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Blue Jackets, Canadiens In Talks To Acquire Noah Dobson

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It appears the Islanders are set to move on from pending RFA defenseman Noah Dobson with the Blue Jackets and Canadiens as the sole contenders to acquire him, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reports. Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic relayed earlier this morning that the Blues were also in the mix, but Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added Dobson wasn’t interested in signing a new contract with a team in the Western Conference. Marco D’Amico of RG was among the first yesterday to identify a connection between Montreal and Dobson.

Things have materialized rather quickly here. Dobson’s name was in trade speculation as far back as February, but it was stressed that they were only willing to part with him in the context of a specific trade that would presumably have netted them a forward of similar caliber in return. Days later, Dobson changed his representation in advance of starting extension negotiations with the Islanders.

Evidently, those discussions weren’t productive. Other teams – including Columbus and Montreal – appear prepared to offer him a price tag of $9.5MM per season on a long-term deal, Johnston reports. It’s unclear if the Islanders ever got to that number on an eight-year deal. It’s worth noting that the Blue Jackets and Canadiens can’t offer Dobson an eight-year contract because he wasn’t on their reserve list at the trade deadline. If he signs one, it’ll be because New York executes a sign-and-trade instead of just dealing his signing rights.

Both the Blue Jackets and Canadiens have two first-round picks in tonight’s draft. Columbus holds No. 14 and No. 20 overall, while the Canadiens hold No. 16 and No. 17. The Islanders will presumably land one, if not both of those picks, in a trade return. While it’s looking like they’ll select consensus top defense prospect Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 overall selection tonight, they have an obvious interest and need for center help.

Long Island native James Hagens, once considered the top prospect in the class but now projected to go later in the top 10, would fill that need. They could presumably use one of the picks they acquire for Dobson as part of a package to trade up and land both names. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports that’s the organization’s preferred outcome here, rather than recouping roster players in return for Dobson.

Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports.

PHR’s 2025 Top 50 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents

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The past two weeks have already seen the offseason enter a period of high activity. Still, many big-ticket names remain available with just four days left to go until July 1. There’s only been a handful of last-minute re-signings, and while there’s sure to be more before the market opens, most of the top names look to be available.

While the depth of this year’s class doesn’t sniff last year’s, it does feature perhaps the highest-caliber player to test free agency since Artemi Panarin six years ago. As a reminder, our rankings and predictions are voted on by the entirety of our writing team based on a combination of talent perception and expected demand.

All predictions are independent and have no bearing on each other, while each player is presumed to be signing a one-way contract. Due to this year’s compact offseason schedule, voting was done before the buyout window opened and the June 30 qualifying offer deadline.

1. RW Mitch Marner / Anaheim Ducks / 7 years, $14.25MM AAV

Josh Erickson: It would surprise no one to hear that Marner was the unanimous No. 1 UFA among our writers. He’s the only bona fide top-line forward available and one of the league’s premier playmakers – not to mention he’s coming off a career-high 75 assists and 102 points in 2024-25. Since beginning his NHL career in 2016, the lifelong Maple Leaf is eighth in the league with 741 points in 657 games. After failing to advance past the second round with Toronto again, it’s become a foregone conclusion that he’ll be testing the open market and landing a well-compensated package to take his elite talent to another team.

Sign-and-trade with Golden Knights, 8 years, $12MM AAV

2. LW Nikolaj Ehlers / Carolina Hurricanes / 7 years, $8.5MM AAV

Josh: After Ehlers was limited to 0.74 points per game in 2023-24, his worst per-game showing in five years, there were questions about his long-term fit, and there was a legitimate chance of Winnipeg trading him before his walk year. The Jets stayed the course. While Ehlers lost a few games to injury, he rebounded with one of the better seasons of his career with 63 points in 69 games. A consistent top-six scoring threat who’s a slam dunk for 25 goals and 60 points, he’ll be among the most well-compensated players this summer, whether he stays in Winnipeg or not.

Signed with Hurricanes, 6 years, $8.5MM AAV

3. C Sam Bennett / Florida Panthers / 8 years, $8.25MM AAV

Josh: No one on this list has seen his stock rise more in the last few months than Bennett. The Flames selected him fourth overall in the 2014 draft, but it was a trade to Florida at the 2021 deadline that truly sparked his career. He’s got 196 points in 289 games since joining the Panthers and has served as their second-line center in back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, leveraging his hard-nosed and sometimes over-the-line style of play physically into a 15-goal, 22-point showing in this year’s playoffs that earned him a Conn Smythe Trophy. He’s a high-priority target for the Panthers to retain, and since they still haven’t worked out deals for their other pending UFAs, there’s little reason to believe this one won’t result in an extension.

Re-signed with Panthers, 8 years, $8MM AAV

4. C John Tavares / Toronto Maple Leafs / 4 years, $5MM AAV

Josh: While the veteran center is in no position to command the $11MM cap hit his expiring contract boasted, he’s still an extremely effective second-line center as he enters his mid-30s and would be a No. 1 option on weaker teams. He averaged 18:14 per game last season – his highest workload since COVID – and returned the favor with 38 goals and 74 points with a +10 rating in 75 games. While age-related decline is a valid fear in signing Tavares to any mid-to-long-term contract, he finished second in points among the players on his list and led them in goals by a significant margin. Whether he forgoes an extension with his hometown team and tests the market is the biggest question.

Re-signed with Maple Leafs, 4 years, $4.38MM AAV

5. D Aaron Ekblad / Florida Panthers / 7 years, $7.75MM AAV

Josh: It’s beginning to look like Ekblad may test the open market and find a new home after spending the first 11 years of his career with the Panthers. The 2014 first overall pick had dealt with health issues and declining point totals the past few years. He at least overcame the latter in 2024-25, rebounding for 33 points in 56 games while receiving expanded power-play deployment. He stayed healthy for the most part, too – most of his absence was due to a PED-related suspension late in the year.

Re-signed with Panthers, 8 years, $6.1MM AAV

6. RW Brock Boeser / Minnesota Wild / 6 years, $8.35MM AAV

Josh: Boeser will almost certainly move on from the Canucks this summer; they’re the only NHL organization he’s ever known since being drafted No. 23 overall in 2015. The 6’1″ winger seemingly delivered on his season a year ago, potting a career-high 40 goals and 73 points as the Canucks marched to a division title. Scoring woes plagued Vancouver this season, though, and his production dropped off to 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games. Injuries have been an issue for him over his entire career – he averages 64 points per 82 games but has only ever surpassed the 60-point mark once in actuality. While that would typically mean teams would be wary of giving him too large a contract this summer, his recent burst of production – and the fact he’s still just 28 – will be enough to make him one of the more well-compensated players on the open market this summer.

Re-signed with Canucks, 7 years, $7.25MM AAV

7. LW Brad Marchand / Toronto Maple Leafs / 2 years, $8MM AAV

Josh: While Marchand goes by many nicknames, Big Game Brad may be the most apt. After spending his entire career with the Bruins, the now-former Boston captain was shipped to the Panthers at the trade deadline. The 37-year-old had a somewhat underwhelming offensive showing in the regular season, which was presumably set to limit his market this summer. That all changed with a spectacular postseason showing, finishing as the runner-up to Bennett for the Conn Smythe after scoring 20 points in 23 games, including six goals in six Stanley Cup Final games. Age-related decline is a legitimate concern here, but teams may find him so desirable to give him more term than usual/expected to fend off other suitors.

Re-signed with Panthers, 6 years, $5.25MM AAV

8. D Vladislav Gavrikov / Detroit Red Wings / 7 years, $7.75MM AAV

Josh: Gavrikov enters the market as the top left-shot and top shutdown defenseman available after something of a breakout season in Los Angeles. The 29-year-old was given an extended run in top-pairing minutes for the first time to begin the season with Drew Doughty injured, and he delivered with his best NHL season out of his six. The 6’3″ Russian provided 30 points and a +26 rating while averaging north of 23 minutes per game. He also had spectacular possession impacts for his heavy defensive zone deployment. He’s shown he may not be the best fit on a weaker team in the past (his two-way numbers weren’t nearly as strong in his days with the Blue Jackets), but that likely won’t scare teams off, considering the strength of his platform year.

Signed with Rangers, 7 years, $7MM AAV

9. D Ivan Provorov / New York Rangers / 6 years, $7.25MM AAV

Josh: Provorov could be on the move to the third team of his career this summer. The Blue Jackets took a swing on retaining the pending UFA at the trade deadline – unfortunately, it didn’t materialize in a playoff berth and extension talks have reportedly been slow. He’s coming off a decent but not career year, posting 33 points and a +11 rating while logging heavy minutes in Columbus. One thing working in his favor despite historically average possession impacts and some visual defensive faults – he’s extremely durable, playing 696 out of 699 possible games since making his NHL debut in 2016-17.

Re-signed with Blue Jackets, 7 years, $8.5MM AAV

10. RW Claude Giroux / Ottawa Senators / 2 years, $5.25MM AAV

Josh: While Giroux is squarely in his twilight years, the 37-year-old still projects as an effective middle-six piece for the next couple of seasons. He still managed 15 goals and 50 points in 81 games for the Senators this season. While he’d likely prefer to remain with his hometown team after their first playoff appearance in a while in 2024, he remains without an extension a few days from the market opening. He’s a better fit stylistically on the wing at this stage of his career, but could be a great fit for a team looking for a veteran piece to pair with a young center who struggles in the dot. Giroux still takes a huge amount of faceoffs, winning a career-high 61.5% of them in 2024-25.

Re-signed with Senators, 1 year, $2MM AAV + $2.5MM in performance bonuses

11. C Mikael Granlund / Montreal Canadiens / 3 years, $5.5MM AAV

Brian La Rose: A couple of years ago, Granlund was basically salary ballast as part of the three-team Erik Karlsson trade.  But the opportunity to play a top-line role in San Jose gave the 33-year-old a chance to showcase that he can still be a solid offensive contributor with back-to-back seasons of at least 60 points while playing important penalty killing minutes as well.  That made him a key addition for Dallas at the trade deadline, and while he was a winger with them, he’ll be viewed as one of the better available centers in this market, putting him in a good position for another multi-year deal.

Signed with Ducks, 3 years, $7MM AAV

12. D Brent Burns / Carolina Hurricanes / 1 year, $5MM AAV

Josh: A Hall-of-Fame career is expected to continue for Burns in 2025-26 as he gears up for his 22nd NHL season. While he was still a top-pair threat heading into his age-39 season, Father Time began to catch up to him in 2024-25. He’ll enter the season at age 40 and coming off a highly underwhelming 29 points in 82 games while seeing a sharp reduction in minutes. He did finish as high as 10th in Norris Trophy voting as recently as two years ago and can still be a good top-four presence – something there aren’t many of on the open market this summer – but he likely won’t receive any multi-year offers.

Signed with Avalanche, 1 year, $1MM AAV + $4MM in performance bonuses

13. D Dmitry Orlov / Los Angeles Kings / 3 years, $5.5MM AAV

Josh: Orlov was No. 1 on this list in 2023 amid an exceptionally weak class. He was coming off a career season then, not so much now. There’s no denying Orlov, 34 next month, can still be an effective top-four piece, but he never lived up to the $7.75MM cap hit he signed for on his two-year deal with Carolina. That was mostly due to his deployment; he averaged only 18:36 per game for the Canes after seeing over 20 minutes per night for most of his career. The undersized but physical lefty posted 28 points and a +16 rating in 76 games this year but saw his stock fall due to a tough postseason in which his declining foot speed was exposed.

Signed with Sharks, 2 years, $6.5MM AAV

14. C Pius Suter / Minnesota Wild / 3 years, $5MM AAV

Brian: Two years ago, Suter didn’t have a particularly strong market, eventually needing to wait nearly six weeks before signing a low-cost two-year deal with Vancouver.  That shouldn’t be the case this time around.  Suter is coming off a career year with the Canucks, one that saw him score 25 goals, putting him in a tie for third-most among pending UFAs.  He was tied with Bennett and Boeser and behind Tavares and Marner.  Pretty good company to be in.  However, his shooting percentage jumped over 18%, a rate that’s usually viewed as unsustainable while he has only surpassed the 30-point mark once.  That means there’s some risk with the signing if he reverts more toward his career numbers but as a versatile two-way player, he can be an effective addition even if the offense takes a step back.

Signed with Blues, 2 years, $4.125MM AAV

15. LW Jonathan Drouin / Washington Capitals / 3 years, $4.5MM AAV

Josh: Reuniting with former junior teammate Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado has re-ignited Drouin’s career. The 2013 third-overall pick is still by no means a standalone top-line threat but has had two of the three best offensive seasons of his career with the Avalanche since first arriving in Denver as a free agent in 2023. While injuries, a common theme in Drouin’s career, limited him to 43 appearances this season, he still managed 11 goals and 37 points for the highest point-per-game output of his 11 NHL seasons. His value will be limited on the open market based on his career numbers outside of Colorado; in Tampa Bay and Montreal, Drouin averaged only 13 goals and 48 points per 82 games.

Signed with Islanders, 2 years, $4MM AAV

16. D Dante Fabbro / Columbus Blue Jackets / 6 years, $4.5MM AAV

Josh: Fabbro landed on waivers at the beginning of the season after he fell out of the regular lineup in Nashville. It was a blessing in disguise for the 2016 first-rounder, who was picked up by the Blue Jackets and emerged as a top-pairing threat alongside Zach Werenski. The 27-year-old had his birthday just last week and is one of the youngest options as a result. He had 26 points and a +20 rating in 68 games between Nashville and Columbus, averaging 20:54 per game with the best possession impacts of his career. He’s the second-best right-shot option on the market behind Ekblad and will get a nice bit of security if he doesn’t extend with the Jackets.

Re-signed with Blue Jackets, 4 years, $4.125MM AAV

17. RW Patrick Kane / Detroit Red Wings / 1 year, $5MM AAV

Josh: Kane has successfully rebounded from his major hip surgery two years ago. While not the perennial All-Star he was a decade ago, he’s still an effective top-six producer and future Hall-of-Famer. He’s scored 106 points in 122 games over the last two years with Detroit. His extreme defensive deficiencies at this stage of his career take away from his on-ice value, but the 36-year-old remains an effective point producer and a fine second-line option. Whether he’ll continue serving that role in Hockeytown remains to be seen, but it wouldn’t surprise anyone to see him extend what’s been a mutually beneficial fit so far.

Re-signed with Red Wings, 1 year, $3MM AAV + $4MM in potential performance bonuses

18. G Jake Allen / Philadelphia Flyers / 2 years, $3.5MM AAV

Brian: Allen hasn’t been a full-fledged starter for several years but is still considered the top goalie available on the open market this summer.  He’s coming off a solid showing in New Jersey as the backup to Jacob Markstrom and has played in at least 30 games in four straight seasons.  While there won’t be teams necessarily looking at him to be a number one option, he’s someone who can come in and stabilize the backup position and play starter minutes in the short term when injuries arise.  In a market bereft of proven and reliable options, Allen stands out as the one goaltender who can be counted on to be a steady performer, which will give him plenty of suitors.

Re-signed with Devils, 5 years, $1.8MM AAV

19. LW Andrei Kuzmenko / Los Angeles Kings / 3 years, $4.5MM AAV

Josh: Kuzmenko’s inconsistency has caused him to suit up for four different teams in his three-year NHL career, including two trades in 2024-25. It’s his high-end flashes and good timing that should lead to significant interest this summer, though. While he had just 11 goals in 66 games on the year after starting his NHL career with seasons of 39 and 22 tallies, respectively, he still put up a strong 5-12–17 scoring line in 22 games for the Kings after they picked him up from the Flyers at the deadline. He also had six points in six playoff games. While by no means a play-driver on his own, he’s proven time and again he can be a good fit as the third-best player on a line and a spectacular complementary scorer if deployed correctly.

Re-signed with Kings, 1 year, $4.3MM AAV

20. C Jack Roslovic / Philadelphia Flyers / 3 years, $3.5MM AAV

Brian: Roslovic has had his ups and downs and recent years and has been with three different organizations over the last 16 months.  However, while he’s prone to streakiness, he’s also one of the more consistent secondary scorers in terms of point production in this free agent class as he has surpassed the 30-point mark for the past five years.  Roslovic is coming off a 22-goal season and has shifted between center and the wing routinely over the years, a versatility that should be particularly appealing in a market that has lost some of its better options at center recently.

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Panthers Acquire Daniil Tarasov From Blue Jackets

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The Florida Panthers are making quick work to fill in their hole at backup goaltender. According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Florida Panthers have acquired netminder Daniil Tarasov from the Columbus Blue Jackets. In response to LeBrun’s report, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic shared that the Blue Jackets are acquiring a late-round draft pick in the trade. Columbus confirmed the trade, announcing they’ve acquired Florida’s 2025 fifth-round pick (160th overall) for their former backup.

As a potential non-tender candidate heading into the offseason, the Blue Jackets did decent work in not letting Tarasov leave for nothing. After being surpassed toward the end of the 2024-25 campaign by youngster Jet Greaves, there was little chance Tarasov would remain in Columbus for next season. Now, he’ll attempt to revive his career behind fellow countryman Sergei Bobrovsky.

There was a time when Tarasov was believed to be the future of the crease for the Blue Jackets. Columbus selected Tarasov with the 86th overall pick of the 2017 NHL Draft, and he quickly impressed a year later with the MHL’s Tolpar Ufa. After spending a few years in the Liiga and KHL, including a strong 2020-21 season with Salavat Yulaev Ufa, where Tarasov recorded an 11-3-2 record in 16 games and achieved a .925 save percentage, the Blue Jackets brought Tarasov to North America.

Unfortunately, his professional career in North America got off to a slow beginning. In his first two years with the Blue Jackets and their AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, Tarasov participated in just 43 games, which limited his development opportunities.

It wasn’t until the 2023-24 season that Tarasov became a full-time member of Columbus’ goaltending tandem. He managed an 8-11-3 record in 24 games with a .908 SV% and 3.18 GAA. His underlying metrics were strong, including 3.9 goals saved above average (GSAA) and a .565 quality start percentage, indicating that his development had returned to the right track.

Alas, this past season undid most of the positive steps he took a year ago. After starting the year as the backup again, Tarasov ended with a 7-10-2 record in 20 games, posting a .881 save percentage and a 3.54 goals against average, which caused his GSAA to drop to -10.5, resulting in the loss of his roster spot.

Given that Bobrovksy started 54 games for the Panthers during the 2024-25 season, and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, Tarasov should garner similar deployment next season. He’ll benefit from a stronger defensive core in front of him and may see his earning power grow before he becomes an unrestricted free agent before the 2026-27 NHL season.

Seattle Kraken Acquire Frédérick Gaudreau

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11:17 a.m.: Both teams have confirmed the trade.

10:32 a.m.: The Seattle Kraken are making their forward core tougher to play against.. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Kraken have acquired forward Frédérick Gaudreau from the Minnesota Wild for a draft pick. Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff quickly added that the Kraken are sending their 2025 fourth-round pick (102nd overall) to the Wild.

For a second time since the Stanley Cup Final ended, the Kraken have taken advantage of a team looking to clear salary from their roster. Similarly to the trade that brought Mason Marchment to Northwest Washington, Seattle has procured a quality middle-six option on the cheap.

Gaudreau is coming to the Kraken on the heels of one of the better campaigns of his career. He finished the 2024-25 campaign fifth on the Wild in scoring with 18 goals and 37 points in 82 games. Although he’s best in a third-line role, Gaudreau spent much of the year in Minnesota’s middle-six due to injuries at the top of their forward hierarchy.

Although he showed more thump in his offensive output this past season, there is reason for pause. Gaudreau finished the campaign with a 16.4% shooting percentage, nearly double his career percentage leading up to the season.

On the defensive side of the puck, he was largely a net-zero. He had a dismal 44.2% CorsiFor% at even strength, but maintained a palatable 48.2% success rate in the faceoff dot with a 90.4% on-ice save percentage at even strength while starting 53.7% of his shifts in the defensive zone. It’ll be interesting to see if Seattle deploys Gaudreau as a center, given they’ve got Matty Beniers, Shane Wright, Chandler Stephenson, and Joe Veleno down the middle already. Either they’re planning on shifting Gaudreau or one of the aforementioned players to the wing, or the Kraken are planning another trade from their forward core, similar to trading away André Burakovsky.

Meanwhile, the Wild’s take on the trade is fairly obvious. Trading Gaudreau relieves another $2.1MM from their 2025-26 salary cap table, giving them $17.7MM in available space leading up to July 1st. Now, even if they were to sign Marco Rossi for his asking price of $7MM per season, the Wild would have more than $10MM left to bring more quality pieces into the fold.

Still, it’ll be interesting to see how they re-work their options down the middle if they were to trade Rossi. Top free agent options such as Brock Nelson and Matt Duchene have already been taken off the table, while John Tavares is still expected to re-sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs. As of now, if they trade Rossi without acquiring a prominent center in return, they’d likely enter the season with Joel Eriksson Ek and Ryan Hartman as their top two options down the middle.

Dallas Stars, Jamie Benn Agree To One-Year Extension

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10:04 a.m.: The Stars have confirmed the signing. Johnston expanded on the bonus structure, reporting that Benn would receive a $500K bonus for 20, 30, 50, and 60 games played, $500K for a Western Conference Final win, and $500K for a Stanley Cup Final win.

9:05 a.m.: According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, the Dallas Stars are close to re-signing their captain, Jamie Benn, on a one-year contract. LeBrun added that the contract should be completed today, while TSN’s Darren Dreger shares that the contract is bonus-heavy. According to Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff, Benn’s contract will be a one-year deal worth $1MM, featuring performance bonuses similar to other contracts for players over 35. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that the contract can become a $4MM deal, meaning Benn will have $3MM available to him in performance bonuses.

Once completed, the new deal will leave the Stars with under $1MM in cap space entering the offseason. It effectively eliminates any chance Dallas will retain trade deadline acquisitions such as Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci, or forward Evgenii Dadonov. Still, there was little expectation the Stars would pursue extensions with those players anyway, and they have effectively brought back the team’s core with some shrewd moves from General Manager Jim Nill over the last week. 

Benn may no longer be a high-scoring power forward who can contend for the Art Ross Trophy, but he remains a crucial leader in the Stars’ locker room and a valuable secondary scorer. His scoring has declined significantly in recent years, dropping from nearly a point-per-game average in 2022-23 to 60 points in 2023-24 and 49 points in 2024-25.

Like any aging player, Benn’s foot speed has also declined in recent years. Although he has never been known for his speed, Benn ranked in the 76th percentile with 504 bursts of 18-20 mph during the 2021-22 season, while the average was 300. In comparison, he recorded 383 bursts in the 2024-25 season, with the average at 326, according to NHL EDGE data.

Still, what he’s lost in offensive capabilities and speed, he’s made up for on the defensive side of the game. For the first time since the 2021-22 campaign, and only the fourth time of his career, the Stars deployed Benn in the defensive zone more than the offensive zone. He responded as well as he ever had, earning a 90.6% on-ice save percentage at even strength, while maintaining an 11.7% team on-ice shooting percentage while he’s on the ice at even strength, the second-best output of his career regarding the latter category.

Effectively, even with the potential of the contract becoming a $4MM agreement, Benn’s new contract appears to be a steal if he continues his defensive prowess. The bonus structure of the contract allows Dallas to push most of the overtures to their 2026-27 salary cap table, when the salary cap rises to $104MM.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.

Mammoth Acquire, Extend J.J. Peterka

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The Buffalo Sabres are reportedly close to finalizing a deal that would send winger JJ Peterka to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for forward prospect Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. It’s been further announced that Peterka has agreed to a five-year, $38.5MM extension with the Mammoth, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. The Mammoth later confirmed the trade and signing. It’s a late-night blockbuster, and a rare three-player swap with no additions.

Utah has now completed the franchise’s biggest trade under its new moniker. In Peterka, the Mammoth have acquired a consistent goal-scorer they can plug into their top six without having to part with too many quality assets. Kesselring and Doan filled important needs for the team last season, but they didn’t replicate what Peterka can bring to their offense.

The German-born winger was selected by the Sabres as the 34th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, coming from EHC München in the DEL. A year later, after scoring nine goals and 20 points in 30 DEL contests and 10 points in only five World Junior Championship games, the Sabres knew that it wouldn’t be long before Peterka debuted in North America.

He did just that the following season. Primarily playing for the team’s AHL affiliate, the Rochester Americans, Peterka gave an impressive rookie performance, scoring 28 goals and 68 points in 70 games. Despite being named to the All-Rookie Team and finishing 10th in AHL scoring, Peterka lost out on the Dudley “Red” Garrett Memorial Award as the league’s most outstanding rookie to teammate Jack Quinn.

Despite playing in two games during the 2021-22 campaign, Peterka made the full transition to NHL hockey in 2022-23 and never looked back. Being a capable tertiary scorer during the 2022-23 campaign with limited ice time, Peterka became a full-fledged top-six winger the last two seasons, scoring 55 goals and 118 points in 159 games played.

Peterka has some defensive shortcomings to work on, which is to be expected of any young winger. Still, he brings a wealth of offensive capabilities and possession quality to plug into a similarly styled offense in Salt Lake City. Peterka will join the likes of Logan Cooley, Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, Dylan Guenther, and Barrett Hayton and the Mammoth’s top-six, with every player falling under the age of 30.

Meanwhile, Buffalo adds a young, right-handed defenseman whom they’ve been coveting for some time. The team was oversaturated on the left side last season, with all four of the team’s highest-paid blue liners shooting from the left. Even at 25 years old, Kesselring has already proven to be a capable puck-moving defenseman who can hold his own in the defensive zone.

It’s hard to imagine the Mammoth thought Kesselring would become the player he is. The Arizona Coyotes acquired Kesselring from the Edmonton Oilers in 2023 as part of the Nick Bjugstad trade, whom they later re-signed the following offseason. They quickly assigned him to the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners.

Since then, Kesselring has scored 12 goals and 50 points in 147 NHL contests, jumping into a top-four role with the formerly named Utah Hockey Club last season. The scoring totals may not stand out, but his possession and defensive metrics are impressive. He finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 53.7% CorsiFor% at even strength, and a on-ice save percentage of 92.2%. His positive possession quality should help the Sabres dramatically, as they finished the 2024-25 campaign as the league’s 17th-best possession team.

Lastly, Doan, the son of former Coyotes icon Shane Doan, comes to the Sabres organization without having made his mark on the NHL level. The former 37th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft has been a productive AHL scorer since his draft year, accumulating 40 goals and 78 points in 104 games.

Still, that talent hasn’t yet translated to the NHL level, and much of that can be explained by a lack of ice time. Doan finished the 2024-25 campaign with seven goals and 21 points in 51 games, averaging 13:31 seconds of ice time in a third-line role. Unfortunately, given the talent that the Sabres have on the wing in their top-six, Doan is likely destined for the same role in New York.

PHR’s Brennan McClain contributed significantly to this article.

Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images.

Golden Knights To Extend Reilly Smith

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Pending UFA winger Reilly Smith will sign an extension with the Golden Knights instead of testing the market, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Wednesday. It’s a one-year deal worth $2MM, half of which will be paid via signing bonus, according to PuckPedia. The contract also includes a full no-trade clause.

The 34-year-old’s second stint in Vegas will last longer than a few months. The Knights reacquired the familiar face, who played for the club in its first six seasons and won the Stanley Cup with them in 2023, from the Rangers at the trade deadline in exchange for prospect Brendan Brisson and a third-round pick.

It’s been rough for the veteran winger since the Knights made him a cap casualty in the days following their Cup win. Vegas had signed him to a three-year, $15MM extension the year prior, but they needed to make room for new deals for goaltender Adin Hill and the younger and more productive Ivan Barbashev on the wing. Smith had limited trade protection, so he was dealt to the Penguins, not one of his preferred destinations, for a third-rounder.

While Smith’s 40 points in 76 games for Pittsburgh were fine, it was a sharp decline from his 56 points the year prior. He only had 13 goals, tied for his lowest tally in a season since establishing himself as a full-time NHLer with the Bruins in 2013-14. The Penguins, looking to get younger and shed salary, traded Smith to the Rangers last summer while retaining some of his contract. His point totals were similarly middling in New York as the team struggled in general, posting a 10-19–29 scoring line in 58 games before getting traded back to Vegas. He finished the year with 11 points and a +11 rating in 21 games for the Knights, although only three of those points were goals. He was also limited to three goals and an assist in 11 postseason outings.

Aside from a blip in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign, Smith was a routine 20-goal, 50-point scorer in his heyday with Vegas. Barring what would be a surprising resurgence given his age, those days are behind him. He’s still a useful depth scorer on a team that needs them, but it would probably benefit both sides if his ice time dropped from the 15 minutes per game he was still seeing last year to give him more favorable matchups. He also didn’t see much power-play time for Vegas after his reacquisition; that could change in 2025-26, depending on how aggressive a makeover the Knights’ forward group receives in the coming weeks.

Clearly, Smith’s priority was staying in Vegas. He leaves some money on the table in exchange for contractually guaranteed team stability, unless he struggles and ends up on waivers. Vegas now has $7.615MM in cap space remaining with Nicolas Hague as their only super notable RFA to re-sign, and he’s on the trade block. They’ve got five roster spots to fill, though, so that might be a tight fit barring a cap-clearing trade. There’s also the potential of defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, signed through 2026-27 at an $8.8MM cap hit, starting the season on long-term injured reserve after playing injured last year.

Image courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images.

Canucks Acquire Evander Kane From Oilers

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11:01 a.m.: The trade call is complete, and the Oilers have now announced the deal.

10:01 a.m.: The Oilers and Canucks are working on a trade that would send winger Evander Kane to Vancouver if completed, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Wednesday. Kane has confirmed the move himself on his X account. The Canucks are sending the Senators’ 2025 fourth-round pick (No. 117 overall) to Edmonton in return, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

Kane had frequently been speculated as a trade candidate in the days since the Oilers lost their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton requires additional salary cap flexibility this summer to iron out a new deal for restricted free agent defenseman Evan Bouchard while reserving space for potential depth scoring and goaltending upgrades.

The 33-year-old winger is entering the final season of the four-year, $20.5MM contract he signed with the Oilers in 2022, which carries a $5.125MM cap hit. Edmonton is not retaining any of his salary, per Ryan Rishaug of TSN. Kane had a 16-team approved trade list as protection, but it doesn’t appear that was a hiccup for today’s move. Vancouver, Kane’s hometown, was his preferred destination if traded, LeBrun reports.

Kane’s move comes amid an active league inquiry into the Oilers’ handling of his surgeries and subsequent long-term injured reserve placement that kept him out for the entire 2024-25 regular season. The 6’2″ lefty underwent a wide-ranging abdominal/hip surgery last offseason but waited until the beginning of training camp to do so, keeping him sidelined until an expected January return.

Edmonton then announced shortly before he was due to return that Kane needed knee surgery, which paused his recovery from the previous surgery and added weeks to his return timeline. He wasn’t cleared to return until Game 2 of the first round, and the Oilers used the cap space Kane’s LTIR placement created to acquire defenseman Jake Walman from the Sharks in the week before the trade deadline. That surgery was recently reported as addressing a congenital issue, raising concerns with the league about the team’s decision to have him undergo the surgery at that point.

Upon returning to action in the playoffs, Kane’s performance was as expected. Even for his injury troubles and disciplinary concerns – he led the Oilers with 44 PIMs in the postseason – he’s still an extremely effective top-nine scorer and posted a 6-6–12 scoring line in 21 games. His defensive impacts continue to drag on his value, though. While never a stalwart shutdown winger by any stretch, his possession play was historically competent enough to help compensate for his defensive faults. That hasn’t been the case during his last couple of seasons in Edmonton, though, and it was especially apparent in the playoffs. Kane’s 45.5 CF% at even strength was 16th out of 23 Oilers skaters, while his relative impact of -6.5% was 18th.

That won’t be of enormous concern to Vancouver, though, especially with just one season left on his deal. The Canucks desperately needed to acquire scoring depth this offseason, and they’ll accomplish that in a pure form with Kane’s pickup. He’s averaged 29 goals and 54 points per 82 games over his 16-year NHL career. Those numbers would have put him in the team lead in goals and second in points last season. Vancouver only averaged 2.84 goals per game, 23rd in the league. Health is a legitimate concern – Kane’s only topped the 70-game mark once in the last five seasons – but with no long-term financial risk and a minimal acquisition cost, it’s a risk worth taking.

Kane should be penciled into a top-six role in Vancouver. He could even see increased minutes as a top-line wing option for Elias Pettersson, particularly with the Canucks expected to lose Brock Boeser in free agency next week.

As for the Canucks’ salary cap picture, they’re down to just over $7MM in space but have just one roster spot to fill assuming depth names like Linus Karlsson and youngsters like Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Victor Mancini get cracks on the opening night roster in the fall. While Boeser won’t be back in the picture, they have the flexibility to iron out an extension to keep center Pius Suter off the UFA market if they choose.

Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV was the first to report that the Oilers received a mid-round draft pick in return for Kane.

Image courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.

No Progress On Extension Between Panthers, Aaron Ekblad

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Aaron Ekblad appears the least likely of the Panthers’ three major pending unrestricted free agents to sign a new deal with the club, Pierre LeBrun said on TSN’s Early Trading on Tuesday.

“I’m not going to say there’s no chance he re-signs, but the reality is that I don’t think there’s been a lot of negotiation throughout the year since last summer on Aaron Ekblad,” LeBrun said. “I think the term was an issue the last time both sides talked about a potential extension. There’s some hard miles there on Ekblad, although he’s a very important player on that team.”

Testing the free agent waters isn’t Ekblad’s first choice. During the later stages of their championship run, he was public about his desire to stay with the Panthers, who drafted him first overall in 2014. However, while LeBrun relays that the Panthers aren’t willing to offer him a max-term extension, the AAV of the deal was also a point of contention as recently as a couple of weeks ago, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.

With Florida not offering him maximum security nor matching the $7.5MM cap hit of his expiring contract, Ekblad may feel he’s leaving too much on the table by staying in Sunrise. He’ll be the most coveted defenseman on the market and will rank high among our top 50 free agents this summer – that list will release ahead of Friday’s draft. Those “hard miles” LeBrun mentioned could sway some suitors away from offering him the most extended contract. Still, as he’s only eligible for a seven-year deal if he hits the market, that may be more appealing to some than an eight-year deal is to the Cats.

Ekblad hasn’t played a full 82-game schedule since 2018-19, and he’s only hit the 70-game mark once since then. He’s lost at least 20 games due to injury in three of the last five seasons, not including the 20-game ban he received this year for performance-enhancing substances.

When healthy this year, though, Ekblad showed he’s still a top-pairing threat when in the lineup. He got some power-play minutes back after Brandon Montour left for the Kraken in free agency last summer, and his point totals rebounded in kind after underwhelming offensive showings in 2022-23 and 2023-24. He produced a 3-30–33 scoring line in 56 games, the fourth-highest points per game rate of his career, and averaged north of 23 minutes per game in the process.

Ekblad’s possession impacts haven’t been elite at any point in his career, but he’s never been a defensive liability, either. That didn’t change in 2024-25, posting a 55.9 CF% at even-strength that was 1.1% higher relative to Florida’s possession play without him on the ice.

The 29-year-old is likely a year or two past his absolute peak earning potential, a risk he took when signing an eight-year, $60MM extension immediately upon becoming eligible to do so in the final year of his entry-level contract. All 11 of his NHL seasons have been spent in a Panthers jersey, and he’s far and away the most impactful defenseman in Panthers franchise history. He’s first in games played (732), goals (118), assists (262), points (380), and second in plus-minus (+96) behind frequent partner Gustav Forsling’s +166 mark over the last five years.

AFP Analytics projects Ekblad could earn $7.8MM per season on a max-term seven-year deal on the open market, meaning right-shot-needy teams who aren’t in a favorable cap position like the Avalanche and Stars won’t be in the conversation. Other teams with more cash to spend in a contending position or looking to make the jump, like the Hurricanes, Sabres, Blue Jackets, and Red Wings, could be legitimate suitors if he doesn’t sign a new deal with Florida.

Image courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images.

Matt Martin Announces Retirement, Joins Islanders Front Office

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Longtime Islanders enforcer Matt Martin has announced his retirement, per a club announcement Tuesday. He’ll join the club’s front office as a special assistant to general manager Mathieu Darche.

A fifth-round pick by the Isles as an overager in 2008, Martin rose the ranks quicker than expected for his draft slot and made his NHL debut in February 2010 amid his first professional season. He became a fourth-line fixture in his second season. He maintained that role through the 2015-16 campaign, eventually forming one of the most recognizable checking lines of the decade with Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck. While never a huge scorer, he did have 10 goals in the final season of his first stint on Long Island and averaged a remarkable 379 hits per 82 games over his first seven NHL seasons.

Martin left Long Island for the Maple Leafs in free agency in 2016, signing a four-year, $10MM contract. While that value indicated Toronto was looking for him to play an increased role compared to his fourth-line deployment in New York, the opposite happened. After averaging around 11 minutes per game with the Islanders, he averaged just 8:33 per game over two seasons in Toronto. He sat as a healthy scratch for much of the 2017-18 season and was traded back to the Islanders the following summer.

Injuries became more of a theme for Martin in his second go-around with the Isles, but he regained his role alongside Cizikas and Clutterbuck and was a lineup fixture when healthy. He was still quite effective as a checking forward up to a few years ago, even matching his career-high 19 points in 2022-23. His ice time and deployment saw a reduction beginning in 2023-24 as his already minimal offensive value disappeared, and he appeared in just 32 games last season after pondering retirement but landing a PTO and subsequent one-year deal to return to New York for his 16th NHL season.

Martin retires as the Islanders’ all-time leader in hits with 3,489, and his 3,936 career checks are 93 short of the all-time record held by his longtime teammate, Clutterbuck, who also recently announced his retirement after not playing in 2024-25. His 855 games played are the eighth-most in franchise history.

All of us at PHR wish Martin the best in retirement and congratulate him on a career that will permanently cement him with the latest iteration of Islanders hockey.

Image courtesy of Tom Horak-Imagn Images.

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