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Western Notes: Sharks, Celebrini, Landeskog

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The Sharks were also without right-winger Patrick Giles and defenseman Lucas Carlsson due to injury. Giles (lower-body) is still recovering from an offseason surgery that is expected to hold him out week-to-week, while Carlsson (lower-body) is day-to-day, per Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group. Both players are returning to the Sharks organization this season. Giles played eight games in both the NHL and AHL, before getting shut down by his injury. He scored four goals with the Barracuda and one goal with the Sharks. Carlsson stuck around a bit more – scoring 23 points in 45 games with the Barracuda, and four points in 13 games with the Sharks. It was the second-longest stint he’s had in the NHL, behind the 40 games he played with the Florida Panthers in the 2021-22 campaign. Both players will fight for top-end roles in the AHL when they’re back to full health.

Other notes from the Western Conference:

  • Star San Jose Sharks centerman Macklin Celebrini missed practice on Friday due to illness, per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. It was Celebrini’s second absence, after his illness was initially revealed on Thursday. There seems to be no concerns over his ability to play through the preseason, which will keep the second-year pro on track to return to a major role in the Sharks offense. Celebrini scored 63 points in 70 games last season – setting San Jose’s franchise record for the highest-scoring rookie season.
  • Colorado Avalanche fans shouldn’t expect to see captain Gabriel Landeskog on the practice sheet tomorrow. Head coach Jared Bednar told the media that Landeskog will have a scheduled day-off, per Jesse Montano of Guerilla Sports. It’s a sensible plan as the 32-year-old continues to work his way back from a long-term, lower-body injury. He played his first games since 2022 back in April, racking up four points in five postseason appearances. The 2025-26 season will mark Landeskog’s first chance to make a return that will stick and, hopefully, rack up strong scoring to boot. In his three most recent regular season appearances, Landeskog scored 59 points in 51 games; 52 points in 54 games; and 44 points in 54 games respectively. That level of lofty playmaking could prove to be an X-factor for Colorado.

Who Will Be The NHL’s First $20MM Player?

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After Kirill Kaprizov reportedly declined an offer of $16MM a season on a long-term deal, fans across the NHL discussed who would be the first player in NHL history to earn $20MM annually on a contract. The NHL’s revenue is increasing rapidly, thanks to rising television income, betting revenue, and overall global expansion, all pushing hockey-related revenue higher. With this growth, teams are more than willing to pay their star players, who drive much of the growth teams are seeing in local ticket sales, sponsorships, and, most importantly, the game on the ice.

With rising revenues, fans are curious about what kind of AAV Connor McDavid could secure if he chooses to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. McDavid will be a free agent on July 1st next year, although he might not be the first to reach that milestone, even though he will be eligible to sign a deal exceeding that figure.

With the NHL salary cap rising to $104MM for the 2026-27 season, McDavid could sign a deal worth 20% of the total cap, which would amount to $20.8MM annually. However, based on his previous contract, it seems unlikely McDavid would do that, as it would leave the Oilers even more constrained by the cap than they already are. Earlier this summer, it was reported that McDavid would sign an extension of unspecified length, with an AAV of around $16MM. This would be similar to McDavid’s previous extension, signed in 2017 for $12.5MM per season, which was 15.72% of the salary cap at that time. If that $16MM AAV applies to McDavid’s next contract, it would represent roughly the same percentage of the salary cap ceiling as his 2017 extension.

Some folks in hockey circles argue that McDavid should be the first player to surpass the $20MM mark, and they might be right. However, it would be tough to build a team if he consumes that much of the salary cap. People used to argue the same whenever Sidney Crosby accepted less money than he was worth, but Crosby’s three Stanley Cup wins likely justified the money he left on the table. McDavid is an interesting case because he already left money on the table last time and has no championships to show for it. He may be willing to do it again as he nears his 30s, knowing that many of the game’s greatest players—like Crosby, Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, and Jaromir Jagr—never won a Stanley Cup after turning 30. McDavid may not be able to carry flawed teams to the Stanley Cup Finals if he’s in his 30s and taking up 20% of the salary cap, and that will have to influence his decision on his next contract.

The next batch of potential $20MM players expected to hit the free agent market next July includes the aforementioned McDavid & Kaprizov, as well as Jack Eichel. This occurs during a period when the NHL salary cap is set to rise by nearly 30% over three years. While this is excellent news for these forwards, it likely won’t come with a $20MM AAV. Kaprizov is reportedly trying to get as close as possible to that figure after rejecting a long-term deal worth $16MM per season. Although high, that number is expected to become typical among the NHL’s top players, with many stars poised to sign deals above $15MM annually.

Eichel has developed into a top-line, two-way center with high-end offensive skills but also elite defensive metrics. He is the most complete player outside of McDavid who could be available next summer, but it is expected that he will sign a long-term extension in Vegas soon, which should be around $13MM-$14MM annually.

What about the summer of 2027? Are there any potential candidates to earn $20MM annually? The short answer is one, possibly two: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar and Vancouver Canucks defender Quinn Hughes. Makar has been a Norris Trophy finalist for five consecutive seasons and is a two-time winner of the award. He has exceeded 80 points in three of his last four seasons and 90 points in each of the previous two seasons. He is an offensive powerhouse that any team in the league would want, and with a $113.5MM salary cap forecast for the 2027-28 season, he might receive a $20MM offer.

Hughes is also a former Norris Trophy winner, securing the award during the 2023-24 season. He was a finalist last season but doesn’t have the same résumé as Makar and is therefore less likely than him to reach the $20MM mark. Two more seasons of Norris-calibre play would go a long way toward securing that kind of money on a long-term deal, but at this stage, he would be a bit of a long shot to hit $20MM annually.

Auston Matthews is another possible candidate to be the first player to earn $20MM annually, but he faces several hurdles. For one, someone might have signed an extension before Matthews became a free agent. Additionally, Matthews will be 31 when his next contract begins, and it’s uncertain what his game will look like then. There’s also a chance that Matthews’ performance could decline in the coming years, and he may not be able to produce the same numbers he’s used to. Time is working against Matthews in this scenario, and given all of this, he’s probably not going to be the first player to reach $20MM annually.

Finally, some of the top young draft picks have entered the NHL. Connor Bedard is a year away from becoming an RFA, and his performance this upcoming season could reveal a lot about the extension he signs, if he doesn’t sign one before the season begins. If he signs now, he’d likely secure a deal around $10MM annually. However, if he erupts into a 100+ point player, as many expect, he might push closer to a $12MM to $15MM long-term deal. In any case, he isn’t going to sign for $20MM this time, and even if he takes a two- or three-year bridge deal, he probably won’t be the first player to hit that $20MM milestone.

Now that we’ve discussed some of the players who could be the first, we must consider whether it will happen anytime soon. The NHL has a culture of spreading money across the roster, and few teams are willing to go top-heavy because it affects their depth. The Toronto Maple Leafs tried the top-heavy approach for the past decade, and it hasn’t worked out as they hoped. Even Chicago had to adopt it eventually, with Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews earning $10.5MM annually, marking the start of the end for their mini-dynasty. Teams are also reluctant to allocate 20% of their salary cap to a single player, which suggests we might need a much higher cap before a player reaches $20MM annually.

It’s going to be fascinating to see how this develops. The NHL has never fully embraced the supermax era that other leagues have adopted, and NHL players have seldom sought the maximum salary for various reasons. The NHL was also uniquely positioned because its top star for 20 years, Crosby, never signed a market-value contract, which makes one wonder if that influenced other stars to accept lower numbers. Crosby is obviously nearing the end of his career and is no longer the top player in the league, opening the door for top talents to claim every dollar they can get. Time will tell if they do.

Photos by Nick Wosika-Imagn Images & Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Penguins’ Kevin Hayes Shut Down Due To Upper-Body Injury

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Forward Kevin Hayes suffered an upper-body injury during the first day of on-ice work at Penguins training camp yesterday. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe relays word from head coach Dan Muse that he’ll remain out for at least a month before being re-evaluated, putting him out for opening night and around five games after that, at least.

This was an important camp for the veteran Hayes, who is entering the final season of his contract, to prove he can maintain a spot in the lineup ahead of a bevy of younger forwards and higher-ceiling reclamation projects looking to make an impact for the retooling Pens. There’s a marginal chance he ends up on the outside of their top 12 forwards when he’s cleared to return as a result.

Hayes, 33, arrived in the organization in the 2024 offseason as a cap dump by the Blues. The Flyers are still on the hook for the half of his salary they retained when trading him to St. Louis the year prior, so he only costs $3.57MM against the Penguins’ cap as he kicks off the last year of a seven-year, $50MM deal he signed with Philly in 2019. The veteran of nearly 800 NHL games is no longer the consistent top-six presence he once was, now failing to reach 30 points in back-to-back seasons. He was limited to 64 appearances last year – partially due to injury but also due to several healthy scratches – and produced a 13-10–23 scoring line with a -15 rating.

The Penguins were likely looking to get Hayes a bit more playing time out of the gate this year, if for no other reason than to showcase him for a trade. They can knock a further 50% off his salary to make him a $1.79MM player for an interested team, who may be interested in adding a serviceable veteran with his skillset to their bottom-six forward group. If he’s no longer an everyday forward on a team expected to be among the league’s worst this year, though, they presumably won’t be able to fetch anything more than a late-round pick, even at that decreased price point.

Pittsburgh has been feeling the injury bug early in camp, also losing top prospect Rutger McGroarty to an upper-body injury that’s likely to keep him out through the beginning of the season. Both are likely ticketed for IR as a result. Their absences create a clearer path for on-the-fringe forwards like Filip Hallander and Ville Koivunen to nab opening-night jobs.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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The wait for hockey to return is just about over.  While the regular season is still a few weeks away, training camps are now underway and preseason play will soon follow.  With that in mind, it’s a good time to once again open up the mailbag.

Our last call for questions yielded enough for three separate columns.  The first discussed the significant movement from CHL players to the NCAA, the now rapidly increasing salary cap, and August 15th free agents.  Topics in the second included the Robertson brothers and the state of the Bruins heading into the season.  Meanwhile, the third included talk about Toronto’s top six, my annual prediction for a breakout player, and potential playoff newcomers.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run this weekend.

Flyers Cut Three Players From Training Camp

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Similar to the Buffalo Sabres’ announcement this morning, the Philadelphia Flyers have trimmed their training camp roster by three players. According to a public release from the Flyers, the team has reassigned forward Nathan Quinn, defenseman Austin Moline, and netminder Joe Costanzo to their respective junior organizations.

Quinn, 18, was drafted with the 164th overall pick by the Flyers in this summer’s draft. He has spent the last two years with the QMJHL’s Québec Remparts, scoring 24 goals and 55 points in 88 games with a -16 rating, highlighted by a 17-goal, 46-point output last year. Although he will play for Remparts again this season, he has already committed to Northeastern University for the 2026-27 campaign.

Moline was drafted a round lower than Quinn and a year earlier. The 19-year-old native of Las Vegas, NV, spent last season with the USHL’s Madison Capitals, scoring one goal and 21 points in 59 games with a +39 rating. Starting his development with the infamous Shattuck St. Mary’s program, the 6’5″ blue liner will again play for the Capitals this year, and has yet to commit to an NCAA program.

Meanwhile, Costanzo, 20, is the only one in the trio not to have been drafted by Philadelphia, and will leave camp without a professional contract. He has spent the last four years with the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, producing a 75-49-6 record in 147 games with a .882 SV% and 3.76 GAA. Since he will age out of the OHL at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season, Costanzo will likely have to settle on an ECHL or AHL contract or ATO should he wish to continue his playing career.

Snapshots: Shero, Pinto, Eagles

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Over the past five months, the hockey world has mourned the passing of longtime NHL executive Ray Shero. Today, the NHL honored Shero and his legacy by posthumously awarding him the Lester Patrick Trophy, given annually to players, executives, officials, or other hockey personnel for outstanding service to ice hockey in the United States.

It’s not the first time the award has been bestowed upon the Shero family. In 1980, alongside the former owner of the Philadelphia Flyers, Ed Snider, and the 1980 U.S. Men’s Olympic Ice Hockey team, Ray’s father, Fred (then coach of the New York Rangers), was also given the award.

Outside of having his name engraved on the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Shero crafted a lengthy legacy representing the United States in international contests. As noted in the NHL’s announcement, Shero helped create 13 U.S. teams for the IIHF World Championships and was an Associate General Manager for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team in 2014.

Other snapshots:

  • Though much of the speculation regarding an extension has been outlined by General Manager Steve Staios, forward Shane Pinto finally spoke about the negotiations with the Ottawa Senators. According to TSN’s Bruce Garrioch, Pinto remained hopeful that a new deal would be reached, but doesn’t care to negotiate during the season, saying, “I don’t want to be a distraction.” The soon-to-be 25-year-old is coming off a quality season, scoring 21 goals and 37 points in 70 games.
  • The AHL’s Colorado Eagles, primary affiliate of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, have reportedly signed a 40-year lease with the City of Greeley for a new stadium. The team currently plays its home games at Blue Arena in Loveland, CO, having done so for the last 22 years. The new location in Greeley will be less accessible to fans from Denver, as it is nearly 20 miles east of I-25.

Yegor Chinakhov Open To Staying With Blue Jackets

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Two months after requesting a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets, it appears forward Yegor Chinakhov is changing his tune. According to Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers, after yesterday’s practice, Chinakhov stated he was open to staying in Columbus after coming to an understanding with head coach Dean Evason.

Although Chinakhov and his representation haven’t formally stated that they’ve rescinded his trade request, it’s quite literally the opposite of what he said in mid-July. Announcing his trade request, Chinakhov said, “I had some misunderstandings with the coach during the season. Now I would be glad to have a trade. I would like to move to a different location. Will I return to Russia? As long as I can play in the NHL, I will keep developing here.”

Though he never elaborated on the misunderstandings, PHR’s Josh Erickson wrote at the time, “[B]ut his usage down the stretch likely has a lot to do with it. Chinakhov averaged a career-high 15:43 of ice time per game last season but became a frequent healthy scratch at the tail end of the campaign, sitting out 12 of the Jackets’ final 13 games.”

There’s no question the former first-round pick hasn’t lived up to expectations in Columbus yet. Since becoming a regular player for the team in the 2021-22 campaign, Chinakhov has recorded 34 goals and 71 points in 175 games in a Blue Jackets sweater, maxing out with a 16-goal, 29-point campaign in 2023-24.

Unless his play on the defensive side of the puck shows improvement, Chinakhov is best utilized in a top-six role, with linemates having the ability to carry a line. Unfortunately for him, after the addition of Charlie Coyle and with Boone Jenner being healthy to start the year on time, it’s not clear Chinakhov will have that opportunity out of the gate.

Clearly, as Chinakhov stated yesterday, he and Evason have arranged a palatable compromise. Whether his lack of ice time in even-strength play is offset by additional time on the power play, or Chinakhov dialing back his own expectations, it appears that he’ll start the year in a Blue Jackets uniform.

Injury Notes: Wild, Dorwart, Huberdeau

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During today’s scrimmage in the Minnesota Wild’s training camp, Michael Russo of The Athletic provided updates on a few injuries to the Wild’s roster. Notably, Russo reported that Nico Sturm was removed for precautionary reasons, and Mats Zuccarello and Jonas Brodin participated in a light shootaround before the scrimmage.

Although he was originally expected to return for the team’s practice this afternoon, Russo later reported that Sturm was absent, though there are no concerns about his long-term availability. The same can’t be said for the latter two mentions.

There’s no surprise with Brodin’s absence from the skates, given that he’s expected to miss the start of the regular season due to offseason upper-body surgery. Meanwhile, reports from yesterday indicated that Zuccarello could also miss the beginning of the 2025-26 campaign. While specific details about the injury have not been disclosed, Russo indicated in his report that more information will be available after Zuccarello has a longer appointment with the team’s medical staff.

Other injury updates from around the league:

  • The Philadelphia Flyers announced that forward prospect Karsen Dorwart would miss the next few days due to an upper-body injury. The 23-year-old was signed out of Michigan State University as an undrafted free agent with the Flyers last year, appearing in five games down the final stretch of the regular season. Despite debuting in the NHL already, Dorwart’s spot on Philadelphia’s opening night roster was not set in stone, and he’ll have to make the most of his training camp after returning from injury.
  • Earlier this morning, Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg reported, and later confirmed by the Calgary Flames, that Jonathan Huberdeau would miss the second day of training camp for maintenance. There are no present injury concerns surrounding Huberdeau, and it’s not uncommon for established veterans to take maintenance days throughout training camp.

Alexander Kerfoot Out Week-To-Week With Lower-Body Injury

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The Utah Mammoth have now lost another bottom-six forward due to injury for the next couple of weeks. A few days after sharing that Liam O’Brien is out with a lower-body injury, the Mammoth announced this morning that Alexander Kerfoot is also out with a lower-body injury, on the same recovery timeline.

Unlike O’Brien, Kerfoot comes with more offensive punch, though his production dipped considerably last season. The first year after signing a two-year, $7MM contract with the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes, Kerfoot scored 13 goals and 45 points in 82 games, averaging 17:26 of ice time in a second-line role.

After the Utah Hockey Club was established, the organization graduated several high-level prospects, which pushed Kerfoot to a third-line role last year. His offensive production decreased alongside his reduced ice time, finishing the season with 11 goals and 28 points in 81 games, while averaging 15:15 of ice time per night.

Still, there were a few reasons for optimism. Although he didn’t spend the entire campaign down the middle, Kerfoot finished with a 52.5% success rate in the faceoff dot over 493 draws, the second-highest mark of his career. Furthermore, he concluded the 2025-26 season with a 52.3% CorsiFor% at even strength, representing the best output of his career.

There’s no indication at this time that O’Brien or Kerfoot’s injuries will cut into their availability for the regular season. Still, should any more players succumb to multi-week injuries, the Mammoth’s depth could be tested out of the gate.

Latest On Evgeni Malkin’s Future With Penguins

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Although much has been made of Sidney Crosby’s future with the Pittsburgh Penguins over the last few weeks, Evgeni Malkin remains the most pressing issue. The 19-year veteran is entering the final year of his four-year, $24.4MM contract with the Penguins, and has made few indications regarding the next chapter of his playing career.

Speaking with reporters this morning, Malkin appeared to hedge his bets when it comes to his staying in Pittsburgh. He originally stated a desire to play an additional year with the Penguins beyond the 2025-26 season. Still, he wants to finish his career in Pittsburgh regardless (via Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).

However, when pressed about his no-movement clause, Malkin pointed to Brad Marchand’s example from last year, when he used his modified no-trade clause to join the Florida Panthers and win the second Stanley Cup of his career. Per NHL correspondent Wes Crosby, Malkin said, “It’s hard, you know? But again, we see a story, like, with Brad Marchand. Looking good, you know? But again, if the team trades you and you (don’t) win the Cup, it’s like a little bit weird, too, you know?”

By acknowledging his desire to stay with Pittsburgh beyond the 2025-26 campaign, Malkin has put the ball back in Kyle Dubas’s court. In June, two reports from Josh Yohe of The Athletic and the Penguins’ own Josh Getzoff indicated that the team has little desire to offer Malkin a new contract, regardless of his play in the upcoming season.

Those reports led many to believe that Malkin and his representation would begin looking at different options (likely around the Olympic break) or retire next summer. Unlike Marchand, Malkin’s no-movement clause means he’ll have full control over whether Pittsburgh trades him by this year’s trade deadline.

Regardless, Malkin would immediately become one of the best center options available at the deadline, with plenty of competitive teams having a glaring hole on the second line. Despite the team missing the postseason the past three years, Malkin has remained productive, recording 70 goals and 200 points in 232 games, averaging 18:21 of ice time.

Furthermore, Malkin has been a quality scorer in the playoffs, even though the Penguins haven’t reached beyond the second round since their most recent Stanley Cup championship in 2017. From 2018 to 2022, Malkin scored nine goals and 23 points in 28 playoff games.

The expectation is that the situation will play out over the regular season. Given the state of the roster, there’s little reason to keep Malkin this season or next. Still, much like Crosby, Pittsburgh’s top brass has typically honored the wishes of its franchise icons.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

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