Penguins Sign Ryan Shea To One-Year Extension
After a fairly busy stretch on the trade front in recent days, the Penguins quickly turned their focus to one of their pending unrestricted free agents. The team announced that they’ve signed defenseman Ryan Shea to a one-year, $900K contract extension.
The 28-year-old has been a full-timer on an NHL roster for the first time in his career this season, albeit being primarily in a reserve role. Shea has suited up in 28 contests for Pittsburgh so far in 2024-25, notching two goals and three assists while averaging 16:30 per night. His role has increased significantly since the 4 Nations Face-Off, however, as he has averaged nearly 21 minutes per game since then and he should be in line to keep playing that bigger role down the stretch.
Shea came to Pittsburgh through Group Six unrestricted free agency after spending three years in their system without getting an NHL opportunity. He got into 31 games with the big club last season, earning a two-way deal for his efforts and now, he gets his highest guaranteed salary as he looks to cement a full-time spot in their lineup for 2025-26.
The Penguins now have five blueliners under contract for next season with Shea joining Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang, Ryan Graves, and Vladislav Kolyachonok. Matt Grzelcyk wasn’t moved by today’s deadline and is UFA-eligible this summer while Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Conor Timmins, acquired earlier today from Toronto, will be restricted free agents with salary arbitration rights.
Maple Leafs Acquire Reese Johnson
It turns out all of the trades of the day weren’t in after all. The Maple Leafs have made a move to add a bit more forward depth, acquiring forward Reese Johnson from the Wild in exchange for future considerations. Both teams have confirmed the swap.
The 26-year-old has spent the majority of the season in the minors with AHL Iowa, collecting four goals and nine assists in 49 games. He also got into three games with Minnesota back in December but was held off the scoresheet in 9:32 of playing time per contest.
While Johnson hasn’t seen much action at the top level this season, he does have 144 career appearances under his belt. He got into 141 games with Chicago over the last four seasons, primarily playing on their fourth line. With them, he had seven goals, ten assists, and 450 hits while winning 51.7% of his faceoffs but the Blackhawks declined to tender him a qualifying offer last summer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Johnson is playing on a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K in the NHL and $500K in the minors and will be RFA-eligible this summer with salary arbitration eligibility. Given his NHL experience, it’s unlikely he’d be tendered that offer as that would play a role in his awarded salary which would likely push him past the $1MM mark despite spending most of this year in the AHL.
As a result of their moves today, the Maple Leafs placed winger Max Pacioretty on LTIR and even with that, they only have $195K in cap room, per PuckPedia. Accordingly, Johnson will be ticketed to play with the AHL Marlies for the foreseeable future.
Blackhawks Activate Philipp Kurashev
While Chicago won’t have newly acquired center Joe Veleno in the lineup tonight against Utah, they will get another forward back. The team announced that Philipp Kurashev has been activated off injured reserve. He had missed the last week and a half with a hand injury.
After a breakout showing last season, it looked as if Kurashev’s stock was on the rise and that he’d be a fixture in Chicago’s lineup for a while. After all, a 54-point season from a then-24-year-old made it appear that he could be a key cog in their top six.
But things haven’t gone anywhere near as well this season. Kurashev has just six goals and four assists through 42 games while his -29 plus/minus rating is tied for the fourth-lowest in the league. Instead of being a top liner like he was a year ago, his playing time is down by nearly five minutes a game while he has been healthy scratched at times.
As a result, his long-term outlook with the organization has certainly changed. Instead of looking like a fixture for the foreseeable future, Chicago was shopping him earlier in the season and couldn’t find a suitable trade.
A pending restricted free agent, Kurashev will be owed a $2.25MM qualifying offer this summer while he’ll also have salary arbitration rights. Considering how things have gone this year, it seems unlikely he’ll be tendered that offer so he’ll need to use this final six-week stretch of the season as a showcase for what’s likely to be his first trip through unrestricted free agency in July.
Sabres Agree To Terms On Two-Year Extension With Jason Zucker
12:47 p.m.: The Sabres have confirmed the two-year extension for Zucker. He’ll make $9.5MM in total, which is good for a $4.75MM AAV in each year of the contract.
9:53 a.m.: Believed to be a strong trade candidate as a pending unrestricted free agent, the Sabres were looking to get Jason Zucker off the market entirely. They’ve accomplished just that as TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that the sides are in agreement on a two-year, $9.75MM contract extension.
The 33-year-old had to settle for a one-year contract last season, spending time between Arizona and Nashville, who acquired him in a low-cost trade deadline rental move. However, he was only able to notch 14 goals and 18 assists in 69 games between the two sides which was certainly not a good for his open market value. Accordingly, Zucker ultimately accepted another one-year pact in July, signing for $5MM.
That has worked out well for both sides. While Buffalo has struggled and is set to miss the playoffs once again this year, Zucker has bounced back nicely. Through 54 games this season, he has 18 goals and 26 assists, giving him a realistic shot at a 50-point campaign, a plateau he has only reached once in his career. With the 44 points he has now, he sits fifth on the Sabres in scoring.
Zucker made it known back in January that he was interested in extending his stay with Buffalo and he was true to his word. Even with a big jump in the salary cap coming, he winds up taking a small pay cut with the AAV of this new deal checking in at $4.75MM. If he had a good finish to his season – in Buffalo or elsewhere – it’s possible that he could have landed at least a small raise on the open market while also potentially getting a multi-year deal. Instead, he opts for some stability with where he’s comfortable.
While the Sabres now won’t be getting anything for what was likely to be one of their better trade chips, there’s certainly value in keeping Zucker around. All rebuilding teams need quality veterans and Zucker certainly has been one of them and he’ll now fill a spot in their top six for a couple more years.
With the signing, Buffalo now has a little under $24MM in cap room for next season, per PuckPedia with 15 players under contract. While they have a prominent pending RFA to contend with in Bowen Byram, the Sabres should still have ample cap space to try to add another quality veteran or two to their roster this summer.
Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.
Islanders Have Offered Extension To Kyle Palmieri
10:39 a.m.: The Islanders have informed Palmieri he won’t be traded today, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic. They’ll continue working on a deal, and although it may not be done before the deadline, they’re close enough to rule out a move. It’s likely to be a two-year or three-year deal worth less than his current $5MM AAV annually, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.
9:37 a.m.: While the Islanders moved their top pending UFA late on Thursday when they dealt Brock Nelson to Colorado, it doesn’t mean the same fate is coming for their other veteran in the same situation. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that they’ve offered a two-year contract extension to winger Kyle Palmieri. If an agreement can’t be reached, then the veteran is expected to be moved before today’s 2 PM CT deadline.
The 34-year-old is in the final season of a contract that carries a $5MM cap charge. If he winds up being dealt, it’s quite likely that New York will need to retain the maximum of 50% to help facilitate a move, similar to what they did with Nelson.
After a couple of underwhelming seasons to start his tenure with the Isles, Palmieri has rebounded nicely over the last couple of years. Last season, he bounced back with a 30-goal effort, matching his career high from back in 2015-16 while coming three points shy of matching his benchmark in points, also from the 2015-16 campaign.
While Palmieri isn’t producing at quite the same level this year, he still has 20 goals and 21 assists in 61 games, giving him a shot at another 50-point season. He’s the type of player who would fit in well on the second line of a lot of contending teams so even if he’s swapped, he still should have a chance at logging close to the 18:13 of ice time he’s getting with New York.
With the pending increase to the salary cap and his production over the last couple of years, Palmieri should be in line for a raise on his current price tag. But a two-year offer might not be long enough to his liking as it’s quite possible that he could get a longer offer if he goes to the open market in July. We’ll soon see if New York’s offer is good enough to get something done or if he’ll be on the move over the next few hours. If they pivot toward moving him, Palmieri does have a 16-team no-trade clause that could come into play.
Blackhawks Discussing Extension With Ryan Donato
As a pending unrestricted free agent, there has been an expectation that the Blackhawks would be moving forward Ryan Donato before today’s 2 PM CT trade deadline. However, that might not be the case, as Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the two sides are discussing a potential contract extension. Even if an agreement on that front can’t be reached, LeBrun adds that teams have been told that Chicago won’t move him unless they’re blown away with an offer.
The 28-year-old is in the midst of a career year, tallying 23 goals and 23 assists in 60 games, buoyed by a 16.9 shooting percentage. By comparison, his previous personal best in points in a season was 31. Perhaps more impressively is that he has done so without a dramatic jump in playing time as Donato is logging just 15:30 per night.
Donato is in the final season of a two-year, $4MM contract signed with Chicago after Seattle non-tendered him back in 2022 to avoid giving him salary arbitration eligibility. With the year he’s having, Donato appears to be well on his way to potentially doubling his current price tag if not more on his next deal.
In the meantime, GM Kyle Davidson has set a high asking price for Donato’s services. Earlier this week, as relayed by All CHGO’s Mario Tirabassi, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported that the Blackhawks are seeking a first-round pick to move Donato. While that might seem lofty given his overall track record of being more than a depth scorer, Donato has been a legitimate top-six forward this season and his price tag from a salary cap perspective is much cheaper than many of the other top-six options out there. Notably, Chicago has used its three retention slots so they won’t be able to pay down any of the contract to help facilitate a move.
Clearly, Chicago’s preference is to get Donato locked up to a new deal but even if that doesn’t happen, it appears as if there’s at least a chance he’ll remain with the Blackhawks for at least the rest of the season.
Maple Leafs Showing Interest In Several Bottom-Six Forwards
With their cap space relatively limited (though likely to grow once Ryan Reaves is off the roster either via waivers or AHL assignment), the Maple Leafs appear to be looking at some lower-cost options up front. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (Twitter link) that among the bottom-six players Toronto is looking at are Kraken winger Brandon Tanev and Sharks forward Luke Kunin. Meanwhile, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that they’re also in the mix for Flyers center Scott Laughton.
Tanev is in the final season of a six-year, $21MM contract carrying a $3.5MM AAV. The 33-year-old had a breakout offensive year in 2022-23, a campaign that saw him set new personal bests in goals (16), assists (19), and points (35). However, he hasn’t been able to reach that point total in the last two seasons combined as he has reverted to his more typical level of production.
This season, Tanev has nine goals and eight assists through 61 games. Of course, physicality is his main calling card and he’s once again averaging over two hits per contest. He’s also Seattle’s most-used forward on the penalty kill which will make him more appealing to Toronto and other playoff contenders. He has a 10-team no-trade list which could come into play depending on where he’s moved, assuming the Kraken find a swap to their liking.
Kunin, meanwhile, is the most versatile player out of this group as he can be deployed at all three forward positions. The 27-year-old has only reached the 30-point mark once in his career, that being back in 2019-20 when he had 31 points in 63 games. He has equaled his line from last year, tallying 11 goals and seven assists in 63 contests while chipping in with 163 hits. Like Tanev, Kunin is also heavily used on the penalty kill.
He’s in the last year of his contract, one that carries a $2.75MM AAV. Notably, San Jose does not have any remaining retention slots while Toronto doesn’t quite have enough money to bring him in, even if Reaves is off the roster. So if the Maple Leafs are to land Kunin, they’ll either have to open up some more cap space or a third team will need to get involved to retain a chunk of the contract.
As for Laughton, he’s more of a higher-end bottom-six piece. Through 59 games this season, he has 11 goals and 16 assists, his second straight season of a decline in per-game production. Of course, the 30-year-old is known for his sound defensive game and brings the size, physicality, and penalty killing acumen that many teams are known to be coveting.
Notably, Laughton has another year left on his contract on a deal that carries a $3MM AAV. Between that and the dearth of centers available, Philadelphia is believed to have set a high asking price for Laughton’s services, a package that includes a first-round pick. If Toronto GM Brad Treliving wants to make a longer-term splash over going for a rental, he’ll have to pay a pretty hefty price to do so.
Utah Signs Karel Vejmelka To Five-Year Extension
March 6: Utah has made Vejmelka’s extension official as reported.
March 5: A busy Wednesday for Utah continues. After inking Alexander Kerfoot and Ian Cole to one-year extensions, the team has agreed to terms with its most prominent pending unrestricted free agent. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Utah has signed goaltender Karel Vejmelka to a five-year extension worth $4.75MM per season.
The 28-year-old was a late bloomer, only coming to North America at the age of 25 on a one-year, two-way contract. But instead of being a depth option as expected, he wound up quickly becoming their starter, getting into 52 games. While his overall numbers weren’t great on a rebuilding team (a 3.68 GAA and a .898 SV%), he did well enough to secure a three-year, $8.175MM extension less than 11 months after getting that entry-level pact, a deal that kept him off the trade block leading into the 2022 trade deadline.
The first two seasons of that contract were similar to the first while last year, he started to cede playing time to Connor Ingram who effectively took over as the strong side of the platoon in goal. Along the way, his numbers largely stayed the same with a save percentage a little below .900 and a GAA well above the 3.00 mark. On a team that wasn’t particularly focused on getting to the playoffs, those numbers were fine but there were some questions as to whether he could elevate his game when the time came for the club to start to try to emerge from that rebuild.
Those questions have been answered in a big way this season. Vejmelka has reclaimed the number one nod in a big way, shaving more than a full goal off his GAA compared to his first three years with this year’s number checking in at 2.45 through 38 appearances. His save percentage is up 15 points from last year, landing at .910, well above league average. On top of that, he has cracked the top 10 in goals saved above average, per MoneyPuck. He has played a big role in Utah hanging around the periphery of the playoff chase; they came into play today sitting just four points behind Calgary for the final Wild Card spot in the West.
This contract falls in line with some of the more recent deals signed for netminders. Seattle’s Joey Daccord received $5MM per season for five years on his extension earlier this season while Kevin Lankinen‘s five-year extension signed last month carries a $4.5MM cap charge. Clearly, those two deals served as comparables to help get this deal across the finish line.
With the signing, Utah now has its goalie tandem signed through at least the 2026-27 season at a more-than-reasonable combined cap hit of $6.7MM. Meanwhile, they now have 20 players signed for next season so while there’s an expectation that GM Bill Armstrong is going to try to make a splash, it doesn’t appear as if their roster is going to have a lot of turnover for 2025-26.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Red Wings Sign Austin Watson To A One-Year Extension
March 6, 8:55 a.m.: Watson’s deal carries a $775K cap hit and NHL salary with a $375K minors salary, PuckPedia reports. The contract comes with a $400K guarantee.
March 5, 9:51 p.m.: The Red Wings are keeping one of their depth forwards around for a little while longer. The team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed winger Austin Watson to a one-year, two-way contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The 33-year-old earned a contract for this season via the PTO route after spending training camp with Detroit. He did well enough to earn a one-year, two-way pact that pays $775K in the NHL and $200K in the minors. However, it hasn’t earned him much NHL action this season as he has been limited to just two appearances with the big club, both coming back in October where he was held off the scoresheet in seven minutes of playing time per night.
Instead, Watson has spent the bulk of the campaign with AHL Grand Rapids, his first extended taste of action in the minors since the 2014-15 campaign when he was a prospect with Nashville. In 51 games with the Griffins, he has 12 goals and 19 assists along with 91 penalty minutes.
In his career, Watson has 517 NHL appearances under his belt over parts of 11 seasons where he has 118 points, 707 penalty minutes, and 1,215 hits. While he could have tested free agency again this summer and potentially changed organizations for the fourth straight year, he’ll now stay with the Red Wings where he’ll likely remain as a veteran option in Grand Rapids.
Dougie Hamilton Out Week-To-Week
It turns out learning that they’d be without their leading scorer for the rest of the season and playoffs wasn’t the only bad injury news for the Devils on Wednesday. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (audio link) that defenseman Dougie Hamilton is believed to be out week-to-week from the lower-body injury sustained in Tuesday’s loss to Dallas.
After missing the bulk of last season due to a torn pectoral muscle, Hamilton has been his usual productive self on New Jersey’s back end this year. The 31-year-old has nine goals and 31 assists through 63 games despite not even averaging 20 minutes a night of playing time. With 40 points, he leads all New Jersey blueliners in points (a dozen ahead of Luke Hughes) while sitting fifth on the team in scoring overall.
In his absence, it seems likely that they’ll ask Hughes to take a bigger role offensively, especially on the power play. Meanwhile, Hamilton’s injury could also open up a spot for Seamus Casey to get back in the lineup; the rookie had a solid start offensively to the season and has been a strong point producer in the minors so he could be counted on to help shoulder some of the load on that front as well.
It’s another tough blow to a team whose hold on a playoff spot has started to slip recently with the team losing three of their last four games. As a result, they now hold just a four-point lead on Columbus (who has two games in hand) for the third spot in the Metropolitan Division while they’re only six points ahead of a Wild Card position. Now, they’ll be down two key veterans as they look to maintain their grip on a playoff spot. That said, they also have over $13MM in LTIR room at the moment, per PuckPedia, if they want to try to add a replacement or two to try to stay afloat in the playoff race.