Senators Exploring Right-Shot Defense Market
The Senators head into the offseason with a young core coming off its first playoff appearance and more than a few roster spots to fill for 2025-26 with a middling amount of salary cap flexibility to do so. They may need to add additional depth on defense out of the gate, with righty Nick Jensen‘s availability for the beginning of the season uncertain following a recent lower-body surgery. The Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports it was a “hip or knee” injury that Jensen played through all during the second half of the season, which will likely activate general manager Steve Staios‘ previous commitment “to address the club’s defence after learning the extent of Jensen’s ailment.”
Adding on the back end is one of the more reasonable priorities for a Senators club that’s got a bona fide starting goaltender in Linus Ullmark and a wealth of top-six-caliber forwards. They also shouldn’t have too much trouble retaining pending UFA Claude Giroux to augment their offense, considering there’s strong mutual interest in keeping the hometown vet in Ottawa.
But if Jensen is out to begin the campaign, that leaves Nikolas Matinpalo and Artem Zub as the Sens’ only NHL-caliber right-shot options, and the former is untested outside of limited bottom-pairing minutes. Jensen’s injury could open a pathway for 2024 No. 7 overall pick Carter Yakemchuk to get a look in Ottawa’s top four to begin the campaign, but that’s a questionable choice for a team with playoff expectations, especially given Yakemchuk’s underwhelming output this season with WHL Calgary.
But suppose the organization is still high on Yakemchuk. In that case, it may make more sense to ride out Jensen’s absence with a depth free agent signing rather than making a long-term splash for a right-shot D that would block Yakemchuk’s ascension over the next few years. As Garrioch writes, there aren’t many quality top-four options available on the trade or free-agent markets, and acquiring any of them would require Ottawa to subtract from a position of strength. The only needle-moving UFA available at present is Florida rearguard Aaron Ekblad, who’ll likely end up being out of Ottawa’s price range for a free agent pickup and would require them to make a cap-dump trade (maybe veteran winger David Perron and his $4MM cap hit?).
Trade options league sources highlighted to Garrioch were Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson and Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen, both of whom would command a first-round pick in addition to an established NHL forward, presumably centers Ridly Greig or Shane Pinto, based on the offers those clubs turned down at the trade deadline. Andersson is also entering the final year of his contract and would likely command north of $8MM per season on an extension. Is that a figure Ottawa is willing to pay with two $8MM blue-liners already in Thomas Chabot and Jake Sanderson?
That leaves Staios likely looking for secondary options on the UFA market in July to help augment his defense. With Jensen sidelined, they’ll likely look for a comparable stay-at-home presence to aid his usual partner in Chabot. Names like Brent Burns and Tony DeAngelo don’t fit that bill, but a reunion with 2012 first-rounder Cody Ceci might. He’s almost certainly hitting the market this summer with the Stars in a cap crunch. Although he has plenty of experience averaging north of 20 minutes per game, his possession metrics last year paled compared to what Jensen provided in his first year in Ottawa. Beyond the Blue Jackets’ Dante Fabbro and the Sharks’ Jan Rutta, though, there isn’t much else out there in terms of defensive-minded righties.
Capitals Reassign Andrew Cristall To AHL
While the Capitals’ season is over, their AHL affiliate in Hershey is still alive in the Calder Cup Playoffs. They’ll be getting a boost in the form of 2023 second-round pick Andrew Cristall, who the Caps announced has been assigned to Hershey and could make his pro debut in tomorrow’s win-or-go-home Game 3 against Charlotte.
Cristall, a left-winger, has far exceeded his 40th overall billing. The 5’10” forward slipped farther down the draft board than most expected – most had tabbed him as a surefire first-round selection after he recorded 95 points in 54 games with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets in his draft year, but his smaller stature was enough to tank his stock.
It’s obviously too early to make a true determination before he even plays an NHL game, but Cristall has been on a superstar-level tear over the past two seasons. He finished fifth in the WHL in scoring last season with 111 points in 62 games (1.79 per game) but has been on a new level here in 2024-25. While an injury and a midseason trade limited him to 57 games between Kelowna and Spokane, he was still good for a 48-84–132 scoring line (2.32 points per game) with a +59 rating. He captured the league’s scoring title despite playing 15 games short of a full schedule and tacked on another 21 goals and 41 points in 19 playoff games for good measure.
Cristall is clearly the Caps’ most dynamic scoring threat in their prospect pool and should get a legitimate shot to make the opening night roster in the fall. Whether he can overcome the natural weaknesses his smallish frame provides and become an everyday top-six fixture in short order remains to be seen, but his puckhandling ability and skating should make him an impact producer in short order.
Laurent Dauphin Remains In Canadiens Organization On Two-Year AHL Deal
Longtime farmhand Laurent Dauphin will remain with the Canadiens organization on a two-year contract with AHL Laval, the team announced. He’s still technically an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any NHL team, but if all goes to plan, the former Habs and Coyotes center will continue to provide a veteran presence to play with Montreal’s minor-league prospects.
Dauphin, 30, hasn’t suited up for an NHL game since making 21 appearances with Arizona in the 2022-23 campaign. He went to Switzerland the following year and, after a nice year with HC Ambri-Piotta, returned to North America on a minor-league deal with Laval for 2024-25.
Historically a strong offensive presence in the minors, Dauphin picked up where he left off in his return. He finished second on the Rocket in scoring with 26-30–56 in 63 games, along with a team-high +25 rating.
Extending on an AHL deal means Dauphin remains ineligible for a call-up to the Montreal roster, although they can easily sign him to a two-way deal if they want him up. He’ll need to clear waivers to return to Laval after they do so, however.
A 2013 second-round pick by Phoenix, Dauphin has spent most of his professional career with the now-defunct Coyotes franchise. His one season with NHL appearances in Montreal (2021-22) was the best of his career, though, making a career-high 38 appearances for the Habs in a depth role while scoring four goals and 12 points.
Blackhawks RFA Aku Raty Signs In Finland
Blackhawks pending restricted free agent forward Aku Raty won’t be returning to the club next season. He’s inked a two-year contract with Karpat of his native Finland’s Liiga, the club announced today.
Chicago acquired Raty from the Mammoth in a minor trade-deadline deal, headlined by retired defenseman Shea Weber‘s contract changing hands from Utah to the Hawks. The 23-year-old was a fifth-round pick by the Coyotes in 2019 and made his NHL debut in the franchise’s final game in 2023-24, recording an assist. That stands as his only NHL appearance to date. While he made the trip to Utah with all of his former Arizona teammates, he was assigned back to AHL Tucson at the beginning of the season and never got a call-up.
Raty’s minor-league showing in 2024-25 was also a steep regression from the prior year, which was his first in North America. The 6’0″ winger was among Tucson’s top scorers in his first taste of AHL hockey with a 15-29–44 scoring line in 55 games, more than earning a brief look in the Coyotes’ lineup. But Raty posted just four goals and 15 assists for 19 points in 50 games for Tucson this year, combined with a -12 rating, before being dealt to the Blackhawks. A change of scenery with Chicago’s affiliate in Rockford helped somewhat, posting six points in 15 outings down the stretch, but that evidently wasn’t enough for him to consider remaining in the Chicago organization.
Raty will return to Karpat, where he played most of his youth hockey and spent three Liiga seasons from 2019-20 to 2021-22. His breakout campaign overseas in 2022-23 came after he transferred to Ilves. The Blackhawks can still retain his signing rights through 2029 if they opt to issue him a qualifying offer.
Daly: NHL, NHLPA Have Made “Good Progress” On CBA Talks
The 2025-26 NHL season is the last one under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, which has been in place since the 2012 lockout and was extended/modified in 2020. The relationship between the league and the NHLPA has been on solid footing since the latter appointed former U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh as its executive director, and reporting throughout the past few months indicated negotiations on a new CBA were expected to go smoothly, avoiding the fourth work stoppage of commissioner Gary Bettman’s tenure.
CBA talks started at the beginning of April and are “well underway,” NHL deputy commissioner told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic in a recent phone interview (article link). Daly added waiting until the expiry of the current agreement in September 2026 to announce a new CBA is “well beyond the window that I’m thinking… I would like to think that we’ll have a successful conclusion at some point in the not-too-distant future.”
Unsurprisingly, Daly wasn’t eager to divulge too many details about what the agreement will actually look like. However, he did highlight some areas in which to expect significant changes from current operations when pressed by LeBrun.
The storyline dominating this round of CBA talks was always going to be the future of rules regarding long-term injured reserve usage, particularly teams being able to add notable injured players to the postseason roster after they spent the entire regular season giving their club cap relief while on LTIR. Daly confirmed that it’s been a central point of discussions with the NHLPA and that “we’ve made progress toward getting to a good resolution on that issue.” What that resolution looks like – either a playoff salary cap or postseason roster eligibility restrictions based on regular-season LTIR stints – is unclear.
On the topic of expansion, Daly clarified the league’s position that they’re not close to adding a club and don’t plan on opening a formal expansion process. While the league isn’t soliciting bids, the current approach is “much more of a one-on-one conversation and relationship we have with various potential owners,” Daly said. He also called the watering down of talent by adding too many clubs “not even a minor concern” in the league’s eyes, given the game’s skyrocketing registration numbers in the United States and in Europe.
And while the league hasn’t officially put pen to paper on the agreement to send its players to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, that’s purely been due to timeline and procedural issues. Daly reiterated “definitively” that NHL players will participate in the event for the first time in 12 years, and the plan to run World Cups of Hockey every two years between Winter Olympics remains in place.
Bruins, Don Sweeney Agree To Two-Year Extension
The Bruins announced today they’ve signed general manager Don Sweeney to a two-year contract extension, keeping him in Boston’s front office through the 2027-28 season.
Sweeney’s deal was set to expire following the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign, something that was reportedly becoming a hurdle in their search for a new head coach. Over the weekend, RG’s James Murphy reported that Sweeney’s lame duck status partially influenced Rick Tocchet‘s decision to spurn the Bruins’ interest in him for their vacancy and accept a role with the Flyers instead.
Bruins president Cam Neely had the following statement on Sweeney’s extension:
Don has navigated a disappointing period for our club with conviction, purpose, and a clear vision toward the future of the Boston Bruins. He made difficult decisions around the trade deadline with the confidence they will pay dividends as we craft a path back to contention. He is continuing to follow that track with a robust and thorough search for our club’s next head coach, while also preparing for the upcoming NHL Draft and free agent signing period. I am confident in the plan he has followed these past few months – and excited for what’s to come for our team. The expectations in Boston have always been clear. It’s about winning championships.
After being promoted midway through Boston’s last retool in the mid-2010s, Sweeney will now get the chance to, as the fanbase and ownership will hope, oversee one from start to finish. His extension comes after the Bruins missed the playoffs in 2025 for the first time since his first season as GM in 2015-16. During the last decade, Boston’s 458-233-91 (.644) regular season record is tied for the best in the NHL.
It’s not as if Sweeney’s tenure hasn’t come without playoff success, either. Boston has won a playoff series in five of its eight postseasons under Sweeney, including a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2019, their third of the decade. Sweeney even earned GM of the Year honors for building that roster.
However, shelling out assets to acquire supplementary pieces to remain in playoff contention always has a price. That downfall came this season – a few years later than some expected after the retirements of franchise centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, but it happened nonetheless. The reload process started in earnest at this year’s trade deadline with a trio of moves – shipping out Brad Marchand and Brandon Carlo for returns that included first-round picks, and making a swap with the Avalanche to get younger down the middle by exchanging Charlie Coyle for Casey Mittelstadt.
That doesn’t change the fact that the Bruins are left with a lone first-line offensive talent in star winger David Pastrnak. Getting him more help in the scoring department is Boston’s chief priority this summer, which Sweeney clearly understood during his end-of-season media availability. Remaining in line with ownership’s vision on how to execute a retool and return the Bruins to playoff contention in a matter of a couple of years, not five-plus, likely helped with his job security and needing front office stability to attract their desired coaching targets.
One factor that’s accelerated the Bruins’ regression is the lack of success with the first-round picks they’ve kept over the past few years. The most recent Boston first-round pick to crack 100 games with the team is fourth-liner John Beecher, selected six years ago. Hitting on mid-first-round picks is the key to executing any retool without a full teardown. Retaining the GM that’s failed to do so for the vast majority of his tenure will understandably raise eyebrows as a result.
As such, a two-year extension comes across as a rather short leash. He’ll almost certainly be let go upon expiry if Boston hasn’t made meaningful progress in restocking their cupboard.
Image courtesy of Eric Bolte-Imagn Images.
Capitals Unlikely To Hold Offseason Extension Talks With John Carlson
When the Capitals signed Jakob Chychrun to a massive eight-year, $72MM extension in March, most thought he’d been locked in as their succession plan to John Carlson as the team’s No. 1 defenseman. That appears to be the case, as Capitals general manager Chris Patrick told reporters today they’re in no rush to begin extension talks with Carlson as he enters the final season of his deal, the AP’s Stephen Whyno relays.
Carlson will be 37 years old in the summer of 2026 after wrapping up the eight-year, $64MM extension he signed following Washington’s Stanley Cup win in 2018. He’s coming off another strong offensive campaign en route to a regular-season conference crown for the Caps, leading Washington defensemen and ranking seventh on the team in points with a 5-46–51 scoring line in 79 games.
But the two-time All-Star and the 2020 Norris Trophy runner-up still isn’t producing anywhere near his 2018-2022 peak, during which he averaged 0.91 points per game. While still a legitimate top-four threat, there’s understandable hesitancy about continuing to bill him as their leader in ice time among rearguards as the offensive-minded Carlson enters his 17th NHL season, all with Washington.
It’s likely the Caps remain intent on extending Carlson as long as he’s willing and effective, but they’ll want to get a glimpse of what he looks like to kick off the 2025-26 season before zeroing in on the money and term they’re willing to offer him. Patrick got a ton of long-term business done during the season, but they still have Martin Fehervary and Connor McMichael on expiring deals and due considerable raises when Carlson’s deal is up in the summer of 2026. Alex Ovechkin‘s deal is up then as well, but he’ll presumably either retire or re-sign at a significantly lower price than his current $9.5MM cap hit.
Holding off on a Carlson deal allows the Caps a bit more peace of mind when making moves this summer too – they won’t limit their longer-term cap space when considering trade pickups or free agent signings. Regardless, their ability to be major players in free agency without some unanticipated pre-July 1 trades will be limited. They’ve got nearly their entire roster fleshed out for next season already with 21 of 23 roster spots filled. They do have $8.6MM to burn on those two spots, though.
Regardless, expect some of Carlson’s minutes (23:34 ATOI in 2024-25) to be shifted to Chychrun (21:04 ATOI) next season as the transition begins. It’s also worth noting that the Chychrun-Carlson pairing fared the worst defensively out of any Capitals regular defense pairing this year, allowing 2.85 expected goals against per 60 minutes (according to MoneyPuck).
Image courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
Snapshots: Blashill, Braun, Misa, Niederreiter
Lightning assistant Jeff Blashill isn’t just the only name firmly linked to the Blackhawks’ vacancy this summer; he’s becoming the clear favorite for the role, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet on today’s 32 Thoughts podcast. Talk around the league sprouted up aggressively this week after Blashill canceled an interview he had with another club about their opening.
“I heard on Friday morning that he was in as the head coach of Chicago,” Friedman said. “I started asking around and had a couple [of] people tell me it’s too soon… that would be premature.”
It’s premature because the Blackhawks also have a strong interest in someone on the staff of a recently eliminated team, Friedman said. “It’s possible that one of the reasons there has been a bit of a delay is somebody who is central to the process with the Blackhawks was not available at the end of last week, so it had to be pushed into this week. He is a very serious contender there. I just can’t tell you it’s 100% his job” (via CHGO Blackhawks).
The fact that Blashill’s the only name leaked from what’s otherwise been an airtight coaching search for Chicago likely speaks volumes about how highly the club values him compared to other candidates they’ve interviewed. Chicago surely hopes that after a few years of working under Jon Cooper in Tampa, he’s able to get the Blackhawks to greater heights exiting their rebuild than the success he had as head coach of the Red Wings at the beginning of theirs.
There’s more from around the hockey world:
- Two years removed from his last NHL game, defenseman Justin Braun is still playing overseas in Germany and will extend his career for another season. The 38-year-old has signed a one-year deal with Dresdner Eislowen ahead of their first season in the top-flight DEL in franchise history after gaining promotion from the DEL2, the team announced. The longtime Sharks (and briefly Flyers and Rangers) rearguard had spent the last two years with the Straubing Tigers, where he posted a 10-33–44 scoring line and a +22 rating in 103 games.
- After an underwhelming pre-draft season, OHL exceptional status grantee Michael Misa reclaimed his spot as the 2025 draft class’ top scorer with a 62-goal, 134-point showing in just 65 games for the Saginaw Spirit. It remains to be seen whether he’ll go No. 1 overall ahead of speedy two-way defenseman Matthew Schaefer, but Misa’s happy with his trajectory this season as a more explosive yet still well-rounded center. “I think my defensive ability, just to be that second guy in battles—it was something my coach harped a lot on me this year,” Misa told RG’s Marco D’Amico. “Just trying to become that 200-foot player. I think my offensive ability was there. But being able to be reliable defensively and break pucks out is something I think I improved on.“
- Team Switzerland is getting a boost at the World Championship after losing Devils captain Nico Hischier to injury. Jets winger Nino Niederreiter is heading to the tournament to represent his country as they aim to secure the top spot in Group B, the team announced.
Bruins Sign Simon Zajicek To Entry-Level Contract
The Bruins have made a splash in the undrafted free agent market. They announced they’ve signed Czech goaltender Simon Zajicek to an entry-level contract for the 2025-26 campaign. He’ll carry a cap hit of $872.5K if he’s on the NHL roster.
Zajicek, 23, has been a late but quick bloomer. He wasn’t even close to getting NHL consideration in his draft year. He would have first been eligible following the 2018-19 season, a campaign he split between Czechia’s U-19 junior league and their third-division professional circuit. Despite that, he saw action in the top-level Extraliga by the following year and, after several seasons bouncing between the Extraliga and the second-division Maxa liga, emerged as a full-time tandem option for HC Litvinov in 2024-25.
Not only did Zajicek stick on Litvinov’s roster for the entire season, he wrestled the lion’s share of starts away from Flyers reserve list netminder Matej Tomek, a high-end option in European professional leagues since 2019. Zajicek recorded a .930 SV% in 29 games to lead the Extraliga, adding a 2.12 GAA, five shutouts, and a 15-13-0 record. He also played in three of Litvinov’s four playoff games and recorded a .927 SV%.
The 6’2″, 187-lb netminder will now head to training camp in Boston in the fall to determine where he falls on the organization’s depth chart to begin the season. The Bruins’ NHL duo of Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo is locked in for 2025-26, but their minor-league tandem, Brandon Bussi and Michael DiPietro, are both pending unrestricted free agents. Signing Zajicek indicates they expect at least one of them not to return. If both come back or they replace them with subsequent free agent signings, the younger Zajicek could get his start in the North American pros down a level with ECHL Maine.
Maple Leafs Notes: Marner, Tavares, Berube, Game 7 Offense
With yet another Game 7 loss in the books, there’s little doubt that Mitch Marner‘s future lies somewhere other than Toronto, writes Chris Johnston of The Athletic. After his first 100-point regular-season performance, Marner didn’t record a point in last night’s season-ending loss and saw only 18:43 of ice time, his lowest of the 2025 playoffs. He recorded eight points in six games against the Senators in the first round but had just one point and a minus-three rating in Games 4 through 7 against Florida.
As Johnston wrote following the Leafs’ Game 5 loss to put them on the brink of elimination, Marner testing the unrestricted free agent market this summer is nearly a given. In his media availability following last night’s loss, he referred to his Toronto tenure in the past tense:
“It meant everything. (They) took maybe a risky pick on a small kid from Toronto and I’ve been forever grateful to be able to wear this Maple Leaf, and be a part of some of the great legends here and be able to wear this jersey.”
Letting Marner walk will, of course, free up all of his $10.9MM cap hit to spend elsewhere on the roster. Retaining him on a long-term deal would have likely cost them an additional $2MM per season, if not more – TSN’s Darren Dreger said last night that an eight-year, $13.5MM AAV offer was on the table at some point (via Nick Barden of The Hockey News). Whether that flexibility is spent wisely will determine how quickly Toronto can execute a retool without their top scorer.
There’s more on the Leafs:
- Former captain John Tavares, also a pending unrestricted free agent, had a much different tone last night. He made it clear in no uncertain terms that he wants to come to terms on an extension to continue his career in Toronto (via TSN), although it’ll need to be at a considerable discount from his expiring $11MM cap hit. There were some extension talks during the season, but it’s not clear how close the two sides got to an agreement. The 34-year-old managed nearly a point per game in the regular season but only had a 5-2–7 scoring line in 13 postseason games, including a four-game point drought to end the playoffs.
- While last summer’s coaching change did help propel the Leafs out of the first round for the second time in three years, it didn’t get them to the Conference Finals for the first time in the salary cap era. “I think this team has fire,” bench boss Craig Berube told James Mirtle of The Athletic. “I can’t explain (what happened) right now, nor do I want to, (with Game) 5 and (Game) 7 at home. Obviously (there are) things that we have to look at and talk about as an organization.”
- The Maple Leafs’ powerhouse offense cocooning, not necessarily defensive missteps, have been what’s cost them in past Game 7s. That trend continued in 2025, with Max Domi‘s early third-period goal registering as Toronto’s only output for the night. As The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel points out, Toronto has now been limited to just one goal in a remarkable five straight Game 7s.