Salary Cap Deep Dive: New Jersey Devils
Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those who don’t often see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2025-26 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia. We’re currently covering the Metropolitan Division, next up are the Devils.
New Jersey Devils
Current Cap Hit: $89,368,333 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Seamus Casey (two years, $950K)
F Arseni Gritsyuk (one year, $925K)
D Simon Nemec (one year, $918.3K)
Potential Bonuses
Casey: $350K
Gritsyuk: $500K
Nemec: $3.25MM
Total: $1.1MM
Gritsyuk has come over after some productive seasons in the KHL to ideally deepen their attack offensively. His contract has a November 15th European Assignment Clause so even if he starts in the minors with Utica, he can’t stay there for long. If he can stick with New Jersey full time, he could have a chance of getting at least one of his ‘A’ bonuses.
Casey was quite productive in a limited stint with the Devils last season where he had eight points in 14 games while producing at a similar per-game rate with Utica. He could be viewed as a regular this season or could be the first recall with the latter making his bonuses unlikely and likely moving him toward a bridge deal in 2027. Nemec saw very limited time with New Jersey, instead spending a big chunk of the season with the Comets, an outcome he wasn’t too pleased with. He’s likely to fill a depth role if he’s up with the big club which makes his $1MM in ‘A’ bonuses unlikely. A short-term second contract makes sense for both sides; if Nemec can lock down a regular role this season, it could land around the $2MM mark.
Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level
F Paul Cotter ($775K, RFA)
F Evgenii Dadonov ($1MM, UFA)
G Nico Daws ($812.5K, RFA)
F Juho Lammikko ($800K, UFA)
G Jacob Markstrom ($4.125MM, UFA)*
*-Calgary is retaining an additional $1.875MM of Markstrom’s contract
Potential Bonuses
Dadonov: $2.25MM
Dadonov provided Dallas with some solid secondary scoring last season, notching 20 goals and 20 assists despite playing less than 14 minutes a night. However, given his age (36), his offers were bonus-laden. He can hit $1.25MM of those by simply reaching 50 games (250K for each ten) with some additional incentives unlockable by team playoff success. Given that Dadonov acknowledged his offers were similar to this one, it’s safe to say that this type of structure will likely be what he receives moving forward as well.
Lammikko spent the last three years in Switzerland but was brought back to North America with a one-way deal. He’s likely to battle for a spot on the fourth line and when you factor in his performance in his first stint in the NHL, there could be a bit of room to grow the contract but he’s likely to stay around the $1MM mark next time out. Cotter potted 16 goals last season despite being in the bottom six while being one of the more physical players in the league. That type of output will look good in an arbitration hearing and while they’re not direct comparables, it wouldn’t be shocking if his camp was eyeing the $3MM per season that Columbus gave to Mathieu Olivier a few months ago.
Markstrom had a solid first season in New Jersey, helping to stabilize a position that had its challenges before then. However, he’ll be 36 when his next deal kicks in. A three-year deal might be doable but it’d be surprising to see him land around the $8MM mark that some other proven starters have received. A small raise on his full cap hit could be doable though. Daws projects to be the third goalie but it would be surprising to see him get through waivers unclaimed so if the Devils don’t want to risk it, they’ll have to keep him up with the big club. If that happens and his playing time is limited, he might not be able to command much more than his $892.5K qualifying offer.
Signed Through 2026-27
D Brenden Dillon ($4MM, UFA)
F Cody Glass ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Nico Hischier ($7.25MM, UFA)
F/D Kurtis MacDermid ($1.15MM, UFA)
F Dawson Mercer ($4MM, RFA)
F Stefan Noesen ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Ondrej Palat ($6MM, UFA)
Hischier’s contract looked a little risky when it was first signed as he was coming off a 47-point sophomore season. While expectations were still high for the first-overall pick, this deal wouldn’t have aged well if the offense didn’t come around. But it did do just that as he has become one of the top defensive centers in the NHL while reaching the 60-point mark in four straight seasons. Since Hischier started in the NHL at 18, he’ll only be 28 when his next contract begins, meaning he’s a strong candidate for another max-term pact, seven years with New Jersey or six elsewhere. A sizable raise should be coming his way as he could push past the $9MM mark on his next contract.
Palat’s contract simply hasn’t worked out as planned. Signed to be a secondary scorer, he instead has seen his per-game output drop to the lowest rates of his career with a corresponding drop in ice time to under 14 minutes per game. Assuming that trend continues, he’s someone they might be looking to incentivize a team to take while a buyout could be on the table next summer as well. Palat still has some value but his market rate is less than half of what he’s making. It wasn’t that long ago that Mercer looked like a can’t-move core piece but his output has tailed off the last two seasons as well. After putting up 56 points in his sophomore year, he has only put up 33 and 36 since then. He’ll be owed a $4.25MM qualifying offer two years from now with arbitration rights but as things stand, he’d be hard-pressed to land any sort of notable raise.
Noesen parlayed a pair of quietly efficient seasons in Carolina into this deal, one that more than doubled his career earnings. The early return looks positive as he’s coming off a career year and played higher up the lineup than he did with the Hurricanes. If this continues, he could push more toward the $4MM range next time. New Jersey originally didn’t plan to re-sign Glass but assessed what the center market was going to look like and ultimately brought him back. He has shown flashes of top-six upside but has largely been a bottom-six option in his career, meaning that this is the price range he’ll continue to be in unless he can break through offensively. MacDermid has sparsely played in recent years and when he has suited up, playing time has been minimal. While they’d like to keep an enforcer around, he’s also a candidate to be waived if they need more money to re-sign a certain restricted free agent that we’ll get to shortly. Given his limited usage, he might be closer to the minimum salary on his next contract.
Dillon was his usual self in his first season with New Jersey. He was last in ATOI among full-time blueliners but still logged right around his career average in playing time. He killed penalties, blocked shots, and played with physicality and as we’ve seen in recent years, that profile is starting to cost more. However, Dillon will be turning 37 early in his next contract so he could be in a spot like Dadonov where he’ll have to go year-to-year moving forward.
Signed Through 2027-28
D Dougie Hamilton ($9MM, UFA)
D Jonas Siegenthaler ($3.4MM, UFA)
In his prime, Hamilton was a premier offensive defender. He’s not in his prime now but is still an above-average one, albeit one who has dealt with some injury issues the last couple of years. No longer a top-pairing player, his contract skews toward the above-market side and will likely remain there for the next three years. By the time he hits the open market again at 35, his price tag might be closer to half of this amount. Siegenthaler has been a reliable stay-at-home player in New Jersey but, like Hamilton, has had some injury issues. He’ll need to stay healthier moving forward if he wants to push past the $4MM mark on his next contract.
Snapshots: Kochetkov, Juntorp, Jobst, Behm
Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is coming off a bit of a quieter year after his save percentage went down from .911 in 2023-24 to just .897 last season. It appears there might be a reason for that as the netminder recently told Sports.ru’s Dmitry Shevchenko that he started playing through some injuries in November with some lingering throughout the season; the only time he missed was due to a concussion. Kochetkov is set to partner up with Frederik Andersen as the tandem in Carolina once again next season and the Hurricanes will likely be counting on him to play at least 40 games for the third straight year. They’ll be hoping that a healthier Kochetkov will be a better one between the pipes.
More from around the hockey world:
- Still with the Hurricanes, prospect Nils Juntorp has signed with Boras HC in Sweden’s HockeyEttan, per a team announcement. The 21-year-old was a sixth-round pick by Chicago in 2022 and his rights were moved to Carolina in the Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall trade back in January. Juntorp had 20 points in 33 games with HC Dalen last season while also getting into three games at the second-tier Allsvenskan level.
- After spending the last four seasons in Buffalo’s system (including 2024-25 on an NHL contract), free agent forward Mason Jobst won’t be returning for a fifth, relays Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. The 31-year-old was the captain with AHL Rochester last season and had 37 points in 70 games after putting up 50 points in 64 outings in 2023-24. Jobst has 295 career AHL games under his belt, giving him veteran status which certainly is playing a role in limiting his marketability so far.
- Blackhawks prospect Nathan Behm announced on his Instagram page that he has committed to Arizona State University for the 2026-27 season. The winger was a third-round pick back in June, going 66th overall after a solid season with WHL Kamloops that saw him record 31 goals and 35 assists in 59 games. He’ll return to the Blazers for the upcoming season and then kick off his college career the following year.
Vancouver Canucks Sign Vitali Kravtsov
4:45 p.m.: Shortly after the Canucks announced the signing, PuckPedia alerted the public to Kravtsov’s contract details. He’ll earn a league minimum salary at the NHL level and a $450K salary in the AHL. If he fails to register 16 or more games next season, he’ll become a Group VI free agent next offseason.
4:11 p.m.: The former ninth overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft is coming back to North America. According to a team announcement, the Vancouver Canucks have signed Vitali Kravtsov to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 season.
The native of Vladivostok, Russia, was originally drafted by the New York Rangers after playing in 35 games for KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk. Despite only scoring four goals and seven points that year, Kravtsov had previously recorded 13 goals and 36 points in 41 games with a +18 rating for the MHL’s Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk. He was ranked as the third-best European prospect by NHL Central Scouting.
He performed much better in the KHL after being drafted by the Rangers, scoring eight goals and 21 points in 50 games, with an additional two assists in four postseason contests. He made his debut in North America during the 2019-20 season, scoring six goals and 15 points in 39 games for the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. Finally, just three years after being drafted, Kravtsov debuted for the Rangers during the 2020-21 campaign.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic at the time, Kravtsov spent the early part of the year back in the KHL, scoring 16 goals and 24 points in 49 games. He debuted in the NHL in early April, skating in 10:45 of the Rangers’ shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres on April 3rd. Unfortunately, despite seeing his ice time increase down the stretch, Kravtsov finished the season with two goals and four points in 20 games with a -6 rating. His possession and defensive metrics were abysmal, averaging a 43.9% CorsiFor% at even strength, and an 89.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength.
Feeling that he needed more developmental time, Kravtsov was again loaned to the Traktor Chelyabinsk for the 2021-22 campaign, scoring six goals and 13 points in 19 games, with another seven goals and 10 points in 15 playoff contests. Inspired by his postseason performance, the Rangers brought Kravtsov back to North America for the 2022-23 season.
His second year in New York went mildly better than the first, scoring three goals and six points in 28 games with a +6 rating. Ultimately, the Rangers had seen enough from their recent top draft selection, and they traded him to the Canucks on February 25, 2023, for William Lockwood and a 2026 seventh-round pick. Similarly, Kravtsov had a disappointing showing with the Canucks, scoring one goal and one assist in 16 games to finish out his second year in the NHL.
For the third time since making his professional playing debut in North America, Kravtsov left the NHL for Traktor Chelyabinsk, signing a two-year agreement with them after the 2022-23 NHL season. Since he was a restricted free agent at the time, the Canucks retained his negotiating rights should he ever return to NHL action.
His two-year tenure with Traktor was highly successful. He registered 45 goals and 92 points in 121 games, along with a +27 rating, including another nine goals and 12 points in 33 playoff contests. Given that it’s a two-way deal, Kravtsov will likely start the 2025-26 season with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, while maintaining the possibility of being recalled to Vancouver should his second stint with the team prove successful.
Summer Synopsis: Washington Capitals
Now more than a month into the new league year, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective. Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled. Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team has accomplished this offseason. We begin with a look at Washington.
Although they were unable to secure the second Stanley Cup in franchise history, the 2024-25 campaign was a monumental one for the Washington Capitals. Thanks in part to a loaded defensive core and standout goaltending, the Capitals surprisingly finished as the top team in the Eastern Conference, one year after qualifying for the postseason due to a tiebreaker. Outside of their play on the ice, team icon Alex Ovechkin broke the all-time goal record, surpassing Wayne Gretzky against the New York Islanders on April 6th. Still, after an offseason of little changes, will the Capitals be able to repeat their dominance?
Draft
1-27 – F Lynden Lakovic, Moose Jaw (WHL)
2-37 – F Milton Gästrin, MoDO (Sweden U20)
3-96 – F Maxim Schäfer, Berlin (DEL)
5-155 – F Jackson Crowder, Chicago (USHL)
6-180 – D Aron Dahlqvist, Brynäs IF (Sweden U20)
Despite having fewer selections than normal and choosing toward the end of each round, given their finish in the standings, the Capitals did fairly well in the 2025 NHL Draft. Their success in the draft is weighed heavily by Lakovic, whom the team selected toward the end of the first round.
Lakovic was projected to be a mid-first-round talent, but fell approximately 10 spots to Washington. The Kelowna, British Columbia native recently completed his second season with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors, scoring 27 goals and 58 points in 47 games with a -25 rating. He’s a big winger with a powerful shot and good puck-handling skills. He has some deficiencies to sort out on the defensive side of the puck, though much of that comes through on-ice maturity, especially for wingers.
Other than that, the pair of Gästrin and Schäfer could see NHL playing time at some point in the foreseeable future, but they aren’t expected to turn into much. The former is coming off a solid year with MoDo Hockey’s U20 team, scoring 18 goals and 42 points in 40 games with a +6 rating. Still, a more accurate projection will be available next offseason, once he’s completed his first year in the SHL.
Trade Acquisitions
D Declan Chisholm (from Minnesota)
Unlike last offseason, the Capitals made very few trades this offseason. The only trade they made was with the Minnesota Wild, acquiring Chisholm and a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft for Priskie (who has since signed with the KHL’s Sibir Novosibirsk) and a 2025 fourth-round pick.
Chisholm won’t get much playing time with the Capitals, unless injuries start to mount, since he was largely acquired to replace Alexeyev, who signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Still, Chisholm is coming off the best season of his brief NHL career (for his standards), scoring two goals and 12 points in 66 games for the Wild last season with a -5 rating, while averaging approximately 17 minutes of ice time per game.
UFA Signings
D Louis Belpedio (two years, $1.55MM)*
F Anthony Beauvillier (two years, $5.5MM)^
F Graeme Clarke (one year, $775K)*
F Sheldon Rempal (one year, $775K)*
D Calle Rosen (one year, $775K)*
*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing
Like their effort in the trade market, the Capitals also did very little on the free agent market. Their biggest free agent signing was a re-sign, as they brought back Beauvillier on a two-year deal after a solid performance after the trade deadline. Washington acquired Beauvillier from the Penguins for a 2025 second-round pick, and he rewarded them with two goals and five points in 18 games down the stretch. He was a bigger factor in the postseason, scoring two goals and six points in 10 games.
In a less headline-worthy deal, the Capitals brought former Vegas Golden Knight winger, Rempal, back to North America on a two-way contract. Rempal was never a notable player during his time in Nevada, but he could prove to be a quality depth option in Washington. He had an impressive year with the KHL’s Salavat Yulaev Ufa, scoring 31 goals and totaling 61 points in 68 games, along with a +7 rating. He also added eight goals and 21 points in 19 postseason contests.
Even though they didn’t win the sweepstakes, it’s important to note that the Capitals were among the finalists for Nikolaj Ehlers‘ services before he ultimately signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. If Washington were willing to procure a player of Ehlers’ talent, it could be something to watch out for during the 2025-26 season. Although it’s unlikely the Capitals deal from their depth of impressive young talent on the roster, they could go big-game hunting toward the deadline season if they’re in a position to make the postseason.
RFA Re-Signings
D Martin Fehervary (seven years, $42MM)
F Hendrix Lapierre (one year, $850K)
*-denotes two-way contract
Much like they did with the rest of their defensive core throughout the regular season, the Capitals extended Fehervary on a long-term contract. He had the best season of his career last year, despite having the lowest ATOI of his career since the 2019-20 season. Fehervary scored five goals and 25 points in 81 games with a +18 rating, averaging 19 minutes of ice time per game. He finished with the second-most blocked shots, third-most hits, and finished third among defensemen (with 65 or more games played) in on-ice save percentage at even strength (90.3%).
The team also re-signed Lapierre, who they are hoping can finally break out this upcoming season. After scoring eight goals and 22 points in 51 games for the Capitals during the 2023-24 campaign, Lapierre had a significant drop-off last season, only tallying eight assists in 27 games. It was apparent that Washington lost all confidence in Lapierre’s game last season, and he’ll need a big rebound season if he hopes to have any staying power within the organization.
Departures
D Alexander Alexeyev (Pittsburgh, one year, $775K)
F Nicklas Backstrom (Brynäs IF, SHL)
D Ethan Bear (NY Islanders, one year, $775K)*
F Lars Eller (Ottawa, one year, $1.25MM)
F Alex Limoges (Dinamo Minsk, KHL)
F Andrew Mangiapane (Edmonton, two years, $7.2MM)
F T.J. Oshie (Retired)
F Luke Philp (Färjestad BK, SHL)
D Chase Priskie (traded to Minnesota)
F Taylor Raddysh (NY Rangers, two years, $3MM)
F Michael Sgarbossa (HC Lugano, NL)
G Hunter Shepard (Ottawa, one year, $775K)*
*-denotes two-way contract
Outside of Mangiapane, the Capitals didn’t lose too much this offseason. The team’s recent departures mostly include depth players who had little impact during their dominant run in the Eastern Conference last season.
Even Mangiapane, who largely played in the bottom-six for Washington last season, finished 10th on the team in scoring with 14 goals and 28 points in 81 games. Thankfully, the Capitals already have an in-house replacement for Mangiapane in the 2023 eighth-overall pick, Ryan Leonard. Leonard only scored one goal and one assist through 17 combined regular-season and playoff games for the Capitals last season. Still, he should prove far better in 2025-26 with more comfort around an NHL organization.
Should Washington run into any hiccups through their bottom-six to start the 2025-26 campaign, each of the players lost should be fairly replaceable on the trade market, without having to give up an arm and a leg. Given the lack of roster turnover this offseason, the Capitals are bringing back a very similar team to the one that dominated the Eastern Conference last season.
Salary Cap Outlook
According to PuckPedia, the Capitals will have $4.125MM in cap space to work with to start the 2025-26 campaign. Outside of a decision on defenseman John Carlson‘s future and a potential long-term commitment to Connor McMichael, Washington doesn’t have any longer-term issues to worry about thanks to their extension efforts throughout the 2024-25 season.
After next season, the Capitals should have plenty of cap space to re-sign Carlson and McMichael, while also having the ability to procure any top names on the free agent market. Still, there could be a significant cultural change to worry about, especially if Ovechkin chooses to retire from the NHL.
Key Questions
Will Ovechkin Stay? Outside of officially becoming the game’s top goal-scorer, the 2024-25 campaign proved how much Ovechkin has left in the tank. Even at 39 years old, Ovechkin scored 44 goals and 73 points in 65 games, tying for third in the league in goal-scoring. Assuming that his goal-scoring ability finally starts to deteriorate next season, would there be any hesitation from the Capitals to re-sign the greatest player in franchise history if he can only score 20 goals? The answer is no. Ultimately, the decision will come down to Ovechkin’s desires. Outside of another Stanley Cup ring, there’s nothing he has left to accomplish in the NHL, and with his contract expiring after next season, he may want to return to Russia to wrap up his professional playing career, similar to other Russian icons like Pavel Datsyuk and Sergei Fedorov.
Will The Goaltending Hold Up? One of the key factors in Washington’s success last year was its goaltending, particularly Logan Thompson. Thompson finished the season with a 31-6-6 record in 42 starts with a .910 SV%, 2.49 GAA, and 12.4 Goals Saved Above Average. Despite having some solid years with the Golden Knights, it was the first time Thompson had received votes for the Vezina Trophy, placing fourth. Still, given his previous play in Vegas, there’s no reason to believe that Thompson will have any serious setbacks next season. Unfortunately, there are some injury concerns with Thompson, who lost significant playing time from 2022 to 2024 due to varying ailments. With only one quality season under his belt, is it safe for the Capitals to rely on Charlie Lindgren to keep the team’s head above water should Thompson have another serious injury?
Was Last Year A Fluke? There’s no questioning that outside the Capitals organization, few expected the year they had. Washington had not finished with more than 100 points since the 2018-19 campaign, a year after they won their first Stanley Cup championship. Given that Washington had a 20-point fall in the standings between the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaign, is that something to be expected next season? The Capitals were bounced easily in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs by the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Hurricanes will again be fierce competition next season. Thankfully, outside of the Hurricanes and a healthy New Jersey Devils team, the Capitals have little to deal with in the Metropolitan Division. They should face some healthy competition from the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers, but there’s little reason the Capitals can’t have a similar performance next season.
Photos courtesy of Peter Casey (Fehervary) and Charles LeClaire (Ovechkin)-Imagn Images.
Panthers Not Expected To Trade Evan Rodrigues
Although they are free to do so during the offseason, the Florida Panthers are currently $3.725MM over the upper limit of the salary cap. This means that in a few months, the Panthers will need to trim nearly $4MM from their active roster for a cap-compliant lineup, and many have speculated that Evan Rodrigues and his $3MM salary could be a consequence of that reality.
Still, no guarantee it’ll happen, and it’s even appearing unlikely. In the most recent rendition of 32 Thoughts with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the journalist said he doesn’t believe Florida will trade Rodrigues this offseason, despite the need for additional cap space.
Rodrigues’ spot on the roster was likely made safe by the recent injury update, again from Friedman, regarding winger Matthew Tkachuk. Friedman shared a few days ago that he doesn’t believe Tkachuk will play meaningful hockey until the Winter Olympics next season due to a torn adductor muscle suffered during the postseason. If that’s the case, the Panthers could place Tkachuk and his $9.5MM on LTIR for the first five months of the regular season, giving them more than enough space for cap compliance.
General Manager Bill Zito has already been commended this summer for his ability to retain a large portion of the lineup that won the franchise its second consecutive Stanley Cup championship a few months ago. Again, although they’d likely much rather have Tkachuk in the lineup for the entire regular season, Zito has avoided a situation where he’d have to move on from Rodrigues.
Rodrigues has never been a true top-six piece at the NHL level, but has offered teams the flexibility to move him anywhere around the lineup. The Panthers have gotten exactly what they expected out of him when they signed him to a four-year, $12MM agreement before the 2023-24 season.
Since donning the Panthers’ crest, Rodrigues has scored 27 goals and 71 points in 162 games with a +22 rating, averaging 15:12 of ice time per game. He’s been a consistent physical presence in the team’s middle-six, and has even provided them with quality defense as evidenced by his 91.9% on-ice save percentage at even strength.
Rodrigues, like many of his teammates in Sunrise, has elevated his performance during the postseason. In the Panthers’ two most recent Stanley Cup Final victories, he has scored nine goals and accumulated a total of 30 points in 45 games. Additionally, he has recorded 98 hits and averages 15:24 of ice time per game. He’s never been the most important player on Florida’s roster, or even the most well-known, but the franchise recognizes the value he brings and has done well to retain him.
Maple Leafs Sign William Villeneuve To Two-Way Deal
The Leafs announced they’ve signed right-shot defender William Villeneuve to a two-way deal for 2025-26. Financial terms were not disclosed, but in doing so, they took care of their last remaining RFA skater who hasn’t committed elsewhere for the upcoming season. Only goaltender Dennis Hildeby now remains as an unsigned RFA in the Toronto pipeline.
Villeneuve returns to Toronto for his fourth professional season. He was a fourth-round pick by the Maple Leafs back in 2020 out of QMJHL Saint John, where he won a Memorial Cup title two years later.
The 6’2″ rearguard has acclimated reasonably well to the pro game with AHL Toronto. An offensively gifted defenseman, he posted acceptable but stagnant point totals in his first two seasons before enjoying a breakout campaign in 2024-25. He was among the Marlies’ best players, posting a team-high +17 rating while leading their defense in scoring with 40 points (4 G, 36 A) in 55 games.
Villeneuve checked in as the No. 10 prospect in Toronto’s system in Scott Wheeler of The Athletic’s rankings back in January, but he’s undoubtedly climbed up the ladder since then with multiple names ahead of him being traded and his own second-half surge. Age will work against him to some degree – he’s entering his age-23 season with no NHL experience to speak of. But aside from defensive-minded 2024 first-rounder Ben Danford, he’s among their most intriguing defense prospects and may have the highest offensive ceiling out of the group currently in their pipeline.
There isn’t a pathway for him to make a surprise grab for an opening night job out of camp, but some organizational reshuffling has likely pushed him up the ladder for a recall opportunity. A strong start to the season with the Marlies should mean a big-league debut for him at some point in 2025-26.
Snapshots: Benák, Dornbach, Finland
Wild fourth-rounder Adam Benák is headed to the CHL for his post-draft season. The OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs announced they’ve signed him to a development deal after selecting him second overall in this year’s CHL Import Draft.
While Benák has always displayed a high-ceiling offensive game, his 5’8″, 163-lb frame meant he was never going to challenge for a premier draft slot. Instead, the Czech pivot fell to Minnesota at No. 102 overall following a strong year with the USHL’s Youngstown Phantoms. The speedy two-way center led the team in scoring with 59 points (17 G, 42 A) in 56 games in his first season in North America, earning USHL All-Rookie Team and Second All-Star Team honors.
Benák has excelled in international play. He’s had 21 points in just 10 games for Czechia’s under-18 team at the last two Hlinka Gretzky Cups, winning a pair of silver medals, and also had seven points in four games at this year’s under-18 World Championship. He’ll almost surely land a spot on the country’s World Juniors team this winter.
Elsewhere from around the hockey world:
- After mixed results in North America, former Wild minor-leaguer Casey Dornbach has signed in Austria with Pioneers Vorarlberg of the ICEHL. Undrafted, Dornbach garnered some NHL interest as a college free agent in 2023 but ended up settling for a deal with AHL Iowa. He managed just two points in 13 games for the club, instead spending most of his time in the ECHL before leaving for a role with Finland’s Jukurit midway through last season. The former ECAC Rookie of the Year had 40 goals and 124 points in 138 NCAA games with Harvard and Denver.
- To the surprise of no one, Finland will continue with its defense-first mentality as it builds out its roster for the 2026 Olympics, head coach Antti Pennanen and GM Jere Lehtinen told NHL.com’s Varpu Sihvonen. They’re looking to defend their gold medal from the 2022 edition, this time with NHLers in tow. Sebastian Aho, Aleksander Barkov, Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Mikko Rantanen, and Juuse Saros have already been named to their roster. Interestingly enough, their head coach from the 2022 win, Jukka Jalonen, will now be behind the bench for host country Italy, who are groupmates with Finland.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Columbus Blue Jackets
Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those who don’t often see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2025-26 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia. We’re currently covering the Metropolitan Division, next up are the Blue Jackets.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Current Cap Hit: $79,157,499 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Adam Fantilli (one year, $950K)
D Denton Mateychuk (two years, $886.7K)
Potential Bonuses
Fantilli: $3.2MM
Mateychuk: $750K
Total: $3.95MM
Fantilli was drafted with the hope that he could become a legitimate number one center. He appears to be on his way to getting there after being moved back down the middle full-time last season while building off his rookie season nicely. The $1MM in ‘A’ bonuses could very well be hit if he progresses as expected in 2025-26, putting him in a good spot to bypass a bridge contract if that’s a route GM Don Waddell wants to go. A long-term agreement could run past the $9MM per season mark.
Mateychuk was a midseason recall and quickly earned the confidence of head coach Dean Evason. He was a very productive blueliner in AHL Cleveland before the promotion but hasn’t had a big chance to showcase that part of his game yet. If he gets that chance this year, he could have a chance to earn some of his three ‘A’ bonuses but if he remains in more of a fourth or fifth role, that will be tricky. As things stand, Mateychuk appears likelier to land a bridge agreement on his next contract but if he locks down a more prominent spot on the depth chart by 2027, that could change.
Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level
F Zach Aston-Reese ($775K, UFA)
F Yegor Chinakhov ($2.1MM, RFA)
F Charlie Coyle ($5.25MM, UFA)
G Jet Greaves ($8.125K, RFA)
D Erik Gudbranson ($MM, UFA)
F Boone Jenner ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Cole Sillinger ($2.25MM, RFA)
Coyle was acquired from Colorado this offseason to give the Blue Jackets some extra depth down the middle. He’s coming off a quiet year that saw him record just 35 points but he’s only a year removed from a 60-point campaign. Assuming he’s able to get back to at least the 40-point range, Coyle should be able to hit the UFA market next summer with a shot at matching his current price tag on a three or four-year agreement. Jenner has been a very effective two-way center when healthy. However, he has missed significant time in five straight seasons which will affect his next contract. When he’s healthy and in form, he’s a big center who is above average on faceoffs and scores more than 20 goals a season. That player would normally get $6MM or more on the open market. But with the injuries, his market value might dip closer to $5MM or so.
Sillinger just turned 22 and already has four NHL seasons under his belt and has taken some gradual strides offensively but isn’t quite proven as a second-line middleman just yet. Notably, he’ll only be two years away from UFA eligibility next summer while also having arbitration rights. If the sides can’t agree on a long-term pact, a one-year second bridge contract could run the team around $3.5MM while a medium-term agreement might land closer to $5MM per season. On the other hand, if he takes a jump forward and Waddell is ready to lock him up long-term, the price tag could push past the $6MM mark. It’s not often someone this age is in this contractual spot since few 18-year-olds play in the NHL right away and with his development so far, there’s a wide range of outcomes.
Chinakhov has been in the media a lot lately with his trade request being made public in recent weeks. He’s only one year removed from putting up 16 goals in 53 games but injuries and a long stretch as a healthy scratch limited him to just seven in 30 outings last season. If he gets back to his 2023-24 form, he’d be in line for a short-term deal that pushes past $3MM per season but if he’s used as he was down the stretch, he could conceivably enter non-tender territory next summer as well. Aston-Reese was an training camp waiver claim from Vegas last fall and earned this one-year extension soon after. As a fourth liner who typically plays limited minutes, he’s likely to stay at or near the minimum salary moving forward.
Gudbranson’s contract came as somewhat of a surprise three years ago given that he was more of a fourth or fifth defenseman at the time. It actually has held up a bit better than expected although last season was largely a write-off due to injuries. In a perfect world, he should be more of a third-pairing player by the time his next contract begins so at least a small dip should be expected. That said, right-shot defenders often get paid more than expected so perhaps he surprises again.
Greaves needs to get into at least seven NHL games this season with at least 30 minutes played per game to actually remain a restricted free agent. If not, he’d become a Group VI UFA. Considering that he projects to be part of the goaltending tandem next season, it’s safe to say that he’ll easily get there, barring injury. He was a big part of their late-season push but still has just 21 NHL games under his belt right now. A solid showing this season could move him closer to the $2MM mark while if he takes over as the starter moving forward, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him more than double that on a deal that buys out a couple of UFA seasons.
Signed Through 2026-27
D Jake Christiansen ($975K, UFA)
F Kent Johnson ($1.8MM, RFA)
F Isac Lundestrom ($1.3MM, UFA)
F Kirill Marchenko ($3.85MM, RFA)
G Elvis Merzlikins ($5.2MM, UFA)
F Dmitri Voronkov ($4.175MM, RFA)
Voronkov received his bridge deal just last month on the heels of a solid second NHL season that saw him record 24 goals and 23 assists. The short-term contract made sense for both sides to better assess if he can become even more impactful offensively before locking in a long-term agreement. Assuming he stays on this trajectory, it wouldn’t be surprising to see his next contract surpass the $6MM threshold. Marchenko appears to be well on his way to an even bigger raise on his next deal. He very quietly put up 31 goals and 74 points last season, legitimate top-line numbers for a middle-six price tag. He has surpassed the 20-goal plateau in each of his three NHL seasons and at the rate salaries are set to increase, he could plausibly double his current price tag two on his next contract.
Johnson received a bridge deal last summer on the heels of a tough season. That contract already looks like a big bargain as he locked down a full-time spot in the top six and had more points than his previous two seasons combined. At this rate, he could get into the $6MM or $7MM range as well with arbitration rights when his deal is up. Lundestrom comes over from Anaheim after the Ducks elected to non-tender him. He has been more of a depth player in recent years, unable to live up to his first-round billing. The fact he can kill penalties gives him some utility but he’ll need to be a lot more impactful if he wants to get past the $2MM threshold on his next deal.
Christiansen was a full-timer on the NHL roster for just the first time last season which didn’t give him much leverage in contract talks. He also averaged just 12:32 per game in 2024-25 which was one of the lower marks for a regular. If he can work his way up to 15 or 16 minutes a night, he could push closer to $1.5MM on his next deal. It also wouldn’t be overly shocking if he was on waivers at some point on this deal if he’s pushed out of a roster spot.
While Merzlikins showed promise early in his career, he simply hasn’t been able to play at the level of an NHL starting goalie with much consistency. Frankly, his performance has been that of a backup at best more often than not. At this point, landing a deal paying half of what he’s getting now could be a challenge barring him turning things around over the next couple of seasons.
Signed Through 2027-28
D Zach Werenski ($9.583MM, UFA)
Werenski’s contract raised some eyebrows at the time it was signed but after they lost Seth Jones to Chicago, they weren’t in a spot where they could risk losing their top defender. After injuries wrecked the first year of the agreement, he has played at a true number one level, an all-situations player who logs heavy minutes and puts up plenty of offense. He led the Blue Jackets in scoring last season, averaging just over a point per game while finishing second in Norris Trophy voting. Given the inflationary trend of the market (particularly on the back end), Werenski appears to be on his way to landing another raise three years from now on another long-term agreement.
Minor Transactions: 8/4/25
As we creep a little closer to training camps starting up, there have been a handful of minor moves around the hockey world recently. We’ll run through those here.
- Veteran goaltender Anton Khudobin has announced his retirement at the age of 39, Shaiba.kz relays. Khudobin spent parts of 14 seasons in the NHL, compiling a 114-92-33 record with a 2.52 GAA and a .916 SV% with six different teams. After spending most of 2022-23 in the minors, he opted to play in Russia but didn’t play much at the VHL or KHL levels. Khudobin didn’t suit up at all last season but has now made his retirement official.
- The Hurricanes’ affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, announced (Twitter link) the re-signing of center Nikita Pavlychev and the signing of defenseman Jacob Friend to one-year contracts. Pavlychev had his best AHL performance last season, picking up 25 points in 63 games after primarily playing in the ECHL for the previous four years. As for Friend, he split last season between playing in Austria and Germany but has three years of playing in the minor pros in North America.
- After being moved in the KHL just a few days ago, Matvei Guskov has a new team once again as he has signed with HK Sochi. The Wild drafted Guskov in the fifth round back in 2019 but he has struggled since then, especially last season where he had just four goals in 38 games spread between three other KHL teams. Sochi’s rosters usually aren’t as deep so Guskov may have a pathway to a bigger role and more production now with this move. Minnesota continues to hold his NHL signing rights indefinitely.
- AHL Rockford, affiliate of the Blackhawks, announced the signing of defenseman Tyson Feist to a one-year deal. The 24-year-old only played in six AHL games last season, spending most of the year with ECHL Orlando where he had 17 points in 57 appearances. However, Feist saw action in 32 AHL contests in 2023-24 and will be looking to see more regular action at that level in 2025-26.
Islanders Sign Matthew Schaefer
Back in June, the Islanders made Matthew Schaefer the first overall pick in the draft. Now, they have their newest top prospect under contract as the team announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a three-year, entry-level contract. Financial terms were not disclosed but PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that, as expected, Schaefer has received the maximum allowable. That means he carries a $975K cap charge including signing bonus money plus an additional $3.5MM in potential performance bonuses, $1MM in ‘A’ bonuses and $2.5MM in harder to reach ‘B’ bonuses.
The 17-year-old (who will turn 18 next month) didn’t enter last season as the presumptive top selection. However, a strong start with OHL Erie vaulted him into the discussion heading to the World Juniors. He only played in two games there for Canada before suffering a broken clavicle that ended his season. Prior to the injury, he had seven goals and 15 assists in just 17 contests for the Otters. That was a five-point improvement on the year before, despite playing in 39 fewer games.
That was enough for new GM Mathieu Darche to make him the new centerpiece of their future back end, especially since they dealt their previous top defender, Noah Dobson, to Montreal on draft day for two more first-round picks along with winger Emil Heineman. New York is all in on Schaefer being the type of all-situations number one defender that is extremely difficult to come by.
That said, while it’s customary for first overall selections to make the jump to the NHL right away, there’s a case to be made that he could benefit from not doing that. With how much time he missed, he could be better off with one more developmental year under his belt before making the jump. However, it’s worth noting that if the Islanders feel the same way, he will have to return to Erie as he is no longer eligible to play NCAA hockey having now signed his entry-level pact.
If he winds up playing fewer than ten NHL games next season, his contract will slide. Alternatively, they could look at the lesser-known threshold of 40 games on the NHL active roster. If Schaefer came in below that and then was sent back, he’d burn the first year of his contract but not accrue a season of service time toward UFA eligibility.
Speculatively, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Schaefer at least break camp with the Islanders with the team assessing how things are going from there. They didn’t bring anyone in to take Dobson’s spot on the back end while Mike Reilly also left via free agency, signing with Carolina. As a result, there’s a definite opening on their back end for Schaefer to fill next season and while he doesn’t have quite the experience that top picks usually have by now, he has the talent to come in and be a difference-maker quite quickly.