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Blackhawks Acquire Andre Burakovsky

June 21, 2025 at 9:12 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 19 Comments

The Kraken and Blackhawks have made a swap of underperforming forwards. Chicago has acquired winger Andre Burakovsky from Seattle in exchange for center Joe Veleno in a one-for-one move. Both teams have confirmed the trade.

Burakovsky became a key secondary scorer when he was acquired by Colorado back in 2019. Over three seasons with the team, he had two seasons of more than 40 points while his last one with them saw him record a career-best 61, allowing him to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time while being one of the better options available on the open market.

That helped him land a five-year, $27.5MM contract with the Kraken in 2022 and the deal has not gone particularly well thus far. The 30-year-old produced at a similar rate in 2022-23 from a points per game perspective but while he had 39 points in 49 games, missing 33 outings due to injury made for a disappointing year. 2023-24 was more of the same on the injury front as he once again missed 33 games, but to make things worse, his output fell considerably, down to just seven goals and nine assists.

This past season, Burakovsky was able to rebound a bit. For starters, he was able to play in 79 games, one shy of his career best in that regard. Meanwhile, while he didn’t get back to the type of production he had back in Colorado, he was able to chip in with 10 goals and 27 assists.

Last summer, Chicago added wingers Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teravainen in free agency, giving themselves some upgrades up front and some veterans to work with their young forward core. This move appears to follow that same idea while they’ll be taking on the final two seasons of Burakovsky’s deal at a $5.5MM price tag to make that happen.

As for Veleno, he’s on the move for the second time in a matter of months. The 25-year-old spent parts of five seasons with Detroit after being a late first-round pick by the Red Wings back in 2018 but he was moved to the Blackhawks at the trade deadline in exchange for goaltender Petr Mrazek.

This past season, Veleno played in 74 games between the two teams, notching eight goals and nine assists in a little over 12 minutes per night of playing time. It was the first time in three years that he failed to reach the 20-point mark with his career high in that regard coming in 2023-24 when he had 28. While he was a productive scorer at the junior level, Veleno has been more of a checker at the professional ranks.

Veleno has one year left on his contract at a $2.275MM cap charge and joins a center group that is starting to become a bit crowded. They already have Matty Beniers, Chandler Stephenson, and Shane Wright down the middle while Jared McCann, a natural center, is already on the wing. Top prospect Berkly Catton is expected to push for a roster spot in training camp as well. While the Kraken solved one logjam by moving out Burakovsky following the recent acquisition of Mason Marchment, they’ve created another with this move.

Speculatively, Seattle has a relatively easy way to solve it. If they’re primarily looking for cap flexibility and can’t move Veleno in the coming days, he could become a buyout candidate. Since he’s still 25, the cost of buying out that final year would only be one-third, not the standard two-thirds. That would cost the Kraken a cap charge of $795.8K next season and $295.8K in 2026-27, allowing them to effectively remove the majority of Burakovsky’s $5.5MM cost from their books. Alternatively, they could give Veleno a chance to lock down the center spot on the fourth line as he has shown himself to be useful in that role for several years now and see what happens from there. Either way, their early offseason shakeup continues.

Photos courtesy of Walter Tychnowicz (Burakovsky) and David Banks (Veleno)-Imagn Images.

Free Agent Focus: Toronto Maple Leafs

June 20, 2025 at 9:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 4 Comments

Free agency is now less than two weeks away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Maple Leafs.

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Mitch Marner – It was a career year for the 28-year-old who reached the 100-point mark for the first time after coming up just short a couple of times recently. He was second on the Maple Leafs in points in the playoffs. And despite all that, it’s widely expected that he will reach the open market with both sides believed to be interested in a fresh start. Players of Marner’s caliber rarely get to unrestricted free agency and the timing couldn’t be better with the big jump in the salary cap meaning that more teams have more cap flexibility. As a result, while Mikko Rantanen recently set the NHL record for the highest AAV ($12MM) given to a winger, Marner is expected to eclipse that with speculation that multiple teams are ready to offer $14MM or more. If he goes to free agency, he’ll be capped at seven years but if he and Toronto are open to it, a sign-and-trade by the end of June could allow him to get an eighth year and net the Maple Leafs a small return.

F John Tavares – Tavares eschewed pricier offers seven years ago in free agency to sign with his hometown team. The seven-year, $77MM deal wound up aging pretty well as he had 493 points in 515 games with the Maple Leafs, being a high-end second option behind Auston Matthews. Notably, he is coming off a particularly strong season that saw him notch 38 goals and 36 assists in 75 games. His 74 points put him second among pending UFAs behind Marner. While he’ll turn 35 in training camp, Tavares is well-positioned to land a multi-year deal at a price tag around the $7.5MM per season that Brock Nelson received to stay in Colorado since he’s the top center in a market that’s getting thinner in a hurry. However, for the Maple Leafs to have enough cap room to truly shake up their roster, it’s reasonable to think they’ll be asking for him to leave some money on the table once again.

F Max Pacioretty – While it took until the eve of training camp to secure a deal last year, Pacioretty wound up being a serviceable depth piece for the Maple Leafs when healthy and then had a solid playoff showing with eight points in 11 games. However, his days of being an every-game regular are likely over which will keep the contract offers closer to the $1MM mark in terms of base salary. However, as long as he signs a one-year pact (which is the likeliest outcome at this stage of his career), he is eligible for performance incentives which is what he had in his deal this season which could push the total potential compensation more toward the $2MM range if a decent market for his services develops.

F Steven Lorentz – After playing a limited role with Florida in 2023-24, Lorentz became pretty much an every-game regular for Toronto this season, chipping in with 19 points in 80 games, matching those numbers from two years ago. In doing so, he went from someone whose salary ceiling was at or near the league minimum to someone who should be able to surpass the $1MM mark next month on potentially a multi-year deal.

Other UFAs: F Nick Abruzzese, D Jani Hakanpaa, D Nicolas Mattinen (signed in Germany), D Dakota Mermis, G Matt Murray, F Alex Nylander, F Alex Steeves

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Matthew Knies – After a solid rookie season in 2023-24, Knies found another gear this season, notching 29 goals and 29 assists in 78 games while cementing a spot for himself on Toronto’s top line. In doing so, he has become one of the top pending RFAs. He’s the type of player the Maple Leafs would undoubtedly like to lock up on a long-term deal that buys some extra seasons of club control. However, doing so could push the price tag around $8MM per season which would cut into their spending flexibility to reshape their roster. As a result, it’s possible that the two sides look at a shorter-term bridge agreement. The 22-year-old has five RFA-eligible years left so a bridge deal could be for two or three years with a price tag closer to the $4.5MM area, giving GM Brad Treliving more short-term flexibility while setting Knies up to cash in down the road when he’ll be closer to unrestricted free agency and have arbitration eligibility.

F Nick Robertson – A speculative trade candidate last year following his trade request, not a whole lot has changed since then. The 23-year-old did collect a career-best 15 goals this season but once again failed to secure a full-time spot in the lineup and played just three times in the playoffs. Accordingly, it’s believed that he’d still prefer a change of scenery. Owed a qualifying offer of just under $919K, Robertson could get a bit more than that thanks to scoring 29 goals in 125 games over the last two seasons combined thanks to his arbitration eligibility. That makes him a potential non-tender candidate if a new deal – with Toronto or elsewhere – can’t be reached by the end of the month as it’s unlikely a team will want to give him a chance to go to a hearing.

F Pontus Holmberg – Holmberg has worked his way up from being a depth player in the minors to one who has played in 122 NHL games over the last two seasons while also suiting up in all but one playoff game this spring. His defensive game and positional versatility make him a useful depth player to have. He’s owed a qualifying offer of just over $866K but his arbitration eligibility could give him a shot at doubling that, putting him into the same sphere as Robertson where the price tag could get a bit too high for a player who projects to be near the bottom of the lineup.

Other RFAs: G Dennis Hildeby, F Roni Hirvonen (signed in Finland), D Mikko Kokkonen, F Reese Johnson, D Topi Niemela, F Cedric Pare, D William Villeneuve

Projected Cap Space

The Maple Leafs are set to enter the summer with around $25.7MM in cap room, one of the larger amounts around the NHL. It should be more than enough to dissuade an offer sheet for Knies, as well. Of course, a lot of that stems from two of their top-four-paid players getting set to hit the open market as the top players at their respective positions. The good news is that Treliving now has plenty of flexibility to work with but he also now has two significant holes to fill in his lineup and a pricey second contract for Knies to contend with. But for the first time in a while, Toronto could look considerably different come October.

Photos courtesy of Nick Turchiaro (Marner) and Kim Klement Neitzel (Knies)-Imagn Images. Contract info courtesy of PuckPedia.

Flames Notes: Vladar, Andersson, Sutter

June 20, 2025 at 8:01 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

Goaltender Daniel Vladar is arguably the most prominent pending unrestricted free agent that the Flames have and while Vladar said after the season that he’d like to re-sign, no deal is in place two months later. Speaking with Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson, GM Craig Conroy noted that the two sides are still in discussions and are “continuing to plug away” at his file. The 27-year-old started the season platooning with Dustin Wolf before the latter took over as the undisputed starter in the second half. Vladar bounced back from a tough 2023-24 season, posting a 2.80 GAA and a .898 SV% in 30 outings this season. At this point, he’s likely hoping for a raise from the $2.2MM he made over the last two seasons, especially since he projects to be one of the better options in what is a relatively thin free agent market for goaltenders this summer.

Offseason Checklist: Carolina Hurricanes

June 20, 2025 at 7:27 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 1 Comment

The offseason has arrived with the draft and free agency fast approaching. Accordingly, it’s time to look at what each team needs to accomplish this summer. Next up is a look at Carolina.

For the fifth straight season, the Hurricanes advanced past the opening round of the playoffs. For the second time in three years, they made it to the Eastern Conference Final but this time, they were quickly eliminated by Florida. It’s not very often that a team that gets this far in the playoffs has the ability to take some big swings but GM Eric Tulsky is well-positioned to try to do just that to fill some big needs the roster has.

Add A Second-Line Center

With Sebastian Aho locked up through 2031-32, Carolina’s top center is in place for the long haul. Jordan Staal is nearing the end of his career but was a reliable third liner this season and continues to be sharp at the faceoff dot so he’s a safe bet to be in that role again in 2025-26. But in between those two, there’s an opening that needs to be filled.

Jesperi Kotkaniemi was supposed to be that piece for them after being brought over from Montreal via a successful offer sheet. But over his four seasons with the team, he has yet to reach 20 goals and has only reached 35-plus points once. If it weren’t for the fact that they enter the summer with a whopping $26.7MM in cap space, per PuckPedia, there might be a case to make for buying out the remainder of his contract since he still qualifies for a lower one-third cost instead of the standard two-thirds. But with the flexibility they have, they can keep him around and continue to hope that the 2018 third-overall pick will break through.

But hoping for improvement can’t be Plan A down the middle for the Hurricanes next season. Jack Roslovic was brought in as a low-cost piece to see if he could play his way into that role. He had some good moments and a quiet 22 goals but it seems unlikely that he returns after being scratched multiple times in the playoffs. With much more flexibility cap-wise, they can aim a lot higher this time around after being forced into looking at lower-cost pieces last summer.

The list of key center UFAs is well-known and pretty small. John Tavares, Sam Bennett, and Mikael Granlund are the remaining headliners. Landing one of them would solve the problem for a few years, at least. Otherwise, they’ll have to turn to the trade market to try to fill that spot, something that a lot of teams will likely be looking to do with options in relatively short supply. They haven’t had a reliable second option down the middle arguably since Vincent Trocheck, and that will need to change in the coming weeks.

Add A Top-Line Winger

When the Hurricanes surprised the hockey world by acquiring Mikko Rantanen midseason, they parted with a pretty strong winger as part of the return in Martin Necas. Of course, they weren’t able to agree on a long-term contract with Rantanen to keep him around so Tulsky opted to flip him at the trade deadline to recoup some value. All things considered, he did rather well, adding Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks, and two third-round selections. But with all due respect to Stankoven, a solid youngster, the move was a pretty big step back in terms of short-term talent.

Part of the reason for being open to accepting a futures-based return knowing there would be some short-term pain was the knowledge that they have that cap space available to them. When it comes to the open market, few can offer more than the Hurricanes. That’s definitely an enviable spot to be in.

Now, they need to take advantage of it. They were believed to have shown interest in Mitch Marner at the trade deadline but Marner wouldn’t waive his trade protection to go there. Was that because he didn’t want to go to Carolina or because he wanted to stay with the Maple Leafs for the playoffs? It stands to reason they’ll find out the answer to that very quickly as he’ll almost certainly be at the top of their wish list this summer. Failing that, Brock Boeser and Nikolaj Ehlers should be getting calls as well.

This season, the Hurricanes had two wingers record more than 50 points which is a pretty low baseline for a top-six player. One of those was Necas in the 49 games before the trade while the other was Seth Jarvis, who reached 67 for the second straight season. Andrei Svechnikov has gotten there a few times before but had a bit of a down year this season. He and Jarvis aren’t a bad duo to start from but they’re going to need a pickup of considerable significance if they want to have a shot at taking that next step.

Bring In A Top-Four Defenseman

This season, the Hurricanes had three blueliners average at least 20 minutes a game. One was Jaccob Slavin, whose new eight-year deal kicks in July 1st, one that already looks like a below-market contract. The others were Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov, both of whom are set to reach unrestricted free agency next month. Accordingly, they’re going to need to be replaced on the roster.

It’s likely that at least one of the two spots will be filled internally. Alexander Nikishin was long viewed as the top blueliner outside the NHL and held his own in four playoff games. It’s safe to say that they don’t intend to start him in the minors next season and the hope is that he’ll be able to play his way into a top-four spot relatively quickly. Prospect Scott Morrow could also be in the mix and could fill the vacancy on the right-hand side of the back end but it wouldn’t be surprising to see Carolina prefer to give him more time with AHL Chicago.

That leaves one spot to try to fill externally. Unfortunately, it’s not a particularly deep crop of rearguards. Offensively, only four players had more points than Burns and Orlov and one of them (Matt Grzelcyk) doesn’t fit with Shayne Gostisbehere already on the roster. Basically, that limits potential upgrades to Aaron Ekblad, Ivan Provorov, and Vladislav Gavrikov, while Dante Fabbro, Cody Ceci, and Ryan Lindgren have handled top-four minutes before. That’s not a lot of options. Speculatively, knowing Nikishin and Morrow are pegged as key pieces for the future, it wouldn’t be too shocking to see Tulsky try what worked with Orlov two years ago, offering a short-term deal at a well above-market rate. With the league projecting big jumps in the salary cap over the next two years, it’s possible one of the better blueliners would be open to the idea.

Failing that, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Hurricanes look to the trade market to try to fill this spot. They have a strong prospect pool and a pair of extra first-round picks in their pocket from the Rantanen deal that could help form the foundation of a swap. Even if they are able to land a top winger and a top-six center, there should be ample money left to fill this vacancy as well.

Examine Goalie Options

With the Hurricanes re-signing Frederik Andersen to a one-year deal last month worth $2.75MM (plus $750K in potential performance bonuses), it looks like they have their goalie situation settled for next season with Pyotr Kochetkov signed for two more years as well. With the youngster signed at $2MM per year, it seems like there isn’t anything left to do at that position.

But perhaps there should be. Andersen has only played in more than 35 games once in the last five years. Kochetkov hasn’t reached 50 yet and his play has been a bit more up-and-down than Carolina would like although that’s far from uncommon for young goalies. This tandem isn’t the best in the league but there’s a solid floor.

However, that floor can be improved upon. There probably isn’t an upgrade of significance in free agency but on the trade market, it’s possible some options become available. Speculatively, Anaheim’s John Gibson comes to mind and he’s a player who they’ve been linked to before. We know they can afford the short-term premium while they could afford to carry three goalies or send one the other as a salary offset. This isn’t a must but Tulsky would be wise to sniff around to see if a goaltending upgrade could become available that would make their roster just a little stronger heading into next season.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.

Kraken Sign Cale Fleury To Two-Year Extension

June 20, 2025 at 6:26 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose 2 Comments

The Kraken will be keeping a depth defender in the fold for a little while longer. The team announced that they’ve signed Cale Fleury to a two-year contract extension. The one-way deal will carry a price tag of $890K per season, representing a small increase on the $800K on his current contract which will expire at the end of the month. GM Jason Botterill released the following statement:

Cale’s been an important player in our organization. He’s developed into a steady and reliable defenseman, and we’re happy to have him under contract for the next two years.

The 26-year-old has been with Seattle for the past four years after being selected from Montreal in their expansion draft. However, despite Botterill’s comments above, Fleury’s development hasn’t been enough to secure a foothold at the NHL level during that time; he played in more NHL games in one season with the Canadiens (41) than in the last four years with the Kraken combined (36).

This season, Fleury got into 14 games with Seattle, his highest single-season total with them. In those outings, he had an assist along with 28 blocks and 30 hits in a little under 13 minutes per night of playing time. However, he was much more impactful in the minors with AHL Coachella Valley, registering 26 points in just 39 games, earning himself an All-Star nod in the process.

It’s likely that Seattle will be relying on Fleury to play a similar role as he has in recent years, being a key piece for the Firebirds and a serviceable option when needed at the top level. While he will have to clear waivers to be sent down next season, he has done so multiple times now and the one-way guarantee for two years could help dissuade any potential claimers.

West Notes: Bjugstad, Bortuzzo, Jeannot, Duchene

June 20, 2025 at 5:59 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 7 Comments

For the next few weeks, there will be plenty of speculation about which teams will add which players. However, most of the noise leading up to July 1st will be about which players’ teams won’t keep, and the Utah Mammoth reportedly has a few. According to Craig Morgan of The Sedona Conference, the Mammoth are likely to let forward Nick Bjugstad and defenseman Robert Bortuzzo pursue other options this summer.

Given the more than $20MM available to the Mammoth this offseason, letting both players walk is more about performance and team-building rather than money. Bjugstad is inarguably the most valuable of the two, coming off an eight-goal, 19-point performance in 66 games for Utah during the 2024-25 campaign, averaging 12:19 of ice time. Still, it’s a far cry from his performance from a year ago, when Bjugstad registered 22 goals and 45 points in 76 games in a second-line role.

Meanwhile, there’s a legitimate chance that Bortuzzo is seriously contemplating retirement after completing the 14th season of his professional career. Limited by injuries this past season, Bortuzzo finished with two assists in 17 games, while mostly playing as the team’s seventh and sometimes eighth defenseman. The Mammoth already has eight defensemen signed through next season, leaving little room for Bortuzzo on the roster.

Other notes from the Western Conference:

Along similar lines, Russell Morgan of Hockey Royalty reports that the Los Angeles Kings aren’t expected to offer Tanner Jeannot a contract for the upcoming season. Jeannot has seen his stock drop precipitously in recent years, going from scoring 24 goals and amassing 318 hits with the Nashville Predators in the 2021-22 season, to a 13-point campaign in 67 games for the Kings this past season. He can still be relied upon for physicality, but Jeannot will have a difficult time finding a similar salary on the open market this summer.
On the cusp of reaching the open market and objectively becoming one of the top centers available, Matt Duchene instead chose to re-sign with the Dallas Stars on a four-year deal worth $18MM, likely leaving several million dollars on the table. In a new interview with Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News, Duchene indicated how easy a choice it was, saying, “First of all, any guy I’ve talked to wants to come back, so that’s great. I mean, it’s such a desirable place. I think it’s a place that anybody in the league would be lucky to play. And most guys in the league want to play for our team, and that speaks to the culture that the organization has created.“

RFA Notes: Dobson, Knies, Cuylle

June 20, 2025 at 4:30 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 8 Comments

In today’s rendition of 32 Thoughts with Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the podcast host reports that the New York Islanders are quietly testing the market for defenseman Noah Dobson. Friedman believes the Islanders aren’t ready to move him yet, but are simply conducting their due diligence in case he becomes an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season.

Dobson’s projected market value is hard to ascertain. After scoring 10 goals and 70 points in 79 games, averaging 24:31 of ice time per night, and finishing eighth in Norris Trophy voting in the 2023-24 season, Dobson’s play collapsed in 2024-25, largely due to injuries. He’s entering restricted free agency on the heels of a 10-goal, 39-point campaign and is only a year away from unrestricted free agency.

According to Friedman, the Islanders believe that if Dobson can replicate his performance from 2023-24, he’ll command an AAV of more than $10MM per year on his next deal, and that may not be something they’re willing to do. The likelihood of him being traded remains low, but the fact that the Islanders are open to hearing offers is a significant change in their approach from the regular season.

Other notes regarding a few more RFAs:

With a boatload of cap space, the Toronto Maple Leafs need not worry about a Matthew Knies offer sheet this summer. Still, they will want to sign the deal soon to understand their financial flexibility during the summer months. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that there is no consensus on the progress of the negotiations. One side believes a deal is close, while the other side indicates that it is not. Unfortunately, he did not specify which side holds each perspective. Regardless, it appears that the final deal should fall in the three-to-five-year range.
Although all eyes are on the status of restricted free agent defenseman K’Andre Miller, the New York Rangers have another quality RFA to worry about. According to a new article by Peter Baugh in The Athletic, the Rangers have initiated talks with Will Cuylle, and both parties are interested in a contract extension. Baugh expects the Rangers and Cuylle to agree on a three-year, $10MM contract (or near it), which would allow them to optimize their salary cap this offseason while also establishing a multi-year commitment.

Calgary Flames Sign Dryden Hunt To Two-Year Deal

June 20, 2025 at 3:17 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain Leave a Comment

The Calgary Flames are keeping a quality AHL scorer for the next few years. The Flames announced they’ve signed forward Dryden Hunt to a two-year, two-way agreement worth $1.65MM ($825K AAV).

The player from Cranbrook, British Columbia, joined the Flames organization through a minor league trade during the 2022-23 NHL season. A few months after Hunt was traded from the Colorado Avalanche to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Denis Malgin, Calgary sent depth player Radim Zohorna to Toronto in exchange for Hunt at the trade deadline.

Despite being an efficient scorer at the AHL level, Hunt has typically been deployed as a fourth-line winger at the NHL level. After debuting with the Florida Panthers during the 2017-18 season, Hunt has scored 18 goals and 54 points in 235 games, averaging 11:02 of ice time per game, and carrying a -31 rating.

His exploits in the AHL have been much better, particularly with the Flames’ AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. Since making his professional debut in the 2016-17 season with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds, Hunt has scored 104 goals and 245 points in 318 games, with a +37 rating. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been on many successful teams, reaching the playoffs only twice in his seven-year career.

Calgary could have some moving parts toward the bottom of their forward core during the 2025-26 campaign, but it’s unlikely to affect Hunt. The Flames are leaning toward larger opportunities for Adam Klapka and Samuel Honzek, meaning Hunt should spend much of the year at the AHL level.

Boston Bruins Hire Steve Spott As Assistant Coach

June 20, 2025 at 2:45 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 1 Comment

The Boston Bruins have hired their third assistant coach for the 2025-26 NHL season, joining Chris Kelly and Jay Leach. The Bruins announced they’ve hired Steve Spott as their final assistant coach, and he’ll primarily work with the team’s power play.

Despite spending most of his adult life in varying roles for the OHL’s Plymouth Whalers and Kitchener Rangers, Spott didn’t join the professional ranks until the 2013-14 season, when he was named head coach of the Toronto Marlies. Spott coached the Marlies to a 45-25-2-4 record, a North Division title, and a Western Conference Final appearance. That one-year test as the Marlies head coach earned Spott a promotion to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ bench in the 2014-15 season as an assistant coach.

After two years with the Maple Leafs organization, Spott joined Pete DeBoer’s staff with the San Jose Sharks ahead of the 2015-16 season. The two had previously worked together in Kitchener and enjoyed success with the Sharks, reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2016. Unfortunately, the two were fired midway through the 2019-20 season after the Sharks got off to a 15-16-2 start.

It wouldn’t take long for either to find work, as Spott and DeBoer were both hired by the Vegas Golden Knights in their same roles a month later. Their time in Vegas was short-lived, and both were let go after the Golden Knights failed to make the playoffs in the 2021-22 season.

Continuing to work together, DeBoer brought Spott with him to the Dallas Stars for the 2022-23 NHL season. Spott and DeBoer led the Stars to three consecutive Western Conference Finals, but they did not reach the Stanley Cup Final. Dallas finished with a top-10 powerplay in two out of three years with Spott serving as the team’s primary powerplay coach.

Dallas Stars Sign Mavrik Bourque To One-Year Deal

June 20, 2025 at 1:35 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 7 Comments

Shortly after announcing a new one-year deal for defenseman Nils Lundkvist, the Dallas Stars have signed their only remaining restricted free agent. According to a team announcement, the Stars have signed forward Mavrik Bourque to a one-year, $950K contract for the 2025-26 NHL season.

Re-signing Bourque relatively early was a smart play by General Manager Jim Nill. Given their projected salary cap space entering the summer and Bourque’s combination of youth and skill, he was a prime offer sheet candidate this offseason. Now, he’ll remain with the Stars on a sub-$1MM deal.

The only concern with this deal is that Dallas was unable to secure a longer contract for him. According to PuckPedia, the Stars have less than $3MM in financial wiggle room, meaning they were practically forced to give Bourque a short-term deal to keep the salary low.

Despite already having solid players at the NHL level, Bourque forced himself onto the NHL roster this past season. Bourque had a historic season with the AHL’s Texas Stars in 2023-24, scoring 26 goals and accumulating 77 points in 71 games, along with three goals and 11 points in seven playoff contests. He likely had to buy a new shelf for his hardware, earning the AHL’s Les Cunningham Award, John B. Sollenberger Trophy, President’s Award, and First All-Star Team honors.

Due to the depth of the Stars’ roster, Bourque had limited opportunities in 2024-25. Still, he had a quality rookie season, scoring 11 goals and 25 points in 72 games, averaging 12:41 of ice time per game. Despite finishing 11th among forwards with more than 20 GPs in ice time at even strength, Bourque finished third among forwards in CorsiFor% at even strength with a 52.6% rate.

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