Free agency is now a little more than a month away and teams are looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  We begin our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Anaheim Ducks. Key Restricted Free Agents F Trevor Zegras – After finishing as the runner-up in Calder Trophy voting last season, Zegras took a small step forward this season, setting new benchmarks in assists (42) and points (65) while matching his goal total ..read more

After the OHL’s Peterborough Petes and the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts took home their respective league championships yesterday, the field for the 2023 Memorial Cup is set. They’ll be joined by two WHL teams – the league champion Seattle Thunderbirds and the host team Kamloops Blazers – on their quest to capture the pinnacle of North American junior hockey. Pitting best against best at the U21 level from across the continent, the tournament also gives NHL-drafted prospects an early taste of high-pressure hockey on a larger stage than regular junior play. If you’re looking to see your favorite tea ..read more

A little under a year ago to the date, the Philadelphia Flyers announced the hiring of Brad Shaw as an associate coach for the 2022-23 NHL season. Shaw had spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks, and also served as an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets during the tenure of John Tortorella from 2016-2021. Before joining the Blue Jackets in 2016, Shaw spent a decade as an assistant/associate coach with the St.Louis Blues, serving primarily under legendary bench boss, Ken Hitchcock. As several teams are now looking for new head coaches for the 2023-24 ..read more

HC Sparta Praha of the Czech Extraliga announced today that forward Dominik Simon and the club have reached a mutual agreement to terminate his contract. The move makes Simon, who split the 2021-22 season between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Anaheim Ducks, an option to return to the NHL in 2023-24. The Prague-based club had a strong season due in part to the contributions of former NHLers Vladimir Sobotka and Michal Kempny, but injuries made Simon a non-factor this year. Expected to be one of the team’s top forwards, Simon instead posted just two goals and an assist in 22 ga ..read more

The Ducks have had a head coaching vacancy since the start of the offseason when it was revealed that Dallas Eakins wouldn’t be back after spending four years with the team.  GM Pat Verbeek is known to be casting a wide net as he looks to make his first NHL head coaching hire but there haven’t been many names connected to them thus far.  However, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports (Twitter link) that Devils associate coach Andrew Brunette, Maple Leafs assistant Spencer Carbery, and Penguins assistant Mike Vellucci are under consideration for the spot. Brunette is the only one of ..read more

For the second time in the past few weeks, an Anaheim Ducks prospect has opted to depart the minor-league ranks and return home. Defenseman Axel Andersson has now signed a two-year contract with Djurgårdens IF in the second-tier Allsvenskan, per a team announcement. A pending restricted free agent, Anaheim can retain Andersson’s NHL rights with a qualifying offer next month. A 2018 second-round pick of the Boston Bruins, Anaheim acquired Andersson in the deal which sent winger Ondrej Kase to Boston in 2020. Highly regarded as a prospect because of his puck-moving abili ..read more

Sweden has revealed its roster for the upcoming 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship, and it’s filled with an impressive mix of NHL players, high-end SHL players, and young prospects. The team is hoping to bring in Sweden’s first medal at the tournament since winning back-to-back golds in 2017 and 2018. Headlining the roster are some prominent NHLers, including seasoned veteran Jakob Silfverberg and younger players like Lucas Raymond, Jonatan Berggren, and Fabian Zetterlund. For Silfverberg, who’s rumored to return to Sweden after his current contract with the Anaheim Du ..read more

One of the most highly anticipated nights on the NHL calendar has finally arrived as the annual NHL Draft Lottery was held to determine which team would have the honor of selecting first and second overall at the 2023 NHL Draft. The 16 teams that failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs all had a chance to win the lottery, though teams can only move up a maximum of ten slots, so the bottom 11 teams in the NHL standings all had a chance of landing the top draft pick. The results are now in and the Chicago Blackhawks have won the first overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. They had the ..read more

The Anaheim Ducks finished the 2022-23 season with the worst record in the NHL. With the season finally over in Anaheim, players begin to make plans for their offseason and look to the future. One player, according to Rasmus Kagstrom of Hockeysveirge.se, is Jakob Silfverberg, who has an eye on returning to play in Sweden. The 32-year-old winger has one more season on his contract with the Ducks and it comes with a cap hit of $5.25MM. He will play out that final season, but it sounds like he wants to return to Sweden and play with Brynas as soon as the 2024-25 campaign. Silfverberg grew up in t ..read more

After now-former head coach Roy Sommer retired at the end of the 2022-23 season, the San Diego Gulls, an AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, have now found their head coaching replacement. Matt McIlvane will be brought in as the fifth coach in franchise history, recently enjoying the same role for EC Red Bull Salzburg of the ICE Hockey League in Austria. Before working as a head coach in Austria, McIlvane was an assistant coach for EHC Munchen of the DEL, Germany’s professional hockey league. Coaching for Salzburg, McIlvane racked up a total record of 94-42-22-19 in four seasons, and also post ..read more