Pavel Zacha, obtained from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Erik Haula last week, was one of 24 NHL players to file for arbitration by Sunday’s 5 p.m. deadline. The restricted free agent’s salary last season was $3 million.
The arbitration hearings are scheduled to take place between July 27 and Aug. 11, though teams can and often have come to terms before a hearing is held.
Zacha notched the highest point total of his career last season with 15-21-36 totals in 70 games, though he was more productive on a per-game basis in 2020-21 when he had 17-18-35 totals in 50 games.
AFTER SIGNING restricted free-agent defenseman Jack Ahcan on Sunday to a one-year, two-way deal worth an NHL cap hit of $750,000, the Bruins signed forward Matt Felipe to a one-year, two-way deal with an NHL cap hit of $787,500. The Newton, Massachusetts native had 7-10-17 points in 59 games for Providence last year.
The Bruins also signed their 2021 sixth-round pick, defenseman Ryan Mast, to his three-year entry level contract worth an NHL cap hit of $850,000. A right shot defenseman, a commodity that the Bruins need to restock in their system, the 19-year-old Mast had 9-22-31 totals in 59 games for the Sarnia Sting last year in the Ontario Hockey League.
The 6-foot-5, 213-pound Mast is coming off a solid Development Camp last week, earning some kudos from Director of Player Development Jamie Langenbrunner.
Also, the Providence Bruins signed 6-foot-6, 225-pound defenseman Fedor Gordeev to an AHL contract. The 23-year-old left shot D-man, originally a 2017 fifth-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs, had 5-17-22 totals and 73 penalty minutes in 69 games for the Iowa Heatlanders of the ECHL last year.
BLACKHAWKS: Eddie Olczyk is leaving after 16 years as a color commentator on he team’s television broadcasts.
He’s expected to work Seattle Kraken games next season, joining the team his brother, Ricky, works for as an assistant general manager.
“For 16 seasons, we were fortunate to have legendary broadcaster Eddie Olczyk bring Chicago Blackhawks hockey into the homes of our fans,” the team said in a statement. “We are going to miss him as much as our fans will. Though we are disappointed to learn today that he has decided to go in another direction, Eddie will always be part of the Blackhawks family. We appreciate his many contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Olczyk also does national broadcasts for TNT. He has become one of the leading hockey voices in the U.S. after playing more than 1,000 NHL games.
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