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Islanders Sign Kyle Palmieri, Adam Boqvist To Extensions

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The Islanders announced they signed pending UFA winger Kyle Palmieri and RFA defenseman Adam Boqvist to two-year and one-year contract extensions, respectively. Boqvist’s deal carries a cap hit of $850K, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Palmieri’s is worth $4.75MM per season for a total value of $9.5MM, Friedman adds. His deal also includes a full no-trade clause in 2025-26 and a 16-team no-trade list in 2026-27, according to PuckPedia.

The two signings are the first of general manager Mathieu Darche’s tenure after they made his hiring official one week ago, succeeding Lou Lamoriello. Lamoriello had held extension talks with both players before the Islanders announced he’d been let go. They hit pause while the organization conducted its GM search, but it appears they were high on Darche’s list to get across the finish line in his first several days on the job.

Palmieri, 34, has spent parts of five seasons on Long Island and will look to extend that number to seven with this new deal. Initially acquired from the Devils at the 2021 trade deadline, he spent about a month testing free agency the following summer before returning to New York on a four-year, $20MM contract.

It was an eye-raising commitment at the time, especially for a player who finished the regular season with just four points in 17 games after his acquisition. It largely worked out in the end, though. Palmieri returned to his ways as a consistent 20-goal winger, putting himself on pace for the mark in his last three seasons with the Isles. He hasn’t missed a game since the 2022-23 campaign and even tied his career-high 30 goals one year ago. He followed that up with a 24-goal, 48-point showing this season, placing him third on the Islanders in scoring and 14th among pending unrestricted free agents.

That makes his price tag a smart one for his relatively projectable goal-scoring touch, although the Islanders would presumably like to decrease his deployment from the 18:31 per game he hit last season, a career high. While a known commodity offensively, he’s never been particularly adept away from the puck, and those concerns perhaps overshadowed his decent production in 2024-25. His -17 rating was a team-low and a career-low. The Islanders also allowed 30.24 shots per 60 minutes with Palmieri on the ice at 5-on-5, the worst figure of any New York skater with at least 200 minutes played, per Natural Stat Trick.

Palmieri should still be able to hover around the 20-goal mark in slightly decreased usage to limit his defensive drawbacks, particularly if Darche’s roster retooling gives him a two-way, playmaking center to partner with lower in the lineup. The new deal is a slight pay cut from his previous $5MM cap hit, a notable factor in the Islanders’ ability to spend this offseason amid the largest year-to-year salary cap jump in history.

As for Boqvist, he lands some stability after a tumultuous 2024-25 campaign. The 2018 eighth overall pick’s offseason began on a sour note when he was bought out by the Blue Jackets with one year remaining on a three-year, $7.8MM contract. He landed with the Panthers on a league-minimum contract to play with his brother, Jesper Boqvist, but managed only 18 appearances in the first four months of the campaign before ending up on waivers.

The Islanders, in need of puck-movers on the back end with injuries to Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock, took a flyer on the 24-year-old Swede. He was a serviceable depth piece down the stretch, even rotating into the lineup at center at times, recording eight points and a minus-five rating in 17 games. The 6’0″ righty averaged 15:22 per game after the claim.

It remains to be seen whether Boqvist is in the opening night lineup next fall, but he’s likely done enough to at least earn a roster spot and stick around as a healthy extra if the Isles need more scoring punch on the power play. Like Palmieri, Boqvist’s defensive game has been his biggest wart at the NHL level. He’s never been particularly physical, and his play style doesn’t warrant being a good shot suppressor through pure puck possession, but he did have some decent 5-on-5 defense numbers in New York. His 25.99 shots against per 60 minutes ranked ninth on the club out of 26 skaters to play at least 200 minutes, and his 2.40 expected goals against per 60 ranked 10th.

Boqvist will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent next summer. The Islanders still have nearly $21MM in cap space after today’s extensions, per PuckPedia.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Blackhawks Hire Jared Nightingale As AHL Head Coach

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The Blackhawks announced they’ve named Jared Nightingale as the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. He replaces Mark Eaton, who took over as Rockford’s interim head coach to end the campaign after Anders Sorensen was promoted to the NHL bench to serve as the Blackhawks’ interim in the wake of Luke Richardson’s firing. Eaton will return to his previous assistant GM role with Chicago.

Nightingale, 42, is no stranger to the Blackhawks organization or to Rockford. He spent parts of three seasons there as an assistant coach from 2021 to 2024 before leaving last summer to work in the Capitals organization. He spent one year as the head coach and director of hockey operations for ECHL South Carolina, which has also churned out future NHL head coaches Spencer Carbery and Ryan Warsofsky in recent years.

South Carolina was Nightingale’s first experience as a head coach at any level. It went quite well, guiding the Stingrays to a franchise-best 52-15-3-2 record, although they were upset by Orlando in seven games in the first round of the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

Nightingale is the brother of Michigan State head coach Adam Nightingale, who also served as an assistant under Mike Sullivan for the United States en route to a gold medal at this year’s World Championship. He had a lengthy minor-league career as an enforcer on defense, spending the 2013-14 campaign in Rockford as their captain.

Free Agent Focus: Carolina Hurricanes

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Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players 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 Hurricanes.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Ryan Suzuki – The Hurricanes are a rare bird this summer. After needing to deal with high-profile RFAs in the 2024 offseason in Seth Jarvis and Martin Nečas, Carolina didn’t even have a single pending RFA on the active roster to end the season. We’ll look at the most intriguing non-roster RFA at each position instead, starting with Suzuki. The 2019 first-round pick needed to have a big 2024-25 campaign to maintain a role in the organization after some underwhelming AHL performance over the last few years, and he delivered. The 24-year-old recorded a career-high 59 points (12 G, 47 A) in 69 games for the Chicago Wolves, leading the club in assists and points. Suzuki landed his NHL debut amid that surge, recording a plus-one rating but no points in a pair of outings in January and February. He’ll likely just end up accepting his $813,750 qualifying offer, but it was uncertain whether he’d secure one at all when looking at his track record a season ago.

D Ty Smith – The 2021 All-Rookie defenseman did log some NHL time for Carolina this year, posting a goal and an assist in eight games as a frequent call-up option from the Wolves. It was his first NHL action since January 2023, as the 2018 first-round pick has failed to hold onto an everyday role after aggressively sliding down the Devils’ depth chart following his promising first-year showing four years ago. He did manage 28 points and a plus-four rating on a defensively challenged AHL Chicago team in 36 games, though. While that may not be enough to secure him a qualifying offer from a Hurricanes organization with brighter defense prospects to insert into next season’s lineup, it could be enough to convince an NHL team in need of an offensive rearguard to give him a more extended look next fall.

G Yaniv Perets – A 2023 NCAA national championship with Quinnipiac, Perets hits RFA status following his second professional season. The 25-year-old played mostly in the ECHL with the Bloomington Bison but was exceptional there, recording a .921 SV%, 2.59 GAA, and three shutouts with a 12-12-1 record. That was a huge step up over last year’s .889 SV% in the ECHL and could be enough to earn him a qualifying offer, although Carolina already has two young minor-league goalies under contract for 2025-26 and might prefer a more veteran option to complement the depth chart as a No. 3 option rather than using a contract slot on Perets.

Other RFAs: F Skyler Brind’Amour, F Noel Gunler, D Domenick Fensore, D Anttoni Honka, D Ronan Seeley

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Brent Burns – Burns, 40, finally got caught by Father Time in 2024-25. While he remained in a top-pairing role alongside Jaccob Slavin, his offensive production took a sizable hit compared to the up-and-down point totals he’d posted over the last few years. His 29 points in 82 games were the fourth-worst points per game pace of his 21-year career and his lowest since his first three years in the NHL. His 20:57 average time on ice was also its lowest since then, not including the two years he primarily played right wing with the Sharks. Once a physical force, he wasn’t nearly as involved along the wall or stepping up against forwards as he once was. Burns had just 11 hits all year. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Carolina let Burns walk and deploy younger righty Scott Morrow in his role next season. If he extends his career in Carolina or elsewhere, he’s looking at a one-year deal at likely no more than half of his previous $8MM cap hit.

D Dmitry Orlov – Orlov hasn’t been the best fit with the Canes after signing a two-year, $15.5MM deal in free agency in 2023. He was the top prize of that year’s weak UFA class, but the lefty got thrust into sheltered minutes last year on the left side behind Slavin and Brady Skjei, averaging just 17:19 per game after seeing over 22 minutes per night the year prior. Orlov got increased deployment this year after Skjei left in free agency, logging 20 minutes per game and posting 28 points with a +16 rating in 76 appearances. He remains an extremely serviceable top-four piece with historically strong possession impacts, but the 33-year-old will almost surely hit the open market with the higher-upside Alexander Nikishin set to replace his role in 2025-26. While Orlov’s poor postseason showing may sour some teams on the open market, he again benefits from a weaker market and should again land north of $5MM per season on a short-term deal.

F Jack Roslovic – Roslovic was a pleasant surprise for the Canes, who picked him up for cheap last summer to help soften the blow of losing multiple scoring forwards in free agency. The 28-year-old rewarded their $2.8MM investment by tying his career-high 22 goals, totaling 39 points in 81 games to sit sixth on the Canes in scoring. He can play both center and wing, a valuable factor for a Hurricanes team that’s thin down the middle. It would be surprising not to see them try to retain his services before he hits the open market on July 1, but it’ll likely take something in the $4MM range on a multi-year commitment to help dissuade other offers.

F Eric Robinson – Robinson, 30 next month, also punched far above his weight class offensively for what the Canes paid for him last summer ($950K) to help add some bottom-six depth. The longtime Blue Jackets winger answered the bell with a 14-18–32 scoring line in 82 games, averaging 12:16 per game while placing fourth on the club with 123 hits. He’s also presumably someone the club wants to keep around. Will they be willing to triple his salary to do so?

F Tyson Jost – 2024-25 was an important campaign for Jost, who re-established himself as a fine fourth-line/press box option after spending a significant chunk of last season in the AHL. He still saw some brief minor-league assignments this year but injuries paved the way for him to make 39 appearances, scoring nine points and a plus-two rating while averaging 10:22 per game. He had a stellar 60.3% share of shot attempts at even strength, and it stands to reason both parties could be interested in extending his stay in Raleigh as a 12th/13th forward.

Other UFAs: F Jesper Fast, F Juha Jaaska, D Joakim Ryan, D Riley Stillman, G Spencer Martin, G Dustin Tokarski

Projected Cap Space

After dealing with a cap crunch last summer, general manager Eric Tulsky will have much more flexibility in his second offseason at the helm. Burns’ and Orlov’s deals expiring, plus young players on entry-level deals ready to step into their roles, means they can be among the top players in free agency with $28.4MM in space. They’ll have the flexibility to retain whoever they want from the list above, plus pursue some of the top-notch prizes available on the open market.

Image courtesy of James Guillory-Imagn Images (Suzuki) and Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images (Burns). Contract info courtesy of PuckPedia.

Sabres Hire Jarmo Kekäläinen As Senior Advisor

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The Sabres have named former Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekäläinen as a senior advisor to GM Kevyn Adams, per a team release.

Kekäläinen “will be involved in all areas of the hockey department,” the club said. This is Kekäläinen’s first NHL job since Columbus relieved him of his duties as GM in February 2024. He’s been working in his native Finland since then as a senior advisor to Helsinki’s HIFK. Still, he’s interviewed for multiple NHL GM vacancies in the meantime, including the Hurricanes’ last year and the Islanders’ earlier this month.

It’s no secret the Sabres were looking to hire a more established NHL executive to work with the much younger Adams this summer as the franchise navigates a turning point amid their league-record 14-year playoff drought. They’ve been linked to recently-fired Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello and Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan at points over the last few weeks, but opted for Kekäläinen instead.

“As we navigated the process of hiring for this role, it very quickly became apparent that Jarmo was an ideal candidate to augment our front office,” Adams said in a statement. “From his extensive history in scouting, his long tenure as an NHL general manager and his vast experience at the international and European pro levels, Jarmo has a remarkable resume and a long history of success in this league. I spoke with a number of candidates about this role and it’s clear to me that Jarmo is a perfect fit for our team. I couldn’t be more excited to add another significant piece to our front office as we continue the process of adding to our staff.”

Kekäläinen will advise Adams as the duo determines whether to trade or extend a slate of pending restricted free agents that includes defenseman Bowen Byram and winger JJ Peterka. Also on the team’s offseason checklist is a new deal for center Ryan McLeod and opening extension talks with winger Alex Tuch.

The 58-year-old Kekäläinen hopes today’s appointment is a stepping stone back to an NHL GM role, whether that ends up being in Buffalo or elsewhere. He was one of the league’s longest-tenured GMs until his firing in Columbus, which hired him midway through the 2012-13 campaign. Before that, he spent three years as the Senators’ director of player personnel (1999-2002) and eight years with the Blues as their director of amateur scouting and assistant GM (2002-2010).

Free Agent Focus: Calgary Flames

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Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We start our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Calgary Flames.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Connor Zary – With Matthew Coronato signed to a six-year extension, the Flames will enter the off-season with two free agents demanding particularly close attention. The first is young center Connor Zary, who caught a strong wind with 14 goals, 34 points, and a plus-12 in 63 games last season. He seemed on track to top those numbers this year – netting 13 goals and 27 points in 54 games – but routine injuries forced Zary to miss most of January and shut down for the season before the end of March. He had three points in his final five games of the year, and was receiving upwards of 22 minutes of ice time each night. Those are lofty totals for a player who has paced for 40 points in back-to-back seasons. It’s clear that Calgary sees a future top-six center in Zary, but without reaching 70 games in a single NHL season, his upside is hard to project. He’ll likely be a candidate for a bridge deal this summer, and hopefully a much larger deal after a few healthy seasons.

D Kevin Bahl – Joining Zary at the top of Calgary’s list is defender Kevin Bahl, who the Flames acquired in their shipping of Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils last summer. Bahl was a revelation for a gutted blue-line, that lost the likes of Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov last season alone. The 24-year-old Bahl quickly took to playing north of 20-minutes a night and posted a career-high 20 points in 73 games this season. He’s 6-foot-6 and looked plenty comfortable playing opposite of Calgary’s top right-defenders, like MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary doesn’t have much in the way of competition for Bahl’s role as the top left-defense. Unless that changes with a big signing this summer, it’d be hard to think Bahl won’t land a deal that will carry him into his 30s.

F Morgan Frost – Frost is another trade acquisition who’s matched the bill in Calgary. He was acquired mid-season alongside Joel Farabee, in a deal that sent Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier the other way. Frost quickly stepped into a middle-six center role with the Flames, but found his way into boosted minutes when Zary fell to injury. The results were simply fine – 12 points and a minus-six in 32 games, but never any egregious moments of poor play. Frost combined for 37 points in 81 games this season, just shy of the 41 points he scored last year; and the career-high 46 points he managed in 2022-23. He has tepid upside at the age of 26, but could be a reasonably-priced option as Calgary looks to build out their center depth. Given his mid-season move, Frost seems to be a strong candidate to re-sign.

F Adam Klapka – Klapka played in the most NHL games of his career this season when he made 31 appearances in Calgary’s bottom-six. He performed alright in the role – netting 10 points, 29 penalty minutes, and a minus-three. He also confidently led the Flames in hits-per-60, recording a whopping 108 hits despite averaging just 9:39 in ice time each game. His 21.65 hits-per-60 is over five hits more than the 16.14 hits-per-60 averaged by Martin Pospisil in second place. Simply put, hard hitting, 6-foot-8 wingers don’t grow on trees. Even in his modest role, Klapka has emerged as a legitimate piece for an undrafted player. He should continue to offer Calgary the services of an imposing forward, and could even have scoring upside ahead – evidence by his 26 points in 33 AHL games this year. This should be a cheap and promising re-signing for the Flames.

F Rory Kerins – Flames fans kicked down doors to try and earn Kerins a hardy NHL chance this season. The 23-year-old centerman led the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers in scoring for much of the year, and finished the season with a whopping 33 goals and 61 points in 63 games. He continued to perform in his brief view of the NHL, recording four assists and a plus-three in what were the first five games of his NHL career. After such a red-hot season, Kerins seems like a strong bet to make the Flames’ roster out of training camp next season – even if it’d require some additional padding to house his small frame. Kerins isn’t at the point of a hefty contract yet, but could earn good money and a few years to prove he can continue his hot play into the NHL.

Other RFAs: F Eetu Tuulola, F Sam Morton, D Carl-Johan Lerby, D Nikita Okhotyuk, D Yan Kuznetsov, D Jeremie Poirier, G Waltteri Ignatjew, G Connor Murphy

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Anthony Mantha – Mantha suffered an ACL injury on November 5th, less than one month into the regular season. The injury immediately ended his season, cutting things short after he posted an impressive seven points and plus-six in the first 13 games of the year. Mantha continued to perform into his age-30 season, and is only one season removed from posting 23 goals and 44 points in 74 games. He’s a hard bet to make coming off such a tough injury. That could push him out of favor for a Flames group with players earning roles. But on the open market, Mantha shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a cheap, prove-it deal.

F Justin Kirkland – Less than three full weeks after Mantha’s injury, bottom-line forward Justin Kirkland also suffered a season-ending ACL injury. The blow took out what was set to be Kirkland’s first full year in the NHL. He looked strong to start the campaign, managing eight points and a plus-six through 21 appearances despite a low-grade role. But instead, Kirkland has spent the last few months recovering, and could face an uncertain future as a result. He’s a hard-working, bottom-end centerman who’s grown to an NHL role after multiple strong seasons in the minors. But he’s also coming off a difficult injury and facing competition from Calgary’s many emerging prospects. He could be on the cutting block in Calgary, and may have to rediscover his NHL hopes somewhere new.

F Kevin Rooney – Rooney was the beneficiary of injuries up the depth chart. He stuck into Calgary’s bottom-six for the entirety of the season, and scored a modest 10 points, split evenly, in 70 games. Rooney has now rotated onto the Flames roster in each of the last three seasons, and went on long campaigns with the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers in four seasons before joining Calgary. He’s up to 60 points in 330 career games in the NHL. Those numbers won’t jump off the page for a Flames team close to the playoffs, but Rooney will offer cheap veteran upside.

D Joel Hanley – Among the unheralded this season is depth defenseman Joel Hanley, who seemed to grow as a shutdown option operating behind Bahl on the depth chart. Hanley posted a career-high nine points in 53 games this season, while adding 21 penalty minutes and a plus-12. He didn’t push the boundaries in any one way, but boasted a style that was well-rounded enough to stick. Calgary will need left-shot defenders this summer, and Hanley should be a cheap way to pad their depth.

G Daniel Vladar – Behind the glimmer of Dustin Wolf’s star rookie season, Daniel Vladar appeared in 30 NHL games for the first time in his career. He handled the growing backup role just fine – setting a 12-11-6 record and .898 save percentage. Those numbers – like many of Calgary’s UFAs – don’t jump off the page. But the Flames will continue to need a backup they can count on behind their top-notch starter. Vladar has served in that role for the last four years, and it’d be tough to see the organization let him go without a clear option to replace him.

D Tyson Barrie – Barrie signed a one-year, $1.2MM contract with the Flames in October, but wasn’t able to carve out much of any role in the daily lineup. He posted three points in 13 games with Calgary before being waived and assigned to the minors in February. Barrie didn’t find much spark in the AHL either, though – with just five points and a minus-five through 11 appearances. He’ll be a hard bet to earn a new contract this summer, unless it’s a league-minimum price or two-way deal. One silver lining – Barrie has 508 points in 822 career games in the NHL.

Other UFAs: F Dryden Hunt, F Martin Frk, F Clark Bishop, D Jarred Tinordi, D Jonathan Aspirot

Projected Cap Space

The Flames are entering the summer with $28.15MM in projected cap space. That should be more than enough to lock-up the must-sign options on this list – Zary, Bahl, and Frost – and other upside bets like Klapka, Kerins, or Dryden Hunt shouldn’t come at too much additional premium. All of that should set Calgary up for an aggressive summer. They finished the 2024-25 season with the most points ever from a team that missed the playoffs – and a couple of impactful free agent moves could be what pushes the Flames back into Spring hockey.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports. Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.

Aleksi Heponiemi Signs In Sweden

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While Aleksi Heponiemi remains on the Panthers’ reserve list until next offseason, it doesn’t appear he’ll entertain an NHL return before then. The 26-year-old center signed a two-year deal with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League today, per a team announcement, essentially confirming Florida will lose his signing rights on July 1, 2026.

Heponiemi, a 2017 second-round pick, once checked out as one of the organization’s top prospects. The Finnish native was named the WHL’s Rookie of the Year in his draft year after posting 86 points in 72 games and took things to another level in 2017-18, leading the league with 90 assists in just 57 games while adding 28 goals for 118 points. But he didn’t immediately join the Panthers’ pro ranks after that, instead opting to return home with Kärpät in the top-division Liiga for 2018-19. He continued to impress there, logging 46 points in 50 games, finally receiving an entry-level contract from Florida at the end of the year.

Upon his arrival in the North American professional ranks, Heponiemi’s development and production cratered. He managed only 14 points in 49 AHL games in his first pro season stateside and managed only six points in 25 NHL games over the following three years. Upon becoming an RFA in 2023, the Panthers still issued Heponiemi a qualifying offer to retain his signing rights, but he was obviously unhappy with his trajectory in the organization and opted to return to Europe instead.

Heponiemi has spent the last two years with EHC Biel-Bienne of the Swiss National League. He’s been serviceable there but not as dominant as he would have hoped. The 5’10” pivot posted a 13-22–35 scoring line in 59 appearances since his arrival, and while Biel-Bienne signed him to a three-year extension last summer, they recently mutually terminated that contract.

He’ll now look to rediscover his game in Sweden, but with his production still yet to rebound to its ceiling, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him not add to his NHL resume down the line. A major resurgence with HV71 could put him on the international free agency radar in 2027, though.

Offseason Checklist: New Jersey Devils

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The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those already eliminated through the first couple of rounds.  Accordingly, it’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at New Jersey.

Over the first half of the season, the Devils looked like a potential contender before injuries to several key players dropped them in the standings.  While they managed to hold onto a playoff spot, they were eliminated quickly by Carolina.  While GM Tom Fitzgerald has suggested he’d like to take some big swings this summer, this checklist is if they opt to take a more measured approach if those bigger moves don’t pan out.

Look For Center Help

This was an area that the Devils were believed to be looking into during the season but once Jack Hughes went down with his shoulder injury that required surgery right before the trade deadline, those plans were understandably shelved.  After all, when you’re missing multiple key pieces, pushing in some prominent trade chips for short-term help might not be the best way to go.

Between Hughes and Nico Hischier, New Jersey’s top two middlemen are in place for at least a couple more years until Hischier’s deal comes to an end; Hughes is signed through 2030 so he’s around for a while yet.  After that, things get a bit murkier.

The hope was that Erik Haula would be the right fit for the third line but while he started off pretty well in his tenure with the Devils three seasons ago, this was a particularly rough year for him.  His point-per-game average dropped to the lowest it has been (0.30) since his sophomore year back in 2013-14 when he spent a lot of time on Minnesota’s fourth line as he was getting acclimated to the NHL.  He has one year left on his deal at a $3.15MM price tag and is the type of player who could plausibly be added to a trade to help match money.  Alternatively, if they were to add another center and keep Haula, he’d fit in well on the left wing, a position he has plenty of experience at.

Another internal option that has run hot or cold is Dawson Mercer.  After putting up 56 points in his sophomore year, he has managed just 33 and 36 the last two seasons.  Meanwhile, he hasn’t fared particularly well when asked to play down the middle.  He has two years left on his deal at a $4MM cap charge and he’ll still be RFA-eligible at its expiration.  Not surprisingly, he could be someone that Fitzgerald is open to moving to shake up his roster.  In terms of being a solution at the 3C spot, he’s probably only a stopgap one whenever injuries arise.  If he and Haula aren’t deemed ideal for the role, they’ll have to look externally.  They may not have much to spend on it, however, as we’ll get into over the next couple of sections.

Before moving on, it’s also worth noting that Curtis Lazar, who has often anchored the fourth line when healthy in recent years, is also an unrestricted free agent.  So too is Justin Dowling who spent a lot of time with the Devils this season.  Paul Cotter has played a few games down the middle over his career but is a better fit on the wing so this is another spot they’ll need to fill this offseason.

Re-Sign The Other Hughes

While one Hughes brother is signed for several more years, the other isn’t.  Defenseman Luke Hughes will be a restricted free agent this summer after completing the first year of his entry-level contract.  While he won’t be eligible for an offer sheet (he didn’t play enough to accrue a season in the first year of his deal), he’s still going to be in line for a significant raise after putting up 91 points in 153 games over the last two seasons, especially with the big jump coming to the salary cap.

Before getting into the bridge versus long-term debate, this is a good time to mention their cap situation.  Per PuckPedia, the Devils have roughly $12MM in cap space at their disposal with a few forward spots to fill (including those center positions), a new deal for Hughes, and one other possible opening in the next section.  On top of that, they likely want to leave themselves some in-season wiggle room so not all of that may be spendable.

While there’s enough of a track record to make a long-term deal feasible, New Jersey’s cap situation might dictate they go with a short-term pact, allowing for some extra flexibility, especially if Fitzgerald is able to make a big swing or two as he’s hoping for.  Notably, Hughes has five years of club control remaining, giving them a few more options on a short-term agreement as a bridge deal could conceivably be four years long with him still being restricted at the end of it.  A two-year agreement could land around the $5MM range while a four-year pact likely could push past $6MM per season.

On the flip side, Hughes could be viewed as the top priority of the offseason which could allow the two sides to work out a longer-term pact up to the maximum of eight years.  There are recent comparables to work with in Owen Power (seven years, $8.35MM per season) and Brock Faber (eight years, $8.5MM per season) although those were obviously signed before the projection of a faster-escalating cap came into play.  But New Jersey should know that if they want to go long-term with Hughes, the price tag likely starts with an eight.

With no arbitration or offer sheet rights, this is one of those cases that could linger toward training camp.  But with the Devils needing to know what money they have available to fill their other holes on the roster, this is something that they’re going to want to get done sooner than later.

Look For Goalie Insurance

Starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom has just one year left on his contract before being eligible for unrestricted free agency.  Jake Allen is set to hit the open market this summer and profiles as one of the top netminders available in a particularly thin class.  This season, their goaltending position was one of strength but it’s already looking a little shallower.

Yes, Nico Daws is already under contract at a cap hit that’s less than $40K above the league minimum.  While that’s ideal from a cap standpoint, he’s coming off a particularly rough year with AHL Utica that saw him put up a 3.16 GAA and a .893 SV% in 34 games.  Meanwhile, while he fared much better in six NHL games, his career numbers in 54 outings aren’t the strongest.  It’s possible that the plan is to give him a shot at being the full-time backup and if that’s the case, they’re going to want some insurance, either as someone who could battle with Daws for the number two spot or come up if he struggles.

Alternatively, they could look for a more proven second option with an eye on starting Daws in the minors again, pending waiver clearance.  Markstrom’s former Calgary teammate Daniel Vladar could be an option, as could Ilya Samsonov if he leaves Vegas.  Allen realistically shouldn’t be ruled out either after a relatively solid first full season with them.  Of course, those options cost more and would cut into what they can spend for help down the middle or when working out a deal with Hughes.  Some of those players might require more than one year which would at least give them one proven option under contract beyond 2025-26 as well.

Utilize Defensive Depth

New Jersey has put together a solid defensive group with two promising youngsters behind them in Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey.  As things stand, they have more than $27MM committed to their blueliners, a cost that’s only going to go up considerably once Hughes signs.  It’s not out of the realm of possibility that their back end will be the most expensive in the league, costing more than 35% of the salary cap in the process.

Once Hughes signs, their lowest-paid defenders will be Jonas Siegenthaler ($3.4MM) along with Johnathan Kovacevic and Brenden Dillon ($4MM apiece).  Individually, these aren’t bad value contracts but with that much tied up in their top six and Nemec and Casey in the wings, there’s a case to be made that they might be better off dealing from their surplus of veterans, a move that would open up a spot for one of the youngsters and potentially some additional cap flexibility.

The challenge here revolves around handedness and it’s not necessarily the normal one.  Both youngsters are right-shot players as are veterans Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Kovacevic.  At a $9MM price tag for three more years, Hamilton will be difficult to move, at least without considerable retention.  Pesce just signed last summer and has a full no-trade clause while Kovacevic only signed his extension less than three months ago so he’s probably safe as well.

Speculatively, Siegenthaler would be the likeliest to move if the Devils do deal from their depth.  Being the cheapest player helps but he has primarily played top-four minutes over the last four years and with three years left on a reasonable contract, he would yield a solid return.  That would put them in a rare spot of having more right-shot options than lefties but that would help open up some options for Fitzgerald to try to make a splash this summer.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Snapshots: Islanders, Nabokov, Andersson, Hagens

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New Islanders GM Mathieu Darche met with the media today (video link) for the first time since being hired.  While he addressed the coaching situation, he was also asked about the upcoming draft.  New York now holds the number one selection following a surprising victory at the draft lottery, leading some to wonder if they might be open to moving it to help get back into the playoff picture for next season.  While he stopped short of ruling out the idea outright, he did his best to pour cold water on the idea, saying that “Someone would have to really knock my socks off to trade that pick.”  The Isles have only picked first overall twice this century, goalie Rick DiPietro (2000) and John Tavares (2009).  Barring an offer Darche can’t refuse, they’ll be adding to that count in a little under a month.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The Avalanche appear to be likely to sign goalie prospect Ilya Nabokov to an entry-level contract, suggests Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was a second-round pick last year after a breakout year with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL.  This season, he was nearly as dominant, posting a 2.22 GAA and a .923 SV% in 49 games.  With Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood both signed for next season already, one scenario that could come into play is Nabokov signing with a European Assignment Clause which would allow him to return to Russia for the upcoming season and then make the move to North America for 2026-27.
  • Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson played through a fractured fibula at the end of the season and at the recently completed World Championship, relays Uffe Bodin of Hockey Sverige. The injury isn’t expected to require surgery so there shouldn’t be any issues heading into training camp when he’ll be beginning a contract year.  Andersson played in 81 games with Calgary this past season, notching 11 goals and 20 assists while logging nearly 24 minutes a night of playing time.
  • Speaking with reporters earlier this week including Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, top prospect James Hagens hasn’t decided if he’ll return to Boston College for his sophomore year. The 18-year-old is likely to go in the top five in the draft next month and will be eligible to play in the minors if the team that picks him wants to start him there if he can’t make the NHL roster.  Alternatively, if he’s not deemed ready for pro hockey, he could return to school or go to OHL London, which holds his rights at the junior level.  Hagens had a solid freshman year as one of the youngest players in college hockey, notching 11 goals and 26 assists in 37 games for the Eagles.

Kraken Hire Lane Lambert As Head Coach

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After a long search, the Kraken have found their new bench boss.  The team announced that Lane Lambert has been hired as the third head coach in franchise history.  GM Jason Botterill released the following statement:

After conducting an extensive search, we’re thrilled to announce Lane as our new head coach. We cast a wide net for suitable candidates. What impressed us throughout the interview process was Lane’s strategy and vision for this team. He was an integral part of the Capitals winning the Cup and the Islanders advancing to two straight Eastern Conference finals. We have full confidence in Lane to lead this team behind the bench.

Lambert will be taking over behind the bench from Dan Bylsma who was let go after just one year.  He had previously replaced Dave Hakstol who served as the head coach for the franchise’s first three seasons.  The hire shouldn’t come as too much surprise as earlier this week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Lambert had emerged as the frontrunner for the position.

This will be Lambert’s second stint leading a team.  The 60-year-old spent 127 games in charge of the Islanders but was let go partway through the 2023-24 season and replaced by Patrick Roy.  Over that time, the Isles put up a 61-46-20 record while making the playoffs in 2022-23 where they lost in the first round.

The playoff success Botterill alludes to in his statement came when Lambert wasn’t in the top job.  He spent four years with Washington as an assistant including 2018 when the Capitals won the Stanley Cup.  Lambert followed Barry Trotz to the Islanders the following year while receiving a promotion to associate coach; their two Eastern Conference Final appearances came while he was in that role.  This past season, Lambert was an associate coach with Toronto who now has an opening to fill on their staff.

Lambert will now be tasked with turning around a Kraken team that impressed considerably in its sophomore season when they amassed 100 points in the regular season but has struggled since, putting up 81 and 76 over the last two.  One area of focus will undoubtedly be on the back end as they went from allowing the eighth-fewest goals in 2023-24 to 24th in that category this season while their possession game took a big hit as well.

With this hiring, there are now just two head coach vacancies remaining across the NHL: Pittsburgh and Boston.  The belief is that the Penguins are looking to finalize a hire before the end of the month while the Bruins have been whittling down their shortlist in recent days as well so it may not be much longer before all 32 spots are spoken for.

Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports.

Penguins Receiving Interest In Bryan Rust

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With there being plenty of speculation about the Penguins trying to make their roster younger for the upcoming season, a veteran winger is being eyed by other teams.  Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that teams are calling to gauge the potential availability of veteran winger Bryan Rust.

The 33-year-old is coming of a career year after putting up 31 goals and 34 assists this season despite missing 11 games due to injuries and illness.  That came on the heels of him matching his previous career best in points the year before when he only played in 62 games.  Suffice it to say, Rust has gone from being more of a role player at the beginning of his career to a trusted top-six option in recent seasons, making it very understandable that he’s attracting interest.

While his recent performance is certainly fueling that, so too is his contract.  Rust has three years left on his current contract with a $5.125MM cap hit.  In a cap environment that’s going to see the Upper Limit increase considerably over the next several years, inflating salaries along the way, his deal increasingly becomes more of a bargain.

A long-time linemate of Sidney Crosby, it’s likely that GM Kyle Dubas would prefer to keep Rust in the fold.  While there’s a stated desire to get younger, there doesn’t seem to be any indication that they’re looking to go into more of a full rebuild, meaning that their top veterans aren’t likely to be made available.

It’s also worth noting that Rust currently has a no-move clause for a few more weeks although that protection lapses on July 1st.  Accordingly, if a move were to be made with Dubas receiving an offer that was simply too good to refuse, it might have to wait until the start of the new league year for it to be made official.  And if the free agent market proves to be as lucrative as many expect, Rust’s trade value and Dubas’ asking price will only be going up from there.

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