The turning of the calendar to November wasn’t a deadline of any sorts when it comes to contract extensions. However, the end of October saw a flurry of notable extensions across the NHL which highlight our key stories.
Eight For Cooley: The big spending started in Utah as the Mammoth signed center Logan Cooley to an eight-year, $80MM extension, the richest post-entry-level deal in NHL history. It wasn’t too long ago that he reportedly turned down a deal that was worth $77MM which suggested talks would be put on hold. Instead, $3MM more pushed it across the finish line. Cooley was the third overall pick in 2022 and showed plenty of promise in his first two NHL seasons to suggest he can live up to that draft billing. He’s off to an even better start this season and now Utah has the player they feel is their top center of the future locked up through his prime years.
Eight For Harley: Next up on the long-term contract front was Stars defenseman Thomas Harley, who received an eight-year, $84.7MM extension. The 24-year-old has blossomed into a true top-pairing defenseman over the past two seasons and finished seventh in Norris Trophy voting last season. The deal will make him the fourth-highest-paid blueliner in the NHL in 2026-27 behind Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty, and Rasmus Dahlin but keeps him signed through his age-32 season and in this rising cap environment, the deal should hold up pretty well in the end. With Miro Heiskanen signed through 2028-29, the top of the back end for Dallas is now locked up for a while.
Eight For Necas: When Colorado moved Mikko Rantanen last season while receiving Martin Necas as the centerpiece of the return, they were kicking the contract talks down the road by one year. Now, with Necas entering the final year of his deal, the pressure was on to work something out. They were able to do just that, agreeing on an eight-year, $92MM contract that begins next season. Unlike the other two deals above, this one only covers UFA-eligible seasons. The 26-year-old had a career year in 2024-25 with 83 points in 79 games and he’s scoring at a higher point-per-game clip in the early going of this season alongside Nathan MacKinnon and now their top duo is locked up through 2031. Another big contract looms large with defenseman Cale Makar as he becomes extension-eligible in July.
Two For Goalies: Some goaltenders got in on the signing fun, though for much shorter contracts. The Devils signed Jacob Markstrom to a two-year, $6MM extension. The 35-year-old is in his second season as New Jersey’s starter and helped to stabilize their play between the pipes last season. The $6MM AAV matches his current contract and with Jake Allen signed at $1.8MM, the Devils have a veteran goalie tandem in place at a pretty affordable price tag for the next two years. Meanwhile, another netminder received a two-year contract, just not from an NHL team. Unrestricted free agent Ilya Samsonov wasn’t able to catch on with an NHL team so he has returned to the KHL, signing with HC Sochi. The 28-year-old was once viewed as a starter of the future but a .890 SV% over the past two seasons certainly didn’t help his market.
Trade Interest In Schneider: It hasn’t been a great start to the season for Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider while the Rangers find themselves in a 10-team group separated by just one point in the standings. With the youngster not quite living up to expectations so far, teams have reportedly started making inquiries about Schneider to see if he could be made available. The 24-year-old is in the final season of his bridge deal with a $2.2MM AAV while his qualifying offer checks in at $2.64MM with arbitration rights. At this point, it would be surprising to see the Rangers move Schneider but if they decide they need to further shake up their roster, he’s one player who should generate plenty of interest.
Photo courtesy of Winslow Townson-Imagn Images.