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Snapshots: Pacioretty, Rossi, True

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Heading into August, one of the better veteran scoring options left on the market is winger Max Pacioretty. Michael Augello of The Hockey News theorized on five (although it’s actually seven) potential destinations for Pacioretty in what could be the last season of his professional career.

Pacioretty (36) is coming off another injury-plagued season, this time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In his lowest-producing offensive season since his sophomore campaign with the Montreal Canadiens during the 2009-10 season, Pacioretty scored five goals and 13 points in 37 games, averaging 13:30 of ice time per game. Fortunately, Pacioretty had a stronger showing in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, scoring three goals and eight points in 11 games, including the series-clincher in the Maple Leafs’ opening-round series against the Ottawa Senators.

Augello’s hypothetical destinations include Pacioretty’s former teams: the Canadiens and Maple Leafs, a team from the New York metropolitan area, the Detroit Red Wings, or the Edmonton Oilers. Whether for geographical location, nostalgic purposes, or for putting him in the best position to win the first Stanley Cup of his career, all five destinations make sense for Pacioretty in the twilight years of his career. 

Other snapshots:

  • In a minor update to the impasse between center Marco Rossi and the Minnesota Wild, Joe Smith and Michael Russo of The Athletic indicated in a new article that the two sides haven’t spoken since June. The gap is well known, with Rossi seeking a long-term deal similar to that of his teammate Matt Boldy, while the Wild remain firm in their desire for a bridge contract. The pair of journalists argues that Rossi is unlikely to sign a new deal, let alone speak to Minnesota’s management, until the start of training camp in September.  
  • According to a team announcement, former NHL and AHL veteran Alexander True has signed a one-year deal with the Finnish Liiga’s JYP. Now two years removed from playing in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers, True’s first professional season overseas was fairly disappointing. Playing for the SHL’s MoDo Hockey, True scored seven goals and 17 points in 52 games with a -15 rating last season.

Arbitration Breakdown: Dylan Samberg

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Entering the arbitration season, the Winnipeg Jets had the most pending cases. They’ve already settled with Morgan Barron on a two-year, $3.7MM agreement and Gabriel Vilardi on a long-term six-year, $45MM contract. They have one outstanding case remaining with defenseman Dylan Samberg, whom Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman revealed filing details for this morning.

Filings

Team: $2.5MM
Player: $6MM
Midpoint: $4.25MM

The Numbers

Samberg is coming off the best season of his NHL career. Although he was limited to 60 games, he scored six goals and 20 points, both of which are career highs. He also averaged the highest ice time of his career (21:08), which was good for fourth on the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Jets.

He did finish with the highest +/- rating on the team, although it’s somewhat of an outlier. His 51.2% CorsiFor% was second on the team among defenseman behind Josh Morrissey, but his 91.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength was fourth among defensemen with 20 or more games played. This means that although Samberg was an above-average defenseman for Winnipeg this past season, some of his rating can be explained by the superb work of Connor Hellebuyck behind him.

Still, all of Samberg’s possession and defensive metrics point to him being one of the better defensive defensemen options on the Jets. The team already relies on Morrissey and Neal Pionk for point production from the blue line, giving Samberg more responsibility to shut down the opposing team’s top forward units. Winnipeg feels comfortable putting Samberg in difficult situations, as he started 58.6% of his shifts in the defensive zone last year.

2022-23 Stats: 60 GP, 6-14-20, +34 rating, 26 PIMs, 95 shots, 21:08 ATOI, 51.2 CF%
Career Stats: 216 GP, 9-42-51, +63 rating, 98 PIMs, 235 shots, 16:54 ATOI, 52.1 CF%

Potential Comparable

Comparable contracts are restricted to those signed within restricted free agency, which means UFA deals and entry-level pacts are ineligible to be used. The contract below fits within those parameters. Player salaries also fall within the parameters of the submitted numbers by both sides of Samberg’s negotiation. 

The best potential comparison to Samberg this summer would be Nicolas Hague, who signed a four-year, $22MM ($5.5MM AAV) contract with the Nashville Predators after being acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights. The two are separated by 70 days in age, although Hague has played in 148 more games and has a Stanley Cup ring to his name.

Hague has reached a peak of 17 points in a season, which he has accomplished twice in his career. On average, he has logged about 30 seconds more ice time than Samberg and has started most of his shifts in the defensive zone over the past two years. In contrast, Samberg holds an advantage in possession and defensive metrics.

However, Hague has not had the opportunity to play in front of a goaltender of Hellebuyck’s caliber at any point in his career. Furthermore, despite having a similar frame, Hague is much more physical than Samberg and brings valuable championship experience to the table.

Projection

Given that there are only a few days before Samberg’s arbitration case, it’s unlikely that the two sides will agree on a long-term deal. The Saginaw, MN native is only a year removed from becoming an unrestricted free agent, and there’s been no indication one way or another if he’d like to extend in Winnipeg.

Ultimately, this case will likely play out as they normally do, with the arbitrator falling closer to the middle ground, which would be $4.5MM in this instance. There could be some wiggle room, depending on each side’s arguments, but it’s unlikely to differ far from that.

Photo courtesy of Terrence Lee-Imagn Images.

Canadiens, Jayden Struble Avoid Arbitration With Two-Year Deal

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11:05 a.m.: According to PuckPedia, Struble will earn a $1.6MM salary in 2025-26, and a $1.225MM salary in 2026-27. He’ll be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights upon expiry.

8:30 a.m.: Despite having an arbitration hearing scheduled for August 3rd, defenseman Jayden Struble will no longer need it. According to a team announcement, the Montreal Canadiens have re-signed Struble to a two-year, $2.825MM contract ($1.4125MM AAV).

The new agreement is a little lower than Struble’s projected value heading into the summer. Before the start of the free agency period, AFP Analytics projected Struble to receive a two-year, $3.57MM contract in his first trip through restricted free agency. Still, it’s a fair price for a bottom-pairing/depth defenseman who can play on both sides of the blue line.

The Cumberland, RI native recently completed his second season with the Canadiens. Montreal originally selected Struble with the 46th overall pick of the 2019 NHL Draft, and he debuted with the team during the 2023-24 campaign after ending his career with the NCAA’s Northeastern University a year prior.

He’s been serviceable through his first two years, albeit not showing much growth so far. He scored three goals and 10 points in 56 games during his rookie season, averaging 16:07 of ice time per game. He showed some poise on the defensive side of the puck with a 92.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength. Still, his possession game left much to be desired with a 45.7% CorsiFor% at even strength.

Playing in an identical number of games in 2024-25, Struble barely increased his scoring, managing two goals and 13 points while averaging 14:57 of ice time. His possession game improved, averaging a 51.8% CF% at even strength, but his defensive game weakened with an 89.4% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Although he may have been considered a decent two-way prospect for the Canadiens even a few years ago, too many defensemen have passed him on the organizational depth chart for him to hold the same value. Still, since he can play on both sides of the blue line, Struble has inherent value as a quality injury replacement should Montreal need it.

West Notes: Samberg, Ferraro, Frederic

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According to Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the details of Dylan Samberg’s arbitration filing have become public. Since he can become an unrestricted free agent next offseason, Samberg can only be given a one-year deal by the arbitrator. According to Friedman, the Winnipeg Jets have filed at $2.5MM, while Samberg has filed at $6MM.

As Friedman noted in his report, these filings are strategic, as there’s little to no chance that an honest arbitrator would side outright with Samberg’s camp. Samberg and his representation are likely hoping for the arbitrator to meet somewhere in the middle, giving Samberg a substantial raise on his previous $ 1.4 million salary. Still, if Samberg has a legitimate expectation for $6MM, there’s little chance that he and the Jets will come to a compromise before his arbitration case on July 30th.

He’s coming off a quality year with the Jets, scoring six goals and 20 points in 60 games with a +34 rating, averaging 21:08 of ice time per game. Although his +/- was exceptional, much of that is due to the fantastic play of Connor Hellebuyck this past season. Samberg finished fourth on the team among defensemen (with more than 20 games played) in on-ice save percentage at even strength with a 91.7% rating.

Other notes from the Western Conference:

  • In their offseason 2025 Summer Trade Watch List, The Fourth Period asserts that although he hasn’t asked for a trade, San Jose Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro is open to a change of scenery. Ferraro has been in the rumor mill for a few years now, and there’s an argument that the Sharks could move one more defenseman before the start of the regular season. Still, it’s become difficult to trade Ferraro since he’s best positioned as a fifth defenseman on a contending team, and San Jose’s reportedly high asking price of a first-round pick for his services. Now that Ferraro only has one year left on his contract, the Sharks may be more inclined to lower their desired return.
  • In a new article from David Staples of The Edmonton Journal, the General Manager of the Edmonton Oilers, Stan Bowman, defended his signing of forward Trent Frederic to an eight-year, $30.8MM contract this offseason. After highlighting his physicality and bulldog mentality, Bowman bordered on calling Frederic irreplaceable in the Oilers’ lineup, saying, “And he’s scored, you know, he scored what, 18 goals twice in a row at a fairly young, younger age. So I think he’s got the game in him. And I think when you add all that up, it comes down to he’s a very unique player. It’s not like if we passed on Frederic, we’ll just go get so-and-so, who’s maybe a little different, but the same type of player. Not a lot of guys like that out there. They just aren’t anymore.“

Nicklas Backstrom Signs With SHL’s Brynäs IF

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Jul. 28th: According to a team announcement, Brynäs IF has confirmed Backstrom’s signing.

Jul. 27th: Brynäs IF of Sweden’s SHL will hold a press conference on Monday where they’re expected to announce the signing of former NHL center Nicklas Backstrom, per Sammi Silber of The Hockey News. The news was first reported back in May by Tomas Ros and Hans Abrahamsson of Aftonbladet They mentioned that Backstrom’s deal is expected to run only one-year.

Backstrom played in eight NHL games during the 2023-24 season, and missed the entirety of 2024-25, as he works his way back from hip resurfacing surgery conducted in 2022. The surgery was the culmination of eight years of hip pain and discomfort for Backstrom. He first underwent an arthroscopic surgery in 2015 to identify and remedy causes of hip pain. That helped Backstrom stay on the ice long enough to win a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018, but his hip injury took a downturn with flare ups in the 2020-21 season. He’d go on to miss the first two months of the 2021-22 season while looking for non-surgical remedies, but ended up moving forward with a Belgium-based surgery in the following summer.

Backstrom has missed a lofty 234 games over the last four seasons, dating back to 2021-22. That’s 71 percent of the possible 328 games he could have appeared in. He’s made hardy attempts at returning throughout those long-term absences, but ran into continued hip pain and was forced out soon after each return. Those routine exits have been tough to bear given Backstrom still performed at a top level when he maintained good health. He scored 31 points in 47 games of the 2021-22 season, and 21 points in 39 games of the 2022-23 season.

Outside of his near-decade long battle with hip injury, Backstrom’s prowess is hard to ignore. He was the perennial top-line center for the Capitals from 2007 to 2019 – routinely rivaling 20 goals and 70, or 80, points. His career year came early into his career – when he scored 33 goals and 101 points in 82 games of Washington’s 2009-10 campaign, then went on to net six points in four games with Team Sweden at the 2010 Winter Olympics. But Backstrom was effective for a decade beyond that peak, and will go down in history as the playmaking centerman setting up the NHL’s all-time leading goal-scorer, Alex Ovechkin.

Now, Backstrom will leave behind his NHL legacy to try and return to the ice with his hometown club. He grew up through the Brynäs youth hockey program, and made his professional debut with the club in the 2004-05 season. In total, Backstrom has racked up 66 points in 110 games with the Brynäs clover on his chest. He’ll hope to return to those levels of productivity – or, perhaps first, routine games – with the club next season, after racking up 1,033 points in 1,105 career NHL games since his last league game in Sweden.

Five Key Stories: 7/21/25 – 7/27/25

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While the quiet part of the NHL offseason is well underway, there was still some notable news around the NHL, especially on the contract front with several deals being featured in our key stories.

Three For Kakko: Kraken winger Kaapo Kakko was the first of the scheduled salary arbitration hearings but it didn’t get that far.  Instead, the two sides worked out a three-year contract that carries a cap hit of $4.525MM per season.  Seattle acquired the 24-year-old midseason from the Rangers and the change of scenery gave him a boost as he had 30 points in 49 games down the stretch, propelling him to a career-high 44 points for the season.  The contract gives Kakko a raise of more than $2MM per season while Seattle gets two extra years of club control, a sign that they feel he could be part of the longer-term solution moving forward.

Not Guilty Verdicts: More than three months after their trial began after being charged in connection with sexual assault, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Alex Formenton, and Cal Foote were all found not guilty by Justice Maria Carroccia in London, Ontario.  The allegations became public back in 2022 with charges being laid in January 2024; none of those players have played in the NHL since then.  They won’t be eligible to return right away either as the league indicated that they will be “reviewing and considering the judge’s findings” to determine next steps.  The NHLPA has already indicated that they are addressing this with the league, citing that the NHL’s declaration is inconsistent with the discipline procedures set forth in the CBA.

Blake Gets Eight: Hurricanes winger Jackson Blake had a solid rookie season, notching 17 goals and 17 assists in 80 games during the regular season.  Management clearly feels that he’s a part of the long-term plans, as they signed him to an eight-year, $45MM contract extension that will begin in 2026-27.  While the normal AAV of that deal would be $5.625MM, the deal has $15.9MM in deferred signing bonus payments that won’t be paid until the day after the contract expires, July 1, 2034.  In doing so, the AAV and cap charge is lowered to $5.117MM.  Deferred compensation contracts have been outlawed in the CBA extension but until that kicks in (in mid-September 2026), they’re fully legal; it’s now the third such contract on Carolina’s books, joining Jaccob Slavin and Seth Jarvis.

Zacha In Play? Center help has been something that many teams are seeking but few options have been available.  It’s possible that the Bruins could have one, however, following a report from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period who notes that Boston is mulling the possibility of moving Pavel Zacha.  The 28-year-old is coming off a small dip in production, notching 14 goals and 33 assists last season after tallying 57 and 59 points in the previous two seasons.  However, he has been above average on draws in four of the last five years, has had his three best offensive years in the last three seasons, and is signed at a reasonable $4.75MM through the 2026-27 season.  If the Bruins do make him available, they should be able to generate strong interest in his services.

More Arbitration Settlements: More players reached contract settlements before the arbitration submission process began.  The Islanders agreed to a two-year, $4.5MM contract with winger Maxim Tsyplakov after a solid rookie year that saw him record 10 goals and 25 assists along with 140 hits.  Meanwhile, Arvid Soderblom’s bounce-back year with Chicago last season earned him a two-year, $5.5MM pact.  He put up a 3.18 GAA and a .898 SV% last season, a significant improvement on his 2023-24 numbers.  Lastly, new Sabres defenseman Conor Timmins received a two-year, $4.4MM contract.  He split last season between Toronto and Pittsburgh, picking up 15 points in 68 games and was acquired from the Penguins on the second day of the draft.  All three players will be unrestricted free agents when these deals expire in 2027.

Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.

Minor Transactions: 7/27/25

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As the summer moves along, the volume of transactions has been slowing down.  However, there have been some transactions at lower levels with an NHL connection; we’ll run through those here.

  • Veteran forward Peter Mueller has decided to retire, his now former Czech team announced. The 37-year-old was the eighth overall pick by Phoenix back in 2006 and spent parts of five seasons in the NHL, notching 63 goals and 97 assists in 297 games before heading overseas in 2013.  After that point, he spent time in Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Germany, and Czechia, with a one-year stint with Boston’s AHL affiliate in Providence in between.  He spent last season with HC Kometa Brno, scoring the game-winner in the final game of the playoffs for them.  Mueller re-signed with them back in May but decided to hang up his skates due to lingering back trouble.
  • Former NHL defenseman Jakub Jerabek has signed a one-year deal with HC Plzen in his native Czechia, per a team release. The 34-year-old played in parts of two NHL seasons, spending time with Montreal, Washington, and St. Louis where he had eight points in 37 games and 26 points in 69 AHL contests.  Jerabek spent the last three seasons with HC Ocelari Trinec but injuries limited him to just 23 games last season where he had eight points.
  • Lightning prospect Everett Baldwin will have a new team next season as QMJHL Saint John announced that they’ve signed the blueliner. The defenseman was a fifth-round pick last month out of St. George’s School while also briefly seeing action in the USHL.  Baldwin made a college commitment to play at his hometown Providence College back in 2023 but it remains to be seen if his QMJHL commitment will push that back or if he’ll be a one-and-done player at the major junior level.

Andrew Poturalski Signs In KHL

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In late May, the Sharks and winger Andrew Poturalski agreed to mutually terminate the final season of his contract, allowing him to pursue an option overseas.  That opportunity has now come to fruition as Avangard Omsk of the KHL announced (Twitter link) that they’ve signed Poturalski to a one-year contract.

The 31-year-old has been a prolific scorer at the AHL level but it has not translated into many NHL opportunities.  Last season, Poturalski was the top point producer in the AHL with 30 goals and 43 assists in just 59 games with AHL San Jose but he only got a chance to play in three games with the Sharks, something he voiced some frustration about after the season.

For his career, Poturalski has played in 527 AHL games over parts of ten seasons, notching 161 goals and 332 assists.  The bulk of that production has come over the last five years when he led the league in scoring three times.  That included a 101-point showing in 2021-22, the first player at that level to crack 100 points since the 2009-10 campaign when a pair of Hershey players reached that plateau.

But for all that production in the minors, Poturalski has seen action in just nine NHL contests over four seasons where he has a trio of assists.  Instead of continuing to be a top threat in the AHL and hoping for a chance at some point in the NHL, he walked away from a guaranteed $500K payment from the Sharks and will try his hand at something different as he makes the jump overseas for the first time.

Snapshots: Penguins, Mason West, World Juniors

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As the Pittsburgh Penguins’ former ownership group continues to explore the possibility of buying back into the team, the Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey broke down the potential pros and cons of the move. Fenway Sports Group has said that they’re only interested in selling a small portion of the Penguins, which appears to be something that interests Mario Lemieux and his former leadership group. However, Mackey wonders if there a path to where FSG would consider a full sale. There is precedent for FSG principal owner John Henry selling a team just a few years after purchasing it. As Mackey notes, in 1999, FSG purchased the MLB’s Marlins for $150MM, only to sell them three years later for $158.5MM. With the Penguins largely struggling since FSG’s purchase of the franchise, and the team now fully engaged in a rebuild, now could be the right time make a business decision. Even if Lemieux and his partners were to return as minority owners, Mackey emphasizes how meaningful that would be for the city.

Elsewhere around hockey:

  • The Team Canada National Junior Team has announced its roster for the National Junior Summer Showcase, per a team release. The 44-player roster features 22 first-round picks and eight second-rounders. Some of the names added to the roster include New York Islanders’ 2025 first-overall pick Matthew Schaefer, San Jose Sharks’ 2025 second-overall pick Michael Misa, and Cayden Lindstrom, selected fourth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2024. Of note, eight first-round selections were listed as players who were invited, but unable to attend, including 2025 draft picks Caleb Desnoyers, Roger McQueen, and Carter Bear. The tournament is set to take place from July 27 to August 2 and serves as a precursor to the 2026 IIHF World Junior Championship.
  • Chicago Blackhawks 2025 first-round pick Mason West is committed to his future in hockey, but that hasn’t stopped college football programs from reaching out to the 17-year-old, reports The Athletic’s Scott Powers. The 6’6″, 218-pound forward also starred as a high school quarterback in his native Minnesota. While NCAA football programs have continued to contact West after being drafted 29th overall by the Blackhawks, he has remained steadfast in his commitment to hockey, per his high school football coach, Jason Potts. Potts said West has continued to receive interest, noting, “Recruiting is out of hand… But again, Mason’s just focused on his goals and what he wants to do. And he’s really good at blocking distractions out and then just enjoying the experience.”

 

Free Agent Profile: Alexandar Georgiev

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Despite posting solid career numbers and demonstrating the ability to step up as a number one goaltender when needed, free agent Alexandar Georgiev is coming off the worst season of his career, which has made his NHL future uncertain. Split between the Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks, last season Georgiev posted a less-than-desirable 7-19-4 record to go along with a .875 save percentage and 3.71 goals against average.

While that performance may be enough to keep Georgiev from getting a guaranteed deal in the NHL, it’s far below his otherwise solid career numbers. Given that the Bulgaria native is still 29 years old, he could still generate interest from a team in need of an experienced backup or simply someone to provide organizational depth.

Georgiev also isn’t far removed from significant success in the league. In the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, he combined for 78 wins with Colorado, leading the league in victories both years and earning his first career All-Star selection. His performance during the 2022-23 season, in which he posted 40 wins and a .918 save percentage, earned him a seventh-place finish in Vezina Trophy voting. That success makes last season’s steep decline all the more puzzling, and may be enough for a team to view last season as more of a one-off.

Stats

2024-25: 49 GS, 7-19-4, 1152 SV, .875 SV%, 3.71 GAA, 0 SO, 2671 MIN, .362 QS%
Career: 288 GS, 151-108-26, 7,892 SV, .903 SV%, 2.99 GAA, 15 SO, 17,010 MIN, .500 QS%

Potential Suitors

At this point in the process, most teams have a clear idea of who their starter and backup will be for next season. However, teams not fully comfortable with their backup situation may take a chance on Georgiev bouncing back from his difficult 2024-25 campaign.

One of Georgiev’s former employers may fit this bill. The New York Rangers — where he began his career — currently have 39-year-old Jonathan Quick set to back up star Igor Shesterkin. While the Rangers do have prospect Callum Tung waiting in the wings, the 21-year-old will need another year of development in the AHL. Adding Georgiev could provide valuable depth within the organization, offering a veteran presence to mentor Tung and someone they can rely on in case of injury.

Teams not expecting to contend next season could also take a run at Georgiev, hoping he can revitalize his career, potentially making him a valuable trade asset come the deadline in March. However, those same teams might be better off giving opportunities to prospects looking to establish themselves in the league.

Projected Contract

Georgiev just finished the final year of his three year, $10.2MM contract, which came with a $3.4MM AAV. Unless he experiences a complete resurgence, those kinds of numbers are unlikely to come around again for Georgiev. For now, he’d likely be open to any one-way deal, even if it’s at the veteran minimum. At this stage of the offseason, no option is off the table, including a two-way contract, a PTO, or even a return to Russia, where he began his pro career and holds dual citizenship.

Photo credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images

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