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Extension Notes: Connor, McDavid, Kempe

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Unlike what transpired between the Winnipeg Jets and his former teammate, Nikolaj Ehlers, there’s more optimism in Manitoba that winger Kyle Connor will eventually sign a long-term extension to remain with the Jets. Unfortunately, extension negotiations between Connor and Winnipeg have been quiet this summer, as Frank Seravalli reported a few weeks ago.

Still, that’s expected to change, as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported today that extension talks could begin as early as this week, and a baseline salary has already been set. Pagnotta believes that Connor will earn at least $10MM a year on his next contract, and it will likely be on a longer-term deal.

That salary would quickly become the highest on the Jets, beating out the $8.5MM AAVs for Mark Scheifele and Connor Hellebuyck. Regardless, it should be a more than palatable price for Winnipeg, given that Connor has been a higher-than-a-point-per-game player for the last five years, while crossing the 90-point plateau twice. Meanwhile, even at a record-setting salary for the team, Connor would only be the fifth-highest-paid winger in the league.

Other extension notes:

  • Although some noise was made at Team Canada’s Olympic orientation camp regarding Connor McDavid’s extension talks with the Edmonton Oilers, not much was made about the potential length of a new contract. McDavid signed a max-term eight-year contract with the Oilers back in 2017, but Pagnotta doesn’t believe that’ll be the case this time around. He asserts that the industry belief is that McDavid will prioritize a three-to-five-year deal, with the idea that a five-year deal would cost the Oilers approximately $17MM a year. Should McDavid’s camp push the term lower, his salary could reach the $20MM per season mark.
  • Playing out the final year of one of the team-friendliest contracts in the league, Adrian Kempe of the Los Angeles Kings is eligible for an extension. Given that the Kings could be in the final year with franchise legend Anže Kopitar, Los Angeles should be prioritizing Kempe’s extension. In a minor update on the negotiations, Pagnotta notes that Kempe is seeking an eight-year, $80MM extension, while the Kings have countered with an eight-year, $72MM offer. Given that the two sides are only $1MM apart on AAV, it should be a bridgeable gap, meaning an agreement shouldn’t be too far away.

East Notes: Hutson, Milano, Spicer

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In a recent article on The Athletic, Corey Pronman ranked 173 players under the age of 23 who are currently on NHL teams’ reserve lists. This means that these players may not be playing for their respective teams just yet. In a major snub to the reigning Calder Memorial Trophy winner, Pronman ranked Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson 34th on that list, lower than eight other defensemen.

Hutson finished the 2024-25 campaign with six goals and 66 points in 82 games, tying Larry Murphy’s rookie assist record for defensemen from the 1980-81 campaign. Not only did Hutson receive 150 more first-place votes than the next closest (Dustin Wolf) in rookie of the year voting, but he also made some noise in the Norris Trophy voting, finishing ninth in voting with one third-place vote, five fourth-place votes, and 22 fifth-place votes.

Pronman acknowledged Hutson’s scoring prowess, but based much of his ranking on Hutson’s defensive quality. In the article, Pronman said, “He’s a small defenseman without high-end feet or physicality. He works hard, but he can get bullied in physical play, and without high-end athletic traits, he will have trouble defending the fastest, strongest forwards, especially in the playoffs.”

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • After being limited to just three games during the 2024-25 season due to an upper-body injury, Washington Capitals forward Sonny Milano is continuing to work his way back to the team’s lineup. The Capitals aren’t setting any hard guidelines for the quality of his play when he returns, only hoping that he eventually does return. Tom Gulitti of NHL.com shared a quote from head coach Spencer Carbery, saying, “The way I look at Sonny right now is I’m looking at it from a standpoint of him just getting back into practice and game action and going from there. There’s no unrealistic expectations of him. Not putting any pressure on him. We just want him to get into camp, feel good health-wise and just take it from there.“
  • The defending National Champions, the Western Michigan University Broncos, have earned a commitment from a Boston Bruins prospect. The Broncos announced that Cole Spicer, who last played for the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints, will join the program for the 2025-26 NCAA season. Despite playing in the USHL last year, Spicer has prior NCAA experience, suiting up in 49 games for the University of Minnesota-Duluth from 2022 to 2024.

Metro Notes: Hart, Laperrière, Fehérváry

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In late July, after the non-guilty verdict was announced, the NHL shared that none of the five players acquitted in the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial would be permitted back into the league upon further investigation. Still, that hasn’t negated interest from some teams, especially around Carter Hart.

According to a new article from The Fourth Period, David Pagnotta reports that the Philadelphia Flyers and several other teams are interested in signing Hart, awaiting the NHL’s decision on his eligibility. Regardless of the NHL’s eventual ruling, it is notable that nearly two years have passed since Hart and the other four players participated in competitive hockey, making it almost impossible to project their future value.

Before stepping away from the Flyers during the 2023-24 season, Hart had enjoyed a relatively successful career at the NHL level. The former 48th overall pick of the 2016 NHL Draft had spent six years in Philadelphia before that point, managing a 96-93-29 record in 218 starts with a .906 SV% and 2.94 GAA. Meanwhile, despite being outed in Round Two by the New York Islanders, Hart’s first trip through the postseason in 2020 was a bright spot in his career, collecting a 9-5-0 record in 14 games with a .926 SV% and 2.23 GAA.

Other notes from the Metropolitan Division:

  • After spending the last 16 years within the Flyers organization as both player and coach, Ian Laperrière is finally moving on. Earlier today, Anthony Di Marco of the DailyFaceoff reported that Laperrière is joining the Islanders as a professional scout. Seeking the head coaching position of the Flyers this summer, Laperrière was removed from his post as head coach of the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, but retained by the Flyers as an advisor. Regardless, Laperrière has finally decided to leave the organization altogether.
  • In late April, the Washington Capitals lost defenseman Martin Fehérváry for their entire playoff run on the last game of the regular season due to knee surgery. There were concerns at the time that Fehérváry may miss a few games of the 2025-26 season, but that no longer appears to be the case. Sammi Silber of the DC Backcheck reported that Fehérváry skated today, but was still donning a non-contact jersey. The Capitals are taking his recovery slowly, which is fairly typical for the summer months, with the hope that he’ll return on time for the upcoming campaign.

Calgary Flames Hire Dave Lowry As Assistant Coach

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Earlier today, the Calgary Flames announced they’ve hired Dave Lowry as an assistant coach. Lowry will replace assistant coach Brad Larsen, who has stepped away from the team due to familial reasons.

Lowry has been well-ingrained in southern Alberta since the waning days of his professional playing career. After a 15-year career that saw stops with the Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Florida Panthers, and San Jose Sharks, Lowry signed with the Flames as a free agent ahead of the 2000-01 NHL season, spending his first two years with the organization as the team’s captain. Although he would have the captaincy stripped from him in favor of Craig Conroy and later, Jarome Iginla, Lowry finished his career with Calgary, playing in 10 games of their 2004 Stanley Cup Final run.

Remaining in Calgary after his playing career, Lowry spent four years as an assistant coach with the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen before joining the Flames in a similar role from 2010 to 2012. Unfortunately, under the stewardship of head coach Brent Sutter, Calgary didn’t reach the playoffs in any of the years with Lowry on the staff. After Sutter was relieved of his duties, Lowry also left to take the head coaching position with the WHL’s Victoria Royals, where he remained through the 2016-17 season.

Despite a one-year stint as head coach of the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings during the 2019-20 season, Lowry has been in the NHL ever since, serving as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings, Winnipeg Jets, and Seattle Kraken. During his time with the Jets, Lowry briefly served as the team’s head coach after Paul Maurice stepped down during the 2021-22 season. Under Lowry, the Jets managed a 26-22-8 record in 54 games, missing the postseason by eight points.

Returning to Calgary, Lowry ends a 13-year hiatus from the club. Unfortunately, Lowry’s return is somewhat bittersweet, as Larsen had to leave the organization after only one year. Before joining the Flames last season, Larsen had enjoyed a lengthy run with the Columbus Blue Jackets, serving as the team’s assistant coach from 2014 to 2021 and head coach from 2021 to 2023.

Devils, Luke Hughes At An Impasse Regarding Contract Length

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Aug. 30th: Speaking directly about the negotiations with Hughes in a recent interview with James Murphy of RG Media, Devils General Manager Tom Fitzgerald was quoted as saying, “Eventually, this will get done. The 11th hour is training camp. Right? A lot of times, a lot of the stuff doesn’t get done until the 11th hour. We’re hoping we can get something done here in quick fashion, and both sides are working hard at it; that’s for sure.”

Although he didn’t indicate that this was something that Hughes’ camp was directly threatening, Fitzgerald did acknowledge the possibility of a holdout, saying, “At the end of the day, when really the only leverage the player has at this point in their career is holding out, that stinks. I don’t think anyone wins, quite honestly, when that happens. So Pat and I are trying hard to get this thing to come to some common ground.”

Aug. 29th: Aside from Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks, defenseman Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils is objectively the highest-profile restricted free agent remaining from this summer’s class. Unfortunately, according to Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com, Hughes is expected to remain an RFA unless heavy concessions are made on either side regarding the length of his next contract.

According to Novozinsky’s report, the Devils are focusing on either a two-year bridge deal or a longer-term eight-year extension for Hughes, while the defenseman is requesting a five-year contract. A five-year contract would walk Hughes into unrestricted free agency after the 2029-30 season, the same time that his brother, Jack Hughes, would also become a UFA.

That would only escalate the speculation this offseason regarding the brothers’ desire to play together at some point during their NHL careers. Still, the eldest brother, Quinn Hughes, would have already signed an extension with the Vancouver Canucks, or joined a different organization via free agency by that time.

Regardless of the contract length, New Jersey has some work to do regarding Hughes’ eventual salary. If the Devils acquiesce to Hughes’ contract length demands, it’s unrealistic to assume he would sign for a $6MM AAV, which would be the maximum salary the Devils could afford at the time being. Theoretically speaking, New Jersey can exceed the upper limit of the salary cap by 10% over the summer months, but it would only kick the can down the road to the start of the regular season.

That’s likely why the Devils are prioritizing a shorter-term bridge deal for Hughes, which will likely become the eventual compromise between the two sides. Hughes could pursue a three-year deal in a few years, aligning his request to become an unrestricted free agent with Jack’s timeframe. New Jersey would certainly like to keep both players in the Garden State throughout their careers, but their negotiating power will be significantly restricted once Luke becomes eligible for arbitration.

At any rate, the clock is ticking for both sides. Training camp is only a few weeks away, and this isn’t something that either side will want to drag into the regular season. Ultimately, one side will have to become flexible so that Hughes can start the year on time.

Sabres Face Difficult Decision With Isak Rosen

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It was only a few years ago that the Buffalo Sabres selected forward Isak Rosen with the 14th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. Unfortunately, since then, he’s earned very little playing time at the NHL level, despite achieving successful AHL campaigns.

In a recent mailbag from Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News, a question was answered on Rosen, to which Lenzi argued that the Sabres could be better off trading Rosen rather than trying to make him work in the top six. Although Rosen has shown considerable talent with the AHL’s Rochester Americans, he’s unlikely to beat out any of Buffalo’s forwards for a top-six role as the roster is currently constructed.

Still only 22, Rosen has spent the last three years in North America after departing from the SHL’s Leksands IF. Since then, Rosen has recorded 62 goals and 142 points in 194 regular-season games with Rochester, along with 11 additional goals and 16 points in 27 playoff contests.

Despite that track record, the Sabres have only given Rosen 15 opportunities in Buffalo, leading to only one assist while averaging 9:09 of ice time per game. Not having the skill set for a bottom-six role, the Sabres are left with very few options for Rosen if they’re unwilling to give him more ice time.

There are a few teams that could have interest in Rosen for a top-six role, with the Edmonton Oilers standing out as an interesting fit. Given that winger Zach Hyman is unsure if he’ll start the regular season on time, Rosen could be a sufficient stopgap in the Oilers’ top-six, especially if Isaac Howard’s transition to the NHL is less than ideal.

Although it’s been quiet on the trade front for a few weeks, the Sabres could conceivably get quite the haul in a deal, especially if they’re willing to include Rosen in a Bowen Byram trade. There’s no indication a deal is close, or still being considered, but Buffalo may now have another arrow in its quiver.

There’s certainly no rush for the Sabres to trade Rosen, as they hold his contractual rights for the next few years. Still, they’re getting dangerously close to Rosen simply being a very good AHL piece, without ever having developed the necessary skill to play at the game’s top level.

Islanders’ Daniil Prokhorov Signs In KHL

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Much has been made this summer of the New York Islanders’ selections in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, but one of their picks from the second round is on the move today. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, forward prospect Daniil Prokhorov has signed a two-year, two-way deal with the KHL’s Dynamo Moskva.

Prokhorov has spent the last two years playing for MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg in the MHL, which led to his selection with the 42nd overall pick in this summer’s draft. Over that time, he scored 27 goals and 43 points in 79 games, with most of his goals coming from being an impressive net-front presence.

Due to the structure of his new deal in Russia, Prokhorov will likely spend a significant amount of time in the VHL rather than the KHL, which is the top-affiliated league in Russia. He has the goal-scoring ability to make an impact in the KHL, though his 6’6″, 218lbs frame understandably limits his mobility on the ice, and his foot speed is not up to par with the nation’s top level.

Still, he was arguably one of the best-hitting forwards available in June’s draft. His playstyle has been described as “violent” by many scouts, and he uses his entire frame to level opposing players. The Islanders hope he will be ready to play in North America after his two-year deal expires following the 2026-27 KHL season, helping to develop him into one of the most physically imposing power forwards in the league.

Morning Notes: Kopitar, Marner, Gallant

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In a recent interview with Jaime Maggio from Sports Central LA, Anže Kopitar, long-time star of the Los Angeles Kings, suggested that his upcoming 20th season in the NHL might be his last. He will be playing out the final year of a two-year, $14 million contract with the Kings this season.

The Jesenice, Slovenia native will certainly leave his mark on the franchise if he decides to hang up his skates after the 2025-26 season. He debuted for the Kings during the 2006-07 season and has been a major factor in them winning their only two Stanley Cup championships in franchise history.

He’s unlikely to pass Luc Robitaille as the organizational goal leader, but Kopitar is already the franchise leader in games played and assists. Furthermore, once he scores his 30th point this upcoming season, he’ll become the Kings’ franchise leader in points, passing Marcel Dionne. At any rate, Los Angeles would have a huge hole at center heading into the 2026-27 campaign if Kopitar does retire.

Additional notes from this morning:

  • New star forward for the Vegas Golden Knights, Mitch Marner, opened up on his final days with the Toronto Maple Leafs at Team Canada’s Olympic orientation camp yesterday. Marner admitted that he and his family required full-time security at his residence in Canada for nearly two weeks after the Maple Leafs were eliminated in last year’s playoffs by the Florida Panthers. At the press conference, Marner said, “The market’s very passionate. They love their team. I know it, I was born and raised there. I’ve been a part of Leafs nation for a long time. But, when your family safety comes into question, especially having a new son, I don’t think it’s acceptable.“
  • Despite being several years removed from his tenure as the head coach of the New York Rangers, Gerard Gallant wasn’t ready to retire, despite the lack of interest from the NHL, ultimately leading him to take on the role of head coach of the KHL’s Shanghai Dragons. In a new interview with Daria Tuboltseva of RG Media, Gallant opened up on the questions he got from his friends and family about the move, saying, “‘You are only 61 years old, and you want to coach again?’ It was the best opportunity, and I said, ‘I will give it a try.’ I wanted to try it, it was something new, and it was going to be tough. But I said, ‘I want to try, I want to keep coaching.’ I still do not feel like I am ready to retire.“

Shane Pinto Extension Not Expected Before Start Of Season

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Despite expressing a desire to sign a long-term extension with the Ottawa Senators when he became eligible on July 1st, there’s currently no such agreement in place for Shane Pinto. In a recent interview with Steve Warne of The Hockey News, General Manager Steve Staios doesn’t expect this to change anytime soon.

In the interview, when directly pressed on extension negotiations between the team and Pinto, Staios said, “I think what we’ve decided on is we’re gonna let the season start and not have Shane distracted with (contract talks). But I guess the best way to put it is (we’ve had) preliminary conversations – positive ones – that lead me to believe that there will be a deal done at the right time. And that’s really all I can report on that.”

The news of positive preliminary talks is a good sign that Pinto will ultimately sign an extension with Ottawa; the phrase ’distraction’ has different implications altogether. It doesn’t necessarily mean that Pinto won’t re-up with the Senators, but the use of that word implies the team is willing to wait until next offseason to work out the specifics.

There’s no real reason for Ottawa to rush, as Pinto will become an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent next summer while still being three years away from unrestricted free agency. With Ottawa’s salary cap situation becoming increasingly tight due to the younger players on the roster receiving new contracts, it seems risky for the Senators to delay serious negotiations with Pinto. Gaining cost certainty now would be a more prudent decision.

Ultimately, Pinto will decide his fate. He rebounded nicely last season after missing half of the season in 2023-24 due to his violation of the NHL’s sports wagering policy. Appearing in 70 games for the Senators, Pinto scored 21 goals and 37 points, averaging 17:33 of ice time with a 16.5% shooting percentage. Additionally, he was sneakily productive on the defensive side for a player who’s considered a goal-scorer, finishing fifth on the team among forwards with a 91.0% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

During Ottawa’s brief run in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, he was relatively unremarkable. However, he had a standout performance in this summer’s IIHF World Championships, where he scored two goals and recorded 10 points in eight games, finishing with a +9 rating for Team USA. Due to his performance on the international stage, Pinto was included in Team USA’s orientation camp roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics, but he is unlikely to make the final roster.

Outside of Pinto’s expiring $3.75MM cap hit, Ottawa will have an additional $15.45MM coming off the books next summer, assuming they don’t sign anyone to an extension throughout the 2025-26 season. This means that should Pinto have an explosive campaign, the Senators will have the funds to reward him financially. Still, it would be wise for the team to make that commitment sooner rather than later, as Pinto’s long-term price will only continue to increase if he has a successful year.

KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan Acquire Grigori Denisenko

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A former first-round pick is on the move overseas. According to a report out of Russia, the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan has acquired forward Grigori Denisenko from the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.

After an impressive season with the MHL’s Loko Yaroslavl, which saw Denisenko score nine goals and 22 points in 31 games during the 2017-18 season, the Florida Panthers selected him with the 15th overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft. He went on to spend another two years with the KHL’s Lokomotiv, scoring 10 goals and 18 points in 63 games, including another one goal and four points in 12 postseason contests.

He was limited in playing time throughout his first two years in North America, managing four assists in eight NHL contests with the Panthers, and 14 goals and 27 points in 45 games split between the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch and Charlotte Checkers from 2020 to 2022. He received much more playing time during the 2022-23 season, scoring 12 goals and 36 points in 56 games with the Checkers.

Denisenko was ultimately claimed on the waiver wire by the Vegas Golden Knights after failing to make the Panthers’ roster out of training camp ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. Outside six appearances with Vegas, Denisenko put together his strongest season in the AHL, scoring 20 goals and 56 points in 65 games with the Henderson Silver Knights, though he failed to make either of the AHL All-Star Teams at season’s end.

It was much of the same this past season for Denisenko, scoring 10 goals and 24 points in 42 games for the Silver Knights to start the season. He was traded in mid-February to the Nashville Predators in exchange for future considerations, and concluded the year with the Milwaukee Admirals without appearing for the Predators. Despite mild improvements to his offensive game, Denisenko’s AHL career produced a dismal -56 rating across 231 games.

Although there’s no official confirmation that Denisenko has or will make the move back to the KHL, he remains without an NHL contract heading into September. If he is unwilling to begin the year in the AHL, which is likely where he would end up if he signs with another NHL team, he would be better off returning to Russia, provided that Ak Bars offers him an opportunity.

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