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Mammoth Sign Nate Schmidt, Brandon Tanev To Three-Year Deals

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The Mammoth have signed winger Brandon Tanev to a three-year, $7.5MM contract worth $2.5MM per season, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The team also announced they’ve signed defenseman Nate Schmidt to a three-year contract worth $3.5MM per season.

Just like last offseason, Utah is quickly solidifying its defensive core and strengthening the bottom six of its forward group. Impressively, Schmidt parlayed a one-year league minimum agreement with the Florida Panthers into a three-year contract with the Mammoth.

There’s reason to believe he’s earned that deal. Schmidt scored five goals and 19 points in 80 games for the Panthers last year with a +4 rating, while averaging 16:32 of ice time per game. His possession quality skyrocketed to a 57.4% CorsiFor% at even strength, and he’ll come to Salt Lake City as a Stanley Cup champion.

Unfortunately, Schmidt’s signing could spell the end for Juuso Välimäki’s time in Utah. After scoring four goals and 34 points in 78 games for the Arizona Coyotes in 2022-23, Välimäki’s output dropped to two goals and five points in 43 games with Utah last season. According to PuckPedia, the Mammoth now has nine defensemen signed to one-way contracts for the 2025-26 season. This supports the idea that Välimäki could be buried or traded to another organization.

Meanwhile, the Mammoth have also added Tanev, who was one of the better bottom-six options on the market this summer. He’s been a quality physical winger for the last several years, scoring 33 goals and 73 points in 227 games between the Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets, with 506 hits.

He has an element to his game that the Mammoth desperately need if they hope to make a statement next season. Utah only had five players deliver more than 100 hits last season, and one of them, Nick Bjugstad, already departed the team earlier today. Now, with Tanev in hand, the Mammoth could put together one of the game’s most physical lines by placing Tanev next to center Jack McBain.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article. 

Canadiens Sign Kaapo Kahkonen, Sammy Blais

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The Canadiens have signed goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen, per Frank Seravalli. It’s a one-year deal worth $1.15MM – equivalent to the maximum buriable salary, per Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic. The team confirmed that signing and also announced a one-year, one-way deal for winger Sammy Blais. Blais’ deal is worth the league minimum, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA.

Kahkonen will headline this move, stepping up as the veteran presence set to compete with young goaltenders Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler for the NHL backup role. The role winner will operate behind Sam Montembeault, who posted a .902 save percentage across 62 games this season. All three options could reasonably win out the role – Kahkonen for his years of experience, Dobes for a hot flash mid-season, and top prospect Fowler on the heels of an electric 2024-25 season.

Kahkonen will enter that competition on the heels of a full season in the minor leagues, split across tenures with three different clubs. His year began with the Colorado Eagles, though he only stuck with the club for two games and a .919 save percentage before being recalled for one NHL game, then subsequently claimed off of waivers by the Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg assigned Kahkonen to the Manitoba Moose, where he filled his hardiest role of the season. Kahkonen stepped in as Manitoba’s starter and posted a .885 save percentage and 6-14-2 record through 22 games. That slow start was enough to prompt a Trade Deadline move to the Florida Panthers in what was a one-for-one swap with goalie Chris Driedger. Kahkonen finished the year with a .906 save percentage in 12 games with the Charlotte Checkers. Another move, this time to Montreal, should open the door for Kahkonen to return to the heights of the NHL, though only in a backup role. He has previously recorded a .898 save percentage and 49-68-15 record in 140 career NHL appearances.

The path to NHL minutes may not be as clear for winger Sammy Blais, who spent the full season in a top-line role with the Calder Cup-winning Abbotsford Canucks. He was a persistent source of energy and physical presence all year long, ultimately finishing the regular season wit h14 goals and 40 points in 51 games. Not done yet, Blais then paved his way to 19 points and a staggering 77 penalty minutes in 23 games of Abbotsford championship run. It was the first title Blais has won since he joined the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues on their run to the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Blais has often been a bottom-line option at the NHL level, but has still amassed 71 points and 122 penalty minutes across 257 career games. His last NHL season saw him score seven points in 53 games, though he did manage a 20-point season in the year prior. Blais will be a bruising presence for Montreal’s fourth line, or a top-end feature of the Laval Rocket, on his new deal.

PHR’s Gabriel Foley contributed significantly to this article.

Blue Jackets Re-Sign Ivan Provorov To Seven-Year Deal

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July 1: Columbus has confirmed Provorov’s extension.

June 30: The Blue Jackets are keeping defenseman Ivan Provorov away from unrestricted free agency, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. It’s a seven-year deal worth $8.5MM per season for a total value of $59.5MM, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic.

In what has immediately set the market for other top-four defenseman in this free agency period, the Blue Jackets have given their minute-eating Russian defenseman a $1.75MM raise. Without knowing the full scope of the trade protection, if there is any, Provorov immediately becomes the team’s second-highest-paid defenseman, and will become an unrestricted free agent for his age-36 season after the 2031-32 campaign.

There are good reasons to believe that this contract will prove beneficial for both the player and the team over time. Although he’s in no danger of receiving a majority of the Norris Trophy votes, Provorov has been a remarkably consistent defenseman upon entering the league, dating back to his time with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Since his debut in the 2016-17 season, Provorov has scored 77 goals and 282 points in 696 career games with a -28 rating while averaging 23:46 of ice time per night. His career output averages out to 9 goals and 33 points with a -3 rating over 82 games. This past season with the Blue Jackets, Provorov scored seven goals and accumulated 33 points, matching his career averages.

He has consistently maintained a similar level in his advanced metrics as well. Throughout his nine-year career, Provorov has managed a 48.7% CorsiFor% at even strength and a 90.2% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Unfortunately, this contract is bound to have ramifications in one of two ways. If the Blue Jackets are content with having Zach Werenski and Provorov as their top-two options on the left side of their blue line, that will push youngster Denton Mateychuk to a bottom-pairing role. Given his performances from this past season, Mateychuk has already earned an opportunity in Columbus’ top-four.

If they’d like to keep the combination of Werenski and freshly signed Dante Fabbro, while creating a second-pairing of Mateychuk and Provorov, the Blue Jackets will inevitably have to put Damon Severson and Erik Gudbranson, making one of the most expensive third-pairings in the league. Still, there’s time for Columbus to move one or both pricey blueliners. At any rate, by retaining Provorov and Fabbro on multi-year deals, the Blue Jackets have put themselves in a position to thin out their defensive core.

Photo courtesy of Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images.

Penguins Sign Parker Wotherspoon To Two-Year Deal

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The Penguins have signed defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to a two-year, $2MM contract with a $1MM cap hit, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Irfaan Gaffar report.

Wotherspoon will head to Pittsburgh after climbing his way into the Boston lineup over the last two seasons. He’s had a 10-year pro career, but spent the first seven seasons fully with the Bridgeport Islanders. He stood as a heavy-set defender capable of making plays on both sides of the puck, and racking up lofty point and penalty minutes. Wotherspoon had a career-year in 2021-22, with 24 points and 127 penalty minutes across 57 games in Bridgeport — good for the team lead among the team’s defenders in both categories. It was on the heels of that season that Wotherspoon, then 25 years old, received his first taste of NHL action. He split the 2022-23 season between the NHL and AHL lineups, but only amassed one assist and one fight through the first 12 games of his NHL career.

The brief stint with the Islanders was enough to catch attention from across the Eastern Conference. The Bruins brought Wotherspoon in on a one-year, league-minimum contract in 2023 and again platooned him between the major and minor league rosters. He found a similar stride in a Bruins’ jersey, netting eight assists, 31 penalty minutes, and a plus-six through 41 NHL games in 2023-24. He added an additional two assists in 10 playoff games that year. The hardy role might not have resulted in electric scoring, but it was enough to earn Wotherspoon the clear role of Boston’s seventh-defenseman this season. He wasn’t assigned to the minors at any point this year – a career first – and even managed to score his first NHL goal en route to seven points, 10 penalty minutes, and a minus-10 in 55 games.

Wotherspoon will be a depth defender in Pittsburgh, but could offer up a reliable third-pair option behind Ryan Shea.

PHR’s Gabriel Foley contributed significantly to this article.

Blues Sign Nick Bjugstad To Two-Year Deal

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The Blues announced they’ve signed center Nick Bjugstad to a two-year, $3.5MM contract worth $1.75MM per season.

Scouring the free agent market for a third-line center, the Blues have found their man in Bjugstad. The former first-round pick of the 2010 NHL Draft is coming off a two-year stint with the Arizona Coyotes, and subsequently the Utah Mammoth, where he recorded 30 goals and 64 points in 142 games, averaging 15:04 of ice time per game and managing a 48.8% success rate in the faceoff dot.

Still, it was truly a tale of two years for the 13-year veteran. Bjugstad had the second-highest scoring output of his career during the 2023-24 campaign, only to see it fall to his fourth-worst last season. Furthermore, his 47.4% faceoff rate was the lowest of his career since his brief 13-game stretch with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2019-20 season.

His scoring depression has certainly led to the slight drop in salary compared to his last contract. However, Bjugstad displayed strong possession metrics in his last year in Salt Lake City, maintaining a 51.5% CorsiFor% at even strength, and quality defensive metrics with a 90.8% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, the Blues will be limited by their financial flexibility. Unless another move is made, Bjugstad will likely play between Jake Neighbours and Mathieu Joseph on the team’s third line.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article. 

Islanders Sign David Rittich, Ethan Bear

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The Islanders are inking free agent goaltender David Rittich to a deal, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports. The team announced it’s a one-year deal, although financial terms weren’t disclosed. Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reports it’s worth around $1MM. They’ve also signed defenseman Ethan Bear to a two-way deal with a $425K guarantee, per PuckPedia.

Rittich will join the Islanders as an insurance bet for veteran goalie Semyon Varlamov, who missed the bulk of the 2024-25 season due to a long-term, knee injury. Varlamov underwent surgery to address the issue in December, and has been rehabbing with a return in mind ever since. He wasn’t able to return in time for the end of the season, but has affirmed that he’ll be ready for training camp at the end of the summer.

Should Varlamov need additional time, the Islanders will be able to lean on Rittich to back up the heavy workload of Ilya Sorokin. Rittich spent the last two seasons backing up Cam Talbot and Darcy Kuemper with the Los Angeles Kings. He was tasked with stepping into 24 games of the 2023-24 season, then climbed to 34 games last year as Kuemper battled through injury. He found an interesting balance over two seasons in L.A., managing a stout .921 save percentage in his first year but a dismal .886 save percentage this season. His record fell positive in both seasons, ultimately totaling at 29-20-5 in 58 games.

The backup role in Los Angeles brought Rittich through his ninth season, and 230th game, in the NHL. He has appeared in stretches with the Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, and Toronto Maple Leafs in that span. In total, Rittich has amassed a .904 save percentage and 204-108-71 record. He’ll be a cheap third-string option that should help New York mitigate their trend of injury-riddled seasons.

The Islanders will also add Bear as an important piece of depth. The 28-year-old defenseman spent the entirety of the 2024-25 season with the AHL’s Hershey Bears, where he stood out as one of the best defenders across the minor leagues. He finished the season with 10 goals, 46 points, 30 penalty minutes, and a plus-33 through 62 games. That was enough to finish eighth among AHL defenders in points, and second in plus-minus. Bear struggled to find a hardy role through tenures with the Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, Vancouver Canucks, or Washington Capitals. With that said, he’s still managed a stout 67 points, 112 penalty minutes, and minus-14 through 275 appearances in the NHL. If he can find a strong groove, he could surge back to the NHL on an Islanders blue-line in need of right-side support.

Kraken Sign Ryan Lindgren To Four-Year Deal

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The Kraken have signed defenseman Ryan Lindgren to a four-year contract worth $4.5MM per season, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

This will mark Lindgren’s second move in just four months. He was previously traded to the Colorado Avalanche at the Trade Deadline alongside Jimmy Vesey, in a deal that landed the New York Rangers forward Juuso Parssinen, defenseman Calvin de Haan, and conditional second and fourth round draft picks. After starting the year with 19 points in 54 games with the Rangers, Lindgren finished the year with three points, a minus-one, and four penalty minutes in 18 games with the Avalanche. He also chipped in three assists and a plus-five to seven postseason games.

It was the postseason appearances that earned Lindgren recognition from around the league. He ranked second on the team in blocked shots (12) and looked like a hardy defensive addition behind Colorado’s all-out offense. That standing wasn’t enough to push the Avalanche beyond the first round, but it seemingly was enough to keep Lindgren top of mind for teams in need of hardy, depth defenders.

Lindgren has been in the league for the last seven seasons, all the while holding down a strong role on the Rangers’ second pairing. He was an active participant in New York’s defensive zone, even racking up as much as 141 blocked shots and 129 hits in a single year during the 2021-22 campaign. He continued to rival the century tally in both stats through the last three seasons, and even managed 128 blocks and 80 hits alongside a career-high 22 points between New York and Colorado this season.

Lindgren will step into Seattle seemingly looking to rival Josh Mahura and Ryker Evans for ice time as the team’s third-pair left-defender. He could also be a candidate to play on his off-hand side opposite of Evans – in an effort to shore up Seattle’s deprived right-side. With a play style that leans heavily against getting involved in the defensive end, Lindgren shouldn’t be much effected by the ask to play on the right-side – though additional moves could make his role for the 2025-26 campaign a bit more defined.

Maple Leafs Sign Michael Pezzetta To Two-Year Deal

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The Maple Leafs are signing winger Michael Pezzetta to a two-year contract, TSN’s Bob McKenzie reports. It’s a two-year deal with a cap hit of $787,500, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic.

Strictly playing in a fourth-line role with the Montreal Canadiens, Pezzetta finishes his tenure in Quebec with 15 goals and 38 points in 200 games, averaging 8:03 of ice time per game. Without producing much in the way of offense, Pezzetta was typically used in a defensive role when on the Canadiens roster, starting 54.8% of his shifts in the defensive zone, and maintaining a 90.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Unfortunately, after spending much of the last season as a healthy scratch, there was no real point for Pezzetta to remain in Montreal. In Toronto, he’ll play a similar role, and could again be a healthy scratch on most nights. Still, after trading Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights, the Maple Leafs have found themselves in a unique monetary position to add a host of depth players this offseason.

Over the past several years, due to the high-priced contracts for Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Marner, Toronto has typically had challenges procuring the necessary depth to last throughout the regular season. Starting with Pezzetta, the team aims to strengthen its bottom six so it does not remain a liability throughout the regular season and playoffs.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article. 

Bruins Sign Tanner Jeannot, Jordan Harris

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The Bruins have signed winger Tanner Jeannot to a five-year deal worth $3.4MM per season, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Friedman has also announced that the Bruins are nearing a contract with defenseman Jordan Harris, who played his collegiate hockey at Northeastern University. Anthony Di Marco of the Daily Faceoff reports that it’ll be a one-year, $825K agreement for Harris.

In one of the most surprising additions of the day, the Bruins have inked a long-term deal with a power forward who has disappointed greatly over the past three years. Still, there was a time when Jeannot was regarded as one of the better up-and-coming power forwards in the league. During the 2021-22 campaign, Jeannot scored 24 goals and 41 points in 81 games with the Nashville Predators, adding 318 hits.

Despite getting off to a slow start the following season, Jeannot commanded quite a haul at the following deadline. The Predators traded Jeannot to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a package including defenseman Cal Foote and five draft picks. Unfortunately, the trade immediately became a net loss for the Lightning, and Jeannot hasn’t been the same player since his breakout season.

Over the past three years, Jeannot has scored at a dismal pace compared to the 2021-22 campaign, scoring 20 goals and 45 points in 198 games between the Predators, Lightning, and Los Angeles Kings. Still, he’s maintained his physicality by throwing 712 hits in that time frame, but his shooting percentage has cratered to 9.0%.

He’s regarded as a quality defensive forward, but shouldn’t be considered for a higher role than any team’s third line, making this commitment by Boston all the more peculiar. At any rate, they’ve added considerable physicality to their bottom-six to a team whose entire brand is built around physical hockey.

Meanwhile, Harris joins the third organization of his career after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Haverhill, MA native returns home after spending the last four years with the Montreal Canadiens and Blue Jackets.

Still, he’s coming to Boston on the heels of a down season. In a depth role, Harris scored one goal and five points for Columbus in 33 games last season, averaging 11:23 of ice time per game. There is some reason for optimism, however, as Harris’s most recent season with the Canadiens saw him produce one goal and 14 points in 56 contests, when he averaged more than 17 minutes of ice time.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article. 

Flyers, Dan Vladař Agree To Terms On Two-Year Deal

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The Flyers have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with UFA goalie Daniel Vladař worth $3.35MM per season, per a team announcement.

After Jake Allen was taken off the market earlier this morning, Vladař became the best available option for the Flyers to fulfill their goaltending needs. He’s unlikely to take over the starting role outright in Philadelphia, but he should create a better tandem than they previously had with Samuel Ersson.

The shorter-term deal is likely some insurance for the Flyers, as it’s challenging to predict exactly what version of Vladař they’ll get. From 2022 to 2024, Vladař served as a backup and achieved a record of 35 wins, 21 losses, and 9 ties with the Flames, posting a SV% of .894 and a GAA of 3.05. Furthermore, his advanced metrics look even worse, considering his -20.1 Goals Saved Above Average in the same time frame.

Still, Vladař seemingly corrected many of his flaws this past season playing behind rookie Dustin Wolf. In the best season of his career, Vladař managed a 12-11-6 record in 30 games with a .898 SV% and 2.80 GAA, while securing a .586 quality start percentage.

Although those numbers wouldn’t typically generate much excitement, they’re far superior to anything the Flyers had available last season. Ersson recorded the highest save percentage on the team with a .883 line, while the team itself finished with a measly .879.

At the very least, Vladař should bring more stability to Philadelphia’s crease. Furthermore, the two-year arrangement gives the Flyers more breathing room to wait until their competitive window completely opens to add a bigger fish between the pipes.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article. 

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