Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

NHL

NHL Expecting More Slow-Moving Offseasons

at CDT | by 11 Comments

For better or worse, the salary cap’s upper limit increase has not led to much movement this summer. In a recent interview with RG Media, an NHL executive, who has chosen to remain anonymous, believes offseasons like these will become the modus operandi for the foreseeable future.

The anonymous executive bluntly said, “Teams will do a good job of locking up their own players. Everybody in the league, except for a few teams, had a lot of cap space, and I think going forward, if you like a player, there’s no reason why you wouldn’t try to keep them yourself.”

Similarly, the executive furthered their original point, saying, “Sometimes teams look to make these changes, but sometimes it’s better not to make many changes and keep the guys you believe in because they know their character, work ethic, and how they get along with their team. It makes more sense than going out and getting something that you’re not sure about.”

It doesn’t take long to prove their point, either. Taking a look back at our Top 50 Projections from 2023, eight players out of the top 10 (nine if you’re including Patrice Bergeron choosing to retire) left their respective clubs that offseason. Similarly, in 2024, seven out of our top 10 projected unrestricted free agents headed for greener pastures. This year? Only two.

Given that the salary cap will rise by the same percentage year on year for the next few seasons, there’s no reason to believe anything will change moving forward. Hypothetically speaking, the only way it may change is if the trio of Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Kirill Kaprizov heads to the open market next summer. If their respective clubs aren’t interested in a sign-and-trade, as the Vegas Golden Knights did with the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason for Mitch Marner’s services, then teams may be inclined to keep their pocketbooks full to take a run at a game-changing talent.

Still, there’s no expectation that either of the three will become unrestricted free agents in less than a year, with most reporting suggesting that each will sign long-term extensions with their respective clubs. Should that be the case, next year’s free agent class will look similarly to this year’s, forecasting another eerily slow summer.

Afternoon Notes: Savage, Milano, ECHL

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Center prospect Red Savage is set to sign a two-year deal with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, per hockey insider Ken Campbell. The Detroit Red Wings relinquished Savage’s player rights on August 15th, after choosing not to sign the 2021 fourth-round pick to his entry-level contract.

Savage’s decision to turn pro comes on the heels of a long-term shoulder injury, sustained from an awkward fall into the boards in a January matchup against the Michigan Wolverines. The injury ended what was Savage’s first season as captain of the Michigan State Spartans, and limited him to just 11 points in 20 games on the season. He concludes his collegiate career with a combined 68 points in 125 games – split 30 points coming with Miami University of Ohio and 38 with the Spartans. Savage was lauded as a responsible, two-way center for both clubs and should find some immediate impact with the Americans, assuming he returns well from injury.

A move to Rochester will mark a reunion with head coach Michael Leone, who served as an assistant coach over Savage’s two years at the U.S. NTDP. Leone led Rochester to a 42-22-8 record and Division Final loss in his first year of pro coaching last season.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Washington Capitals forward Sonny Milano is back on the ice after an upper-body injury ended his season in November. He has been taking part in informal practices with his teammates recently, shares Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. Silber adds that Milano hopes to make a push back onto the Capitals roster at training camp. Milano was in the midst of earning a daily lineup role when he suffered his injury. He scored an encouraging 40 goals and 90 points in 179 games in three seasons between 2021 and 2024 – though each year was limited by injury. Questions remained about Milano’s durability and defensive acumen. He didn’t have a chance to dissuade those concerns last year, but seems to be getting an early jump at proving he can stick in the NHL this season.
  • The ECHL has announced the approval of an expansion team in Augusta, Georgia set to begin play in the 2027-28 season. This marks a return to The Garden City for the ECHL. Augusta previously served as home to the Augusta Lynx, who folded after 10 seasons in 2008. The new team will be owned by former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, in partnership with David Hodges and Hodges Management Group, LLC. No team name or logo has been announced. The ECHL is also set to expand to New Mexico in the 2026-27 season. The league will grow to 32 clubs once both teams break ground, putting them on level-playing field with the AHL and NHL. That should allow for full partnership between three leagues. The Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets were the only clubs without an ECHL affiliate in the 2024-25 season.

Gulutzan Focused On Making Stars More Physical

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Dallas Stars are in the midst of a frustrating streak. They’ve lost in the Western Conference Finals in each of the last three seasons, including back-to-back losses at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers. In an effort to curb their bad luck, Dallas went directly to the source to fill their head coaching vacancy earlier this summer. They hired Oilers assistant Glen Gulutzan, who brings the sharp assessment of Dallas’ roster that only a Conference rival could have. In an interview with Sean Shapiro of the Dallas Magazine, Gulutzan shared that his key focus for the 2025-26 Stars will be playing more physical.

Gulutzan’s critique of Dallas’ style certainly lands at a good time. The Stars delivered the fewest hits in the league, at even-strength, last season (1,160 total hits). They were also on the receiving end of more hits than any other club (1,963 total hits received). It was the second-straight season that Dallas ranked dead-last in the NHL in terms of hits-given versus hits-received – but Gulutzan’s urge to address that weakness won’t take too much improvement. The Oilers have also been among the league’s most out-hit clubs, ranking second-to-last in the 2024-25 season and fifth-to-last in 2023-24.

Even with that standing, Gulutzan acknowledged how much a dash of physicality transformed the Oilers. He pointed directly to the growth of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl over the last two seasons. McDavid recorded a career-high 118 hits in the 2023-24 season, while Draisaitl reached 58 hits, the second-highest mark of his career. Both players took a major step back in hits this season – McDavid recording just 40, and Draisaitl recording 23 – but star talent leaning into the physical game clearly inspired the Oilers lineup. Gulutzan told Shapiro:

You had to ask the elite players to use their skills and smarts to check, not to deliver big body checks, but to check and add a little physicality each shift… And the reality is that’s the evolution of that group. It happened because [McDavid and Draisitl] wanted it to happen, and reinforced it for everyone. I look at our team [in Dallas]. I’m putting the energy in the same spot

To their credit, Dallas does have their fair share of bruisers at the top of the lineup. Rookie Lian Bichsel managed an incredible 155 hits in just 38 games last season, confidently leading all NHL defensemen in hits-per-60 minutes played. The Stars also continue to receive heavy physicality from captain Jamie Benn, who has recorded at least 100 hits in three of the last four seasons – and 97 hits in his sole off-year. But Gulutzan will ask for more out of the rest of the team’s stars – a group likely to include Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Mikko Rantanen and Wyatt Johnston who managed 60, 53, 48, and 45 hits last season respectively.

A new brand of physicality could be the piece that pushes Dallas past their Western Conference foes. The Florida Panthers just won back-to-back Stanley Cups on the heels of high-pressure forechecking opening ground for their star scorers. That will be the mantra Dallas looks to adopt under new head coach Gulutzan, as they look to pave their way past the Western Conference for the first time since 2020 next season.

Five Key Stories: 8/11/25 – 8/17/25

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

We’re now past the midpoint of August and training camps are starting to get closer. We saw a handful of moves on the transaction front over the past seven days, several of which are highlighted in our key stories.

Going For 20: Long-time NHL veteran Jack Johnson isn’t ready to call it a career just yet as he has signed a tryout deal with Minnesota. The 38-year-old was an every-game regular as recently as 2023-24 but his second stint with Columbus last season saw him reduced to a much lesser role with playing time very limited when he did get in the lineup for his 41 games. Johnson has 342 points in 1,228 games with six different teams over 19 seasons and will look to make it an even 20 if he can secure a contract from the Wild, a team that moved Declan Chisholm at the draft and didn’t re-sign veteran depth defender Jon Merrill.

Bridge For Evans: Seattle took care of their last remaining restricted free agent, working out a two-year bridge deal with defenseman Ryker Evans. The contract carries a cap hit of $2.05MM. The 23-year-old wrapped up his first full NHL campaign last season and it was a good one that saw him pick up 25 points in 73 games while logging over 19 minutes a night of playing time. Evans also played for Canada at the Worlds in May, notching a pair of assists in eight outings. The deal is slightly front-loaded with his required qualifying offer in 2027 checking in at an even $2MM; that offer will also come with salary arbitration rights. By going with a bridge agreement instead of a long-term pact, Seattle projects to enter the season with nearly $4.6MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.

Johansen Grievance Ruling: While it took quite a while – the better part of a year – a ruling has been made in the Ryan Johansen grievance for the termination of his contract. Philadelphia acquired him in 2024 and after he cleared waivers, he was assigned to the AHL where Johansen asserted there was an injury (a nagging hip issue), leading to the rescinding of the assignment. However, the Flyers then terminated Johansen’s contract last August, citing a material breach of contract. The hearing went to an arbitrator who has sided with Philadelphia, meaning that Johansen’s deal will not be restored in part or in full on the books. Johansen’s contract being added retroactive to last year’s books would have caused a bonus overage penalty for the Flyers which would have then rolled onto their 25-26 numbers. Johansen didn’t play at all last season and remains an unrestricted free agent although it would be surprising to see him sign now.

Calling It A Career: Veteran defenseman Chad Ruhwedel has decided to retire at the age of 35. He was a late bloomer, not really establishing himself in the NHL until he joined Pittsburgh at 26 but wound up becoming a reliable depth option who could step in and play on the third pairing for several years, including the 2021-22 campaign that saw him play in a career-best 78 NHL games. Ruhwedel spent most of last season with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford and rather than seek out what would likely have been a PTO deal, he has decided to hang up his skates now. He ends his career with 50 points in 369 NHL games over parts of 13 seasons, a solid run for a player who was never drafted.

Detroit Adds A Defenseman: The Red Wings have added some extra depth on the back end, signing veteran Travis Hamonic to a one-year, $1MM contract. The 35-year-old was a high-quality shutdown defenseman in his prime but he has seen his role scaled back in recent years to that of a depth defender lately. Hamonic was battling Jacob Bernard-Docker for playing time with the Senators for the bulk of the last two seasons and that battle is now set to continue with Detroit’s other signing on the blueline this summer being Bernard-Docker after he was let go by Buffalo.

Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig-Imagn Images.

Rangers Re-Sign Dylan Garand, Talyn Boyko

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The New York Rangers have re-signed goaltender Dylan Garand to a one-year, two-way contract extension, per Peter Baugh of The Athletic. The deal will carry a league-minimum, $775K salary at the NHL level. New York also announced the signing of goaltender Talyn Boyko to a one-year deal. Both netminders were restricted-free agents. With their deals out of the way, New York’s only remaining RFAs will be defensemen Lauri Pajuniemi and Karl Henriksson.

Garand began his career as the backup to Louis Domingue, but has gained the edge in starts over the veteran through the last two seasons. Garand has improved his stat line in every season along the way. He posted a 13-14-3 record and .894 save percentage in 32 games of his rookie season in 2022-23. Those numbers improved just enough to win the starter’s crease in 2023-24, rising to a 16-17-5 record and .898 Sv% in 39 games. With a year of trust behind him, Garand finally broke out this year, posting a 20-10-8 record and .913 Sv% in another 39 games.

On the heels of Garand’s rise, Domingue made the decision to sign with Sibir Novosibirsk of Russia’s KHL this summer. He’ll move out of the Rangers organization after three years, leaving the role of AHL backup to a mix of Callum Tung, Hugo Ollas, and Boyko. The inexperience of those three should give Garand a perfect chance to take on a star’s workload this season. New York is clearly expecting as much, now giving the 23-year-old a chance to set his own bar for renegotiations next summer. If he continues to succeed in upwards of 40 or 50 starts, Garand could find himself pushing to backup Igor Shesterkin in the NHL. If he falters, he’ll continue forward as the new veteran presence in a young Wolf Pack goalie room. Either way, Garand’s 2025-26 campaign will be one to watch closely.

Meanwhile, Boyko could be a strong bet to cede the bulk of Domingue’s minutes. He split starts on the ECHL’s Tulsa Oilers last season, ultimately working to a stout 20-8-5 record and .913 Sv% in 33 games. He also posted a 2-2-0 record and .917 Sv% in five AHL games. The stat line was a hardy improvement over Boyko’s first pro season last year, when he managed a 13-9-1 record and .888 Sv% in 26 games with the Cincinnati Cyclones. He’s an athletic, 6-foot-8 goaltender with more pro experience than Tung or Ollas. That standing should give him the first chance to prove he can stick in the AHL. Boyko’s potential, and the confidence of a new deal, should give Rangers fans even more reason to watch Hartford’s goalie room closely.

Snapshots: Belleville, Lightning, Tullio, AHL

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

In the wake of groundbreaking news regarding a new NHL arena, the Ottawa Senators have also announced a three-year extension of the Belleville Senators’ lease agreement with Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre. The deal additionally includes the option to extend for an additional five years, effectively gluing the AHL Senators to Belleville until between 2030 and 2035.

Ottawa will make a confident move to keep their AHL club just a few hours away. This news comes despite the fact that Belleville has ranked in the bottom-three of AHL attendance in each of the last two seasons, with an average of 2,823 fans each game per HockeyDB. Belleville did come closer to 3,000 fans per game this season, and will look to cross that mark with a new commitment to the city.

Their one-ice performances have fluctuated in their eight years of existence. The Baby Sens have made the postseason only twice, though they did finish first and third in their division in 2020 and 2021, when the postseason was either cancelled early or outright. The club has shown glimmers of hope, and should only improve as Ottawa continues to stack their depth chart.

Other quick notes from across the NHL:

  • In more arena news, the Tampa Bay Lightning have announced a new name for their home base shares Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. The arena formerly known as AMALIE Arena will now be named Benchmark International Arena, after naming rights were sold to the Tampa-based acquisitions firm. Details of the sale were not revealed, other than that it will run for multiple years and include $3MM in nonprofit contributions to the arena. Amalie Motor Oil Company, who held the naming rights since 2014, will continue to serve as a corporate partner of the Lightning.
  • Right winger Tyler Tullio will continue his journey across the AHL. He has signed a contract with the Tuscon Roadrunners for next season, per Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey. Tullio was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 2024, as part of the deal that swapped top prospect Matthew Savoie for pro center Ryan McLeod. He spent 30 games with the Rochester Americans, before being loaned to the Calgary Wranglers for the rest of the season. He totaled 15 points in 43 games this season, just narrowly below the scoring pace he managed when he scored 21 points in 54 games in 2023-24, or 26 points in 63 games in 2022-23, with the Bakersfield Condors. Tullio was a fifth-round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft and should provide a nice boost of speed to Tuscon’s lineup.
  • The AHL has named Stephen Thomson as their new Vice President of Hockey Operations, per NHL.com’s Mark Divver. Divver adds that Thomson will be responsible for overseeing on-ice operations, including management of officials and disciplinary processes. Thomson has been with the AHL’s league office since 2022. He will replace Hayley Moore, who left for a role with popular agency Quartexx Management. The AHL also announced that Jeff Jordan has been hired as the Director of Hockey Operations and Central Registry after spending the last five years with the Springfield Thunderbirds. The league has also promoted Michael Demarin to Senior Manager of Hockey Administration and Governance; and Shannon Chiras to Manager of Hockey Operations.

Kraken Hire Zac Dalpe, Adam Purner To Development Team

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Seattle Kraken have announced two late-summer hires. Recently retired pro Zac Dalpe will join the club as a Player Development Consultant, and Adam Purner will take on the role of Video Analyst, in the 2025-26 season. Dalpe played through over 15 years between the NHL and AHL lineups, while Purner has spent the last three seasons as the video coach for the AHL’s Hershey Bears.

Dalpe will waste no time in continuing his career in the hockey world, as he lands this role just over a month after announcing the end of his playing days. He was once a top center prospect, originally drafted in the second-round of the 2008 NHL Draft by the Carolina Hurricanes. Dalpe followed his draft with two seasons at The Ohio State University, where he emerged as a key part of the offense – netting 70 points in 76 games before turning pro in 2010. He seemed to be set for much of the same success at the pro flight, with 64 points in his first 70 games in the AHL.

But Dalpe struggled to maintain his scoring into the NHL flight. His career was defined by lofty scoring in the minors, but minimal scoring in the majors. Despite that, the reliable center was able to work his way to 168 appearances at the NHL level over the course of 12 seasons. He played with six clubs over that period, including four years in Carolina’s pipeline and three years with Columbus. He totaled 32 points in those appearances. Dalpe’s spot starts in the NHL were rounded out by an impressive 392 points in 574 games, and 15 seasons, in the AHL. He was a true pillar of any lineup he joined, and spent the last six seasons of his career serving as a team captain – broken up as two years wearing the Cleveland Monsters ’C’, and four years leading the Charlotte Checkers.

Dalpe’s career was defined not by lofty stats or many accolades, but instead true year-over-year reliability and a willingness to fill any role his teams needed. He’ll now use those attributes to support Seattle’s young guns as they ramp into the NHL.

Joining Dalpe will be acclaimed video coach Purner, who supported the Hershey Bears in their run to Calder Cup Championships in two of the last three seasons. Purner’s career began with five seasons as the video coach for the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks. He followed that stint with two years in a minor-league role with the New Jersey Devils’ organization, split between one year with the Binghamton Devils and one year with the Utica Comets. Purner will now receive his first NHL opportunity just a few hours away from where his career began.

Bruins’ James Hagens To Return To Boston College

at CDT | by 7 Comments

Boston Bruins top prospect James Hagens has announced he will return to Boston College for his sophomore season. In a brief interview with Scott McLaughlin of Boston’s WEEI 93.7, Hagens shared that he’s in no rush to advance to the next step, acknowledging that development is a, “marathon, not a sprint”. Hagens revealed the news while participating at the Bruins’ 14th annual back-to-school celebration, alongside current Bruins Mason Lohrei and John Beecher.

Few announcements will shake the college scene as much as the news of Hagens’ return. He was among the best freshmen in college last season, tracking to 37 points in 37 games. That scoring earned him a unanimous selection to Hockey East’s All-Rookie team – an accolade he shared with teammate Teddy Stiga and Boston University rival Cole Hutson. Hagens reached those heights while filling an interesting role with the Eagles, stepping in between wingers Gabe Perreault and Ryan Leonard after the two spent their last three years centered by San Jose Sharks prospect Will Smith.

Each of Perreault, Leonard, and Hagens scored fewer points than the Eagles’ top-line managed in 2023-24, though it seemed that was more the cause of a low-scoring year across Hockey East. The top unit recorded points on 36 percent of BC’s goals this season, an ever-so-slight improvement over the 34 percent contributed by Smith, Leonard, and Perreault in 2024.

But while Hagens faced questions of his scoring upside relative to other top draft-eligible talents in the NCAA, it was hard not to be impressed by his on-ice results. He’s long been a dynamo among his age group, with an innate ability to predict movement and put himself in position to make a play. Hagens is strong on the puck – with an ability to use finesse moves and bulky shoulders to force his way into the dangerous areas of the ice. More than that, he showed clear signs of improvement as the year went on – developing his physical presence and ability to make a difference even when he wasn’t the first man in on a play.

Those signs of growth give Boston a prospect to be excited over. Hagens was lauded as the clear first-overall talent in the 2025 draft class, prior to the beginning of the 2024-25 season. Much of that claim came from his command of the U.S. NTDP over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, where he served as the team’s top-line center and snappy playmaker next to electric goal-scorer Cole Eiserman. With Eiserman’s help, Hagens was able to become the fifth-highest scoring player in NTDP history, with 187 points in 118 games. He also set the scoring record at the World U17 Hockey Challenge in 2023, with 21 points in seven games, and the World U18 Championship in 2024, with 22 points in seven games.

Hagens will be returning to a fresh-faced Boston College lineup next season. Both Leonard and Perreault signed their NHL entry-level contracts at the end of last season, leaving the Eagles with vacancies on both wings on their top-line. One of those spots will be occupied by Stiga, who has shown years of chemistry playing next to Hagens. The other spot will be closely contested, but could land in the hands of transfer forward Ryan Conmy, or fellow Bruins draft pick William Moore. Hagens and Moore will be two of six Bruins prospects on next year’s Eagles squad, providing local fans with plenty of reasons to walk to Conte Forum when the puck drops.

Patrick Thoresen Announces Retirement

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Former Edmonton Oilers forward Patrick Thoresen has announced his retirement from professional hockey, via a social media post from the SHL’s Djurgårdens IF. Thoresen has spent the last 17 years marching around European pro leagues. He has played with teams in four different countries, and eight different leagues, in that span. Now, after winning a HockeyAllsvenskan championship with Djurgårdens last season, the 41-year-old left-winger has decided to hang up his skates.

Thoresen’s history in the NHL is rather brief. He went undrafted through eligibility in the 2002, 2003, and 2004 NHL Drafts – falling through a combined 27 rounds in the old nine-round format – despite recording a combined 191 points in 131 QMJHL games during his draft-eligible years. Thoresen returned to Europe for in the 2003-04 season and quickly stood out as a pro. He scored 41 points in 38 games in Sweden’s top minor league, then continued to produce for Djurgårdens in the SHL (then the SEL) with a combined 50 points in 80 games over the next two seasons.

The strong performances in Sweden were enough to catch the eye of the Edmonton Oilers, who signed Thorsen to his first NHL contract in May of 2006. He was a major standout during the team’s 2006-07 training camp and earned a spot on the opening night roster. But he struggled to maintain the momentum into his first NHL season, and recorded just 16 points and 52 penalty minutes in 68 games of his rookie season. He returned to Edmonton in the next year, but was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers mid-season after scoring just three points in 17 games with the Oilers. He added five more points in 21 games with the Flyers – a slowdown that seemed to clearly paint a mismatch between Thoresen’s style and the NHL. His action with the Oilers and Flyers was intercut by 34 games and 32 points in the AHL.

With two years of struggles behind him, Thoresen opted to return to Europe via a move to Lugano of the Swiss National League in 2008. He instantly bounced back to form, recording 63 points and 48 games of the 2008-09 season, then signing with the KHL’s Ufa Salavat in the following summer. Thoresen maintained his point-per-game scoring in Russia, and served as a crucial piece of Ufa’s run to the league championship in 2011 – the most recent title-win in club history. He moved to SKA following his championship run, continued to score, and eventually led SKA to their own championship run in 2015. In total, Thoresen managed 358 points in 375 games in the KHL between 2009 and 2015.

The next three seasons were spent in one-year stops with Djurgårdens, Zurich SC, and SKA – before Thoresen opted to become the face of the Norwegian league in 2018. He continued on through various levels of Norwegian pros until this past season, when he returned to Djurgårdens to support their surge back to the SHL. With 41 points in 48 games from Thoresen, Djurgårdens was able to lean on a long-time veteran in their push to a league promotion.

Thoresen was a fixture of Norway’s Men’s roster from 2003 to 2025. He appeared with the team in every year, even through international moves, and has served as one of the club’s captains since 2012. Like he did in every league he played in, Thoresen emerged as a star scorer for the Norway squad, and even recorded five points in three games of this year’s Olympic Games Qualifiers, at the age of 40. He retires as Norway’s leader in goals (47) and points-per-game (0.98) through 131 international games.

Thoresen will hang his skates up with a strong bid for being the greatest Norwegian pro of all time. His accomplishments spanned borders, and include two championships in the KHL, two in Norway, one in the HockeyAllsvenskan, and a former SHL MVP award. While he’ll move on from his playing career, it’s hard to imagine a veteran of more than 20 pro seasons will stay away for long.

Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports.

Arbitrator Rules In Favor Of Flyers In Ryan Johansen’s Grievance

at CDT | by 8 Comments

An arbitrator has ruled in favor of the Philadelphia Flyers in a grievance filed by veteran centerman Ryan Johansen, over the team’s termination of his contract prior to the 2024-25 season, shares TSN’s Darren Dreger.

The Flyers acquired Johansen alongside a conditional 2025 first-round pick at the 2024 Trade Deadline, in exchange for sending defenseman Sean Walker to the Colorado Avalanche. Philadelphia placed Johansen on waivers immediately after the trade, with the intentions of assigning him to the AHL and potentially flipping him before the deadline. When no trade manifested, Johansen refused to report to the minor leagues, instead claiming that he was limited by a nagging hip injury. The NHL sided with Johansen, and reversed his AHL assignment after a failed physical exam.

Johansen spent the remainder of the 2023-24 season on injured reserve. There was a clear wedge between him and the Flyers’ top brass – one that only rooted deeper as the 2024 summer went on. By August, Philadelphia decided to place Johansen on unconditional waivers for the purposes of contract termination – citing the player’s delay in notifying them of the injury, and failure to pass physicals or report to his assignment.

Johansen passed through waivers and became an unrestricted-free agent. He filed a grievance with the NHLPA soon after, claiming the Flyers had wrongly terminated his contract. Now, a full year later, it seems the NHL will side with Philadelphia in their handling of the situation.

The implications of this decision aren’t immediately clear. Johansen had one year remaining on an eight-year, $64MM contract originally signed with the Nashville Predators in 2017 – though Philadelphia was only due $4MM in cap hit, after Nashville retained half of the contract when they traded Johansen to Colorado. The range of outcomes seems far-reaching – from Philadelphia being due that full $4MM price tag, to a settlement with the player, to no cap implications on the team’s side at all. Details on the exact impact against the Flyers will likely be revealed in the coming days.

The NHL’s last contract termination to reach headlines over a material breach came in 2015, when the Los Angeles Kings terminated forward Mike Richards’ contract with five years remaining. He was still due $22MM on the deal. Richards also filed a grievance with the NHLPA, and would end up settling with the team for an undisclosed amount before becoming a free agent. He signed for one season with the Washington Capitals following the dispute, but would retire from hockey in 2016.

It seems less likely that Johansen will return to the NHL. His play gradually dwindled throughout the 2020s – falling from 63 points in the 2021-22 season to just 23 points in 2023-24. He slowed down in all aspects, likely due to what was proven to be a very real and long-running hip injury. That slow-down pushed Johansen to Colorado’s fourth-line in his final few games with the team. With a decision in place on his grievance with the Flyers, he would realistically have time to sign a short contract, or try-out agreement, before the 2025-26 season. But those chances hinge on the 33-year-old’s recovery, and willingness to return, after a full season away from the league. If he does call his career to a close, the former fourth-overall selection will finish with 578 points in 905 games in the NHL.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top