Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Newsstand

Kyle Okposo Announces Retirement

at CDT | by 4 Comments

Longtime New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres winger Kyle Okposo has announced his retirement from the NHL in an open letter, released by agency CAA Hockey. In the letter, Okposo recounted his dreams of pursuing the NHL and the deep relationships he was able to form around the league. Okposo will be ending a decorated career, encompassing 17 NHL seasons, 1,051 games, and as of a few months ago, one Stanley Cup.

Okposo was originally selected seventh overall by the Islanders in the 2006 NHL Draft, after winning the 2006 USHL Clark Cup Championship with the Des Moines Buccaneers. He followed the draft with two productive years at the University of Minnesota, combining for 51 points in 58 games, before turning pro in the second-half of the 2007-08 season. Okposo’s production quickly translated to the AHL flight, and he earned his first NHL call-up after 35 games and 28 points in Bridgeport.

Once he was called up, Okposo didn’t look back – netting five points in his first nine NHL games, then more formally scoring 18 goals and 39 points in 65 games during his rookie season. He jumped up to New York’s second line and held his spot proudly, routinely challenging 20 goals and 50 points – peaking with a career-high 27 goals and 69 points in the 2013-14 season. Few wingers were as reliable as Okposo, and he carried that responsibility through a move to the Buffalo Sabres in 2016 – signing a seven-year deal in what was his only experience on the free agent market.

Okposo joined a Sabres team quickly approaching rock bottom. They did not once make the postseason during Okposo’s eight years with the club, but that didn’t dissuade him from latching on to his patented role in the lineup. Even through challenges with routine concussions, Okposo stood as a routine scorer, challenging 45 points every time he was able to play in a full season with the Sabres.

The consistent persistence earned Okposo the Sabres’ captaincy in 2022, succeeding Jack Eichel after his move to Vegas. Okposo wore the ’C’ for the next two seasons. But with the then-35-year-old quickly approaching his final skates, the Sabres made the difficult decision to trade their captain at the 2024 Trade Deadline, moving him to a team capable of running towards the Stanley Cup.

And thus, Okposo joined the red-hot Florida Panthers, with a fifth-round pick and the rights to defender Calle Sjalin headed back to Buffalo. Okposo filled the role of 13th-forward for Florida, only slotting into six regular season games and failing to record a point. But his energy proved invaluable in the postseason, where he appeared in 17 games and found a way to make a noticeable impact despite recording just two assists. The hard work paid off, and in his first postseason appearance since 2016 – Okposo won the Stanley Cup.

He’ll end his career on that high, but it’s hard to think his eager personality will stay away from the league for long. He hinted at that in his retirement announcement, sharing, “Thirty years of playing hockey was incredible… I believe the game is in a great place right now, but the possibilities are vast. I’m looking forward to continuing to contribute to the games as it reaches new heights.”

Capitals To Place T.J. Oshie On LTIR

at CDT | by 3 Comments

As expected, the Washington Capitals will place T.J. Oshie on long-term injured reserve once the regular season begins. Oshie took part in a medical examination this morning and the medical staff concluded his back issues would prohibit him from playing and he will be out indefinitely. The organization sent out a press release with Oshie’s comments regarding the decision:

“The last season was challenging for me, my family, and my teammates as I dealt with a chronic back injury that kept me out of the lineup. I have used the offseason to explore and pursue long-term solutions for my injury. I remain committed to the process and am working and doing my best to regain total health. In the meantime, I will continue to help and support my teammates and the organization in any way I can. I greatly appreciate all of our fans’ support during this time“.

Oshie only appeared in 52 games for the Capitals last year while recording the lowest point-per-game average of his career with 0.48. He’s been injured relatively frequently throughout his time in Washington as he’s only appeared in 81.1% of the team’s regular season games since the 2015-16 NHL season.

Washington should be able to absorb the vacancy left by Oshie with the team acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois and Andrew Mangiapane in separate trades over the summer. The team will also free up approximately $14.95MM in cap space with Oshie joining Nicklas Backstrom on the LTIR to open up the year allowing plenty of room for in-season additions.

Oshie was entering the final year of an eight-year, $46MM extension signed with the Capitals in 2017 and it appears he won’t be able to finish the contract on a high note. The chronic back injury not only puts his future in Washington in jeopardy but also the future of his career in professional hockey.

He remains committed to solving his injury woes and will likely have a full year to do so. He will become an unrestricted free agent next summer at 38 years old with his most recent game coming on April 28th, 2024.

Nashville Predators Re-Sign Philip Tomasino

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Nashville Predators have signed their final remaining restricted free agent one day before the team is set to participate in their first on-ice session of training camp. According to a team announcement, Nashville has agreed to a one-year, $825K contract with forward Philip Tomasino.

It’s been a difficult few years for the former 24th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft. Tomasino became a full-time member of the Predators’ roster relatively quickly after securing a point-per-game season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in 2020-21.

He was a promising depth scorer for the Predators during his rookie season in 2021-22, with 11 goals and 32 points in 76 games while averaging 11:32 minutes of ice time per night. Tomasino’s versatility up front allowed Nashville to move him from his natural position at center, which took some pressure off the young forward. He finished seventh on the team in scoring and was looking for more responsibility in his sophomore season.

In a somewhat confusing decision by the Predators, Tomasino did not make the team out of training camp for the 2022-23 NHL season and wasn’t recalled until February 13th of that year. He was nearly a point-per-game player with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, with 12 goals and 32 points in 38 contests, but he received little interest in Nashville despite the team struggling on offense. Tomasino finished the 2022-23 regular season with five goals and 18 points in 31 games averaging nearly four minutes more ice time than his rookie year.

Despite the Predators becoming one of the league’s better offensive teams under new head coach Andrew Brunette; Tomasino’s output plummeted. He scored seven goals and 20 points through 41 games for Nashville while posting 11 goals and 18 points in 21 games with Milwaukee. In early May, Brunette publicly called out Tomasino when he said, “If he continues to have the skill without the work, I don’t think he has a chance to play with us next year“.

One would reasonably assume from that quote that Tomasino has an outside chance of making Nashville’s roster this season unless his work ethic has dramatically improved. The team had a busy offseason and has expectations for the Stanley Cup playoffs this year so they are not in a position to have any slack on offense. It may be much of the same for Tomasino by starting the year in Milwaukee and trying to force Nashville’s hand on a call-up.

Kings, Arthur Kaliyev In Agreement On One-Year Deal

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Sep. 18: It’s a one-way deal worth $825K, John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor reports.

Sep. 17: The Kings and restricted free agent winger Arthur Kaliyev are in agreement “in principle” on a one-year deal close to his $874,125 qualifying offer, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports Tuesday. It has no bearing on Kaliyev’s trade request which has been active since at least May, Pagnotta adds.

The deal puts Kaliyev in a similar situation to Maple Leafs winger Nicholas Robertson. The 23-year-old was also an RFA with an active trade request this summer but opted to sign a one-year, $875K deal last week, giving teams interested in acquiring him some cost certainty.

But unlike Robertson, Kaliyev is coming off a down year, not a breakout one. The American national was limited to seven goals and 15 points in 51 games after hitting double-digit goal totals in each of the previous two seasons.

Kaliyev does still have a bit of room to grow at age 23. The 2019 second-rounder doesn’t use his 6’2″, 209-lb frame to get involved physically and can have some visible defensive lapses, but his possession numbers at even strength haven’t been a cause for concern at any point of his career thus far, even when compared directly to his teammates.

The Uzbekistan native has averaged 15 goals and 31 points per 82 games through his career. That’s impressive production for a player who’s averaged just over 12 minutes per game and doesn’t have a terribly high career shooting percentage (8.4%). He’s a chance-generating machine who averages 2.23 shots per game – sixth-most among Kings forwards with at least 100 games played in an L.A. jersey over the past three years.

There’s legitimate reason to believe a move to a top-nine role elsewhere could generate a 20-goal, 40-point breakout for Kaliyev – or more. It’s been mostly quiet on the trade front up to this point, but with a contract in hand, he could very well find himself on the move during training camp.

Lightning Name Victor Hedman Captain

at CDT | by 5 Comments

The Lightning have wasted no time in naming Steven Stamkos’ successor to the captaincy. Defenseman Victor Hedman will take over as the 11th captain in franchise history, general manager Julien BriseBois announced today.

There was no other logical candidate to assume the role from Stamkos, who left for the Predators in free agency this summer after serving as Tampa Bay’s captain since 2013. Hedman is entering his 16th season with the Bolts and is only 30 games back of Stamkos’ franchise-record 1,082 games played. He’ll assume this record this season, barring a major injury.

“We are thrilled to have Victor leading our team as the 11th captain in franchise history,” BriseBois said. “Victor is a cornerstone player that is extremely well respected by his teammates, coaches and peers across the NHL. Over the past 15 seasons, he has been a world-class representative for our organization both on and off the ice. Victor embodies what it means to be a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning and is more than ready for this exciting opportunity. We are looking forward to watching him flourish in his new role as we continue to work towards our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”

Hedman, of course, has already helped Tampa achieve that goal. The six-time All-Star won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP during the Lightning’s first of their back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2020. The 2018 Norris Trophy winner signed a four-year, $32MM extension this summer to keep him off the open market in 2025.

While no longer a bonafide top-three defenseman in the league, Hedman is still an elite blue liner and did well to prove that his disappointing 2022-23 campaign was a fluke. The 33-year-old rebounded in a big way last season with 63 assists and 76 points in 78 games, the second-best season of his career offensively. He added on a team-high +18 rating and was once again their leader in average ice time at 24:48 per game.

He’s by far the best defenseman in Lightning history, holding franchise records among D-men in goals (156), assists (572), points (728), and rating (+175) – all by a wide margin. The hulking 6’7″, 244-lb Swede was the second overall pick in the 2009 draft, one year after the Lightning selected Stamkos first overall to kickstart their late-2000s rebuild that’s still paying dividends.

Nikita Kucherov will continue serving as an alternate captain as he has since 2022, the team confirmed. Ryan McDonagh will also wear an ’A’ in his return to Tampa after two years with the Predators. He previously served as an alternate captain with the Bolts from 2019-20 to 2021-22.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Evander Kane Scheduled For Sports Hernia Surgery

at CDT | by 11 Comments

Sep. 18: Kane will indeed undergo sports hernia surgery, general manager Stan Bowman told reporters today (via the Oilers’ Tony Brar).

Sep. 13: Mark Spector of Sportsnet is reporting that Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane will have sports hernia surgery in the next 10 days or so. Kane has been dealing with the issue since last season and played through the pain as much as he could but eventually missed significant time in the Stanley Cup Final when he dressed in just two of the Oilers’ final seven games.

Kane played reasonably well last season, given that he played through pain for most of it. However, his 24 goals and 20 assists in 77 games represented his lowest point-per-game pace in seven years. The 31-year-old added four goals and four assists in 20 playoff games, which was also a drop from his normal production.

While Kane’s offensive numbers were below his career norms, he did play a career-low 16:47 per game during the regular season which marked his lowest total since he averaged 14:00 per game during his rookie season in 2009-10 while he was a member of the Atlanta Thrashers.

Kane’s prognosis won’t be fully known until surgery has been completed. When his recovery period is clear the Oilers should be able to figure out a plan for their salary cap situation going forward. PuckPedia estimates that Edmonton has $946K in cap space for the 2024-25 season (including Kane’s $5.125MM cap hit), however, if Kane is out longer than 24 days and 10 games then Edmonton can place him on LTIR. If that is the approach they take, the Oilers would need to keep his space available for when he is ready to suit up once again which would presumably be at some point during the regular season.

Oilers Sign Mike Hoffman To PTO

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Oilers have signed forward Mike Hoffman to a professional tryout, the team said Wednesday.

Hoffman, 34, will look to get his feet back under him in Edmonton after a trying 2023-24 campaign. Entering the final season of a three-year, $13.5MM deal he signed with the Canadiens in 2021, Montreal moved him to the Sharks in August as part of the massive three-team trade that sent Erik Karlsson to the Penguins.

In San Jose, Hoffman had his worst season since establishing himself as a full-time NHLer with the Senators in the 2014-15 campaign. Making 66 appearances, his 10 goals, 13 assists, 23 points, 71 shots on goal, and 13:44 ATOI were all his lowest in a full NHL season.

Hoffman was once a prolific top-six scoring winger, hitting the 20-goal mark in six straight seasons with the Sens and Panthers from 2014-15 to 2019-20. But his production dipped once the pandemic hit, and he hasn’t recorded more than 20 goals or 40 points in a season since.

He does bring 228 goals, 487 points, and 745 games of NHL experience to Oilers camp, though. He may be a higher-upside bottom-six option on the wing than Mattias Janmark or Vasily Podkolzin, but for a team already ripe with veteran scoring wingers, Hoffman will need to prove he’s more than just a redundancy for players like UFA additions Viktor Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner in order to earn a contract.

The Oilers have $945K in projected cap space with one open roster spot, per PuckPedia. They also have depth defenseman Travis Dermott in camp on a PTO, so one tryout being successful likely precludes the other one from resulting in a deal.

Blackhawks Name Nick Foligno Captain

at CDT | by 6 Comments

Blackhawks forward Nick Foligno will be the team’s next captain, per a team press release. He’s the 35th in franchise history and the first since Jonathan Toews’ tenure in Chicago ended after the 2022-23 season.

Foligno is entering his second season with the Hawks after inking a two-year, $9MM extension last January to keep him off this summer’s free-agent market. The 36-year-old winger also served as captain of the Blue Jackets for the last six of his nine seasons in Columbus from 2015 to 2021. Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson issued the following statement:

In a very short amount of time, Nick has quickly earned the respect of his teammates and our staff. Nick’s commanding presence in the locker room has been instrumental in helping the team find its identity. He has served as a mentor to many of our young players both on and off the ice while also heading up the leadership group comprised of our veteran players, and we are beyond confident that he will flourish in the role of captain as we usher in a new era of Blackhawks hockey.

The Buffalo native was already part of Chicago’s leadership group, serving as an alternate captain last season. Set to be a UFA last offseason after signing a two-year deal with the Bruins in 2021, Boston traded his signing rights to the Blackhawks in the Taylor Hall deal. Chicago promptly signed Foligno to a one-year, $4MM extension, preventing him from joining the 2023 UFA class.

While his frequent first-line duties on a paper-thin Blackhawks forward group last year punched above his weight as he enters the final few years of his NHL career, Foligno is still an extremely serviceable middle-six forward. He made 74 appearances for Chicago last season, his most since 2018-19, and recorded 37 points (17 G, 20 A) with a -29 rating while averaging 17:46 per game. It was his best showing offensively since his days in Columbus, finishing third on the team in scoring and leading them in hits with 192.

Foligno won’t be relied upon for nearly as many minutes this season with UFA signings Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teräväinen in the mix at wing. Hall playing a full-time role after a knee injury limited him to 10 appearances last year likely bumps the new captain down to comfortable third-line duties.

The move allows presumptive future captain Connor Bedard to take a more leisurely road to the position. The Blackhawks are no stranger to awarding the captaincy to budding stars – Toews wore the ’C’ on his chest from his second NHL season onward – but will take a different approach here. The 2023 first-overall pick will nonetheless remain Chicago’s centerpiece entering his sophomore year after his 22-goal, 61-point rookie season in 68 games, leading the Hawks in scoring and taking home the Calder Trophy.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Stars Re-Sign Thomas Harley

at CDT | by 1 Comment

With their salary cap situation making it hard for a long-term deal to be an option, the Stars unsurprisingly have opted for a bridge agreement with defenseman Thomas Harley.  The team announced that they’ve inked the blueliner to a two-year, $8MM contract.  GM Jim Nill released the following statement:

Thomas is one of the league’s top young defensemen. His performance last season was a testament to the way that he has worked on and off the ice to become a better player. We are looking forward to his continued growth and helping anchor our blueline for many years to come.

PuckPedia reports that the deal will pay Harley $3.5MM this season and $4.5MM in 2025-26.  The latter number will represent his qualifying offer and he will also be arbitration-eligible at that time.

Harley’s performance last season was certainly worthy of the praise from his GM.   The 23-year-old only has one full NHL season under his belt – 2023-24 – but it was a very strong one which saw him record 15 goals and 32 assists in 79 games while averaging just over 21 minutes a night.  Harley was quieter offensively in the playoffs (four assists in 19 appearances) but still logged heavy minutes, averaging nearly 24 minutes per contest, second only to Miro Heiskanen.  His goal total put him in a tie for eighth-most among all NHL rearguards.

While the 2019 first-round pick (18th overall) had a more limited track record compared to some more established young blueliners, Harley’s play last season could realistically have put a long-term agreement past $7MM per season on a max-term deal.  But to give him that would have necessitated some cost-cutting now, something that Dallas as a win-now team wouldn’t have been looking to do.

This is the second notable contract of the day for the Stars’ back end with Esa Lindell inking a five-year extension earlier today.  In getting these deals done, Dallas now has their top five defensemen signed through at least the 2025-26 season which will give them a bit of stability on that front.

With the move, the Stars now have their full team signed for the upcoming season.  PuckPedia projects them to only have $694K in cap space but that’s with a full-sized roster.  If Dallas is willing to carry fewer the maximum number of players and opts to continue the daily shuffling of waiver-exempt players (as they did frequently with Logan Stankoven last season, for example), then they should put themselves in a position to comfortably bank some in-season cap room, barring a rash of injuries, of course.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Canucks’ Alexander Edler Announces Retirement

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Vancouver Canucks have announced that they’ll sign defenseman Alexander Edler to a one-day contract on October 11th, allowing him to retire in the city he spent 15 seasons in. Edler is a veteran of 1,030 NHL games, spending all but 105 of those in a Canucks jersey.

Edler holds a case as the draft day steal of 2004, originally going in the third round but since totaling the seventh-most NHL games of anyone in the class. He earned a top-pair role in Vancouver as a rookie in 2007, immediately flashing reliable two-way play and modest scoring. He’d become known for his consistency, emerging as one of Vancouver’s most utilized defenders through the bulk of the  Sedin era and routinely challenging the 35-point mark. Edler’s career year came in the 2011-12 season, when he tallied 11 goals, 38 assists, and 49 points in 82 games – career-highs in all four stats, and the only time that Edler played in a full season. His 409 points in 925 games with Vancouver both rank as all-time highs among Canucks defenders.

Edler continued playing over 20 minutes a night through his final season in Vancouver in 2021. But the addition of superstar Quinn Hughes challenged Edler’s role, leading him to sign with the Los Angeles Kings, where he’d close his career on a pair of one-year contracts. His scoring took a hit in his final years – falling from a per-game average of 0.44 points in Vancouver (409 points in 925 games) to just 0.29 in Los Angeles (30 points in 105 games). He was one of only a few 2004 draft picks still playing in the NHL last season, joining Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Blake Wheeler, and Alex Goligoski.

The Canucks will honor their longtime top-defender with a pre-game ceremony during their October 11th matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top