Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for July 2025

Teams With Adequate Draft Capital To Tender Offer Sheets

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Yesterday, we examined players who are still technically eligible to receive and sign offer sheets this summer. That list has decreased by a few names in the last 24 hours, thanks to a pair of team-elected arbitration cases and one re-signing, but there are still many names who could be targets.

Now, it’s a good time to look at the teams that can realistically tender an offer sheet. The required compensation for each tier is below. Each team must have its own draft pick to satisfy the requirement – if a club acquires a different team’s draft choice for the round in question, that can’t be used for an offer sheet. Teams can reacquire their own picks via trade to facilitate an offer sheet. The Ducks, Flames, Blackhawks, Red Wings and Penguins are the only clubs with enough draft picks and cap space to offer-sheet an RFA at every salary/AAV tier.

$1,544,425 – $2,340,037: 2026 third-round pick

Able: ANA, BOS, BUF, CGY, CHI, CBJ, DET, LAK, MIN, NSH, NJD, NYI, OTT, PHI, PIT, TOR, UTA, WPG

Able, but not enough cap space: EDM, MTL, NYR, STL, TBL, VGK

Unable: CAR, COL, DAL, FLA, SJS, SEA, VAN, WSH

$2,340,038 – $4,680,076: 2026 second-round pick

Able: ANA, CGY, CHI, DET, LAK, NSH, NJD, PHI, PIT, SJS, SEA, UTA

Able, but not enough cap space: BOS, DAL, EDM, FLA, MTL, TBL, VAN, VGK

Unable: BUF, CAR, COL, CBJ, MIN, NYI, NYR, OTT, STL, TOR, WSH, WPG

$4,680,077 – $7,020,113: 2026 first-round pick, 2026 third-round pick

Able: ANA, BUF, CGY, CHI, CBJ, DET, LAK, MIN, NSH, NJD, PIT, UTA, WPG

Able, but not enough cap space: BOS, MTL, NYI, NYR, PHI, STL

Unable: CAR, COL, DAL, EDM, FLA, OTT, SJS, SEA, TBL, TOR, VAN, VGK, WSH

$7,020,114 – $9,360,153: 2026 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick, 2026 third-round pick

Able: ANA, CGY, CHI, DET, NSH, PIT, UTA

Able, but not enough cap space: BOS, LAK, MTL, NJD, PHI

Unable: BUF, CAR, COL, CBJ, DAL, EDM, FLA, MIN, NYI, NYR, OTT, SJS, SEA, STL, TBL, TOR, VAN, VGK, WSH, WPG

$9,360,154 – $11,700,192: Two first-rounders between 2026 and 2028, 2026 second-round pick, 2026 third-round pick

Able: ANA, CGY, CHI, DET, NSH, PIT, UTA

Able, but not enough cap space: BOS, EDM, LAK, MTL, NJD, PHI, VGK

Unable: BUF, CAR, COL, CBJ, DAL, FLA, MIN, NYI, NYR, OTT, SJS, SEA, STL, TBL, TOR, VAN, WSH, WPG

≥$11,700,193: Four first-rounders between 2026 and 2030

Able: ANA, BUF, CGY, CHI, CBJ, DET, PIT, SJS, WPG

Able, but not enough cap space: BOS, CAR, COL, EDM, LAK, MIN, MTL, NSH, NJD, NYI, NYR, OTT, PHI, SEA, STL, UTA, VAN, VGK, WSH

Unable: DAL, FLA, TBL, TOR

Cap space figures from PuckPedia.

Examining The Kings’ New-Look Defense

at CDT | by 20 Comments

The Kings have been eliminated by the Oilers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last four seasons and were expected to make changes this summer as they try to get past the first round. Newly hired general manager Ken Holland moved quickly to address concerns with the defensive unit, making several early summer moves to revamp the group.

Holland has moved on from a couple of twenty-something defensemen to acquire defensively minded veterans in their 30s, which will bring a different dynamic to the back end. However, since the Oilers’ speed exposed the Kings’ slower, heavier parts of the defense, the changes the Kings have made are unlikely to push them past Edmonton if they face each other in the playoffs again.

Los Angeles struggled to deal with the Oilers’ transition game in the playoffs, as well as their puck movement and speed. The faster Oilers were able to expose the Kings, leading to some head-scratching decisions.

They were unable to keep Vladislav Gavrikov, one of the few Kings defenders who could use his active stick and gap control to stop transition plays and zone entries. Gavrikov’s size helped him disrupt the Oilers, allowing him to stay on the right side of the puck and make his presence felt.

Although he didn’t control the puck often, it didn’t matter much when he was playing a shutdown role. Los Angeles will feel the loss of Gavrikov, especially if they face teams with speed in the playoffs next season.

Another move that wasn’t ideal was trading right-shot defenseman Jordan Spence to the Senators for a third and sixth-round pick. Spence was dependable for the Kings in sheltered minutes, but at just 24 years old, he was looking for an elevated role and was blocked by fellow right-shot defenseman Brandt Clarke.

Spence has a lot of potential and could have been a key part of Los Angeles for many years, but the Kings made the decision to send him to Ottawa for an underwhelming return. The trade handcuffed the Kings and forced them into a state of desperation when free agency opened on July 1. The Kings were down two defenders, and that was where their biggest mistake was made.

It wasn’t long into free agency before the Kings made a couple of defensive signings that left many in the hockey world scratching their heads. Los Angeles signed 33-year-old Brian Dumoulin and 31-year-old Cody Ceci to lucrative multi-year deals with AAVs above $4MM.

One of these signings alone wouldn’t have been a big deal, but it’s free agency, and almost everyone overpays, so most would have shrugged it off as part of the business. However, overpaying for two older, slower defenseman who are collectively a downgrade in talent from Gavrikov and Spence could be a problem that haunts the Kings for years.

The main criticism of the deals is that if Los Angeles had kept Gavrikov for the same money he received with the New York Rangers ($7MM annually on a seven-year deal), then the combined salary for him and Spence would have matched what Los Angeles is paying Dumoulin ($4MM annually) and Ceci ($4.5MM annually).

Dumoulin can still disrupt plays in the defensive zone and prevent teams from getting the puck into dangerous areas with his stick, but he doesn’t excel at much else anymore and often takes penalties. His foot speed has slowed down in recent seasons, which isn’t ideal if the Kings face the Oilers again in the playoffs.

For Ceci, he doesn’t excel at much but always manages to persuade coaches to give him plenty of ice time. His performance became an issue for Dallas in the playoffs, especially against Edmonton, where he finished with a -5 rating in five games and recorded a disappointing 46.75% expected goals share at five-on-five.

Combine Ceci and Dumoulin with Joel Edmundson and Drew Doughty, and Los Angeles has the makings of a defense core that is old, slow, and likely to struggle in transition. All these factors could be disastrous if the Kings face the Oilers in the playoffs again or another team with good speed. Doughty remains a solid defenseman, but with an $11MM cap hit and an aging defensive group around him, he will be asked to do too much, which could reduce his productivity.

Edmundson will likely be asked to perform beyond his usual capabilities, which could cause issues if that means placing him in the top two defensive pairs. Although Edmundson is large, physical, and tough to play against near the net, he isn’t well-suited for the transition game or facing opponents with speed and skill. Some might argue that the 32-year-old helps keep the front of the Kings’ net clear, but he certainly allows many scoring chances around it.

Los Angeles entered the offseason with a chance to do something special with their defensive core, but unfortunately, they missed out on the opportunity to improve. The losses of Gavrikov and Spence will sting, but replacing them with Dumoulin and Ceci for essentially the same money will probably be fans’ biggest frustration. The Kings are set to spend $30MM on a defensive core that is much older, slower, and likely not built to take down the Oilers or any other team with a quick forward group.

Photo by Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Zac Dalpe Announces Retirement

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Longtime minor-league forward Zac Dalpe, who appeared in parts of 12 NHL seasons with numerous clubs over the past two decades, has announced his retirement via an open letter published on the Charlotte Checkers’ website.

Dalpe, 35, scored 16 goals, 16 assists, and 32 points with a -37 rating in 168 career regular-season games with the Blue Jackets, Panthers, Wild, Canucks, Sabres, and Hurricanes, who drafted him No. 45 overall back in 2008. He made 16 playoff appearances, 13 of which came in Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2023.

The versatile center/winger spent more time in the AHL with Charlotte than anywhere else, including as their captain for the last four seasons while under contract with the Panthers. They were also the Hurricanes’ minor-league affiliate when he was in Carolina’s system. He scored 131 goals and 238 points in 362 games there across seven campaigns, sitting third in franchise history in goals.

“Pulling that Checkers sweater over my head and walking through the redline club on the way out to the bright lights will always be stapled in my head,” Dalpe said in his letter, which is truly worth a full read. “It started here and now it shall end here. I’m proud of what I got to do, but more importantly, I’m so proud of who I got to do it with. I appreciate every single person that was along for the greatest ride of my life. A Canadian kid got to be a hockey player for 15 years.”

While Dalpe never won a Stanley or Calder Cup, he was a two-time AHL All-Star and was part of the league’s All-Rookie Team back in 2010-11. He finishes his career with 220 goals, 172 assists, and 392 points in 574 AHL games. Only seven players have spent more seasons in the league than Dalpe’s 16.

Before turning pro, Dalpe was a star at Ohio State, where he scored 70 points in 76 games in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons. He was a CCHA First Team All-Star in his second and final collegiate season.

All of us at PHR wish Dalpe the best in the next phase of his life and career and congratulate him on such a lengthy run of high-end play in the pros.

Image courtesy of James Guillory-Imagn Images.

Flyers Re-Sign Cam York To Five-Year Contract

at CDT | by 8 Comments

9:33 a.m.: The Flyers announced York’s contract and confirmed the financial terms as reported.

7:48 a.m.: The Flyers and restricted free agent defenseman Cameron York have agreed to terms on a five-year contract worth $25.75MM, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The deal carries a cap hit of $5.15MM and takes up two UFA years, meaning he can test the open market upon expiry in 2030. Those seasons do not include trade protection, according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic.

York, the No. 14 pick in the 2019 draft, is coming off his fifth season with Philadelphia, the last three of which have been spent as a full-time NHLer. Since beginning to play a regular role on the blue line in the 2022-23 season, York has scored 16 goals, 51 assists, and 67 points in 21:13 of ice time per night across 202 games, with a -22 rating and 369 blocks.

There was plenty of speculation during last season that York may be a trade candidate, primarily due to a rocky relationship with former head coach John Tortorella. The pair reportedly had a verbal altercation near the end of the year, which resulted in Tortorella’s dismissal and York sitting on the bench for the entirety of interim head coach Brad Shaw’s first game at the helm to close out the campaign.

It appeared all was forgiven when reports last month indicated the two sides were close on a deal, building on initial extension talks that took place last fall. With a new coach at the helm in Rick Tocchet, the Flyers land a long-term commitment from York at a marginal discount on his market value.

AFP Analytics projected a long-term extension for York to be a five-year deal at roughly $5.75MM per season. That’s shrewd work from general manager Daniel Brière to work quickly to remove an offer sheet threat while locking him in around 10% cheaper than expected.

The Flyers will technically be over the cap by roughly $580K with a full roster after registering York’s contract, although that shouldn’t be cause for concern. Retired defenseman Ryan Ellis’ $6.25MM cap hit will be placed on long-term injured reserve for the entirety of the season. At the same time, winger Tyson Foerster and his $3.75MM cap hit could also land on LTIR to begin the year while he recovers from an infection in his elbow. High-paid defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen also isn’t expected to be ready to begin the season. Philadelphia has time on their side to shed salary if need be – a move that could be as simple as waiving and reassigning third-string goaltender Ivan Fedotov, bringing his $3.275MM cap hit down to $2.125MM.

Next season, York will reprise his top-pairing role while fellow lefty Travis Sanheim mans the right side. He should be ticketed for a bump in ice time if Tocchet restores some of his power-play minutes. The 24-year-old didn’t see any deployment with the man advantage in 2024-25 – under 10 minutes in total – after playing a regular role there in 2023-24. That should help his offensive numbers to a career-high as well. He had 30 points in 82 games two years ago before posting 17 in 66 last season.

He and Sanheim will headline the Flyers’ defensive unit next season while being supported by veterans Ristolainen and Nick Seeler, some up-and-comers in Emil Andrae, Jamie Drysdale, and Egor Zamula, while also being complemented by depth free agent pickups Dennis Gilbert and Noah Juulsen.

Image courtesy of Eric Hartline-Imagn Images.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

at CDT | by 32 Comments

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

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

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

Five Key Stories: 6/30/25 – 7/6/25

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

As expected, the past week was extremely busy around the NHL.  There were plenty of signings, re-signings, trades, and even a head coaching hire.  Rather than try to break down just a few important stories in a week that had plenty of them, we’ll break down the week that was in five key themes.

June 30th Activity: In the hours leading up to free agency, many of the top names found themselves off the market.  Mitch Marner agreed to terms on an eight-year, $96MM deal with Vegas, being acquired in a sign-and-trade with Toronto for Nicolas Roy.  The Panthers found a way to keep both Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand in the fold, signing Ekblad for eight years and $49MM and Marchand for six seasons and $31.5MM.  Ivan Provorov re-upped with Columbus for seven seasons and $59.5MM, making him the top-paid defenseman from the UFA-eligible players.  The Kings decided to stick with Andrei Kuzmenko, giving him a one-year, $4.3MM contract while Detroit once again signed Patrick Kane in the hours before the market opened up, giving him a one-year, $3MM contract that could jump to $7MM with bonuses.

Trades: There was plenty of activity on the trade front before 11 AM CT on July 1st as well.  Vegas dealt Nicolas Hague to Nashville for Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons (with the Preds retaining half of his contract).  Detroit offloaded the final season and $4.75MM of Vladimir Tarasenko’s deal to Minnesota for future considerations.  Toronto tried to replace some of Marner’s playmaking with the acquisition of Matias Maccelli from Utah for a conditional third-round pick.  Boston opted to buy low on Viktor Arvidsson with Edmonton looking to free up cap space, getting the winger for a 2027 fifth-rounder.  Then, just before the market opened up, Montreal and St. Louis swapped youngsters with the Canadiens getting Zachary Bolduc in exchange for Logan Mailloux.

Extensions: While many contracts for next season were handed out in recent days, some big ones were also signed but won’t start until 2026-27.  Vancouver was particularly active, giving deals to two players.  Thatcher Demko signed a three-year, $25.5MM extension while Conor Garland officially inked his previously-reported six-year, $36MM agreement.  Carolina locked up Logan Stankoven to an eight-year, $48MM deal, ensuring they’ll have at least one long-term piece from the Mikko Rantanen series of trades.  Washington got another important part of their back end signed long-term, signing Martin Fehervary to a seven-year, $42MM deal.  Lastly, early extensions are rarely for bridge contracts but San Jose did just that with William Eklund, handing him a three-year, $16.8MM extension; he’ll still be RFA-eligible at its conclusion.

RFA Re-Signings: While this is the time of year when unrestricted free agents generally dominate the headlines, some of the biggest contracts handed out went to players who didn’t hit the open market or get to the point of having discussions about a potential offer sheet.  After moving Noah Dobson who received a rich deal from Montreal, the Islanders handed out a pricey pact of their own to Alexander Romanov who received an eight-year, $50MM contract.  Edmonton wasn’t able to get a long-term deal done with Evan Bouchard but the four-year, $42MM agreement bought them two extra seasons of club control.  Meanwhile, Toronto inked its top youngster Matthew Knies to a six-year, $46.5MM contract, ensuring that most of its top six group (beyond Marner) will be in place for several more years now.

UFA Period Activity: While some of the bigger moves were already made before free agency got underway, there have still been some notable contracts.  The Canucks ultimately wound up keeping Brock Boeser who received a seven-year, $50.75MM contract.  Vladislav Gavrikov’s linking to the Rangers proved to be true as he got a seven-year, $49MM pact; New York, in turn, dealt K’Andre Miller in a sign-and-trade (eight years, $56MM) to Carolina for Scott Morrow plus first and second-round picks.  Anaheim added a veteran center, inking Mikael Granlund to a three-year, $21MM pact after moving Trevor Zegras to Philadelphia last month.  The Sharks opted to shore up their back end, handing Dmitry Orlov a two-year, $13MM contract while also claiming Nick Leddy off waivers from St. Louis.  Meanwhile, the other top winger on the market (Nikolaj Ehlers) waited a couple of days to determine his future before signing a six-year, $51MM contract with Carolina, giving the Hurricanes a needed boost up front.

West Notes: Zellweger, Mintyukov, Suchanek, Canucks, Ritchie

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Ducks received trade interest in young defensemen Olen Zellweger and Pavel Mintyukov, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in his latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link).  The 21-year-olds are believed to be a big part of Anaheim’s future but were in and out of the lineup at times, something that Friedman notes resulted in both players going to management about their playing time.  Zellweger had 20 points in 62 games last season while Mintyukov had 19 in 68, a drop of nine points from his rookie-season performance.  Despite the trade interest, Friedman relays that Anaheim doesn’t have any interest in moving either youngster.

More from out West:

  • Still with the Ducks, prospect goaltender Tomas Suchanek has fully recovered from the torn ACL sustained last summer just after development camp, relays Derek Lee of The Hockey News. The 22-year-old impressed in his first professional season back in 2023-24 where he put up a 2.92 GAA and a .910 SV% in 29 games with AHL San Diego, earning him an entry-level contract along the way.  As things stand, Suchanek seems likely either to be the backup with the Gulls behind Ville Husso or starting at ECHL Tulsa to give him a shot at more playing time.
  • The Canucks showed strong interest in center Christian Dvorak earlier this week, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reports (Twitter link). Dvorak ultimately signed a one-year, $5.4MM contract with Philadelphia while Vancouver is believed to have put a three-year pact on the table worth around $4MM per season.  The 29-year-old had 33 points in 82 games with Montreal last season while winning nearly 56% of his faceoffs.
  • Wild prospect Ryder Ritchie announced on his Instagram page that he has committed to play for Boston University for the upcoming season. The 18-year-old was a second-round pick by Minnesota last year, going 45th overall.  Ritchie spent last season with WHL Medicine Hat, collecting 61 points in 53 regular season games and averaging a point per game in 18 playoff outings.  He then capped off the campaign with four goals and an assist in four Memorial Cup appearances.

Blues Re-Sign Vadim Zherenko And Hunter Skinner

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

July 7: The Blues confirmed Zherenko’s and Skinner’s contracts while also confirming a two-way deal for winger Matt Luff that was reported when the market opened last week.

July 6: After getting Joel Hofer signed to a new deal late last month, the Blues have re-signed their other restricted free agent netminder.  PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that St. Louis has re-signed Vadim Zherenko to a one-year, two-way contract.  PuckPedia is also reporting (Twitter link) that defenseman Hunter Skinner has inked a one-year, two-way agreement as well.  Both players will receive $775K in the NHL and $125K in the minors, meaning they took less than their qualifying offers to secure more guaranteed money.

Zherenko was a seventh-round pick by St. Louis back in 2019, going 208th overall and has had a bit of a journey thus far in professional hockey.  The 24-year-old was drafted out of Russia and spent one more year at home, splitting time between the VHL and the MHL before deciding to play in Finland in 2021-22 where he spent the bulk of the year with Ilves at the top Liiga level.  His performance there helped earn him an entry-level contract that spring.

Since then, Zherenko has spent his time with AHL Springfield, save for a brief stint in St. Louis on recall in his rookie year that didn’t yield any NHL playing time.  Last season, he posted a 12-17-5 record in 32 games with the Thunderbirds along with a 3.44 GAA and a .897 SV%.  He played behind starter Colten Ellis who is now waiver-eligible moving forward, leaving his future a little murkier as he’ll have to pass through unclaimed to return to Springfield.  Zherenko, meanwhile, remains waiver-exempt for one more year so it’s safe to say that he’ll be back with the Thunderbirds next season.

As for Skinner, he was a fourth-round pick of the Rangers back in 2019, going 112th overall.  He spent the following season with OHL London before turning pro in 2020-21.  He spent parts of three seasons in their farm system, primarily with AHL Hartford before being traded to St. Louis in 2023 as part of the deal that sent rental players Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola to New York to try to aid their playoff run.

Since then, Skinner has played with Springfield and is coming off his best season at the AHL level, one that saw him record eight goals and 14 assists in 69 games along with 98 penalty minutes.  That was enough to earn him a qualifying offer to get another opportunity but unless he becomes an NHL regular and plays in at least 80 games next season, Skinner will become eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency next summer.

With the signings, the Blues are down to just one remaining restricted free agent to re-sign, forward Nikita Alexandrov.

Rangers Re-Sign Brendan Brisson

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

July 7: The Rangers confirmed Brisson’s contract Monday morning.

July 6: The Rangers have taken care of one of their remaining restricted free agents.  PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that New York has signed forward Brendan Brisson to a one-year, two-way contract.  The deal will pay $775K in the NHL, $100K in the minors, and contains a guaranteed salary of $125K, meaning he took less than his qualifying offer to secure more guaranteed money.

The 23-year-old was a first-round pick by Vegas back in 2020, going 29th overall after a promising season with USHL Chicago.  Brisson continued to be a strong producer in college, averaging a point per game over two seasons at the University of Michigan before turning pro in 2022.

Unfortunately for Brisson and Vegas, his production slowed after that.  He picked up 37 points in 58 games in 2022-23 with AHL Henderson but wasn’t able to build off of that too much the following year with 38 in 52.  Brisson did, however, get into 15 games with the Golden Knights that season, notching two goals and six assists, providing some hope moving forward.

This season, things didn’t go as well.  Brisson was held off the scoresheet in seven games to open the season before being demoted back to the Silver Knights and didn’t notch a point in a two-game stint in January either.  In between, Brisson was limited to just five goals and 14 assists in 49 games in Henderson.  That was enough for Vegas to make him available at the trade deadline as they sent him and a third-round pick to the Rangers for Reilly Smith, a pending UFA at the time who ultimately re-signed last month.  Brisson didn’t get any looks with New York down the stretch but managed just two goals and four assists in 16 games with AHL Hartford.

Brisson is now waiver-eligible and while his 2024-25 performance wouldn’t be enough on its own to justify a potential claim, teams have been known to take flyers on fairly recent first-round picks in the hopes that a change of scenery could get them going.  With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rangers take a long look at Brisson in training camp to see if he can land a spot on the fourth line or at least break camp as a reserve forward.

The Rangers now have two remaining restricted free agents to deal with this summer, goaltenders Dylan Garand and Talyn Boyko.

Metropolitan Notes: Vladar, Barkey, Penguins, Ilyin

at CDT | by 1 Comment

With teams being warned about the potential for tampering, not as many contracts were announced in the opening minutes of free agency on Tuesday.  One exception was new Flyers goaltender Daniel Vladar.  In an interview with iSport’s Pavel Barta, the 27-year-old indicated that his two-year, $6.7MM agreement with Philadelphia was in place within three minutes of the market opening up.  Vladar was seeking an opportunity to be a starting goalie and he should get a chance to battle for that role with the Flyers who had incumbents Samuel Ersson, Ivan Fedotov, and Aleksei Kolosov all struggle considerably last season.  While Vladar’s 2.80 GAA and .898 SV% last season in 30 games with Calgary aren’t elite numbers, they’re still an upgrade on what Philadelphia received in 2024-25.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Still with the Flyers, prospect Denver Barkey has nearly fully recovered from the ankle injury that hindered him in the playoffs, relays PHLY Sports’ Charlie O’Connor (Twitter link). The 20-year-old was a third-round pick two years ago and was a top producer with OHL London.  Last season, Barkey had 82 points in 50 games with the Knights while adding 20 points in 10 playoff contests.  Now pro-eligible, Barkey will likely start next season at AHL Lehigh Valley but a good start there could have him in the mix for a recall fairly quickly given his track record of production.
  • Winger Matej Blumel told Hokej.cz’s Dominik Dubovchi that the Penguins were the other finalist to sign him in free agency earlier this week. The 25-year-old was the top goal-getter in the AHL last season, notching 39 in 67 games with AHL Texas but that only earned him seven games with Dallas where he scored once.  Blumel was eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency and ultimately signed a one-year, one-way contract worth $875K with Boston.
  • Still with the Penguins, prospect Mikhail Ilyin will stay in the KHL for next season, assistant GM Jason Spezza told reporters including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Twitter link). However, the hope is that the winger will come to North America for the 2026-27 campaign.  Ilyin, a fifth-round pick back in 2023, had 30 points in 64 games with Severstal Cherepovets last season, finishing third on the team in scoring.

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

scroll to top