NHL Combine Notes: Stenberg, Cup Final, CHL To NCAA Growth
Ivar Stenberg, the No. 1 internationally ranked prospect on the NHL Central Scouting rankings of non-North American skaters, did not participate in fitness testing at the NHL Scouting Combine. First reported by Mark Masters of TSN, the 18-year-old Swede said if he was not feeling sick, he would’ve participated in the testing. He came down with this after the IIHF World Championships, where he scored at a point-per-game, registering four goals for eight points in eight games in his final stint of hockey ahead of the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.
Stenberg interviewed with 14 different teams at the Combine, notably coming off a campaign with Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League, where he scored 33 points in 43 games. He had the fifth-best season by a player age 18 or younger in Swedish Hockey League history, behind Daniel Sedin (42 pts in 1998-99), Markus Naslund (39 pts in 1991-92), Tomas Sandstrom (37 pts in 1982-83), and Henrik Sedin (34 pts in 1998-99).
Additional Combine Notes:
- Stenberg is one of six top prospects set to attend Game 4 of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, where the Vegas Golden Knights will host the Carolina Hurricanes, leading 2-1 in the series. The Swedish standout will be joined by defenseman Chase Reid (No. 2 on Central Scouting’s ranking of North Americans) of Sault Ste. Marie in the OHL, defenseman Carson Carels (No. 3) of Prince George in the WHL, defenseman Keaton Verhoeff (No. 4) from the University of North Dakota (NCAA), center Caleb Malhotra (No. 6) of Brantford in the OHL, and defenseman Alberts Smits of Munchen in Deutsche Eishockey Liga. The Latvian is No. 2 to Stenberg on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of International skaters.
- According to Mike G. Morreale on NHL.com, There were eight NCAA hockey players at this year’s NHL combine. The CHL to College Hockey pipeline into National Hockey League prospect pools is only set to grow from here. Since May 1, 73 players have committed to NCAA programs, and nearly 60% have come from the CHL. Going back to the turn of the calendar year, 272 total commitments have been made, nearly half, 132 to be exact, from Canadian major junior hockey (QMJHL, OHL, WHL).
Free Agent Focus: Nashville Predators
Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. Even with the UFA crop being thinned out in recent months, there will be some quality veterans set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Predators.
Key Restricted Free Agents
D Justin Barron – Brought in from Montreal, the former Colorado first-rounder was one of former general manager Barry Trotz’s attempts to shake up the defense core and add youth. Sometimes caught in bad pinches from head coach Andrew Brunette’s aggressive system, Barron had lapses in his 59 games but still came away with a respectable 51.3% corsi for at five-on-five. With the young smooth skater Ryan Ufko emerging, there’s competition. Barron also overlaps with fellow righty Nicklaus Perbix, three years his senior, whose first season on his new team was a regression from Tampa. Nashville could make moves to allow Barron a shot at a bigger role, but doing so would signify a willingness to embrace growing pains. Either way, he’s due for a raise from $1.15MM, which would likely land in the $1.75MM range with two years of term. It’s worth mentioning that new GM Chris MacFarland was an assistant with the Avalanche when they selected Barron, as well as when they dealt him to Montreal for Artturi Lehkonen.
Other RFAs: F Ryder Rolston, F Massimo Rizzo, F Dalton Bancroft, D Christoffer Sedoff, D Jack Matier
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Erik Haula – Acquired last summer for spare parts as a cap casualty, the journeyman put together another solid season with 38 points in 81 games. Rather than cashing in at the deadline, the Preds kept Haula down the stretch to benefit their young wingers. Dumped by New Jersey for his supposedly over-valued $3.15MM cap hit, the center should have no problem obtaining the same salary on the open market as one of the very few middlemen capable of offering much offensive ability. Nashville could easily make that happen, but at age 35, it makes a lot of sense for Haula to sign with a contender while the Preds open the door for KHL free agent signing Vitali Pinchuk, if not a younger center they could trade for. If that’s the case, it’s the second time the Finn came and went in Nashville for one year.
F Tyson Jost – Picked up off waivers from Carolina in the fall, the former high draft pick is past the point of reaching his former potential, but is still solid depth in his own right. Capable of playing center, Jost mostly stuck on the wing this year. The 28-year-old did exactly what the Predators took him on for, skating in 69 games and coming away with 16 points. Playing in the most games in a campaign since 2018-19 as a youngster in Colorado, Jost didn’t do much to move the needle on his stock. A team could come calling with another offering around the league minimum, but playing in over 60 NHL games again would be a surprise. The Predators would be best suited to turn over Jost’s role to 23-year-old Zachary L’Heureaux, although there are ties with MacFarland from their time in Denver, for what it is worth.
D Jordan Oesterle – The soon-to-be 34-year-old’s status as a “key” UFA is indicative of Nashville’s relatively barren free agent class, although Oesterle respectably has over 400 NHL games of experience. Claimed off waivers from Boston in March 2025, the lefty only got into one game with the Predators this year, otherwise playing in the AHL. Never known as much of a play-driver, Oesterle was tremendous for the Milwaukee Admirals, recording 46 points as their top defenseman, ranking second in team scoring. He’d be a great addition to any AHL club with the ability to be called up in a pinch as depth, or the Michigan native could follow the international route for the first time.
Other UFAs: D Andreas Englund, D Kevin Gravel
Projected Cap Space
The Predators enter this offseason with over $28MM in cap space, which puts them among the 10 franchises with the most breathing room. Having weathered the worst of Matt Duchene’s buyout, they’ll net another $5MM to work with as his total will drop. Duchene and Kyle Turris’ charges total just $3.55MM against the cap next season. By no means looking to spend big again, Nashville would be wise to weaponize their cap space with buy-low players that can support their young cast, or trades, like they did with Haula. Even if the Predators maximize opportunities for their youth, there’s still a huge need down the middle, along with rounding out their forward depth. There’s more than enough cap space to do so, however, MacFarland and Rob Blake deem fit.
Photos courtesy Eakin Howard-Imagn Images (Barron) and Jeff Curry-Imagn Images (Jost). Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.
Three Teams Believed To Be On Dylan Larkin’s Trade List
According to a report by Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin wants to be traded to one of three teams. Those include the Florida Panthers, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Minnesota Wild. It was reported by Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that Larkin’s list was short in destinations he wanted to go to.
LeBrun had originally speculated in his rumblings that Larkin would have nearly half the league inquiring about the services of the 29-year-old forward, who turns 30 on July 30th. The Waterford, MI native finished his 2025-26 season scoring 67 points in 74 games and had a +3 rating. After 11 seasons with the Red Wings, they have not made the playoffs for ten straight. Larkin has only played five career games in the postseason, which came in his rookie year of 2015-16. He has five years left on an eight-year contract at an $8.7MM cap hit, which will pay him until he is 34 years old in 2031. He holds a full no-trade clause for the next 2 seasons, then becomes a 10-team trade list.
Here is a look at the three teams situationally and the potential package each club could pony up to get Larkin on their roster:
1. Florida Panthers
The Panthers finished the 2025-26 season far off from their usual Stanley Cup-contending ways, ending the year seventh in the Atlantic division after five straight seasons with 90+ points and three straight Stanley Cup Final appearances. Instead, their end-of-season prize awarded them with the ninth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, which could be a huge kickstart for their prospect pool, or it could be a key asset dealt to the Red Wings for a win-now center like Larkin.
Along with that first-round pick, the Panthers could also include younger players on their roster to package a deal for Larkin, who spent February in Italy with Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk, winning a gold medal at the 2026 Olympics with the star winger. Tkachuk was traded from the Calgary Flames to the Panthers after informing them he wanted to go elsewhere in a large package deal. Similarly, Florida would need to send a hefty package considering the proximity of dealing with a division opponent. Perhaps forwards Eetu Luostarinen, Anton Lundell, or the rights for restricted free agent Mackie Samoskevich could be names within this deal, along with the draft pick.
2. Vegas Golden Knights
Another team that is consistently contending for the Stanley Cup, so much so, they’re actively in their third final in just nine seasons as an NHL franchise. Vegas has demonstrated nearly 100% of the time that it does not care what it takes to win, making several trades to acquire top talent. As first reported by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, he wondered if the Golden Knights would be a spot, and it appears they are.
Regarding more Olympic connections, Jack Eichel, the former No. 2 overall pick by Buffalo, was dealt to Vegas from the Sabres in a blockbuster deal. The Golden Knights are tight against the cap in 2026-27, with just a little over $4MM in space to work with a few free agents at season’s end, including standout goal scorer Pavel Dorofeyev, an RFA. Two questions come to mind in Vegas’s end: what contracts would Detroit take back to help Vegas offset the cap hit? And do they have enough in their short list of prospects, like Trevor Connelly or a later first-round pick in 2028 or 2029, that would add enough value?
3. Minnesota Wild
There are quite a few gold medal connections in the State of Hockey, including a chance to make history for the 25-year-old franchise to bring the Stanley Cup to Minnesota. Larkin is familiar with Quinn Hughes, Matt Boldy, and Brock Faber, all of whom were key parts of bringing the U.S. the gold in Milan via GM Bill Guerin assembling such players together. Guerin has also demonstrated his yearning to build the Wild’s first cup-winning team, emerging victorious in the Quinn Hughes sweepstakes, whom he pulled out from Vancouver.
Minnesota saw difficulties in their Center depth this past playoffs, and adding Larkin would prove worthwhile to supplement the services of Joel Eriksson Ek down the middle. The Wild have a deeper pool of prospects and draft picks to send Steve Yzerman‘s way if an agreement is to be settled between these two teams. Perhaps a goalie swap could occur here, too, if Minnesota wanted to exchange one of its two goaltenders, either Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt, for Sebastian Cossa.
Photo Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images
Blue Jackets Open To Trading 14th Overall Pick
Columbus has some experience with picking 14th overall in the NHL Draft, but this year? They potentially might change that.
According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, the Jackets are open to moving this year’s 14th overall pick to improve their team now. General Manager Don Waddell told Portzline that he told everyone that he wants to make the Blue Jackets better, but isn’t looking to deal the pick for a player at age 32, unless it’s the right fit. In Waddell’s assessment, unless you’re selecting in the top-five of the entry draft, a prospect likely won’t sign for a few years and instead will develop through major junior, NCAA, and then the AHL.
Even before that was the case last year at the 2025 NHL Draft, when they selected defenseman Jackson Smith, the Jackets had used the No. 14 pick on Alexander Wennberg in 2013. Both Smith and Wennberg have a commonality that Waddell understands; it takes a little bit for a draft pick in the teens before they officially turn pro in the NHL. This is likely to be the case for Smith, who is currently entering his sophomore season at Penn State, and for Wennberg before that, who spent a year in Sweden before inking his entry-level contract with the Blue Jackets for 2014-15.
So could that 2026 pick be included in a trade for a former 15th overall pick in Dylan Larkin? Not exactly. Although the value would be on the right track for Columbus, in the sense that Larkin, who requested a trade as reported by Elliotte Friedman, could join fellow Michigan native and gold medalist Zach Werenski, don’t expect that to fall through. The 29-year-old forward has a tight list of teams he’d ideally want to waive his no-trade clause for that are in Stanley Cup contention.
Columbus finished the 2025-26 season with 92 points, good for fifth in the Metropolitan Division. They have not made the playoffs since the 2019-20 season and have finished with 80+ points in three of their last five campaigns. Given that the Blue Jackets are in a similar boat with the Red Wings, missing the postseason by a short margin on several occasions, it’s not an attractive situation for Larkin to eye. For that reason, Columbus will need to figure out another avenue to improve their current roster.
Next year’s NHL cap hit for the Blue Jackets will benefit them severely, as they intend to evaluate multiple restricted free agents and their futures in Ohio. In Buffalo, Waddell had hoped to begin negotiations with a few of his RFA’s, but none of the agents of players like Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, and Jet Greaves were ready to start talks. This could be because no one wants to set the tone on the market, especially considering the large increase to $104MM in league cap hit, where players could truly cash in on big deals for not just this year, but in the following seasons as well.
Columbus enters the offseason with arond $32.4MM in cap space, thanks to that jump. The player who will be most focused on is Fantilli, who is in a contingent of his fellow 2023 drafted colleagues in No. 1 pick Connor Bedard with Chicago and No. 2 pick Leo Carlsson, both of whom are due for extensions with their entry-level contracts expiring.
Along with Sillinger, Fantilli, who scored a career-high 59 points at age 21, and Greaves, who finished ninth in the NHL with 16.5 goals saved above expected, Egor Zamula rounds out the list of restricted free agents. Notable unrestricted free agents for Columbus include forwards Mason Marchment, Danton Heinen, and captain Boone Jenner, as well as defensemen Erik Gudbranson and Brendan Smith. Waddell hasn’t discussed with any of them that they’re allowed to hit the market on July 1st.
They’ll have some added money from the expirations of buried and bought-out contracts from Adam Boqvist, Alexander Wennberg, and Ivan Fedotov. All three will come off the books and contribute $3.55MM to the space they can use to bring back key players.
Photo Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Five Key Stories: 6/1/26 – 6/7/26
The beginning of June certainly brought some exciting games on the ice as Carolina and Vegas began the Stanley Cup Final. Meanwhile, it also brought some news of note off the ice, which is recapped in our key stories.
Trotz’s Replacement Found: After a nearly four-month search to find Nashville’s next top executive, the Predators have one in place. They lured away now-former Colorado GM Chris MacFarland and named him their President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, handing him a six-year contract in the process. MacFarland had spent the previous 11 years in Colorado, the last four as GM and also worked with Columbus for 15 seasons as well. He’ll now be tasked with trying to get the team out of the middle where they either just make or just miss the playoffs each season. Joining him to aid those efforts will be former Kings GM Rob Blake, who was quickly brought in as Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations. He spent eight years running the show in Los Angeles before being replaced by Ken Holland last offseason.
One Less Coaching Vacancy: While it ultimately took a little longer than most expected, the Canucks indeed went the route many thought they would with their head coach. As they embark on a rebuilding phase, new GM Ryan Johnson is sticking with someone he knows as he promoted Manny Malhotra to take over behind the bench. The two had worked together previously with AHL Abbotsford. It’s Malhotra’s first NHL head coaching opportunity but he has seven years of NHL experience as an assistant to go along with a 16-year career at the top level. Now, he’ll be tasked with maximizing the development of some of Vancouver’s younger players as they begin what seems likely to be a multi-year rebuilding process.
Larkin Wants Out: It has been a rough go for Detroit as of late as they have missed the playoffs in 10 straight years. That has led to some frustration from captain Dylan Larkin being vocalized in the past and now it appears it has reached a boiling point after multiple reports indicate that he has asked to be traded. The 29-year-old has spent his entire 11-year career with the Red Wings and is their captain while locking down the top center spot for a significant chunk of that time. He has five years left on his contract with an $8.7MM AAV to go along with full trade protection. If Larkin gives GM Steve Yzerman a fair-sized list of teams to work with and Yzerman is willing to move him, he’d instantly become one of the top players available on the trade front in a market that has many more buyers than sellers.
Done For Good? After missing more than two full seasons due to Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, Jonathan Toews returned to the NHL in 2025-26, signing a one-year deal with his hometown Winnipeg Jets. However, it appears the comeback will be one-and-done as the veteran is expected to retire. Toews had 29 points in 82 games this season but struggled when deployed in the top-six role he was expected to fill. He wasn’t rusty at the faceoff dot, however, winning over 62% of his draws. Toews likely would have drawn interest in a bottom-six role if he decided to keep playing but it appears his 16-year career is now over.
Oilers Seeking Defensive Shakeup: As the Oilers look to pick up the pieces after a first-round elimination, it appears they’re looking to shake things up. One of the casualties could come on the back end following a report that says the team is ready and willing to move veteran Darnell Nurse as soon as they are able. That last bit matters as Nurse has full trade protection for next season so if he wants to stay, he’s going to stay for at least one more year. Nurse has four years left on his deal at a $9.25MM AAV, a price tag that’s on the high side for someone who is likely best utilized as a second-pairing option. But if Nurse is open to move, he could be a candidate to move for another veteran blueliner in need of a change of scenery in the hopes that the move yields a player who better fits their system.
Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images.
Free Agent Focus: Montreal Canadiens
Free agency is now less than a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. Even with the UFA crop being thinned out in recent months, there will be some quality veterans set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Canadiens.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Zachary Bolduc – Montreal’s only move of significance on the opening day of free agency last summer came on the trade front when they acquired Bolduc for defenseman Logan Mailloux. He got off to a strong start but faltered after that, ultimately coming up short of his rookie-season production after recording 12 goals and 18 assists while being healthy scratched a handful of times as well. With that in mind, a bridge contract likely makes more sense for both sides. That price tag should wind up in the high-$2MM or low-$3MM range.
F Kirby Dach – The Canadiens acquired Dach four years ago in a three-way swap on draft night with the hopes that they had found the elusive second-line center they’ve needed. Today, they still have that need and there remain plenty of question marks with the 2019 third-overall selection. Over his time in Montreal, he has missed more games (174) than he has played (154) and the results have been inconsistent when he has played. Notably, he’s owed a $4MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights this summer. It’s hard to think that they’re ready to give him that but working something out before the June 29th tender deadline that’s a little cheaper could still be doable. Otherwise, it’s fair to wonder if his time with the team will be coming to an end. He is a wild card to keep an eye on.
D Arber Xhekaj – Xhekaj showed some potential four seasons ago in his rookie year but things have largely plateaued since then if not gone in the opposite direction. His playing time dropped to just 11:25 per night during the regular season and only 8:06 in the playoffs when he was in the lineup. With just four points in 65 outings as basically an even-strength-only player, he should be in line for only a nominal raise on his $1.3MM qualifying offer. However, with arbitration rights and 246 career NHL games (regular season and playoffs under his belt), he might be able to make a reasonable case to push past $2MM in a hearing if it gets to that point.
F Joe Veleno – Veleno came over last summer via unrestricted free agency after his contract was bought out by Seattle and played a limited role when he was in the lineup. He’s owed a $945K qualifying offer which is certainly reasonable for a fourth liner but it would come with arbitration eligibility. With 367 regular season games over his career, he’d have a fairly strong case in a hearing for a hefty raise, one that the Canadiens won’t want to give him. Either he signs a deal before June 29th or he’ll be non-tendered.
Other RFAs: F Jake Chiasson, F Jared Davidson, F Sean Farrell, D Gannon Laroque, F Joshua Roy, F Luke Tuch, D William Trudeau
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Samuel Blais – Blais was up in the NHL for around half the season after bouncing around on waivers, going to Toronto first and then back to Montreal. He was reasonably productive in limited minutes, notching eight points in 21 games along with 78 hits. He’ll likely be hoping to land somewhere with a shot to stick at the back of the roster. Failing that, his AHL production (38 points in 35 games) should be good enough to secure another one-way contract at a minimum.
F Patrik Laine – It’s safe to say that Laine’s addition didn’t work out how Montreal hoped when they added him in the 2024 offseason. After an injury-limited first season with the team (where he still managed 15 power play goals in 52 games), a core muscle injury limited him to just five games this season and plenty of questions. Laine suggested that he was ready to return but GM Kent Hughes indicated Laine had settled into a mindset that he wouldn’t. Either way, the injuries make him eligible to receive performance incentives on a one-year contract. That might be the best option for both sides. If Laine is healthy and productive, he could provide plenty of short-term value in the hopes of landing a richer deal next summer. There’s enough upside that several teams should be willing to make an offer like that with a lower base salary and a few million in incentives.
Other UFAs: F Alex Belzile, D Nathan Clurman, D Marc Del Gaizo, G Kaapo Kahkonen, G Hunter Shepard
Projected Cap Space
At the moment, the Canadiens project to have a little under $11MM of cap space to work with, enough to re-sign Bolduc and Dach if they want to but not do much else. If they’re able to move the final year and $6.5MM of Brendan Gallagher’s contract and deal Samuel Montembeault ($3.15MM), they could be able to become more aggressive on the trade and free agent front in the coming weeks.
Photos courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports (Dach) and Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images (Laine). Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.
Blackhawks Hoping To Add Veteran Defenseman
Down the stretch last season, the Blackhawks found themselves without a key veteran when Connor Murphy was moved to Edmonton before the trade deadline. That left them with just one veteran blueliner, Matt Grzelcyk, while the rest of the back end was 24 or younger.
Speaking with reporters at the NHL Draft Combine including Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, GM Kyle Davidson acknowledged that they wanted to see how things would go without the veteran safety valve in Murphy. They didn’t get any sort of late-season boost and evidently, Davidson is hoping to not see that recent history repeat itself next season as he acknowledged that he wants to explore options to add a veteran this summer.
As things stand, Grzelcyk is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. As a result, if he leaves, the oldest blueliner on Chicago’s roster would be Louis Crevier, who just turned 25 last month and completed his first full NHL season in 2025-26.
The Blackhawks have been rebuilding for a while now with just one playoff appearance in the past nine years, that being the expanded 2020 postseason. That has allowed them to amass an impressive crop of youngsters, including on the back end. Sam Rinzel and Artyom Levshunov are well on their way to becoming impact players. Alex Vlasic already is one. Crevier and Wyatt Kaiser both took steps forward this season while Kevin Korchinski showed some flashes in the past. That’s the makings of what could be a solid back end in the future.
But even rebuilding teams need veterans to help lead them through some rough times, something Davidson has recognized in recent years with some of the overpayments he made up front to get some into the system. Now, this certainly feels like one of those times where he may need to try the same thing, but this time on the back end.
Fortunately for Chicago, the side they need might be the easier one to get. Assuming Rinzel, Levshunov, and Crevier are the top three (in some order) on the right side, they should be set there. Vlasic and Kaiser are currently the top options on the left, with a now waiver-eligible Korchinski also in the mix. Someone who could hold down a second-pairing spot on the left side and log around 20 minutes per night would be a big addition, especially with the team hoping to take a step or two forward in the standings next season.
Cap space certainly shouldn’t be an issue in Davidson’s efforts to add a veteran defender. They presently have around $40MM in room, per PuckPedia, and while Connor Bedard’s next contract will be pricey, they’ll have more than enough space to get into (and try to win) the bidding for a blueliner.
Offseason Checklist: Dallas Stars
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those who have already been eliminated. Accordingly, it’s now time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Dallas.
Coming into the season, the Stars were viewed as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender with one of the more well-rounded groups, albeit with a new head coach in Glen Gulutzan, back for a second stint with the team. However, while they finished third overall in the standings, their reward was a first-round battle with Minnesota (the seventh-best team) thanks to the gauntlet that is the Central Division. After coming up short in that round, GM Jim Nill is in for a busy summer. Here’s what should be on his checklist.
Guard Against A Bourque Offer Sheet
While there is a prominent pending restricted free agent to re-sign (which we’ll get to shortly), there is another one whose timing is perhaps more urgent. That would be forward Mavrik Bourque. This had the potential to be a problem last year but Dallas got ahead of it, signing him early. But it came at a cost. In exchange for taking a below-market $950K contract, Bourque only received a one-year deal. That means he’s a pending RFA this summer and this time, he has salary arbitration eligibility.
Bourque’s sophomore season saw him improve from 25 points to 41, thanks to 20 goals and 21 assists while his playing time jumped up by nearly three minutes per contest. He went from being more of a depth player to a relied-on second liner along the way and top-six players tend to be rewarded handsomely should things get to a hearing.
That’s where things get difficult. Dallas doesn’t want to take Bourque to arbitration and run the risk of a higher award than they can afford with their current salary cap structure. On the other hand, if they wait to sign him and focus on Jason Robertson, he becomes a threat for an offer sheet given that Dallas only has $10MM in cap room, per PuckPedia.
Using this summer’s offer sheet thresholds, a team could plausibly try to sign Bourque to a short-term deal worth $4.77MM per season and only be required to surrender a second-round pick in return. That’s plausibly higher than he could receive in arbitration and much higher than the Stars could conceivably match with Robertson’s contract looming as well.
Accordingly, that sets an artificial deadline for Dallas to try to get something done. Basically, June 30th becomes the last date for ‘safe talks’. After that, an offer sheet could be in play, or salary arbitration if either side decides to file. That gives them about three weeks to figure something out and protect themselves from a potentially undesirable situation later on.
Re-Sign Robertson
Let’s move on to the big one now, that being Robertson’s contract. Back in 2022, Dallas didn’t have a ton of cap flexibility (it’s somewhat of an ongoing theme for them) and opted for a rare four-year bridge deal, one that gave Robertson a huge raise off his entry-level deal but kept his salary below market value for a little while longer. But it was structured in such a way to land him a pricier deal at its expiration with a $9.3MM qualifying offer that carries arbitration rights.
The 26-year-old provided fantastic value on the contract. Robertson hit the 80-point mark in all four seasons with the first and last years being his best. In the former, he finished sixth in NHL scoring with 109 points thanks to 46 goals and 63 assists. Then, after putting up two straight 80-point campaigns, he bounced back offensively this season, tallying 45 goals along with 51 helpers before adding eight points in their opening-round exit to Colorado. Over the last four years, only eight players have recorded more points. Only one of those, Nikita Kucherov, has an AAV below $11MM (and that might change before much longer). With only one RFA year left, this next contract will almost exclusively feature the full-priced UFA-eligible seasons, making an $11MM AAV look like an absolute minimum. AFP Analytics projects he could come close to the $12MM mark on a seven-year pact. As a reminder, they don’t have that much cap space to work with.
There’s also an arbitration risk here. Because he’s only a year away from being eligible to test the open market, he’s only eligible for a one-year award regardless of who files. Accordingly, if contract talks (which are almost certainly ongoing now) don’t go well, Robertson could opt to just go through the hearing, get what he gets, and then have even more leverage a year from now as a high-end pending UFA. That puts a bit of a pressure point on talks now, even though they don’t have enough cap space to re-sign Robertson at this point. But it’s a file they have to close with a long-term agreement, keeping a star winger in the fold for the long haul.
Clear Cap Space
Now that we’ve looked at who needs to be signed, let’s get the obvious out of the way. If Robertson is going to cost more than their current cap room, and Bourque needs to be signed, then something has to give. Someone (or more than just one) will need to move. Arttu Hyry also needs a new deal while it wouldn’t be shocking if they want to bring Jamie Benn back on what would probably have to be another bonus-laden agreement.
The problem is that there aren’t a lot of obvious candidates. Tyler Seguin is entering the final year of his deal at $9.85MM but he’s coming off ACL surgery which doesn’t help his value, nor does his full no-move clause. Even if he was open to being dealt, the list might not be too long, and the fact he hasn’t played since December will make the acquiring team more hesitant. The potential saving grace is that once his $5.75MM signing bonus paid, he’s only owed $1MM in salary. At that point, if the acquiring team is just eating the contract, any lingering concerns about his availability to start the season would go out the window. Dallas would likely have to incentivize a team to take him but if it keeps Robertson and Bourque in the fold (and allow them to re-sign Benn at the same time), they’d probably do it.
The problem is that this might be the end of the list. Their other top-paid players aren’t ones they’d want to move. Matt Duchene has a full no-move clause and probably isn’t going to want to move. Esa Lindell has a full no-trade clause and, frankly, is too valuable on the back end to consider moving. Basically, anyone else making more than $4MM isn’t a viable trade candidate. Considering they need more than that in cap space, that makes things tricky.
Moving Ilya Lyubushkin at $3.25MM for the limited role he fills would save some money although they’d need a replacement body so the net savings might be closer to $2MM. Radek Faksa’s $2MM AAV could be too expensive of a luxury but, again, with a replacement body needed, the actual savings might barely be half of that. Those two moves would help a bit but probably aren’t enough to accomplish everything that they need to.
Nill knows what needs to be done in terms of cutting down their cap charge. Despite few viable options, he needs to find a way to get it done.
Look For A Defensive Upgrade
Considering their financial circumstances, this one probably falls under the wishful thinking category. But defensive improvements have been on the wish list for a while now and while they took a swing at the deadline this past season when they added Tyler Myers from Vancouver, that didn’t quite go as planned. His playing dropped by more than three minutes a night following the swap while he was scratched at one point in the postseason.
A full training camp could help, sure, but if he’s not a fit, his contract is favorable enough to move. With the Canucks paying half of it, his cost to the Stars (or an acquiring team) is only $1.5MM. That’s an affordable price for a lot of teams for a potential upgrade on the third pairing if Nill decides he wants to try a different type of blueliner.
If Seguin ultimately moves to open up cap space, then Lyubushkin could be moved in a player-player swap to change up the defense corps as well.
In an ideal world, they’d find a way to upgrade in their top four but that’s rather unrealistic given the circumstances. But if there’s a way to make an affordable upgrade on the third pairing or shuffle up the personnel to fit Gulutzan’s system better, that would still be a useful approach to take. But until they deal with the two forwards, they won’t be able to do much on this end.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
Snapshots: Bussi, Carrier, Radkov
After last night’s remarkable comeback to force overtime in Game 3, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour avoided committing to either of Frederik Andersen or Brandon Bussi for Tuesday’s crucial Game 4 in Vegas, noted by Cory Lavalette of North State Journal. A decision will be made after tomorrow’s practice.
Down 4-0 going into the third period, Brind’Amour put in Bussi, the first Stanley Cup Playoff experience for the 27-year-old who hadn’t seen any game action in nearly two months. If nothing else, it was in the interest of getting some rest for the veteran Andersen and looking ahead to the next contest. Instead, the Canes stormed back with Bussi making several big saves. It was a theme consistent with what has been a year to remember for Bussi, claimed off waivers from Florida in the fall as an unknown name who made his NHL debut in October on the way to 31 wins in the regular season.
Ultimately coming up short in overtime was a damper on the case for Bussi, but to be fair, it was a fluky goal which gave the Golden Knights the double-overtime win. Otherwise, the 6’4″ netminder turned away 18 shots up to that point. Down 2-1 in the series, by no means are the Hurricanes on the precipice of defeat just yet, but Brind’Amour faces a crossroads between a fresh but unproven up-and-comer or the 36-year-old who offers a .910 save percentage with 13 wins in the postseason, where the grind of the playoffs has taken a toll.
Elsewhere across the league:
- Sticking with the Hurricanes, Brind’Amour offered no update on William Carrier, but he is “hopeful” the forward will be good to go on Tuesday, relayed by Chip Alexander of Raleigh News & Observer. The former Golden Knight played just 6:51 last night due to an apparent upper-body injury. Losing someone so early into what became a five-period game is never ideal, but the fourth liner is averaging just over 10 minutes of ice time throughout the postseason. In his 16 playoff games thus far, Carrier has four assists. If he’s unable to play on Tuesday, Brind’Amour has two well rested but polar opposite forwards to choose from; Jesperi Kotkaniemi or Nicolas Deslauriers. Kotkaniemi hasn’t played at all in the playoffs, recording just nine points in 42 games on the season. Deslauriers made just one appearance during the run, Game 4 of the first round against Ottawa. It would be a nice story for the 35-year-old to get into a Finals game, with just six playoff games under his belt so far. Yet as an enforcer, he’d hardly make a difference in Brind’Amour’s ability to roll lines, facing a 3-1 deficit if they can’t nab a win.
- Montreal Canadiens prospect Arseni Radkov was traded to the Val-d’Or Foreurs of the QMJHL, per the team. Draft pick compensation is headed to the Saint John Sea Dogs, of whom Radkov played 17 games. Chosen by the Habs in the third round of the 2025 draft (82nd overall), Radkov had committed to the University of Massachusetts, however the news indicates he’ll run it back in the QMJHL after an up-and-down debut North American season. Starting with Blainville-Boisbriand, Radkov was traded to Saint John after posting a .894 save percentage. His statistics didn’t improve after the trade, as the Sea Dogs were dispatched in the first round of the postseason by the top seeded Moncton Wildcats, boasing top Utah prospect Caleb Desnoyers. The 6’4″ 18-year-old will look to turn the page with a fresh start in Val-d’Or, chosen by the Canadiens with a pick acquired from New Jersey in exchange for fellow goaltender Jake Allen.
Mammoth Sign Vadim Moroz To Two-Year, Entry-Level Contract
The Utah Mammoth have signed 2023 third-round pick Vadim Moroz to a two-year, entry-level contract. Moroz recently wrapped up his fourth season with the KHL’s HC Dinamo. He was a breakout scorer for Minsk, even setting a franchise-record for scoring by a U23 player with 44 points in the 2024-25 season. Moroz’s contract will carry a $1.01375M cap hit per PuckPedia.
Moroz’s scoring dwindled to 29 points in 54 games of the 2025-26 season but his on-ice impact stayed much the same. The 23-year-old winger has earned his keep with responsible and engaged hockey all over the ice, often staying true to his spot and quick to make a play on loose pucks. He boasts the fine skating and puck-control needed to drive play all the way down the ice, while also carrying plenty of oomph in a 6-foot-2 frame.
The Belarusian will face an uphill battle moving from the KHL’s highest scoring offense into a rugged role with the Mammoth – but his success could prove an X-factor down the road. He was a versatile play-driver with scoring upside in Russia and could bring the same impact from a middle-six role if his talents carry over. First, Moroz will likely have to brave the test of the AHL – a challenge he should be well set for after scoring 109 points in 222 career KHL games.