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Transactions Notes: Flyers, Pokka, Robins

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Earlier today, rather than reporting the transactions they might make, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reported on the transactions that the Philadelphia Flyers won’t be making at the close of the offseason. According to Kurz, the Flyers have no intentions of bringing in anyone on a professional tryout agreement for the team’s training camp.

The news isn’t surprising, considering the Flyers have a fairly saturated forward core, and many of the top remaining free agents play up front. However, it is interesting that Philadelphia isn’t interested in different possibilities regarding their defensive core, especially on the right side.

If the Flyers aim for balanced handedness on defense, they have set themselves up to give bottom-pairing minutes to defenseman Noah Juulsen, who signed a one-year, $900K contract with Philadelphia at the start of free agency. Given that he’s coming off a season-ending injury and didn’t play particularly well prior, Juulsen isn’t expected to raise the Flyers’ competitiveness level significantly. There aren’t many remaining names that may be enticed by a PTO offer, as mentioned before, but veterans Jon Merrill and Erik Johnson could potentially fit the bill, and would each represent an upgrade over Juulsen.

Other transaction notes:

  • A former second-round pick of the 2012 NHL Draft is on the move in the DEL. According to a team announcement, defenseman Ville Pokka has signed with EHC München for the 2025-26 season. It’s been eight years since Pokka has played professionally in North America, but did spent several years in the AHL with the Rockford IceHogs and Belleville Senators. Throughout those four years, Pokka was productive on the offensive side of the puck, scoring 31 goals and 138 points in 289 games.
  • Another former second-round pick is on the move internationally. After scoring eight goals and 24 points in 56 games split between the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda and Senators last season, the Czech Extraliga’s Rytíři Kladno announced they’ve signed forward Tristen Robins. Unlike Pokka, Robins debuted in the NHL, participating in three games for the San Jose Sharks during the 2022-23 season, yet failing to register his first point.

Carter Hart, Others Found Not Guilty In Hockey Canada Sexual Assault Trial

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Sept. 11th: According to an update from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the NHL and NHLPA have agreed that the five players will be suspended until December 1, 2025. However, they will be permitted to sign with any team on October 15th. Friedman clarified that the Commissioner Gary Bettman did not have a formal hearing with any of the players, as all five reportedly waived their right to appeal the Commissioner’s decision.

Jul. 25th: As expected, the five players will not be immediately accepted back into the NHL despite yesterday’s verdict. According to a public announcement, the league released a statement, saying, “The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing and the behavior at issue was unacceptable. We will be reviewing and considering the judge’s findings. While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the League.”

Jul. 24th: Carter Hart, the first of five players charged in connection with an alleged sexual assault involving the 2018 Canadian men’s national junior team to hear his verdict, has been found not guilty by Justice Maria Carroccia in London, Ontario, according to reporting from The Athletic. Dillon Dube, Callan Foote and Alex Formenton have also been found not guilty of sexual assault. The fifth player charged, Michael McLeod, has received the same verdict. He was the only player charged with two counts – one of sexual assault and one of being a party to the offense.

The allegations against Dube, Foote, Formenton, Hart, and McLeod first became public in May of 2022, when reports emerged that Hockey Canada had paid to settle a lawsuit with a woman, known in court documents as E.M., who said she was sexually assaulted by eight players “over several hours” in a London hotel room on July 18, 2018. No charges were levied as a result of the initial investigation by local police, which was closed in February 2019, but the case was reopened after the 2022 report.

Formal charges were then brought against the five defendants on Jan. 30, 2024. The trial began on April 22, 2025, and the verdicts were reached solely by Justice Carroccia after two mistrials influenced her to dismiss the jury.

The NHL does not have a formal policy for players accused of or charged with domestic violence, sexual assault, or similar crimes. Instead, the four players who were under NHL contracts at the time – Dube, Foote, Hart, and McLeod – were granted indefinite leaves of absence by their clubs shortly before the charges were announced. All of them were pending restricted free agents on expiring contracts and were not extended qualifying offers, making them unrestricted free agents as of July 1, 2024.

Today’s not guilty verdict indicates the Canadian prosecutorial team “failed to meet its onus on any of the counts before me,” Justice Carroccia said today. She did not find reasonable doubt that any of the players’ contact with E.M. was non-consensual, which was the main point of contention in the trial that could have led to a guilty verdict.

When asked about the playing eligibility of the defendants, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has continually deferred action until after a verdict was reached. While none of the players are formally suspended by the league, similar situations have routinely required some sort of permission from league offices for them to play in or return to the NHL. If teams approach any of them with a contract offer, they will presumably wait for that guidance before registering the deal.

Additional Fallout Of Kirill Kaprizov’s Rejection Of Wild’s Offer

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Much has been made of the potential record-setting extensions that would be handed out this offseason, particularly for Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild and Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers. For the former, speculation about his future reached an all-time high yesterday morning when it was reported that Kaprizov rejected an eight-year, $128MM extension from the Wild.

Not only would that offer have made Kaprizov the highest-paid player per season with a $16MM AAV, but it would have been the largest total dollar amount given to an NHL player, topping Alex Ovechkin’s previous 13-year, $124MM extension with the Washington Capitals. Speaking about the contract rejection for the first time on his podcast, 32 Thoughts, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Wild were genuinely surprised about Kaprizov’s decision, and have now had to assess different options.

Friedman went on to say that the Wild could increase their offer for Kaprizov or negotiate a sign-and-trade with a team that Kaprizov would agree to sign with. Regardless, given his value to the organization and perceived value around the league, Minnesota would suffer a major loss should it let Kaprizov sign elsewhere next summer without recouping any assets in return.

In that same vein, there have been some reports indicating that the Wild have approached Kaprizov for a hypothetical trade list, while other reports have claimed the opposite. The Russian All-Star has a complete no-movement clause, so he has full control over how his situation is handled moving forward.

Since yesterday’s news, General Manager Bill Guerin and the Wild have preached confidence that a deal will eventually get signed, while Kaprizov’s camp has yet to respond. Although injuries have been an issue for Kaprizov of late, his value to Minnesota can’t be overstated. Since coming into the league as a 23-year-old rookie during the 2020-21 season, Kaprizov has scored 185 goals and 386 points in 319 games wearing a Wild jersey, reaching or exceeding the 40-goal plateau on three occasions.

It’s an unenviable situation for the Wild. It’s early enough before the regular season that a solution could theoretically be worked out, but Kaprizov’s maximum trade value will fall the closer the team gets to the trade deadline without a new contract in place. It’s conceivable that Minnesota could reach a sign-and-trade in early March, but that is exceedingly rare, especially in the NHL.

Rookie Notes: Parekh, Connelly, Henry, Spellacy

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As expected, given the reporting from a few days ago, Wes Gilberton of Postmedia confirmed that Calgary Flames’ top prospect, Zayne Parekh, will not participate in the team’s rookie camp for precautionary reasons. Parekh has reportedly been dealing with a nagging lower-body injury that has lasted for much of the summer.

The expectation is that Parekh will be ready for the start of the Flames’ training camp in a few days, suggesting he is in the latter half of his recovery. Still, it would significantly impact Calgary’s defensive core if Parekh’s injury continues to limit him during training camp, as he aims to make the Flames’ opening night roster.

Drafted with the 9th overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, Parekh has not only solidified his positioning as the Flames’ top prospect, but is considered one of, if not the best, defensive prospects not currently a full-time NHLer. Before making his debut with the Flames at the end of last season, Parekh put together a pair of rather ridiculous seasons with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, scoring 66 goals and 203 points in 127 games with a +81 rating, with another four goals and 20 points in 18 postseason contests.

Additional rookie notes:

  • In an unfortunate update for the Vegas Golden Knights, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that prospect Trevor Connelly is not with the team for the opening of rookie camp. Webster reminds that Connelly suffered a leg injury earlier this summer at the World Juniors showcase, likely leading to his absence from the team’s rookie camp. There haven’t been any updates regarding Connelly’s availability for the team’s training camp, though he was likely destined to start with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights, regardless.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have already lost one defenseman from the team’s rookie camp. According to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, defenseman Ty Henry went down with a supposed knee injury during today’s practice, leading to his departure from the ice. Chicago selected Henry with the 163rd overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, and he spent last year with the OHL’s Erie Otters, scoring one goal and 17 points in 63 games with a -5 rating.
  • As it turns out, the Blackhawks almost lost another player from rookie camp. Pope originally reported that forward prospect A.J. Spellacy also left the team’s practice after being accidentally cut by Aidan Thompson’s skate. Fortunately, it appears that the cut only required minor repairs, as Tracey Myers of NHL.com updated that Spellacy had returned to practice.

Jets’ Adam Lowry Continues To Recover From Hip Surgery

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Sept. 11th: Pushing back somewhat on last month’s report, Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press spoke with Lowry today and indicated that although his recovery is going very well, he’s still targeting a return in late October or early November. Still, given that a sixth-month recovery would have projected Lowry for a late November return, today’s update indicates he’s on the early end of the recovery timeline.

Aug. 26th: In somewhat of a surprising revelation, given the original recovery timeline, the Jets shared an update of Lowry taking part in an informal skate this morning, donning his full equipment. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Lowry will be ready to start the season on time, but it does indicate he could be available far earlier than expected. An earlier return should prove a boon for Winnipeg, as they’re set to open the 2025-26 season with Namestnikov and the question mark, Jonathan Toews, as their top two center options behind Scheifele.

May 28th: Jets captain Adam Lowry won’t be available at the start of the 2025-26 season after undergoing successful hip surgery on Tuesday, per a club announcement. The procedure carries a five-to-six-month rehabilitation timeline, meaning he’ll likely make his season debut sometime in November.

While it could be a tough start to Winnipeg’s season without their top matchup and penalty-killing center, a roughly month-long absence shouldn’t impact the Jets’ offseason planning too much outside of adding a depth piece down the middle to give them additional insurance through the first few weeks of the campaign. A potential late October return doesn’t guarantee Lowry will miss enough time to qualify for a long-term injured reserve placement at the beginning of the season. Winnipeg general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff must presume Lowry counts against the salary cap to start the year.

The Jets’ center core of Lowry, Mark Scheifele, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Morgan Barron are all signed or under team control for next season, so there likely weren’t going to be many moving parts down the middle for Winnipeg this summer anyway outside of finding a potential upgrade on Namestnikov for the second line. However, Lowry’s absence for the first few weeks will likely allow the Jets to evaluate the readiness of their potential internal long-term replacements for Namestnikov in a top-six role. There’s 2023 first-rounder Brayden Yager, who’s primed to land an opening-night roster spot after scoring 25 goals and 82 points in 54 games with WHL Moose Jaw and Lethbridge this year. 2022 first-round Brad Lambert has gotten a couple of NHL reps over the last two years and might be a candidate as well, although he’s coming off a highly disappointing season with AHL Manitoba (7-28–35, -30 rating in 61 GP).

For Lowry, the hip rehab will mark an inauspicious start to the final season of the five-year, $16.25MM extension he signed in 2021. With Kyle Connor and Cole Perfetti also eligible to sign extensions on July 1, it’s unclear how quickly Cheveldayoff intends to start those talks with his captain. However, it should be expected that they’ll do everything in their power to keep the 11-year veteran in the only NHL city he’s ever known.

If they do opt to engage in extension discussions this summer, AFP Analytics projects the 32-year-old to receive a two-year deal in the $4MM range per season. He’s coming off his third straight 30-point campaign and has averaged at least 15 minutes per game for five straight seasons.

Lowry’s injury also puts a small dent in his climb up the Jets franchise’s all-time leaderboard. His 775 games played are fourth in Winnipeg/Atlanta franchise history, and he needs 69 games to leapfrog Bryan Little for third – that’s still doable next year if he returns at the early end of his timeline and stays healthy the rest of the way. His 121 goals are 10th all-time for the Jets, his 152 assists and 273 points rank ninth, while his +50 rating ranks fourth.

Rookie Camp Notes: Tinordi, Luchanko, Molendyk

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Although he’s a year removed from playing with the team, there’s some speculation that defenseman Jarred Tinordi could return to the Chicago Blackhawks this fall on a professional tryout agreement. According to Charlie Roumeliotis of WGN Radio, Tinordi was on the ice before the first day of Chicago’s rookie camp in full team equipment.

Tinordi played for the Blackhawks from 2022 to 2024, primarily as a spot defenseman during the team’s ongoing rebuild, which involved phasing in young talent. Throughout two years with Chicago, Tinordi scored two goals and 17 points in 96 games with a -44 rating, averaging 16:01 of ice time per night. He provided some value with his ability to block shots and his physicality, but his spot on the roster became void as the Blackhawks continued to graduate their prospects.

Failing to find another opportunity at the NHL level, the former first-round pick spent the season with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, affiliated with the Calgary Flames. In his first AHL action in two years, Tinordi recorded one goal and five points in 30 games with a +5 rating.

Other notes from rookie camp:

  • A few days ago, it was reported that Jett Luchanko, who’s been recovering from a groin injury throughout the summer, may miss a few days of the Philadelphia Flyers’ rookie camp as he continues to rehab. Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports reported earlier that Luchanko was not on the ice for the first day of Flyers’ rookie camp, but that isn’t expected to last much longer. Sharing an update from General Manager Daniel Brière, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reported that Luchanko’s absence today was purely precautionary, and even if he can’t participate in rookie camp, he’ll be a full attendee at training camp.
  • In an unfortunate incident at the Nashville Predators’ rookie camp, prospect defenseman Tanner Molendyk left the ice and didn’t return partway through practice. Alex Daugherty of The Tennessean reported that Molendyk ran into the open stanchion after delivering a hit and left after spending some time on the bench. Daugherty cautioned that Molendyk’s departure from practice is likely precautionary, but it’s a situation worth monitoring since Molendyk is one of Nashville’s top prospects.

East Notes: Zacha, Ristolainen, Paupanekis

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A trade market for Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha continues to materialize throughout the summer months. According to a new report from James Murphy of RG Media, an NHL source claims that the Montreal Canadiens and Calgary Flames are two teams that have inquired about the forward’s availability.

Murphy cited a quote from the source, saying, “The Canadiens definitely have interest in Zacha and have inquired about him, but they’re not the only team. Several teams — I’m told the Flames are one — continue to express interest in him.” While nothing is urgent, especially between the two Original Six rivals, Murphy states that various scenarios are now being discussed.

He did not specify which players the Canadiens might be willing to trade for Zacha. However, Murphy mentioned that Joshua Roy, Oliver Kapanen, and Jayden Struble have been mentioned as potential trade candidates in Montreal’s search for a second-line center. Still, it’s notable that outside of swapping draft picks, the Canadiens and Bruins haven’t connected on a player trade since 2001.

At any rate, Zacha would certainly fit the mold of a second-line center that Montreal and other teams are coveting this offseason. Over the past three years in Boston, Zacha has scored 56 goals and 163 points in 242 games with a +30 rating, averaging 17:44 of ice time per night. Meanwhile, he’s been a net positive on the defensive side of the puck, averaging a 52.9% success rate in the faceoff dot and 90.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

  • Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen continues to recover from tricep surgery that has sidelined him since March 26th of last season. In a positive update to his recovery timeline, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported that Ristolainen has resumed skating, albeit in a non-contact jersey. Ristolainen was initially given a six-month recovery timeline, suggesting he might be ready for the start of the 2025-26 season. He aims to build on a successful season before surgery, having scored four goals and 19 points in 63 games with the Flyers.
  • One of the Canadiens’ recent draft picks won’t participate in the team’s upcoming rookie camp. In a team announcement, Montreal shared that forward Hayden Paupanekis, drafted 69th overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, will miss rookie camp due to a diagnosis of mononucleosis. He’s coming off a relatively productive season split between the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs and Kelowna Rockets, scoring 22 goals and 43 points in 71 games with a -30 rating.

KHL’s Barys Astana Terminate Olivier Rodrigue’s Contract

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In a relatively vague announcement, the KHL’s Barys Astana announced that they’ve mutually agreed with netminder Olivier Rodrigue to terminate his contract. The club announced that Rodrigue sustained an unspecified injury during training, and a subsequent medical evaluation revealed that he required additional treatment.

There could be several reasons why Rodrigue and Barys Astana decided to terminate his contract altogether. Hesitating to speculate too much, it could be a season-ending injury, or an injury that Rodrigue prefers to have treated in Canada or the United States, negating any reason for him to remain in Kazakhstan.

Additionally, there’s credibility to an argument that Rodrigue has been dealing with an injury for some time, given how his performance collapsed last year with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors. In the 2022-23 season, Rodrigue managed a 14-14-1 record in 29 games with a .912 SV% and 2.77 GAA. Earning more playing time the following season, Rodrigue put up a 19-12-5 record in 37 games with a .916 SV% and 2.73 GAA.

Given the uncertainty in net for the Edmonton Oilers for the past several years, Rodrigue appeared to be a safety net the Oilers could give an opportunity to should their goaltending completely collapse. Unfortunately, all hope for a future in Edmonton fell apart for Rodrigue this past season.

Playing primarily for the Condors, Rodrigue recorded an 18-16-8 record in 41 games with a .897 SV% and 3.12 GAA. In his two appearances with the Oilers, Rodrigue earned one loss with an .862 SV%, giving up three goals on 18 shots in an April 7th start against the Anaheim Ducks.

Edmonton decided not to issue Rodrigue a qualifying offer this summer, leaving to last month’s contract with the Barys Astana. Unfortunately, he won’t be able to play through that deal, and it’ll be interesting to see if he lands in a different AHL organization over the course of the season.

Atlantic Notes: Matheson, Robertson, Bruins

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Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson is in the final year of his contract and is eligible to sign a contract extension.  His agent Philippe Lecavalier told Richard Labbe of La Presse that the 31-year-old is hoping to re-sign.  Matheson had a breakout showing in 2023-24 when he put up 62 points, putting him ninth among all NHL blueliners in that category.  However, the emergence of Lane Hutson saw Matheson’s offensive minutes drop and the end result was a drop to 31 points.  Noah Dobson is now in the fold which could similarly cut into his offensive chances even more.  That could complicate things on a new contract as a blueliner who logs 25 minutes a night should be eyeing a raise from the $4.875MM he’s set to make this season but with Hutson and Dobson around, the Canadiens may not be inclined to pay market value for someone who probably won’t come close to that career high offensively again with them.

More from the Atlantic:

  • In an interview with Jonas Siegel of The Athletic earlier this week (subscription link), Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube declined to speak about winger Nicholas Robertson’s situation, merely noting that there will be a lot of competition at training camp. In a follow-up column to that interview (subscription link), Siegel suggests that might not be an encouraging sign for the soon-to-be-24-year-old.  Robertson notched 15 goals and seven assists in 69 games last season, earning him a $1.8MM contract to avoid salary arbitration but his fit in Toronto’s lineup remains uncertain at best.  He remains a player to keep an eye on when it comes to a trade over the coming weeks, especially if it looks like he’ll be on the outside looking in at a lineup spot in early October.
  • Speaking with reporters at their charity golf tournament (video link), Bruins GM Don Sweeney indicated that the team will begin the upcoming season without a captain.  While veterans David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy are the presumptive favorites and could plausibly be appointed now without much issue, Sweeney wants the captaincy progress to come more organically over simply appointing someone to the role now, even though one of those two could very well end up with the role down the road.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Nashville Predators

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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 Central Division, next up are the Predators.

Nashville Predators

Current Cap Hit: $86,158,961 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Zachary L’Heureux (one year, $863.3K)
F Fedor Svechkov (one year, $925K)
F Matthew Wood (two years, $950K)

Potential Bonuses
Svechkov: $212.5K
Wood: $500K
Total: $712.5K

Wood signed late last season after finishing up his college campaign and held his own in limited action.  Assuming he remains in his bottom-six role to start this year, it seems unlikely he’ll hit either of his ‘A’ bonuses and that would have him safely on the path to a bridge deal.  Svechkov came up in late November and never looked back although his production was rather limited.  It seems likely he’ll get a bigger opportunity this season which could give him an outside chance at his ‘A’ bonus.  But barring a huge uptick in production, he’s also likely heading for a bridge deal, one that should push past the $2MM mark if he remains a regular this season.

L’Heureux spent most of the season with the Predators where he brought plenty of physicality but not a ton of production to the table, understandable given his limited role.  Like the others, the offense simply isn’t there to justify a long-term deal so he’s also heading for a bridge deal, one that again should come in around $2MM if this season is a repeat of last.

Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level

G Justus Annunen ($837.5K, RFA)
D Justin Barron ($1.15MM, RFA)
D Nick Blankenburg ($775K, UFA)
F Michael Bunting ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Andreas Englund ($775K, UFA)
F Erik Haula ($3.15MM, UFA)
F Michael McCarron ($900K, UFA)
D Jordan Oesterle ($775K, UFA)
F Cole Smith ($1MM, UFA)
D Spencer Stastney ($825K, RFA)

Bunting was brought in near the trade deadline with GM Barry Trotz opting for a player-for-player swap instead of being a straight seller.  He hasn’t had the same type of success offensively since leaving Toronto and will need to push that point total more toward the mid-40s if he wants any sort of notable raise.  Otherwise, another contract in this range seems likely.  Haula came over from New Jersey this summer following a tough year although he’s averaged 40 points over the previous three seasons.  If he gets back to that range, he should be able to get a raise and another multi-year pact, even at 35, which he’ll be in March.  If this winds up being a repeat of last season, he might still be able to get two years but it’d be surprising to see him match let alone beat this price tag.

Smith saw his point total drop by nearly half last season despite nearly identical playing time.  Still, he’s a big part of their penalty kill and throws the body around.  A late-bloomer (he wasn’t a regular until 27), Smith has enough of a track record now that he could conceivably double his current price tag even with the limited output.  McCarron hasn’t lived up to his draft billing but has settled in as a serviceable bottom-six checking center who is above-average at the faceoff dot and plays with an edge.  Those elements will be appealing which could plausibly allow him to push past $2MM next summer.

Barron was acquired from Montreal midseason in another player-for-player swap, this time with veteran Alexandre Carrier going the other way.  While the change of scenery allowed Barron to play a much bigger role, he didn’t do a whole lot with it.  Still, he’s likely to push past the 200-game mark this coming season and will have arbitration eligibility this time around with a $1.2MM qualifying offer.  Doubling that might be tough but he could come close.

The other four blueliners are all in a similar boat.  They’ve been fringe third-pairing defenders in recent years while also seeing time in the minors.  Two or three will make the team and if one stands out, he could push past $1MM next summer.  The rest will likely stay at the league minimum salary which jumps to $850K in 2026-27.  Notably, Stastney will need to play in at least 29 NHL games this season to retain his RFA rights.  Otherwise, he’ll become a Group Six unrestricted free agent.

Annunen played a little better after coming over in an early-season trade from Colorado but his numbers were still below average.  Just 25 with a fairly limited track record at the top level, it’s not a situation where Nashville should be looking to give up on him but he hasn’t shown enough to earn a long-term pact either.  He has one RFA-eligible year left after this and the prudent move for both sides might be another two-year deal, one that would push the price to around $1.5MM, giving him a bit of stability while allowing the team a bit more time to evaluate his longer-term fit as the second-string option.  If he bounces back with more of an NHL-average year, the cost could come closer to $2MM on that deal.

Signed Through 2026-27

D Nicklaus Perbix ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Ryan O’Reilly ($4.5MM, UFA)

As was the case with most of their veterans last season, O’Reilly underachieved offensively but he was still a two-way contributor.  Between that and his contract, he was highly sought after at the trade deadline but nothing materialized.  Even with the drop in production, this is a more than acceptable price tag for O’Reilly for now but at 34 with a lot of miles on him, that could change.  Assuming he stays in this range a little longer, he could still beat this on a short-term deal two years from now.

Perbix comes over from Tampa Bay where he saw his playing time drop by more than two minutes a game last season.  However, he has shown himself to be a capable third-pairing option, with some underlying numbers suggesting he could be capable of more.  This contract suggested teams weren’t willing to bank on that just yet but if he can latch on to a bigger role, his next deal could land closer to the $3.75MM mark.  If not, this is a reasonable floor for a third-pairing right-shot piece.

Signed Through 2027-28

D Roman Josi ($9.059MM, UFA)
F Steven Stamkos ($8MM, UFA)

Stamkos leaving the Lightning last summer was quite a surprise for many but his performance last season suggests Tampa Bay was wise to hold firm to their number which was lower than what Stamkos wanted.  While 53 points is still respectable, that’s not worthy of an $8MM price tag and at 35, there is some concern that the decline will continue.  If so, this could be a troublesome contract before long while a rebound would only delay those concerns a little longer.

When healthy, Josi remains a legitimate all-situations number one defenseman.  And this price tag for that type of role is a team-friendly one.  However, Josi missed a big chunk of last season with what was eventually labelled as Postural Tachycardia Syndrome and while the team announced that he is recovering well and should be ready to start this season, it’s something that doesn’t have a cure, only treatments.  Now 35, a decline in performance should be coming at some point soon and there could be some lingering concern from his diagnosis.  With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team try to manage Josi’s minutes a bit more moving forward, perhaps not having him in that high-end number one role.

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