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Big Hype Prospects: DuPont, Verhoeff, Vanhatalo, Rogowski

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The 2025-26 season will kickoff on Monday for hockey’s scouting world, as many of the top U18 prospects from around the world join in Brno, Czechia and Trenčín, Slovakia for the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The tournament is one of the top non-IIHF sanctioned events of the hockey season, and features talents from eight different countries — this year from USA, Canada, Czechia, Slovakia, Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Switzerland. It’s often the first chance for top draft picks to show their strength among an increasingly competitive group of peers. That makes now the perfect time to again borrow from MLB Trade Rumors’ Big Hype Prospect series to break down some of the top names to watch when pucks drop this week.

Four Big Hype Prospects

Landon DuPont, RD, Team Canada (Everett Silvertips, WHL)
2024-25 Season: 64 GP, 17 G, 43 A, 60 TP, 26 PIM, +31

There is little question about who the top prospect at this year’s Hlinka tournament will be – and, ironically, it’s not a player eligible for the draft in 2026. Instead it’s 16-year-old Landon DuPont, a true star talent coming off the highest-scoring season from a U16 defender in CHL history — by more than 20 points. DuPont is cut from a different cloth in many ways. He’s fantastically smooth on the puck and uses clean, long, and quick strides to cut through all three zones and create layup scoring chances. His vision is sharp and he’s firm on every decision, creating a player truly capable of taking over games on his own. DuPont has a special drive to succeed that should be put on full display as he gets his first opportunity to represent his country overseas. It would be no surprise to see DuPont – the son of European hockey veteran Micki DuPont – race towards the top of the Hlinka leaderboards and soon the top of the 2027 NHL Draft class.

Keaton Verhoeff, RD, Team Canada (University of North Dakota, NCHC)
2024-25 Season (Victoria, WHL): 63 GP, 21 G, 24 A, 45 TP, 14 PIM, +23

It is a rare and lucky moment when a head coach gets to call Keaton Verhoeff their second defender. He brings every bit of the star-power that Canada has become known for at this tournament. Verhoeff is a towering, beefy defender standing at 6-foot-4 and 212-pounds — and yet, he’s another incredibly smooth puck-handler, with a special instinct for how and when to dip into the offensive zone. He plays a game that thrives on gut calls, but lives on fundamentals – and shows as much talent in defending the rush or blocking out the slot as he does in making flashy, high-speed cuts to the offensive net. Team Canada has already named Verhoeff their captain for this tournament – and among the top questions for the week ahead will be how they wield his physical upside next to DuPont’s snappy creativity. Verhoeff is entering the season as a top-two name in the 2026 draft class. He’ll get his first chance to fortify that standing at this tournament, before heading to the NCAA alongside Victoria teammate and Calgary Flames prospect Cole Reschny for the 2025-26 season.

Vilho Vanhatalo, RW, Team Finland (Tappara, Finland U20)
2024-25 Season (Tappara, Finland U18): 41 GP, 37 G, 21 A, 58 TP, 38 PIM

Prospect chatter surrounding Finland has quieted in recent years, but their 2008 birth year seems well equipped to pull the country back into the spotlight. They’re a heavy-hitting group that features players like Oscar Hemming, Eelis Uronen, adn Anttoni Uronen – all the younger brothers of NHL prospects (Emil Hemming, Dallas; Tomas Uronen, Vegas). But the group is headlined by beefy goal-scorer Vilho Vanhatalo, a ground-and-pound shooter with multiple ways to best his opponents. Vanhatalo is strong with a huge frame – 6-foot-4 and 200-pounds – and an athletic stance. He’s also quick to make decisions and jump to the next play – making him hard to contain in the offensive end. He squares up to passes quickly, and has a true heft behind his shot. That’s helped Vanhatalo reach fantastic goal-scoring heights already, including leading Finland’s top U18 in the stat last season. He also scored a team-leading three points in four games for Finland at the World U-17 Hockey Championship, and continued to lead the country’s U17 squad with 14 points in 17 games in other international tournaments. Where goals need scored, Vanhatalo finds his way – making him an interesting second-tier name for this tournament and the 2026 draft.

Brooks Rogowski, C/RW, Team USA (Oshawa Generals, OHL)
2024-25 Season: 66 GP, 11 G, 12 A, 23 TP, 9 PIM, -3

Brooks Rogowski may not be the true top name on Team USA’s lineup, but he’ll certainly be the hardest to miss. Literally. The 17-year-old stands at 6-foot-6 and 227-pounds, and seems well positioned to take on top-six minutes for an American squad looking for players to step up. Rogowski was relatively unrefined through much of his rookie OHL season last year, but has earned the close attention of scouts – and even a commitment to Michigan State University – since the season has come to a close. That’s largely thanks to a training regiment focused in on making him smoother and quicker driving down the ice, and consequentially strong performances at the USA U17-Selects tournament and Hlinka Gretzky Cup invite camp. Rogowski will play second-string to USA’s stars – like hard-nosed center and 2027 draft prospect Shaeffer Gordon-Carroll and flashy speedster and 2026 prospect Jack Hextall. But when it comes to playing a physically-imposing game geared towards driving the net, head coach Bob Motzko will find all he needs in Rogowski. This tournament will mark the giant’s first chance to rocket up his draft stock.

Morning Notes: Roslovic, Bonk, Avalanche

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The free agent market for centerman Jack Roslovic is growing richer by the day. In addition to garnering interest from multiple teams across the league, Roslovic has also received multiple offers from teams in Russia’s KHL, per Dylan Griffing of EliteProspects. Those offers will likely ring on deaf ears for a centerman who has spent the last nine seasons in the NHL, but they will ramp up the pressure on NHL clubs to get a deal in place.

Roslovic is certainly worth the late-summer intrigue. He’s filled the role of gritty and responsible bottom-six center through multiple stops in the league. His career began with the Winnipeg Jets, who drafted Roslovic at 25th-overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. The Jets provided a chance for Roslovic to plant his feet in the NHL, but he didn’t find a true breakout until a 2021 move to the Columbus Blue Jackets. He scored 34 points in 48 games of the shortened 2021 season with Columbus – or, an 82-game pace of 58 points – then followed it up with 45 points and 44 points in two full seasons. He’s since toured through stops with the New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes, and continues to offer a mix of gritty physical and near-40 points each season. That standing will make him a desirable asset for all leagues, though a stay in the NHL seems all-but-guaranteed.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Philadelphia Flyers prospect Oliver Bonk shared that his sights are set high for his first professional season in a motivated interview with Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia. He shared that his goal will, of course, be to make the Flyers lineup out of training camp – but that he’s putting equal attention towards making sure he keeps his eyes set on the ultimate goal, no matter the outcome of camp. Bonk is coming off an incredibly successful junior hockey career, capped off with a Memorial Cup win with the OHL’s London Knights. He scored 54 points in 69 games this season, and 73 points in 78 games in the 2023-24 campaign. It will be an uphill battle to jump straight to the NHL, but Bonk will have the upper hand as a 6-foot-2, 210-pound defender with speed and puck-moving ability.
  • The Colorado Avalanche could be searching for depth forwards for the extent of another season. A recent breakdown of their roster by Aarif Deen of Colorado Hockey Now reveals a shortage of talent at the center position – a group that the Avalanche have long struggled to stock fully. The Avalanche will have the benefit of getting a full year out of 25-year-old center Jack Drury, who split last season between Colorado and Carolina. But in the mixed year, Drury’s 18 points in 72 games still looks meager. A lack of depth could offer Drury – or a player currently on the outside, like Ivan Ivan – a chance to show his might before the Avalanche have time to bring in another new face. Colorado currently sits with a little more than $2MM in available cap space, per Puckpedia.

Summer Synopsis: Vegas Golden Knights

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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. Today, we’ll take a look at Vegas.

The Golden Knights enjoyed a strong regular season last year, posting 50 wins en route to a Pacific Division title. They carried that momentum into the playoffs with a decisive first-round victory over the Minnesota Wild. However, their postseason run came to an abrupt end in the second round, where they fell to the Edmonton Oilers in just five games.

Not content with regular-season accolades or modest postseason success, the Golden Knights were aggressive to start the offseason, pulling off arguably the biggest acquisition by locking up star forward Mitch Marner. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon also made several depth moves to fortify the lineup, and on paper, Vegas appears poised to contend for the Stanley Cup once again.

Draft

2-55 – F Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, Luleå HF (Sweden J20)
3-85 – F Mateo Nobert, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
6-186 – F Alexander Weiermair, Portland (WHL)
6-187 – D Gustav Sjoqvist, AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan)

One common downside for Stanley Cup contenders is a depleted prospect pool, often the result of trading away draft picks in pursuit of immediate success. That was the case for the Golden Knights at last month’s draft, where they lacked a first-round pick and made just four selections overall.

They made the most of the situation, starting with the section of Ihs-Wozniak, a forward with high offensive upside. He produced 57 points in 40 games during the 2024-25 season with Luleå HF J20, but truly showcased his talents on the international stage. At the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he helped Sweden to a bronze medal while tying for the tournament high of four goals. He then helped Sweden to a silver medal in the 2025 IIHF U18 Men’s World Championship, where he recorded seven points in seven games.

Nobert, 17, produced 67 points in 57 games for Blainville-Boisbriand in the Q, finishing fourth on the team in scoring. Known for his playmaking abilities, the Quebec native took his game to another level last season, nearly tripling his production from the year before. His continued development will be something Golden Knights fans can watch and look forward to.

Trade Acquisitions

F Mitch Marner (from Toronto)
F Colton Sissons and D Jeremy Lauzon (from Nashville)

Arguably, the biggest move of the offseason was Vegas acquiring Marner from the Maple Leafs with a sign-and-trade, resulting in an eight-year, $96MM deal ($12MM AAV). Joining a star-studded group that already features Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Shea Theodore, the move signals that the franchise is all in with their efforts to secure another Stanley Cup. While things ended unceremoniously for Marner in Toronto, he has done nothing but produce in his time in the league. Since debuting for the Maple Leafs in the 2016-17 season, Marner has scored 221 goals and 741 points in 657 games, averaging 20:03 of ice time per night. That production was no different last year, as Marner, 28, produced 102 points in 81 games. He added 13 points in 13 playoff contests. The Golden Knights finished the 2024-25 campaign with the fifth-best goals scored average (3.34), third-best goals against average (2.61), second-best powerplay (28.34%), and the 13th-best shooting percentage (11.0%), and those numbers should only improve with Marner in the mix.

Perhaps lost in the shuffle of the Marner deal, adding Sissons and Lauzon as part of the deal that sent Nicolas Hague to Nashville provides Vegas with solid veteran experience and productivity.

UFA Signings

F Tuomas Uronen (three years, $852.5K)*
F Reilly Smith (one year, $2MM)^
F Brandon Saad (one year, $2MM)^
D Dylan Coghlan (one year, $775K)
D Jaycob Megna (two years, $800K)
F Cole Reinhardt (two years, $812.5K)

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

The Golden Knights got to work before July 1, locking up veteran forwards like Smith and Saad before they could test free agency. Smith returned to Vegas following a mid-season trade with the Rangers, recording 11 points in 21 games. Now 34, his best seasons came during his first stint with the Golden Knights, and he remains a reliable depth option who can still contribute in the top six when needed. Saad, 32, produced 13 goals and 30 points last season, split between Vegas and St. Louis. Like Smith, Saad was dealt to Vegas mid-season and made a strong enough impression that McCrimmon re-signed him before he could reach free agency. The two-time cup champion with Chicago offers quality depth in the bottom six.

The remaining signings add organizational depth. The team announced the deals for Coghlan, Megna, and Reinhardt simultaneously on July 1. While each player received a one-way contract, a spot on the opening night roster is far from guaranteed.

Uronen, who was signed to an entry-level deal back on May 20, offers intriguing upside. Vegas selected Uronen with the 192nd pick of the 2023 NHL Draft. At the time, he was playing for HIFK’s U20 program, but he quickly transferred to the Ontario Hockey League’s Ottawa 67’s after being drafted. A native of Finland, Uronen showcased his offensive abilities last season with the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs, posting 38 goals and 90 points in 63 games. Internationally, Uronen scored two goals and three points in seven games for Team Finland during the 2024-25 U20 World Junior Championship.

RFA Re-Signings

F Raphael Lavoie (one year, $775K)*
F Jonas Rondbjerg (one year, $775K)*
F Cole Schwindt (one year, $825K)
D Lukas Cormier (one year, $775K)*

Lavoie had an interesting path last season and will no doubt hope for more stability for the 2025-26 year. Last season, he was waived by Edmonton, claimed by Vegas, waived by Vegas, re-claimed by Edmonton, waived again by Edmonton, and finally re-claimed by Vegas before being sent directly to AHL Henderson in a matter of days last October. Injuries limited Lavoie’s effectiveness somewhat in 2024-25, but he still put together a decent 17-10–27 scoring line in 42 games on an underwhelming Henderson squad. When healthy, the 6’4″ winger can provide key organizational depth and quality scoring possibilities. He potted 28 goals and 50 points in 66 games for AHL Bakersfield in 2023-24.

Rondbjerg, a Golden Knights draft pick in the third round of their inaugural 2017 class, has topped out as a serviceable fringe NHL forward, recording 10 points in 76 games for the Knights over the past four years. Schwindt, perhaps the likeliest of the group to make an impact in Vegas next season, appeared in 42 games last season with Vegas after being claimed off waivers from the Flames during training camp last year. In that time, he produced eight points in a bottom-six role but did provide quality defense and holds a career 51 percent win rate in the faceoff circle. Meanwhile, Cormier will look to get back on track after an injury detailed his 2024-25 season.

Key Extensions

D Kaedan Korczak (four years, $3.25MM)

On the second day of free agency, Vegas locked up one of their own blueliners long-term, giving Korczak a four-year, $13MM contract extension. Despite having just one career goal in 77 games, Korczak clearly earned the confidence of the organization last season, which served as his first full year at the NHL level. He was often a healthy scratch over the course of the season, but still managed to record 10 assists, one penalty, and a plus-15 across 40 games. He added 59 hits and 40 blocked shots while averaging 15:04 of ice time per night. With the loss of Hague and the presumed retirement of Alex Pietrangelo, Vegas may have felt it was key to extend Korczak.

Departures

D Nicolas Hague (trade with Nashville)
F Tanner Pearson (Winnipeg, one-year, $1MM)
F Nicolas Roy (trade with Toronto)

The Golden Knights sit with a heap of unsigned free agents, including goaltender Ilya Samsonov and winger Victor Olofsson. That group is unlikely to re-sign with a cap-strapped Vegas lineup, but the Golden Knights will still leave the summer with minimal exits. Hague stands as the biggest subtraction in size and lineup role – vacating an impactful, third-pair role for a surprisingly rich extension with the Predators. He has posted 12 points and a negative plus-minus in each of the last two seasons, but led Vegas’ blue-line in hits-per-game in both seasons. The Golden Knights will lose similar physical prowess in Pearson and Roy – two depth forwards who both managed encouraging scoring from routine roles in the bottom. Roy finished the year with 15 goals and 31 points, while Pearson scored 12 goals and 27 points. Vegas will need to find internal replacements for all three players, and may be hobbled by their departure – but nonetheless found a way to add more talent than they lost this summer.

Salary Cap Outlook

A summer of strategic spending hasn’t yet come to fruition for the Golden Knights. They currently sit $7.64MM over the cap ceiling, per PuckPedia. Placing top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo on long-term injured reserve will give the team just over $1MM in available cap space, though they’ll likely settle square-even with the cap floor after re-signing RFA Alex Holtz. It will be another season of cap gymnastics for the Golden Knights. Luckily, that’s a game they’re plenty experienced with by this point.

Key Questions

How Will Marner Look Outside of Toronto? The brightest spotlight in the league will be trained on Marner as he pursues his first season with the Golden Knights. The 28-year-old winger had a career-year last season, crossing the century mark for the first time with 102 points in 81 games. He’s paced for at least 100 points in each of the last four seasons, but often missed a handful of games for one reason or another. Still, that will be an incredible talent to join a Golden Knights offense already featuring Jack Eichel and Mark Stone. While he’s already played next to some of the best in the world, Marner could find the best setting of his career on Vegas’ top-line. If he does, the Golden Knights could find the X-factor they need to will to another Stanley Cup. If not, they’ll be strapped with a contract that pushes them against the cap ceiling, and a winger who commands attention in roster construction.

What’s Next For Pavel Dorofeyev? The Pavel Dorofeyev breakout was long-coming, and Golden Knights fans finally saw the payoff when the Russian winger chased a massive 35 goals and 52 points last season. The 24-year-old will enter the 2025-26 season with a strong argument for routine top-six minutes, and seemingly plenty of ramp to one-up on his hot-shooting season last year. Dorofeyev recorded a 13.8 shooting percentage last season, well within range of the 13.4 shooting percentage he posted in 47 games in the 2023-24 season. That could shed positive light on his chances to repeat his lofty goal total, especially as Vegas’ offense continues to load up. Dorofeyev is still due for a new contract next summer. It will be the deal that carries him through his prime years, and a price tag set by how well he’s able to maintain his performances this season.

Who Will Emerge As The Top Right-Defender? Vegas has suffered one major blow this summer. Pietrangelo will miss the entirety of the season, leaving the team without a clear-cut, top-pair right-defender. They’re loaded up on the left-side, with Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin vying for top minutes and Jeremy Lauzon and Zach Whitecloud sparring for the rest. But opposite of them, it seems Zach Whitecloud – who scored just 13 points and averaged 17:31 in ice time last season – sits as the most poised for hefty minutes. He’ll compete with Kaedan Korczak, who just cracked into the lineup last year, and Dylan Coghlan from the minor leagues. But in the end, Vegas could opt to play Hanifin on his off-hand side over all three options. Hanifin finished last season with 10 goals and 39 points in 80 games – six more goals and points than Pietrangelo. Next to the shifty Theodore, the consequences of playing on his backhand could be mitigated. That will be the test Vegas faces, as they tweak the bolts of the defense behind a loaded offense.

Photo courtesy of Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports and Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports.

Kraken’s Ollie Josephson Commits To North Dakota

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Seattle Kraken center prospect Ollie Josephson has committed to the University of North Dakota for the 2025-26 season. He will move to the United States after spending the last three seasons with the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels. Seattle drafted Josephson in the fourth-round of the 2024 draft.

Josephson lived up to his claim as a top juniors prosect by carving out a high-impact role in Red Deer. He was originally drafted fifth-overall in the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft, and joined the Rebels full-time ahead of the 2022-23 season, at the age of 17. He scored a measly 19 points in 63 games that year, while filling out a depth role, but returned with momentum on his side for his age-18 season. Now a sophomore in the league, Josephson took on an assistant captain role with the Rebels and scored a much stouter 47 points in 68 games. He also added three assists in seven games with Team Canada at the World U18 Championship.

Josephson returned to take on Red Deer’s captaincy last season. He again appeared to take a full stride forward from his prior season, and looked comfortable and confident serving as the Rebels’ top-line center. He scored 35 points in 48 games – good for second on Red Deer in scoring behind Matthew Gard’s 36 points in 66 games. It was a strong, confident performance on a team that’d finish in the league’s bottom-five – and enough to earn Josephson a draft spot despite injuries taking out much of his January and ending his season in March.

In landing Josephson this summer, both Seattle and North Dakota land a prominent, playmaking centerman capable of controlling movement through the middle lane. He’s been oft knocked by a lack of physicality and flashy setups, but finds a way to stay on top of play with smooth skating and a persistent drive. Time in what’s sure to be a gridlocked NCHC conference should help Josephson learn to better wield his drive into play in the corners and along the boards. He could be a candidate for a multi-year stay, as well, as Seattle looks to mold him into a pro-ready player.

The Fighting Hawks will fill out their final forward position with this recruitment. The team, led by first-year general manager Bryn Chyzyk, have found strong talent throughout the CHL. Josephson will join Calgary Flames prospect Cole Reschny, as well as top 2026 draft prospect Keaton Verhoeff, in making the leap from the WHL.

Metropolitan Notes: Islanders, Iskhakov, Penguins

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With training camps a little over a month away, we’re not too far away from seeing plenty of veterans inking PTO deals to try to catch on with a team for the 2025-26 season.  Don’t expect the Islanders to be doing so, however.  NewsNation’s Rob Taub relays (Twitter link) that GM Mathieu Darche indicated during a virtual Q&A with season ticket holders that he doesn’t intend to bring in anyone on tryout deals to camp.  New York has some extra depth up front following the additions of Jonathan Drouin, Emil Heineman, and Maxim Shabanov while it appears they plan to give some prospects including top pick Matthew Schaefer a chance to lock down a spot on the back end, negating the need to add some extra options at that position.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Still with the Islanders, RFA winger Ruslan Iskhakov told Match TV’s Andrey Irkha that his plan remains to return to North America for the 2026-27 season. The 25-year-old was quite productive in the minors with Bridgeport in 2022-23 and 2023-24, tallying 101 points in 138 games along the way but was only recalled for one NHL contest, a game in which he scored.  But instead of re-signing last summer, he opted to return home on a two-year deal with CSKA Moscow where he had 12 goals and 17 assists in 60 games last season.  Now with Metallurg Magnitogorsk following a trade last month, Iskhakov doesn’t appear to be changing his original plan and appears intent on giving an NHL shot another go next year.
  • The Penguins have added some defensive depth this summer with the signings of Parker Wotherspoon and Alexander Alexeyev plus the acquisitions of Mathew Dumba and Connor Clifton. At first glance, that would seemingly close the door on prospects Owen Pickering or Harrison Brunicke having a chance to push for a roster spot, even with the team saying both will get long looks in training camp.  Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wonders if the Penguins might consider waiving and demoting some of those newcomers – Clifton or Dumba in particular – to create an opening for one of the youngsters.  With Pittsburgh not expected to contend for a playoff spot as things stand, it will be interesting to see if any budgetary restrictions are imposed which could make having a seven-figure player or two in the minors more of a challenge.

No Recent Talks Between Flames And Rasmus Andersson

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The future of defenseman Rasmus Andersson with the Flames has been a subject of much debate this offseason.  While Calgary isn’t looking to rebuild and thus doesn’t necessarily want to move him, Andersson doesn’t appear to be ready to sign a long-term extension with them either, fueling trade speculation.

Earlier this summer, TSN’s Darren Dreger suggested that Los Angeles had a deal in place to acquire Andersson but that the blueliner indicated that he didn’t want to play there.  Speaking with Expressen’s David Carlsson and Mikael Ljungberg, the 28-year-old acknowledged he had been approached about a move somewhere but declined to confirm that it was indeed the Kings.  But he wasn’t comfortable about moving his family and signing a long-term deal right away, scuttling those talks.  Andersson also continues to vehemently deny earlier reports that the only team he’d sign with right away is Vegas.

With trade talks seemingly at a stalemate for now, it would be logical to think that the two sides might resume contract discussions.  However, Andersson noted that since the draft-day trade fell apart, there has been zero communication with the team.

Andersson has been an all-situations player for the last several years in Calgary while reaching at least 30 points in each of the last four campaigns.  That has him in line to land a sizable raise on his current $4.55MM AAV, even though he’s coming off a quieter year offensively where he has 10 goals and 21 assists in 81 games while averaging 23:59 per night of playing time.  Even with the reduced point total, AFP Analytics pegged an Andersson extension to cost around $8.4MM per season on a seven-year deal.

While it’s believed there were at least initial discussions about a new deal this offseason, the belief is that there’s still a big gap to bridge and clearly, neither side appears to be in a rush to try to reduce the difference.  GM Craig Conroy has stated multiple times that he’s comfortable with Andersson coming to camp without an extension in place and based on the lack of contact between the two sides, that appears to be the likeliest outcome as things stand.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Islanders

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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 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 Islanders.

New York Islanders

Current Cap Hit: $89,368,333 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Isaiah George (two years, $838.3K)
D Matthew Schaefer (three years, $975K)
F Maxim Shabanov (one year, $975K)

Potential Bonuses
George: $80K
Schaefer: $3.5MM
Shabanov: $3.5MM
Total: $7.08MM

The Islanders were the successful team out of a field of money to sign Shabanov out of Russia.  One of the top scorers in the KHL last season, it’s fair to say they’ll be counting on him to be at least a secondary producer this year.  In doing so, he could have a shot at hitting some of his ‘A’ bonuses of which he has four at $250K apiece.  Notably, Shabanov will be arbitration-eligible next summer which will put some extra emphasis on the upcoming season.

Schaefer was the number one pick in the draft back in June despite missing most of the season due to injury.  By signing his entry-level deal, the NCAA route is off the table so it’s the NHL or junior hockey for him.  If he stays the full year and becomes a top-four piece, some of his four ‘A’ bonuses will be achievable as well.  It’s not normal to put an ‘if’ in front of a number one pick playing in the NHL right away but with Schaefer, it’s far from a given.  George didn’t look out of place in 33 games with the Isles last season.  His situation may be tied to Schaefer making the team or not but it stands to reason he’ll at least see some NHL action again, allowing him to reach some of his ‘B’ bonus for games played.  George is trending toward a low-seven-figure bridge deal two years from now.

Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level

D Adam Boqvist ($850K, RFA)
D Tony DeAngelo ($1.75MM, UFA)
F Marc Gatcomb ($900K, RFA)
F Anders Lee ($7MM, UFA)
F Jean-Gabriel Pageau ($5MM, UFA)
G David Rittich ($1MM, UFA)

After a tough 2023-24 campaign, Lee bounced back last season with his highest point total since 2017-18.  He finished second on the team in points which is more like what they expect from their captain.  However, Lee will be entering his age-36 year on his next deal and teams have gotten stingier with contracts given to players that age in recent years.  Even a three-year agreement might be deemed too risky unless it was for a big cut price-wise.  A two-year pact could be doable at a small dip in pay or, alternatively, teams could push for one year plus achievable games-played bonuses to allow for more in-season flexibility.  Both are viable options for him next summer.

A year ago, it looked like the Islanders might have to attach a sweetener to clear Pageau’s contract but instead, they spurned trade interest in him this summer.  He’s someone who is steadily around the 35-40-point mark and with his defensive ability and faceoff prowess, he should have good interest next summer.  Besting this price tag might be tough for Pageau but another multi-year pact with an AAV starting with a four might be doable.  Gatcomb was a serviceable fourth liner in the second half of last season, a good showing after getting his first NHL deal at 25 last summer.  He’ll need to show that can hold that role down over a full season and if he does, that could jump him into the $1.5MM range next year.

DeAngelo was a midseason signing after being lured away from his KHL contract and it was a good move as he was his usual productive self while also logging over 23 minutes a game.  His defensive concerns will continue to limit his earnings upside but a good full-season showing could give him a shot at a multi-year deal in the $3MM range next summer.  Boqvist saw limited minutes after being a midseason waiver claim and signed with a small raise instead of what was likely to be a non-tender to avoid arbitration eligibility.  He’ll still be arbitration-eligible summer which will probably work against him again barring a breakout season.  As someone who profiles as a sixth defender at best, he’s likely going to stay close to the minimum salary unless his role drastically changes.

Rittich was brought in as goaltending insurance via free agency.  He wound up making 31 starts for the Kings last season although his .886 SV% was well below average.  Still, he has been a serviceable backup in the past if need be and if he isn’t needed to hedge against injuries, his contract can come off the books entirely if he’s in the minors (if he’s not claimed off waivers).

Signed Through 2026-27

F Casey Cizikas ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Jonathan Drouin ($4MM, UFA)
F Emil Heineman ($1.1MM, RFA)
F Simon Holmstrom ($3.625MM, RFA)
F Kyle MacLean ($775K, RFA)
F Kyle Palmieri ($4.75MM, UFA)
F Maxim Tsyplakov ($2.25MM, UFA)
G Semyon Varlamov ($2.75MM, UFA)

Palmieri was in trade speculation right up to the deadline with the belief that the lack of a trade meant a handshake agreement was in place with then-GM Lou Lamoriello.  It appears new GM Mathieu Darche largely upheld that agreement with this contract.  Palmieri quietly posted 24 goals and 24 assists last season and near-50-point production for under $5MM in this market isn’t bad value.  He’ll be 36 when he needs a new contract and, like Lee, his options may be more limited at that time.  When healthy, Drouin was quite productive with Colorado, notching 37 points in 43 games but injuries have now been an issue for him in five of the last six seasons.  While he was able to get more than one year this time around, it’s still a below-market contract for what a top-six forward should be receiving.  He’ll need to stay healthy and keep producing if he wants a shot at a long-term deal two years from now.

Holmstrom has only been a full-time NHL player for the last two seasons but has quickly worked his way from being a role player to a secondary core piece at both ends of the ice.  The lower-cost bridge deal bought Darche some extra short-term flexibility but it sets up Holmstrom well two years from now when he’ll have a $3.75MM qualifying offer and arbitration rights.  Assuming he’s able to at least stay at this level, a jump to something starting with a five might be the next step.  Cizikas getting six years four summers ago was a bit of a shocker although it has held up relatively well so far.  He’s still a contributing fourth liner who can move up in a pinch and help a bit on the penalty kill.  In a market where some fourth liners are starting to get higher salaries, this isn’t as much of an overpayment as it might have first seemed.

Tsyplakov was believed to also be nearing a new deal before the GM change but this one wasn’t upheld with the sides working out this agreement a little before an arbitration hearing.  He had a solid first season in North America after coming over from the KHL and even if he stays in a third-line role, this deal should hold up well.  With a couple more years under his belt come 2027, his market could be an interesting one.  Heineman came over as part of the Noah Dobson trade after a decent rookie season that saw him score double-digit goals while primarily playing on the fourth line.  Assuming he even stays at that pace, he could land closer to $1.75MM in two years while some offensive improvement could allow him to easily clear $2MM.  MacLean was a regular fourth liner although he wasn’t used a lot, nor did he produce much.  If he stays in this role, he’s likely to stay close to the minimum moving forward.

When Varlamov received a four-year deal two years ago at 35, it was supposed to be the last two seasons that would be the concerning ones.  However, he was limited to just 10 appearances last season and is only set to start skating soon, necessitating the Rittich signing as insurance.  At his best, Varlamov can be an above-average backup but with the injuries, that’s a big question mark moving forward.

Signed Through 2027-28

F Anthony Duclair ($3.5MM, UFA)

Duclair was last summer’s impact acquisition but he wasn’t very impactful offensively, notching just 11 points in 44 games while dealing with some injuries along with a leave of absence following some public criticism from head coach Patrick Roy.  With limited cap space, they’ll need him to pull his weight moving forward or his deal might be one they’re looking to get out of in a hurry.

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Atlantic Notes: Lindholm, Jarnkrok, Sandin-Pellikka

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Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm was only able to play the first five weeks of the season before a fractured kneecap ended his 2024-25 campaign early.  He told Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe that he has now fully recovered from that injury and will be fully ready to participate in training camp next month.  The 31-year-old has been a steadying presence on the back end for Boston since they acquired him back in 2022 and is only a couple of years removed from a career-best 53-point season.  With the Bruins looking to get back into the playoff picture this coming season, having a top-pairing blueliner in Lindholm back in their lineup will certainly help those efforts.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Maple Leafs winger Calle Jarnkrok missed most of last season after undergoing groin and sports hernia surgeries in mid-November. While he returned down the stretch, he struggled to the point of being scratched at times.  The veteran told Gefle Dagblad’s Marcus Hagerborn that he knew when he had the procedures that he wouldn’t be fully healthy for a while upon returning.  However, he noted that he has gotten back to that point just recently which is a good sign heading into training camp next month.  Jarnkrok has one year left on his contract with a $2.1MM cap charge and a solid, healthy start to next season might make their current efforts to move him a little easier.
  • While Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman hasn’t ruled out prospect Axel Sandin-Pellikka from breaking camp with Detroit in a couple of months, MLive’s Ansar Khan suggests that outcome is unlikely. The 20-year-old was a first-round pick back in 2023 (17th overall) and had a strong season in Sweden last year, picking up 12 goals and 17 assists in 46 games with SHL Skelleftea.  He also was one of the top scorers at the World Juniors and got his feet wet with five games with AHL Grand Rapids (including playoffs) in the spring.  But Detroit tends to favor slow-playing the development of their top prospects, allowing them to work on some things with the Griffins before giving them a real NHL look.  Between that and not opening up any spots on the back end this summer, Sandin-Pellikka seems likely to continue that trend.

Stars Sign Nathan Bastian

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The Stars have added some depth on the wing as the team announced that they’ve signed Nathan Bastian to a one-year, one-way contract.  The agreement will pay the league minimum of $775K.  GM Jim Nill released the following statement:

Nathan will add forward depth and a physical presence to our lineup, both of which will be valuable to our organization. We’re looking forward to watching him take the next step of his career with the Stars and are excited to welcome him to Dallas.

The 27-year-old has parts of six NHL seasons under his belt, most of which came with New Jersey, which drafted him in the second round back in 2016.  Before now, his only time away from the Devils since that time came when Seattle selected him in the 2021 Expansion Draft but just two months later, the Kraken waived Bastian with New Jersey quickly reclaiming him.

Last season, Bastian played in 59 games for the Devils, picking up four goals and six assists along with 138 hits in just under 11 minutes per night of playing time.  That stat line lines up with most of his seasons as he has yet to reach 20 points in a single year while he has only hit the double-digit mark in goals once, that coming back in 2021-22.  However, he averages 223 hits per 82 games played, giving the Stars some extra physicality in their lineup.

Dallas has largely stayed quiet as expected in free agency this season with the bulk of their moves coming from either re-signing players or making trades.  As things stand, he’s likely to battle with Oskar Back and Colin Blackwell for playing time on the fourth line while starting out as the 13th forward is a realistic outcome as well.

At the moment, the Stars project to be very tight against the salary cap with a 23-player roster coming in just a few hundred thousand below the Upper Limit, per PuckPedia.  Accordingly, this could very well be it for their free agent moves with a big chunk of their roster from last season’s run to the Western Conference Final returning as from here on out, any addition will require money coming off their books as well.

Poll: Will Jack Roslovic Or Matt Grzelcyk Sign First?

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We’re closing in on a month before the start of informal rookie camps around the league. Of PHR’s Top 50 NHL Unrestricted Free Agents, 45 have already found new homes for the upcoming campaign – including 23 of the top 25 names.

The two missing from that group are three-position forward Jack Roslovic and left-shot defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. While Roslovic has had strong interest from multiple teams all summer long and appears to be playing the long game to drive up desperation as teams miss out on other forward options, Grzelcyk’s market hasn’t been as fervent.

In fact, there’s been essentially no firmly documented interest in Grzelcyk since July 1. That’s despite the 31-year-old entering the signing window with the most points among UFA defensemen last year, notching a career-best 1-39–40 scoring line with the Penguins.

There are some clear reasons for his smaller-than-expected market. He’s on the small side for a rearguard at 5’10” and 180 lbs, doesn’t play much of a physical game at all, and has something of an injury history. He played all 82 games last season for the first time, eclipsing the 70-game mark for the third time in nine years.

That being said, he has strong results in a complementary top-four role next to a more all-around dominant righty. The vast majority of his 527-game NHL career was spent with the Bruins alongside Charlie McAvoy, where he consistently put up 20 to 30 points per season and never had a negative rating.

Last year’s -6 mark on his one-year deal with the Pens isn’t much of a blemish, either. That came with more taxing minutes than he’s used to – averaging a career-high 20:37 per game – and he had better per-60 defensive results at even strength than Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang while also generating more offense than them on the power play.

Few teams would give Grzelcyk the top-unit PP deployment he had throughout the year in Pittsburgh, making another 40-point year unlikely. Still, there’s been an eerie silence around the market for someone who checks out as a highly serviceable No. 4/5 option on most teams who’s comfortable playing on any pairing.

Roslovic’s free agency has been covered more at length as a result of his more widespread interest. Last month, we published free agent profiles on both Grzelcyk and Roslovic.

He’s been connected most firmly to the Canucks and Maple Leafs over the past several weeks, but any team with at least $3MM to $4MM in cap space to accommodate him should be viewed as a legitimate contender for his services. Roslovic’s selling point is his versatility – he may not have the scoring consistency required of a bona fide top-six option. Still, few players could legitimately slot into any spot on any line and find a way to make things work like he can.

Like Grzelcyk, Roslovic is coming off something of a career year in his platform season, although his age advantage by three years strengthens his case for a multi-year deal. While he fell short of his career-high in points in 2024-25, he tied his mark in goals (22) in quite limited deployment with the Hurricanes, averaging under 14 minutes per game for the first time since 2018-19. He’s comfortably averaged 43 points per 82 games over the past three seasons and should be a solid bet to hit that mark again in 2025-26, especially if he sees a bump in minutes.

All that being said, who do you think will come off the UFA list first? Tell us what you think in the poll below and expand on your thoughts in the comments:

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