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Hurricanes Sign Jackson Blake To Eight-Year Extension

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The Hurricanes announced Thursday night that they’ve signed winger Jackson Blake to an eight-year, $45MM extension that will kick in for the 2026-27. While that would normally mean an average annual value and cap hit of $5.625MM, the actual cap hit of the contract will fall in the $5.1MM range due to deferred compensation, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The contract buys out the extent of Blake’s RFA eligibility and will make him a UFA following the 2033-34 season.

Blake’s stock has been on the rise since immediately after Carolina selected him in the fourth round in 2021. He was a USHL All-Star in his post-draft season with the Chicago Steel before making the jump to NCAA hockey with North Dakota, where he totaled 102 points in 79 games in two seasons – earning a Hobey Baker finalist nod in his sophomore year. He signed his entry-level contract with the Hurricanes in April 2024 and joined them for the brief remainder of the regular season.

In his first full pro season, Blake hit the ground running. He made the Canes out of camp and had five points through his first nine games despite seeing less than 12 minutes of ice time per night. That offense didn’t quite hold up the rest of the way, though.

While he ended up seeing significant deployment alongside Sebastian Aho at even strength, he ended up finishing the year with a 17-17–34 scoring line in 80 games, finishing ninth on the team in scoring and ninth in Calder Trophy voting as the league’s Rookie of the Year. That’s fine production, especially considering he averaged under 14 minutes per game on the year. He’ll need to build on it to justify that cap hit, though, especially with so much risk attached to a max-term deal.

The good news is that Blake has another year left on his entry-level contract to continue his development before he’ll need to start justifying that cap hit. The son of former NHLer Jason Blake turns 22 next month, yet with this deal, he’s guaranteed to surpass his dad’s career earnings.

Carolina has historically opted to sign their young players for as long and as early as possible, a trend that continues here. Sometimes, it’s paid off – their eight-year, $59.4MM commitment to Seth Jarvis last offseason looks like a steal after he put up a repeat 67-point performance in 2024-25. There’s also the glaring example of where that strategy has failed regarding center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, whose $4.82MM cap hit looks more stomachable now with a rising ceiling but is still well above his market value four years into the deal. The jury is still out on newly-acquired Logan Stankoven, who they inked to an eight-year, $48MM extension at the beginning of the month.

Blake’s deal will be one of the last of its kind. It contains two elements – deferred compensation and an eight-year term – that will be outlawed when the new CBA Memorandum of Understanding takes effect on Sep. 15, 2026. If he waited until reaching RFA status next summer to sign, a lengthy negotiation could have lost him that eighth year if the two sides didn’t come to terms until the beginning of training camp.

With the salary cap’s Upper Limit projected to reach $104MM in 2026-27, the Hurricanes have around $16MM in projected space with Blake’s and Stankoven’s deals taken care of. While they’re projected to be Carolina’s 11th and 12th highest-paid forwards on their opening night roster this season, they’ll be their fifth and sixth-highest paid forwards in 2026-27.

Image courtesy of Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.

Bruins Still Exploring Trade Market For Pavel Zacha

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The Bruins are still mulling the possibility of trading forward Pavel Zacha, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. He lists the Canucks and Mammoth as teams that’ve been softly linked to his availability.

Boston GM Don Sweeney considered moving Zacha during their sell-off at last season’s trade deadline but ended up holding onto him, choosing to flip Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle, and Brad Marchand for assets instead. If they do decide to go that route, the type of return they’re looking for will speak volumes about the team’s expectations for 2025-26. They’re already light on offensive firepower, with Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak remaining as their lone 30-goal scorers from last season and veteran Viktor Arvidsson, coming off a down season with the Oilers, amounting to their only offseason addition that could impact their top six forward group.

The teams mentioned, Vancouver and Utah, likely wouldn’t be looking to pick up Zacha and flip roster players back – particularly the former as they continue to search for additional middle-six center depth. If those discussions have gained any legitimacy in the Bruins’ front office, it’s fair to wonder if they’ve resigned themselves to another season of retooling and are prepared to again finish near the bottom of the Atlantic Division.

They’re not unlimited in what they can do with Zacha, although they have slightly more flexibility after his 10-team no-trade list decreased to an eight-team one on July 1. The 28-year-old, who’s flipped between center and wing throughout his NHL career, has two years left on his contract at a $4.75MM cap hit. However, he’s only owed $3.75MM in actual cash for both 2025-26 and 2026-27 after the Bruins paid out his final signing bonus, worth $1MM, at the beginning of the month.

Zacha’s offensive production took a step back in 2024-25, as did many of his teammates’ aside from the aforementioned Geekie and Pastrnak. After back-to-back seasons of 20 goals and 50 points, he was limited to 14 goals and 47 points while playing in all 82 games. There were some things to like – he averaged a career-high 19:04 per game, won 53.2% of his draws, and continued to have positive possession impacts. Still, he was likely looking for more production, considering he spent the vast majority of the campaign stapled at center between Boston’s two leading goal-scorers.

Nonetheless, the 2015 No. 6 overall pick has averaged 54 points per 82 games over his three years in Boston without an overwhelming amount of year-to-year variation. His trade value likely won’t get any higher than it is now, with two full years left under contract at a reasonable price tag for whoever picks him up.

KHL Notes: Konyushkov, Kisakov, Timashov

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Canadiens defense prospect Bogdan Konyushkov has signed a one-year extension with the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod to keep him in Russia through the 2026-27 season, the league announced. Konyushkov, 22, was a fourth-round pick in 2023 and came to Montreal for development camp a few weeks ago, per Marco D’Amico of RG.

The news gives the intriguing right-shot some extended runway in his development, but it doesn’t necessarily affect Montreal’s ability to sign him at some point since they hold his rights indefinitely. Montreal selected the smooth-skating rearguard two years after he was initially eligible to be drafted after he broke out in a full-time KHL role with Torpedo, and he’s since recorded an 11-59–70 scoring line with a -13 rating in 196 games at Russia’s top level.

Last season did mark something of a step back for Konyushkov, who recorded a career-low 17 points and a minus-five rating. He was assigned to the VHL’s Torpedo-Gorky NN of Russia’s second-tier pro league for their postseason, leading the playoffs in scoring by a defenseman with 13 points in 17 games as he helped them to a championship. Despite his age, his well-rounded game made him Torpedo’s leader in average ice time last year. He’ll now be eligible to come to the Canadiens on June 1, 2027, unless they negotiate an early release with Torpedo.

More from the KHL:

  • Former Sabres prospect Alexander Kisakov has landed a tryout contract with Dynamo Moscow, per a team announcement. Kisakov, 22, was a second-round pick by Buffalo in 2021 but was non-tendered when his entry-level contract expired in June, making him an unrestricted free agent. While the undersized winger displayed a high-ceiling and high-energy offensive game in the Russian junior ranks, he scored just 25 points in 93 games for the AHL’s Rochester Americans over the past three years as he battled injuries.
  • Winger Dmytro Timashov has signed a two-year contract with Admiral Vladivostok, Ronnie Rönnkvist of HockeySverige reports. The Ukrainian-born Swedish national recorded nine points in 45 NHL games for the Maple Leafs, Islanders, and Red Wings across the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. He’s been overseas since terminating his contract with New York early in the 2021-22 season. He split last season between the KHL’s HK Sochi and Geneve-Servette HC of Switzerland’s National League, limited to 13 points in 44 games across the two clubs.

Devils Sign Thomas Bordeleau To Two-Way Deal

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The Devils announced Thursday they’ve signed restricted free agent forward Thomas Bordeleau to a two-way deal, which carries a $775K NHL salary and a $100K AHL salary with a $125K guarantee.

New Jersey acquired the rights to the 23-year-old earlier this month from the Sharks, sending depth center Shane Bowers the other way. A 2020 second-round pick, Bordeleau was once one of San Jose’s more promising prospects with a strong body of work over his two seasons at the University of Michigan. However, his development in the minors never took off, while others in the Sharks’ deep pool of young players surpassed him.

Last season was especially trying for the Houston native. He still put up a 14-24–38 scoring line in 59 games for the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda, but that 0.64 points per game pace was a step back from last year’s, and he only received a one-game NHL call-up after recording 11 points in 27 games for the Sharks in 2023-24.

There’s more of an opening for a young depth center in New Jersey than there was in San Jose, especially with Erik Haula and Curtis Lazar leaving the organization this offseason and no meaningful additions down the middle outside of overseas signing Juho Lammikko. If he can rediscover that previous NHL form he showed in short bursts with the Sharks, there’s an opening – albeit a slim one – for Bordeleau to make the team out of camp.

While undersized, his game has historically been more effective down the middle. If he doesn’t crack the roster, he’ll need to clear waivers to head to AHL Utica – something he’s never had to do before.

With Bordeleau signed, the Devils have 47 of their 50 contract slots filled for 2025-26. The only other unsigned RFA in the organization is star defenseman Luke Hughes, who remains without a deal as New Jersey has $6.9MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.

Maxime Lagace Signs In Austria

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Former NHL goaltender Maxime Lagace is joining the Graz 99ers of Austria’s ICEHL, according to a club announcement Wednesday.

Lagace, 32, last appeared in the NHL with the Lightning in the 2021-22 season. He remained in their organization the following season with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch before making the move overseas for 2023-24.

The longtime No. 3/4 option has spent the last two years in Sweden with the SHL’s Farjestad BK. He was their starter last season ahead of Ducks prospect Damian Clara but had a tough regular-season performance, posting a .887 SV% and 2.64 GAA in 31 appearances. That was still good for a 17-10-2 record, though, and he was exceptional with a .927 SV% and 1.63 GAA in 11 Champions Hockey League games as Farjestad finished as the runner-up in the continental tournament.

Instead of returning to North America, Lagace will continue being content with playing a starring role in Europe. He’ll be one of the top goaltenders in the less competitive ICEHL, joining a 99ers roster that also contains former NHLers Korbinian Holzer, Kevin Roy, and Josh Currie.

Lagace first stepped into action with the Golden Knights in their inaugural season amid a rash of injuries in their crease, making 16 of his 20 career appearances in the 2017-18 campaign. He struggled with a .867 SV% and 3.92 GAA but still managed a 6-7-1 record with some exceptional goal support. He has a career 8-9-1 record with one shutout and an .870 SV%.

In parts of nine AHL seasons, Lagace also posted a 2.79 GAA, .905 SV%, 13 shutouts, and a 126-68-38 record in 244 appearances. He scored a goalie goal with the Chicago Wolves in the 2018-19 season (video link).

Lightning Sign Ethan Czata To Entry-Level Deal

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The Lightning have signed forward Ethan Czata to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team said in a press release Wednesday. He was a second-round pick, their earliest selection in this year’s draft.

Czata’s deal carries a cap hit of $932K and an average annual value of $975K, according to PuckPedia. The contract, which is slide-eligible twice, has the following breakdown:

Year 1: $775K NHL salary, $97.5K signing bonus, $102.5K games played bonus, $85K minors salary
Year 2: $850K NHL/$97.5K SB/$27.5K GP/$85K AHL
Year 3: $877.5K NHL/$97.5K SB/$0 GP/$85K AHL

Selected No. 56 overall, a pick Tampa acquired from the Kings for winger Tanner Jeannot, Czata has spent the last two seasons with the OHL’s Niagara IceDogs. The physical center made 68 appearances last season, ranking fourth on the team with 21 goals and 55 points.

Czata has been a key force in helping the IceDogs, who have been among the OHL’s most hapless clubs in recent years due to ownership instability, return to relevance with their first playoff appearance since the pandemic. He also earned a spot on Canada’s roster at the 2025 U-18 World Juniors, posting a goal and four assists in seven games en route to a gold medal.

The 18-year-old  was a virtual second-round lock based on consensus rankings. He’s expected to return to Niagara after attending training camp with the Lightning, triggering an entry-level slide, but a breakout post-draft season could put him in the conversation for a roster spot in 2026-27.

If he’s loaned to the OHL as expected this season, Czata won’t count against the Bolts’ 50-contract limit. That’s crucial as they’re already at 47 deals signed, according to PuckPedia.

Nathan Beaulieu Announces Retirement

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Former first-round pick Nathan Beaulieu has announced his retirement from professional hockey, according to the NHLPA.

Beaulieu, 32, hangs up his skates after playing 471 NHL games for the Canadiens, Sabres, Jets, and Ducks. The longtime bottom-pairing defenseman last appeared with Anaheim in the 2022-23 season, spending the last two campaigns in Europe but playing sparingly due to injuries.

The Ontario native was the No. 17 overall pick of the 2011 draft by Montreal from the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs after helping guide the team to a Memorial Cup championship and being named to the tournament’s All-Star team. He was a tantalizing junior prospect, never outright dominating offensively but still putting up strong point production with dominant defensive impacts while playing a highly physical brand of hockey.

While his physicality translated to the professional level, the other parts of his game only did so in short bursts. Beaulieu only ever topped 20 points in a season once, making a career-high 74 appearances for Montreal in 2016-17 while receiving significant power-play deployment for the only time in his career. He averaged 19:29 per game for the Habs that year, putting together a 4-24–28 scoring line with 102 blocks.

Aside from that, he was still a serviceable bottom-pairing piece for the Habs for a few years after emerging as a full-time NHLer in 2014-15. He ended up recording 60 points and a +19 rating in 225 games for the team that drafted him before he was traded to the Sabres in the 2017 offseason.

After the trade, Beaulieu was firmly relegated to being a No. 7 option. He never made more than 60 appearances in a season after that relative breakout of a 2016-17 campaign, averaging 15:27 per game for Buffalo, Winnipeg, and Anaheim over his final six NHL seasons.

Beaulieu’s final NHL season saw him thrown to the wolves on a severely understaffed Ducks defense in 2022-23, recording four points and a -23 rating in 52 games with ghastly possession numbers. That tanked his value the following summer and led to his move overseas to Switzerland’s EHC Kloten, where he only had two points in 13 games before a hand injury ended his season.

The veteran lefty signed on with Barys Astana of the KHL for 2024-25, but was released after eight games with financial issues forcing the club to part ways with all of its import players. He quickly landed with HC Nove Zamky of the Slovak Extraliga but did not make an appearance for them due to injury.

Beaulieu finishes his career with 12 goals, 86 assists, 98 points, and a -14 rating in 471 regular-season games while averaging 16:18 per night. He also had five points in 21 playoff games with Montreal and Winnipeg. All of us at PHR wish him the best in retirement.

John Ludvig Signs In Czechia

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Free agent defenseman John Ludvig has signed with Czech Extraliga club HC Dynamo Pardubice, the team announced Wednesday. It’s a three-year deal, keeping him with the club through 2027-28. It’s the expected result after a report back in May linked Ludvig to the six-time Extraliga champions.

Ludvig, 24, spent last season with the Avalanche after they claimed him off waivers from the Penguins at the beginning of the season. A third-round pick of the Panthers in 2019, Ludvig signed a two-year, two-way deal to remain in the Florida organization in 2023 but never played a game for them under that contract, instead getting claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh during the following training camp.

While Ludvig was a consistent No. 6/7 option for the Pens in 2023-24 when healthy, he didn’t get the same usage in a deeper Colorado depth chart. He made only eight NHL appearances for the Avs after seeing 33 games of action for Pittsburgh the year before, serving as a frequent healthy scratch before landing back on waivers in January. That time, he cleared successfully and spent the remainder of the season with the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.

He would have still been under Avalanche control, but they opted not to issue him a qualifying offer last month, making him an unrestricted free agent. He now heads overseas to the club where his father, former Devils and Sabres winger Jan Ludvig, works as a skills coach.

The 6’1″, 214-lb lefty was a strong two-way threat in juniors with the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks and carries a physical edge, but he’d likely reached his ceiling as an NHL extra – particularly since the pandemic rushed him into pro hockey a year early and robbed him of development time.

Ludvig is a Canadian citizen but was born in Czechia, therefore he doesn’t count as an import signing for Pardubice. He hits pause on his NHL career for now with three goals, four assists, seven points, a -16 rating, 53 PIMs, and a 49.7 CF% in 41 appearances, averaging 12:02 per game when dressed.

He joins a Pardubice roster that boasts over 1,100 games of NHL experience thanks to veteran names like Vladimir Sobotka, Lukas Sedlak, Libor Hajek, and Jakub Zboril. The club has played exclusively in the top Czech or Czechoslovak league since records began, dating back to the 1937-38 campaign, and has made the Extraliga final in back-to-back seasons, losing both times.

Charles Hudon Signs With Djurgardens IF

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July 23: Djurgarden officially announced Hudon’s signing this morning. It’s a two-year contract, keeping him with the club through the 2026-27 season.

July 22: Minor-league scoring winger Charles Hudon is heading overseas for the second time in his career. Expressen’s Johan Svensson relays that the veteran forward is expected to join Djurgardens IF of the Swedish Hockey League in the coming days.

Hudon, 31, hasn’t been on an NHL contract or played an NHL game since going pointless in nine appearances with the Avalanche in 2022-23. He’s spent the last two seasons with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on a minor-league deal.

In Ontario, the 5’10” Hudon has continued to produce at an elite level, clicking at nearly a point per game with a 40-78–118 scoring line in 123 games. A fifth-round pick in 2012 by the Canadiens, Hudon has always been an electric scorer at the AHL level, posting 426 points in 503 games there in parts of nine seasons, but has rarely managed to stick around in an NHL lineup despite playing a physical game and logging average possession impacts when given the chance.

Hudon has 134 NHL games to his name, 125 of which came with Montreal. More than half of those were as a 23-year-old in the 2017-18 campaign, when he recorded a career-high 10 goals, 20 assists, and 30 points in 72 games for the Habs while averaging 14:02 per contest. He didn’t stick around in a top-nine role the following year, though, only scoring five points in 32 games before essentially falling off the NHL radar.

The Quebec native last played in Europe during the COVID-laced 2020-21 campaign, scoring 32 points in 33 games for Switzerland’s Lausanne HC. He’ll now join a Djurgarden team looking to make waves in the SHL after gaining promotion from the second-tier HockeyAllsvenskan.

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