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Capitals Name Patrick Wellar Interim Assistant Coach, Hire Brent Thompson

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The Capitals have promoted Patrick Wellar to their NHL coaching staff on an interim basis, Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post reports. It will be his first NHL role after spending the past several years working as an assistant for Washington’s AHL affiliate in Hershey.

Wellar will ensure the Capitals maintain a four-person bench staff to begin the campaign. Assistant Mitch Love, who primarily works with the team’s defensemen, was placed on leave two weeks ago pending the results of a league investigation into an off-ice incident involving his personal conduct that predated his time with the organization.

The 41-year-old Wellar will now do the same, Johnson said. While going out of one’s way to name an interim head coach during a short-term absence isn’t uncommon, uprooting an assistant from an AHL affiliate is an indication that the club doesn’t expect Love to return anytime soon.

Wellar is entering his eighth year in the organization, all of which have been spent in his everyday assistant role with Hershey. In doing so, he’s been a part of one of the best-run development ladders in the league regarding team success. The Bears won back-to-back Calder Cups in 2023 and 2024 and haven’t finished the regular season with a sub-.500 record during his tenure.

The Saskatchewan native also spent six years of his playing career in the Caps organization with AHL Hershey and ECHL South Carolina from 2008-14. He won a Calder Cup while on Hershey’s blue line in 2010, appearing in all 21 postseason games alongside future NHL fixtures John Carlson, Jay Beagle, Karl Alzner, and Mathieu Perreault.

According to Johnson, the Caps have also named a replacement for the replacement. Veteran coach Brent Thompson – the father of Sabres star Tage Thompson – will step in to cover Wellar’s responsibilities with Hershey. The 54-year-old is a former ECHL Coach of the Year and spent 10 years as the bench boss for AHL Bridgeport in the Islanders organization in two separate stints between 2011 and 2023. He spent the past two seasons as an assistant under Greg Cronin in Anaheim but was not retained by the Ducks for the 2025-26 season.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Winnipeg Jets

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those who don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2025-26 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We’re currently covering the Central Division, last up are the Jets.

Winnipeg Jets

Current Cap Hit: $91,536,190 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

None that are projected to be full-time regulars.

Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level

G Eric Comrie ($825K, UFA)
F Kyle Connor ($7.143MM, UFA)
F David Gustafsson ($835K, RFA)
D Ville Heinola ($800K, RFA)
F Cole Koepke ($1MM, UFA)
F Adam Lowry ($3.25MM, UFA)
D Colin Miller ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Gustav Nyquist ($3.25MM, UFA)
F Tanner Pearson ($1MM, UFA)
F Cole Perfetti ($3.25MM, RFA)
D Luke Schenn ($2.75MM, UFA)
D Logan Stanley ($1.25MM, UFA)
F Jonathan Toews ($2MM, UFA)

Potential Bonuses
Toews: $5MM

Connor’s pending free agency isn’t generating as much attention as it normally would, it’s just that there are some other big-name players also entering the final year of their respective deals as well.  But Connor is in that high-end tier as well.  In his eight full seasons as an NHLer, only seven players league-wide have scored more goals.  He has two years with more than 90 points over the last four campaigns.  He’s an above-average top-line winger, simple as that.  He has been on a team-friendly deal for a while now and will be for this season but that will change soon.  A long-term pact is likely going to add another $4MM or more per year to his current cost and it’s a price that many teams, not just the Jets, will likely be willing to pay.

Of the trio of players at the $3.25MM mark, one is on the way up, that being Perfetti after his first 50-point season.  Many think he still has another gear to get to and he’ll get a chance to play a bigger role following the departure of Nikolaj Ehlers.  He’s arbitration-eligible for the first time next summer with a $3.5MM qualifying offer.  Assuming that Winnipeg will want to sign him to a long-term deal, it will likely take more than double that amount to get something done.

Lowry has ranged between 34 and 36 points over the last three seasons while bringing a strong defensive game and physicality to the table.  In a perfect world, he’s a solid number three center although his usage was a bit more than that at times last season.  Given that he’ll be 33 when his next deal starts, he may not be able to command too much more on his next deal but pushing past the $4MM mark should be doable.  Nyquist had a career-best 75 points in 2023-24 but tapered off last season, managing just 28, leading to this deal in July.  At 36, he should be going year-to-year from here on out.  A bounce-back could push him past the $4MM mark, especially on a re-signing where Winnipeg often has to pay a bit of a higher rate.

Toews was able to benefit from an early free agency, so to speak.  After not playing in the past two seasons while recovering from illness, he was free to work out a deal before July 1st, making him the focal point of the market for a couple of weeks.  His structure gives Winnipeg a bit of insurance as most of his bonuses are based on games played with some for some playoff success, also dependent on playoff games played.  So, if he struggles and can’t last the full season, they’re not out the full weight of the contract but if he returns and makes an impact, he’ll be one of their higher-paid forwards.  Given his age (37) and recent history, he’s probably going to go year-to-year if he keeps playing beyond this season.

Pearson had to earn a deal of a PTO last season with Vegas and did just that before being a solid depth contributor for the Golden Knights.  At this stage of his career, he’s a depth player who will be going year-to-year but he’ll add some length to a lineup that hasn’t always been the deepest.  Koepke also adds some depth after being a regular on Boston’s fourth line.  With a limited track record at this point (73 of his 99 games came last season), there’s some room for his price tag to jump up still if he can hold down a similar role this year.  Gustafsson has had a limited role in recent years and assuming that remains the case, he’s likely to stay near the minimum salary moving forward.

Schenn was brought in near the trade deadline last season to give the back end a bit more snarl and depth.  He largely played on the third pairing and killed penalties, the role he has had for most of his career.  Given that he’ll be 36 soon, he’s someone who might be on one-year deals moving forward, allowing for a bonus structure that could get the total potential value of the contract close to what it is now.  Miller’s first full year with the Jets was serviceable but his minutes remained rather low for a blueliner.  Even with some offensive skill, if he can’t log 15 minutes a night, he’ll probably be hard-pressed to match this deal next summer.

Stanley has been in the same spot for several years now, a sixth or seventh option on the depth chart who doesn’t play a lot when he’s in the lineup.  Still, given his size (six-foot-seven), there will probably be teams who think they can get him going in a different environment.  Accordingly, he could wind up near the $2MM mark next summer.  Heinola, on the other hand, has seen his stock drop in recent years to the point where he could be a waiver candidate.  He needs to play in 27 games to retain his RFA status, otherwise, he’d be a Group Six UFA.  Unless he can establish himself as an NHL regular, he’s likely to be at or near the minimum moving forward.

Comrie hasn’t had a lot of NHL success outside of Winnipeg but his two best seasons have come with the Jets over two separate stints.  Based on his numbers with this team, a jump past $2.5MM would make sense.  But with his spotty track record elsewhere, he might only be able to land more in the $1.5MM range.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Morgan Barron ($1.85MM, UFA)
D Haydn Fleury ($950K, UFA)
F Vladislav Namestnikov ($3MM, UFA)
F Nino Niederreiter ($4MM, UFA)

Niederreiter isn’t the 50-point player he was a while back but he is still a relatively consistent secondary scorer.  His type of role is a tough one to thread, however, as it’s the middle class that might get squeezed with more money heading toward top talent.  If he stays around 15 goals and around 40 points per season, he should be able to get another contract like this.  However, if the production drops off over the next couple of years, he’ll be 35 and in a spot where overall interest could be limited.

Namestnikov has settled in well with Winnipeg, filling a bit of a ‘Swiss Army’ role where he’s moved around a lot.  The same concern with Niederreiter applies here to a point as well although Namestnikov’s ability to play center helps his cause.  His free agency has been a bit perplexing in the past in terms of the type of interest he gets but it wouldn’t be shocking to see him land another two-year deal around this price point.  Barron has been a regular on the fourth line for several years now and signed this deal this summer to walk him right to UFA eligibility.  He will need to find a way to land a spot higher in the lineup if he wants to beat this by a significant amount in 2027.

Fleury played a limited role in his first season in Winnipeg and this contract reflects the expectation that he’ll remain a depth defender for the next couple of years.  That has been his role for several years now so there’s no reason to think his future deals are going to remain at or near the minimum salary moving forward.

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West Notes: Mammoth, Lucic, Klingberg, Kaprizov

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As is the case around many training camps, the Mammoth are dealing with a couple of injuries.  KSL Sports’ Cole Bagley notes (Twitter link) that winger JJ Peterka and defenseman Olli Maatta are both listed as out day-to-day but aren’t supposed to be out for long.  Peterka was Utah’s big offseason addition, coming over in a trade from Buffalo after putting up 27 goals and 41 assists in 77 games.  Meanwhile, Maatta was acquired in an early-season swap last year with the team dealing with injury woes on the back end and did well enough to earn himself a three-year, $10.5MM extension soon after.

More from out West:

  • The Blues expect winger Milan Lucic to be back to full practice on Monday, relays Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic (Twitter link). He’s currently listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, a tough spot to be in for someone who is on a PTO in camp and is trying to make the team.  Lucic last played in 2023-24 (where he suited up just four times) and is hoping to land a spot on the fourth line in St. Louis.  He’ll need to get some more preseason action under his belt to have a shot at accomplishing that objective.
  • Sharks defenseman John Klingberg is expected to return to practice soon, reports Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News (Twitter link). The veteran has missed the last few days of camp due to an upper-body injury.  Klingberg inked a one-year, $4MM contract with San Jose early in free agency after playing well in limited action with Edmonton, including four points in 19 playoff games.  Generally a defenseman who can put up some offensive production, he’ll have a chance to do that on a Sharks back end that doesn’t have too many offensive threats as things stand.
  • Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov is dealing with an eye infection that will keep him out of the lineup, notes Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link). Head coach John Hynes noted that Kaprizov is already on antibiotics and that the hope is that he won’t miss much time.  The veteran was limited to just 41 games last season due to injuries although it didn’t stop him from declining what was reported to be the richest contract offer in NHL history earlier this offseason.

Waivers: 9/27/25

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As training camp cuts continue to occur, there will be an uptick in waiver placements over the next week and a half.  Today is a particularly busy day on the wire with PuckPedia reporting that 20 players are now on waivers.  Meanwhile, all of yesterday’s players cleared, per PuckPedia.

Buffalo Sabres

D Jack Rathbone

Calgary Flames

D Jeremie Poirier

Columbus Blue Jackets

D Dysin Mayo
F Hunter McKown
G Zachary Sawchenko
F Owen Sillinger

Colorado Avalanche

F Alex Barre-Boulet
F Tye Felhaber
F Jason Polin
F T.J. Tynan

Edmonton Oilers

D Josh Brown
F James Hamblin
F Roby Jarventie

New York Islanders

F Adam Beckman

St. Louis Blues

F Nikita Alexandrov
F Hugh McGing

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Travis Boyd
F Benoit-Olivier Groulx
F Vinni Lettieri

Vegas Golden Knights

D Lukas Cormier

For the most part, this is a group of veteran players who have cleared waivers multiple times in the past and should expect to do so here as well.  That said, Lettieri has gotten into 72 NHL games over the last two seasons and could be appealing to a team looking for some extra depth down the middle.  Alexandrov didn’t see any action with St. Louis last season but averaged just over a point per game with AHL Springfield last season and has 51 career NHL appearances under his belt.  Boyd was a full-time NHL player as recently as 2022-23 and is one game shy of 300 for his career but has settled in as more of an AHL veteran since then.

At this time of year, it’s sometimes the younger players who might garner some attention and there are some on this list who could draw a look.  Cormier and Poirier are only 23 and have shown some offensive upside in the past at both the QMJHL and AHL levels.  Jarventie was once a prospect with some upside before an injury derailed his 2024-25 campaign but if there’s a team that thinks he has fully recovered, he could garner attention as well.

These players will be on waivers until 1 PM CT on Sunday.

Ducks Sign Mason McTavish To Six-Year Contract

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The Ducks and center Mason McTavish have finally reached the finish line in their prolonged contract negotiations.  The team announced that they’ve signed McTavish to a six-year contract; Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) it’s worth $7MM per season.  GM Pat Verbeek released the following statement:

Mason is a key part of our team, and we’re excited to reach a long-term agreement that reflects his importance to our future. He’s a highly skilled, physical, and competitive player who plays the game the right way. Mason has already made a significant impact at a young age, and we’re confident he’ll continue to grow into a top player as we build toward sustained success.

The 22-year-old was the third overall pick in 2021 and is coming off his best statistical season so far, one that saw him score 22 goals and 30 assists in 76 games while primarily playing on the second line.  That was an offensive improvement over his first two NHL campaigns, where he put up 43 and 42 points respectively.  Given his draft pedigree and improvement, McTavish was in line for a significant raise and while it took them a while to agree on the terms of such a deal, they’ve finally worked it out.

Both sides had agreed a while back that a long-term pact was preferred.  For most young impact centers, those deals have fallen within the $7MM to $8MM range, most of which came in a salary cap environment that was more limited than it is now.  On the other hand, it appears that there is a ceiling in place that Verbeek wasn’t willing to go past.  Veteran Troy Terry and newcomer Mikael Granlund both make $7MM per season and with Terry’s track record, it might have been hard for Verbeek to justify giving McTavish more than that.  Accordingly, it’s probably not a coincidence that McTavish’s AAV checks in exactly at that number.

The trade-off to that is that instead of a maximum-term eight-year agreement (that is still legal for one more year), Anaheim had to settle for just a six-year pact.  In doing so, they only pick up an extra two years of team control while McTavish will now be eligible to test unrestricted free agency in the 2031 offseason when he’ll be 28.

Still, even though they didn’t get the maximum commitment, they have someone they feel will be a long-term core piece locked up at what should be a reasonable price tag (assuming he continues to improve) for six years.  That’s a more than long enough timeline for Anaheim to get through what they hope will be the final phase of their rebuild and a return to contention.  Meanwhile, what happened with these discussions could serve as a look ahead to what could happen next summer when Leo Carlsson, another promising young middleman, will be RFA-eligible for the first time.

With the signing, the Ducks have all of their players under contract for the upcoming season and still have over $13.5MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.  If Anaheim under new head coach Joel Quenneville gets off to a hotter start than expected, Verbeek should have plenty of wiggle room to try to add to his roster midseason.

Photo courtesy of Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images.

Atlantic Notes: Beecher, Domi, Gadjovich

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Bruins center John Beecher was a regular on the fourth line last season and seemed to have an inside track at a similar role this season before Boston went and overhauled its bottom six.  The team added Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, and Mikey Eyssimont (plus some other depth additions) in free agency, creating more competition for that role.  With that in mind, Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald posits that Beecher might be in tough simply to earn a spot on the roster let alone retain his slot in the lineup.  Considering he’s just 24 and is signed for $900K, it’s unlikely he’d pass through waivers unclaimed so if Boston decides that he’s not going to be on their opening roster, Beecher could find himself on the trade block pretty quickly.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Maple Leafs forward Max Domi is expected to make his preseason debut tonight, relays Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun. The veteran has been hampered by a lower-body injury through the first week of camp, holding him out of the lineup in their first three games.  While he spent a lot of time at center last season, it’s expected that he will get a look on the right wing on the top line when the regular season gets underway.  Domi had just eight goals and 25 assists in 74 games last season, the second-lowest point total of his career.
  • Panthers winger Jonah Gadjovich returned to practice today, notes Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link). He has been dealing with a lower-body injury for the past few days.  The 26-year-old spent last season in somewhat of a fourth-line rotation, getting into 42 games where he had four goals and 127 hits.  With both Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov out long-term to start the season, Gadjovich could be in line for a more consistent spot in the lineup this time around.

Kaapo Kakko Out Six Weeks With Broken Hand

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It has been a busy day for the Kraken today.  After making 21 cuts from their training camp roster earlier today, they will now be without a key forward when the regular season gets underway.  The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Kaapo Kakko is expected to miss the next six weeks due to a broken hand.

Kakko was acquired midseason from the Rangers last season in exchange for defenseman William Borgen, plus 2025 third and sixth-round picks.  The move worked for New York as they quickly locked up Borgen to a long-term deal while it also worked quite well for the Kraken.

Before the swap, Kakko had just four goals and 10 assists in 30 games but the change of scenery helped him rediscover his offensive form.  He picked up 10 goals and 20 helpers in 49 games with Seattle while his playing time went up by nearly four minutes per game to a little over 17 minutes a night as he became a regular in their top six.  He also had a pair of assists in two games in this month’s preseason action.

In the 2024 offseason, Kakko looked like a possible non-tender candidate before effectively accepting his $2.4MM qualifying offer before it was even officially tendered.  But the way he finished up with Seattle gave him much more leverage heading into an arbitration-eligible summer and he was able to ink a three-year, $13.575MM pact that gives him some security and the Kraken two extra years of club control.

It’s a tough blow for the 24-year-old as that second-half positive momentum is now on hold since he’ll miss at least the first month of the season.  While Seattle shouldn’t need to put him on LTIR given that they have plenty of cap flexibility at the moment, Kakko will be eligible to go on there if necessary as he’ll miss at least 10 games and 24 days.  From there, he’ll hope to pick up where he left off as Seattle will be counting on him to be a top-six piece for them upon his return.

Metropolitan Notes: Hughes, Panarin, Sheary

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Earlier this week, it was reported that the Devils and defenseman Luke Hughes had agreed to focus on a long-term contract but that the sides were well apart in terms of the AAV of such a deal.  Anthony DiMarco of Daily Faceoff relays that New Jersey now appears to be willing to go higher than $8MM per season on their long-term offer.  Notably, that would put him with a higher price tag than his brother Jack Hughes, who checks in exactly at $8MM per season as their number one center.  The blueliner has two full NHL seasons under his belt, both seeing him exceed 40 points while logging over 21 minutes a night of playing time.  We’ll soon see if this reported increase to their offer is enough to get talks across the finish line.

More from the Metropolitan Division:

  • The Rangers are believed to have approached Artemi Panarin’s camp with the idea of taking a bit of a discount on his next deal to help the team extend its competitive window, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link). They pointed out how Anze Kopitar did that with Los Angeles to help keep their core group intact and add to it.  At this point, obviously the veteran remains unsigned so it’s unclear if he’d be willing to do this or if he’ll be looking for top dollar on his next contract.
  • Still with the Rangers, Peter Baugh and Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic predict (subscription link) that winger Conor Sheary will ultimately have his PTO deal converted to a full contract and break camp with the team. He’s attempting to return to the NHL after spending most of last season in the minors with AHL Syracuse before terminating the final year of his contract to get to free agency.  If Sheary makes New York’s roster, it could put someone like Jonny Brodzinski at risk of losing his spot and landing on waivers in the coming days.

East Notes: KeyBank Center, Ovechkin, McLaughlin, Dorwart

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The Buffalo Sabres are staying in their current home for a few more years. As part of its agreement with Erie County, the Sabres have declined an opt-out clause in their lease at the KeyBank Center and have extended the deal for another five years, according to a team announcement.

The KeyBank Center has been home to the Sabres since 1996, although it has been known as Marine Midland Arena, HSBC Arena, and First Niagara Center during that time. Once the lease concludes after the 2030-31 NHL season, it will have served as Buffalo’s home arena for 35 years, which is on the shorter side compared to the typical NHL stadium’s lifespan.

If the Sabres’ ownership decides to build a new arena for the 2031-32 NHL season, it likely won’t be very far from the KeyBank Center. As cited in the team’s announcement, a third-party consulting firm conducted a study, revealing that the arena had an economic impact of $694.2 million in 2023, generating tax revenue of $48.6 million.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • For more than a week, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has been struggling with a lower-body injury, which has limited his participation in the team’s practices and preseason games. Fortunately, Ovechkin continues to take positive steps back to action, as Sammi Silber of the DC Backcheck reported that Ovechkin is participating in the team’s practice this morning, albeit in a non-contact jersey. There are no concerns for Ovechkin’s availability for Washington’s first game on October 8th.
  • The New Jersey Devils have lost a potential depth forward for the rest of training camp. Earlier this morning, Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News passed along a note from Devils’ head coach, Sheldon Keefe, saying that Marc McLaughlin has sustained a significant injury. In the report, Keefe said, “There’s a definite injury there that will require him to miss some time. [..] He is not going to be available for the remainder of this camp, for sure.“
  • In another injury update from the Metropolitan Division, a prospect for the Philadelphia Flyers continues to work his way back from an upper-body injury sustained earlier in training camp. According to Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia, forward Karsen Dorwart is taking part in on-ice activity before the team’s practice. Despite playing in a handful of games for the Flyers last season, the Michigan State University alumnus will have a difficult time cracking Philadelphia’s opening night roster after missing so much time.

East Notes: Stolarz, Mateychuk, Ruutu

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Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz has made it known that he doesn’t want to work on a contract extension in-season, meaning the time to get a new deal in place is running out.  Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports (video link) that the netminder’s camp is looking at recent five-year deals for Kevin Lankinen ($4.5MM) and Karel Vejmelka ($4.75MM) as potential comparables while Toronto’s preference is to do something shorter term.  Stolarz is coming off a stellar season that saw him post a 2.14 GAA and a .926 SV% in 34 games but even though he’s 31, he has just 142 career NHL games under his belt and has never played more than those 34 games in a single season.  That makes finding legitimate comparable players a little trickier but regardless of that, he’s well on his way to a big raise on the $2.5MM he’ll make this season.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk has been dealing with a groin issue since the start of training camp and has yet to suit up in the preseason. However, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that the blueliner skated today and if all goes well, he could be cleared for contact on Monday.  Mateychuk got off to a strong start with AHL Cleveland last season and after being recalled, he was up the rest of the way, getting into 45 games where he had 13 points, earning a spot on the All-Rookie team.
  • The Sabres have hired former NHL winger Jarkko Ruutu in a still-to-be-defined capacity, notes Helsingin Sanomat’s Juuso Savilaakso. Ruutu had been working with Columbus in a variety of roles since 2015 but his contract expired this summer.  It’s likely that Buffalo’s new senior advisor Jarmo Kekalainen had a big role in this hiring, having been the one to originally hire Ruutu to begin his post-playing career a decade ago.

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