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Five Key Stories: 6/2/25 – 6/8/25

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With activity around the league set to pick up in the near future, teams have been busy finalizing their coaching staffs and trying to get some early contract work done.  Unsurprisingly, those two topics dominate the top stories from the past seven days.

Key Center Off The Market: Another prominent pending unrestricted free agent came off the board with the Avalanche signing center Brock Nelson to a three-year, $22.5MM contract.  Colorado acquired the 33-year-old near the trade deadline for a pricey package that included 2023 first rounder Calum Ritchie and a 2026 first-round pick.  Nelson was a little quieter offensively than expected with his new team, picking up 13 points in 19 regular season games while adding four assists in their first-round loss to Dallas.  Despite the struggles, GM Chris MacFarland took full advantage of the chance to solidify the second center position, one that has had a considerable amount of turnover in recent years.  In doing so, one of the top middlemen is now off the market.

Coaching Hires: The week started off with two teams still needing a head coach.  Both of those vacancies were filled with first-time hires.  The Penguins named Dan Muse as their new bench boss while soon after, Boston hired Marco Sturm as their head coach.  Muse has five years of assistant coaching experience at the NHL level but has not been a head coach in the pros; his only head coaching time has been in the USHL and international junior levels.  But with GM Kyle Dubas looking to make his roster younger, bringing in more of a development coach makes some sense.  As for the Bruins, Sturm returns to an organization he spent several years with as a player.  He spent the last seven seasons with the Kings, four as an assistant in Los Angeles and the last three running their AHL affiliate in Ontario.  He also has a handful of years of coaching internationally for his native Germany.  While Boston was a big seller at the trade deadline, it appears they plan to try to get back into the playoff mix in a hurry so Sturm will have some win-now expectations fairly quickly.

Staying In Tampa Bay: Yanni Gourde and the Lightning had mutual interest in getting a new contract done but with limited cap space, they had to find a compromise.  They did just that as the 33-year-old signed a six-year, $14MM deal, one that will lower his cap charge to $2.33MM after making nearly $5.2MM per season on his last contract.  Gourde had his lowest point total since 2019-20 this season when he had 31 points in 57 outings between Seattle and Tampa Bay but he projects to be a capable third-line center for at least a few more years.  His market value may have been closer to $3.5MM per season so this could effectively be a case of a four-year, $14MM pact that both sides agreed to pay out over six to keep the cap charge down.

Big Change In Dallas: While there was a moment where all 32 head coaching jobs were filled, it was short-lived.  Despite making it to the Western Conference Final for the third straight year, the Stars elected to fire head coach Peter DeBoer after three seasons with the team.  Dallas couldn’t muster up much against Edmonton in the Western Conference Final and his handling of goaltender Jake Oettinger was a topic of much debate.  DeBoer’s teams have reached the Conference Final in six of the last seven seasons so it wouldn’t be surprising if another team ponders making a move to hire him relatively quickly but in the meantime, he’ll be paid out the final year of his contract.  Now, GM Jim Nill will have to go through what’s left of the coaching market to evaluate whether he should hire an external candidate or promote from within; assistant Alain Nasreddine has a bit of NHL head coaching experience under his belt.

Four For Cates: Initially, it looked as if Flyers forward Noah Cates was intent on signing a short-term deal this summer that would take him to free agency fairly quickly.  But the two sides were able to do a bit better than that, agreeing to a four-year, $16MM deal that buys out his final RFA year and three UFA-eligible seasons.  Cates set a new career high in goals this season with 16 in 78 games while also adding 21 assists.  Notably, he spent most of the season playing at center which gave him some extra bargaining power heading into talks.  With Cates and Tyson Foerster re-signing recently, Philadelphia is down to one remaining prominent pending RFA in defenseman Cameron York.

Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images.

PHR Mailbag: Tkachuk, Blackhawks, Dobson, Red Wings, Jets, Kings

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Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include talks on what Chicago and Detroit could try to do this offseason plus a center option for the Jets that they haven’t explored yet.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in our last two mailbag columns.

Gmm8811: What would it take for the Blues to pry Tkachuk away from Ottawa? Kyrou and what else?

The short answer would be an awful lot.  I don’t see any reason why the Senators would move Brady Tkachuk.  But if they did, they would want someone with some grit.  The power forward nature of his game is a big part of his value and with all due respect to Jordan Kyrou who is a strong player, that particular element is not in his toolbox.

The other challenge with Kyrou as the foundation is that his money basically matches Tkachuk’s.  This might seem a little odd as matching money is normally a good thing.  In a case of a player for a player plus some future assets, that’s normally perfect.  But Ottawa isn’t taking an add-on of a first-round pick and a prospect.  No, they would want some other NHL-established talent.

Jake Neighbours would have to be in there at a minimum as the power forward piece.  I would think they’d want another core piece from that age group, maybe Philip Broberg.  Remember, for a ‘unicorn’ type of player, the price has to really hurt.  But those two make over $8MM now (and will make much more than that in 2026-27).  To keep matching money, the Sens would then need to include or offload at least some of that money, possibly further increasing the ask.  And round and round we go to the point where it’s simply not feasible.

There is probably only a handful of players in the league that Ottawa would trade Tkachuk for.  The Sens are on the rise; trading your captain who plays a pivotal role as you’re just emerging from the rebuild is a tactic that is very unlikely to happen.  And if it did happen, they’d want a similar-value core piece back, not a package.  I don’t think there’s a buildable fit here.

tucsontoro1: Put on your Kyle Davidson hat for a minute.

Who do I target in FA?

Ekblad, Marner, Bennett?

Davidson opted to spread the money around last summer on short-term contracts for veterans to help raise the floor of the group and lead them through what was likely to be a turbulent season.  They didn’t do the former but it was indeed another turbulent season.  But that aside, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.  The prospect pool is well-stocked, a good group of youngsters is coming, and Jeff Blashill is a decent coach which is an upgrade on what they had last year.  Things are looking up.

This makes it the time for Davidson to strike.  They have nearly $30MM of cap space per PuckPedia with their only pricey RFA of note looking like a near-lock to be non-tendered (Philipp Kurashev).  The young core group will get a lot more expensive over time but even so, they have the financial flexibility to go and try to buy a core piece on the open market.  It will probably require an overpayment given that they’re probably still a bit away from coming out of the rebuild but when the acquisition cost is zero, it’s justifiable.

Basically, the easiest way to answer the question is this.  Is the free agent a core player and projects to be one for years to come?  If the answer is yes, the Blackhawks will probably be calling.

Of the three you listed, Mitch Marner feels like the most likely to potentially sign.  Chicago is a big market which he’s accustomed to but the spotlight won’t be on him as much in that market compared to Toronto.  Connor Bedard is a solid running mate to potentially partner with or have Marner be the catalyst of a second line to help elevate some of the up-and-coming core group.  There’s a compelling case to make although a lot of teams will have compelling cases to make if he reaches the open market next month.

tucsontoro1: With the Hawks having the second-worst GA this season, don’t they target at least one solid d-man in free agency?

In theory, yes.  The point from the last question applies to defensemen too.  If there’s a long-term core player out there, I expect Davidson to try to sign him.

How many core defenders are out there though?  Aaron Ekblad would be a good fit – they could turn around and flip Connor Murphy and have youngsters Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel apprentice behind him for a little while and then as Ekblad gets a bit older, move him down the depth chart.  But can they make the best pitch when there will undoubtedly be more win-now options available?  (This is a question that applies basically to any core guy.)

Ivan Provorov and Vladislav Gavrikov are solid on the left side.  Team one of them up with Alex Vlasic and that side of the back end definitely looks better.

But if we’re talking about key defenders that would move the needle in a real way, that’s about it.  The leading point-getter among UFA blueliners is Matt Grzelcyk.  Ryan Lindgren is coming off a quieter year but can be a fourth defender.  Cody Ceci, Brent Burns, and Dante Fabbro are the next-best options on the right side – a player who was moved in a salary cap dump less than a year ago, a 40-year-old, and a player who was on waivers after no one wanted to trade for him earlier in the season.  These are good, useful players, but I doubt it’s the caliber you were thinking of with this question.

I’m sure Davidson will try to add a key blueliner on the open market but it’s a pretty small pool to try to draw from.

breakaway: If the Islanders draft Schaefer, do they look to trade Dobson and what could they get in return for him?

I’ve seen this idea out there and while I can track the logic, I don’t really agree with it.  Adding Matthew Schaefer to the roster does not make Noah Dobson redundant.  This is not a roster full of puck-moving defensemen by any stretch.  Beyond Adam Boqvist who is more of a depth piece, Dobson is the only other proven one in that category they have with any sort of meaningful NHL experience.  He and Schaefer can absolutely co-exist, especially since they play separate sides of the ice.

I wonder if adding Schaefer might make them move one of their lefties, however.  Adam Pelech’s $5.75MM price tag is a bit on the high side although with the way the free agent market could go, it might be viewed as an asset this time next month.  Alexander Romanov is a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights like Dobson.  Keeping them would push their back end spending past the $30MM range.  But if one of Pelech or Romanov were to be moved, the remaining one, Schaefer, and Isaiah George could comprise the top three on the left side on opening night, keeping the cap charge a little more reasonable along the way.

Coming up with a trade value for Dobson isn’t easy.  Don’t get me wrong, his trade value is quite high.  But I have no idea what direction the Islanders are going here under new GM Mathieu Darche.  To me, I think they need to rebuild.  And if they opted to move Dobson in that situation, I think two first-round picks, a top prospect, and some sort of salary offset (ideally a defenseman) is attainable.  But if they’re not rebuilding (and if I had to guess today, this would be my pick of the route they take), now you’re looking at more of a player-for-player type of swap.  Maybe a two-for-one with a top-four blueliner and a key forward coming the other way with both players being signed or under club control for the long haul.  Going for a short-term veteran or two wouldn’t make sense.

With each scenario, the potential suitors vary considerably with a very strong return coming in either approach.  But I don’t think drafting Schaefer would push Dobson out, not unless Dobson’s contract demands ultimately have Darche leaning toward trading him.

Thefiend313: With Steve Yzerman under pressure from Detroit Red Wings fans, do you think he can pull off a blockbuster move and sign Mitch Marner?

Thefiend313: What do you think the Red Wings will target once free agency starts: Mitch Marner, John Tavares, Vladislav Gavrikov, or someone else?

Thefiend313: What does Steve Yzerman need to accomplish for the Red Wings to contend for the playoffs?

Let’s start with Marner.  Do I think Yzerman will target him?  Of course.  I expect somewhere around two-thirds of the league to at least passively kick the tires.  Detroit would be a tier above that and they have the money to afford him outright (more than $21MM per PuckPedia) without needing to clear out or offset money somewhere else.  That’s a good thing as not every team has that.  But if I’m Marner, the marquee UFA in this class, the Red Wings don’t feel like the most compelling team to sign with.  If I want to win now, they’re not a team to consider.  If I want top dollar and don’t care about short-term success, I can probably get the same money or more out of Chicago or Utah (or even Anaheim), teams that would appear to have a clearer trajectory to long-term success.  Marner leaving his hometown team to sign with a non-playoff division rival would be quite something but that doesn’t feel like a particularly likely scenario.

I’ll use a similar answer to the second question as I did for Chicago as it’s the same philosophy.  You need to get better and you have a lot of money with an RFA group that isn’t going to cost much.  It’s an even cleaner one for Detroit though.  While a short-term veteran doesn’t necessarily make sense for the Blackhawks, it does for the Red Wings who are indeed trying to win now, they just haven’t had much success at that lately.  So the question is basically this.  Is the player a core piece?  If the answer is yes, Yzerman will probably be targeting him.  In a perfect world, a viable second center emerges, potentially allowing them to flip one of J.T. Compher or Andrew Copp whose terms remaining on their contracts aren’t as concerning now for other teams to acquire.  But I doubt Yzerman would be too picky position-wise.  If there’s an upgrade, take it; it’s as simple as that.

As for what he needs to accomplish to be a playoff threat (that’s as far as I’d go, not a contender), they need a top-four upgrade on the back end.  You could sell me on two top-four additions if they want to ease Axel Sandin-Pellikka into the mix.  But you just saw the last answer about Chicago; getting two in this market would be tough.  Another legitimate scoring threat would help as well.  Patrick Kane coming back would help but another one on top of that, basically to fill the role that Vladimir Tarasenko was signed to fill last season.  Defensive improvements should get their roster near the middle of the pack in goals allowed and one more top-six threat might get the offense near the middle of the pack.  That should be enough to get them in the mix.  Not a lot of teams can add or re-sign that much talent in one summer though so this won’t be easy for Yzerman to accomplish.

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Blue Jackets Notes: Provorov, Danforth, Keskinen

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The Blue Jackets met with the representative for pending UFA defenseman Ivan Provorov at the combine this week, relays Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription link).  Projected as one of the top blueliners to hit the open market next month, he’s in a position to realistically command a max-term contract which would be seven years with another team or eight if Columbus signs him by the end of June.

However, Portzline notes that thus far, GM Don Waddell has been prioritizing a shorter-term agreement with the 28-year-old.  Presumably, that offer would come with a higher AAV compared to a max-term offer but with over $40MM in cap room, per PuckPedia, they can safely afford to overpay if it got them a more desired term on the deal.  Provorov had 33 points in 81 games this season while logging over 23 minutes a night and at this point, it’s unclear if he’d be amenable to a shorter-term pact.

More from Portzline’s piece on the Blue Jackets:

  • Pending UFA forward Justin Danforth has switched agents. Previously represented by Puck Agency’s Jay Grossman, his new agent is Newport’s Pat Morris.  Danforth played in 61 games this season, notching nine goals and 12 assists while also playing center on a full-time basis for the first time in his career.  Coming off a one-year, $1.1MM deal, Danforth should be able to beat that on the open market next month if he doesn’t wind up re-signing with Columbus which Portzline notes is the veteran’s preferred outcome.
  • The contract that prospect Oiva Keskinen received from the Blue Jackets last month contains a European Assignment Clause for next season.  The 21-year-old is expected to get a chance to crack the NHL roster but he can trigger the return to Tappara in Finland if he doesn’t break camp with Columbus.  A seventh-round pick in 2023, Keskinen had 15 goals and 20 assists in 59 regular season Liiga games but was limited to just a single assist in nine playoff outings.

Lightning Sign Jack Finley To Three-Year Contract

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For the second time in a little over 48 hours, the Lightning have taken care of one of their pending restricted free agents.  The team announced that they’ve signed Jack Finley to a three-year contract worth the league minimum of $775K per season.  The structure is identical to the one that Maxwell Crozier signed on Friday in that it’s a two-way deal in year one before converting to a one-way pact for the final two seasons.

The 22-year-old was a second-round pick by the Lightning back in 2020, going 57th overall after being picked out of WHL Spokane.  His time in major junior was limited the rest of the way with the 2020-21 campaign largely being shelved while he managed 50 points in 60 games in his final season.

Over his first three professional seasons, Finley has spent the bulk of it in the minors with AHL Syracuse.  This season, Finley was limited to just 40 games with the Crunch due to injuries but still had a productive year, notching 14 goals and 14 assists.  He also made his NHL debut with Tampa Bay back in January, logging 8:25 in a mid-month game against Boston.

Notably, Finley will be waiver-eligible beginning next season so if he doesn’t make Tampa Bay’s roster out of training camp, he’ll have to pass through waivers unclaimed.  With a cheap three-year deal in hand now, that could make him likelier to be claimed if the Lightning want to send him down if there’s another team that feels he’s worth of an NHL look.

Sabres Mulling Options As Draft Approaches

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While Buffalo hosted the 2025 NHL Scouting Combine, the team remained focused on evaluating key prospects they believe could be available with the ninth overall pick, including defender Jackson Smith, per Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News.

Lenzi listed five prospects the Sabres will keep their eye on when the draft kicks off in a few weeks. Among them is Smith, a 6’3, 190-pound defender out of the WHL. The offensively gifted blueliner put up 11 goals and 54 points in 63 games for the Tri-City Americans, and excelled for Team Canada in the U18 World Championship, posting four goals and five points in seven games.

When asked what he could bring to the Sabres, Smith noted his size, skating, and two-way playing ability as his biggest strengths. “A big defenseman who skates really well, who has a lot of offensive upside, but can also play on the ’D’ side of the puck, can run a power play and can play PK (penalty kill) as well,” he said.

Lenzi, who notes that the Sabres will have their draft headquarters in Buffalo as this year’s draft will be decentralized, also lists defenders Kashawn Aitcheson and Radim Mrtka, as well as forwards Jack O’Brien and Anton Frondell, as options for the Sabres to consider. The biggest name on the list is arguably Frondell, who is listed as Elite Prospects’ fifth-ranked prospect ahead of the draft.

The 6’1″, 205-pound Swedish center put together a solid showing at the combine, finishing in the top five in several tests, including a first-place result in Aerobic Fitness: VO2max (ml/kg/min).

If Frondell does fall to the ninth pick, he said he would provide the Sabres with a high compete level. As he noted, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a game or practice. I always compete and I always think winning is really important.”

While Frondell and O’Brien did not disclose whether they met with the Sabres’ front office during the combine, Aitcheson, Mrtka, and Smith all confirmed they did. Smith noted that “four or five” front-office members were present, including general manager Kevyn Adams and senior advisor Jarmo Kekalainen.

 

 

Brad Marchand Discussed Future With Panthers

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Just days after veteran defenseman Aaron Ekblad spoke about his future with the Florida Panthers, veteran forward and pending unrestricted free agent Brad Marchand has also addressed his future with the team.

Per ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski, Marchand will consider re-signing with the Panthers, but the veteran of 1,100 career games is currently focused solely on the Stanley Cup Final.

“Yeah, I’ve thought about it. But we’ll deal with that in the future,” Marchand said.

In 10 regular season games with the Panthers after being acquired from Boston at the trade deadline, Marchand put up two goals and four points. However, Marchand was also shaking off some rust after sustaining an upper-body injury just a week before the trade. Marchand has hit his stride in the playoffs, recording 17 points in 19 games, highlighted by his overtime winner in Game 2.

While Marchand has appeared to be a perfect fit in head coach Paul Maurice’s system, the team has big decisions to make with their pending free agents. With a projected $19 million in cap space (per PuckPedia), the Panthers need to be strategic with where they allocate those funds, as Marchand, Ekblad, Sam Bennett, and Tomas Nosek all set for free agency. While those four carried a combined cap hit of just under $19 million last season, each is expected to command a similar or higher salary on their next contracts. Marchand’s expiring deal came with a $6.125MM AAV.

Despite his age (37), Marchand is expected to draw significant attention on the open market, especially after proving he can still deliver under the bright lights of the playoffs. Marchand, however, did acknowledge that Florida’s chances of retaining him are helped by the fact that it’s one of six U.S.-based teams that come with no income tax.

“There are teams where that absolutely matters. It doesn’t matter for every player, but when you’re dealing with guys that have a choice between multiple teams, it absolutely plays a part. If you have two teams that are offering the same contract, you’re going to pick the team with less tax,” he said.

Although Marchand and Bruins GM Don Sweeney engaged in negotiations and were publicly optimistic about reaching an extension, the two sides ultimately failed to come to terms. That said, following the trade, Marchand noted he wouldn’t close the door on a potential reunion with the Bruins.

2025 NHL Draft Combine Results

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The NHL held its annual Draft Combine over the past week, with players able to speak with their potential teams and participate in fitness testing. The physical part of the week was held on Saturday (with a select few tests occurring the day before), with 90 prospects trying their best to show off their strengths in the gym. Here are the top five prospects in each test, thanks to NHL Central Scouting:

* – denotes projected first-round pick according to Elite Prospects’ consolidated ranking

Aerobic Fitness: VO2max (ml/kg/min)

  1. *F Anton Frondell (Sweden2/Djurgårdens) – 64.7
  2. *F Cole Reschny (WHL/Victoria) – 64.7
  3. F Eric Nilson (Sweden-Jr/Djurgårdens) – 63.7
  4. F Vaclav Nestrasil (USHL/Muskegon) – 63.3
  5. F Matthew Gard (WHL/Red Deer) – 62.0

Agility & Balance: Pro Agility – Left time (sec)

  1. *F Milton Gästrin (Sweden-Jr/MoDo) – 4.12
  2. *F William Moore (USNTDP) – 4.19
  3. D Sean Barnhill (USHL/Dubuque) – 4.23
  4. F William Horcoff (NCAA/Michigan) – 4.23
  5. D Charlie Trethewey (USNTDP) – 4.24

Agility & Balance: Pro Agility – Right time (sec)

  1. F Carter Klippenstein (WHL/Brandon) – 4.20
  2. D Charlie Trethewey (USNTDP) – 4.21
  3. *F Cameron Schmidt (WHL/Vancouver) – 4.21
  4. D Sean Barnhill (USHL/Dubuque) – 4.23
  5. *F Milton Gästrin (Sweden-Jr/MoDo) – 4.24

Anaerobic Fitness: Fatigue Index

  1. F Eric Nilson (Sweden-Jr/Djurgårdens) – 34.1
  2. *D Cameron Reid (OHL/Kitchener) – 34.5
  3. F Matous Kucharcik (Czechia-Jr/Prague) – 37.4
  4. F Hayden Paupanekis (WHL/Kelowna) – 37.4
  5. D Sam Laurila (USHL/Fargo) – 38.9

Anaerobic Fitness: – Mean Power Output (watts/kg)

  1. D Sam Laurila (USHL/Fargo) – 12.2
  2. F Carter Klippenstein (WHL/Brandon) – 12.1
  3. F Tommy Lafrenière (WHL/Kamloops) – 12.1
  4. F Vojtěch Čihař (Czechia/Karlovy Vary) – 12.0
  5. D Carlos Händel (QMJHL/Halifax) – 12.0

Anaerobic Fitness: – Peak Power Output (watts/kg)

  1. D Charlie Trethewey (USNTDP) – 17.0
  2. F Arvid Drott (Sweden-Jr/Djurgårdens) – 16.8
  3. *F Anton Frondell (Sweden2/Djurgårdens) – 16.8
  4. *D Matthew Schaefer (OHL/Erie) – 16.6
  5. D Asher Barnett (USNTDP) – 16.4

Anthropometry: Wing Span (inches)

  1. D Haoxi Wang (OHL/Oshawa) – 82.25
  2. D Carter Amico (USNTDP) – 82.00
  3. D Mace’o Phillips (USNTDP) – 82.00
  4. D Jacob Rombach (USHL/Lincoln) – 81.00
  5. *F Jack Nesbitt (OHL/Windsor) – 80.00

Force Plate: No Arm Jump (inches)

  1. F William Horcoff (NCAA/Michigan) – 22.84
  2. F William Belle (USNTDP) – 21.92
  3. D Haoxi Wang (OHL/Oshawa) – 21.25
  4. D Mace’o Phillips (USNTDP) – 21.25
  5. F Kieren Dervin (OHL/Kingston) – 21.03

Force Plate: Vertical Jump (inches)

  1. F Ryker Lee (USHL/Madison) – 25.67
  2. F Kieren Dervin (OHL/Kingston) – 25.10
  3. *F Malcolm Spence (OHL/Erie) – 24.51
  4. F William Belle (USNTDP) – 24.45
  5. *F Bill Zonnon (QMJHL/Rouyn-Noranda) – 24.36

Musculoskeletal: Bench Press 50% of Body Weight – Power (watts/kg)

  1. *F Cameron Schmidt (WHL/Vancouver) – 7.82
  2. F Adam Benák (USHL/Youngstown) – 7.75
  3. D Mace’o Phillips (USNTDP) – 7.64
  4. F Cole McKinney (USNTDP) – 7.62
  5. F Shane Vansaghi (NCAA/Michigan St) – 7.59

Musculoskeletal: Horizontal Jump (inches)

  1. F William Horcoff (NCAA/Michigan) – 124.8
  2. F William Belle (USNTDP) – 118.3
  3. D Sean Barnhill (USHL/Dubuque) – 118.0
  4. *F Lynden Lakovic (WHL/Moose Jaw) – 117.0
  5. *F William Moore (USNTDP) – 116.0

Musculoskeletal: Left Hand Grip (lb)

  1. F Shane Vansaghi (NCAA/Michigan St) – 180
  2. D Haoxi Wang (OHL/Oshawa) – 170
  3. F Hayden Paupanekis (WHL/Kelowna) – 167
  4. D Mace’o Phillips (USNTDP) – 161
  5. F William Belle (USNTDP) – 158

Musculoskeletal: Pull-Ups Consecutive (max #)

  1. *F Bill Zonnon (QMJHL/Rouyn-Noranda) – 16
  2. F Shane Vansaghi (NCAA/Michigan St) – 15
  3. *F Braeden Cootes (WHL/Seattle) – 15
  4. F Eric Nilson (Sweden-Jr/Djurgårdens) – 15
  5. *D Sascha Boumedienne (NCAA/Boston U) – 14

Musculoskeletal: Right Hand Grip (lb)

  1. F Shane Vansaghi (NCAA/Michigan St) – 180
  2. F Hayden Paupanekis (WHL/Kelowna) – 165
  3. D Peyton Kettles (WHL/Swift Current) – 165
  4. *F Jack Nesbitt (OHL/Windsor) – 165
  5. *D Blake Fiddler (WHL/Edmonton) – 162

Karson Kuhlman Signs With Sweden’s Rögle BK

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Former NHL winger Karson Kuhlman has signed a one-year contract with Rögle BK of the Swedish Hockey League, the club announced. There won’t be a return to North America in 2025-26 for the Minnesota native, who spent last year in Finland with Lukko.

Kuhlman, whose season in Finland this year was the first overseas one of his career, did well to rejuvenate his production. His most recent season stateside was an exceptionally difficult one. Kuhlman inked a two-way deal with the Islanders for 2023-24 but was buried in the minors for the entire season after clearing waivers, putting together a lowly 12-10–22 scoring line with a -29 rating in 72 games for AHL Bridgeport. That’s garish production for someone with nearly 150 games of NHL experience, even for a depth piece.

The former NCAA championship tournament MVP found much more offensive success in Finland. He served as an alternate captain for Lukko and led the club in scoring with a 21-25–46 line in 60 games, helping them finish atop the Liiga regular-season standings for the first time in four years. He was Liiga’s player of the month in December while posting the highest points per game rate of his professional career in any league.

Instead of searching for an NHL two-way deal this summer and battling it out for a roster spot in training camp, he’ll opt for more security in what will presumably be a top-six role with Rögle. The team has been a middle-of-the-pack one in the SHL for the past few years, but has been active this offseason, landing ex-NHLers Mark Friedman and Fredrik Olofsson in recent weeks. They’re still rather light on offensive firepower, though, and Kuhlman has a chance to play the same starring role for them as he did for Lukko.

Kuhlman, undrafted, last saw NHL action in the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Jets. He has a 12-18–30 career scoring line in 147 games with Boston, Seattle, and Winnipeg.

Egor Sokolov Linked To CSKA Moscow

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Winger Egor Sokolov is set to be a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer. After spending this season under contract with the Mammoth, it doesn’t appear he’ll return to the organization for 2025-26. Sokolov is expected to sign a contract with CKSA Moscow of Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, according to Sport24.ru.

Utah acquired Sokolov’s signing rights in exchange for those of forward Jan Jeník in a trade with the Senators shortly after free agency opened last summer. A restricted free agent at the time, Sokolov put pen to paper on a one-year, two-way deal with the Mammoth days later that paid him a $190K minors salary.

Sokolov had hoped to get another NHL try in Salt Lake City after appearing in 13 games for Ottawa across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns. However, the 6’3″, 222-lb Russian cleared waivers and spent the entire season in the minors for the second straight year.

The 2020 second-round pick by the Sens played in all 72 games for Utah’s AHL affiliate in Tucson, finishing third on the team with a 22-22–44 scoring line but posting a club-worst -20 rating. It marked Sokolov’s second straight year with declining minor-league production after he notched a career-high 38 assists and 59 points in 70 games with the Belleville Senators in 2022-23.

While Sokolov had legitimate top-nine upside a couple of years ago, that’s likely gone with his AHL development stalling out. Instead of continuing in his current role as a top-nine minor-league piece, he’ll return home to play in Russia for the first time since 2016-17. He played junior hockey with QMJHL Cape Breton for three years before turning pro with the Senators in 2020.

Offseason Checklist: Los Angeles Kings

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The offseason has arrived for all but two teams now with the playoffs nearing an end.  Accordingly, it’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming weeks with free agency fast approaching.  Next up is a look at Los Angeles.

Nothing much has changed in Hollywood in recent years. In 2023-24, a streaky regular season dotted by a coaching change ultimately led to a familiar fate – a first-round elimination at the hands of the Oilers. With a full season under head coach Jim Hiller and strong play from offseason and in-season pickups to bolster the forward group, most thought this would finally be the year L.A. escaped a first-round date with Edmonton after three failed tries. Instead, after their best regular-season record in 50 years, they blew a 2-0 series lead and headed for the exits early again. That triggered a big change with new GM Ken Holland succeeding Rob Blake, and he’s got some things to address in his first summer on the job.

Look Ahead To Kempe, Kopitar Expiries

Two years ago, franchise center Anže Kopitar put any retirement speculation to rest early when he signed a two-year, $14MM extension five days after becoming eligible to do so. After an age-37 season in which he saw the lowest average ice time of his career but was still a top-10 defensive forward in the league, he becomes extension-eligible again on July 1. Given his slow decline so far, it’s likely he has more than one season left in him.

While it may make sense for the Kings to wait to see how Kopitar starts next season to gauge where he’s at in his aging curve, it would also be smart to get what will likely be a short-term, team-friendly extension for Kopitar out of the way now. That’s primarily because winger Adrian Kempe’s contract expires following next season and, on the heels of a second straight 70-point season, will shatter his current $5.5MM cap hit on a new deal with Los Angeles.

Of course, the Kings could flip-flop their priorities and enter talks on a long-term deal with Kempe now while kicking Kopitar’s contract down the road until they have cost certainty on the former. Jumping the gun on an older player with less earning potential signing a short-term deal is a smarter financial move than over-committing to Kempe too early, though, especially with the rising cap, meaning extension projections for Kempe fall in the $9MM range (per AFP Analytics).

L.A. has enough cost-effective deals with term, particularly at forward, that they don’t have to stress too much about losing one of the two next summer outside of a surprise retirement decision from Kopitar. Still, knowing both top-liners have contractual business to attend to in the next 12 months will certainly impact how Holland doles out his cap space this summer.

Be Aggressive With Gavrikov

The Kings made an unlikely win-win trade with the Capitals involving Pierre-Luc Dubois and Darcy Kuemper last offseason, opening up around $3MM in cap space for them in the process. That increased flexibility will be pertinent for them this offseason as they try to land more of a game-breaking forward to help put them into the league’s upper echelon of offensive clubs. They have nearly $22MM in projected cap space this summer to do so, but while they can let all of their pending UFAs at forward walk with mostly no ill effect in pursuit of a higher-caliber addition, the same can’t be said on the blue line.

Vladislav Gavrikov was a rock on L.A.’s defense this season, particularly with Drew Doughty missing over half the campaign. Unlike the Kings’ top UFA forward, trade deadline Andrei Kuzmenko, there’s no backup plan involving a similar-caliber UFA pickup if the Kings can’t come to terms with Gavrikov on an extension. From now until July 1, working on numbers with him will presumably be priority No. 1 for Holland.

They simply don’t have another player with his skillset and ceiling in their system, and he provided legitimate top-pairing value this year with 30 points, a +26 rating, and 140 blocks while playing all 82 games and averaging over 23 minutes per night. But with most of the top UFA defensemen signing extensions and taking themselves off the market early, he’s the top left-shot option available. That could drive up his extension price, although the Kings have the benefit of being able to offer him an eighth year on his contract to award him the same (or higher) total compensation while keeping his cap hit down.

AFP Analytics’ open market projection for Gavrikov is a seven-year deal at $7.6MM per season for a total value of $53.25MM. The Kings could offer Gavrikov $55MM total on an eight-year deal while keeping his cap hit at a much lower $6.875MM per season, though. That’s a significant difference as they try to keep their options open for going big-game hunting at forward.

Decide Clarke’s Future

Gavrikov isn’t the only name potentially in flux on L.A.’s blue line. Righty Brandt Clarke, the 2021 eighth-overall pick, is slated to be a pending RFA coming off his first full-time NHL season, but still found himself as trade fodder at the deadline.

That’s despite the 21-year-old serving as the offensive cornerstone of the Kings’ defense in Doughty’s absence. He put together a 5-28–33 scoring line in 78 games and managed a +13 rating to boot, but never seemed to earn the organization (or Hiller’s) full trust. He averaged decidedly bottom-pairing minutes at just 16:17 per game.

With the Kings’ questionable usage of their top U-22 player, the feeling might be mutual if Clarke doesn’t feel Los Angeles is the right environment for him to maximize the rest of his development years. He would have immense trade value this summer, not just for his potential impact in a top-four role for a club next season, but because he’d be doing so on a six-figure cap hit in the final year of his ELC.

His trade value would be enhanced further by a weak UFA market, even more so among right-shot defenders than lefties. He would presumably be the No. 2 target at the position if he were on the open market this summer behind Aaron Ekblad, taking both his 2024-25 performance and his still-untapped ceiling into consideration.

If Holland strikes out on the upper echelon of UFA forward talents like Nikolaj Ehlers and Mitch Marner, expect him to leverage Clarke again as he pursues a higher-ceiling winger, potentially Buffalo’s JJ Peterka. In any event, it’s highly unlikely the Kings commit resources to a Clarke extension this summer, particularly with some aforementioned bigger fish to fry.

Sign Laferriere Quickly

Moving away from UFA talk, the Kings do have one notable RFA to deal with this summer. That would be winger Alex Laferriere, whose negotiations could become a headache if the Kings get a Gavrikov extension done and blow the rest of their cap space on a big forward pickup.

The 23-year-old is a highly intriguing top-six winger with a physical edge, finishing third on the team with 124 hits this season. He also logged a +22 rating, put together a 19-23–42 scoring line in 77 games, and averaged 16:32 per game – a legitimate needle-moving depth piece the Kings would likely prefer to retain given his age.

Getting cost certainty on Laferriere, even if it’s a bridge deal to keep his cap hit down, is important for Holland to know if he needs to make any cap-clearing moves to maintain flexibility for Gavrikov and their clearly desired forward pickup. Locking him in could make an older player with a similar price point and offensive ceiling, such as winger Trevor Moore, an expendable asset if L.A. needs to open up some roster space or spending money.

Image courtesy of Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images.

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