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Atlantic Notes: Knies, Marchand, Lindholm, Zub, Jones

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The choice by Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube to make forward Matthew Knies an alternate captain for the team on Saturday night has led some to believe the organization is looking to keep him around for the long haul. In Monday’s ’32 Thoughts episode with Elliotte Friedman, the host said, “I think (Matthew) Knies is on the precipice of being a really long-term important piece of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s heading into the last year of his ELC and I think there have been some conversations about it. I don’t know how much or in-depth they have really talked about it, but there have been some rumors that there have been some conversations“.

It’s not a shocking report by any stretch of the imagination as Knies has been a top prospect for the Maple Leafs over the past several years. The former 57th overall pick of the 2021 NHL Draft finally became a full-time player in Toronto last season scoring 15 goals and 35 points in 80 games. He’s a popular candidate to play the wing with captain Auston Matthews and on the Maple Leafs’ second powerplay unit.

There haven’t been any specifics regarding extension conversations between Toronto and Knies but Elliotte’s report indicates the team would like to lock him down for quite some time. The team may want to get started on that sooner rather than later as Knies’ asking price will inevitably rise if he plays well on a line with Matthews for much of the year.

Other Atlantic notes:

  • According to the team, the Boston Bruins are improving on the injury front as forwards Brad Marchand and Elias Lindholm will return to the lineup tonight against the Flyers. Marchand had been recovering from several surgeries in the offseason and is making good on his promise that he would be ready for the regular season opener. Lindholm has spent the last few days practicing in a non-contact jersey for the Bruins with an undisclosed injury but it appears his ailment is now behind him.
  • Similarly to the Bruins, the Ottawa Senators are also receiving positive news on the injury front with defenseman Artem Zub returning to the lineup this evening (X Link). Zub’s been dealing with a lower-body injury for much of the preseason but it appears he will be ready for the regular season barring any setbacks. The Russian defenseman will now have three games to get back to game speed as he’s failed to appear in a contest up to this point.
  • Moving back to Boston — Conor Ryan of The Boston Globe reports forward Max Jones is getting closer to returning to the lineup. Jones is another Bruins forward that has failed to appear in a preseason contest but he should be ready for the regular season. Boston signed Jones this summer after being non-tendered by the Anaheim Ducks to serve in the team’s bottom-six. He’s coming off one of his better offensive seasons with the Ducks scoring five goals and 15 points in 52 games last year.

Central Notes: Boldy, Middleton, Marino, Bjugstad, Kaiser, Barlow

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The Wild have upgraded winger Matt Boldy’s status from week-to-week to day-to-day, head coach John Hynes said Tuesday (via NHL.com’s Jessi Pierce). He hasn’t been ruled out of Friday’s preseason game against the Blackhawks, a strong sign he’ll be available when Minnesota opens its regular season against the Blue Jackets on Oct. 10.

Boldy was initially termed week-to-week on Sep. 23 with a lower-body ailment, but the team wasn’t concerned he’d miss any regular-season action. That appears to be the case. He’s been skating since Saturday.

His presence is crucial for the Wild. The 23-year-old set career highs last season with 40 assists and 69 points in 75 games, finishing second on the Wild’s 21st-ranked offense in scoring. With most of their bottom six either declining or overtaxed in offensive roles, he’s an irreplaceable source of secondary scoring behind Kirill Kaprizov, at least until Minnesota’s next wave of prospects hits their stride.

It’s not all good injury news for the Wild today, though. Defenseman Jacob Middleton is now day-to-day with bruising, Hynes added, but isn’t expected to miss their season opener, which is still nine days away.

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • The Utah Hockey Club may be without a top-four stalwart on defense for its first-ever game. John Marino’s availability for the season opener is now in doubt after missing all of training camp to date with an upper-body injury, per ALL Utah Hockey’s Craig Morgan. The team will know more about his timeline for a return next week, Morgan added, but for now, he hasn’t been ruled out of any action past then and is still day-to-day. They’re also not expecting center Nick Bjugstad back until Nov. 1, per Morgan. He’s out with an upper-body injury, but his absence isn’t new. He was already ruled doubtful for the start of the season last week.
  • Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser has been mysteriously absent from Blackhawks camp thus far, but that’ll end soon. The Blackhawks told the Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope that an undisclosed concern popped up during his pre-camp physical that required “some invasive testing.” He’s passed all of them, though, and will begin ramping up to game speed. The 22-year-old is a strong candidate to land on the opening night roster after posting seven assists and an even rating in 32 games with Chicago last year.
  • Jets prospect Colby Barlow has officially requested a trade in the OHL from the Owen Sound Attack, Postmedia’s Greg Cowan reports. Winnipeg returned Barlow, the No. 18 overall pick in 2023, to Owen Sound on Sunday. The 19-year-old left winger had 40 goals in 50 games last year but recorded only 18 assists for 58 points, placing him fourth on the team in scoring overall. He won’t be reporting to Owen Sound’s camp at all, Cowan adds, so expect him to be on the move before the start of the OHL regular season.

Waiver Wire: 10/1/24

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28 players hit the waiver wire Tuesday, per PuckPedia. It’s a sharp increase from yesterday’s 12 names as more veterans are assigned to the minors later in camp. All of yesterday’s waived players cleared, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports. Today’s waiver placements are as follows:

Anaheim Ducks

F Carson Meyer

Buffalo Sabres

F Joshua Dunne
F Mason Jobst
F Brett Murray
D Colton Poolman
D Jack Rathbone
G Felix Sandström

Calgary Flames

D Ilya Solovyov

Edmonton Oilers

G Collin Delia
D Ben Gleason
D Philip Kemp
F Lane Pederson

Los Angeles Kings

D Jacob Moverare

Minnesota Wild

F Reese Johnson

New York Rangers

F Anton Blidh
G Louis Domingue
D Casey Fitzgerald
D Brandon Scanlin

Seattle Kraken

F Brandon Biro
F Max McCormick
F Ben Meyers
D Gustav Olofsson
F Mitchell Stephens
G Ales Stezka

Vancouver Canucks

F Phillip Di Giuseppe
G Jiří Patera
F Nathan Smith
D Christian Wolanin

Blue Jackets Granted Cap Floor Exemption To Start Season

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The NHL and NHLPA have informed the Blue Jackets that they won’t need to be compliant with the $65MM cap floor when opening night rosters are due on Oct. 7, The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline reports.

Columbus was projected to be below the floor after the death of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, who were struck by an accused drunk driver while riding bicycles near their New Jersey home. The $2MM signing bonus they paid him on July 1 will still count against this season’s cap, according to Portzline, but PuckPedia projects their opening night roster will still be roughly $575K below the cap floor.

The league will waive the deadline for the Blue Jackets with the expectation that their roster’s cap hit will exceed $65MM in a “reasonable time.” Columbus has had a clear reported desire in the past few weeks to add a veteran forward via a minor trade or off waivers, and adding a league minimum salary via that transaction will get them over the hump. There’s now no longer a rush to make such a move before the start of the season for general manager Don Waddell, though.

The exemption as described was exactly the plan Columbus presented to the league pending NHLPA approval, Portzline adds. Evidently, there was no pushback from the players’ union.

Latest On Jeremy Swayman

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After Bruins president Cam Neely said Monday that they’d offered an eight-year, $64MM deal to RFA goaltender Jeremy Swayman that he didn’t accept, Swayman’s agent, SPM Sports’ Lewis Gross, said they’d never received that offer.

According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, Swayman’s camp is telling the truth. The $64MM figure referenced by Neely was a slight exaggeration – the highest total value Boston has offered on an eight-year deal is $62.4MM, Seravalli reports. That’s a cap hit of $7.8MM compared to the $8MM implied by Neely.

Still, that figure more than bridges the halfway point in negotiations. Seravalli adds that since the two sides have zeroed in on a maximum-term contract, the Bruins have held strong at a $52MM total value with a $6.5MM AAV, while Swayman’s representation wants a $68MM deal with an $8.5MM AAV.

“[The Bruins] probably think, ’Hey, we’ve moved a ton, now it’s your turn,’ and the fact that hasn’t happened apparently has them frustrated,” Seravalli said on Daily Faceoff’s Morning Cuppa Hockey show on Tuesday.

There’s no indication that a smaller gap of $700K per season will soon be bridged. Gross said in yesterday’s statement that Neely’s comment “was extremely unfair to Jeremy” and that they “will take a few days to discuss where we go from here.” Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery also said that he fully anticipates Joonas Korpisalo being Boston’s opening night starter against the Panthers on Oct. 8.

Swayman has until Dec. 1 to sign a contract to be eligible to play this season. There’s no indication either side has turned their focus toward examining trade options regarding his signing rights, but the longer this goes without any movement, the possibility rises.

Swayman, 26 in November, finished seventh in Vezina Trophy voting last season after recording a 25-10-8 record with a .916 SV% and 2.53 GAA in 44 appearances.

David Reinbacher Out Five To Six Months After Knee Surgery

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Canadiens top defense prospect David Reinbacher will miss most of the 2024-25 season after undergoing surgery on his left knee Tuesday morning, the team announced. He’s expected to return to play in five to six months.

It’s likely worse news than Habs fans expected after Reinbacher sustained the injury during the first period of Saturday’s preseason loss to the Maple Leafs. After he was on the receiving end of a hit from Toronto defenseman Marshall Rifai, he fell awkwardly into the boards between the benches, landing awkwardly on his left leg. He was able to get off the ice under his own power but was in visible pain.

Montreal didn’t disclose the specifics of Reinbacher’s knee injury. They’re also waiting on official news regarding a return-to-play timeline for top-six winger Patrik Laine, who also sustained an injury later in the first against the Leafs after a knee-on-knee hit from Toronto depth forward Cédric Paré. He’s also likely looking at a long-term absence.

Reinbacher, 20 later this month, was the fifth overall pick in the 2023 draft. He spent his 2023-24 season on loan to Switzerland’s EHC Kloten, where his all-around numbers took a step back from his draft year. He managed a goal and 10 assists with a -15 rating in 35 games after posting 22 points and a +7 rating in 46 games for Kloten in 2022-23. He ended the season with a strong stretch of play with AHL Laval, though, logging five points and a +6 rating in 11 appearances.

He would have been looking to make his NHL debut in 2024-25, potentially on opening night, if he could have finished training camp on a high note. His season debut will now have to wait until at least early March, however, and it’s likely that he’ll spend his brief playing time this year back in Laval while getting back up to speed in his development. The Habs will be out one of their most intriguing prospects for most of the campaign, but it does mean less competition for playing time for other young defenders like Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux, and Jayden Struble.

Since Reinbacher didn’t log any days on the NHL roster last season, he’ll carry a $0 cap hit while on season-opening injured reserve. However, he’ll still collect his prorated $855K base salary as scheduled.

East Notes: Terry, Nedeljkovic, Toronto Expansion

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Prolific AHL scoring winger Chris Terry is returning to the Islanders organization on a one-year deal with Bridgeport, the affiliate announced today.

Terry, now 35, was a fifth-round pick of the Hurricanes back in 2007. He only has 152 NHL games to his name over his lengthy professional career, none coming since the 2016-17 season, but he’s otherwise established himself as one of the top point producers in AHL history. The 5’10” left winger sits 22nd all-time in scoring with 741 points (311 G, 430 A) in 815 games and is a five-time AHL All-Star but has never won the Calder Cup.

The Ontario native spent last season with the independently operated Chicago Wolves, where he served as captain for the first time in his 14-year AHL career. He finished second on the team in scoring with 50 points (21 G, 29 A) in 61 games.

Terry spent the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns in the Isles organization on AHL deals with Bridgeport. He served as an alternate captain both seasons and led them in scoring each time with showings of 61 and 78 points. He’ll be an important add to a Bridgeport club devoid of much high-powered offensive talent on loan from their parent club.

More from around the Eastern Conference:

  • Penguins netminder Alex Nedeljkovic is being evaluated for a lower-body injury after leaving last night’s preseason win over the Red Wings in the first period, head coach Mike Sullivan said (via NHL.com). They’ll have a further update on his status later Tuesday. He’d be a significant loss if he’s not ready to start the season – Nedeljkovic started 12 of Pittsburgh’s final 13 games last season amid a tight race for a playoff spot. The 28-year-old signed a two-year, $5MM extension to remain in Pittsburgh last June after posting a .902 SV% in 38 appearances. If he’s set to miss any time, 22-year-old Joel Blomqvist would have the inside track to start the season as Tristan Jarry’s backup before Nedeljkovic is ready to return.
  • There’s long been talk of a second NHL franchise in the Greater Toronto Area if the NHL decided on another round of aggressive expansion. With Rogers recently becoming the majority owner of the Maple Leafs’ parent corporation, however, that’s now likely out of the question, The Athletic’s Chris Johnston outlines.

Canadiens Recall Lucas Condotta, Luke Tuch

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The Canadiens have recalled forwards Lucas Condotta and Luke Tuch from the AHL’s Laval Rocket, per a team announcement. They’ll be available again to suit up in preseason action this week after they were a part of separate rounds of camp cuts in the past few days.

Condotta landed on waivers Sunday and cleared Monday without incident. The 26-year-old is entering his third full season in the Habs organization and is an alternate captain with the Rocket. An undrafted free-agent signing out of UMass-Lowell in 2022, the 6’1″, 223-lb center has 24 goals, 27 assists and 51 points in 144 appearances with Laval.

He’s also seen brief NHL action in each of the past two seasons, posting a goal and a +1 rating in four games while averaging 8:23 per contest. He’s coming off a down year with the Rocket, scoring eight goals and 19 points in 65 games after notching 16 goals and 31 points in 72 contests in 2022-23. He won’t need waivers to return to Laval, which will likely happen after tonight’s game against the Senators.

Tuch, the younger brother of Sabres fixture Alex Tuch, is a name with longer-term relevance. The 22-year-old was a second-round pick of the Habs back in 2020 and is beginning his professional career after a four-year run at Boston University. The New York-born left winger had 30 points in 39 games last year as a senior, setting career highs across the board while finishing sixth on the team in scoring. He won’t be on the opening night roster after initially being cut from camp last Saturday, but he could be a name to watch for an in-season recall if he starts off on the right foot in Laval.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/1/24

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The calendar has flipped to October, which means we’re one week away from opening night. Most teams now have somewhere between 10 and 15 cuts to make before reaching their final opening night rosters. That means most sweeping cuts have already been made, and we’ll start to see more precise roster moves involving more notable names in the coming days. We’ll continue keeping tabs on all of Tuesday’s cuts in this article.

Last updated 3:18 p.m.

Anaheim Ducks (per team release)

D Drew Helleson (to AHL San Diego)
F Carson Meyer (to AHL San Diego, pending waivers)
F Jan Mysak (to AHL San Diego)
F Yegor Sidorov (to AHL San Diego)

Buffalo Sabres (per team announcement)

F Ty Cheveldayoff (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
F Riley Fiddler-Schultz (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
F Konsta Helenius (to AHL Rochester)
G Michael Houser (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
D Noah Laaouan (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
F Aleksandr Kisakov (to AHL Rochester)
D Vsevolod Komarov (to AHL Rochester)
D Zach Metsa (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
F Olivier Nadeau (to AHL Rochester)
F Viktor Neuchev (to AHL Rochester)
D Nikita Novikov (to AHL Rochester)
F Noah Östlund (to AHL Rochester)
D Ethan Prow (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
G Scott Ratzlaff (to WHL Seattle)
F Isak Rosen (to AHL Rochester)
F Graham Slaggert (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
D Peter Tischke (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)
F Tyler Tullio (to AHL Rochester)
F Anton Wahlberg (to AHL Rochester)
F Brendan Warren (released from PTO to AHL Rochester)

Calgary Flames (per team release)

D Artem Grushnikov (to AHL Calgary)
G Waltteri Ignatjew (to AHL Calgary)
D Yan Kuznetsov (to AHL Calgary)

Columbus Blue Jackets (per team release)

F Hunter McKown (to AHL Cleveland)

Edmonton Oilers (per team release)

D Beau Akey (to OHL Barrie)
G Collin Delia (to AHL Bakersfield, pending waivers)
D Ben Gleason (to AHL Bakersfield, pending waivers)
F James Hamblin (to AHL Bakersfield)
D Philip Kemp (to AHL Bakersfield, pending waivers)
F Lane Pederson (to AHL Bakersfield, pending waivers)

Florida Panthers (per team release)

F Ryan McAllister (to AHL Charlotte)
F Oliver Okuliar (to AHL Charlotte)
F Wilmer Skoog (to AHL Charlotte)

Los Angeles Kings (per team announcement)

F Samuel Helenius (to AHL Ontario)
F Jeff Malott (to AHL Ontario)
G Dryden McKay (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)
D Jacob Moverare (to AHL Ontario, pending waivers)
D John Parker-Jones (released from PTO to AHL Ontario)

Minnesota Wild (per team announcement)

F Reese Johnson (to AHL Iowa, pending waivers)

New Jersey Devils (per team release)

G Michael Hutchinson (released from PTO)

New York Rangers (per team release)

D Madison Bowey (released from PTO to AHL Hartford)
F Jaroslav Chmelar (to AHL Hartford)
F Adam Erne (released from PTO to AHL Hartford)
D Blake Hillman (released from PTO to AHL Hartford)
F Blade Jenkins (released from PTO to AHL Hartford)
F Bryce McConnell-Barker (to AHL Hartford)
F Dylan Roobroeck (to AHL Hartford)
F Nate Sucese (released from PTO to AHL Hartford)
F Adam Sýkora (to AHL Hartford)

Seattle Kraken (per team announcement)

F Brandon Biro (to AHL Coachella Valley, pending waivers)
F Max McCormick (to AHL Coachella Valley, pending waivers)
F Jacob Melanson (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Ben Meyers (to AHL Coachella Valley, pending waivers)
D Gustav Olofsson (to AHL Coachella Valley, pending waivers)
D Ville Ottavainen (to AHL Coachella Valley)
F Mitchell Stephens (to AHL Coachella Valley, pending waivers)
F Eduard Sale (to AHL Coachella Valley)
G Ales Stezka (to AHL Coachella Valley, pending waivers)

Vancouver Canucks (per team announcement)

F Phillip Di Giuseppe (to AHL Abbotsford, pending waivers)
D Christian Felton (to AHL Abbotsford)
F Linus Karlsson (to AHL Abbotsford)
D Kirill Kudryavtsev (to AHL Abbotsford)
F Jonathan Lekkerimäki (to AHL Abbotsford)
D Cole McWard (to AHL Abbotsford)
F Ty Mueller (to AHL Abbotsford)
G Jiří Patera (to AHL Abbotsford, pending waivers)
D Elias Pettersson (to AHL Abbotsford)
F Max Sasson (to AHL Abbotsford)
F Nathan Smith (to AHL Abbotsford, pending waivers)
G Nikita Tolopilo (to AHL Abbotsford)
D Christian Wolanin (to AHL Abbotsford, pending waivers)

Washington Capitals (per team announcement)

F Terik Parascak (to WHL Prince George)

Salary Cap Deep Dive: New York Rangers

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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 that 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 heading into the 2024-25 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We’re currently covering the Metropolitan Division, next up is the Rangers.

New York Rangers

Current Cap Hit: $87,376,524 (below the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F William Cuylle (one year, $828K)
F Adam Edstrom (one year, $847K)
F Matt Rempe (one year, $820K)

Potential Bonuses
Cuylle: $57.5K (games played)

Cuylle’s first full NHL season was a solid one for someone who primarily played on the fourth line.  It’s unlikely that he’ll play much higher up this year and with New York’s long-term cap situation, it’s safe to say they’ll be looking for a bridge deal, one that should check in around the $1.4MM mark.  Edstrom is someone who could bounce back and forth this season and in that case, New York will probably ask him to accept closer to the $775K minimum in exchange for a one-way contract.  Rempe quickly became a fan favorite for his pugilistic skills but will need to be trusted to play more than six minutes a night if he’s to push for any sort of pricey second contract.  As things stand, he’s likely to land around $1MM on a bridge agreement if he stays up full-time in 2024-25.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

D Zachary Jones (813K, RFA)
F Kaapo Kakko ($2.4MM, RFA)
F Alexis Lafreniere ($2.325MM, RFA)
D Ryan Lindgren ($4.5MM, UFA)
D K’Andre Miller ($3.872MM, RFA)
G Jonathan Quick ($1.275MM, UFA)
D Chad Ruhwedel ($775K, UFA)
G Igor Shesterkin ($5.67MM, UFA)
F Reilly Smith ($3.75MM, UFA)*
F Jimmy Vesey ($800K, UFA)

*-Pittsburgh is retaining an additional $1.25MM of Smith’s contract.

Potential Bonuses
Quick: $25K (20 starts plus a save percentage of .915 or more)

Smith was acquired on the opening day of free agency as New York’s free agent plans seemingly didn’t pan out.  On the surface, they probably only wanted someone on a one-year deal so the pivot to this made sense.  Smith is coming off a down year with Pittsburgh but is only a year removed from a 56-point effort.  If he can get back to that, he could maintain his full $5MM salary for a few more years but the likelier scenario is something in the $4MM range.  Kakko accepted his qualifying offer early to take one more run at things in New York.  Until he can become more than a third liner, however, it’s hard to foresee him getting much more than this.  Vesey, meanwhile, had one of his best years last season and a repeat performance could allow him to potentially double his price tag but the Rangers will need to keep that salary slot closer to where it is now.

Lafreniere is one of the more intriguing pending restricted free agents from the 2025 class.  After struggling through his entry-level contract (resulting in this bridge deal), he was much more impactful last season, showing the skill that made him a top pick before following it up with a strong playoff run.  Still just 22, there’s cause for optimism that Lafreniere could still beat his numbers from a year ago which will only send the price tag up even more.  Assuming that he can at least maintain his 2023-24 output, Lafreniere’s next contract should push past the $6MM mark at a minimum; it wouldn’t be surprising to see it go to a seven.

Lindgren settled for a one-year deal earlier this summer, one that will grant him unrestricted free agency at 27.  However, his offensive numbers are rather limited; he has yet to reach the 20-point mark.  That should limit him on the open market although a small raise from this price tag could be doable.  Miller is another player who had to settle for a bridge deal given New York’s cap situation at the time.  He wasn’t quite as impactful statistically last season but still played top-pairing minutes, putting him on track for a fair-sized raise.  His qualifying offer checks in at $4.546MM, already a sizable jump but he could also command $6MM or more on a long-term agreement.

Jones hasn’t been able to lock down a full-time spot in the lineup which won’t help his case in contract talks.  His qualifying offer goes up to just over $866K next summer and if he’s not more established by then, he could be a non-tender candidate with an eye on filling that spot with someone making the minimum.  Ruhwedel has been a capable seventh defender for several years now but isn’t likely to make much more than the league minimum moving forward.

While Shesterkin is coming off a quieter year by his standards, he still was one of the top netminders in the league last season and has been for the past four seasons.  Accordingly, he is believed to be looking for what would be a record-breaking contract; Carey Price ($10.5MM) is the holder of the priciest deal given to a goalie in NHL history.  Doubling his current AAV could be doable in the process.  Quick had a bounce-back year after a tough 2022-23 showing, earning himself a small raise in the process.  With Shesterkin being more of a workhorse, they will only need Quick to play 25-30 games which he should be capable of doing.  Given his age (38), it’s fair to suggest he’ll be on one-year deals from here on out.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Jonny Brodzinski ($788K, UFA)
F Artemi Panarin ($11.643MM, UFA)
D Braden Schneider ($2.2MM, RFA)
D Jacob Trouba ($8MM, UFA)

Panarin set and still holds (for now, at least) the record for the highest cap hit for a winger.  It’s hard to say the contract has been a bargain but it’s fair to say he has lived up to it so far.  Panarin has the fourth-most points of any player over the past five seasons (since he signed in New York) so they’ve gotten a solid return so far.  That said, he’ll be entering his age-35 year when his next contract starts so it’s reasonable to think the cap hit will be coming down and it will be a question of how long the deal becomes with the longer the term, the lower the AAV.  Brodzinski started last season off strong in the minors to earn a recall and never went back, earning this contract in the process.  If he stays in a depth or reserve role, it’s unlikely he’d command a big raise but even securing more one-way deals at this point of his career (he’s 31) would be a nice outcome for him.

Trouba was shopped around over the summer although no trade came to fruition.  He’s on an expensive contract for the role he fills (a third defender) but he’s still a more than capable player in that role.  Still, even if he rebounds over the next two seasons, he’ll be looking at a multi-million dollar pay cut although a multi-year pact should still be doable.  Schneider was the latest player to take a bridge contract this summer.  He has been held under 16 minutes a game in each of his first three seasons; it’s safe to say they’ll be expecting him to take a step forward in that regard.  His qualifying offer checks in at $2.64MM with arbitration rights in 2026 so if he’s still on the third pairing by then, that could be a problem.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Sam Carrick ($1MM, UFA)
F Filip Chytil ($4.438MM, UFA)
F Chris Kreider ($6.5MM, UFA)

Kreider didn’t produce much in the first season of this contract but since then, he has 127 goals over the last three years, putting him seventh among all NHL players over that span.  Given his physical playing style, it’s possible that injuries could be an issue toward the end of the deal when he’ll be 36 and potentially going year to year after that.

Chytil has battled concussion issues at times, including missing most of last season which makes him a bit of a wild card.  This is a high price tag for someone projected to play on the third line although if he’s healthy, he should be more productive than a typical third liner.  But with the injury history, it’s hard to foresee him getting this type of commitment unless he has three seasons of good health.  Carrick came over in free agency to anchor the fourth line after a good showing between Anaheim and Edmonton last season.  If he can maintain that for the next three years, a late-career raise could come his way even though he’ll be 35 on his next contract.

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