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Jets captain Lowry likely to miss start of next season after undergoing hip surgery
Jets captain Lowry likely to miss start of next season after undergoing hip surgery

Globe and Mail

time6 days ago

  • Business
  • Globe and Mail

Jets captain Lowry likely to miss start of next season after undergoing hip surgery

Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry is expected to miss the start of the next NHL season as he recovers from hip surgery. The Jets updated Lowry's status in a statement Wednesday, a day after Lowry underwent the procedure. The statement, which did not specify when Lowry sustained a hip injury, said the surgery was a success. The team expects him to make a full recovery after five to six months of rehabilitation. Lowry had four goals in 13 post-season games for the Jets, including the double-overtime goal that gave Winnipeg a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues in Game 7 of the first round. The Jets, who won the Presidents' Trophy as the team with the best regular-season record, were eliminated in six games by Dallas in the second round. The 32-year-old Lowry, who has played his entire career with the Jets, is set to enter the final season of a five-year, US$16.25-million contract.

Canucks free-agent targets: 12 pending RFAs worth tendering an offer sheet
Canucks free-agent targets: 12 pending RFAs worth tendering an offer sheet

New York Times

time26-05-2025

  • Business
  • New York Times

Canucks free-agent targets: 12 pending RFAs worth tendering an offer sheet

Will this be the summer that NHL teams belatedly, and genuinely, decide to lean into utilizing offer sheets? The concept of restricted free agency and offer sheets has been around for a generation. While offer sheets have been a frequent subject of fan and media conversation over the years, they've rarely been tendered, have rarely been accepted and have only sparingly resulted in players actually changing teams. Advertisement Could this be the summer, however, that the NHL paradigm around offer sheets flips? It's more than possible. In fact, it actually seems somewhat likely. There's a perfect storm brewing that should make the concept of offer sheets more attractive for NHL teams. First of all, the cap is set to grow more than it ever has in the NHL's hard cap era. Secondly, in a copycat league, the St. Louis Blues successfully landed both Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg with an aggressive double offer sheet last summer. Those signings worked, fundamentally altering the trajectory of the St. Louis retool. Lastly, though the NHL system is about to get a significant infusion of cap flexibility, there aren't altogether that many high-quality unrestricted free agents worth spending big to acquire. It's conceivable that teams of all stripes — from rebuilders with reams of cap space like the Columbus Blue Jackets and Chicago Blackhawks to cap space-wealthy contenders like the Carolina Hurricanes — may look at the restricted free-agent market as a more intriguing source of talent than what they find on offer in unrestricted free agency. For the Canucks, however, the prospect of tendering an offer sheet to a key restricted free agent is somewhat complicated. Though the Canucks will have some meaningful salary cap flexibility this offseason, their purchasing power is relatively limited. Vancouver also doesn't own its 2026 third-round pick, which was dealt to the Calgary Flames for Nikita Zadorov in the fall of 2023. In the NHL, offer sheets come attached to set compensation levels, or tiers, and teams are only able to put up their own draft picks to meet the requirements of any given offer sheet. Vancouver would have to reacquire its own third-round pick from Calgary (which likely wouldn't prove too complicated, if push came to shove) in order to tender an offer sheet at a level that would be relevant for the majority of the players on our list. Advertisement While offer sheets may shape this upcoming offseason, for a variety of reasons — including their cap situation and their draft pick holdings — the Canucks seem somewhat unlikely to utilize the device. Perhaps the organization's thinking on this has changed in the wake of scouting meetings last week, but our understanding has been that the club generally doesn't view the offer sheet route as the most efficient method of improving this team this summer. Nonetheless, let's go over some of the restricted free agent candidates that the Canucks — and the NHL's other clubs — could consider targeting with an offer sheet this offseason. Knies put together a true breakout season as a sophomore for the Maple Leafs this year. The burgeoning 22-year-old power forward exploded for 29 goals and 58 points across 78 games. He then contributed five goals across 13 playoff games, as the Maple Leafs eliminated the Ottawa Senators and pushed the Florida Panthers to seven games in Round 2. While Knies' goal scoring and offensive skills are standout, there's some risk that his production was inflated by a near 20 percent shooting clip. That's something to be aware of, but for a player like Knies, it doesn't really rise to the level of a concern. After all, it's the uniqueness of Knies' profile and the high quality of his two-way game that will make him so marketable. The goal scoring touch and skill level, that's the cherry on top. In all probability, the Maple Leafs will prioritize getting Knies' second contract tucked away. Given his appeal to any number of rival teams flush with cap space, they'd be wise to lock Knies up with due haste. Elsewhere, it seems that the Maple Leafs will have a difficult time retaining superstar winger Mitch Marner, but may find a way to keep their other high-profile unrestricted free agent, John Tavares, on a somewhat team-friendly deal. What ultimately occurs with those two negotiations could impact Toronto's available cap space, and as a result, their vulnerability to a potential Knies offer sheet if contract talks extend beyond July 1. Advertisement Peterka is a speedy, dynamic winger with star potential. The 23-year-old has steadily increased his offensive production every year since entering the NHL. He scored 32 points in 72 games as a rookie, broke out with 28 goals and 50 points as a sophomore in 2023-24 and hit a career-high 68 points this season. He boasts a wicked shot that can beat goalies clean from a distance and is above average at driving controlled zone entries and rush chances. Peterka has scored 2.25 points per 60 at five-on-five over the last two seasons, which ranks 19th among all NHL wingers (minimum 1,000 minutes). Why could his future in Buffalo be in jeopardy? Well, the cost of Peterka's next contract could give the Sabres pause. Matt Coronato, an inferior winger coming off a 24-goal, 47-point season, recently signed a long-term extension at a $6.5 million cap hit. Peterka's strong production could push him close to the $8 million AAV range on a seven- or eight-year deal. It won't be cheap, but Peterka's speed, lethal shot and dynamic skill set are an exciting combination that the Canucks should look into. Rossi's future in Minnesota is uncertain. The 23-year-old centre was buried on the fourth line during the Wild's first-round loss despite excelling in a top-six role throughout the regular season. He averaged just 11:08 in the playoffs, a far cry from the 18:15 he averaged during the regular season. Rossi told reporters he was 'very disappointed' by his usage during his end-of-year media availability. You can easily make a convincing argument both for and against the idea of the Canucks pursuing Rossi. The pros are that he's coming off a 60-point season as an NHL sophomore and could have further untapped upside offensively and as a play-driver, considering his age, pedigree (drafted No. 9 in 2020), and impeccable work ethic/character. Advertisement Rossi isn't a defensive ace, but he's a smart, heads-up player with plenty of experience playing hard top-six minutes (he often centred Minnesota's top line during the regular season). Young top-six centres entering their prime rarely become available on the trade market — this could be a unique opportunity to swoop in and acquire an impact centre who can be part of the Canucks' core for a long time. The main knock on Rossi is that he's undersized at 5-foot-9 and doesn't have elite speed. He makes up for it with fierce competitiveness and impressive hockey IQ that allows him to score in the greasy, high-traffic offensive areas anyway — he scores most of his goals from the net-front area, rather than being restricted to the perimeter. But for the Canucks, who are already small and non-physical up front, would Rossi's size be a non-starter? Vilardi has become something like a next-generation Tomas Holmstrom during his two seasons with the Jets. Widely viewed as a somewhat plodding, defensive-minded winger during his days with the Los Angeles Kings, Vilardi has reinvented himself as an absolute net-front ace and lethal down-low scoring threat during his two seasons in Winnipeg. If Vilardi isn't the single most imposing goal-mouth threat in the NHL, then he's on a very short list of the most dangerous players in the blue paint in the league. While the 6-foot-3 forward is lacking in foot speed and isn't an especially impactful five-on-five driver, his work below the hashmarks, in the area game and as a screener and greasy goal specialist would be an excellent fit for how the Canucks attack, with an emphasis on blue line shots through layered traffic. The Jets and Vilardi have both spoken positively about the state of their negotiation, and given that the Jets are flush with cap space, he seems likely to remain in Winnipeg, barring something truly unforeseen. Advertisement The Jets, however, will likely make a push to retain star winger Nikolaj Ehlers, and have a crucial negotiation upcoming with steady top-four defender Dylan Samberg. Vilardi also has arbitration rights and is coming off a very productive 60-point season. Those dynamics make it somewhat likely that Vilardi will make it to July 1 unsigned. He'll almost certainly end up back in Winnipeg, but that timeline could provide a small window for a rival club to negotiate an offer sheet with the 25-year-old. Byram doesn't seem like an ideal long-term fit in Buffalo for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the Sabres already have $19.35 million committed long-term to Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, two offensively gifted left-shot defensemen. It probably doesn't make sense for Buffalo to dole out another huge contract to a third left-shot defenseman with a similar offensively oriented skill set. Byram recently changed agents, too, which can sometimes be a sign that a player isn't entirely happy with their situation. Byram's precise value as a player is tricky to determine. The 23-year-old has tantalizing skating and puck-moving skills and he flashed star-level potential during Colorado's 2022 Stanley Cup victory, and yet his underlying play-driving numbers have been mediocre since that Cup win, even going back to the end of his tenure with the Avalanche. The Canucks have shown interest in Byram in the past, and he'd be a fascinating home run swing for any potential buyer, but Vancouver is probably best off investing its best trade assets and the majority of its cap space toward landing impact top-six forwards. The Canucks need to get bigger and meaner up front. McBain, who's served mainly as Utah's third-line centre, would check some of those boxes. McBain, 25, has a powerful 6-foot-4, 219-pound frame and led Utah with 291 hits, which ranked sixth among all NHL players. Advertisement He's consistently chipped in with low-end third-line calibre production, has driven solid two-way results (Utah controlled 53.8 percent of scoring chances and 57.6 percent of goals during his five-on-five shifts this season) and improved his faceoffs from a weakness to a respectable 49.9 percent this season. McBain wouldn't be a top-six solution, but his combination of size, toughness, reliability and secondary offence could appeal further down the lineup at the right price. McLeod's father coached Quinn Hughes as a junior hockey player, so there's a longstanding personal relationship between the speedy Sabres pivot and Vancouver's captain. Acquired in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers last summer, McLeod broke out offensively with the Sabres, setting career highs in goals (20) and points (53) while holding down second-line minutes at five-on-five. In addition to being a strong faceoff winner and a gifted, fast skater, McLeod is an effective penalty killer who has consistently helped drive high-end defensive results (although he tends to be a bit turnover prone, causing some fans and coaches to underrate his defensive value). The Sabres have some cap flexibility, but have a key trio of restricted free agents all expiring this summer (Peterka and Byram were discussed above). That could force Buffalo to make some difficult decisions, and may open the door for a rival team to consider a double offer sheet of Sabres restricted free agents this summer. That's probably not a move that Vancouver has the cap space to really lean into and pull off, and overall, McLeod would seem to be a more realistic Canucks trade target than offer sheet target going into this offseason. The two higher-profile Winnipeg restricted free agents — Samberg and Vilardi — are more likely to soak up the attention of fans (and Jets management), but there's a pair of restricted free agent centres in Winnipeg that are worthy of our attention, given Vancouver's needs. Barron, 26, and Kupari, 25, served the Jets in depth roles this season but flashed some ability to do more. They're both sturdy in the faceoff circle (although Kupari is a real ace) and are both elite skaters with the sort of high-end speed that Canucks management often covets, and which Vancouver is desperate to add down the middle. Advertisement Neither player was especially productive offensively, and they shouldn't be confused as a potential 'answer' for Vancouver as a top two-line centre option this offseason. They're both useful players who are young enough that they could still possess some middle-six upside. Cates potentially profiles as a younger, bigger Pius Suter replacement. The 26-year-old is listed as a winger, but has mostly played centre for the Flyers. He was Philadelphia's go-to shutdown option to defend against other teams' top lines this season. Cates' defensive results have long been stellar despite the difficulty of his matchups, and he's a quality penalty killer. He's also a reliable bet to chip in with about 15 goals and nearly 40 points, his 2023-24 down year notwithstanding. Cates isn't a perfect fit for the Canucks because he struggles in the faceoff dot and is definitely closer to a 3C than a 2C, but he would be intriguing if the club is searching for a versatile, defensively minded forward to replace Suter. Tsyplakov seems to be in the sweet spot where an offer sheet from a team in Vancouver's position could really make sense this summer. The 26-year-old signed with the New York Islanders last season after a breakout offensive campaign in the KHL as an undrafted free agent and made an immediate impact. Standing 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Tsyplakov is a rangy winger with a ton of snarl and potentially special defensive chops. He defends oppressively and has the sort of mean streak that the Canucks sorely lack in their forward group. While Tsyplakov only managed 10 goals in his inaugural NHL campaign, he produced five-on-five offence at a second-line rate and was an exceptional two-way contributor. He's not the sort of overall offensive dynamo that the Canucks would ideally be able to identify and acquire this summer, but he'd add the sort of energy and dimension that the roster lacks. Advertisement Robertson scored 14 goals in 56 games in 2023-24 and 15 goals in 69 games this season, despite never averaging more than 12 minutes per game. He's a remarkably efficient five-on-five scorer, and could pop as a 20-goal winger with a fresh start and bigger opportunity elsewhere. There's legitimate goal scoring upside here, but also major question marks that could dissuade the Canucks. Robertson is undersized at 5-foot-9 and is one-dimensional — he doesn't impact the game unless he's scoring. Vancouver should probably pass unless management believes that the 23-year-old has a significantly higher offensive ceiling than what he's shown thus far. (Photo of JJ Peterka, Jesper Bratt and Bowen Byram: Bill Wippert / NHLI via Getty Images)

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