate, Edmonton, a week later

“I’ve overcome some challenges in my career that have helped me understand that perspective, and now I almost get excited when I go through adversity because it’s just another challenge. It’s kind of really helped me to frame it that way, and it’s why I’ve been able to continue to play.” - Gagner last year, as a depth forward for the Oilers (Source)

After 78 days without a deal since 2024 NHL Free Agency began, Gagner signed a PTO with the Carolina Hurricanes. He actually did well in the preseason, scoring 4 points in 4 games (3 of which came in his final game). Unfortunately for him, strong performances from rookie Jackson Blake led the Hurricanes to give him their final roster spot, as they cut Gagner and AHL standout Rocco Grimaldi from their PTOs.

So, here we are. Gagner spent the whole summer reiterating that he wants to play, and his on-ice performances have repeatedly proven that he can probably do it.

Gagner is currently an Executive Director of the Toronto Marlboros, the renowned GTHL youth team that he and close friend/NHL star John Tavares played for when they were younger, as they both accepted roles in taking over the team’s operations. He also runs Muskoka Hockey, a popular off-season training camp for NHLers such as Auston Matthews which is offering elite-level youth camps and an invite-only pro camp run by Canadiens’ Director of Player Development Adam Nicholas next summer. There’s also much talk about Oilers CEO Jeff Jackson, whose first NHL client as an agent was Gagner himself, offering him a job with the Oilers’ brass. That is all to say, Gagner will be alright after his playing career ends.

The real question is, can Hockey’s Houdini get himself out of a free agency stalemate one more time?

Gagner is set to play for Team Canada at the Spengler Cup, which will show NHL teams if he still has gas in the tank. He’s also currently training with Djurgården of HockeyAllsvenskan as he visits his friend Alexander Edler.

Scouting Report

After watching a lot of Sam Gagner’s tape last season, I think it is better to be honest about what he is. He’s not the guy who scored 8 points in a game many years ago. Gagner has never been described as a good skater. Actually, he’s been frequently described as a bad skater, which is part of what has made his presence in the NHL for so long even more impressive. With age, though, it has gotten more noticeable… to me, at least. The numbers, though, show that he’s pretty much as fast as he was three years ago.

That immediately puts Gagner at a disadvantage in a depth role. He doesn’t bring speed to your forecheck, nor does he have an imposing frame to make up for it. So, how the hell has he stuck around for so long?

For starters, despite his lack of footspeed, Gagner displays excellent intelligence, constantly using his experience and IQ to identify where the puck should go and finding open areas for his teammates as a playmaker. It helps that he is still immensely talented, with his patented silky-smooth hands that allow him to free up space and make smart plays.

His work ethic is also relentless, as his feet stay moving and his stick keeps battling no matter what. He knows his role and had most of his success last year digging into the paint and fighting for garbage goals. Despite not being overly physical, Gagner still does good work on the boards and in the corners.

Here’s a play that I think sums up the best parts of his season. Gagner (#89, Navy) undresses a defender, finds a teammate for the safe play, and absolutely battles for the garbage goal.

Just for fun, here’s Sam Gagner blocking 3 Sean Walker point shots in a losing effort.

Sam Gagner doesn’t fit a traditional player archetype. He’s slow and skilled, but not to a level where he can still drive play in a team’s top 6 like his friend John Tavares. He’s aggressive, but not strong enough to become a grinder and not fast enough to be a primary forechecker. Sam Gagner is just a beauty. He plays his heart out and still produces offense at an above-average level in low minutes with less offensively inclined teammates.

The lack of strategic fit, though, means he’s just the perfect 13th (or 14th) forward. I think he is at least slightly above replacement level, but is also a great leader and would be a versatile fit in any role that needs filling. The best fit for Gagner is probably something similar to what he did in Edmonton last year — a beloved depth forward who can take the load off of players as they prepare for a heavy playoff run.

Projection

The Oilers love Sam Gagner, but there’s just no room. Seth Griffith, Lane Pederson, Drake Caggiula, Connor Carrick, Josh Brown, and Cam Dineen take up 5/5 of the Condors’ veteran spots, and they just had to trade Ben Gleason due to this logjam. Any move similar to what Gagner did last year (that is, signing with the Condors and then seeing if there’s room on the Oilers) is extremely difficult with that logjam unless one of those players is moved or is injured long-term (which no one is hoping for). There’s a world where the Oilers have enough contract spots left (they currently have 5 left, as they’ve signed 45/50 SPCs) by March 7th to the point that they feel it’s worth signing and waiving Gagner so that he’s eligible to play in the playoffs. This would provide the Oilers with familiar depth to feel prepared for another deep run.

And, yes, I’m sure John Tavares wouldn’t mind having his backyard buddy back in Toronto. Gagner’s been linked to Toronto forever, but it’s the same situation as it is with the Oilers. There’s no space for Gagner on the main roster (with a plethora of bottom-6 forwards to rotate, strengthened by the emergences of Fraser Minten and Nikita Grebenkin). The Marlies have Logan Shaw, Joseph Blandisi, Kyle Clifford, Matt Benning, and Alex Nylander to manage. In fact, if there were any time for a homecoming to Toronto, it would have been in early December, when they had 5 NHL forwards injured in Toronto, plus an injury to the aforementioned veteran Blandisi.

The Colorado Avalanche have had a tough time, with Nikita Prishchepov having to make his NHL debut just months after being drafted in the 7th round. I would be surprised to hear that they haven’t given Gagner a call, and even more surprised if Gagner turned it down.

The problem for Gagner is the same as it has always been. Not many teams have a bottom-6 spot for an offense-first player. It’s not like Gagner is a defensive black hole, but the preference for teams signing veterans in these spots is for them to be physical and defense-oriented. Additionally, teams would prefer that any offensive player in these spots is a younger prospect with the potential to develop, not a 35-year-old winger.

Still, I think Gagner is far and away the best option among forwards on the market. He has proven that he can still contribute as a depth winger and just wants another year in the big leagues. Sure, he could probably light it up in the Swiss league, but with a doctor wife from Edmonton, a home in Muskoka, and two promising organizations to run in Ontario. He’s willing to go all the way across the pond for the Spengler Cup, but would he spend the whole year there? It sounds like his family has been quite supportive, so maybe he will give it a go in Europe as he waits for an NHL offer.

My projection: Gagner signs with the Edmonton Oilers or signs a short-term deal in Europe to keep his NHL options open this season. I think any team in the NHL with an open contract slot and thin forward depth should keep Gagner’s contact information in mind, and I think that Jeff Jackson’s Oilers wouldn’t commit to Gagner if they think there’s a better chance of him getting playing time out there… but if it comes to it by March 7th, it should happen. A strong showing at the Spengler Cup will really do his chances a solid.

3. Mark Giordano

Position (and Positional Rank): LHD (#1)
Age: 41
Height/Weight: 6’1/203 lbs
Birthplace: Toronto, ON, CAN
2023-24 Statistics:
3g/6a/9p in 46 GP with the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)
Accolades: 3x NHL All-Star, 1x 1st NHL All-Star Team, Norris Trophy Winner, World Championship Silver Medalist, NHL Mark Messier Leadership Award

Status

Agent Rich Winter didn’t offer any comment in his response to me about Giordano’s situation, but his remarks in September to Sportsnet’s Eric Francis gave me plenty to work with. My takeaways?

• Giordano is definitely not done yet.

• He wants to play for a Cup contender (hasn’t won the Cup yet).

• He’s willing to offer his services for a younger team as a mentor and then get play his way into becoming an option for a Contender at the Trade Deadline.

• They pursued a return to Calgary, but Craig Conroy was adamant against it.

• A return to Toronto would’ve been contingent on Jani Hakanpaa’s status.

  • Context: Hakanpaa’s deal with Toronto was widely reported on July 1st, but skepticism regarding his knee issues put that on hold until September, when he signed for one year instead of two and started the season on the sidelines.

• They were in talks with the Edmonton Oilers.

TSN’s Chris Johnston had an update in October, which confirmed the following:

• Giordano was still working out in Toronto after spending the summer training with Toronto-based NHLers.

• His current priority is to land a depth job with a Cup Contender.

• Johnston listed the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers as appealing options.

Scouting Report

Hockey is a taxing sport, and defensemen in particular see their performances drop off quickly at the mercy of Father Time… but Mark Giordano was one of the Leafs’ fittest defensemen just last year. Here’s a quick piece from just last year about the science behind Gio’s success and his focus on recovery. I’m not saying he’s LeBron James, but there’s not a lot of evidence pointing to Giordano going from the most relied-upon Leafs defensemen for a time last fall (when he averaged 20:13 a night and ate pucks like it was nothing, averaging 2:16 on the PK on the season) to a complete non-factor due to age alone.

I found myself very impressed with Giordano’s performances last year, as he single-handedly kept the Leafs’ defense afloat. Giordano is a heavy defenseman who understands his limitations. He has a heavy stride but picks his spots to jump up into play. Giordano is strong with the puck on his stick, using his years of experience and IQ to find the smart play to keep the puck in possession. He has an extremely sharp point shot paired with crisp puck movement.

Giordano’s biggest strength is his poise paired with his work ethic. With the puck on his stick, he is calm and makes smart decisions under pressure. When facing offensive pressure head-on, Gio remains calm and limits chances. However, he is still more than willing to chase back if he’s out of play, skating back as if a pack of wolves is chasing after him. If he recovers, though, he goes back to calm Gio. Slow and steady wins the race for Mark Giordano, and that’s what has made him an analytics darling, even at his age.

Also, the NHL’s all-time leader in blocks (since they were first tracked) just can’t stop blocking shots. Ideally, your team shouldn’t be in a position to have shots against in the first place, but it is crucial to have guys who will put their bodies on the line. Giordano does just that, putting himself in positions to stop plays before they get to the goaltender by any means necessary.

The question that has left him available is… how slow can slow and steady be? Giordano wasn’t the slowest defenseman in the league by a fair margin, but it is fair to say that most of this was because of his unrelenting hustle. Giordano didn’t play in the playoffs for the Maple Leafs last season, but many felt that his lack of footspeed would be exposed in that setting, as the league’s savviest teams move toward fast forecheckers.

There’s also the question of whether his body can handle the rigour of the life of the day-to-day NHL schedule, as recovery only gets harder and harder at this age. Anecdotally, I found myself advocating to put Giordano on a load management protocol last season as he looked slower and slower. This is why I also put a great focus on his performances last season and ignored any of his prior body of work.

Despite his sparkling underlying numbers and impressive performances, I would be hesitant to make him a full-time defenseman. However, there is nothing in my mind that stops Giordano from being a #7/#8 defenseman on a playoff team. This is the guy who sets the example for your team, coming to work day in and day out to play the game the Right Way. His numbers are good, and his performances are good, but it all depends on how his footspeed holds up after another year of fighting Father Time.

Projection

So, Giordano is still practicing and was good last season… what’s the big deal? I’ll keep it a buck fifty here, only 4 defensemen have played a season at age 41 since 1980-81: Zdeno Chara, Chris Chelios, Nicklas Lidstrom, and Tommy Albelin.

I can see why Craig Conroy’s Flames wanted to give priority to the 18 defensemen they have signed to NHL deals. Also, their blue-chip defenseman prospect, Zayne Parekh, isn’t with the team yet, so there’s no immediate need for some sort of mentor with a stall in the dressing room.

Also, the Leafs opted to allocate their depth defensemen slots to relatively younger defensemen in their 30s, acquiring/signing Jani Hakanpaa, Dakota Mermis, Phil Myers, and Matt Benning.

If he is still working out in Toronto as Chris Johnston reported, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. Giordano has a goal, and my projection here is that he will achieve it.

I believe that Giordano’s contact information will stay in a couple of GMs’ phones until the Trade Deadline on March 7th (the last day for teams to sign players who will be eligible for the playoffs). Around February/March, contending teams that feel light on defensemen will give him a call. I also wouldn’t rule out that a team that sees its injuries pile up as the season goes on could give him a call earlier.

The Edmonton Oilers are the team that I would say has the highest odds of bringing Giordano onto their squad. As weird as it is to have a former Flames captain on the other side of the Battle of Alberta, it sounds like there’s been mutual interest. I’m not convinced that the signing of Travis Dermott in September put an end to this, nor the waiver claim of Alec Regula. The priority will be to acquire a right-shot defenseman for the team’s 2nd pair, which would bump Troy Stecher beside Dermott in the press box. Both of those guys are valued by the Oilers for their versatility, with Stecher (right-shot) willing to play on his left side, and Dermott (left-shot) willing to play on the right.

GM Stan Bowman is on the record saying the following: “I don’t want to go into a year with just seven defensemen. You’ve got to go in with at least 10 to 12, knowing that there’s never been a year when a team uses just seven defensemen all year long. You’ve got to be nine, 10, 11 deep on defense.”

The Oilers have 5 contract slots open right now, giving them more than enough flexibility to work with at the deadline. Once they get their guy, I wonder if former Flames head coach/current Oilers assistant coach Glen Gulutzan would put in a good word for his former captain. After all, there are worse 9th defensemen to have than a former Norris winner.

4. Phil Kessel

Position (and Positional Rank): RW (#2)
Age: 37
Height/Weight: 6’0/203 lbs
Birthplace: Madison, WI, USA
2023-24 Statistics: Did Not Play
Accolades: 3x NHL All-Star, 3x Stanley Cup Champion, 2014 Olympic Best Forward, 2010 Olympic Silver Medalist, Bill Masterton Trophy Winner, 1286 NHL GP (992 Points), Most Consecutive Games Played in NHL History

Status

Nice guy, tries hard, loves the game.

Phil Kessel is an NHL legend. His trophy cabinet speaks for itself. Still, Kessel has found himself begging for an NHL opportunity since he won the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. In fact, he’s willing to break his Iron Man streak (most consecutive games played) to get an opportunity. The closest he got was an opportunity to skate and work out with the Abbotsford Canucks, Vancouver’s AHL affiliate. After over a month with the team, the Canucks passed on bringing him on before the trade deadline, with GM Patrik Allvin offering the following:

"With roster complications and how we want to play, unfortunately, at this point it wasn't a fit for us."

Specifically, it sounded like Allvin’s Canucks were unwilling to send a player down to keep Kessel on the NHL roster, which left me with some more questions. The Canucks could’ve signed and waived him, but it was unclear whether or not that was a no-go from the Canucks side (due to the AHL veteran rule) or from Kessel’s camp. Canucks media heavily hinted that Phil Kessel didn’t want to play in Abbotsford, but I’ve been unable to verify this. Specifically, I have no idea if he was against the AHL, or living in Abbotsford (as someone who grew up in Brampton, Ontario… I won’t make any jokes).

The Canucks took great pains to make clear that this was a no because of their own situation, not because of Kessel. However, his first skate with the AHL Canucks was highly scrutinized due to his perceived lack of conditioning, more visible in gathering his breath between drills than during the actual practice.

Phil Kessel has been on the end of many jokes about his conditioning. The stories are even funnier but would fill the rest of this post. Still, there are so many stories of him being in much better shape than people would imagine.

“The second was at a BioSteel camp. One player came out of the gym swearing and annoyed. Kessel was reading a magazine while everyone else sweated away, and this player (who prefers to remain anonymous) asked if Kessel was going to bother joining everyone. Kessel replied, “Want to see what I can do?” He proceeded to destroy everyone else in the leg press, and went back to the magazine.“ - Elliotte Friedman

After a full year away, Elliotte Friedman still confirmed that Kessel was calling teams to seek a professional tryout. It sounds like Kessel is taking this pretty seriously, and if his conditioning can match the amount of phone calls he’s made, I think he has a shot.

Scouting Report

It is so, so hard to write an accurate scouting report for a 37-year-old who hasn’t played in a year. It requires a lot of guesswork and constant reminders that the human body slows down and breaks apart as it ages.

In his prime, Kessel used his surprisingly blazing speed to get his wicked snapshot off the rush, which helped him lead the Maple Leafs in goals 5 years in a row. He was a also smart playmaker who had his deficiencies in his own zone.

In Vegas, I saw a different Phil Kessel. One who understood his body’s limitations and was willing to work around it.

Of course, his insane shot and puck skills were still there, it was just harder to utilize them.

While Kessel didn’t have the wheels nor the deployment to get his chances off of the rush, I noticed that he’s still quite effective at gaining the zone, an underrated skill of his throughout his career.

I think he’s a liability in his own end and is prone to looking “soft,” but as the pressure came on, I found that Kessel was more than willing to get into the dirty areas along the board and fight for pucks.

Offensively, Kessel is still a gifted playmaker with an elite snapshot that is hard for him to utilize. At 37, he is no longer going to carry his line. However, I noticed that his high-level IQ allowed him to find his teammates and also find openings to crash the net and bury chances. He accepted his role as the 3rd option on his line and I think he played it well. I also still think that he could play well on the left half-wall on the PP at the NHL level.

The big concern with Phil Kessel is his speed and conditioning. That’s not me playing into the stereotypes imposed by Toronto media — the guy hasn’t played in a year and a half. How long would it take for him to get back into NHL shape if he’s signed? Has he lost a step? Per NHL EDGE, his top skating speed was still above average in his last year in the league and ranked in the 93rd percentile in top speed in the playoffs. A team will need to see him on the ice to make their judgement.

Best case scenario, I think Kessel can play a similar role to what he did for Vegas during their playoff run. He’s a beloved player who keeps things light but can also take minutes at right wing when needed. If you need a reference for that, check out this feature from ESPN.

He makes an above-average offensive impact, but his lack of speed and defensive aptitude makes it tough for teams to play him every day. No matter what, I think he needs a tryout before any contract is signed. I also do not think any drop-off in footspeed would stop him from lighting up the AHL but I do not think that is his goal.

Projection

Admittedly, there’s not a lot of things working in The Thrill’s favour:

1. Teams are reluctant to sign a 37-year-old winger.

2. Teams are especially reluctant to sign a 37-year-old winger who hasn’t appeared in a professional hockey game in a year and a half.

3. Teams also really do not like signing offense-first veterans to play in their bottom-6.

To be honest, the Canucks last year were probably Kessel’s best shot. I can’t imagine anyone wants him to play more than the GM who oversaw his two Cup-winning performances in Pittsburgh (Jim Rutherford, Vancouver’s President of Hockey Ops) and the coach who ran the power play on those teams (Rick Tocchet, Vancouver’s Head Coach).

Logistically, though… maybe they weren’t the best fit in the first place. Instead, I think we need to focus on Phil Kessel’s most important qualities right now: 1. There’s reason to believe he can still contribute offensively at the NHL level and 2. (More importantly) he was lauded in Vegas for keeping the locker room light and focused despite not playing for the majority of the Cup run. It is clear that his veteran guidance, although unorthodox, has endeared him to teammates and he’s gained a lot of credit from his teammates despite what the media has to say about him.

So… here’s what I got.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are, at the time of writing, 28th in the league in PP%. I think it also goes without saying that they’re going through probably the toughest season in NHL history.

I thought this was an original thought, but it turns out Elliotte Friedman speculated the exact same thing in September. This fit is probably the most logical. Kessel could play a large part in making the back end of the season less of a marathon, especially for the Jackets’ young core featuring the likes of Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, and more. He could also probably slot in on their third line, and maybe he puts some pressure on Kevin Labanc and James van Riemsdyk on their 2nd power-play unit.

I considered the Boston Bruins and New York Islanders, who both feature struggling units on the man advantage, but I felt that both teams have a distinct culture in their bottom 6 and will be more inclined to find relief in the form of a high-end acquisition via trade.

I can’t help myself from naming the Pittsburgh Penguins here. I don’t think GM Kyle Dubas would consider it, but as he gets closer to March, maybe Kessel’s contact number should stay on his phone. The team needs to decide how they want to end the Sidney Crosby era. If they still want to run it, they will definitely need some big pieces… but maybe a familiar face could ease the frustration that has brewed in that locker room at times this season. I don’t see the fit in the lineup, but if the Penguins want to prepare their squad for what is sure to be a battle to get to the postseason, there is one guy who might help steer the locker room away from turmoil.

A lack of calls last year makes me think that this will be the end for Phil Kessel, though… which is a shame, because he’s 8 points away from 1000, and I don’t think he’s a charity case.

5. Mike Hoffman

Position (and Positional Rank): LW(#1)
Age: 35
Height/Weight: 6’0/183 lbs
Birthplace: Kitchener, ON, CAN
2023-24 Statistics:
10g/13a/23p in 66 GP with the San Jose Sharks (NHL)
Accolades: 745 NHL GP (228 Goals)

Status

In 2021, Mike Hoffman signed what he probably knew was his last long-term, a deal worth $13.50M over 3 years after a solid performance on a prove-it deal with the Blues. His new team? The Cup Finalists in Montreal.

Sometimes, things just don’t work out. Hoffman was an awkward fit in Montreal, who quickly realized that they needed to get younger. The man who signed him was canned not even two months into the season, and despite being a top 4 producer for both his years in Montreal, Hoffman’s time in Montreal was considered a dud. The next season, Hoffman was dumped in a three-way trade with the Penguins to the San Jose Sharks in the Erik Karlsson deal.

The Sharks, of course, went 19-54-9 last year. It was a hard tank year for a team that needed a full reset and was very visibly not a great place for the veteran Hoffman to compete. Just like in Montreal, despite finishing the season 6th in points on a rebuilding team, fans were frustrated with the lack of effort and chemistry developed by Hoffman. After all, Mikael Granlund was dumped to the Sharks in that trade and he put up 60 points (15 more than anyone else), so why couldn’t Hoffman at least put in the effort?

So, despite being a notable offensive player on two rebuilding teams, despite having 200+ NHL goals under his belt, and despite playing at a 30-goal pace five years ago, Hoffman is here, with more questions than answers.

I think accepting a PTO with the Oilers should at least calm some of the harsh concerns expressed by many after Hoffman’s stint in San Jose. Hoffman wants to play… and he wants to win, not cash in. His preseason with the Oilers was an uphill battle from the get-go, as the Oilers had brought in guys like Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner as bargain-bin options while younger guys like Vasily Podkolzin and Raphael Lavoie were doing well enough to bet on their upsides.

In the end, despite having 4 points in 4 preseason games and getting looks on the power-play beside the likes of Connor McDavid, Hoffman was released before the season began.

I didn’t get confirmation if he’s still looking for a gig, but I think I’ll keep him in the mix here.

Scouting Report

If you clipped just the moments when Mike Hoffman has the puck on his stick, you would think that Mike Hoffman is a top-6 NHL winger. His hands are smooth, his shot is sharp, and he can move around well, even at 35.

It’s when you watch everything else that it starts to unravel. How do you stick out like a sore thumb on one of the worst teams in the cap era? Well, apparently being a complete non-factor in puck battles and not engaging in the play at all will do the trick.

The criticism for Hoffman’s time in San Jose has been harsh. After all, the team was hopeless, and perhaps he already had an idea that he wasn’t being moved. There were brief points in the year where he looked motivated and would fight for pucks, but those were far and few. Hoffman’s play has made him a negative at 5v5 for years, but a complete lack of engagement consistently made him one of the least impressive players on the San Jose Sharks. He did still look comfortable on the power play but wasn’t a game-changer.

He impressed me a bit in his tryout with Edmonton, particularly on the power play. At 5v5, though, I still felt that he was having trouble staying engaged.

At this point in his career, Hoffman has put himself in a tough position. He has not reworked his game nearly enough to make up for the lack of space he can make for his lethal shot. His ideal position would be as a complimentary winger in the top 6, as I think his one-touch passes and shot selection would pair well with someone who can drive play. However, Hoffman just hasn’t displayed the puck retrieval skills/efforts that are necessary for a player in this role. If he had, he would probably be with the Oilers right now, who are dealing with an injured Viktor Arvidsson and a struggling Jeff Skinner.

Projection

Hoffman’s next steps largely depend on how motivated he is to continue his professional hockey career. After all, he’s 35 with a young family and an estimated $43,490,000 in earnings (per Puckpedia).

If he really wants to play again, I think his best bet is the Spengler Cup – the Swiss tournament that lets Canada bring in a mix of their best players in the European leagues (mostly just the Swiss league), a few AHL guys, and the occasional free agent. If he’s still eyeing the NHL, Hoffman would need to show that he has the motor to compete when it matters, as no one is doubting his offensive ability.

If Hoffman plays anywhere this season, I think he should consider the NL in Switzerland. It’s a comfy atmosphere for older imports. His offensive ability would make him a productive player in that league and any defensive deficiencies wouldn’t be a dealbreaker for teams in that league, from what I’ve seen in previous years. The KHL would usually be an option, and while I think he’d fare well there, it’s pretty rare for a Canadian with a young family who’s already played in the NHL to take the risk in Russia given the volatile situation there.

Of course, I wouldn’t blame him for staying in shape, waiting it out, and seeing if offers come in around the NHL Trade Deadline. After all, he has scored at least 10 goals in each of the last 10 seasons. I think the biggest issue with a guy who is known for being a one-dimensional power-play specialist is that it just isn’t a coveted role if you can’t play in the top 6 (see: Daniel Sprong). Pro scouts did see what he could do in Edmonton, though, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a GM gave Hoffman a call in March if they had an abundance of open slots. Could it be Stan Bowman, who I’ve already established believes in Depth by Community? Maybe… if I didn’t already say they would rather sign a different veteran forward a few thousand words ago. If they still have trouble with Viktor Arvidsson (read: if they still have Kasperi Kapanen in their top 6), then they could bring him in to practice with the team… but if he’s just sitting at home, there’s not a lot to convince teams to give him another look.

Sorry, that’s a lot of waffling. I think it’s Switzerland (whether through the Spengler Cup or the NL) or retirement for the 35-year-old.

Tier 2: NHL Depth

6. Rem Pitlick (Signed)

Position (and Positional Rank): C/RW(#2/#2)
Age: 27
Height/Weight: 5’11/196 lbs
Birthplace: Ottawa, ON, CAN
2023-24 Statistics:
8g/16a/24p in 32 GP with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL)
0g/0a/0p in 9 GP with the Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)
14g/19a/33p in 27 GP with the Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
Accolades: 0.84 PPG at the AHL level, 132 NHL GP

Status

Signed: San Jose Barracuda, AHL - 2025-02-06

There is a case to be made for Rem Pitlick as the #1 free agent on this list. He’s young, he’s fast, and he’s just 3 years removed from putting up 37 points at the NHL level at just 24. Also, his professional games count of 280 games means that AHL teams can fit him as a “veteran-exempt” player (explained at the top of this post), rather than a “veteran.”

As far as updates go, I really don’t have anything valuable to offer. I know there was a lot of interest from Swedish teams (and apparently some from Swiss teams) as the offseason got longer. Specifically, Rogle BK and HV71 were rumoured to be highly interested, and it’s not hard to imagine that a move to the SHL would make Pitlick one of that league’s most dynamic forwards. I also know that Pitlick is home helping his dad Lance run his hockey skills training program.

It’s been a weird few years for Pitlick, who is only a few seasons removed from endearing himself to Canadiens fans as a nifty waiver claim in 2021-22. He fell out of favour in Montreal and requested a trade before being thrown into the Erik Karlsson trade (with Montreal serving as the third party).

Pitlick didn’t crack the Penguins out of camp, and despite leading the WBS Penguins in scoring, he was moved to the Blackhawks in exchange for a 2026 conditional 7th. The Hawks had 6 forwards on IR, and Pitlick filled the hole before taking a top offensive role in Rockford for the rest of the year.

Rem Pitlick is the kind of player who, at the very least, gets a hefty two-way offer or a PTO. He has proved that he can carry a heavy offensive role in the AHL while also providing some energy in a rebuilding team’s bottom 6. As a result, I’m a little surprised to see him available here.

Scouting Report

Rem Pitlick has some of the most valuable traits for an NHLer. He’s fast, he’s skilled, he has a wicked shot and great playmaking ability. He’s a fun hockey player who has gained a reputation as a pass-first centreman/winger despite a ridiculously high shooting percentage across his career.

Unfortunately, a notable lack of consistency paired with great deficiencies defensively has put Pitlick at risk of becoming a career “tweener” between the AHL and NHL levels.

At his best, Pitlick is an electric player who thrives on finding holes and delivering on breakaways. He has done his best work in a sheltered role using his high-level offensive talent IQ to make creative plays against weaker competition.

In his brief stint in Chicago, though, Pitlick struggled with the same issues that forced him out of Montreal. Offensively, he struggled to utilize his speed to create chances, and he was often not deployed as the primary forechecker. Pitlick remained stagnant and couldn’t make space for himself when the puck got onto his stick. Defensively, he was still guilty of being a non-factor, often lacking a clear definition of what he should be doing in his own end.

One could say that Pitlick squandered his opportunity in Chicago, as he was given a top role in the absence of the likes of Connor Bedard and Nick Foligno. I disagree. I think Pitlick would have made a better impression on the Hawks if he got the opportunity to play with Connor Bedard. I see Pitlick as a complementary winger at the NHL level who would fare better beside players who would allow him to use his speed to create chances off of the rush.

It is hard to imagine given all of this information that a team like the San Jose Sharks or Columbus Blue Jackets haven’t snooped around Pitlick, but I think the defensive woes are a huge anchor on Pitlick’s chances of a return to the NHL full time. Pitlick would greatly benefit from convincing teams that he can use his speed and grit to become a consistent menace on the forecheck while also tracking back in his own zone.

In any league outside of the NHL, though, Pitlick will continue to fare well. His abundance of skill and creativity combined with his speed made him one of the AHL’s most productive players when he was moved to Rockford. In fact, if he does play in the AHL this season, I’m confident that he’ll get another look at the NHL level. The problem, of course, is figuring out how he can stick in the big leagues when he gets the chance.

Projection

To me, the rumours of Swedish and Swiss interest check out. His speedy, skilled style of play would make him a valued import in either league with star potential. However, at Pitlick’s age, a detour to these leagues often means a player is refocusing their career on the European circuit rather than an NHL return. Things are tough in North America for fringe, small, skilled forwards. AHL All-Star Rocco Grimaldi was forced to take an AHL PTO in mid-September despite being 2nd in the league in scoring last year. Pitlick is younger and bigger, so I’m not saying they’re one-to-one comparables. However, it means that the 27-year-old might have to take an unfavourable deal (compared to his last year, worth a total of $2200000) to keep his North American career alive. An AHL team that needs scoring help should really consider the opportunity here, though.

Does a return to his birthplace of Ottawa – where his dad Lance played with the Senators – make sense? The Belleville Senators are 12-4 despite having the 5th least goals in the league. Maybe, but Belleville carries a hefty load of prospects and veterans who have more to give than they’ve shown, with particular depth on the left side (where Pitlick has played the most recently).

Maybe Pitlick doesn’t have to travel too far from his last team. A huge reason why the Chicago Wolves are a .500 team right now is a lack of scoring. The last time Rem Pitlick played there, he scored 8 goals (and 2 assists) in 8 games. I really like this fit. Pitlick would take a lot of pressure off of the Hurricanes’ exciting young prospects who are adjusting to the AHL. The way I see it, there’s a decent opportunity for the Hurricanes to get some organizational depth to take pressure off of their young players without completely blocking them. There’s room on the Wolves’ left wing and down the middle on their top two lines, so that would be my projection.

7. Victor Mete (Retired)

Position (and Positional Rank): LHD(#2)
Age: 26
Height/Weight: 5’9/183 lbs
Birthplace: Woodbridge, ON, CAN
2023-24 Statistics:
0g/0a/0p in 1 GP with the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)
1g/15a/16p in 59 GP with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL) + 0g/1a/1p in 4 playoff GP
Accolades: 248 NHL GP

Status

Retired, per agent Darren Ferris

Defensemen who are 5’9 and under to play 100 games in the NHL within the last 10 seasons: Torey Krug, Jared Spurgeon, Brad Hunt, Jacob Bryson, Victor Mete. End of list. 410 defensemen have accomplished this, and only 1.2% are 5’9 and under.

In 2017, Victor Mete made the famed Montreal Canadiens just a year after being drafted 100th overall in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. His smooth skating, determination, and bromance with top pick Jesperi Kotkaniemi quickly endeared him to the Habs faithful. Unfortunately, after over 3 years of donning les Bleu, Blanc, et Rouge, Mete fell out of favour and was claimed by the Ottawa Senators on waivers. Mete did well filling in for an injured Thomas Chabot that season and earned a $1.2 million extension. The next year, Mete got to live at his family’s home as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He got a solid look as a depth defenseman for the team before disaster struck. I’ll let a quote from him last year explain it:

“It was pretty bad. I broke my pubic bone and I sprained the [sacroiliac] joint in my back, so it was a long recovery. ... I just got hit, and it wasn’t even like a hard hit. I tore my adductor and I was playing with it. And then I tore my lower abdomen, and those two tearing ripped my pubic [bone], and then I sprained my SI joint in my back.”

This just sounds bad. Mete missed the start of the season after blocking a Nick Robertson shot in practice. He had two lengthy stints as a call-up, the second of which saw him play 4 games in 6 days before tearing his adductor vs the Sharks. Two games later, Mete’s season ended after a hard hit from Jani Hakanpaa, ending his season.

“I had to change some [of my] skating, couldn’t sit as low just because I would feel it every time,” he said. “Training in the summer too, a little bit, couldn’t do like single leg stuff, had to be more double leg. But single leg is a little bit better now.”

I’m not a doctor, but this also sounds bad. Mete’s a warrior, and he successfully returned for a full season in the Flyers organization, but an overall unimpressive performance in Lehigh Valley led him to become the rebuilding Flyers’ 14th option defensively (in terms of NHL games played) and he found himself in the press box for parts of Lehigh Valley’s abbreviated playoff run.

Still, I like what I’ve seen, and I’m hoping that Mete has recovered properly from what sounds like a freak injury that wasn’t fully settled last year. On the other hand, Mete has started a young family, and $5.5 million in estimated earnings by the age of 27 is probably enough for Mete to shut down this chapter in his career and not put his body on the line.

All things are radio silent on the Mete front, but I still feel as if he’s worth profiling in a significant role here. Mete sits at 320 professional games played, so he barely makes the cut as a “veteran-exempt” player for the rest of this season (explained at the top of this post).

Scouting Report

How do you make the NHL at 19 when you never scored at a point-per-game clip at the OHL level as a diminutive defenseman? By skating like the wind and becoming a monster in transition.

In that sense, I will admit that Victor Mete is an enigma. He is not big and strong enough to muscle off players in his own zone, and he has never had the high-end offensive tools that would allow him to put up big point totals at either the NHL or AHL level.

It’s simple. Mete is one of the best skaters in hockey, and that’s how he landed a spot beside Hall of Famer Shea Weber at 19.

Two problems arise from this.

1. Teams realized that there wasn’t a higher ceiling for Mete to develop despite his high-level skating ability.

2. Most NHL coaches simply aren’t comfortable deploying a 5’9 transition specialist.

Mete has a knack for picking his spots to pinch in the offensive zone. His shot from the point is a non-factor in terms of accuracy, but pretty well-calculated for forwards to tip. I’ve always been a fan of his use of his mobility and stick to suppress scoring chances, but it’s hard to fault coaches for being uncomfortable icing a non-physical defender who can’t produce offensively. The last few years have shown that Mete is mostly just a neutral presence at the NHL level anyway, which doesn’t help his chances of winning a role.

Unfortunately for Mete, this niche puts him in a tough position where his numbers don’t get any better at the AHL level. I remember being impressed with his performances at the AHL level with Toronto, but Flyers blogs described his performances with Lehigh Valley as “ineffective.”

Mete went from one of the highest top speeds in the NHL in 2021-22 at 22.99 mph to a below-average top speed of 21.42 mph last year in his sole game with Philadelphia. I found him to be oddly stagnant in his sole game with the Flyers. That’s not a great sample size to make any conclusions, but for a chance at a return to the NHL, Mete needs to chalk up his unimpressive performances last season to a byproduct of his continued rehabilitation from a freak injury.

I believe that Victor Mete’s game is so dependent on his mobility that he must ensure he is at 100% to maximize his playing career. As time goes on, I think Mete can mature into the role that Troy Stecher has assumed for the Edmonton Oilers. If not, Mete could still assume a lengthy career in the AHL, but I don’t think he would earn any All-Star nods.

Projection

I don’t see Mete, who has the benefit of a solid amount of compensation from his time in the NHL and a young family to be with, as someone who will pursue European hockey at this point. It's not something I can back with any sources, internally or externally, but a conclusion that isn’t hard to understand. When Andreas Englund was out of a job and was rehabbing from injury, he had a hometown team to go to rehab with. Mete is from Woodbridge, half an hour from Toronto.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Marlies have no room, and I don’t see a partnership there going anywhere further than giving him a pad of ice at Ford Performance Centre (the Leafs and Marlies’ practice facility). If only there was another team in Ontario that could help…

Okay, yeah, there happens to be a nice fit that isn’t super far from Mete’s family if he is ready to return to professional hockey. I didn’t realize how thin the Ottawa Senators are in organizational defensive depth. That isn’t a diss, considering that they had some heavy hits in the losses of NHLers Jakob Chychrun and Erik Brannstrom, as well as significant AHLers Dillon Heatherington and Lassi Thomson. Things are actually clicking well right now in Belleville, which (at the time of writing) has the 5th least goals conceded in the AHL.

On the left side, veteran Jeremy Davies is taking a huge step offensively, prospect Donovan Sebrango doesn’t look bad, and I think they see some potential in Filip Roos despite an underwhelming NHL preseason. I don’t think it would hurt to push the young Jorian Donovan to gain more confidence with the puck on his stick at the ECHL level, though. Also, Mete would bring a lot of experience to a Belleville defense that lacks NHL experience and would be good insurance as a #8/#10 option.

I think that’s a great fit for the 26-year-old to stay in Ontario and practice (and potentially play) with a team that could 1. Use his services and 2. Allow him to parlay his tryout into another NHL deal. It would be unusual for the young Mete to retire, but I’m still cringing at that description of his injury above, so I wouldn’t blame him for taking the next step in his life.

8. Kasimir Kaskisuo (Signed)

Position (and Positional Rank): G(#1)
Age: 31
Height/Weight: 6’3/194 lbs
Birthplace: Vantaa, FIN
2023-24 Statistics:
7-4-0, .909 SV% in 13 GP with the Laval Rocket (AHL)
Accolades: 1x AHL All-Star, 2 NHL GP

Status

Jan 4 2024 - Signed, Norfolk Admirals, ECHL.

It was tough for me to get around one of my favourite Toronto Marlies goalies as a kid becoming more known for being a YouTuber instead of leading the Leafs to the promised land. However, as I’ve grown older, two things have become apparent: 1. Kasimir Kaskisuo has put together a great career for an undrafted free-agent goalie out of the NCAA, and 2. This guy’s content is so much better than Trav4Oilers’.

Oh, and he also happens to be the best goaltender available, by far. Actually, he’s literally the only free-agent goaltender who appears to be a serviceable option for teams in the AHL and above. After spending a year as the Nashville Predators’ designated taxi-squad goaltender (following a year that saw him serve as the Leafs’ extra goaltender in the bubble), Kaskisuo took a starting job in the SHL with Leksands IK before Lithuanian goaltender/male model Mantas Armalis forced Kaskisuo into the backup spot the following season. In 2023-24, Kaskisuo faced uncertainty, as he didn’t have a job until December. He turned a try-out with the Laval Rocket into an opportunity to support the play of rookie Jakub Dobes, earning a contract as the team’s backup.

In September, Kaskisuo signed a PTO and had a solid tryout with the Boston Bruins, was released and assigned to Providence despite a decent camp, and was called back up to backup for the Bruins’ preseason finale before the Bruins finally signed Jeremy Swayman.

I couldn’t get in contact with Kaskisuo’s representation, but the answers to my questions are already spelled out on the goaltender’s YouTube channel, which has amassed almost 70,000 subscribers.

1. Kaskisuo is actively training.

2. Kaskisuo is prioritizing a deal in North America.

3. If things get to it and Kaskisuo isn’t signed by December (i.e. probably when I finally put this out, lol) then he’ll sign a deal in Europe.

There are no restrictions on veteran goaltenders in the AHL. You either have room, or you don’t. Kaskisuo is training, and it sounds like he’s just waiting for the call.

Scouting Report

The scouting report for Kaskisuo within the context of this article is simple. Kasimir Kaskisuo can stop the puck better than anyone else you can find for free. He successfully stabilized the Laval Rocket when they gave him a shot last year to let Strauss Mann get reps in the ECHL.

Kaskisuo is a calm goaltender who relies on his sound positioning and frame to make stops. He also did this once:

At 31, Kaskisuo is in a weird position. He’s not young enough to be a prospect, but lacks the NHL experience for teams to view him as a valuable mentor. I actually don’t think the YouTube thing puts teams off as much as people think it does, though.

In my opinion, Kaskisuo is perfectly suited to serve as a 1B for a young AHL team in need of stabilization. He’s a fan favourite who has proven that he can take the pressure off of a younger goaltender faced with a heavy workload. I don’t find him to be super flashy, he’s just a solid goaltender who wants to continue his career in North America rather than assuming a starting role in Europe.

Projection

The goalie carousel in the North American circuit can be wild. On the one hand, teams will prioritize the development of their own prospects rather than the best goalie available. On the other hand, I remember when the Leafs had to reach out to Scott Darling, who opted to take a more secure gig in Austria rather than fill in for the Maple Leafs. What about when the Sabres had to rely on Michael Houser – barely removed from being their ECHL starter – two years in a row due to injury.

The waiting game sucks, but every now and then, teams are put into some crazy spots. The question is, are they willing to hold out and lean on their internal prospects (and send their ECHL affiliates absolutely scrambling), or will they look externally?

As a result, predictions for goalies are hard, and there’s a reason why almost all of them have been snapped up. I can also guarantee that a team in Europe really wants the stability that importing a goaltender like Kaskisuo could bring (or at least the value of his audience). Specifically, I’m fairly sure that teams in Sweden and his native Finland believe that Kaskisuo can assume a starting role for their squads. The priority for Kaskisuo, though, is staying in North America, so we’ll stick with that.

The Rockford IceHogs are dealing with some instability, leaning heavily on 23-year-old Mitchell Weekes and 21-year-old Ben Gaudreau while 22-year-old Drew Commesso joins Arvid Soderblom to fill in for the injured Laurent Brossoit and Petr Mrazek. I think the IceHogs should throw their guys a bone and bring in the former AHL All-Star Kaskisuo if he’s willing to accept a tryout. If not, Kaskisuo will be willing to extend his professional hockey career by accepting another gig abroad, and the teams in Europe are nowhere near as shy to make room for an upgrade in net.

Tier 3 - AHL Key Reinforcements

9. Kyle Rau (Signed)

Position (and Positional Rank): C(#3)
Age: 31
Height/Weight: 5’9/172 lbs
Birthplace: Eden Prairie, MN, USA
2023-24 Statistics:
7g/23a/30p in 48 GP with the San Jose Barracuda (AHL)
Accolades: 61 NHL GP, Minnesota Hockey Legend

Status

Dec 27 2024 - Signed, Kunlun Red Star, KHL

Remember how I mentioned people calling Sam Gagner a “cockroach” earlier in this piece? Well, Kyle Rau might be getting there. After the Minnesota Wild let Rau go in the summer of 2022, it took him until October 24th to sign an AHL deal with the Abbotsford Canucks. You would think that finishing 4th in goals on that team would’ve sprung him to another AHL offer (or maybe even an NHL deal, such as the ones all 9 of Abbotsford’s other top-10 goal scorers are under this season), but it actually took him until December 10th, 2023 to sign a deal in free agency last year. Despite only getting into 48 games, Rau finished 6th in scoring on a San Jose Barracuda squad that wasn’t faring much better than their depleted NHL affiliate… and despite all that, Kyle Rau is here once again.

In a feature with The Rink Live last year, I thought it was funny that Rau alluded to his status as a single man as allowing him to pursue opportunities when they come up. He also acknowledged that he has considered opportunities overseas but his priority was staying in North America. Given his track record, I have a feeling that the true “cockroach” of hockey will stay alive again.

Scouting Report

Prolific game-winning goals at the High School and NCAA levels have given Kyle Rau quite the reputation as a clutch performer. Despite being 5’9 with average skating, Rau has carved an impressive career at the AHL level. Rau is an extremely intelligent player who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He does his best work in front of the net, fighting for position, tipping shots, and cleaning up chances.

Rau also has a sharp shot and good playmaking ability. He’s skilled, but not to a level that makes him a highlight-reel talent at the AHL level. It’s his unrelenting tenacity that has made him one of the AHL’s better forwards over the last few years. I see Rau as a real meat and potatoes player.

Half of Rau’s goals in the AHL look like that. He always has his nose somewhere around the net, and he’s one of the best in the world at cleaning up chances or tipping point shots for goals.

His lack of size, overwhelming skill, and wowing skating ability have capped his NHL ceiling, and he isn’t on NHL teams’ radars as more than a depth option with the work ethic to fill in on the 4th line in a pinch.

Teams love players like Kyle Rau, which is why I’m so surprised that he keeps going unsigned for so long. The AHL veteran rule disincentivizes teams to sign low-ceiling players like Rau when they can go for skill/size, which is unfortunate. You can play a guy like Kyle Rau anywhere and he’ll keep battling for pucks, and he sets a good example for young players to adopt his work ethic.

Projection

I do know that teams in Russia have inquired about his status in the past, and while I think the KHL would be a great fit for his services, surely a team in North America sees some value here. It’s still pretty evident that Russia isn’t Rau’s ideal choice.

It’s so hard for me to project Rau anywhere because he can probably fill a role on any AHL team with an open veteran spot. I think Milwaukee of the AHL should consider signing Rau, but this could force them to scratch a veteran like Cal O’Reilly or Anthony Angello. I thought the Syracuse Crunch would consider it, but their focus will be on the returns of Logan Brown and Jack Finlay from injury.

Maybe the Utica Comets, with the least goals in the AHL with 48 (compare to Calgary, with 54 more in 6 more games), should take a strong look at Kyle Rau. Their scoring down the middle has almost completely dried up. It might be time to see if a guy like Rau can jumpstart things for an otherwise talented Utica roster. I believe this would only work seamlessly if Justin Dowling sticks with the Devils (he’s currently filling in for the injured Curtis Lazar). Otherwise, bringing Kyle Rau in would force a veteran out.

I’m not gonna lie, if I were Rau, I would be tired of being squeezed out by the AHL veteran rule. At 31, I wouldn’t blame him for cashing in on his experience by signing a deal in the KHL or NL. Any AHL team that has a shortage of centres should take a look, but I’d be surprised if teams in Europe aren’t tracking Rau’s situation with interest. I know that Frölunda (SHL) has been sniffing for an import centre.

10. Anders Bjork (Signed)

Position (and Positional Rank): C/LW (#4/#2)
Age: 28
Height/Weight: 6’0/196 lbs
Birthplace: Mequon, WI, USA
2023-24 Statistics:
10g/17a/27p in 40 GP with the Rockford IceHogs (AHL)
Accolades: 225 NHL GP

Status

Dec 27 2024 - Signed PTO, Milwaukee Admirals, AHL

In 2017, Anders Bjork was poised for big things after wrapping up a stellar career at the University of Notre Dame, making the Boston Bruins out of camp and immediately jumping onto their first line and recording a point in his debut. A month into his NHL career, he was flattened by the Leafs’ Matt Martin, suffering a concussion on the play, and Bjork’s production with the Bruins never matched that of his first few games. Shoulder surgery later that season didn’t help, and a 2nd season-ending shoulder injury the next year didn’t do him any favours either. Bjork mostly stuck as an NHLer with the Bruins, though, and was only moved after 4 ½ years when the team traded for Taylor Hall. He impressed initially, but Bjork had a tough 2021-22 campaign and lost his NHL spot entirely. When the Sabres did Bjork a solid and moved him to the rebuilding Blackhawks for future considerations at the trade deadline, Bjork knew the pressure was on for him to make the most out of the opportunity.

‘‘Right now, I have the opportunity to potentially earn a contract here, it makes it even more of a pressure situation, which is why I have a big focus on playing relaxed. It has been a blast so far. I’m trying to prove . . . I can be a contributing NHL player.”

He impressed many with 8 points in 13 games (including 5 in his last 4 games), showcasing his speed and work ethic in the process, also earning an invite to the USA National Team for the World Championships.

That offseason, the rebuilding Blackhawks went another direction, choosing not to qualify him. When Bjork went unsigned until August, the Hawks gave him an invite to camp and an AHL deal with their affiliate in Rockford.

“My mindset is, if I can figure that out, improve my game a little bit and show people that maybe I am too good for the AHL, then maybe I’ll get a shot somewhere. That’s where my head is at, just try to prove to people that I am too good for the minors and hopefully get a shot back up again.” (Source)

Bjork had 24 points in 31 games… went into concussion protocol and missed a few weeks, went pointless in his next 7, finally broke out for 3 points in 2 games… and then underwent season-ending shoulder surgery. Luckily, it was a different shoulder than the one that derailed the start of his career, but shoulder surgery is still a very tough rehab for a hockey player.

I did confirm that Bjork moved on from his long-time representatives this summer, which is usually an indicator that 1. A player is still active and 2. A player is switching his sights from the North American circuit to Europe. Usually, though, something leaks if there’s interest in a player from across the Atlantic. Nothing here. Zip. It is radio quiet on the Anders Bjork front. He went under the knife in February, so it has been 10 months. Shoulder surgery usually takes 4-6 months to recover from, so it makes sense that it ended Bjork’s season, but… it’s been a while, right?

Scouting Report

Bruins faithful held out hope that Anders Bjork would become a top-6 forward at the NHL level, but when it was apparent he wouldn’t grab that role, I felt as if Bjork did everything else you could ask of him.

At his best, Anders Bjork effectively used his speed, slick playmaking, and crisp shot to impress as a young forward with the Bruins. It became clear that he wasn’t able to put this together on a game-to-game basis, though, and those aforementioned shoulder surgeries noticeably hampered his development. Instead, Bjork learned to use his speed to become a positive impact defensively and a threat in transition.

Bjork’s first and only full season in Buffalo was bad enough for him to fall off of the Sabres’ roster completely, as he couldn’t figure out either his offense or his defense on the team. However, I’m surprised his performances down the stretch after his trade to Chicago didn’t merit an NHL deal.

I’m also surprised that Bjork hasn’t been able to use his toolset to become a prolific scorer at the AHL level. He has said himself that his goal is to focus on the details to prove that he can take a spot in the NHL, though, so it is understandable.

A third shoulder surgery in 7 years will only make things harder for Bjork. He has the right idea on how to make the NHL, as he focuses on utilizing his skating and becoming a more consistent defensive threat. However, not getting an NHL look from the Blackhawks last year (when they were willing to play anything moving) makes me think that something has to shift if Bjork wants to return to the NHL. Maybe Bjork has a better chance of scoring his way to a call-up and then proving that he can handle the finer details at the NHL level.

Projection

A lack of status updates following a major surgery would make me skeptical about whether or not Bjork will return to professional hockey at all. It’s been a tough go for Bjork, and with an estimated career earnings of $7,575,000 (per Puckpedia), it would be hard to fault Bjork for hanging up the skates.

Changing agencies, though, makes me think that he will seek an opportunity abroad. This would be extremely logical, as it is clear that the North American circuit won’t budge on giving him another NHL opportunity without proof that he can put things together offensively.

I actually think that the best fit for Bjork’s game is in North America as an NHL depth forward. Even if his offensive ability continues to show inconsistency after his shoulder surgery, NHL teams value having speedy, experienced, defensively responsible forwards in the wings waiting to fill in. A lack of scoring at the AHL level (relative to many skilled borderline NHLers) makes me wonder if his offensive game will elevate to the level that teams in the KHL expect from their imports, as that’s a league that encourages imports to focus on their offensive responsibilities. I think teams in the SHL and NL will call for Bjork, but a move to the European circuit would lower his chances of being brought back to the NHL.

Nonetheless, I think Bjork should take the call and play in the SHL. There would still be a non-zero chance that an NHL team sees his performances abroad and is convinced that his shoulder ailments won’t hamper him. The SHL only employs 18 Americans, but that’s a league that appreciates speed and two-way prowess in its imports and would allow Bjork to play the game that he wants to play in the NHL.

11. Chase De Leo (Signed)

Position (and Positional Rank): LW/C(#3/#5)
Age: 29
Height/Weight: 5’9/172 lbs
Birthplace: La Mirada, CA, USA
2023-24 Statistics:
15g/33a/48p in 52 GP with the San Diego Gulls (AHL)
Accolades: .98 PPG clip in last 4 AHL seasons, 7 NHL GP

Signed - Milwaukee Admirals (AHL) Jan 19, 2025

Chase De Leo needs to find his “self-confidence again.” That’s what he told Swiss outlet Sport.Ch when he was released for the second time this year. Things have been an absolute disaster for De Leo in his first year playing away from North America.

After a poor start to the season, Kazakhstan’s sole representative in the KHL, Barys Astana, sacked their head coach and put Galym Mambetaliyev in his place. Mambetaliyev, who just so happens to be the Kazakh National Team’s head coach, immediately torpedoed 7 out of the team’s 8 North Americans out of the world’s ninth-largest country by size.

At this point, De Leo had already been barred from training by the team after 9 pointless games. What, did you think I’ve just been cynical about the KHL?

Reigning Swiss champions ZSC Lions (the team that happens to be the answer to the name of this blog) quickly snapped him up despite interest from the SCL Tigers. De Leo made his debut with former NHLers Denis Malgin and Sven Andrighetto… and then he was dropped. And dropped again, until he was completely out of the lineup. ZSC offered him a loan to their 2nd-tier affiliate GCK Lions or a loan to a team in the upcoming Spengler Cup, but… it was clear that things weren’t going to work out, and De Leo was let go.

There’s no other way to put it, this sucks. De Leo has hovered just under a point per game over his last four years in the AHL and has 7 NHL games under his belt. He’s another player squeezed out by the AHL’s veteran rule who is now left scrambling for a job after a nightmare in the volatile KHL and a cutthroat experience with a Swiss Powerhouse. I don’t think 29-year-old De Leo should stop here, and although I wouldn’t blame him for taking a pause, I believe that teams should look into his services.

Scouting Report

Once known for his skills and playmaking packed into his 5’9 frame, De Leo matured into a consistent AHL scorer, relying on his high hockey IQ and work ethic to produce. He became a master of exploiting tight spaces and utilizing his overall sneaky play style to become a consistent force offensively, rather than relying on highlight-reel plays.

Watching his brief stints in Europe this season, it’s clear that De Leo is still fast and unrelenting, but nothing seems to be going his way. The larger ice meant that De Leo had trouble relying on exploiting small spaces and instead had to rely on his speed and skill set.

As a side note, I noticed that De Leo wasn’t getting many chances off of the rush as I would’ve expected him to with more space to work with. I noticed little patience with the puck, but I wonder how much of it was just him trying to make something happen amid the constant threat of losing his job. Also, his shots weren’t fooling any goaltenders, and it often looked like he was shooting for a rebound when no one was there to cash in.

I think that Chase De Leo would still be a top-6 winger in the AHL and that he’s another player being screwed over by the AHL’s veteran rule. Unfortunately for De Leo, there’s not a lot of patience for imports in Europe. De Leo has the potential to find his game in Europe, but I doubt he ever goes back to the KHL after the way he was treated in Kazakhstan.

Projection

It’s hard to imagine what the future holds for De Leo. I think another Swiss team in the NL should take a chance on him, as I don’t see his scoring drought in that league lasting. Specifically, I think that the SCL Tigers, who were interested in De Leo before he signed with the Lions and are 3rd last in goals scored this season, will take another look.

I’m a little surprised that San Diego, the team that De Leo captained for the last two years in his native California, didn’t even make De Leo an offer to return. There wasn’t a lot of sympathy for De Leo’s situation due to his move to the KHL despite the current political climate, but I think it’s worth noting that it was likely one of his only options to continue his playing career. The Gulls have the 9th least goals in the AHL, but are focusing on developing the Ducks’ young prospects. I think they have a veteran spot left for De Leo, but I doubt they want to block someone like Sasha Pastujov, who is fighting to break his sophomore slump after being called back up from the ECHL. The San Diego Gulls should at least make a phone call, though.

Otherwise, I think a team in Europe should be patient with De Leo, as he could become a consistent scoring threat for the foreseeable future in that circuit.

Other Players:

• It’s funny, on the day I released this article, 3 notable players became free agents: Tyler Johnson (NHL veteran), Hunter Miska (solid goaltender with NHL/AHL experience), and Dmitri Ovchinnikov (just a prospect I like). I doubt their statuses will remain unclear for long, though. I plan on revisiting this list before the NHL Trade Deadline in March, so there will be room for more names.

• Adam Erne was in the NHL just last year, suffered a lower-body injury in a tough tryout for Hartford and was released. Wasn’t able to confirm his status, but I’ll write up a profile if I can confirm his status when I revisit this piece in March. Still an AHL 3rd line option, probably getting squeezed because of the veteran rule.

• Nothing on former NHLer Brett Connolly, who had a tough year in Switzerland that was cut short by season-ending hip surgery.

• I confirmed a bunch of other retirements/breaks from the sport. I’m not a reporter, though, and don’t really see the need to mess with that stuff.

• Excluded Cal Clutterbuck (who was still working out this summer but took an analyst role with MSG) and Martin Jones (who was reportedly done with the sport back in the summer). Both I think would have been high on this list (particularly as a fan of Jones’ performances with TOR last year).

• Lowkey, Kunlun did a lot of guys dirty this summer, cutting a bunch of guys they brought over to naturalize for the Olympics. Ryan Sproul, Cliff Pu, Alex Riche, Zach Yuen, and Cory Kane were all let go amid reports that their passports had been taken away (which were denied by Kunlun and the players). China is going in a completely different direction with their national team with their naturalized players, so there was no need to keep them on.

  • Cliff Pu briefly got an opportunity in Slovakia, but his release was so quiet that even Elite Prospects didn’t update it, so I had to email them.

• There’s actually quite a few Russian KHLers who are out of a job in that league. Sergei Shumakov is training and would provide good depth scoring. It’s weird that Alexander Burmistrov’s abundance of skill hasn’t made him a high-level threat in the KHL, but he’s still training too.

• Apparently Anton Khudobin still wants to play. The 38-year-old former NHLer worked his way back up from the VHL to the KHL last year, but hasn’t found an appropriate team for this year. Funnily enough, he’s probably the 2nd best goalie available.

• There’s a bunch of random veteran imports entrenched within the European circuit that I didn’t include but would cover in the future. Corban Knight and Alan Quine interested me and so did Brandon McMillan, who just signed a try-out in the DEL. Representation in Europe is usually different from representation in North America, with most agencies dividing this effort. I’ve found it harder to get hold of the Europe-based agents, which is valid.

• There is a crazy lack of goalies at the AHL+ level available, but the ECHL goalie carousel will always have someone. If Dante Giannuzzi, Beck Warm, Jared Moe, and Joe Murdaca are still looking for gigs (ruled out a bunch of other guys), then they shouldn’t have to wait too much longer. I also know the EIHL likes scooping this type of player up.

This piece is so long. If I had to write reports for a team, I’d keep it short and sweet. On my own blog, though, I can’t help but get into the small details that are often neglected. Thanks for getting all the way down here and supporting my work.

I think this post helps discover case studies to go against the AHL/ECHL Veteran Rule, but further analysis is required for that topic. From what I can see, 260 games is a lot less than you’d think, and it means that the AHL is mostly producing players to export to the European circuit in their primes. If you don’t want guys to take deals in Russia, maybe there should be spots for them at home.