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Five Key Stories: 6/30/25 – 7/6/25

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

Sabres, Mammoth Elect Salary Arbitration With Bowen Byram, Jack McBain

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The Sabres and Mammoth will pursue team-elected salary arbitration with defenseman Bowen Byram and center Jack McBain, respectively, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

That brings the total number of players with potential arbitration hearings this summer to 13, along with the 11 players who elected arbitration before yesterday’s deadline. As with player-elected arbitration, team-elected arbitration removes the threat of an offer sheet. The Sabres and Byram – and the Mammoth and McBain – are now locked into short-term contracts with each other if they don’t come to an agreement before their hearing.

Unlike with player-elected arbitration, a team cannot walk away from an arbitration award if the AAV is above $4.85MM since they’re the ones who pursued the hearing. They’ll be at the mercy of whatever AAV the arbitrator awards if their negotiations reach a hearing, and the player can select whether it’ll be a one or two-year contract. Both Byram and McBain could walk themselves to unrestricted free agency in 2027 by opting for two-year deals; they would still be RFAs next summer if they opted for one-year commitments.

While the tea leaves still point toward a positive outcome between McBain and Utah, the Sabres and Byram are likely going to need to take advantage of the hearing. Byram opted not to elect arbitration yesterday as he looks to cash in following a career season, something Buffalo is reluctant to do with two other left-shot defenders, Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, already among their highest-paid players. He could have been offer-sheeted as late as today at 4:00 p.m. CT when team filings were due, but no other team decided to force the Sabres’ hand.

If things between the Sabres and Byram do need a hearing to settle, it won’t be prohibitive for Buffalo. The club still has $13.64MM in cap space remaining, per PuckPedia. That should be more than enough to handle new deals for Byram and fellow RFA defenseman Conor Timmins, who filed for player-elected arbitration.

In the meantime, Buffalo is still free to pursue a trade for Byram, although with the threat of a hearing looming, it’ll need to be a sign-and-trade unless they wait until after his arbitration award to do so.

If Byram and McBain opt for one-year deals, Buffalo and Utah cannot pursue team-elected arbitration with them again in 2026. Players can only receive one team-elected arbitration in their career, regardless of whether the situation reaches a hearing or not.

Maple Leafs Interested In Jack Roslovic

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Center Jack Roslovic is one of the top unrestricted free agent names available as we near the second week of the new league year. The Maple Leafs are among the clubs interested in adding him to their roster, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Sunday’s 32 Thoughts podcast.

Toronto’s desire for another top-nine forward is apparent as they take a ’by committee’ approach to replacing Mitch Marner’s lost offense. They’ve been linked to other middle-six wingers like Andrew Mangiapane, but didn’t land him.

They’ve done reasonably well so far in building out their depth in the wake of his departure. Prime bounceback candidate Matias Maccelli was a buy-low pickup from the Mammoth, and they recouped strong two-way center Nicolas Roy in the Marner sign-and-trade with the Golden Knights. There’s still another name that’s needed in the mix, though – likely as a complementary winger on their first line with Auston Matthews or on their second with William Nylander and John Tavares.

That’s where Roslovic could come in, although his offensive ceiling isn’t as high as someone like Maccelli’s. The 28-year-old has been a consistent 30- to 40-point threat throughout the 2020s and is coming off a 22-goal showing with the Hurricanes in 2024-25, which tied his career high.

He would be a safe bet for added depth in a top-nine role and has a history of being a plays-where-needed forward. If possible, though, the Leafs would presumably want a piece with more upside.

That could still come via trade, an avenue multiple reports over the past week indicate the Leafs are open to, with nearly $5MM in cap room to leverage. They don’t need to match salaries exactly, but could look to offload a marginally overpaid fringe piece like Calle Jarnkrok or David Kampf in a deal for an impact piece.

The market has been mostly scoured at this stage, but there are a pair of wingers that former Toronto GM Kyle Dubas, now with the Penguins, is looking to cash in on in Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust. If they can put together an appealing package, far from a guarantee after parting ways with most of their draft capital at the last few trade deadlines, that would be a more preferable top-six boost than inserting Roslovic there.

Players Signed To AHL Contracts For 2025-26

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While an AHL team’s roster is made up mostly of players on loan from their NHL parent club, they usually have a few players suiting up for them on minor-league contracts. While that player is playing with the prospects and depth names affiliated with an NHL team, they’re in no way contractually tied to the big club and are still technically a free agent in the NHL’s eyes, making them ineligible for a call-up unless they sign an NHL contract.

These can be young players emerging from the college or junior ranks who NHL teams are trying to get a look at in the pro environment before deciding whether to offer them an entry-level deal, or they can be veteran role players with previous NHL experience keeping their career going even though their game isn’t suited for the top level anymore. Teams with an excess of these players will usually assign the vast majority of them down one level to their ECHL affiliate – much like an NHL contract, an AHL deal permits a team to stuff a player in the ECHL but recall them at will.

Nearly one week into free agency, it’s a good time to look at what names teams have on these minor-league deals as they eye potential NHL contracts with the parent club later in the season. Players with an asterisk were previous draft picks by the club but will see their exclusive NHL signing rights expire on Aug. 15. A double asterisk indicates the player’s signing rights are held until June 1, 2026.

Abbotsford Canucks (VAN)

F Jackson Kunz*, F Chase Wouters

Bakersfield Condors (EDM)

F Matt Copponi*, F Seth Griffith, F Ethan Keppen, F Rem Pitlick, F Rhett Pitlick

Belleville Senators (OTT)

F Philippe Daoust, F Keean Washkurak

Bridgeport Islanders (NYI)

F Cameron Berg*, F Max Dorrington, F/D Hunter Drew, F Ross Mitton, F Chris Terry, D Luke Rowe

Calgary Wranglers (CGY)

F Martin Frk, F Alex Gallant

Charlotte Checkers (FLA)

F Liam Arnsby, F Brett Chorske, F Riese Gaber, F Liam McLinskey, F Brian Pinho, F Christophe Tellier, F Nicolas Zabaneh, D Trevor Carrick, D Dennis Cesana, D Colton Huard, D Eamon Powell, D Mitch Vande Sompel, G Michael Simpson

Chicago Wolves (CAR)

F Blake Biondi, F Yanick Turcotte, F Evan Vierling

Cleveland Monsters (CBJ)

F Roman Ahcan, F Riley Bezeau, F Ryland Mosley

Coachella Valley Firebirds (SEA)

F Justin Janicke*, F Ian McKinnon

Colorado Eagles (COL)

F Evan Friesen, F Maros Jedlicka, F Rilen Kovacevic, F Jayson Megna, F Jake Wise, D Connor Kelley, D Hank Kempf*, D Garrett Pyke, G Kyle Keyser

Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)

F Carson Bantle, F Gabriel Seger, D Jacob Truscott

Hartford Wolf Pack (NYR)

F Gavin Hain, F Zakary Karpa*, F Sullivan Mack, D Blake Hillman, D Case McCarthy, D Cooper Moore, D Ryan Siedem

Iowa Wild (MIN)

F Mark Liwiski, F Ryan McGuire, F Ryan Sandelin, D Mike Koster, D Wyatt Newpower, D Will Zmolek, G William Rousseau

Laval Rocket (MTL)

F Vincent Arseneau, F Laurent Dauphin, F Will Dineen, F Joseph Dunlap, F Mark Estapa, F Yegor Goryunov, F Israel Mianscum, F Xavier Simoneau, D Josh Jacobs, D Darick Louis-Jean, D Ryan O’Rourke, D Tobie Paquette-Bisson, D Wyatte Wylie, G Hunter Jones

Lehigh Valley Phantoms (PHI)

F Saywer Boulton, F Cooper Marody

Manitoba Moose (WPG)

F Chase Yoder, D Dawson Barteaux, D Ashton Sautner, D Ben Zloty, G Alex Worthington

Milwaukee Admirals (NSH)

F Daniel Carr, F Kyle Marino, F Oasiz Wiesblatt, D Zack Hayes, D Chad Nychuk, G Ethan Haider, G T.J. Semptimphelter

Ontario Reign (LAK)

F Jacob Doty, F Jack Hughes*, D Jack Millar, D Tim Rego

Providence Bruins (BOS)

F Joey Abate, F Brooklyn Kalmikov, F Jake Schmaltz*, D Colin Felix

Rochester Americans (BUF)

F Matteo Constantini*, F Jagger Joshua, F Graham Slaggert, F Brendan Warren, D Noah Laaouan

Rockford IceHogs (CHI)

F Dillon Boucher, F Jackson Cates, F Ryan Gagnier, F Kevin Lombardi, F Marcel Marcel, F Brett Seney, D Cavan Fitzgerald, G Mitchell Weeks

San Diego Gulls (ANA)

F Ryan Carpenter, F Travis Howe, F Matthew Phillips, D Nikolas Brouillard, D Will Francis*, D Roland McKeown

San Jose Barracuda (SJS)

F Donovan Houle, F Lucas Vanroboys, F Anthony Vincent, D John Gormley, D Braden Hache, G Matt Davis

Springfield Thunderbirds (STL)

F Sam Bitten, F Matthew Peca, F Chris Wagner, D Anthony Kehrer

Syracuse Crunch (TBL)

F Brendan Furry, D Chris Harpur, D Tommy Miller, D Matteo Pietroniro

Texas Stars (DAL)

F Curtis McKenzie

Toronto Marlies (TOR)

F Matthew Barbolini, F Ryan Kirwan, F Logan Shaw, F Landon Sim, D Rhett Parsons, D Chas Sharpe

Tucson Roadrunners (UTA)

F Austin Poganski, G Dylan Wells

Utica Comets (NJD)

F Jack Malone, F Matyas Melovsky**

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (PIT)

F Raivis Ansons, F Jack Beck, F Atley Calvert, F Mathieu De St. Phalle, F Brayden Edwards, F Zach Gallant, F Aaron Huglen, F Gabe Klassen, F Aidan McDonough, F Nolan Renwick, F Zach Urdahl, D David Breazale, D Tommy Budnick, G Taylor Gauthier, G Maxim Pavlenko

Golden Knights Re-Sign Raphael Lavoie, Jonas Rondbjerg, Cole Schwindt

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The Golden Knights announced they’ve re-signed RFA forwards Raphael Lavoie, Jonas Rondbjerg, and Cole Schwindt to one-year deals. Lavoie’s deal pays him $775K in the NHL and $235K in the AHL with a $300K guarantee, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA.  Meanwhile, PuckPedia reports that Rondbjerg gets $775K in the NHL and $250K in the AHL with a $375K guarantee.  PuckPedia also has Schwindt’s terms which check in at $825K on a one-way agreement.

Lavoie, 24, began last season in the Oilers organization. He’ll hope for more stability this year after being waived by Edmonton, claimed by Vegas, waived by Vegas, re-claimed by Edmonton, waived again by Edmonton, and finally re-claimed by Vegas before being sent directly to AHL Henderson in a matter of days last October.

Many thought the Oilers would lose Lavoie on waivers after the 6’4″ winger potted 28 goals and 50 points in 66 games for AHL Bakersfield in 2023-24. Injuries limited Lavoie’s effectiveness somewhat in 2024-25, but he still put together a decent 17-10–27 scoring line in 42 games on an underwhelming Henderson squad.

He got into nine NHL games with the Knights throughout the year but went pointless, averaging 10:05 per game. It was his second taste of NHL action after also going pointless in seven games with Edmonton the year before.

After not taking a meaningful step forward last season, the 2019 second-rounder is likely destined for waivers and a minor-league role again in the fall. He’ll battle for an extra forward spot but isn’t a candidate to begin the year in the opening night lineup unless more injuries happen, thanks to Vegas’ much-improved forward depth.

Rondbjerg, a Golden Knights draft pick in the third round of their inaugural 2017 class, is the only player from that group still with the organization. The Denmark-born winger has topped out as a serviceable fringe NHL forward, recording 10 points in 76 games for the Knights in a spattering of recalls over the past four years.

He’s cleared waivers without incident before and should do so again in the fall. The former captain of Denmark’s World Junior team is now an alternate with the Silver Knights, where he had 11 goals and 26 points with a minus-six rating in 53 appearances last year.

Schwindt is the likeliest of the trio to end up on the 23-man NHL roster in October. Vegas claimed the 24-year-old off waivers from the Flames during training camp last year, and while he wasn’t an everyday piece in the lineup, he was a serviceable extra forward for the entirety of the campaign. He made 42 appearances after seeing only seven games of NHL action over the previous three years, scoring his first NHL goal in the process and adding seven assists for eight points.

The 6’2″ Ontario native can slot in at center if needed, taking over 200 draws last season and winning 50.5% of them. A three-time 30-point scorer in the AHL, Vegas seems to like his game enough to keep him around as a 13th or 14th forward for at least one more year.

Senators Have Quietly Had A Good Summer

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The summer is only a few weeks old, but the Ottawa Senators have quietly put together a solid summer so far. The Senators made the playoffs this past season for the first time since their 2017 run to the Eastern Conference Final, and they were short on salary cap space when the off-season started.

Still, that didn’t stop general manager Steve Staios from bringing back some of his veterans and making a couple of smart additions to the bottom of the Senators’ lineup. This strategy closely resembles what Ottawa did last summer when they signed veteran Cup winners David Perron, Nick Cousins, and Michael Amadio, resulting in a deeper, more mature roster.

Ottawa started the offseason by re-signing defenseman Tyler Kleven on a two-year deal worth $1.6MM per season. They then focused on recently acquired forward Fabian Zetterlund, signing him to a three-year contract worth $4.275MM annually.

The Kleven signing may have been a bit of an overpay, but Ottawa secured their 2020 second-round pick on a bridge deal that allows a closer look at a player who made significant progress last season. Kleven isn’t flashy or particularly skilled with the puck, but he performs well defensively and can throw his weight around.

He is well-suited for a bottom-pairing defensive role and is expected to see plenty of ice time next season. AFP Analytics projected Kleven’s value at just over $1MM on a two-year deal, so while the Senators paid a premium for Kleven, they value his contributions to the team.

Zetterlund was another overpay since he was projected to earn just under $4MM annually, but he’s another player the Senators hold high hopes for. The 25-year-old was a surprising addition at the trade deadline and didn’t have an entirely smooth transition to Ottawa, recording just two goals and three assists in 20 games to finish the regular season with the Sens. That said, Zetterlund has back-to-back 40+ point seasons to his name, and the Senators are counting on him taking the next step.

The Senators also re-signed two veteran forwards on very reasonable contracts – Cousins and Claude Giroux. Cousins signed for one year at $825K and should be a low-cost, low-maintenance option for Ottawa’s fourth line.

While Cousins isn’t strong defensively, he’s a good forechecker and brings a bit of offense and physicality to Ottawa’s bottom six. The 31-year-old was projected to earn nearly $1.1MM on a one-year deal, so Ottawa did well to keep his salary as low as they did.

One of Ottawa’s most significant achievements this summer was re-signing the veteran forward Giroux to a one-year deal worth $2MM plus a potential $2.75MM in bonuses. The 37-year-old can still perform at a high level, recording 15 goals and 35 assists in 82 games last season, his third with the Senators.

Giroux was forecasted for a two-year deal around $5.2MM per season, so Ottawa did very well to stay well below that figure, even if Giroux earns all his bonuses. There was a genuine concern about whether Ottawa could re-sign Giroux given their cap space. Still, the Ontario native enjoys playing at home and was willing to accept a significant discount.

Ottawa then shifted its focus to the trade market and acquired right-shot defenseman Jordan Spence. The Senators traded two draft picks – a 2025 third-round pick and a 2026 sixth-round pick – for the 24-year-old, in what can only be described as a great deal from Ottawa’s perspective.

Spence is on the smaller side (5’11” and 180 lbs), but he is a talented two-way defender who can contribute offensively and maintain solid defensive stats. He played sheltered minutes in Los Angeles with the Kings and is likely to face a more demanding role with Ottawa.

It’s hard to say precisely why Los Angeles moved him, but it’s likely because the Kings lacked space for him in the top four of their defensive unit and may have felt he wasn’t suited for the bottom pairing. This trade could prove to be quite one-sided if Spence develops into a top-four defender for the Senators on the right side. The big question, however, is whether Spence can handle tough, physical minutes against divisional rivals like the Florida Panthers.

Another subtle move Ottawa made was signing veteran center Lars Eller. It seems like the 36-year-old has been in the NHL forever, but he quietly logs 13-16 minutes of stable, unflashy hockey each night.

Eller can still produce offense from the bottom six, though he’s best suited for a fourth-line center role, which is what he should have with the Senators. Ottawa’s depth down the middle looks impressive heading into next season, with Tim Stutzle and Dylan Cozens on the top lines, Shane Pinto centering the third, and Eller on the fourth. Eller should provide defensive stability for the Senators in their own end and will likely contribute 20-25 points, which is not bad for $1.25MM on a one-year deal.

Finally, the Senators made several depth moves by signing goaltender Hunter Shepard and forwards Olle Lycksell and Arthur Kaliyev. Among these, Kaliyev is the most promising and likely offers the most significant upside.

The 24-year-old has proven to be a valuable NHL player in his brief career, recording over 25 points in consecutive seasons with the Los Angeles Kings. Kaliyev was signed to a one-year, two-way contract and may find his way onto the NHL roster if Ottawa faces injury issues during the regular season.

He has a strong shot, isn’t afraid to use it, and performs reasonably well defensively, particularly in clearing the puck from the defensive zone. He’s a player worth taking a look at if you are Ottawa, especially on a two-way deal.

Overall, Senators fans should be pleased with what the team has achieved this summer. They had a definite need to improve defensively in their bottom-six forward group and to acquire a right-shot defenseman.

They’ve accomplished both goals and remain well below the salary cap limit. Ottawa probably won’t add much more to their roster, but could make some significant moves at the NHL Trade Deadline if they stay well under the cap.

Photo by Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

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