Brian La Rose

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Detroit Red Wings

October 21, 2025 at 10:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

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 Atlantic Division, next up are the Red Wings.

Detroit Red Wings

Current Cap Hit: $83,641,833 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Michael Brandsegg-Nygard (three years, $942.5K)
D Simon Edvinsson (one year, $894.1K)
F Emmitt Finnie (three years, $821.7K)
F Marco Kasper (two years, $886.7K)
D Axel Sandin Pellikka (three years, $918.3K)

Potential Bonuses
Brandsegg-Nygard: $500K
Edvinsson: $850K
Kasper: $1MM
Sandin Pellikka: $500K
Total: $2.85MM

Considering the season he had overseas, it was a bit surprising to see Brandsegg-Nygard break camp with Detroit but tying for the league lead in preseason goals and points earned him a spot. Considering he’s just starting out, it’s too early to forecast another contract but if he wants a long-term second contract, he’ll need to be established as a regular top-six player by the time it expires. Finnie was another training camp surprise where his preseason efforts earned him a spot. He’s in the same boat as Brandsegg-Nygard when it comes to his next deal though.

That can’t quite be said for Kasper. His first full NHL season was a strong one where he was in the top six more often than not. If he stays on that trajectory, he’s someone who could plausibly bypass a bridge deal. In this market of escalating salaries, a deal might push into the $7.5MM territory even if he remains more of a second liner at that time. Meanwhile, a bridge pact would check in with a number likely starting with a four.

Sandin Pellikka is also in his first full year in North America and while many expected he’d at least start the season in AHL Grand Rapids, he also broke camp with the big club. If he has the type of impact they hope he will (as an offensive top-four defender), he’s someone that they might look to sign to a long-term deal coming off his entry-level pact. But again, it’s far too early to forecast, given that he’s only a handful of games into his NHL career.

Edvinsson is a different case. A full-time top-four player in his rookie year, he’s someone who appears to be living up to his lofty draft billing. GM Steve Yzerman doesn’t dole out a lot of long-term deals but this is a case where it wouldn’t be surprising to see him try to do so. They did this with another young blueliner recently who we’ll get to later but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them use that price tag as an internal ceiling for an Edvinsson extension.

Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level

F Jonatan Berggren ($1.825MM, RFA)
D Jacob Bernard-Docker ($875K, RFA)
D Ben Chiarot ($4.75MM, UFA)
D Erik Gustafsson ($2MM, UFA)
D Travis Hamonic ($1MM, UFA)
D Justin Holl ($3.4MM, UFA)
F Patrick Kane ($3MM, UFA)
G Cam Talbot ($2.5MM, UFA)
F James van Riemsdyk ($1MM, UFA)

Potential Bonuses
Kane: $4MM
van Riemsdyk: $750K
Total: $4.75MM

Once again, it took until the eve of free agency for Kane and the Red Wings to work a deal out. This one gave him a bit less in guaranteed money by $1MM but added $1.5MM in incentives, giving him a chance at beating his earnings from last season. He’ll earn $2.5MM of those after just 10 games and another $500K by the time he reaches 50 games so as long as he stays healthy, he’s a $6MM player this season. In this market, that’s not a bad price tag for a winger who is probably best served as a second-line winger at this point but can move up in a pinch. While he turns 37 next month, he could plausibly keep playing for another couple of seasons with this type of contractual structure.

Berggren was largely a regular last season after spending most of his sophomore year in the minors but wasn’t able to match his rookie-season numbers, yielding this bridge deal this summer. He’ll need to establish himself a little higher on the depth chart or he risks becoming a non-tender candidate when he gains arbitration eligibility next summer. As for van Riemsdyk, he didn’t need a late-summer deal this time around after a decent showing in a depth role with Columbus. Notably, $500K of his bonuses are playoff-dependent while the other $250K kicks in at 50 GP. At this point in his career, he’s likely to remain around this price point on one-year deals.

Chiarot’s contract was a surprise three summers ago, both in terms of money and term. He remains a top-four blueliner for Detroit but is someone who is trending more toward being a fourth or fifth defender given that he’ll be 35 when his next contract begins. A two-year deal could still be doable but a drop down to a price tag starting with a three looks likely at this point. Holl has cleared waivers for the second straight year and is in Grand Rapids where his cap charge has dropped to $2.25MM. If he made half of what he makes now, there might have been a taker for him on waivers. Accordingly, despite teams passing on him for free now, there still could be enough of a market for him to land around $1.5MM on a one-year prove-it type of contract next summer.

Gustafsson had a so-so first season in Detroit as an offense-first defender, picking up 18 points in 60 games but also struggling defensively. He lost his roster spot and is now in the minors, carrying a reduced cap charge of $875K. He’s likely to land closer to half of his current cap charge unless he’s able to come back and be productive. Hamonic was a depth defender last season in Ottawa and has had a similar role this season. At 35 and with some heavy lifting in minutes in his prime, he’s unlikely to land much more than this if he gets a contract for next season. Bernard-Docker also spent most of last season in a depth role with the Senators and is merely looking to establish himself as a full-time player. He’s arbitration-eligible but unless he’s a regular, he’ll be a non-tender candidate, even if they want to keep him around since he entered the season with 144 games of NHL experience already.

Talbot was brought in via free agency in 2024 to help shore up the goaltending position. However, he was more of a platoon-level piece than a true starter, resulting in them attempting to shore up that spot this past summer. Still, this price tag for a serviceable backup at a minimum is pretty reasonable in this market. He’ll be heading into his age-39 year if he looks to play next season so his next contract, if there is one, should be a one-year pact around this price point.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Mason Appleton ($2.9MM, UFA)
F Andrew Copp ($5.625MM, UFA)
F Alex DeBrincat ($7.875MM, UFA)
G John Gibson ($6.4MM, UFA)
D Albert Johansson ($1.125MM, RFA)
F Elmer Soderblom ($1.125MM, RFA)

While the idea of signing a medium-term deal has grown in popularity around the league lately while looking for a more favorable cap environment next time, DeBrincat was one of the first to do so after being acquired in 2023. It bought Detroit three extra years of control but allows DeBrincat to hit the open market at 29. A max-term contract should be achievable for him at that time and given his offensive consistency as a legitimate top-six winger who typically collects between 65 and 70 points most years, he should be in a good position to push past the $10MM mark. Detroit won’t be able to use an internal ceiling if they want to retain him.

Copp was brought in via free agency in 2022 on the heels of a career year offensively. He hasn’t been able to match that in Detroit although he brings enough other elements to the table to give them at least a reasonable return. Still, even in this inflated market, he’ll be hard-pressed to match this price tag if he remains in the 30-point range offensively. However, another multi-year deal should be doable at least.

Appleton had a quiet contract year in Winnipeg which limited his market this summer. However, if he can get back to the 30-point range where he was in 2023-24, he could push for something closer to the $4MM range on his next deal. Soderblom split the last two seasons between Detroit and AHL Grand Rapids, making a low-cost bridge deal this summer a guarantee. He’ll have arbitration rights two years from now and if he’s a regular in their bottom six, doubling this cost doesn’t seem unreasonable.

Johansson got his first taste of NHL action last season, seeing regular action on the third pairing. Given the inexperience, a bridge deal was the only play here as well. Like Soderblom, he’ll have arbitration rights next time out and assuming he remains a regular top-six piece, doubling this price tag (at a minimum) should be doable.

Gibson was much better in Anaheim last season after some tough years but with Lukas Dostal in place as the starter of the present and future, the Ducks opted to move him with Yzerman seeking another short-term upgrade. If he can get back to being a starting-caliber netminder, the Red Wings will do quite well with what’s left of this contract. However, if he remains more of a platoon piece, he’ll be a considerable overpayment, albeit one they can easily afford right now. He might be more in the $5MM range on his next deal, if not a bit lower.

Signed Through 2027-28

F J.T. Compher ($5.1MM, UFA)
F Michael Rasmussen ($3.2MM, UFA)

Compher was another attempt to bring in some help down the middle. The first year wasn’t bad but he struggled last season and is off to a quiet start this year. Right now, this is still top-six money but could become higher-end third-line money by the time the contract is up. That’s more where he should be so the deal might age a little better compared to now. Still, given the high demand for centers, he should stay in this price range in 2028. Rasmussen hasn’t produced to the level befitting a ninth overall pick but he has been a serviceable bottom-six piece in recent years. Given his physicality, the fact he can play center, and double-digit goal production each year, he’s someone who should still be able to garner a raise despite on his next contract lower point totals overall. A jump into the $4MM territory should be realistic.

Signed Through 2028-29

None

Signed Through 2029-30 Or Longer

F Dylan Larkin ($8.7MM through 2030-31)
F Lucas Raymond ($8.05MM through 2031-32)
D Moritz Seider ($8.55MM through 2030-31)

After two solid seasons to start his career, Raymond has found another level in the last two, becoming the legitimate top-line threat the Red Wings hoped they were getting when they drafted him fourth overall in 2020. Detroit was able to bypass the bridge deal, a decision that looks wise now as if he was up for a new deal soon, it’d easily clear the $10MM threshold. Larkin might not be a prototypical number one center but he’s an all-situations top liner for them. For the role he’s filling, even though the top-end production isn’t always there, this is still a bit of a below-market contract, one that will look even better a couple of years from now.

It was a bit of a battle last year but Detroit was able to get Seider locked up long-term, though one year less than the maximum term. That was likely needed to keep the cap charge below Larkin’s and keep their internal cap intact. Seider is already a legitimate top-pairing defender who plays in all situations and is pretty consistent offensively, collecting at least 40 points per season. His is another deal that would cost more than $10MM if they were trying to sign it now. Instead, they’ll have a team-friendly pact for the next half-decade.

Buyouts

F Justin Abdelkader ($1.055MM in 2025-26)

Retained Salary Transactions

None

Carryover Bonus Overage Penalty

$871,150

Detroit also started the season with a $502,836 additional cap charge due to their total 2025-26 bonuses exceeding the 7.5% of the cap maximum.

Best Value: (non-entry-level) Raymond
Worst Value: Copp

Looking Ahead

Projected to finish this season nearly $12MM below the cap ceiling, it’s fair to say that Yzerman has the cap space to take a big swing or two on the trade front if they find themselves in the mix in the second half of the season. On the other hand, if they’re out of contention, they could be a viable landing spot for a high-priced veteran with the trading team also sending some draft capital Detroit’s way to facilitate the swap. Either way, they’re in great shape cap-wise this season.

That will continue to be the case for a while. While players like Edvinsson and ideally Kasper, Sandin Pellikka, and Brandsegg-Nygard play their way into bigger contracts, Detroit has more than $41MM in flexibility for this coming summer and more than $77MM in space for 2027-28. The cap space is there for them to really be a player in terms of talent acquisition. The question is, given their long playoff drought, how attractive of a market will they be in spite of that cap room? If they don’t end that streak, we’ll be finding out soon enough.

Photos courtesy of Eric Hartline and Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.

Injury Updates: Kane, Marchment, Girgensons, Marchessault

October 21, 2025 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Red Wings won’t have a key veteran winger available to them for the next two games. Team reporter Danielle Bruce mentions (Twitter link) that Patrick Kane will not be accompanying the team on their upcoming two-game road trip due to an upper-body injury that also kept him out on Sunday. However, he did skate on his own today and will be re-evaluated to see if he can return when the team returns home on Saturday. Kane has two goals and three assists through his first five games this season while playing a little more than 17 minutes a night.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

The Kraken announced before tonight’s game (Twitter link) that winger Mason Marchment is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He joins an ever-growing list of unavailable Seattle players, a list that includes Jared McCann (lower body), Brandon Montour (personal), Ryker Evans (upper body), and Frederick Gaudreau (upper body). In his first season with the team after being acquired in the offseason, Marchment has a goal and three assists in six games while logging 15:16 per night of ice time.
Lightning center Zemgus Girgensons could return to the lineup as soon as Saturday, notes Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times. The veteran has yet to play this season due to an undisclosed injury sustained in the preseason but was a regular on the fourth line in 2024-25. His pending return was believed to be part of the impetus in sending Conor Geekie to the minors on Monday, ensuring he’ll keep having regular playing time moving forward.
Prior to tonight’s game against Anaheim, the Predators announced (Twitter link) that winger Jonathan Marchessault is dealing with a lower-body injury and is listed as out day-to-day. The 34-year-old is off to a solid start to his campaign, collecting two goals and two assists in the first five games, good for a share of the team lead in points heading into tonight’s action. Brady Martin suited up in his third game of the season in Marchessault’s absence; he can play in nine NHL games total before officially activating the first season of his entry-level contract.

West Notes: Canucks, Lundkvist, Duchene, Pospisil

October 21, 2025 at 7:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Under the new CBA rules, players sent to the minors must play in at least one game before being recalled. However, Patrick Johnston of the Vancouver Province reports that the Canucks asked for a waiver of that rule as it applies to defenseman Victor Mancini. In order to maximize their LTIR pool when they moved Nils Hoglander on there, they needed to swap out Mancini for Jimmy Schuldt. Their hope was to get a waiver to allow them to immediately recall Mancini to the active roster since it wasn’t quite the same type of paper transactions that some teams engaged in daily in previous years. Considering the 23-year-old remains with AHL Abbotsford, it’s fair to say their request was denied but his stint in the minors is likely to be a short-lived one.

Elsewhere out West:

The Stars announced Monday (Twitter link) that defenseman Nils Lundkvist was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. The placement is retroactive to October 21st so he’s eligible to be activated as soon as Thursday although the expectation is that he’ll miss multiple weeks. The 25-year-old got off to a strong start to his season with three points in his first four games after recording just five assists in 39 outings in 2024-25. Notably, Dallas lacks the LTIR space required to recall a replacement so if they need one in the short term, they’ll likely have to move Lundkvist to LTIR at some point.
Still with Dallas, Victory Plus’ Brian Rea relays (Twitter link) that the Stars will be without forward Matt Duchene tonight against Columbus. Originally listed as probable for this one, he’ll instead miss his second straight game due to an upper-body injury. After surpassing the 80-point mark for just the second time in his career last season, Duchene has a goal and an assist in his first two outings in 2025-26.
Flames winger Martin Pospisil skated on his own for the first time on Monday as he works his way back from an undisclosed injury that has caused him to miss the first seven games of the season, notes Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg (Twitter link). The 25-year-old had 25 points and 301 hits in 81 games with Calgary last season. With Daniil Miromanov clearing waivers and being sent down today, the Flames now have an open roster spot to activate Pospisil when he’s cleared to return, barring any further roster movement between now and then.

Metropolitan Notes: Luchanko, Gostisbehere, Wood

October 21, 2025 at 6:58 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

With his usage being limited thus far, the odds of Jett Luchanko spending the full season with the Flyers are dropping. However, Daily Faceoff’s Anthony DiMarco suggests that Philadelphia will at least look to drag the decision out a little longer by assigning him to AHL Lehigh Valley on a conditioning stint at some point. While he’s ineligible to play for the Phantoms full-time, he is allowed to play on a conditioning stint for up to two weeks. Luchanko won’t officially burn the first year of his entry-level deal until he plays in ten NHL games this season. He’s at four so between his five games he can still play without starting the deal and a possible conditioning stint, he could remain with the Flyers for a while yet before returning to junior.

Five Key Stories: 10/13/25 – 10/19/25

October 19, 2025 at 10:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

With the regular season now in full swing, injuries are starting to take their toll around the league. Several significant injuries around the NHL are highlighted in our key stories.

Tkachuk Has Surgery: The Senators won’t have their captain available to them for a while as Brady Tkachuk underwent wrist surgery that will keep him out of the lineup for six to seven weeks. The 26-year-old went for a second opinion in the hopes that surgery could be avoided which could have cut down the recovery timeline by a few weeks but that’s not the case. One of the premier power forwards in the NHL, Tkachuk was off to a decent start before the injury with three assists in his first three games but Ottawa will now be looking to find someone to fill his spot on the top line until around December.

Rangers Fielding Calls On Othmann: When the Rangers drafted forward Brennan Othmann with the 16th pick in 2021, they were hoping to get a power forward who would be part of their core for the long term. However, he has spent the bulk of his professional career in the minors and was an early cut in training camp, resulting in New York receiving some calls about his potential availability. The 22-year-old has just two assists in 25 NHL games while notching 49 hits in a little under 10 minutes a night of playing time. He’s been productive with AHL Hartford though, picking up 70 points in 97 games. If the Rangers do decide to move him, it could be a trade that winds up being a swap of similar prospects in need of a change of scenery.

Canadiens Signings: While Lane Hutson didn’t get a contract extension in place before the season started, he didn’t have to wait too long to get one as he signed an eight-year, $70.8MM pact that begins next season. The 21-year-old had a great rookie season, picking up 66 points in 82 regular season games, earning the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year. He and Noah Dobson will now be Montreal’s top two defenders for the foreseeable future. Notably, two elements of this deal will soon be illegal when the new CBA begins next September. First, the eight-year term will be outlawed while Hutson received $55MM in signing bonus money, or 77.6% of the contract. Signing bonus money will be capped at 60% of the contract next year.

Meanwhile, the other person who signed the contract also received a new deal as well as Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton inked five-year extensions. Hughes, a former agent before being hired, has been GM in Montreal since January 2022 and has overseen a rebuilding process that saw Montreal turn over a significant chunk of its roster while becoming the youngest team in the league this season. Meanwhile, Gorton, who was promoted to President of Hockey Operations as well with this signing, has been in place since November 2021. While he didn’t get a chance to see his rebuilding efforts conclude with the Rangers, it looks like he’ll get that opportunity now.

More Injuries: There were more injuries of note across the NHL. The Mammoth will be without blueliner Sean Durzi for the next four weeks due to an upper-body injury. The 26-year-old had a breakout year two years ago in Arizona but he missed 52 games due to injuries last season and now this year is off to a tough start. Meanwhile, the Panthers won’t have Dmitry Kulikov anytime soon as he’ll miss five months due to a torn labrum. He’s a capable veteran depth piece for Florida as their infirmary continues to grow. His $1.15MM AAV will become LTIR-eligible when needed. Lastly, the Kings, who have struggled considerably out of the gate, will now be without one of their top players for a while as Anze Kopitar is listed as week-to-week with a foot injury. The captain, who is in his final NHL season, is a key two-way center and was averaging a point per game in the early going before being injured.

Hart To Vegas: The Golden Knights will be adding some goaltending depth as unrestricted free agent Carter Hart has joined the Golden Knights on a PTO deal. It’s expected he’ll spend some time with AHL Henderson and he could sign a two-year contract when he becomes eligible to play in December. Hart was Philadelphia’s number one goalie for several years before being charged with sexual assault, a charge he was acquitted of this summer. If he can get back to form, he could be an intriguing addition for the Golden Knights who currently have a relatively inexperienced backup goaltender in Akira Schmid playing behind Adin Hill.

Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.

PHR Mailbag: Early Surprises, Karlsson, Sabres, Blackhawks, $20MM Player

October 19, 2025 at 8:59 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 3 Comments

Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include some early-season surprises, what’s next for the Sabres, and more. If your question doesn’t appear here, check for it in next weekend’s mailbag.

Schwa: What do you think the biggest surprises have been over the first week or two? Perhaps a positive and a negative.

On the positive side, it has to be Detroit. Yes, they had a rough opener at the hands of Montreal but since then, they’ve beat Toronto twice plus Florida and Tampa Bay in their division plus Edmonton today. That’s five wins against legitimate playoff teams which is particularly notable. Along the way, Cam Talbot is off to a great start in goal, providing a level of goaltending that they added John Gibson to give them. Meanwhile, they’re integrating three rookies into regular roles, including Emmett Finnie, a player taken in the seventh round two years ago. Few would have expected him to be on the team a month ago let alone the top line. There’s a lot to like so far for the Red Wings.

On the not-so-good side, I’m a bit concerned about how the Kings have started. I wasn’t down on their summer as much as some were as while there were some veteran overpayments, their depth was still pretty good. Now, they lost five of six to start and have had a hard time scoring and keeping pucks out of the net. That’s not a good combination. Now, they’re without Anze Kopitar for a while which isn’t going to help things. They look more vulnerable than I thought they’d be. Dustin Wolf’s start in Calgary isn’t particularly confidence-inspiring either. He was a big reason they were more competitive than expected last season; if he can’t perform at a similar level this year, they’re in a lot of trouble.

random comment guy: I was reading on here that the Sharks would like to obtain younger D-men. The Hawks have a fair amount of younger D-men. Do you see any type of trade in the future and who would be involved?

Chicago feels like a good fit if San Jose decides it wants to add some other young defensemen to the mix in the hopes of seeing if one or two pan out. The idea is basically to take a few dart throws and see what happens but when they’re not going to be going anywhere this season in the standings, I like the idea in principle.

As you correctly noted, the Blackhawks have a surplus of blueliners. Of the six NHL-contracted blueliners they have in the minors, three have seen action at the top level and not just a token game; they’ve all played at least 27 NHL contests. Kevin Korchinski is the most prominent of the trio but I don’t get the sense that Chicago is willing to sell low on him. Instead, they’d rather have him play big minutes in Rockford and then have him full-time on the NHL roster next season when he’s waiver-eligible. I don’t think they want to move Ethan Del Mastro just yet either.

The other one is Nolan Allan and I could see Chicago GM Kyle Davidson look to salvage something. While he played 43 NHL games last season, he struggled in a limited role and has likely slipped behind those two on the prospect depth chart, not to mention Alex Vlasic and Wyatt Kaiser being ahead of him in Chicago as well. In a best-case scenario then, he might be their eighth defender next season. That’s a terrible spot for a prospect to be in and their value typically drops quickly after that. If San Jose wants to get a look at him, it won’t be overly cheap (I could see the cost being a second-round pick or equivalent prospect value) but if they feel he has some upside and staying power, it’d be a move worth attempting.

gowings2008: Any rumors of Erik Karlsson to the Wings? Or are the summer rumors dead?

Speaking of those Red Wings… There aren’t any credible rumors linking Karlsson to Detroit at the moment or anywhere really. We’re still in the early goings of the season when teams are still trying to establish what they have, what they need, and what they could possibly get rid of. While Pittsburgh is in a spot where they know that moving Karlsson is likely the desired long-term outcome, a $10MM cap charge is still something they’re going to have to navigate.

For Detroit, they still need to evaluate their young back end. Can they rely on Axel Sandin Pellikka all season? Can they count on more from Albert Johansson? Could Jacob Bernard-Docker be a regular after bouncing in and out of the lineup in Ottawa? The answers to those questions will help determine if they want to pursue him, as will their position in the standings.

If the Red Wings find themselves in the mix in the second half, I could see them taking a run at this, assuming Karlsson is amenable to going there. Slotting him on the second pairing behind Moritz Seider could allow Sandin Pellikka to play on the third pair and get eased in a bit more, or even return to the minors if they want to maximize his playing time. Notably, they also have the cap space to take on the full freight of the contract, something that can’t be said for a lot of teams. But for now, they need to see what they have and see if this hot start can be sustained before looking into a big splash on the trade front.

Black Ace57: How many times will history be allowed to repeat itself with the Sabres with no real change? I mean more than trading the next Cozens. I know it’s early, but it feels different this year with the losing already becoming an issue.

It feels like there’s a little more urgency this season as at some point, the status quo can’t just keep happening. At this point, a decision needs to be made about GM Kevyn Adams. Considering the Dylan Cozens trade looks like a tough loss already, is he the one you’re going to trust to make the type of shakeup move(s) needed? That could entail yet another coaching change, a big core trade, or starting over (I’ll look at each of those options shortly). If Adams gets the vote of confidence, let him take the big swing or two.

But if not, they do have a ‘kick the can down the road’ card to play in Jarmo Kekalainen. The former Columbus GM is now a senior advisor and if it’s decided a change needs to be made, put him in as a caretaker, assess, make some minor moves where needed, and then determine in the spring if he’s the guy to go with moving forward or conduct a more thorough search. That’s the safe route to play. Frankly, it’s the route I think they’ll take if they decide to let Adams go. It’s probably not the best route to take but I think they’re going to be risk-averse at this point, for better or worse (and likely the latter).

Jaysen: Though I am not a Sabres fan, over the years I did enjoy watching some of their players. However, I am just baffled by how bad they are doing year after year, and it’s not like they don’t have solid, young players.

So, my question to you is: you are the owner. It’s another bad start to the season. What option would you choose, and would you proceed?

1) Let’s fire the coach and the GM, like we seem to be doing every two years.

2) Shocking trade to shake up the room and the players.

3) You decide to embark on a true, tear-down, management-to-players rebuild, a la Montreal Canadiens.

I’d be curious to know which option you would choose, of course, but also if you wouldn’t mind giving me your opinion on the other two options.

I’m going to answer this a bit of a different way than you intended but I will touch base on all three options after.

If I were the owner, I’d be making considerable efforts to invest in organizational infrastructure. While a lot of teams’ spending in these areas isn’t known, Buffalo is believed to be particularly thrifty on the scouting front and put a more restrictive budget a couple of years ago with AHL Rochester. Their front office is much leaner than most as well. Buffalo is in a division with some top-spending teams. Trying to pinch pennies is not a recipe for success and I think that’s part of the problem.

One element that they need is a dedicated President of Hockey Operations. Someone who knows what a good organizational structure and budget entails and can begin to implement that immediately upon hire. Once that hire has assessed the state of the franchise, they pick which is the best course out of those three options to take, and that’s the one I go with.

Now, since you asked me to comment on the three options, I’ll weigh in quickly on each of them independently.

1) I never like speculating about firing people but Adams’ five-year tenure as GM has not been particularly confidence-inspiring. There’s a direction in place – they’re trying to win – but they’re not very successful at it. The lack of proper coaching search before bringing Lindy Ruff back was a huge red flag for me as well. I have a hard time seeing Adams turning things around significantly at this point so my leaning would be looking into a change but again, at this point of the year, that’s moving Kekalainen (whose track record isn’t the best either) into the interim role. Let whoever takes over as GM make the decision on Ruff’s fate.

2) They may have to do that if they can’t reach an extension with Alex Tuch. They simply can’t let him walk in free agency with no return. If an extension can’t be reached, they have no choice to move him and that type of move in March will be for futures. I also think something will eventually happen on the back end, possibly with Bowen Byram if it’s believed that he won’t sign a long-term deal when he becomes extension-eligible next summer. They may not want to go that route but circumstances may force their hand anyway. They could be an interesting team to watch on the trade front this season if they’re out of contention after the Olympic break.

3) Buffalo has a 14-season playoff drought and hasn’t won a series in 18 years. Boy, another extended rebuild would be a tough sell. I’m starting to come around on it possibly being the best option although I still have more faith in most with this core group. On paper, it’s not half bad and good enough to at least be competitive. But if their hands get forced with Tuch and Byram (and perhaps others thereafter), they may get dragged in this direction willingly or otherwise.

Rollie’s Mustache: Who will be the first player to sign a contract with an AAV of $20 million?

I had this question a little over a year ago back when the projected increases to the salary cap weren’t known. I was being on the safer side with the projections but back then, I had the cap around $106.7MM in 2027-28 when it looks like it’ll be $113.5MM or so. My thought was that the Upper Limit needed to get to $120MM for a $20MM cap charge to be viable as the cap percentage would be around the 15% or so mark which is where some of the elite players land. My planning had that happening in 2029-30, ruling out some obvious options. Now, that could plausibly happen in 2028-29, opening up some options.

If Cale Makar decides he wants to test the open market in 2027, I could see him at least flirting with that number. Having said that, I expect him to re-sign with Colorado. Auston Matthews is UFA-eligible the following year and went short-term on purpose on his last deal to set him up for a big pay day. If he’s looking to maximize his earnings, I think there are teams that would go that high for a top-line, high-scoring center. That said, I think he eventually re-signs with Toronto.

If I have to pick a player, it’d be one of them. I mused a year ago about Connor Bedard possibly getting there if he didn’t sign a max-term deal coming off his entry-level contract but that’s forecasting him becoming the franchise number one center he’s supposed to be, a level he has a long way to go to reach still. If you look at the youngster class in recent years, their UFA years don’t start until the early 2030s and their extra-pricey deals wouldn’t come until closer to the end of that decade. Kirill Kaprizov really moved the needle with a $17MM per season contract but I think we’re still a long way from getting to $20MM.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Pacific Notes: Chytil, Boeser, Stone, Kapanen

October 19, 2025 at 7:58 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 5 Comments

While it was a good day for the Canucks on the scoreboard, it was a tough one on the injury front. Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province relays that center Filip Chytil exited today’s game on a hit from Washington’s Tom Wilson and had to be helped off the ice. A major penalty was initially assessed on the play but was rescinded after review. The 26-year-old has a long documented history of concussion troubles with five already and while it’s unclear at this point if that’s something he may have or not, it’s something that will ensure the team errs on the side of caution. Chytil had three goals in his first five games to tie him for the team lead heading into today’s action. Meanwhile, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that the Department of Player Safety will review the hit but no supplemental discipline is expected.

Sharks Open To Moving Defenseman

October 19, 2025 at 6:56 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

The Sharks entered the season with six blueliners playing on expiring contracts, all but one (Shakir Mukhamadullin) being pending unrestricted free agents. With San Jose continuing their long-term rebuild, it’s a situation where many expect some of those players will be moving elsewhere.

It’s possible that one of those moves could come sooner than later. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (video link) that the Sharks are willing to look at moving one of their blueliners now. While this isn’t the time of year when trades are typically made, there could be some demand for a depth defensive addition from teams that are either dealing with some injuries or are concerned about how their bottom defenders are faring right now.

At this point, it’s probably too early in the season for Nick Leddy ($4MM) to move after being an offseason waiver claim. John Klingberg just signed with them and moving him just a handful of games into the season also seems unlikely.

That leaves three potential rentals in play. Timothy Liljegren ($3MM) is no stranger to the rumor mill and seems likely to be dealt at some point but he also just landed on injured reserve. Until he returns (or if his injury is deemed rather minor), he might not be in a position to be traded just yet. Vincent Desharnais ($2MM) was added late last season from Pittsburgh but has played in just two of their five games so far. He stands out as a viable candidate to go, especially being a right-shot defender, the side teams are typically coveting.

Mario Ferraro is the other pending unrestricted free agent on their blueline and has been in trade speculation for a couple of years now. He has noted before that he’d like to stay beyond this season and it stands to reason that the Sharks will probably take a run at seeing what that would cost before entertaining potential trade opportunities. Considering he’s one of their top potential trade chips should things go that route, moving him now doesn’t seem feasible.

It should be noted that San Jose only has one of three contract retention slots remaining with the other two being used on Erik Karlsson and Tomas Hertl. This early in the season likely isn’t when GM Mike Grier would want to use that last slot, it’s more probable that he’ll want to use it closer to the trade deadline to help facilitate a bigger move at that time. With that in mind, if they do move a blueliner, the acquiring team will need to take on the full freight of the contract or send a similar-priced contract to the Sharks to offset the cost.

While this wouldn’t likely yield a return of much significance at this point of the season, adding a draft pick to their stockpile isn’t a bad idea and would help clear some of the logjam they currently have. Even with Mukhamadullin and Liljegren on IR, San Jose has eight blueliners on their active roster and are searching to add more young blueliners as well. Opening up a spot to help facilitate that happening would be a good way to start what could be a busy trading season for the Sharks.

Blackhawks Reassign Joey Anderson

October 19, 2025 at 1:03 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

Oct. 19: Anderson has cleared waivers and will be sent to Rockford, according to Friedman.

Oct. 18: It’s a relatively quiet day on waivers today with just one player hitting the wire. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the Blackhawks have placed winger Joey Anderson on waivers.

The 27-year-old played in just one preseason game this fall before deciding to undergo surgery to repair which was termed as a nagging issue. As a result, he wasn’t available to start the season and was designated as injured/non-roster status. The winger returned to practice today, relays Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times (Twitter link), meaning that he has been deemed healthy enough to go on waivers.

Anderson played in 18 games with Chicago last season after making the team out of training camp. However, he was limited to just one assist in those outings despite logging over 12 minutes per game. The Blackhawks waived him in early December but kept him up for a bit after he passed through unclaimed before sending him down to AHL Rockford in early January where he stayed the rest of the way. Anderson was productive with the IceHogs, notching 17 goals and 10 assists in just 33 outings at that level.

Anderson has 169 career NHL appearances under his belt over parts of seven seasons between New Jersey, Toronto, and Chicago and is on an affordable contract, one that pays $800K this season in a one-way salary. He’ll become an unrestricted free agent next summer. However, given his recent struggles at the top level, there’s a good chance that he’ll pass through unclaimed when the waiver period expires at 1 PM CT on Sunday.

Oliver Kylington Signs In Sweden

October 18, 2025 at 6:11 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

A veteran blueliner has found a place to play this season. Djurgarden of the SHL announced that they’ve signed defenseman Oliver Kylington to a one-year contract.

The 28-year-old was a second-round pick by Calgary back in 2015 and showed some flashes of upside over his six-year stint with the team. It looked like he had turned a corner in 2021-22 when he collected nine goals and 22 assists in 73 games, putting him in a spot to be a potential top-four piece for them. However, he was away from the team on a leave of absence for the next year and a half and played a limited role after that, resulting in the Flames going in a different direction last summer when he became a free agent.

Kylington wasn’t able to get the types of offers he was initially seeking in free agency, resulting in him waiting more than a month before he signed a one-year, $1.05MM contract with Colorado. But playing time was hard to come by as he suited up in just 13 games with the Avs before being moved to the Islanders near the trade deadline; New York flipped him to Anaheim the next day. Kylington played in just six games following the swap and then hit the open market this summer.

Kylington inked a PTO agreement with Carolina in late August with the hopes of landing a roster spot with them. However, after three preseason games, he was cut fairly early, sending him back to free agency. Clearly, no other NHL offers materialized so he has decided to head home where he’ll play a regular role in the hopes of boosting his stock next summer.

With 220 career NHL appearances under his belt, it’s quite possible that Kylington finds his way back to North America at some point, especially if he goes and plays an impactful role with Djurgarden. But for now, his time at the top level has come to an end.

Load More Posts

Headlines