Devils’ Arseny Gritsyuk Seeking Multi-Year Extension
According to a report from James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now, New Jersey Devils winger Arseny Gritsyuk is seeking a multi-year extension with the club. Nichols added that the interest is mutual, and the two sides are progressing well toward a new contract.
It’s safe to say that Gritsyuk’s first year with the Devils went well. New Jersey drafted Gritsyuk with the 129th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft, but had to wait a few years for him to play with the team, as he spent multiple seasons in the KHL. In his final KHL season, he had a solid performance, scoring 17 goals and earning 44 points in 49 games, while boasting a +22 rating with SKA St. Petersburg.
Entering the 2025-26 season, New Jersey had a significant need for additional scoring depth, which made the decision to bring Gritsyuk over to North America a relatively easy one. Additionally, his one-year, $925K contract made it a low-risk option for the Devils.
Despite some injury concerns, Gritsyuk provided the secondary scoring the Devils needed this season. In 66 games, the Krasnoyarsk, Russia native scored 13 goals and 31 points while averaging 15:10 of ice time per game. It wasn’t enough to turn New Jersey into a competitive team, but it was enough to finish eighth on the team in scoring.
The biggest concern with Gritsyuk’s play is his work on the defensive side of the puck. He finished with the highest CorsiFor on the team, but his defensive metrics were toward the bottom. That shows New Jersey controls the shot attempts more when he’s on the ice, but he doesn’t do much to stop the opposition from getting high-danger chances.
Still, the Devils’ lack of production in their middle-six is so severe that the front office is likely willing to overlook his defensive shortcomings if he continues to produce the way he did. If Gritsyuk can get to the 40-point mark consistently while being on New Jersey’s third line, it makes the extension an easy decision.
Canadiens Nearly Acquired Matthew Knies At Deadline
Around the trade deadline, it was reported that the Montreal Canadiens had completed a significant trade with an unidentified team; however, the other team was unable to file the trade by the 3 pm ET deadline. According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the trade partner is now known, with the outlet reporting the Canadiens and Maple Leafs had agreed to a trade for Matthew Knies back in March.
Pagnotta had the details on the proposed return package, too. The Canadiens were prepared to send Alexander Zharovsky, who recently won Rookie of the Year in the KHL, another top prospect, and two first-round selections to the Maple Leafs. It has been confirmed that neither Michael Hage nor David Reinbacher was the other prospect in the deal.
Had the trade been completed, it would have sent ripples around the league. For one, although he had been involved in trade rumors leading up to the deadline, it’s relatively shocking that the Maple Leafs would actually entertain trading Knies, and not building around him. He’s only 23 years old, is signed long-term, and has had two consecutive productive years with Toronto.
Furthermore, given Montreal’s lack of scoring depth became their Achilles heel in the Eastern Conference Final, Knies certainly would have changed their outlook. The Canadiens boast one of the best first lines in the league; however, their lack of a strong second line turned them into a one-dimensional team, and the Hurricanes dispatched them easily.
Having Knies, a young winger who has scored 52 goals and recorded 124 points in 157 games for the Maple Leafs over the past two years, would have provided Montreal with a significant asset to place alongside Ivan Demidov. Additionally, Knies was relatively productive in Toronto’s playoff run last year, scoring five goals and seven points in 13 games, while also delivering 31 hits.
While trade talks may potentially resume this summer, it is unlikely that they will do so. Brad Treliving, the Maple Leafs’ General Manager at the time, agreed to that trade. The Maple Leafs have since transitioned to a different regime under John Chayka.
Chayka has a mandate to keep captain Auston Matthews happy, or risk him asking for a trade out of town if Chayka can’t turn the team around. Trading Knies away for futures wouldn’t be conducive to that goal.
While it’s unlikely that the Canadiens will be able to pursue Knies this summer, it is clear that the team intends to be aggressive in reaching their next competitive stage. Given that they’re willing to trade with divisional opponents, Montreal may already be in touch with the Detroit Red Wings about their captain, Dylan Larkin, who requested a trade from the team earlier today.
Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski of Imagn Images.
Flyers Sign Jacob Gaucher To One-Year Contract
According to a report from PuckPedia, the Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Jacob Gaucher to a one-year, $850K contract for the 2026-27 season. Gaucher was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration rights.
Gaucher, 25, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Flyers back in 2024. The Longueuil, Quebec native spent most of his QMJHL days with the Val-d’Or Foreurs before spending his final season with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar while also serving as the team’s captain.
Unfortunately, Gaucher didn’t produce enough in the QMJHL to warrant a draft selection. He scored 35 goals and 68 points in 66 games during his final season in 2021-22, but he already turned 21 by that point.
In fact, it wasn’t until a successful campaign in the ECHL that any team became interested in giving him an NHL contract. Before the 2022-23 season, Gaucher signed an AHL deal with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, yet he spent the entire year with the Reading Royals, scoring 22 goals and 61 points in 71 games with a +22 rating.
After that year, the Flyers felt comfortable giving him a two-year, two-way contract, but he’s still spent much of his time in the AHL since. He’s been a solid secondary scorer, registering 48 goals and 90 points in 198 games with the Phantoms, but has zero points to show for in eight NHL contests with the Flyers.
His next contract should offer him a similar role. The Phantoms didn’t have the best season, finishing four points shy of a spot in the Calder Cup playoffs, but Gaucher finished fourth on the team in scoring, and the organization likely has an interest in retaining the handful of players that performed well this season.
Free Agent Focus: Florida Panthers
Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. Even with the UFA crop being thinned out in recent months, there will be some quality veterans set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Panthers.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Mackie Samoskevich – Fortunately, the Panthers only have one restricted free agent to worry about this offseason. Despite being drafted in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft, Samoskevich has failed to turn into a true top-six talent, even with increased ice time this past season. The 23-year-old winger scored 12 goals and 32 points in 77 games with Florida this season, remarkably similar to his output during the 2024-25 campaign. Still, his possession metrics have remained solid, and he’s not a slouch in the defensive zone. Assuming a healthy roster next season, Florida could do a lot worse than Samoskevich as a tertiary scoring threat.
Other RFAs: F Cole Schwindt, D Donovan Sebrango, F Ben Steeves, F Wilmer Skoog, F Oliver Okuliar, D Tobias Bjornfot, D Michael Benning, D Evan Nause, D Mikulas Hovorka, G Cooper Black
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
G Sergei Bobrovsky – It appears that the seven-year relationship between the Panthers and Bobrovsky will end this summer. The 37-year-old netminder is coming off the worst season of his NHL career, and is intent on playing into his 40’s, seeking a multi-year deal on the open market. Still, outside of Bobrovsky, Florida doesn’t have any other goaltenders in their system to rely upon. The front office may already have a succession plan in place, but it’s clear they have little appetite to meet Bobrovsky’s asking price. He’s only one year removed from helping the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, so he should have some interest on the open market.
F A.J. Greer – Of all the depth forwards Florida had to utilize this season, Greer was arguably the best. The 29-year-old had a career season, scoring 17 goals and 32 points in 78 games, averaging 12:26 of ice time. Additionally, Greer is incredibly physical, finishing first on the team with 203 hits this season. Given his performance this season, Greer has likely priced himself off the Panthers roster. There will be a market for a forward of his archetype, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him sign a longer-term deal with a smaller AAV, similar to William Carrier of the Carolina Hurricanes a few years ago.
G Daniil Tarasov – The compounding issue with Bobrovsky’s impending free agency is that Florida’s backup is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, too. Still, it should be far more feasible, financially speaking, to retain Tarasov. Throughout his first year with the Panthers, Tarasov finished with a 13-15-3 record with a .895 SV% and 3.05 GAA. It didn’t show enough to take the reins from Bobrovsky, but it was good enough to warrant another backup role next season.
Other UFAs: F Vinnie Hinostroza, F Tomas Nosek, F Luke Kunin, F Noah Gregor, F Nolan Foote, F Jack Studnicka, G Louis Domingue
Projected Cap Space
Heading into the summer, Florida will have just over $15.2MM to work with. Unfortunately, most of that will be allocated to giving Samoskevich a new contract and building a new goaltending tandem. Still, the Panthers already have 12 forwards and six defensemen signed through next season. Assuming everyone is healthy, which is a dangerous assumption after this past season, Florida won’t need to go big game hunting this offseason outside of goaltending. They’ll be able to spend the rest of the few dollars on bringing in new depth players or keeping the old ones.
Photos courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig (Samoskevich) and Mark Alberti (Greer) of Imagn Images. Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.
Free Agent Focus: Edmonton Oilers
Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. Even with the UFA crop being thinned out in recent months, there will be some quality veterans set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Oilers.
Key Restricted Free Agents
D Spencer Stastney – On the same day the Oilers acquired Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins, they acquired Stastney from the Nashville Predators for a 2027 third-round pick. At the time, Edmonton believed that Stastney would become a younger version of Brett Kulak, who was sent to the Penguins in the Jarry trade. Unfortunately, that’s not how things worked out. Stastney registered one goal in 36 games for Edmonton down the stretch, while his CorsiFor% and on-ice SV% took a nosedive. Still, given that they don’t have much defensive depth in the system, the Oilers will likely tender Stastney a contract for next season and keep him around on a short-term deal with the hope that his game can improve as he grows more comfortable in Alberta.
F Colton Dach – It’s tough to make an accurate judgment on Dach’s time with the Oilers. He was good when he played, scoring two goals and four points in eight games, but suffered a long-term injury almost immediately after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the deadline. In a similar rationalization to retaining Stastney, Edmonton will likely keep Dach around for cost-controlled depth. Assuming they keep Dach, the Oilers will already have 12 forwards signed through next season, allowing them to allocate dollars elsewhere.
Other RFAs: F Roby Jarventie, F Josh Bloom, F Matvei Petrov, F Owen Michaels, G Connor Ungar
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
F Jack Roslovic – After scoring 22 goals for the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2024-25 campaign, Roslovic was hoping to parlay that performance into a multi-year deal. Unfortunately for him, no teams took the bait, and he waited until early October to sign a one-year, $1.5MM contract with the Oilers. Edmonton gave him a full no-movement clause, with a four-team trade list beginning on November 1st. The thought was that the Oilers would give Roslovic a month with the team and trade him to his preferred destination once Zach Hyman returned from injury. Instead, Roslovic spent the entire season with Edmonton, scoring 21 goals and 36 points in 69 games. Assuming he’s looking for another multi-year deal this summer, Roslovic’s time with the Oilers will likely end with a one-year stint.
D Connor Murphy – Acquired from the Blackhawks at the deadline, Murphy played relatively well throughout his short duration with the Oilers. The aging veteran registered one goal and four points in 20 games, while throwing 51 hits in over 20 minutes of action a night. In the postseason, Murphy added another two goals and three points in six games. Still, it’s clear that Murphy’s foot speed has taken multiple steps back, and even though Edmonton could use additional defensive depth, their cap space would be better spent bringing in additional speed on the blue line.
G Connor Ingram – After taking the starter’s crease from Jarry after the Olympic break, Ingram was the saving grace of the Oilers’ season for some time. He wasn’t great, but he provided just enough with an 11-6-2 record in 19 games with a .901 SV% and 2.55 GAA. Assuming the Oilers let Pickard walk this summer, Ingram would be a good bet to be Edmonton’s third-string option next season, or backup if they’re able to move off Jarry’s contract, if he’s open to staying.
Other UFAs: F Adam Henrique, F Curtis Lazar, F Jason Dickinson, F Kasperi Kapanen, F Max Jones, F Samuel Poulin, F James Hamblin, D Cam Dineen, G Calvin Pickard
Projected Cap Space
All things considered, the Oilers’ salary cap outlook isn’t horrible. Entering the offseason, Edmonton will have approximately $14.5MM in salary cap space. Including Dach, the team already has 12 forwards signed through next season, and six defensemen, including Stastney. That’ll allow Edmonton to nibble around the edges of the free agent market to bolster their depth, but they won’t have much wiggle room to make any mistakes. Given that space, Edmonton should take every opportunity to pursue free agent Sergei Bobrovsky or trade for Juuse Saros or Jordan Binnington, with the benefit of not having to match salary.
Photos courtesy of Perry Nelson (Stastney) and Walter Tychnowicz (Roslovic) of Imagn Images. Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.
Off-Ice Notes: MacFarland, Campbell, Julien
There was plenty revealed in today’s introductory press conference for the new President of Hockey Operations and General Manager for the Nashville Predators, Chris MacFarland. Although the Colorado Avalanche let MacFarland interview with the Predators and subsequently let him join the Central Division rival, they didn’t do so without a fight.
According to Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean, the Avalanche made multiple extension offers to MacFarland. Regardless, despite their attempts, Colorado was unwilling to give him a promotion, and that, along with the six-year term by Nashville, persuaded MacFarland to leave.
Additionally, Daugherty shared that a buyout was not needed for MacFarland. The NHL eliminated teams’ ability to send compensation to another team for hiring an executive, meaning the Avalanche allowed MacFarland to walk out of the final year remaining on his contract to take the role in Nashville.
Additional off-ice notes:
- After firing most of their coaching staff, the Vancouver Canucks are looking to build their bench from the ground up. The Canucks have already promoted Manny Malhotra from the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks to take over head coaching duties, but still need to fill in a couple of assistant coaching positions. To that end, Adam Kierszenblat of The Hockey News reported that Vancouver is interested in hiring Jessica Campbell for an assistant coaching position after she moved on from the Seattle Kraken a few weeks ago.
- According to a report out of Switzerland, longtime NHL coach Claude Julien has been hired by the NL’s ZSC Lions as the team’s next head coach. A former Stanley Cup champion with the Boston Bruins in 2011, Julien has spent the last few years as an assistant coach for the St. Louis Blues. Outside of his lengthy coaching career in North America, Julien briefly served as a senior advisor for the NL’s HC Ambrì-Piotta in the 2022-23 season.
Maple Leafs Interested In Vincent Trocheck
After the news that center Max Domi would be out indefinitely after offseason surgery, the Toronto Maple Leafs have already begun perusing the trade market for a second-line center. According to Mollie Walker of the New York Post, the Maple Leafs have reached out to the New York Rangers to gauge the price for Vincent Trocheck.
It’s a peculiar idea for a few reasons. Toronto finished 28th in the league after a disastrous 2025-26 season, and many believed they would undergo a brief retool instead of simply running the team back with outside additions. Secondly, of all the needs that the Maple Leafs have, center isn’t one of them.
Although the Maple Leafs finished the year with Domi as their second-line center, that was only because captain Auston Matthews underwent surgery to repair a torn MCL. Considering a 12-week recovery timeline in March, it’s certain that Matthews will begin the 2026-27 season on schedule. Additionally, once Matthews does return, veteran John Tavares is expected to resume his role as Toronto’s second-line center.
Still, there’s no question why the Maple Leafs, or any other team for that matter, would be interested in Trocheck. He’s locked in for three more years at an affordable $5.625MM salary and is coming off another productive season in which he scored 16 goals and 53 points in 67 games with a 56.9% faceoff percentage.
Regardless, despite making Trocheck available at the trade deadline and planning to do so again this summer, General Manager Chris Drury remains firm in his asking price. It’s well known that New York wants a young NHL-caliber player, plus additional assets, for Trocheck.
Ideally, among all the players on the Maple Leafs, the Rangers would likely target Matthew Knies as a return package. At this point, that doesn’t seem like something Toronto would entertain, nor should they.
Theoretically, the Maple Leafs could package forward Nicholas Robertson, prospect defenseman Ben Danford, and Colorado’s conditional first-round pick in 2027, along with additional assets. However, even if New York were interested in such a trade, it would only provide short-term gains for Toronto and wouldn’t position them as favorites for the Stanley Cup. This approach would involve further mortgaging of their future.
If new General Manager John Chayka is intent on getting the Maple Leafs back to postseason contention next season, their main targets should be on defense. Toronto had the most shots against of any team this year by a wide margin, and it’s beyond clear that their defensive corps is not up to par.
Given that Danford is widely considered NHL-ready, and assuming they want to be aggressive, Toronto should allow him to crack the opening night roster and package additional assets for another defenseman or two.
Canucks Sign Ilya Safonov To One-Year Contract
According to a team announcement, the Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Ilya Safonov to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 NHL season. According to PuckPedia, Safonov will earn an $850K salary at the NHL level and an $87.5K salary in the AHL. Additionally, he’s owed $100K in the form of a signing bonus.
Safonov, 25, was drafted 172nd overall in the 2021 NHL Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. For a few years, it appeared that Safonov might remain in Russia for his professional career, and the Blackhawks traded his signing rights to the Canucks last year for future considerations.
After an impressive 2022-23 season with the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan, where he registered 19 goals and 37 points in 64 games, Safonov had a pair of down years. He barely exceeded his scoring output from the 2022-23 campaign, scoring 20 goals and 42 points in 118 games with a +20 rating.
However, the Murmansk, Russia native got back on track this year, scoring 16 goals and 33 points in 68 games with a +18 rating. In the Gagarin Cup playoffs, he tacked on two goals and nine points in 20 games, helping Ak Bars Kazan to the Gagarin Cup Final.
Given how the Canucks are constructed heading into the 2026-27 season, Safonov should be afforded every opportunity to make the team’s roster out of training camp. He’s a natural center, but could potentially move to the wing if it gives him more ice time at the NHL level. Regardless, whether it be in Vancouver or with the Abbotsford Canucks, Safonov will be playing in North America next season.
Central Notes: Sakic, Koivu, Holmes
Following today’s news that General Manager Chris MacFarland would be leaving the Colorado Avalanche to join their division rival, the Nashville Predators, speculation began regarding who would take over as the team’s General Manager in Denver. As it turns out, the search for a new General Manager only took a few minutes.
According to Bailey Curtis of DNVR Avalanche, the Avalanche sent out a public relations memo indicating that President of Hockey Operations Joe Sakic would resume his role as the team’s General Manager. The franchise legend has already served as the team’s General Manager for eight years, and is largely credited with building the Colorado team that won the Stanley Cup in 2022. Although he retained his right to have the final call on roster decisions, Sakic hasn’t formally held the title since the Avalanche hired MacFarland in 2022.
Still, the memo didn’t indicate that it would be a long-term arrangement. It specifically stated that Sakic would be the General Manager through the 2026 NHL Draft and the beginning of the 2026-27 campaign. Colorado could wait until next offseason to promote from within, or hire a General Manager from outside the organization next year.
Additional notes from the Central Division:
- Long-time captain for the Minnesota Wild, Mikko Koivu, is returning to the Central Division — just not with Minnesota. According to a team announcement, the St. Louis Blues have hired Koivu to serve as a European development consultant. The Blues’ press release indicated that Koviu will assist with development plans for European prospects drafted by St. Louis. He has been working as an assistant and development coach for the Finnish Liiga’s TPS, alongside his older brother, Saku Koivu.
- A Chicago Blackhawks prospect is on the move in the OHL. According to a league announcement, the Sarnia Sting have acquired forward Parker Holmes from the Brantford Bulldogs for a 2028 third-round pick and a 2028 sixth-round pick. Holmes was taken with the 107th overall pick of the 2025 NHL Draft by the Blackhawks, and scored six goals and 17 points in 49 games for the Bulldogs this past season.
Aaron Ness Announces Retirement
According to an announcement from the AHL’s Hershey Bears, defenseman and captain Aaron Ness has retired. Ness has a handful of games of NHL experience, though most of his professional days were spent in the AHL.
Ness’ professional career began in 2008, being selected with the 40th overall pick of that summer’s draft by the New York Islanders. Drafted out of the famous Minnesota state high school hockey pipeline, Ness jumped to the NCAA’s University of Minnesota the next season. He spent three years with the Golden Gophers, scoring six goals and 43 points in 111 games.
After his junior season, Ness signed his entry-level contract with the Islanders and began playing for their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. During his time with the Islanders organization, he spent most of it with the Sound Tigers, where he was named the team’s captain for the 2014-15 season. He had the second-best production of his AHL career that year, scoring eight goals and 45 points in 74 games.
Additionally, Ness earned an extended look in the NHL with New York. During the 2013-14 season, in a depth role, Ness registered one goal and three points in 20 games for the Islanders, averaging 14:48 of ice time per game. Unfortunately, that relationship didn’t last much longer, and Ness left as a free agent in 2015 to join the Washington Capitals.
The Capitals organization is where Ness enjoyed the best years of his career. From the beginning of the 2015-16 campaign to the 2017-18 season, Ness skated in 18 games for the Capitals while tallying three assists. Similar to his time with the Islanders, Ness spent most of his time in the AHL, this time with the Hershey Bears.
Ahead of the 2019-20 campaign, Ness signed with the Arizona Coyotes and left after two seasons to sign an AHL deal with the Providence Bruins. After his one-year stint in Rhode Island, Ness returned to the Bears on another AHL deal.
Now in his second stint with Hershey, Ness was immediately given a leadership position on the club and was named the team’s captain last season. He helped the Bears capture back-to-back Calder Cup championships in 2023 and 2024.
In total, Ness has a modest NHL scoring line of one goal and seven points in 72 games. Still, he amassed 61 goals and 339 points in 818 AHL games, with another two goals and 19 points in 81 postseason contests. Including his two Calder Cup rings, Ness enjoyed a 15-year career in the AHL, with over half of those being spent with the Bears. We at PHR congratulate Ness on his career and wish him the best in his next chapter.