At Least Eight Teams To Carry Overage Penalty Into 2026-27
The NHL adds contract performance bonuses to the salary cap hit of each team at the end of the season. Any price over the salary cap is carried over to the team’s cap hit in the following season. Performance bonuses are broken up into two categories. A-level bonuses are paid out for reaching set numbers of goals, assists, points, plus-minus, or time on ice per-game. End-of-season accolades, such as an All-Star or All-Team nomination, are also A-level bonuses. B-level bonuses are worth up to $2MM and can include leaderboard rankings, minimum stats reached, or award wins. More details about performance bonuses can be found on PuckPedia.
At least NHL teams will carry an overage penalty into the 2026-27 season per PuckPedia. That number is down from 11 in the 2025-26 season and 15, an NHL record, in the 2024-25 season. This year’s list includes:
New York Islanders: $3.5MM
The Islanders paid out every last bit of rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer‘s potential $3.5MM performance bonus. He was awarded $1MM for his per-game scoring and ice time, then earned an additional $2.5MM by finishing in the top-10 of defensemen scoring. The Islanders utilized long-term injured reserve to exceed the salary cap at the end of the season. That will leave all of Schaefer’s performance bonus as overage headed into next season.
Colorado Avalanche: $2.29MM
Colorado lands an overage penalty thanks to Brent Burns‘ performance on an age-35+ contract. Burns had a potential for $4MM in performance bonuses on his deal and earned $3MM of that by playing in 10 games this season. Colorado utilized LTIR earlier in the year but finished the season with a little more than $700K in cap space. That space will help offset the cost of Burns’ bonuses just a bit, though Colorado will still carry a penalty into 2026-27.
Dallas Stars: $2.08-$3.08MM
The Dallas Stars paid out $80K in bonus to Justin Hryckowian for reaching 70 games this season. Captain Jamie Benn also earned $2MM of a potential $3MM in bonuses for playing in 50 games. That includes appearing in the season finale, which netted him $500K on its own. Benn has the potential to earn an additional $1MM in bonus – $500K each if Dallas wins the Western Conference Finals and Stanley Cup. That will sit the Stars with just over $2MM in overage currently and the potential for $3MM if they win it all.
Montreal Canadiens: $1.93-2.07MM
The Montreal Canadiens finished the year with less than $50K in cap space, in part thanks to their mid-season acquisition of Phillip Danault. Rookie Ivan Demidov landed $1MM in bonuses, of a potential $2MM, for his per-game scoring and ice time totals. Oliver Kapanen also earned $250K in bonuses for his per-game totals. He could earn an additional $137.5K if he is named to the NHL All-Rookie Team – a feat that seems unlikely with rookie forwards like Demidov, Beckett Sennecke, Benjamin Kindel, and Jimmy Snuggerud also in the running. Montreal also paid out $400K in bonuses to star defenseman Lane Hutson for a variety of reasons and $80K to rookie goalie Jacob Fowler for reaching 10 games. They will sit just shy of $2MM in overage penalty and could crest that mark if Kapanen earns all-team honors.
Ottawa Senators: $0-1.41MM
The Ottawa Senators will have to sign some big checks if they go on a playoff run. They have already paid out $1MM to Claude Giroux, and $750K to Lars Eller, for playing in 60 games and reaching the postseason. Giroux will earn an additional $500K if Ottawa wins in the first round – a cost that would be absorbed by their end-of-year cap space. But Giroux and Eller will also be eligible for $250K in bonuses if Ottawa wins the second round, and Giroux can net an additional $500K for wins in each of the Eastern Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals. That will leave Ottawa with four potential outcomes: no overage penalty, $414K in overage penalty (third-round loss), $914K in overage penalty (Stanley Cup Final loss), or $1.414MM in overage penalty (Stanley Cup win).
New Jersey Devils: $1.25MM
The Devils paid out two bonuses that pushed them into the red. Young defenseman Simon Nemec earned $750K in bonuses for his scoring, plus-minus, and ice time per-game totals. Winger Evgenii Dadonov landed $500K for scoring at least one point, $250K for playing in 10 games, and an additional $250K for reaching 20 games. He did not play in his 20th game of the season until March 29th, earning the 37 year old a late-season chip. Now, the Devils will carry more than $1MM in overage penalty into next season.
San Jose Sharks: $918.7K
The San Jose Sharks finished the year with $4.8MM in cap space but still land on the list of overage penalties. Much of that is thanks to their young stars. Macklin Celebrini earned every bit of his $3.5MM in potential bonuses with his franchise record-setting scoring. Will Smith earned $1MM, and William Eklund earned $450K, in bonuses for their scoring and ice time per-game. Those marks also earned Sam Dickinson $250K and Collin Graf reached his contract cap of $500K in bonuses. That amounts to $5.425MM, pushing the Sharks into the red for next season.
Edmonton Oilers: $250K
The Edmonton Oilers will face their second-straight season with $250K in overage penalty next year. This time, it is a result of rookie Matthew Savoie, who earned $250K with his ice time per-game. Edmonton finished the year utilizing LTIR to exceed the salary cap.
Florida Panthers: $150K
Defenseman Jeff Petry earned $150K in bonuses for reaching 50 games played with the Florida Panthers before the Trade Deadline. He earned an additional $60K for reaching 60 games, though that bonus came after his trade to the Minnesota Wild.
Photo courtesy of Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Islanders Notes: Palmieri, Barzal, Romanov, DeAngelo
With their season now over, Islanders players met the media for the last time before heading off for their respective offseasons. Among those was winger Kyle Palmieri, whose season ended back in November when he tore his ACL (but stayed on the ice to set up a goal before exiting the game). He noted to media in attendance, including team reporter Cory Wright, that he should be able to have a pretty normal summer in terms of offseason preparation since the injury is healing well. Palmieri had a pretty productive year in limited action, picking up six goals and 12 assists in 25 games. He’ll enter the final year of his contract next season with a $4.75MM cap charge.
More from clean-out day for the Isles:
- In his interview (video link), Mathew Barzal indicated that he was still working through things related to the injury he sustained last February that ended his year prematurely. That said, he noted that it shouldn’t be cause for concern but rather that it’s an injury that often takes a year or two to fully recover from. Despite playing through that, Barzal still led the team in scoring with 19 goals and 53 assists in 81 games. He added that head coach Peter DeBoer told him the plan moving forward is to move him back to center full-time; he has spent big chunks of the last three seasons on the wing.
- It turns out that defenseman Alexander Romanov was indeed close to returning. As noted by team reporter Luca Dallasta, the blueliner indicated that he probably would have been able to suit up to start the playoffs had New York made it there. The 26-year-old was limited to just 15 games this season due to a shoulder injury sustained in mid-November that ultimately required surgery. He had one assist along with 31 hits and 31 blocks and should return to being part of their top four on the back end next season.
- Defenseman Tony DeAngelo is slated to reach unrestricted free agency this summer but made it clear in his interview (video link) that he’s hoping to remain for a third season with the team. This was his first full campaign with the Islanders and it was a productive one. He led their defense in scoring with 35 points in 76 games while averaging more than 19 minutes per night of playing time, a solid return on a $1.75MM price tag. AFP Analytics projects a modest raise to $2.132MM but it wouldn’t be surprising to see DeAngelo try to land a multi-year commitment.
Islanders Assign Victor Eklund, Calum Ritchie, Isaiah George, Liam Foudy To AHL
The New York Islanders have loaded up their AHL affiliate with the Stanley Cup Playoffs out of sight. Forwards Victor Eklund , Liam Foudy, and Calum Ritchie, and defensemen Isaiah George have all been assigned to the minor-leagues with the Islanders’ season now over. Eklund made his NHL debut in New York’s season finale. He recorded one assist. Ritchie has spent nearly the full season in the NHL, while Foudy and George spent most of their years in the minors.
Ritchie and Eklund could be X-factor additions for the Bridgeport Islanders’ playoff run. Eklund made his AHL debut in late-March, following the end of his season in Sweden. He has been an immediate impact with nine points in his first seven AHL games. It has been a boom in scoring after Eklund notched six goals and 24 points in 43 games of the SHL regular season and three points in three playoff games. He was a difference-maker for Djugardens in their promotion from the HockeyAllsvenskan last season and finished the 2024-25 season with 31 points in 42 games.
Ritchie began the year in the minors but earned a call-up after just three games, and three points, with Bridgeport. He carved out a middle-six role for much of his rookie season and finished the year with 30 points in 65 games. Ritchie is only one season removed from a 70-point season in the OHL. He was mostly a center at the junior level but played right-wing in his first NHL season. Whether Bridgeport prioritizes Ritchie’s development as a center, or comfort as a pro winger, could add an interesting wrinkle to their playoff push. New York head coach Peter DeBoer said he sees Ritchie as a center moving forward per NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner.
Foudy finished the AHL season second on Bridgeport in goals (25) and points (46). That finish is one point more than he scored in 70 games last year, his first season with Bridgeport. He has rotated between the NHL and AHL level since turning pro in 2020. Foudy’s only full season in the NHL came with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022-23. He finished that season with 14 points in 62 games.
George will also have a role carved out for him in the minors. He scored 17 points and a plus-10 in 45 games with Bridgeport this season, in addition to one point and a plus-one in four NHL games. George split last season between the major and minor leagues. He finished the year with five points in 33 NHL games and 14 points in 33 AHL games.
Islanders Sign Quinn Finley To Entry-Level Deal
The Islanders announced Wednesday that they’ve signed forward prospect Quinn Finley to a two-year, entry-level contract. The deal will kick in next season, making him a restricted free agent in 2028. Financial terms were not disclosed. It’s unclear if he’ll be joining AHL Bridgeport on a tryout for the balance of the regular season and playoffs.
Finley is the latest of his now-former Wisconsin teammates to make his exodus from the school after falling just short of a national title last weekend. Blake Montgomery inked his entry-level deal earlier today, while captain Ben Dexheimer is expected to sign with the Wild.
The 21-year-old is coming off his junior season, spending all of his three NCAA seasons with the Badgers. He’s been a star-level producer the past two years, capping things off with a 16-17–33 scoring line in 37 outings this year. That’s actually down from his big-time 20-goal, 40-point sophomore outburst but still enough for him to lead Wisconsin in goals and finish second in scoring.
Finley was a third-round selection in 2022 from the USHL’s Madison Capitols. He’s managed a couple of international opportunities, winning gold with the United States at the 2024 World Juniors and heading to Davos, Switzerland over this season’s holiday break to join a U.S. Collegiate Selects squad at the Spengler Cup invitational.
The 6’0″, 179-lb winger is a high-end finisher. As Scott Wheeler of The Athletic writes, his defensive game has started to come around in college as well and he checks in as the Islanders’ #8 prospect in a forward-heavy pool. He’ll presumably spend most, if not all, of that two-year ELC term in the minors (Bridgeport will be relocating to Hamilton, Ontario next season) before getting some NHL looks later in the decade.
Islanders Notes: Lee, George, Pulock
If New York Islanders captain Anders Lee had his way, he wouldn’t be playing anywhere else next season or beyond. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, Lee would like to sign an extension with the Isles sometime before July 1st.
In the report, Rosner quoted Lee saying, “It’s where I’ve played my entire career. It’s where I’ve put my best foot forward as much as I can. I didn’t take anything for granted. I just want to have another good night tonight with the team and this group. And let’s close this out with two points.”
Even though it surely won’t be at his current $7MM price tag, there should be plenty of mutual interest from the Islanders. Lee has been New York’s captain since the 2018-19 campaign, and has remained productive in the waning years of his career, scoring 48 goals and 96 points in 163 games over the past two seasons.
Additional notes from the Islanders:
- Despite finishing the year on the Islanders’ roster, defenseman Isaiah George expects to play for the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders in the Calder Cup playoffs, according to Ethan Sears of the New York Post. The smooth-skating blueliner has almost exclusively played for AHL Bridgeport this season, scoring two goals and 17 points in 45 games with a +10 rating.
- One defenseman who wasn’t available for New York’s final game of the regular season is Ryan Pulock. Earlier today, the Islanders announced that Pulock has been battling multiple injuries and has been held out, as there is no real reason to play him. The 31-year-old defenseman will finish the 2025-26 season with three goals and 27 points in 76 games with a +9 rating, averaging 20:49 of ice time per game.
Islanders Assign Semyon Varlamov On LTIR Conditioning Stint
The Islanders announced Tuesday that they’ve sent goaltender Semyon Varlamov to AHL Bridgeport on a long-term injury conditioning loan. If he dresses, it will be his first appearance of any kind in well over a year.
Varlamov’s last NHL appearance came on Nov. 29, 2024, in an overtime loss to the Capitals. A few days later, he was listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. That quickly spiraled into full-on knee replacement surgery within a few weeks, preventing him from returning to the crease for game action despite multiple attempts to return to practice that have been stopped and restarted. Even over last offseason, the team was insistent he’d be ready for training camp until he wasn’t. They were largely quiet on Varlamov’s status throughout the season until general manager Mathieu Darche eventually ruled him out for the season after the trade deadline.
With so much missed time and now two knee replacement surgeries in the last two years, most had begun to assume Varlamov’s NHL career was over. That may still be the case for the 2014 Vezina Trophy finalist, but it appears he’ll be getting at least one regular-season start in Bridgeport in order to gauge how he feels heading into the final season of his contract in 2026-27, carrying a $2.75MM cap hit.
There is a universe in which the 37-year-old, if he’s finally cleared the necessary hurdles in his recovery, can return to being Ilya Sorokin‘s backup next season. That duo has defined the Islanders’ crease for the better part of the decade, with Varlamov initially landing on Long Island in free agency back in 2019 and Sorokin arriving from Russia less than two years later. Varlamov had been a legitimately exceptional tandem/backup option for New York up until his 10-game run to begin the 2024-25 campaign, posting a .889 SV% and 2.89 GAA with a 3-4-3 record before going under the knife.
Of Varlamov’s 17 NHL seasons, six have been spent on Long Island. Arguably one of the more successful open-market pickups in franchise history, he never started more than 40 games in a season but has amassed a .916 SV%, 2.57 GAA, 16 shutouts, and a 76-63-21 record in 173 appearances in blue and orange. He was the team’s primary option between the pipes in their back-to-back runs to the Eastern Conference Final in 2021 before Sorokin assumed true #1 duties the following season.
Varlamov was a first-round pick by the Capitals, 23rd overall, way back in 2006. His last minor-league action coincided with his final season in Washington, suiting up a few times for the Hershey Bears in November 2010 on a conditioning stint following a groin injury. That nearly 16-year gap will be up there with the longest in AHL history, but still won’t sniff Claude Lemieux‘s two-plus-decade space between games.
Islanders Recall Victor Eklund, Liam Foudy
April 14: The Islanders announced Tuesday that they’ve recalled both Eklund and forward Liam Foudy from Bridgeport. If Foudy plays, it’ll be his first contest since making his Isles debut back in October 2024. The former Blue Jackets first-rounder is now 26 years old and is amid a career year in Bridgeport, where he’s amassed a 25-21–46 scoring line in 58 games for the playoff-bound Baby Isles.
He’s a pending restricted free agent, so today’s bump could indicate they intend to issue him a qualifying offer. They didn’t let him get to restricted free agency last summer, signing him to a two-way extension on June 29. He was initially signed in the 2024 offseason after a non-tender by the Predators, who had claimed him off waivers from Columbus the prior season.
April 13: The New York Islanders are expected to recall top prospect and 2025 draft pick Victor Eklund from the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders, per NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner. Eklund, the younger brother of San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund, made his AHL debut on March 27 following the end of Djugården’s season in Sweden’s SHL. He has been red-hot ever since, scoring seven assists and nine points in his first seven AHL games.
On the heels of that strong start, Eklund could make his NHL debut in the Islanders’ season finale on Tuesday. New head coach Peter DeBoer spoke about his hopes of incorporating future impact into the lineup for the Islanders’ final game, after the team was eliminated from playoff contention. Eklund will certainly be a part of that group after being drafted by the Islanders with the 16th overall pick last year.
Eklund has a long history of success at the pro level. He scored 19 goals and 31 points in 42 games in the HockeyAllsvenskan, Sweden’s second-tier pro league, as a rookie in 2024-25. He formed a formidable tandem with Chicago Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell, enough to earn Djurgården a promotion to the SHL in 2025.
The duo stayed hot – Eklund by scoring 24 points in 43 SHL games – to help Djurgården avoid relegation this season. Now, the aggressive forechecker and strong shooter could test his talents in the Islanders’ lineup. His debut may come at the expense of one of the Islanders’ short-term forwards, like Ondrej Palat or Marc Gatcomb. Eklund enters the NHL already boasting a World Juniors gold medal and HockeyAllsvenskan championship.
Islanders Turning Towards Future With Playoffs Out Of Reach
The New York Islanders are officially eliminated from playoff contention. That will remove the organization’s top goal after firing head coach Patrick Roy and hiring Peter DeBoer in a shocking, April decision. Now, DeBoer – who signed a multi-year deal in New York – will shift his attention towards getting a look at who could be future impacts.
That hope could lead to a true full-lineup rotation on Tuesday, offering more chance for depth players with multiple years on their contracts – like Emil Heineman and Kyle MacLean. It could also mean that AHL-eligible center Calum Ritchie will stick with the Islanders despite being eligible for the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs, per Rosner.
DeBoer could also be hoping to get a look at some of the Islanders’ top prospects. 2025 first-round pick Victor Eklund has already turned pro and has an impressive nine points in his first seven games with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders.
The Islanders could make a few changes to the lineup to fit in their budding prospects. One player who will most definitely sit out is veteran winger Ondrej Palat, who was scratched in a must-win game on Saturday as pointed out by Rosner. Palat has just one point in his last 10 games and five points in 28 games in New York as a whole since joining the team in a January trade. Palat is signed through the 2026-27 season at a $6MM cap hit.
With playoffs out of reach, the Islanders seem to be turning all focus towards the future. The team has pulled off a quick change in direction, largely thanks to the historic breakout of 2025 first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer. With the lead of Schaefer and other emerging prospects, the Islanders may be able to snap back-to-back playoff appearances next year.
Maxim Shabanov Misses Game With Injury
- New York Islanders forward Maxim Shabanov missed yesterday’s loss to the Ottawa Senators with an upper-body injury, per a team announcement. The 25-year-old has dressed for just four Islanders games since the start of February, dealing with a mix of injuries and healthy scratches. His first campaign in the NHL hasn’t gone totally to plan, though he has had his moments. In total, he’s scored five goals and 18 points in 44 games this season.
New York Islanders May Retain Patrick Roy
Even after firing him as the head coach a few days ago, the relationship between the New York Islanders and Patrick Roy may not be fully severed. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News (and first reported by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan), there is a growing likelihood that the Islanders will retain Roy in a scouting capacity.
Although General Manager Mathieu Darche was discontent with Roy leading the Islanders from the bench, he never grew discontent with Roy personally or professionally. In the report, Rosner said, “Darche & Roy became incredibly close over this season. Roy has great respect & admiration for the org, the players here, so it wouldn’t shock me if he stayed onboard in some capacity.”
If the Islanders do retain Roy as a scout, it would be the first time he’s been employed in the role in his post-playing career. Still, even as a “rookie” scout, Roy has as much professional experience as you could want.
Even without factoring in his illustrious 19-year playing career, Roy has been involved in the game at various levels since. After retiring following the 2002-03 season, Roy became the Vice President of Hockey Operations for the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts, where he also owned the franchise.
Until becoming the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, Roy also served as the Remparts General Manager and head coach. Following his departure from the Avalanche in 2016, Roy returned to his role with the Remparts, where he stayed until taking the job with the Islanders.
Given his experience at various levels of the game, Roy should have no issues being a productive scout at the amateur or professional setting. Still, it takes two to tango, and no reports indicate that Roy would be interested in a scouting role. The NHL offseason is only a few months away, and Roy will likely make a firm decision over the summer.