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Wild Re-Sign Michael Milne

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The Minnesota Wild have signed forward Michael Milne to a one-year, two-way contract. Milne was a restricted-free agent. He will now play through the 2025-26 season on a deal that pays out $775K at the NHL level, and $100K at the AHL level.

Milne just wrapped up his third professional season, and his third in a daily role with the AHL’s Iowa Wild. He’s improved each year, ultimately working up to a career-high 15 goals and 26 points in 60 games this season. Those marks were high enough to land Milne fifth on Iowa’s roster in goals, though his minus-15 marks a new career-low, and his overall scoring pace dwindled from the 21 points he scored in 40 games last year. Even despite those fluctuations, Milne showed through enough to earn his NHL debut in November. He appeared in six minutes of action and managed no scoring in his sole game with the Minnesota roster.

Milne is still finding his footing at the pro flight. He was originally a third-round selection in the 2022 NHL Draft, after being passed over in the 2021 class. He earned that draft spot after netting 51 goals, 100 points, and a plus-74 in 83 games with the WHL’s Winnipeg Ice through the 2021-22 season. The Minnesota Wild opted to turn Milne pro immediately following that campaign, though his early showings have left a bit more to be desired. A low-stakes, one-year deal will give Milne a chance to show he has what it takes to lock in a top role on the Iowa roster, after briefly flirting with top-six minutes through points last season. He could even stand to earn more NHL attention with a hot season, after stepping in as an injury fill-in last season.

Jeff Skinner Signs With Sharks

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Free agent winger Jeff Skinner has signed a one-year deal worth $3MM with the Sharks, according to a team press release. He was one of the few of our top 50 unrestricted free agents who remained unsigned heading into the second week of the new league year.

Skinner, 33, has averaged 0.65 points per game for his career and is a skilled shooter, finishing at an 11.2% clip in 1,078 career regular-season games. His lengthy career has been plagued by peaks and valleys that ultimately resulted in the Sabres buying out the final three seasons of his eight-year, $72MM extension last summer.

He quickly landed with the Oilers on an identical contract to this one when the market opened last year, but the fit wasn’t great. He spent most of his time in a bottom-six role, not particularly conducive to his offensive skillset, and turned out just 16 goals and 29 points in 72 games as a result. Those were his lowest offensive totals in three years, accompanied by the lowest deployment of his career at 13 minutes per game.

He’ll hope for better results with the Sharks, who needed another veteran forward for multiple reasons. Not only did they need another body in case they decide fringe youngsters like Collin Graf or Cameron Lund would be better served with AHL time out of the gate, but they needed to add salary to ensure they stay above the cap floor while debating what to do with their logjam of depth defensemen.

Skinner accomplishes both those objectives while hopefully adding an infusion to the league’s worst offense in 2024-25 in expanded minutes. The Sharks averaged 2.54 goals per game last season but now add a six-time 30-goal threat on a virtually zero-risk deal, even if he’s coming off a disappointing campaign in Edmonton.

San Jose hasn’t made many offseason moves at forward, although they did pick up enforcer Ryan Reaves in a trade last night and signed depth pieces Adam Gaudette and Philipp Kurashev in free agency. The bulk of their talent-adding has come on the back end, where they’ve added veterans John Klingberg, Nick Leddy, and Dmitry Orlov via signings and waiver claims.

After their recent moves, the Sharks are now $4.36MM above the $70.6MM lower limit with $20.54MM in cap space, per PuckPedia. While they’ll still lean primarily on youngsters like Macklin Celebrini, William Eklund, and Will Smith for offense, they’ve done a better job this summer of insulating their next wave of players with added quality veteran talent.

Image courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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It has been a busy few weeks across the NHL.  We have a repeat Stanley Cup champion, the draft has come and gone, and many players find themselves on new teams following some big trades and plenty of free agent signings with the bulk of the heavy lifting now finished on the offseason.

With that in mind, it’s a good time to reopen the mailbag.  Our last call for questions yielded enough topics for three columns.  The first discussed Connor Hellebuyck’s playoff struggles, Florida’s playoff proficiency, and more.  Topics in the second included an assessment of the Avalanche, ideal second center options for Montreal, and some offseason predictions.  The third included some talk about the Blackhawks, a Noah Dobson prediction (that didn’t quite hold up), and what Detroit needed to do this summer to have a successful offseason.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run this weekend.

Jets Re-Sign Isaak Phillips To Two-Year Contract

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The Jets have re-signed restricted free agent defenseman Isaak Phillips to a two-year contract, according to a team announcement. It’s unclear if it’s a one-way or two-way deal.

While playing his junior hockey with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves, Phillips was drafted in the fifth round in 2020 by the Blackhawks. He got an early taste of pro hockey the following season when the OHL suspended operations due to COVID, playing for AHL Rockford in his post-draft year, and was able to remain there the following season thanks to his late September birthday. He bounced between leagues for much of his time with Chicago and successfully cleared waivers for the first time at the beginning of 2024-25.

Phillips, 23, was again shuttled between leagues through the early going of the campaign but was sent to the minors permanently in November. With his spot in the organization uncertain, the Hawks traded him to Winnipeg in January. He didn’t receive a recall after the trade, finishing the season with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose. He made just three NHL appearances in 2024-25, posting an assist and three hits while averaging a paltry 11:54 per game.

While a defensive defenseman first and foremost, Phillips had shown a degree of offensive competency in Rockford in the past that led some to believe he could have the all-around play necessary to become an everyday third-pairing piece. That wasn’t the case last season. He made 67 appearances between Rockford and Manitoba, only managing four goals and 16 points with a cumulative minus-three rating.

The 6’3″, 205-lb lefty may be valuable organizational depth for the Jets with his 238 games of AHL experience, but that lackluster showing in the minors doesn’t inspire confidence that he’ll realistically compete for a roster spot in the fall. Winnipeg has eight defensemen under contract who played at least 39 NHL games last season.

If Phillips doesn’t manage 24 NHL appearances over the next two seasons, he’ll be able to test unrestricted free agency early thanks to Group VI status. If he plays more than that, he’ll remain under Winnipeg’s control as an RFA upon expiry.

Canadiens Still Have Work To Do This Summer

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The Canadiens have had a fantastic summer so far as they aim to build on their first playoff appearance since 2021. The Habs lost some forwards but have been busy improving their defence and fixing other gaps in their roster.

The team is expected to once again fight for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and with these additions, some Canadiens fans are wondering if the team can contend for a place at the top of the Atlantic Division. The Florida Panthers will have something to say about that, but it’s fair to ask if Montreal has leapfrogged Ottawa, Toronto, and Tampa Bay. Even if the Canadiens are among the top three teams in the Atlantic Division, the path to the Stanley Cup will go through Florida, and Montreal still has a long way to go to catch the Panthers.

The Canadiens started their summer with a significant acquisition, bringing in defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. The Canadiens traded forward Emil Heineman and two first-round picks in 2025 back to the Islanders in exchange for Dobson, igniting a summer that has Canadiens fans excited for the upcoming season.

Dobson was considered for the Norris Trophy just a year ago after scoring 10 goals and 60 assists in 79 games, but his production declined this past year, with only 10 goals and 29 assists in 71 games. Despite the reduced output, Dobson remains a clear top-pairing defenceman capable of generating plenty of offense and leading transition play.

He’s not the most reliable defensively, but he isn’t a complete liability in his zone and should improve his defensive metrics in Montreal. The trade was a smart move for the Canadiens, filling a noticeable gap in their lineup and providing stability on the right side of defense for the next eight seasons.

A few days after the Dobson trade, the Canadiens made another bold move, sending defenseman Logan Mailloux to the St. Louis Blues for forward Zachary Bolduc. Both players were chosen in the first round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, but they are at different points in their development, with Bolduc further along than Mailloux.

It’s common for forwards to develop quicker than defensemen, and the Habs are counting on that, hoping to accelerate their path to contention. The 21-year-old Bolduc is expected to add toughness and offense to the Canadiens, as he’s a strong forechecker and scored regularly while playing fourth-line minutes last season for St. Louis. Bolduc recorded 19 goals and 17 assists in 72 games last year and is likely to see more ice time in Montreal next season.

The Canadiens also made a few depth signings on July 1st, signing goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen, forward Sammy Blais, and defenseman Nathan Clurman to one-year contracts, along with several other players in between. These moves were all necessary to strengthen Montreal’s depth, but some gaps have appeared due to free agency.

The Canadiens have seen several players leave this summer, and while none are big stars, they were essential depth players that the Canadiens will need to replace either from within the team or through free agency and trades. The players mentioned, Heineman and Mailloux, were traded away, while defenseman David Savard retired, and forwards Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia found new teams in free agency.

Dvorak now plays for the Flyers, while Armia signed with the Kings. These departures could affect Montreal’s faceoff performance and penalty killing.

All this to say, the Canadiens’ additions have been nice, but there’s still work to be done on their forward group. Their penalty killing seems like a potential weakness, as does their second line with the current setup. If the season were to start today, Montreal’s second line would likely feature Kirby Dach at center along with Patrik Laine and Ivan Demidov on the wings. While the wing options aren’t terrible, Dach playing on a second unit isn’t ideal at this stage, and he would benefit from being bumped down the lineup by a true top-six forward.

That task is not quite as challenging as finding a top defenseman, but it is still a challenge given the limited number of trade options. Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues has been mentioned as a possibility, and he would be an ideal fit for Montreal in that second-line role.

Kyrou has averaged over 70 points per season over the past four years and would enable the Canadiens to better position forwards like Dach in more suitable roles. The 27-year-old Kyrou has plenty of term remaining on his contract, with six years left at a $8.125MM AAV. If Montreal pursues Kyrou, he will likely not come cheaply and might require more high-end assets — something they might not be willing to give up.

If the Habs can’t land Kyrou, they could always turn to the Pittsburgh Penguins and target Rickard Rakell or Bryan Rust, both of whom could handle top-six minutes in Montreal. The Penguins appear to be seeking young, NHL-ready players, which could be prohibitive to any trade. However, the cost would likely be lower than Kyrou’s, and the difference in impact could be negligible, depending on the fit.

In any event, the options are out there for Montreal to put a bow on this summer and enter next season as one of the top three teams in the Atlantic Division. They have their work cut out for them, though, as nearly every team in the NHL is trying to get better, and the market isn’t exactly flush with top players that can be traded.

Photo by Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.

Hurricanes Sign Gavin Bayreuther To Two-Way Deal

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The Hurricanes have signed free agent defenseman Gavin Bayreuther to a two-way deal, per a team release. They also confirmed a previous report that winger Noel Gunler had accepted his qualifying offer.

A 6’1″ lefty, Bayreuther has worked out a lengthy professional career for himself after going undrafted. He spent seven seasons bouncing between the AHL and NHL in the Stars and Blue Jackets organizations after ending his collegiate career with St. Lawrence University in 2017.

The 31-year-old spent last season in Switzerland’s National League with Lausanne HC, his first and only overseas season. In 52 games, he posted a 5-18–23 scoring line with 47 PIMs and a plus-five rating, finishing second on the team in scoring among defensemen.

Bayreuther will make the league minimum $775K salary if he’s on the NHL roster or $140K in the AHL with a $150K guarantee, the team said. With Carolina having six defensemen on one-way deals plus top prospect Alexander Nikishin expected to be with the club out of the gate, Bayreuther will likely land on waivers in training camp and head to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, Carolina’s affiliate, if he clears.

In 122 career NHL games with Columbus and Dallas in parts of four seasons, Bayreuther has five goals and 28 points while averaging 15:14 per night with a -17 rating.

Submit Your Questions For A CBA Q&A

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The NHL and NHLPA today released the full text of their new Collective Bargaining Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding, set to take effect ahead of the 2026-27 season. The two sides officially ratified the four-year extension on Tuesday, with many key details about the document already reported.

Still, some of the finer details may have gotten lost in translation or were not completely made public before today. As a result, we’re running a special-edition mailbag/Q&A about the new CBA and MOU. Submit your questions about the extension in the comment section below, and PHR’s Josh Erickson will comb through both documents to find the answer.

The mailbag will run on Tuesday, July 15.

Stars Hire David Pelletier As Assistant Coach

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The Stars have named longtime Oilers skating coach David Pelletier as an assistant on Glen Gulutzan’s staff, per a team announcement Friday.

It’s not the 50-year-old’s first NHL job. He’s worked in the Edmonton area as a skating coach for the last decade, also working as a skills coach for the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings since 2020-21 and as an assistant coach for the University of Alberta program from 2018-20.

Pelletier never played hockey at any level but is a well-known pairs figure skater, winning gold for Canada at the 2002 Winter Olympics. The team said Pelletier will not be on the team’s bench during games and will instead serve as an “eye-in-the-sky” assistant.

Dallas’ coaching turnover is now complete. After firing head coach Peter DeBoer and losing assistants Misha Donskov and Steve Spott to other roles, they’ve brought in Gulutzan as head coach and named Pelletier and Neil Graham as new assistants. Alain Nasreddine still remains from last year’s staff and will serve as the bench group with Gulutzan and Graham during games.

Pelletier is also a member of the Canadian Olympic and Sports Hall of Fame and was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy, given to the most outstanding Canadian athlete, in 2001. He was part of the Oil Kings staff that guided the team to a WHL championship in 2022, a roster that included NHLers Sebastian Cossa, Dylan Guenther, Kaiden Guhle, Jake Neighbours, and Justin Sourdif.

Collin Delia Signs With Sweden’s Brynas IF

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Collin Delia has officially signed with Sweden’s Brynas IF, according to a team press release. It’s a one-year contract for Delia with the reigning SHL regular season champions.

Delia, a California native, heads overseas for the first time in his career. The veteran goaltender was an unrestricted free agent after spending last season with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors while on a two-way contract with the Oilers.

Delia, 31, played his youth hockey in his home state before heading to Texas for junior hockey ahead of a successful three-year run at Merrimack College. The undrafted 6’2″ netminder spent five seasons in the Blackhawks organization from 2017-22 and has spent the subsequent three years on one-year deals with Vancouver, Winnipeg, and Edmonton. The longtime No. 3 option enjoyed his best NHL season in Chicago in 2018-19, posting a .908 SV% and 3.61 GAA in 14 starts and two relief appearances with a 6-4-3 record.

Delia’s last NHL action came in 2022-23 for the Canucks, making a career-high 20 appearances while starter Thatcher Demko battled injuries, but he struggled heavily with a .882 SV% and -11.6 GSAA. He’s spent the last two seasons exclusively in the AHL with the Jets’ and Oilers’ affiliates in Manitoba and Bakersfield as a result. He played 28 games for the Condors last year, registering a .906 SV%, 2.76 GAA, two shutouts, and a 12-11-5 record as the No. 4 on Edmonton’s depth chart behind Stuart Skinner, Calvin Pickard, and Olivier Rodrigue.

Delia now heads to Sweden to serve in tandem with another NHL-experienced netminder in Brynas, Erik Kallgren. The duo will backstop a skater core with over 2,500 combined games of NHL experience, headlined by forwards Johan Larsson, Oskar Lindblom, and reigning SHL MVP Jakob Silfverberg.

Jack Roslovic, Matt Grzelcyk, Victor Olofsson Among Top Remaining UFAs

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Our list of top 50 UFAs saw many of its top names land a “re-signed” designation before the 2025-26 league year even began. Now, 10 days into free agency, 44 of those players have signed new contracts, leaving just six without deals:

20. C Jack Roslovic
22. D Matt Grzelcyk
27. LW Victor Olofsson
42. G Ilya Samsonov
46. LW Jeff Skinner
48. G Alexandar Georgiev

Roslovic still being on the market isn’t particularly surprising. It seems there’s always an odd man out in the top 20 range that lingers well into week two, particularly with the depth of this year’s class being as thin as it is.

His ongoing availability likely isn’t a knock on how teams perceive his value, either. Many clubs have already solidified their middle-six group with UFA pickups like Andrew Mangiapane and Pius Suter, and the ones that haven’t likely have interest in Roslovic as a backup option if they can’t land more of a needle-moving, first-line caliber player in a trade. That’s the case with the Maple Leafs, one of the few teams that have been linked to Roslovic in the last few days.

While far from being a bang-and-crash forward, Roslovic holds value in his positional versatility and has emerged as one of the more consistent depth scorers in the league. A third-line piece, ideally, he tied his career-high in goals last season with 22 in 81 games with the Hurricanes, adding 17 assists for 39 points. He’s scored between 30 and 45 points in each of the last five seasons.

Roslovic was projected to receive a three-year contract worth $4.09MM per season by AFP Analytics, while we forecasted a more conservative $3.5MM cap hit on a three-year deal. Either way, with most teams having filled out their rosters, only 11 teams have under $3.5MM in cap space and should likely be considered out of the running. Teams in need of added middle-six depth, like the Avalanche, Wild, and Red Wings, might be names to watch in the coming days.

The lack of capped-out teams this deep into July, a direct result of the quickly rising cap, likely means that players who were left without contracts after the first week of free agency may not need to take as steep a discount on their initial market value as they have in years past. That principle should at least apply to players like Roslovic and Grzelcyk, who at least have interest but are likely at the mercy of teams preferring trade options before they circle back with a firm offer. For someone like the offensively gifted but defensively challenged Olofsson, though, he’s likely abandoning hope of cashing in on his resurgent season with the Golden Knights.

Nonetheless, Olofsson is arguably the highest-ceiling name left on the market. He’s a three-time 20-goal scorer with the Sabres, with whom he spent the first six seasons of his career, but became a free agent in 2024 on the heels of a seven-goal, 15-point showing in 51 games.

Vegas took a flyer on him, and he settled quickly for a one-year, $1.075MM deal on July 2 last year. Injuries again limited him to less than 60 games, but he did get a few reps in the Knights’ top six, putting together a 15-14–29 scoring line in 56 outings. That was a 43-point pace – still the second-worst of his career behind his disastrous 2023-24.

He needs sheltered even-strength minutes and power-play deployment to be effective, but he’s a relatively safe bet for 20 goals and 40 points if he stays healthy. Only he and Roslovic can realistically provide that production among the remaining UFAs.

Grzelcyk is the only defenseman left on the board among our top 50, and he actually had the most points among any remaining UFA last season with 40. That was a career-high for the 31-year-old, who departed Boston for Pittsburgh last summer on a one-year deal and saw considerably more power-play deployment than he had in the past.

The Sharks looked like a potential fit for Grzelcyk at the start of free agency, but their slew of other additions has now led to a logjam of blue-liners, so they’re out of the market. Grzelcyk may have to expect a reduction in minutes on the 20 per game he saw last season, and look for another one-year commitment on a team looking for power-play help.

The most likely outcome for the ’tenders, Samsonov and Georgiev, may be contracts in Europe at this point. There’s no team with a glaring hole at the No. 1 or No. 2 positions, and teams looking for an upgrade are likely looking for a more consistent option than the roller-coaster play those two have provided over the last couple of seasons.

Some other names still available include wingers Joel Kiviranta, Luke Kunin, Craig Smith, and Michael Carcone. Nikolai Kovalenko leads the way among intriguing non-tendered forwards, assuming he doesn’t sign in the KHL. The top defenseman outside of Grzelcyk, both in terms of name value and scoring last season, is Ryan Suter.

Image courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.

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