Boucher has a great shot that helps him continue to post strong numbers in the AHL, but the NHL results still aren’t there. In 2018, the 24-year-old winger had 46 points (25G / 21A) in 45 games with Utica (AHL) but picked up just three goals and two assists in 20 games with Vancouver. He will continue to be a quality depth winger for the Canucks for at least one more season.
Benning is coming off of the best season of his young career, having scored is goals with 15 assists (21 points) in 73 games. The 24-year-old posted one of the best CorsiFor% (51.2) ratings among Oilers’ defensemen and graded out as the No.47 right-handed defenseman in the NHL according to Corsica Player Rankings—not bad for a third-pairing D-man.
Lindberg, who has one of the players acquired in the Derick Brassard trade last season, scored 10 goals with 13 assists (23 points) in 64 games with Chicago (AHL). Lindberg was a fourth-round pick (No.102 overall) in 2013 and has just two assists in six career NHL games (w/ TOR).
Bergman was a second-round pick (No.46 overall) in 2014 and just finished his third season in the AHL. The 22-year-old has good size (6-foot-1 / 205 lbs.) and set a career-high in goals (10) but picked up just 10 assists in 65 games with the San Jose Barracuda (AHL) this season. He will likely report to Belleville to start 2019.
Since signing a four-year, $16.0M deal with the Sharks two years ago, Boedker has recorded just 25 goals and 38 assists (63 points) in 155 games. This comes on the heels of a four-year stretch in which he averaged 20 goals and 32 assists (52 points) per 82 games. Boedker has great speed, but will have an extremely difficult time replacing Hoffman’s production.
Donaghey turned pro this past season after four years in the QMJHL but spent the majority of the year in the ECHL, where he picked up 16 points (9G / 7A) in 54 games with the Brampton Beast. The 22-year-old defenseman will try for a spot with the San Jose Barracuda (AHL).
Hoffman has two-years left on his contract that carries a $5.187M cap-hit. Hoffman, who scored 22 goals and 34 assists (56 points) in 82 games this past season. The 28-year-old is 24th in the NHL in goals (104) and 44th in points (224) over the last four seasons. His trade value took a hit last week when Erik Karlsson’s wife, Melinda, filed for an order of protection related to allegations of harassment against Hoffman’s girlfriend, Monika Caryk.
Galchenyuk, 24, has disappointed since being picked No.3 overall in 2012. Galchenyuk had a breakout campaign in 2015-16, when he collected 30 goals and 26 assists, but is tied for 110th in points (95) in two years since. Galchenyuk has had a difficult time sticking at centre during his NHL career, but the Coyotes are expected to use him as a pivot, likely on the second line behind Derek Stepan.
Domi was acquired from the Coyotes in a straight-up trade for Alex Galchenyuk. Domi was selected No.12 overall in 2013 and has yet to fully live up to expectations after a great rookie season—18 goals and 34 assists in 81 games. Since then he has scored just 18 goals with 65 assists (83 points) in 141 games. Domi brings some physicality along with great playmaking ability to the left-side of the Canadiens’ lineup, where he figures to slot in behind Max Pacioretty.
Grzelcyk, 24, became an integral part of the Bruins’ blueline in 2017-18 after spending the majority of his first pro season in the AHL. The 2012 third-round pick (No.85 overall) registered three goals and 12 assists (15 points) in 61 games with the Bruins. Grzelcyk will likely be a third-pairing defenseman on the left-side behind Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara next season.
Hayden, 23, was a third-round pick (No.74 overall) in 2013 and turned pro after his senior season at Yale University in 2017. Last year he split his season between the AHL and NHL—picking up 17 points (5G / 12A) in 24 games with Rockford and 13 points (4G / 9A) in 47 games with Chicago. Hayden is a physical winger with some skill who should be in Blackhawks’ bottom-6 this fall.
Hinostroza, 24, is a Chicago native who was drafted in the sixth round in 2012 and set career-highs in games (50), goals (7), assists (18) and points (25) with the Blackhawks last season. He also spent some time in Rockford (AHL) where he was near a point-per-game with 22 points (9G / 13A) in 23 games. Hinostroza projects to be a middle-6 forward to start the 2019 season.
Mazanec, 26, split last season between the KHL and the AHL—he was 4-15-2 with a 3.40 GAA and .900 SV% in 23 games with Brislava Slovan (KHL) and 11-6-1 with a 2.97 GAA and .905 SV% in Hartford (AHL). Mazanec is projected to be the Rangers’ backup right now, unless they sign Ondrej Pavelec or another netminder to a contract in free agency. The Czech netminder has posted a 2.97 GAA and .895 SV% in 31 career NHL games.
Jokiharju, 19, was a first-round pick of the Blackhawks (No.29 overall) in 2017 and is coming off of a 71-point (12G / 59A) campaign with the Portland Winterhawks (WHL). His 71 points ranked tied for third among defensemen in the WHL and represented a 0.45 point-per-game increase from his rookie season. Jokiharju will likely battle for a spot on the Blackhawks’ blueline this fall, but will likely end up back in Portland.
The Oilers had high hopes for Caggiula after signing him out of the University of North Dakota, where he scored 62 goals and 65 assists (127 points) in 162 games. Since then, the 23-year-old has scored just 20 goals with 18 assists (38 points) in 127 games with Edmonton. He’ll return to the Oilers where he figures to stat the 2018-19 season on the third line.
Budaj, who was acquired from the Kings back in February of 2017, appeared in just 15 games over a season and a half in Tampa Bay. Budaj was limited to just eight starts due to injury and poor play last season and was ultimately passed on the depth chart by Louis Domingue, who projects as Andrei Vaslievskiy’s backup next season. Budaj returns to Los Angeles, where he will be Jonathan Quick’s backup and where he was 27-20-3 with a 2.12 GAA, .917 SV% and seven shutouts while Quick was hurt in 2017.
Andreoff, 27, was drafted in the third-round (No.80 overall) in 2011 and has picked up just 24 points (13G / 11A) in 159 career NHL games. Andreoff, who had nine points in 45 games last season, will have to fight among one of the deepest forward groups for playing time in Tampa Bay in 2019. Andreoff may take the spot of Chris Kunitz, who will be a free agent in July, on the Lightning’s fourth line.
Carpenter is expected to come out of the Golden Knights’ lineup in Game 5 with David Perron drawing back in. This will likely be the last you see of Carpenter, because should Vegas win and extend the series, you have to assume they will stick with the same lineup.
Reaves has picked up two goals and 18 PIMS in 10 playoff games this postseason, but it looks like he will sit in Game 5 with Will Carrier (undisclosed) returning to the lineup.
Perron was a healthy scratch for Game 4, but it looks like he will replace Ryan Carpenter on the Golden Knights’ third line. Perron is still searching for his first playoff goal since April 23rd, 2016—a span of 27 games—but he has eight assists in 14 games this postseason.
