The Athletic ranked the best NHL players and prospects under 23. Connor Bedard, who was taken first overall in June, topped the list. Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell was ranked 21st in the Tier 5 group (Bubble All-Star and top of the lineup player) with Jake Sanderson (18), Juraj Slafkovsky (19), David Jiricek (20), Wyatt Johnson (22), Alexander Nikishin (23) and Logan Cooley (24).
After taking a step back offensively during the regular season, Lundell was impressive in the Panthers run to the Stanley Cup Final. It will be interesting to see what year three brings for the talented 21-year-old Finn.
The Toronto Maple Leafs signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Simon Benoit to a one-year contract worth $775,000. Benoit, 24, scored three goals and added seven assists in 78 games with the Anaheim Ducks last season, but did not received a qualifying offer from his former team.
The Edmonton Oilers have signed forwards Sam Gagner and Brandon Sutter to professsional try-outs.
This will be Gagner’s third stint with the Oilers. He also played with the Arizona Coyotes, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings and, most recently, the Winnipeg Jets. Gagner has amassed 192 goals and 327 assists for 519 points in 1,015 games over 16 seasons.
Sutter, the Carolina Hurricanes’ first-round pick (11th overall) in 2007, has 152 goals and 137 assists for 289 points in 770 games over 13 NHL seasons. He has also played for the Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins.
Seattle Kraken forward Joonas Donskoi announced he has retired from professional hockey after suffering multiple concussions throughout his career. Donskoi, who originally drafted by the Panthers in 2010, also played for the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche. He played 474 NHL games and finished up with 208 points.