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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Tampa Bay Lightning

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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 that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR is looking at every NHL team and giving a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2024-25 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 Atlantic Division, next up is the Lightning.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Current Cap Hit: $86,676,870 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Conor Geekie (three years, $886.7K)
D Emil Lilleberg (one year, $870K)

Potential Bonuses
Geekie: $525K
Lilleberg: $80K
Total: $605K

Geekie was a key pickup in the Mikhail Sergachev trade back at the draft.  He spent the first half of the season with the big club but was sent down after struggling.  That makes it unlikely that he reaches his ‘A’ bonuses while at this point, a low-cost second contract seems likely unless he can establish himself as a core piece over the next two years.

Lilleberg has already signed an extension so we’ll cover that later on.  For here, it’s worth noting that his bonuses are tied to games played so he’ll hit most if not all of his number.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

F Cam Atkinson ($900K, UFA)
F Michael Eyssimont ($800K, UFA)
F Luke Glendening ($800K, UFA)
F Gage Goncalves ($775K, RFA)
G Jonas Johansson ($775K, UFA)
D Nicklaus Perbix ($1.125MM, UFA)

After being bought out by Philadelphia, Atkinson was a low-cost flyer to see if he could provide Tampa Bay with some depth scoring.  That hasn’t happened and at this point, it’d be surprising to see him land a guaranteed contract this summer.  If so – or if he earns one off a PTO – it’s likely to be for the minimum.  Glendening has been as advertised – a reliable faceoff player who can kill penalties but brings little offense to the table.  There’s still a role for him beyond this year but it’s likely to be at or near the minimum of $775K once again.

Eyssimont had a breakout effort last season, notching 25 points despite playing primarily in their bottom six (often the fourth line).  He hasn’t been able to produce at a similar rate this year which will hurt him a bit on the open market.  Even so, as a fourth liner who can play with some jam and bring potentially a little offensive upside, he could jump closer to the $1.3MM range on his next contract.  Goncalves has cleared waivers twice already but has spent more time with the Lightning than the Crunch so far.  He has arbitration rights which could give the Lightning pause if they think a hearing could push him past the $1MM mark or so but he’s a candidate to take less than his qualifying offer of around $813K for a higher AHL salary or even a one-way NHL salary.

Perbix is the most notable of Tampa Bay’s pending free agents.  While he has largely had a limited role this season, he had 24 points last year while logging a little over 17 minutes a night.  Considering he’s still young (he’ll be 27 in June), big (6’4), and a right-shot player, his market could grow quickly from teams looking for a depth addition with a little upside, meaning that more than doubling this price could be doable.

Johansson remains a below-average NHL netminder but that’s something the Lightning knew when they signed him in 2023.  The goal for them was getting someone at the minimum salary.  Johansson’s staying power could give him a shot at a few more dollars but he’ll remain in the six-figure range.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Mitchell Chaffee ($800K, UFA)
D Ryan McDonagh ($6.75MM, UFA)
D J.J. Moser ($3.375MM, RFA)
D Darren Raddysh ($975K, UFA)
F Conor Sheary ($2MM, UFA)

Sheary received this deal coming off two strong years with Washington but things haven’t gone anywhere near as well with the Lightning.  He scored just four goals last season and has spent most of this year in the minors, carrying a pro-rated $850K charge while down there.  He’s a buyout candidate this summer although they could elect to hold onto him and take the $850K charge again next year instead of putting some money onto the 2026-27 books.  Chaffee has established himself as a regular on the fourth line and is in a similar situation as Eyssimont was a year ago.  Assuming that keeps up, he could push to land a $500K raise or so in 2026.

McDonagh’s contract was once deemed too expensive for Tampa Bay which resulted in them moving him to Nashville in 2022 for a very minimal return.  Two years later, they gave up more value to reacquire the final two seasons of the agreement which is something you don’t see too often.  But it reflects the need they had to bring in a veteran dependable defender which is what McDonagh is at this point of his career.  He’s not a true top-pairing piece at this stage of his career nor is he enough of an offensive threat to provide value relative to his price tag.  But if he can still hold down at least a top-four spot by the end of next season, he could still land a contract in the $4MM to $5MM range, perhaps a one-year deal which would allow for some incentives.

Moser was another piece of note in the Sergachev trade after being one of the more underrated blueliners with Arizona.  The structure of the bridge deal gives him a $4.075MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights and assuming he’s still a full-timer in Tampa’s top four, he seems like a strong candidate to push past the $5MM mark on his next contract.  Raddysh has become a capable producer of secondary scoring from the back end although he gives some of that back with his defensive play.  Those players don’t always have the best markets year-to-year but barring a big drop in performance or playing time, he should be able to double this at a minimum in 2026.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Zemgus Girgensons ($850K, UFA)
F Nikita Kucherov ($9.5MM, UFA)
D Emil Lilleberg ($800K in 2025-26 and 2026-27, RFA)

Kucherov continues to be one of the top point-producing forwards in the NHL.  He’s around $2MM below the highest-paid winger (Artemi Panarin) but that’s about to change with this upcoming UFA crop which will only widen that gap and give Tampa Bay even better value in the short term.  Assuming he doesn’t slow down over the next three years, he could be someone conceivably pushing for a deal in the $14MM range himself even at 34.  Girgensons saw his production drop in the last couple of years with Buffalo but it has cratered even more this year.  Still, he’s a capable penalty killer and can play with some grit.  That for $100K above the minimum isn’t bad value.

Lilleberg’s new deal is actually a dip in pay off his entry-level pact but gives him guaranteed money via a one-way salary no matter what.  Assuming he remains a regular with the Lightning during that time, his arbitration eligibility could put him in line to double (or even triple) that price tag on his next contract.

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Jets Activate Morgan Barron Off Injured Reserve

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The Jets will welcome back a forward for their game tonight against Philadelphia.  In their announcement of the projected lines for the contest (Twitter link), the team noted that Morgan Barron is expected to play, meaning he has been activated off injured reserve.  To make room on the roster, forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan was reassigned to AHL Manitoba, per the AHL’s media site.

Barron has missed a little more than a month with an upper-body injury sustained in late January.  However, with the long break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, he’ll wind up missing just eight games due to the issue.  The 26-year-old has five goals and three assists in 52 contests this season while chipping in with 85 hits in 10:27 of playing time per night.  Barron also takes a regular turn in the penalty kill rotation for Winnipeg so his return should also help on that front.  He’s expected to suit up on the fourth line alongside Rasmus Kupari and Alex Iafallo.

As for Anderson-Dolan, his recall was relatively short-lived after being up on Wednesday, his first recall of the season.  The 25-year-old is in the first season of a two-year, two-way deal signed last summer but he has struggled considerably with AHL Manitoba, notching just 13 points in 38 games with the Moose.  For comparison, he had 47 points in 54 minor league contests in 2021-22, his last season as a regular in the minors.  He’ll now have to wait at least a little longer to make his Jets debut.

Wild Acquire Gustav Nyquist From Predators

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After being scratched earlier in the day for trade-related reasons, it felt like only a matter of time before the Predators traded winger Gustav Nyquist.  That move has now happened as they have dealt him to the Wild in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick.  Both sides have announced the swap.  As part of the move, Nashville is retaining half of his $3.185MM cap hit.  To make room on the roster, Minnesota has assigned Liam Ohgren to AHL Iowa, reports Michael Russo of The Athletic (Twitter link).

It’s the second time that Minnesota has acquired Nyquist in a move before the trade deadline after they picked him up from Columbus back in 2023 but at that time, the acquisition cost was only a fifth-round selection.  Meanwhile, it’s actually the third time that the 35-year-old has been a near-deadline pickup as back in 2019, Detroit moved him to San Jose for a pair of draft choices.

Nyquist signed a two-year deal with the Preds back in 2023 on the heels of a solid playoff showing with Minnesota that saw him pick up five assists in six postseason appearances.  Things couldn’t have gone much better for him last season as he wound up blowing past his previous career highs in assists and points, tallying 52 and 75 respectively in 81 games.  He followed that up with four points in their first-round exit to Vancouver in the playoffs.

With his 2023-24 performance and Nashville’s big spending spree over the summer, expectations were high for Nyquist heading into this season.  However, as has been the case for a lot of the Predators’ players, he has underachieved.  Through 57 games this season, he has just nine goals and 12 assists despite still logging 17:39 per game of ice time.

Minnesota finds itself in the bottom half of the league offensively with key injuries to players like Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek playing a part in that.  Nyquist should have an opportunity to jump into a middle-six role and at least deepen the lineup while ideally being able to provide them with a boost in their secondary scoring.  They’re paying a fairly high cost to get Nyquist at half price so they clearly expect that the change of scenery will help get him going again.

With the move, Nashville has now used its three salary retention slots with the others being on Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Johansen, whose grievance for his contract termination was held last week.  If that termination is upheld by Friday, the Predators could get that third slot back but it seems unlikely a ruling will come that quickly.  In the meantime, they now have eight picks in the first two rounds between the 2025 and 2026 drafts, positioning themselves well to add some young impactful talent to the cupboard relatively quickly.

Meanwhile, Minnesota now has roughly $6.6MM remaining in its LTIR pool, per PuckPedia (Twitter link).  That’s with Kaprizov in LTIR and Eriksson Ek on regular injured reserve.  Assuming both players return before the end of the season, the Wild will need to clear around $2.4MM in salary off their books to get back into cap compliance.  Accordingly, unless they know one of their veterans won’t be back until the playoffs start, the Wild will be hard-pressed to make any other additions without clearing out some money either beforehand or as part of that trade.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Atlantic Notes: Knies, Evans, Pinto, Bernard-Docker

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While the Maple Leafs have two prominent pending unrestricted free agents in Mitch Marner and John Tavares, they also have a notable pending restricted free agent in winger Matthew Knies.  At times, it’s believed the two sides have talked about an extension but the 22-year-old told Daily Faceoff’s Jonny Lazarus that he expects a new deal will be worked out in the offseason.  Knies has already passed his rookie-season totals in goals (22) and points (38) and has cemented himself as a fixture in Toronto’s top six.  He’s the type of player they’d undoubtedly like to sign to a long-term contract but what happens with Marner and Tavares could ultimately dictate if they can afford to do that or if they’ll have to pursue a short-term bridge deal instead.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • The Maple Leafs are among the teams with strong interest in Canadiens center Jake Evans, reports David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). Evans is on pace for a career year offensively and has 11 goals and 26 assists through 59 games.  He’s also the most-used forward shorthanded in the league while being a little above average at the faceoff dot and it’s his defensive play that will have teams interested in adding him over the coming days.  With a $1.7MM cap charge, he’d be easier for Toronto to fit into their current cap structure compared to some of the more prominent but pricier middlemen potentially available.
  • Senators center Shane Pinto told reporters including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link) that he will return to the lineup tonight against San Jose. He had missed the last four weeks due to an upper-body injury.  The 24-year-old has had a bit of an up-and-down season but has still managed to put up 11 goals and 11 assists through 46 games, numbers that are a bit off last year’s pace when he had 27 points in 41 contests.
  • Still with the Senators, Garrioch reported earlier this week that the team has made defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker available and they are hoping to add a prospect in return. The 24-year-old has been limited to only 25 games this season between injuries and being scratched while he’s logging just over 13 minutes a night.  He’s waiver-eligible and it seems unlikely he’d pass through unclaimed so Ottawa’s intention appears to be to try to flip Bernard-Docker for some sort of tangible value beyond clearing up $805K in cap room.  Garrioch suggests that the Predators might be one of the teams interested in the blueliner’s services.

Avalanche Acquire Ryan Lindgren And Jimmy Vesey From Rangers

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With less than a week left before the trade deadline, the Avalanche have added some extra depth on the back end and up front.  In a deal that has been announced by both teams, Colorado is acquiring defenseman Ryan Lindgren, winger Jimmy Vesey, and the rights to unsigned prospect Hank Kempf from the Rangers in exchange for forward Juuso Parssinen, defenseman Calvin de Haan, and two draft picks.  The picks are the better of Carolina’s or New York’s (previously-acquired) second-round pick this year and the better of Colorado’s or Vancouver’s fourth-round selection this season.

Lindgren has been a mainstay on New York’s back end for the last six seasons.  However, his tenure with them has always seemed to be on uncertain footing.  He wound up taking a three-year bridge deal back in 2021 with the expectation that he’d sign a longer-term pact after that.  Instead, he found himself in trade speculation at times during that contract and the two sides were only able to work out a one-year, $4.5MM contract last summer, one that avoided salary arbitration but also set Lindgren up to reach unrestricted free agency this summer.  Mollie Walker of the New York Post reports (Twitter link) that the Rangers will retain half of that contract as part of the swap.

The 27-year-old has never been a big point producer in the NHL as he has yet to reach the 20-point mark in a single season although with 19 points in 54 games this season, he’s likely to do just that in the coming days.  However, Lindgren has been a steady and reliable defensive defender for most of his career, logging heavy minutes on the penalty kill and consistently being among the Rangers’ leaders in blocked shots.  This season, he’s second on New York in blocked shots with 102 while leading the team in shorthanded TOI at 2:42 per game.

That penalty killing prowess will fit in well on a Colorado shorthanded unit that’s barely above the league average in success rate at 79.8% while also giving them a solid replacement for the injured Josh Manson.  Lindgren should slot in as the fourth defender on the Avs’ depth chart for the time being while when Manson returns, one of the two should help anchor the third pairing which would be a nice boost to that pairing heading into the playoffs.

As for Vesey, the 31-year-old was in the third season of his second go-round in New York.  The first two seasons of that second stint were successful as he notched 24 goals and 51 points over the two years, giving the Rangers some solid, low-cost secondary scoring.  But things haven’t gone as well this season.  He has been frequently scratched and has just six points in 31 games when he has suited up.  Nonetheless, Colorado has been looking for some stability on the fourth line pretty much all season long and Vesey should be able to lock down a regular role on that trio while giving it some experience as he’s suited up in over 600 games at the NHL level.  He’s also a pending unrestricted free agent this summer, carrying a $800K cap charge.

Kempf, meanwhile, was a seventh-round pick by the Rangers back in 2021, going 208th overall.  The blueliner is in his senior year at Cornell University and has two goals and five assists in 28 games this season.  Colorado will need to sign him to an entry-level deal by mid-August or lose his rights.

Parssinen is the more notable player heading to the Rangers in this swap.  It will be the third team for him this season as Colorado only acquired him from Nashville back in late December.  But while the 24-year-old was able to hold down a regular role with the Avs (after being scratched at times with the Predators), he wasn’t overly productive with just six points in 22 games while logging less than 10 minutes a night of ice time.  When added to his numbers with the Preds, Parssinen has four goals and seven assists in 37 appearances this season.

Parssinen made an immediate strong impression when he first debuted in the NHL back in 2022-23, notching an impressive 25 points in 45 games in Nashville but he hasn’t been able to get back to that level of performance since then.  He’ll now get another fresh start in New York who can control him through the 2027-28 season through restricted free agency with salary arbitration rights.  Parssinen is making the league minimum of $775K this season and will be owed a qualifying offer of nearly $814K in late June.

As for de Haan, the 33-year-old was in his first season with Colorado after signing a one-year, $800K contract with them early in free agency last summer.  He has largely played on the third pairing this year, logging just under 15 minutes a night of playing time while chipping in with seven assists, 58 blocks, and 59 hits in 44 appearances.  A pending UFA, the 676-game veteran is likely to have a similar role in New York but also could be a candidate to be flipped again if there’s a team looking for extra defensive depth before Friday’s trade deadline.

The Rangers enter play today four points out of the final Wild Card spot.  While that’s hardly an insurmountable gap, they’re also not in a spot to potentially lose rental players for no return.  With this move, they pick up a pair of draft picks and will get a look to see if Parssinen can return to his form from a couple of years ago which could make him a piece worth keeping around for a while.  Meanwhile, Lindgren is a nice pickup for the Avs even with his struggles this season as he should be able to help stabilize the back half of their back end which should only help their fortunes heading into the playoffs.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report (Twitter links) the four players in the deal while Peter Baugh of The Athletic was first with the draft pick details.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Ottawa Senators Assign Angus Crookshank To AHL

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11:45 AM: Crookshank’s recall was short-lived as the team announced that he has already been returned to Belleville.

9:29 AM: The Ottawa Senators may have to wait another game for the complete trio of Brady Tkachuk, Joshua Norris, and Shane Pinto to return. The Senators announced they’ve recalled forward Angus Crookshank from their AHL affiliate, the Belleville Senators, indicating they’ll use him as a replacement again tonight.

It’s a quick turnaround for Crookshank after being recalled and reassigned a few days ago. He skated in 14:04 of action in Ottawa’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets on February 26, putting three shots on net and adding one hit and one blocked shot.

That is the only NHL contest of the year for the North Vancouver native. Crookshank has spent the entire season in Belleville, scoring 18 goals and 33 points in 45 games. His offensive production is good for fourth on the AHL Senators in scoring, although it’s a slight decline from his 24-goal, 22-assist output from a year ago.

Crookshank’s status for tonight’s contest against the San Jose Sharks may ultimately be decided in warm-ups. There’s a strong expectation that Tkachuk will return tonight, with the latter being game-time decisions. Travis Green and the rest of Ottawa’s coaching staff will likely have all four players skate before the game and announce the completed lineup shortly before puck drop.

Predators Recall Jake Lucchini And Spencer Stastney, Place Roman Josi On IR

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On top of scratching pending UFA winger Gustav Nyquist for today’s game with a potential trade on the way, the Predators have made three other roster moves as well.  Nick Kieser of 102.5 The Game relays (Twitter link) that Nashville has recalled winger Jake Lucchini and defenseman Spencer Stastney from AHL Milwaukee.  To make room on the roster, blueliner Roman Josi was placed on injured reserve.

Lucchini is in his first season with the Preds after signing a two-year, two-way deal with them last summer.  While he got into 40 NHL games with Minnesota last season during various recalls, this is his first promotion of the season after clearing waivers back in training camp.  The 29-year-old has 14 goals and 15 assists in 53 games with the Admirals thus far, a drop in his per-game output after recording 23 points in 30 minor league outings in 2023-24.

Stastney, meanwhile, started the season on the non-roster list while taking a leave of absence and has split time between Nashville and Milwaukee since then.  The 25-year-old has been held off the scoresheet in seven appearances with the Preds this season while logging a little over 16 minutes a night.  He has been productive with the Admirals, however, notching 13 points in 23 outings at the minor league level.

As for Josi, he exited Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury and his placement on IR means he’ll be out for both games this weekend at the very least although he’ll be out longer than that with the team revealing (Twitter link) he’s out week-to-week.  The captain hasn’t been able to duplicate the offensive performance he had last year when he notched 85 points but he still has 39 points in 55 games, good for a tie for 15th among all NHL blueliners.  Of course, Josi also logs heavy minutes, averaging more than 25 minutes a night so Nashville’s back end will have its work cut out for them to cover his absence.

Maple Leafs Sign Borya Valis To Entry-Level Deal

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March 1st is an important day on the NHL calendar as it’s the first day that players can sign future contracts that begin the following season.  The Maple Leafs have wasted little time getting one of those done as they’ve signed forward Borya Valis to a three-year, entry-level deal as announced by his agent Dan Milstein (Twitter link).  The team subsequently confirmed the move.  PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the deal will carry a $872.5K cap charge and a $975K AAV including signing and games-played bonuses.

The 20-year-old is playing his final season at the major junior level.  He started his WHL career with Regina in 2021, spending parts of three seasons with the team.  The second of those was his draft-eligible year and while he secured a ranking of 152nd among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, he went undrafted in 2023 and 2024.

Last season, Valis was traded midseason, going from Regina to Prince George.  Between the two teams, he picked up 26 goals and 44 assists in 67 regular season games before adding 13 points in 15 postseason contests.  He’s producing at a better clip this year, tallying 29 goals and 44 helpers through 57 contests with the Cougars, one of four Western Conference teams to already clinch a playoff spot.

As the contract begins next season, Valis won’t count against Toronto’s 50-contract limit until the summer.  In the meantime, should the Cougars be eliminated while the AHL Marlies are still playing in their postseason, he will be eligible to join and play for them on an ATO agreement, giving him some time with the team he’s likely to play for when the contract begins in 2025-26.

Gustav Nyquist Scratched For Trade-Related Reasons

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10:20 AM: The Wild are among the most aggressive teams showing interest in Nyquist, Friedman reports.  Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic adds that while the two sides are discussing a deal, the trade isn’t done yet.

9:57 AM: The trade-related scratches for deadline sellers have officially begun. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Nashville Predators will scratch pending unrestricted free agent Gustav Nyquist for this afternoon’s game against the New York Islanders for “health protection”.

Nyquist is one of the more obvious trade pieces for this year’s deadline. He’s on the final season of a two-year, $6.37MM contract signed with Nashville in 2023. Since the Predators have seemingly committed to punting on this season, he’s likely their easiest tradeable asset.

He should also receive an abundance of interest. The Halmstad, Sweden native is only a year removed from a career-year, scoring 23 goals and 75 points in 81 games during his first year with the club. Despite the impressive scoring numbers, Nyquist also produced the highest CorsiFor% and on-ice save percentage at even strength since his time with the Detroit Red Wings in the mid-to-late 2010s.

Like many of his peers in Nashville, Nyquist’s scoring output has dissipated this year. He’s scored nine goals and 21 points in 51 games, heading toward the lowest production of his career since his injury-riddled 2022-23 campaign split between the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild. Still, his shooting percentage is fairly close to his career average, and he remains a possession wizard with a 56.4% CorsiFor% at even strength.

The flexibility he provides by being a top or middle-six winger who can play on both sides of the ice should benefit the Predators’ eventual return. Nyquist’s former teams, such as the Blue Jackets, Red Wings, and Wild, all make sense, with the Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, and Tampa Bay Lightning likely also having some interest.

Morning Notes: Greenway, Gavrikov, Bear

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Although the Buffalo Sabres occupy last place in the Eastern Conference standings and are on pace to miss the postseason for a 14th consecutive season, there is at least one pending unrestricted free-agent forward they’ll look to keep rather than dangle at the deadline. In his recently written edition of 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Sabres have indicated they’re trying to extend Jordan Greenway.

Due to several injuries throughout his two-year tenure in Buffalo, Greenway likely won’t match or exceed his current $3MM salary on a new contract. It’s likely a driving factor behind the Sabres’ motivation to extend rather than trade him at the deadline. He’s an extremely physical winger, but Greenway’s three-goal, eight-point performance in 23 games this year likely wouldn’t command much return, especially as a rental.

Buffalo and Greenway’s best path forward may be for an internal ’prove it’ deal to see if he can recapture the scoring touch he provided recently as last season. The Canton, NY native scored 10 goals and 28 points in 67 games for the Sabres in the 2023-24 season, which would command a higher return should Buffalo become a seller in a year.

Other notes:

  • Friedman also shared that Los Angeles Kings’ defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov has left the Gold Star Sports Management Group to join CAA Sports LLC. It’s typically not terrific news for a player’s current team if he switches agencies, but Friedman doesn’t believe it’s time to ring any alarm bells in Los Angeles. Mutual interest remains between Gavrikov and the Kings on an extension, although it likely won’t get done before the trade deadline. CAA Sports LCC has recently negotiated several extensions, including David Pastrňák’s, Mathew Barzal’s, Dougie Hamilton’s, Filip Forsberg’s, and Lucas Raymond’s.
  • Despite being the top team in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Capitals are expected to sell one player from their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. In a short clip from TSN’s Insider Trading, insider Chris Johnston reported the Capitals are looking to accommodate Ethan Bear’s desire to play in the NHL and move him to a team with openings on the blue line. Washington may have a better idea of what that looks like closer to deadline day, but Bear should garner some interest, scoring eight goals and 33 points in 46 AHL contests. He’s in the final season of a two-year, $4.13MM contract and hasn’t suited up in an NHL game since March 13, 2024.

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