Fantasy Hockey

Dickinson has been recovering from an undisclosed injury this offseason, President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford told reporters Thursday, per Rick Dhaliwal of TSN 1040 Vancouver.

Dickinson was less than impressive during the regular season with just 11 points in 62 contests. Still, the 27-year-old center has twice exceeded the 20-point mark in his career, both while with Dallas, and should be capable of challenging for that threshold if he can stay fit this year.

Kostin signed a one-year, one-way contract extension with the Blues on Wednesday.

Kostin spent most of the 2021-22 game with the big club, picking up nine points through 40 appearances, but he also drew into 17 games with AHL Springfield, collecting six points over that span. The 23-year-old winger will probably take on a larger role with the Blues in 2022-23, but it's unlikely he'll produce enough offense to become a useful fantasy option.

Donato inked a one-year, $1.2 million contract with Seattle on Wednesday.

Donato saw action in 74 games for the Kraken this past season in which he set new personal bests in goals (16), assists (15) and shots (159). Despite averaging 1:48 of ice time with the man advantage, Donato managed a meager one power-play point. If the 26-year-old center can improve in that area, he could challenge for the 40-point threshold for the first time in his NHL career.

Laczynski inked a two-year, $1.525 million deal with Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Laczynski's deal will be two-year during the first year of the contract, so fantasy players should expect him to continue spending the bulk of the 2022-23 season in the minors, though it converts to a one-way contract in the second year. If the 25-year-old center does get called up periodically this year, he will likely slot into a bottom-six role, where he figures to make a minimal fantasy impact.

Kuokkanen agreed to terms on a one-year contract with Fribourg-Gotteron (Switzerland) on Wednesday.

Kuokkanen played in 57 games for the Devils last season in which he garnered six goals, 11 assists and 64 shots despite averaging just 13:29 of ice time. With New Jersey bringing in John Marino and Brendan Smith along with draftee Simon Nemec, the 24-year-old Kuokkanen likely would have had to settle for a spot in the minors or the press box this year, no doubt factoring into his decision to head overseas.

Bowlby signed a one-year, two-way contract with Florida on Tuesday.

Bowlby went undrafted out of Havard University, spending the past two seasons playing in the minors in which he has appeared in a combined 87 games and recorded 20 goals and 22 assists. If the 25-year-old winger can continue to further his offensive development, he should be in the mix to make his NHL debut at some point this season, though he'll be hard-pressed to be a full-time contributor.

Tippett signed a two-year, $1.5 million AAV contract with the Flyers on Friday.

Tippett was acquired from Florida last season as part of the Claude Giroux trade. He scored 14 points in 42 games with the Panthers and another seven points in 21 appearances with Philadelphia. The 23-year-old winger was selected 10th overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft and was considered a high-end prospect for several years. While he hasn't quite found his footing at the highest level, Tippett has a solid chance to outplay this deal in Philadelphia's middle-six before becoming a restricted free agent again in 2024.

Joseph (undisclosed) signed a four-year, $11.8 million contract with the Senators on Thursday.

This new deal locks Joseph in at a $2.95 million cap hit as the Senators look to move from rebuilding to competing. The 25-year-old impressed after he was traded from the Lightning last year, logging 12 points in 11 games before ending the year on the shelf with an undisclosed injury. Joseph had 30 points in 69 contests overall last year, and he'll add some physicality in a middle-six role, though the additions of Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat could reduce Joseph's opportunities on offense.

Kakko agreed to terms on a two-year, $4.2 million contract with the Rangers on Thursday.

Kakko recorded just one goal in his last 16 games of the season, all in the playoffs, while adding just six assists along the way. Perhaps more concerning regarding that end-of-year slump is the fact that the Finn registered just 21 shots over that stretch, which no doubt factored into his inability to find the back of the net. The 2019 first-round pick's regular-season goal total has dropped every year he has been in the league.

Heinen signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Penguins on Wednesday.

Heinen was not qualified by the Penguins earlier this month, but that allowed them to get him back at a slightly lower salary. The 27-year-old had a career-high 18 goals with 15 assists and 138 shots on net in 76 contests with the Pens last year, so he's a good bet to make the Opening Night roster in a middle-six role. He'll be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Maltsev penned a one-year contract with Colorado on Wednesday.

Maltsev played in 18 games for the Avs this past season in which he failed to register a single point. At this point, given the lack of offensive production he showed last year, Maltsev may have to put together an extremely impressive training camp if he wants to avoid beginning the 2022-23 campaign in the minors.

Brink (hip) underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum and is expected to miss a minimum of five months.

It's a tough blow for the 21-year-old winger, who posted four assists in 10 games in his first taste of NHL action last year. Brink was likely to compete for a bottom-six spot in training camp, but his hip injury is likely to keep him out for nearly half the campaign if he can avoid setbacks.

Gawanke signed a one-year, two-way contract with Winnipeg on Monday, per PuckPedia.

Gawanke scored 10 goals and 36 points in 65 games with AHL Manitoba last season. The 23-year-old blueliner was taken in the fifth round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft but he's yet to make his NHL debut. He should fill a similar depth role again next season.

Knyzhov (groin) is expected to be healthy for the start of training camp, Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now reports Monday.

Knyzhov missed the entirety of the 2021-22 season due to his long-term groin injury and hasn't suited up for a game since May 12, 2021. That season, the 24-year-old blueliner generated two goals and eight assists in 56 contests and could push for the 20-point threshold if able to avoid injury.

Gleason signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Stars on Friday.

Gleason was waived prior to the start of the 2021-22 season and spent the entire year with AHL Texas. He tallied nine goals and 44 points in 70 appearances. The 24-year-old blueliner hasn't seen any NHL action since the 2018-19 campaign and should fill a similar depth role in the organization next season.

Klingberg signed a one-year, $7 million contract with Anaheim on Friday.

Klingberg received a solid raise after completing his seven-year, $4.25 million deal with the Stars. He'll turn 30 before the 2022-23 campaign begins and will likely be more focused on a long-term deal next offseason. The 6-foot-3 blueliner has been offensively minded; since he entered the league in 2014, Klingberg ranks eighth among all NHL defensemen with 374 points (0.68 per game). Expect him to eat minutes in Anaheim's top four next season.

Pachal signed a one-year contract extension with the Golden Knights on Thursday.

Pachal spent most of the 2021-22 campaign in the minors, picking up 11 points through 65 games with AHL Henderson, but he also made two appearances with the big club, going scoreless over that span. He'll likely have a similar role in 2022-23.

Poolman continues to deal with a head injury throughout the offseason, though he hasn't suffered any setbacks according to President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford, Rick Dhaliwal of TSN 1040 Vancouver reports Thursday.

While it's certainly good news that Poolman hasn't suffered any setbacks, the fact that the team still has concerns should be a red flag for fantasy players. Even if Poolman is cleared to play for Opening Night against Calgary, he should be considered a fringe roster player given he logged just 40 games in 2021-22.

Eriksson Ek signed a one-year contract extension with the Ducks on Friday.

Eriksson Ek spent the entirety of the 2021-22 season with AHL San Diego, going 7-15-3 while posting a sub-par 3.44 GAA and .880 save percentage. The 23-year-old Swede will likely once again spend most, if not all of the 2022-23 campaign in the minors.

Vanecek signed a three-year, $10.2 million contract with the Devils on Tuesday.

Recently acquired by the Devils via trade from the Capitals on July 8, Vanecek recorded 20-plus wins in each of his first two NHL campaigns while posting a .908 save percentage. Now entering his third season at the top level, the Czech netminder should challenge for the No. 1 role in New Jersey with Mackenzie Blackwood, who struggled to the tune of a 3.39 GAA and .892 save percentage in 25 appearances last year.

Montembeault (wrist) signed a two-year, $2 million deal with the Canadiens on Monday.

Montembeault was claimed by Montreal last October after the Panthers waived him. His numbers weren't great in a Canadiens sweater, though, as he went 8-18-6 with a 3.77 GAA and .891 save percentage across 38 games while filling in with Jake Allen (groin) behind Carey Price -- who missed all but five games with a knee injury. Montembeault is expected to be fully recovered by the time training camp starts in September, but even if he's healthy, his performance last season doesn't inspire much confidence from a fantasy perspective.

Kahkonen signed a two-year, $5.5 million contract with the Sharks on Monday, PuckPedia reports.

The Finnish netminder got plenty of NHL action last season, posting a .912 save percentage and 2.87 GAA across 36 appearances with Minnesota and San Jose. Kahkonen has flashed moments of brilliance over the last couple campaigns, but he's currently entangled in the Sharks' goalie ranks with presumptive No. 1 James Reimer and Adin Hill (lower body), which makes his fantasy situation tough to forecast heading into 2022-23 -- especially

Sateri has opted to return to Europe after signing a one-year deal with EHC Biel-Bienne (Switzerland), Arizona Coyotes Insider Craig Morgan reports Friday.

Sateri signed a mid-season contract with the Maple Leafs but was then picked up off waivers by the Coyotes. The 32-year-old netminder saw action in six games for Arizona in which he posted a 2-2-1 record and .866 save percentage. Rather than re-upping with the Yotes, it appears Sateri will head back overseas.

Lehner's (shoulder) timeline to be ready for the start of the 2022-23 season is "tight," Jesse Granger of The Athletic reports.

Lehner underwent shoulder surgery in May, and it's possible his recovery wipes out his participation in some or all of training camp. The Golden Knights have let him rehab his injury individually, though general manager Kelly McCrimmon anticipates the goalie will return to Vegas soon. His status for the start of the regular season will likely be determined later in the summer.