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Joe Snively Signs With Djurgardens IF

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Free agent forward Joe Snively has signed a one-year contract with Djurgardens IF, the Swedish team announced via press release on Wednesday.

Snively has spent most of his career in the Capitals organization after initially signing an entry-level contract with Washington in March 2019. He signed a couple of more contracts with the Caps, including a two-year, one-way deal in 2022, before reaching unrestricted free agency last summer. The 29-year-old spent last season with the Red Wings on a two-way deal, clearing waivers during training camp and spending the entirety of the campaign on assignment to AHL Grand Rapids.

In his last three seasons for the Capitals, Snively appeared in a total of 27 NHL regular-season games, scoring six goals and 11 points in 11:40 of ice time per contest.

A diminutive 5’9″ left-winger who was an ECAC All-Star at Yale, Snively will play international hockey for the first time after three seasons of junior hockey with USHL Sioux City, four collegiate seasons, and six full professional campaigns in the NHL and AHL.

Snively had hovered around a point per game for AHL Hershey while in Washington’s system in recent years, but he managed only 21 goals and 47 points in 72 games for Grand Rapids in 2024-25. It’s not surprising to see Detroit show little interest in retaining him as a result.

The Virginia native pauses his AHL career with 219 points in 292 career minor-league games over the last seven years. He joins a Djurgarden team, likely headlined by 2025 No. 3 overall pick Anton Frondell, if he doesn’t make the Blackhawks’ roster, which is looking to stick in the top-level SHL after gaining promotion from the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier pro league, this year.

Panthers Sign Mackie Samoskevich To One-Year Deal

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The Panthers have re-signed restricted free agent winger Mackie Samoskevich to a one-year contract, per a press release from the team. It is a league minimum, one-way contract, according to PuckPedia.

Samoskevich was ineligible to sign an offer sheet as a 10.2(c) player with less than three years of professional experience after signing their entry-level contract at age 20. The Connecticut-born forward will now look to cash in as an RFA again next summer after what he hopes will be a step forward in 2025-26.

The 24th overall pick of the 2021 draft, Samoskevich was a full-time roster player last season after spending most of his first professional campaign in 2023-24 between the Panthers and AHL Charlotte. He finished 11th in Calder Trophy voting for Rookie of the Year, finishing ninth on Florida in scoring with 31 points (15 goals, 16 assists) in 72 games.

Samoskevich was a lineup fixture later in the regular season, particularly as a top-six replacement for the injured Matthew Tkachuk down the stretch. However, the return of Tkachuk and Brad Marchand to the lineup in the postseason meant he saw just four games of playoff action in Florida’s second straight Stanley Cup championship, as he was passed over for fourth-line duties in favor of more experienced players like Jesper Boqvist, Jonah Gadjovich, and A.J. Greer.

While it may be surprising to see Samoskevich settle for such a cheap deal after a strong regular season, he had virtually no leverage in negotiations thanks to his 10.2(c) status. With Florida over the salary cap, they were presumably only willing to sign him to a one-year, league minimum deal to give him a chance to earn more in talks in 2026. While his NHL salary is cheaper than his qualifying offer afforded him, it does guarantee his full salary, something a two-way QO would not have done.

The 22-year-old’s deal was the last pressing piece of business for the Cats – they still have a few unsigned RFAs in the organization, but they’re all destined for waivers in the fall if they re-sign. Now, general manager Bill Zito’s focus can be fully on getting the two-time defending champs cap-compliant for opening night.

Florida is $3.725MM over the upper limit with a full 23-player roster after signing Samoskevich, according to PuckPedia. They could kick the can down the road using long-term injured reserve if a player with a cap hit greater than $3.725MM won’t be ready to start the season, or they can offload a salary via trade.

Versatile top-nine forward Evan Rodrigues, who carries a $3MM cap hit for two more seasons, has been an oft-speculated candidate. Samoskevich could realistically replace his role outright, too.

But just clearing Rodrigues won’t open enough space for Florida – they’d have to waive a player as well, likely a depth forward like Gadjovich, Greer, or Tomas Nosek – and operate with just one extra skater to finish the job. Notably, Samoskevich is no longer exempt from waivers, so the Panthers would need to expose him to the wire to send him to the minors, a highly improbable outcome.

Image courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.

Stars Re-Sign Antonio Stranges

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The Stars have signed restricted free agent forward Antonio Stranges to a one-year deal, his agent, Gold Star Hockey’s Dan Milstein, announced Wednesday on X. PuckPedia reports it’s a two-way deal worth $775K in the NHL and $100K in the AHL.

Stranges, 23, was a fourth-round pick by Dallas in the 2020 draft. The skilled but inconsistent left-winger signed his entry-level contract near the end of his final junior season with the OHL’s London Knights in 2022.

The Michigan native’s development since turning pro in earnest three years ago has followed a linear track. He split an injury-plagued 2022-23 season between AHL Texas and ECHL Idaho, producing well at both levels when healthy. He’s stuck around in the AHL since, posting 23 games in 55 games two years ago before breaking out for an 18-25–43 scoring line in 55 games last season.

He’s still got a ways to go to prove he can be consistent enough of a scoring presence for a potential third-line role in Dallas down the line. He’s likely not a candidate to crack the opening night roster in the fall, but he will need to clear waivers if the Stars want to send him back to the minors. Another step forward in Texas in 2025-26 could put him in line for a one-way contract and an NHL job in 2026-27.

Despite his loads of professional experience, Stranges will again be a restricted free agent next summer, assuming the Stars choose to extend a qualifying offer to him again. He’ll still be too young to qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agent status.

Flames Re-Sign Sam Morton To Two-Way Deal

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The Flames have re-upped restricted free agent forward Sam Morton on a two-way contract, the team announced. It carries an NHL salary of $775K, but his minor-league salary wasn’t disclosed.

Morton, who turns 26 later this month, is coming off his first full professional season. Calgary signed the 6’0″ center to an entry-level contract last year as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State.

The Colorado native made a smooth adjustment to the pros, recording 20 goals and 25 assists for 45 points in 70 games for the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers last season after finishing 2023-24 with seven points in 13 games for them on a tryout. He finished third on the team in goals and was rewarded with his NHL debut in the Flames’ final game of the regular season, scoring a goal in 12:25 of ice time in a 5-1 win over the Kings.

His development curve doesn’t suggest he’ll top out as anything more than a bottom-six piece if he ever secures a full-time NHL role, but he’s at least solidified himself as valuable organizational depth from the get-go. Morton’s qualifying offer was worth $813,750 at the NHL level; he takes less than that here to secure what will presumably be a higher AHL salary in the six-figure range. He made $82,500 in AHL salary last season after his $95K signing bonus.

Morton will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights again next summer before he’s eligible to test the open market in 2027. The Flames still have a few RFAs to sign in Connor Zary, Rory Kerins, Yan Kuznetsov, and Jeremie Poirier.

William Dufour Signs With KHL’s Lada Togliatti

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After going non-tendered by the Avalanche, winger William Dufour has signed a contract with Russian club Lada Togliatti for 2025-26, the team announced.

Dufour, still just 23, was one of the Islanders’ better prospects not too long ago. The 6’3″, 212-lb winger was a fifth-round pick in 2020 but popped offensively in a big way in the junior ranks, leading the QMJHL in goals and being named the league’s MVP following a 2021-22 season with the Saint John Sea Dogs that saw him post a 56-60–116 scoring line in 66 games. He also led the Sea Dogs to that year’s Memorial Cup title as the host city and posted a point per game for Canada at the World Juniors en route to a gold medal.

He followed that up with a strong first professional season in 2022-23. He was among AHL Bridgeport’s leading scorers with 21 goals and 48 points in 69 games and even made his NHL debut, posting a minus-two rating in 6:48 of ice time in a loss to the Bruins on Jan. 18, 2023.

That stands as Dufour’s only NHL appearance. His offensive production has decreased sharply in the two years following that promising rookie showing, logging 25 points in 55 games with Bridgeport in 2023-24, before managing only eight goals and 18 points through his first 45 appearances of the following season. He was sent to Colorado in the deadline blockbuster that brought Brock Nelson to Denver as the Isles looked to gain some additional assets from the Avs and land Dufour a fresh start.

Instead, Dufour only had four points in 12 games with the Colorado Eagles to close out 2024-25. Despite his previous track record as an intriguing prospect, that was enough for the Avalanche to let him walk for nothing months after acquiring him.

The Quebec City native will now look for a different opportunity overseas. It’s rare to see a player so young take this route, but it does afford him enough development time to get his career back on track and legitimately eye an NHL return in the coming years.

He joins a Lada roster that lacks NHL pedigree outside of Bruins 2011 second-rounder Alexander Khokhlachev and Sharks undrafted free agent signing Danil Yurtaykin. The club’s 17-36-5-10 record last season was among the worst in the KHL.

Riley Nash Announces Retirement

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Longtime depth center Riley Nash has retired from the NHL, he told Tyler Lowey of Castanet Kamloops.

Nash, 36, was an unrestricted free agent after spending 2024-25 under contract with the Rangers. He didn’t play at all last season while rehabbing what he told Lowey were a “variety of knee injuries” he sustained during the previous year while on assignment to AHL Hartford, spending his final professional season on the non-roster list.

“With three wonderful young kids and the way my body has behaved over the past few years, it was time to take a step back as an older guy and let others chase their dream the same way I did,” he told Lowey. “I consider myself very fortunate to have played in front of my kids over the last few years. They helped me regain the passion and love for the sport I had as a kid. Now was the right time to step away.”

The 6’2″, 187-lb pivot was the No. 21 overall selection in the 2007 draft by the Oilers, although he elected not to sign with one of the two clubs from his native Alberta. After winning an ECAC championship with Cornell in his junior campaign in 2009-10, he saw his signing rights flipped to the Hurricanes for a second-round pick.

Nash signed with Carolina a few weeks later. While he ended up having a true journeyman’s career, he did have some stability early on in the Hurricanes organization. He spent six seasons there, seeing NHL ice in the latter five, recording 31 goals, 50 assists, and 81 points in 242 games before reaching free agency in 2016.

Nash went on to see NHL ice for the Bruins, Blue Jackets, Maple Leafs, Jets, Lightning, Coyotes, and Rangers. He spent nearly a decade as a full-time AHL piece, going from 2013-14 to 2020-21 without seeing a minor-league assignment, frequently anchoring third and fourth lines. His best season came on a high-powered Bruins squad in 2017-18, setting career-highs across the board with 15 goals, 26 assists, 41 points, and a +16 rating while averaging 15:25 per game.

He spent the last few seasons of his career as a complementary AHL piece, serving as an alternate captain for the Charlotte Checkers in 2022-23 before spending his final healthy campaign with the Rangers’ affiliate in Hartford in 2023-24.

Nash concludes his pro career with 628 NHL appearances, scoring 63 goals, 113 assists and 176 points with a -11 rating in 13:09 of ice time per contest. He also scored 193 points in 312 AHL games in parts of seven seasons.

All of us at PHR wish Nash the best in retirement.

Stars Hire Toby Petersen As AHL Head Coach

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The Stars have appointed Avalanche skills coach and former NHL forward Toby Petersen as the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars, according to a team release.

A ninth-round pick back in 1998, Petersen went on to spend parts of nine seasons in the NHL, including six with Dallas. He appeared in 398 regular-season games and 18 playoff games for the Penguins, Oilers, and Stars, scoring 34 goals and 82 points with a -40 rating. He played for the Texas Stars in the 2010-11, 2012-13, and 2013-14 seasons as his pro career wound down.

Petersen, 46, transitioned to coaching immediately after retiring as a player in 2014. He bounced around AHL benches, serving as an assistant for the Springfield Falcons (2014-15), Lake Erie/Cleveland Monsters (2015-17), and Rochester Americans (2017-20) before taking a few years away. He re-emerged as a skills coach for Colorado ahead of the 2023-24 season and had spent the last two years in Denver.

Petersen replaces Neil Graham, who recently earned a promotion to the NHL bench as an assistant. He’d been at the helm of the Texas program since a midseason promotion in 2019-20 and was twice named as a coach for the league’s All-Star Game (2023, 2024).

Red Wings Hire Michael Leighton As Goaltending Coach

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Former NHL netminder is joining Todd McLellan’s staff in Detroit and will serve as the Red Wings’ goaltending coach, according to a press release from the team.

It’s Leighton’s first NHL job and just his second coaching job. The 44-year-old ended his playing career in 2019 before serving as the goalie coach for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires from February 2022 through the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

He succeeds Alex Westlund, whom general manager Steve Yzerman said had been relieved of his duties in April. Westlund was Detroit’s goalie coach for the last three seasons and also held the role for the United States at the 2024 World Championship. Detroit had the only documented goalie coach vacancy in the league, so it’s unlikely he’ll find another NHL job for this season.

Leighton joins McLellan’s staff ahead of his first full season behind Detroit’s bench as head coach. He serves alongside assistants Alex Tanguay and Trent Yawney and video coordinator Jeff Weintraub.

The Ontario native was a No. 3 option for most of his NHL/AHL career but famously stepped into playoff action for the Flyers in 2010, leading them to the Stanley Cup Final. He surrendered the championship-winning goal to Patrick Kane, with whom he’ll now be in the same organization. The Ontario native posted a 37-43-14 record, four shutouts, a 2.97 GAA, and a .900 SV% in 110 NHL regular-season games for the Blackhawks, Predators, Flyers, and Hurricanes from 2002 to 2017.

Capitals Sign Milton Gästrin To Entry-Level Deal

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July 7: The Capitals have officially loaned to MoDo for the 2025-26 season, the team announced Monday. It’s unclear if he’ll participate in training camp in the fall.

July 3: We have our first signing from last week’s 2025 NHL draft. The Capitals announced they’ve signed forward Milton Gästrin to his three-year, entry-level contract. It pays him a $877.5K base salary, $97.5K signing bonus, and $85K minors salary each season for a cap hit of $975K, per PuckPedia.

Gästrin will be loaned back to his home country and play for MoDo Hockey of Sweden’s second-tier league in 2025-26, the team said. The playmaking forward was the No. 37 overall selection last Saturday, taken with a pick Washington acquired from the Bruins in the 2023 deadline trade that sent Dmitry Orlov to Boston.

Fresh off his 18th birthday yesterday, Gästrin was the No. 3 European skater in the draft as ranked by NHL Central Scouting and was a consensus late first/early second-round pick in public rankings. The 6’1″, 194-lb center won medals with Sweden at both the Hlinka Gretzky Cup (bronze) and the under-18 World Juniors (silver) last season, racking up 11 goals and 32 points in 19 games in international competition for the U-18 squad.

In league play, Gästrin spent most of the season with MoDo’s U-20 squad in Sweden’s top junior league, the J20 Nationell. He served as an alternate captain and finished second on the team in scoring with 42 points in 40 games, tying for the team lead in goals with 18. He also made his professional debut, making eight pointless appearances for MoDo in the SHL. He’ll transition to a full-time professional role this fall, facing easier competition in the HockeyAllsvenskan after MoDo was relegated at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Because Gästrin will be loaned to MoDo and won’t see NHL action this season, his entry-level deal will slide to 2026-27 and won’t count against the 50-contract limit for Washington this year. He will still earn his $97.5K signing bonus for 2025-26, though, decreasing the cap hit of the contract when it goes into effect. He’s young enough that the contract is slide-eligible twice, so the deal won’t go into effect until 2027-28 if he also plays fewer than 10 NHL games in 2026-27.

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