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Blues Usurp Hurricanes as Top Offer Sheet Team with Ploy for Broberg, Holloway from

Edmonton

By Ryan Henkel

After St. Louis' big play, Carolina is no longer the hottest

offer sheet team.

For the last five years, the Carolina Hurricanes have held the

crown as the league's offer sheet kings.

In 2019, they laughed in the face of the Montreal Canadiens

who had offer sheeted Sebastian Aho with a five year,

$42.27 million deal thinking new owner Tom Dundon couldn't

possibly match the signing bonus heavy contract.

But Carolina matched it without a second thought and were

quite happy with the value they got out of their star player for

the length of that deal.

“I’m surprised someone would have thought this would

work,” Dundon told the Raleigh News and Observer at the

time.

"I’m actually surprised it wasn’t more," said former general

manager Don Waddell when the team matched.

Then in 2021, the Canes flipped the script and offer sheeted

Montreal center Jesperi Kotkaniemi with a one year, $6

million contract which the Habs did not match.

And all it cost Carolina was a first and third round pick.

The Hurricanes have held the distinction as the offer sheet

team for a bit now, but after news broke this morning, they

may have to hand the crown off.

The St. Louis Blues have made an offer sheet to two

Edmonton Oilers players: forward Dylan Holloway and

defenseman Philip Broberg, both first-round picks.

The offer to Broberg, 23, is a two-year, $4,580,917 AAV

deal, the max offer St. Louis could make with the

compensation just being a second-round pick, and the offer

to Holloway, 22, is a two-year, $2,290,457 AAV deal, the

max offer the Blues could make with the compensation being

just a third-round pick.

The Oilers are also in salary cap hell right now with the team

currently projected to already be over the cap, so these are

deals that could very well go unmatched.

It was funny because minutes before the big news dropped,

the Blues had done a pick swap with the Pittsburgh Penguins

that seemed so mundane, but all of a sudden, it made

perfect sense why they reacquired their second-round draft

pick.

Carolina was the offer sheet kings, but it seems like St. Louis

is gearing up to take the crown.

Assembling The Best All-Time Roster For The Whalers/Hurricanes Franchise: Who Makes

The Cut?

By Anthony LaRocco

There have been a lot of great NHL players who have worn

the Whalers/Hurricanes crest in their careers. Today we

examine who would crack the roster of all-time greats for the

Whalers/Hurricanes franchise.

In a few short months GM's for the countries participating in

the NHL 4 Nations Faceoff will be putting together the roster

for their respective nations to create the best team possible.

With NHL training camps still about 5 weeks away and news

around the league still at a slow point, we figured what better

time to create the best team possible using players that have

played for the Whalers/Hurricanes franchise. To make the

exercise more challenging and realistic we chose a roster

with 4 left-wings, 4 centers, 4 right-wings, 6 defensemen and

2 goalies.

It was tough and there were definitely some hard decisions

to make with some good players left off. But without further

ado, here is the roster of the best all-time

Whalers/Hurricanes players.

Centers

Ron Francis- No surprise that Ron Francis leads us off.

Francis is the all-time leader in goals, assists and points for

the Whalers/Hurricanes franchise. Francis compiled 382

goals, 793 assists and 1,175 points in 1,186 games played

for the franchise. Francis also served as Whalers captain

during the 1985-1986 season and again during the 1990-

1991 season, prior to be being traded to the Pittsburgh

Penguins in March of 1991. Francis would return to the

franchise with the Hurricanes in 1998-1999 before once

again serving as captain from 1999-2001 and again during

the 2003-2004 season before being traded to the Toronto

Maple Leafs, where he ultimately ended his career. Ron

Francis is only 1 of 4 Whalers/Hurricanes players to score

100 points in a season, scoring 101 points for the Whalers in

1989-1990.

Eric Staal- While Ron Francis is the leader in goals, assists

and points in franchise history, Eric Staal may go down as

the greatest player in the team franchise history. Staal was

drafted 2nd overall in the 2003 draft and made an impact

almost immediately. Following the lockout that wiped out the

entirety of the 2004-2005 season, Staal scored 100 points in

what was just his 2nd season and helped the Hurricanes win

CAROLINA HURRICANES

NEWS CLIPPINGS • August 14, 2024

their 1st Stanley Cup in team history. Staal would captain the

Hurricanes from 2010-2016 upon his trade to the New York

Rangers. Staal finished his Hurricane career 3rd all-time in

GP(909) and 2nd all-time in goals(322), assists(453) and

points(775). Staal's #12 will be raised to the rafters this

coming season on January 12th against the Anaheim Ducks.

Sebastian Aho- The first active Hurricane player to make the

list, Sebastian Aho arrived on the scene in Carolina 2016.

The 27 year-old Aho, is coming off a career year last season

in which he scored 89 points in 78 games. Aho is already 3rd

all-time in goals(254), assists(303) and points(557) in

franchise history.

Jordan Staal- While it was tempting to give the last center

spot on the team to Mike Rogers, as he had back-to-back

105 point seasons for the Hartford Whalers in 79-80 and 80-

81, which is the all-time record for most points in season,

Rogers only was with the franchise for those two years. So, it

goes to another active Hurricane player in Jordan Staal

instead. Staal joined the Hurricanes prior to the 2012-2013

season, ranking 4th in games played with 822. The current

team captain in Staal is also 6th in team history in points with

427.

Left Wing

Blaine Stoughton- Stoughton played for the Whalers from

1979-1984. During that time Stoughton scored 219 goals and

377 points. Stoughton also was 1 of the 4 players with

Francis, Staal, and Mike Rogers to score 100 points in a

season when he scored 100 points in 1979-1980. Stoughton

is also the only Whaler/Hurricane ever to score 50 goals in

season, doing it twice with 56 goals in 79-80 and 52 goals in

81-82.

Teuvo Teravainen- Teravainen signed with the Chicago

Blackhawks this past July after playing the last 8 seasons

with the Hurricanes. Teravainen finishes his career with the

Hurricanes ranking 15th in games played and 8th in points

with 415. Teravainen played an integral role in the Canes

offense during his time as a Hurricane, accumulating four

20+ goal seasons and reaching the 60+ point mark four

times as well.

Geoff Sanderson- Sanderson played the first 8 seasons of

his career with the Whaler/Hurricane franchise. During that

time Sanderson had two 40+ goal seasons and led the team

in scoring twice. His 196 goals are good for 8th all-time in

team history.

Rod Brind'Amour- Affectionately nick-named "Rod the Bod''

for his physical shape that the current Hurricanes head

coach has been known for, will go down as one the more

beloved Hurricanes players of all-time. After being traded

from the Philadelphia Flyers to the Hurricanes during the

1999-200 season, Brind'Amour went on to play the final 9

years of his career in Carolina. Brind'Amour finished his

career 5th all time in points for the Hurricanes with 473 and

captained the Hurricanes to their first Stanley Cup in

franchise history in 2006.

Right Wing

Kevin Dineen- Dineen played in 708 games for the

Whalers/Hurricanes franchise, ranking 4th all-time and

served as team captain from 1996-1998. Dineen's 250 goals

and 544 points rank 4th in team history.

Pat Verbeek- Pat Verbeek played for the Whalers from 1989-

1995 before being traded to the New York Rangers. During

his time as a Whaler, Verbeek scored 192 goals and 403

points. Verbeek had back-to-back 40 goal seasons in 89-90

and 90-91.

Justin Williams- Williams had two separate stints with the

Hurricanes. "Mr. Game 7" was traded to the Hurricanes from

the Flyers during the 2003-2004 season and helped the

Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup in 2006. Williams scored the

empty net goal for the Hurricanes in Game 7, sealing the 3-1

victory and Stanley Cup win. Williams was eventually traded

to the Los Angeles Kings during the 08-09 season but

returned to Carolina in 2017. Williams would serve as team

captain during the 2018-2019 season. Williams went on to

play in 20 games with Carolina in 19-20 before retiring.

Gordie Howe- While Howe only played one year for the

Whalers, anytime you have one of the best players to ever

play the game for your franchise they can't be left off an all-

time best roster. Howe played for the Whalers in his last year

in the NHL in the 1979-1980 season. At the age of 52, Howe

still scored 41 points in 80 games. Howe played that last

year in Hartford with his son, defenseman Mark Howe.

Defense

Glenn Wesley- Wesley's 913 games played as a

Whaler/Hurricane rank 2nd only to Ron Francis. Wesley will

go down as one of the most reliable and well known

defenseman in Whaler/Hurricane history. His 227 points rank

4th all-time amongst Whaler/Hurricane defensemen.

Jaccob Slavin- Slavin is in the last year of his contract this

coming season but with already have had signed a 8-year

extension that kicks in next season, Slavin all but assuring

he finishes his career with only having played for the Canes.

Slavin already ranks 1st all-time in scoring amongst

defensemen for the franchise and will quite possibly end his

career as the all-time games played leader for the team.

Aside from that, Slavin is one of, if not the best pure shut-

down defenseman in the game today.

Justin Faulk- Faulk was traded to the St. Louis Blues in

September of 2019 after spending the first 8 seasons of his

career in Carolina. Faulk still leads the franchise in goals by

a defenseman with 85 and is 2nd in points behind former

teammate Jaccob Slavin.

Brett Pesce- The New York native Pesce went closer to

home this summer after signing with the New Jersey Devils

but will leave Carolina as one of the better defensive

defensemen to play for the franchise. Pesce's 627 games

played rank 3rd all-time in franchise history. While he wasn't

known for his offense during his time with the Hurricanes, he

ends his tenure with the Canes 5th all-time in points amongst

defenseman.

Dave Babych- Known for his can't miss mustache during his

playing days, Babych had a solid career for the Whalers. The

Whalers acquired Babych from the Winnipeg Jets during the

1985-1986 season in exchange for Ray Neufeld. Babych

went on to play in 62 games for the Whalers during that first

season with the team and scored 53 points. Babych ended

up playing in 349 games played for the Whalers scoring 240

points, which ranks 3rd all-time behind Jaccob Slavin and

Justin Faulk.

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NEWS CLIPPINGS • August 14, 2024

Mark Howe- The son of Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe, Mark, may

have only played 3 seasons with the Whalers but had a big

impact. Howe's 24 goals and 80 points are the most goals

and points scored in a single season by any

Whalers/Hurricane's defenseman in franchise history.

Overall, Howe's 198 points rank 5th all-time in franchise

history in scoring amongst defenseman despite only playing

3 seasons with the franchise.

Goalies

Cam Ward-Cam Ward's emergence as a #1 goalie in the

NHL certainly wasn't the norm. After replacing a struggling

Martin Gerber in the opening round of the 2006 playoffs,

Cam Ward led the Hurricanes all the way to the Stanley Cup

Finals, eventually defeating the Edmonton Oilers to win their

1st Stanley Cup in franchise history. Ward captured the

Conn Smythe Trophy, becoming the 11th goalie at the time

to win the trophy. Ward holds the record for most games

played(668), wins(318) and shutouts(27) in franchise history.

Arturs Irbe- This one was a toss-up between Irbe and Sean

Burke, with Irbe ultimately winning out with a narrow margin.

Irbe started his career with the expansion San Jose Sharks,

making stops in Dallas and Vancouver before joining the

Hurricanes in the 98-99 season. Irbe spent 6 years in

Carolina, most notably bringing the Hurricanes to their 1st

Stanley Cup final appearance in 2002, losing to the Detroit

Red Wings in 5 games. Irbe is 2nd all-time in games played

with 309 and 2nd to Cam Ward in wins(130) and

shutouts(20).

Frederik Andersen to Play for Denmark in Olympic Qualifiers at End of Month

By Ryan Henkel

The Danish netminder hopes to lead his country to the 2026

Olympic Games.

Per eurohockey.com, Denmark has named its roster for the

2026 Olympic Qualifiers and Carolina Hurricanes netminder

Frederik Andersen has been named as one of the players on

the Danish ice hockey team.

Andersen will be joined by fellow NHLers Nikolaj Ehlers

(Winnipeg Jets), Lars Eller (Pittsburgh Penguins), Oliver

Bjorkstrand (Seattle Kraken), Mads Sogaard (Ottawa

Senators) and Jonas Rondbjerg (Vegas Golden Knights).

Denmark will face off against three other nations – Norway,

Great Britain and Japan – for a spot in the 2026 Winter

Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo and Milan.

The qualifiers will take place August 29 through September 1

in Aalborg, Denmark.

If Denmark wins the qualifier, it'll mark their second ever

Olympic appearance in ice hockey, having made their debut

in the event in 2022.

TODAY’S LINKS

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/blues-usurp-hurricanes-as-top-offer-sheet-team-with-ploy-for-broberg-

holloway-from-edmonton

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/assembling-the-best-all-time-roster-for-the-whalers-hurricanes-franchise-

who-makes-the-cut

https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/frederik-andersen-to-play-for-denmark-in-olympic-qualifiers-at-end-of-

month

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NEWS CLIPPINGS • August 14, 2024

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Sportsnet.ca / What to expect next in Oilers-Blues offer-sheet drama

Mark Spector

5–7 minutes

EDMONTON — A double offer sheet deployed against a cash-strapped

contender. This hook is going to be hard for the Edmonton Oilers to

wriggle off.

An Oilers roster without many young, cheap players just lost its two

primary candidates, as defenceman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan

Holloway accepted offer sheets from the St. Louis Blues for significantly

more than their market value.

But are the numbers — $4,580,917 for Broberg, $2,290,457 for

Holloway, both on two-year contracts — so far out of whack that

Edmonton will simply say goodbye to one or both players, the way the

Montreal Canadiens did when Carolina gave Jesperi Kotkaniemi that

$6.1 million deal back in 2021?

So, in light of the fact the Oilers have a week to make this decision, let’s

explore some options that new general manager Stan Bowman has, as

he begins his tenure in Edmonton with a massive gut punch.

Let ‘em both walk

Neither of these players constitute the difference between winning and

losing a Stanley Cup. They are, rather, a big part of the future for an

Oilers club that has dealt away enough picks over the recent years that

the pipeline is slim indeed.

'He's top priority': Bowman on Draisaitl re-signing with Oilers

It is hard to stomach, however, trading away a couple of first-rounders —

Holloway went 14th overall in 2020, Broberg eighth in 2019 — for a third-

and second-round draft pick, respectively, the compensation required

from St. Louis on both offer sheets.

But, you could say that Holloway’s body of work can be replaced fairly

easily. And Broberg, well, a team that has to sign Leon Draisaitl and

Even Bouchard in time for next season simply can’t have a $4.6-million

defenceman who may never be worth that sum.

One thing to remember, though: The Oilers lost both Ryan McLeod and

Warren Foegele earlier this summer. If you let Holloway go, that is some

serious speed being removed from a forward group that added Viktor

Arvidsson (31), Jeff Skinner (32), while bringing back Corey Perry (39),

Adam Henrique (34) and a few other vets.

Edmonton needs Holloway’s speed, which is why we think he’ll stay.

Keep Holloway, say ‘bye to Broberg

Hockey logic suggests that you’d prefer to keep a 23-year-old

defenceman over a 22-year-old winger — even at twice the price. But

work with me here.

The trade-deadline market for defencemen is always strong, and you can

find — at least for the 2025 playoffs — a D-man who will more than make

up for Broberg’s absence, using the Blues’ second-round pick.

In matching the nearly $2.3-million Holloway contract, Bowman will have

no problem fitting that in — assuming Evander Kane is destined for LTIR.

Then you go to the free-agent market and grab a right-shot defenceman

such as Tyson Barrie, Justin Schultz or Kevin Shattenkirk to get you to

the deadline. There, you upgrade using the Blues pick, and Barrie or

Schultz moves down a notch on a relatively strong D corps.

Frankly, it’s a fairly easy decision to match on Holloway, and Blues GM

Doug Armstrong knows that. Coupled with the Broberg decision, it

becomes a lot more complex. Armstrong knows that too.

Oilers’ Knoblauch praises Broberg as a ‘talented hockey player,’ remains

a healthy scratch

Retain Broberg, let Holloway go

Of the two, we see Broberg having a much larger impact in Edmonton

long-term. It would seriously sting to see him leave for peanuts, after the

way he stepped in and took Vincent Desharnais’ job in the most intense

games of the season last spring.

But the money is steep, and the Oilers are $7,225,000 over the cap at

this moment, with the two offer sheets and Kane ($5.125 million) on the

books.

Bowman would likely have to attach a draft pick to Cody Ceci (who's in

the last year of his deal at $3.25 million) and trade him out, if he wants to

keep Broberg. Then he’d have to hope that Broberg lived up to his salary

for the next two seasons, before the Oilers would have to qualify him at

the same number just to retain his rights.

The easy decision is to match on Holloway and use the second-round

pick to shore up your blueline at the trade deadline.

How did we get here?

Former GM Ken Holland could have dangled a new deal to either or both

players last season, when they were either in Bakersfield or not fulfilling

big roles in Edmonton. But would they have signed for a team that has

mis-developed them over the years? If I’m their agent, I would not have

advised them to sign.

Remember when then-head coach Jay Woodcroft would sit a young

Holloway every time he made a mistake, turning the youngster into a ball

of nerves who knew the coach didn’t trust him? Now, at a moment when

Holloway’s career could be turning the corner, the Oilers bring in Skinner

at left wing and leave Holloway fighting with Mattias Janmark to stay off

the fourth line.

Then there’s Broberg, who fell victim to Woodcroft’s seven-man defence

corps — which meant he played about four minutes a night and had his

confidence drained. Today, the Oilers have not even a spot on Broberg’s

natural left side to offer him, instead forcing their best defensive prospect

to make his way on the wrong side of the ice.

It’s no wonder both of these players did not remain loyal to the Oil.

They’ve both been mishandled, to a certain extent.

Now, Bowman and CEO of hockey operations Jeff Jackson will have to

plan their way through this.

Let’s hope they handle these two prospects better than the last regime

did.

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Sportsnet.ca / Matthews getting the 'C' with Maple Leafs was inevitable,

but timing is compelling

Luke Fox

5–6 minutes

TORONTO — The first time Auston Matthews sported a sweater with the

Toronto Maple Leafs logo emblazoned on the chest and a "C" stitched

below the left shoulder was five years ago.

It was at the 2019 All-Star weekend in San Jose, where fans voted the

game's most dangerous shooter captain of his division.

Watching the festivities from afar, an eight-year-old hockey-loving boy in

Toronto turned to his father and said: "That 'C' looks pretty good on

Matthews, eh, Dad?"

The idea has been floating in the Hogtown ether for years, this inevitable

coronation of the man fast-tracking his way to GLOAT (Greatest Leaf of

All-Time) status as the dressing room's official leader.

And on Wednesday morning at Real Sports Bar & Grill — during a

staged letter-passing ceremony smashed right next to a soon-to-be-busy

sports retail outlet — the 26-year-old Matthews will be named 26th

captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs, succeeding John Tavares.

News that the best player on the team is receiving the honour should not

arrive as a shock.

Matthews has already captained three NHL All-Star squads and was one

of the first players named to Team USA's 4 Nations Face-Off team.

Surely, he'll be a candidate to wear a letter for his country in Milan.

(Conversely, though he captained Canada at the 2024 world

championships, the 33-year-old Tavares will be in tough to make the

national roster.)

Matthews already has a Hart, a Ted Lindsay and three Maurice "Rocket"

Richard trophies on the mantle. He'll come into 2024-25 hot off a Selke

finalist nod he earned while scoring more goals (69) than anyone since

he was born.

He'll rake the highest cap hit ($13.25 million) of any NHLer this season

when he begins his renewed four-year commitment as the first American

captain of the Maple Leafs.

Will Maple Leafs' captain switch make a difference?

Matthews has matured as a player and as a person since the steady and

safe Tavares was awarded the Leafs' captaincy at the outset of the 2019-

20 season.

It's the timing of Toronto's "C" change that is more compelling,

considering Tavares still has one more season on his contract and has

long proclaimed his pride in the honour and his intent to stay put.

This only works if Tavares is on board.

He is. And he'll be in attendance for Wednesday's photo op.

We're sure Tavares will be classy and gracious and continue to lead by

quiet example. Heck, he regularly refers to Matthews as "Papi" and has

always been quick to call the younger centre the club's most important

player.

But that doesn't mean this was Tavares's idea, that it doesn't sting a little.

"Everything is on the table. We will discuss everything," Leafs president

Brendan Shanahan said in May, after the Tavares-led Leafs failed to

survive the first round of the playoffs.

Shanahan had been asked if he would approach Tavares about waiving

his no-move clause, now that it's apparent that his 65-point production is

misaligned with his $11-million cap hit.

Matthews taking over captaincy is shocking, but also a long time coming

The Maple Leafs are nearing a crossroads with the 81st-highest scorer in

the history of the NHL, and the removal of Tavares's captaincy reminds

that this is no longer his team.

Matthews' new letter also provides a symbolic refresh to an even pricier

Core Four that will now cost $46.65 million against the budget, with

raises for Matthews and William Nylander kicking in.

Does it matter much, in the big picture?

Not really.

Captaincy changes are rare but not unheard of.

The L.A. Kings took the "C" from Dustin Brown and gave it to the younger

and more worthy Anze Kopitar, though that switch followed two parades.

A couple of Matthews' mentor-friends, Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau,

had the "C" unstitched from their uniform in San Jose and will still live out

their lives as Sharks legends.

And the man Matthews leaped for the Leafs' goal record, Rick Vaive, was

stripped of the captaincy and dealt way back in those prickly Harold

Ballard years.

Surely the captaincy matters to alpha dogs like the steady Tavares and

edgier Matthews, and we are curious to see if the latter asserts himself

more vocally.

But aside from selling another round of 34 replica sweaters — this time

with more flair! — the impact of Toronto's leadership amendment is

largely symbolic.

Does it distract from the fact that Shanahan's Maple Leafs are still on

track to run back the same core that routinely fails to make an impact in

the playoffs?

That they might have two hungry starting goalies, or that they might have

two hungry No. 2s?

That their big summer roster swings involved no trades and the signing of

a couple solid defencemen, Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who

are 34 and 33, respectively?

No.

But that "C" does look pretty good on Auston Matthews.

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Sportsnet.ca / Lightning working on sale with value close to $2B

Elliotte Friedman

1–2 minutes

According to multiple sources, the Tampa Bay Lightning have begun a

multi-stage sale process that will value the team at close to $2 billion

(US).

Those sources stressed the deal is not done yet, adding there will be no

immediate change of ownership control and no change in the day-to-day

operations of the team.

The purchaser is believed to be Doug Ostrover, co-founder and CEO of

Blue Owl Capital, a very successful investment firm.

As part of the deal, current owner Jeff Vinik — enormously popular in the

Tampa region for his work with the team — will retain full operational

control of the organization for the next several years. He will continue to

have a significant ownership stake as part of the new group.

Vinik bought the Lightning for a reported $170 million in 2010. He

resuscitated the franchise both financially and competitively, with back-

to-back Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.

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This deal surpasses Ottawa’s $950-million sale to Michael Andlauer as

the largest in NHL history.

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Sportsnet.ca / Looking back at NHL offer sheets in the salary-cap era:

From Backes to Vanek

David Morassutti

7–9 minutes

It is uncommon to see NHL teams extend offer sheets, especially in the

salary-cap era, and the St. Louis Blues got the hockey world buzzing on

Tuesday with an intriguing attempt to land two promising young players

from the Edmonton Oilers.

What makes this offer sheet from Blues general manager Doug

Armstrong unique is that he is going after two players.

Now it is up to the Edmonton Oilers to decide whether to match the offers

for Philip Broberg (two years, $4,58M AAV) and Dylan Holloway (two

years, $2.29M AAV) or let them join the Blues. If the Oilers choose to

allow one or both players to go to St. Louis, they could receive a second-

round pick for Broberg and a third-round pick for Holloway.

Since the salary cap was introduced in the 2005-06 season, there have

only been nine players who have been tendered offer sheets. Here is a

look at each player's situation and how it ended.

Ryan Kesler (2006)

Team playing for: Vancouver Canucks

Team who made offer sheet: Philadelphia Flyers

At the time, the NHL had not seen an offer sheet in seven years and the

Flyers were high on Kesler as a prospect after the Canucks selected him

in the first round of the 2003 NHL Draft. Philadelphia was looking to put

Vancouver in a tough spot with a one-year $1.9 million offer that would

have gotten them close to the salary cap at $44 million.

The Canucks did end up matching, and it was a worthwhile investment

as Kesler became an integral part of the team's back-to-back Presidents’

Trophies seasons and run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2011.

Thomas Vanek (2007)

Team playing for: Buffalo Sabres

Team who made offer sheet: Edmonton Oilers

After registering a career-best 43 goals and 84 points, the Oilers decided

to make a big push for Vanek. It was a big-time deal of $50 million over

season seasons, which would have cost them four first-round picks if the

Sabres had not decided not to match it.

Buffalo felt it had no choice but to match with both Chris Drury and Daniel

Brière departing in free agency and winning the Presidents' Trophy.

Unfortunately, Vanek's production saw a drop-off in production and never

really lived up to the sizeable deal, and Buffalo missed out on potentially

getting a haul of first-rounders, two of which ended up being first-overall

picks.

Dustin Penner (2007)

Team playing for: Anaheim Ducks

Team who made offer sheet: Edmonton Oilers

Two weeks after being denied Vanek, the Oilers were not done trying to

improve their team. It wasn't quite the same type of offer as the one

made for Vanek but Edmonton offered a five-year, $21.5 million deal to

Penner after helping the Ducks win the Stanley Cup.

Anaheim did end up letting Penner go and, for the longest time, it was

the only unmatched offer sheet of the cap era. It also led to the infamous

feud between Brian Burke and Kevin Lowe.

Hey Burkie: The real story behind Oilers 'offer-sheeting' Dustin Penner

David Backes (2008)

Team playing for: St. Louis Blues

Team who made offer sheet: Vancouver Canucks

The Blues didn't waste much time matching the three-year, $7.5 million

deal the Canucks made to Backes. It was a worthwhile move for the

Blues as Backes ended up scoring a career-high 31 goals in the first year

of the deal and helped St. Louis return to the playoffs for the first time

since 2004.

Steve Bernier (2008)

Team playing for: Vancouver Canucks

Team who made offer sheet: St. Louis Blues

After trying to get Backes from the Blues, Mike Gilles had to deal with

some revenge from John Davidson, who went after Bernier with a one-

year $2.6 million offer sheet. Vancouver had recently acquired the

forward in a trade with Buffalo and was hoping to sign him to a long-term

deal.

Bernier would play two seasons in Vancouver, at times on a line with

Henrik and Daniel Sedin but mostly as a third-line checking forward. The

Canucks then decided to trade Bernier to the Florida Panthers.

Niklas Hjalmarsson (2010)

Team playing for: Chicago Blackhawks

Team who made offer sheet: San Jose Sharks

The Sharks were looking to capitalize on the Blackhawks' tough salary-

cap situation after and poach a top player from their playoff rival by

signing Hjalmarsson to a four-year, $14 million offer sheet.

At that time, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup but lost Brent Sopel,

Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg and Andrew Ladd in the off-season.

Chicago ended up matching the deal and would go on to win two more

Stanley Cups with Hjalmarsson as a mainstay on their blue line.

Shea Weber (2012)

Team playing for: Nashville Predators

Team who made offer sheet: Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers thought that by offering Weber the biggest offer sheet ever

signed, the Predators would have no choice but to let the franchise

defenceman walk. Weber would agree to a massive 14-year, $110-

million deal that was packed with signing bonuses.

Nashville had already lost defenceman Ryan Suter in free agency, so

having Weber leave, too, would have been disastrous for its blue line.

Nashville would match the offer and eventually traded Weber to the

Montreal Canadiens for P.K. Subban and, while he isn't playing anymore,

his contract remains on the books for two more years and has been

traded twice, once to Vegas, then to Arizona (now Utah).

Ryan O'Reilly (2013)

Team playing for: Colorado Avalanche

Team who made offer sheet: Calgary Flames

At a time where he was at contract impasse with the Avalanche, the

Flames signed the forward to a two-year, $10 million offer sheet. While

Colorado would take no time to match the offer, Calgary dodged a

potential mistake because O’Reilly had played in Europe during the

season, he’d have had to clear waivers before signing with a new team.

That would have meant the Flames would have given up two draft picks,

then immediately lost O’Reilly for nothing.

Sebastian Aho (2019)

Team playing for: Carolina Hurricanes

Team who made offer sheet: Montreal Canadiens

Aho signed a five-year, $42.27-million offer sheet tendered by the

Canadiens after he was looking to get his deal done well before training

camp. It was the first offer sheet signed in six years and Montreal had the

CAROLINA HURRICANES

NEWS CLIPPINGS • August 14, 2024

deal include an $11.3-million signing-bonus payment and more than $21

million to be paid out within the first year.

The Canadiens thought Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon would think twice

before signing the deal, but Carolina eventually matched it and kept their

top forward around.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi (2021)

Team playing for: Montreal Canadiens

Team who made offer sheet: Carolina Hurricanes

In a case of offer-sheet revenge, the Hurricanes decided to go after the

Canadiens' third-overall pick from the 2018 NHL Draft, signing him to a

one-year $6.1 million offer. While it was a tough proposition to let a

young player like Kotkaniemi walk, the Canadiens decided to take the

first- and third-round picks and let him go to Carolina.

Kotkaniemi would score 12 goals and 29 points in that first year with

Carolina and would eventually agree to an eight-year extension with an

average annual value of $4.82 million. The Canadiens would use that

first-round pick from Carolina to acquire Christan Dvorak from the

Arizona Coyotes, while the third-rounder ended up being used to select

defenceman Adam Engstrom.

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Sportsnet.ca / Who will be on Finland's 4 Nations Face-Off roster?

Ryan Dixon

4–5 minutes

Why return of best-on-best international hockey is so crucial for NHL

Elliotte Friedman joins the Fan Pregame Show to discuss the return of

best-on-best international hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and why

returning to the format is so crucial to continue to grow the game.

When the 4 Nations Face-off was first announced back in February, we

did a roster projection for each of the participating squads. Now that the

event is just six months away — it begins Feb. 12, 2025 — we’re

revisiting those lineups.

To be honest, not much has changed for Team Finland between then

and now in terms of who figures to populate the squad. What has

changed, though, is the amount of championship experience that courses

through the roster.

Thanks to the Florida Panthers’ 2024 Stanley Cup victory, the Finns

basically boast three centres with championship chops, plus another one

who figures to be a valuable piece on the blue line.

Throw that together with what should be a strong crease and, though

Finland will enter the 4 Nations as the fourth-most talented squad, there’s

potential for the always-plucky Lions to emerge the winner.

One day after constructing an American team, here’s a look at how GM

Jere Lehtinen and the Finnish brass might assemble their roster.

(Players already named to the squad are listed in bold).

Forwards

Sebastian Aho-Aleksander Barkov-Mikael Granlund

Matias Maccelli-Roope Hintz-Mikko Rantanen

Artturi Lehkonen-Anton Lundell-Teuvo Teräväinen

Erik Haula-Eetu Luostarinen-Joel Armia

Extra: Brad Lambert

In the mix: Patrik Laine, Eeli Tolvanen, Rasmus Kupari, Jesperi

Kotkaniemi

Aleksander Barkov just went head-to-head with Connor McDavid and the

Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Final and came away the winner.

That means something. So, too, does the fact pivots Anton Lundell and

Eetu Luostarinen were important players on that Cats squad. Throw in

the Cup pedigree of Mikko Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen from their

2022 title in Colorado and this forward group has a lot of guys who both

know how to play and know how to win. Patrik Laine is a complete wild

card for a squad that’s biggest challenge might be producing goals. If he

comes out of the NHLPA player assistance program and has a solid first

couple months to the season — be it in Columbus or somewhere else —

you have to think Jere Lehtinen is going to find a spot for him. Brad

Lambert is coming off a solid rookie season in the AHL and might also be

a fun bet on offence for the Finns if he can show something as an NHL

freshman.

Defence

Miro Heiskanen-Rasmus Ristolainen

Esa Lindell-Jani Hakanpää

Niko Mikkola-Henri Jokiharju

Extra: Olli Maatta

In the mix: Juuso Valimaki, Urho Vaakanainen

Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell haven’t won a Cup, but they’ve each

played 45 playoff games the past three springs with the Dallas Stars.

Heiskanen may not come off the ice for this squad and ring-wearing

Panther Niko Mikkola can be a steadying force on the third pair.

Goalie

Juuse Saros

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Extra: Kaapo Kähkönen

In the mix: Justus Annunen, Joonas Korpisalo, Ville Husso

Both Juuse Saros and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen put their name on new

contracts this summer, with Saros inking a monster eight-year extension

to stay in Nashville and Luukkonen signing a five-year deal with Buffalo

in the hopes he can be the man there to lead the Sabres back to the

post-season. While Saros is obviously the clubhouse leader for the

starter’s job, this might be more of a competition than some realize.

While Saros had a slightly down year this past season, Luukkonen was

one of the best stoppers in the business during the second half of the

campaign. From Jan. 1 on, Luukkonen played 36 games, which is one

more than Saros and only one fewer than the 37 league leader Andrei

Vasilevskiy appeared in. During that span, the 25-year-old posted a .919

save percentage on an utterly average Sabres squad and only three

other stoppers in the NHL — Pyotr Kochetkov (.920), Jordan Binnington

(.922) and Connor Hellebuyck (.923) — registered a better mark.

Saros may get the Game 1 tap, but Luukkonen could be a fantastic

option for Game 2 if need be.

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Sportsnet.ca / Who will be on Team USA's 4 Nations Face-Off roster?

Ryan Dixon

'Great for the game': Matthews honoured by '4 Nations Face-Off' nod

Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews says he's honoured to be named

to the U.S. squad for next year's "4 Nations Face-Off," and says he thinks

it's going to be extremely competitive, as there's a lot of pride playing for

your country.

Six months.

That’s how close, to the day, hockey fans are to seeing best-on-best

international action for the first time since 2016.

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NEWS CLIPPINGS • August 14, 2024

The inaugural 4 Nations Face-Off fires up Feb. 12, 2025 with the final

game set for Feb. 20. With just half a year to go before Canada, Finland,

Sweden and the U.S. do battle, we’re using this week to sketch out

rosters for all four clubs.

Each squad has already named six players for the tournament and while

a large number of other spots are unofficially spoken for, the first half of

the 2024-25 NHL season will obviously play a huge role in determining a

handful of final additions and cuts.

To get this exercise started, we’ll examine the roster possibilities for one

of the event’s co-hosts, Team USA. (Games are being played in Montreal

and Boston, by the way.)

The best American men’s and women’s basketball players just won

Olympic gold in Paris. Is a Stars and Stripes hockey triumph next?

(Players already named to the team are listed in bold.)

Forwards

Matthew Tkachuk-Auston Matthews-Matt Boldy

J.T. Miller-Jack Hughes-Jason Robertson

Jake Guentzel-Jack Eichel-Brady Tkachuk

Kyle Connor-Dylan Larkin-Patrick Kane

Extra: Tage Thompson

In the mix: Brock Boeser, Clayton Keller, Alex DeBrincat, Vincent

Trocheck, Cole Caufield

The Americans can basically have a 40-goal guy on every line. Boldy has

really nosed his way into the conversation thanks to a strong second half

this past season. From February on, the only Yanks with more points

than Boldy’s 36 were Tkachuk (37) and Matthews (49). It also can’t hurt

that he plays for the same Minnesota Wild club that Team USA GM Bill

Guerin runs.

Kane’s solid showing — 31 points in 31 games after the All-Star Game —

has to have him back in the discussion, especially given his previous big-

game experience. Thompson needs a bounce-back season and Boeser

needs to show his terrific rebound campaign in this past winter can be

repeated. Trocheck had a really strong post-season with the Rangers

and could fit as a guy you could plug in at centre or wing on any line.

Defence

Quinn Hughes-Adam Fox

Zach Werenski-Charlie McAvoy

Jaccob-Slavin-Brock Faber

Extra: Luke Hughes

In the mix: Jake Sanderson, Brady Skjei, Noah Hanifin, John Carlson

The U.S. has a perfect split of three left-hand and three right-hand shots.

The top pair of Hughes and Fox has won two of the past four Norris

Trophies (Hughes in June, Fox in 2021). Werenski has had his injury

struggles, but his 0.81 points-per-game this past year in 70 contests was

third among American D-men behind only Hughes (1.12) and Fox (1.01).

Faber is an emerging stud who can push his way onto the squad with a

strong start to his sophomore campaign.

Goalie

Connor Hellebuyck

Jeremy Swayman

Extra: Jake Oettinger

In the mix: Thatcher Demko, Charlie Lindgren

Let’s be clear: any of the guys mentioned above — save Lindgren,

realistically — could be Team USA’s starter for the tournament.

Hellebuyck, by winning the 2024 Vezina Trophy, joins Florida’s Sergei

Bobrovsky as the only active two-time Vezina winners in the league. It’s

certainly his job to lose right now, but we all know the volatile nature of

goaltending — even when you’re talking about the best stoppers in the

world. Swayman’s strong post-season showing pushes him up the list

and surely the Team USA brass will be watching close to see how he

fares in his first season carrying a true starter’s workload. Demko’s year

came to an incredibly frustrating end with a knee injury that kept him out

of all but one of Vancouver’s playoff contests. If healthy, he could

absolutely work his way into the crease for this squad.

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