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Golden Knights Acquire, Extend Mitch Marner

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Tuesday: Both sides have officially announced the one-for-one swap.

Monday, 6:45 p.m.: PuckPedia has shared the financial breakdown of Marner’s new deal with Vegas:

  • Year 1: $4MM salary, $11MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 2: $4MM salary, $10MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 3: $4MM salary, $9.75MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 4: $4MM salary, $7.25MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 5: $5MM salary, $6MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 6: $5MM salary, $6MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 7: $5MM salary, $5MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause
  • Year 8: $5MM salary, $5MM signing bonus, full no-movement clause

4:07 p.m.: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Vegas Golden Knights have acquired forward Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Shortly thereafter, Friedman shared that Marner is expected to sign an eight-year, $96MM deal ($12MM AAV) with the Golden Knights. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Nicolas Roy is the only player headed to the Maple Leafs in the reported deal, making it a one-for-one swap.

Arguably the league’s top available free agent since Artemi Panarin in 2019, the Golden Knights have assured that Marner won’t even reach unrestricted free agency. Marner will join a star-studded roster in Nevada that already includes Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Shea Theodore.

Unlike his situation in Toronto, Marner also joins a team that’s entrenched in winning. Without question, the most successful expansion team in NHL history, the Golden Knights have qualified for the postseason in seven out of their eight seasons, reaching three Western Conference Finals, two Stanley Cup Finals, and winning one Stanley Cup.

After the money is squared away, the Golden Knights should have approximately $2MM remaining in salary cap space. Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is set to miss the entire 2025-26 season, potentially longer, providing Vegas with an added $8.8 million in flexibility. Coupled with Roy’s $3MM salary, the Golden Knights had plenty of flexibility to bring in Marner on a long-term contract.

In Marner, Vegas will add one of the league’s premier playmakers to its already high-end offense. Since debuting for the Maple Leafs in the 2016-17 season, Marner has scored 221 goals and 741 points in 657 games, averaging 20:03 of ice time per night. Aside from his offensive capabilities, Marner is exceptional on the defensive puck, earning a +128 rating with a career 52.7% CorsiFor% at even strength and a 90.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

By re-signing Brandon Saad and Reilly Smith over the past two days, and adding Marner this afternoon, the Golden Knights have completely addressed their need for quality wingers before unrestricted free agency has even opened. Furthermore, with $2MM remaining in salary cap space, Vegas has some flexibility to add toward the bottom of their lineup, or to shore up their defensive core with cheaper deals.

Marner’s addition reaffirms the adage of the ’rich becoming richer’. The Golden Knights finished the 2024-25 campaign with the fifth-best goals scored average (3.34), third-best goals against average (2.61), second-best powerplay (28.34%), 13th-best shooting percentage (11.0%), ninth-best CorsiFor% (51.8%), and 11th-best in high-danger scoring chances (51.9%). Interestingly enough, despite being known for his offensive talents, Marner may help Vegas the most on the penalty kill, as they finished this past season ranked 26th with a 75.74% kill rate.

In terms of the salary cap, this deal is only likely to improve for the Golden Knights. Marner will earn 12.57% of Vegas’ available salary cap next year while watching that percentage drop to 10.57% in only two years. Considering that they’ll need a new contract for Eichel after next season, Vegas should be in good shape to retain both for the foreseeable future.

Unfortunately, Marner does carry some baggage when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs. Like the Maple Leafs, the Golden Knights are firmly within their competitive window and have been competing for the Stanley Cup since becoming a team less than a decade ago. Although he won’t deal with a similar media landscape in Vegas, Marner will have similar expectations regarding his postseason performances.

In fairness to Marner, he’s been a quality postseason player, just not to his standard. During his time in Toronto, Marner scored 13 goals and 63 points in 70 playoff games, achieving a +9 rating. Although this would be viewed as quality production for most players, it’s a 0.22 drop-off in point-per-game average compared to his regular-season output. Now cemented in Vegas for the prime years of his career, Marner will only have so many more chances to correct the version of himself as a player when hockey becomes as important as it ever can.

Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs have done well by turning nothing into something. The likelihood of Marner staying in Toronto has been known for several weeks, and the Maple Leafs have made sure to get another asset in return rather than lose him for nothing. Unlike Marner, the player they’re acquiring from the Golden Knights has considerable postseason experience.

Over the last four years, Roy has become a valuable third-line center in Vegas. He can play all three forward positions and can move up and down the lineup, making him an extremely versatile forward.

Since becoming a full-time player for the Golden Knights in the 2021-22 season, Roy has scored 57 goals and 141 points in 284 games with a +26 rating, averaging 15:48 of ice time per game. His playoff scoring has declined, with five goals and 15 points in 40 games, but he contributed to the Golden Knights’  Stanley Cup victory in 2023. He should help create a stalwart third line in Toronto next to Max Domi and Scott Laughton.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Capitals Expected To Sign Martin Fehervary To Seven-Year Extension

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Today marks the beginning of a new league year which means players in the final season of their contracts are now eligible to sign a contract extension.  It appears one of those players is Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that the blueliner is expected to sign a seven-year, $42MM extension.  PuckPedia adds (Twitter link) that the deal will break down as follows:

2025-26: $5.5MM salary, $2MM signing bonus
2026-27: $5.5MM salary, $2MM signing bonus, 15-team NTC
2027-28: $4.5MM salary, $2MM signing bonus, 15-team NTC
2028-29: $4MM salary, $2MM signing bonus, 15-team NTC
2029-30: $3.5MM salary, $2MM signing bonus, 10-team NTC
2030-31: $2.5MM salary, $2MM signing bonus, 10-team NTC
2031-32: $2.5MM salary, $2MM signing bonus, 10-team NTC

The 25-year-old was a second-round pick by Washington back in 2018, going 46th overall.  While he got a taste of NHL action the following year, it took him three seasons to establish himself as a regular for the Caps.

Fehervary has largely played the same role over his four full NHL seasons.  He has averaged between 19 and 20 minutes a night of playing time while chipping in with some secondary scoring.  He is actually coming off a career-high in points offensively as last season, he notched five goals and a career-best 20 assists while his best goal total (eight) game in his rookie year back in 2021-22.

Of course, it’s not the offensive production that has Fehervary set to sign this contract.  He has been the defensive anchor for the Capitals in recent years and led the team in shorthanded ice time last season at just over three minutes per game.  Fehervary is also typically among the team leaders in blocked shots and hits; he notched a career-best 150 in the former category in 2024-25.

Fehervary had one RFA-eligible year left and will be spending next season on a contract that carries a $2.675MM cap charge.  He’ll get to more than double that starting in 2026-27 while Washington picks up an additional six seasons of team control and secures Fehervary through the prime of his career.

The deal also ensures that Washington will have one of the pricier back ends for the foreseeable future.  While Fehervary’s contract won’t start until 2026-27, the Capitals are set to spend more than $35MM on their defense corps for the upcoming season, per PuckPedia.  This contract will put their 2026-27 spending on the position over $27.5MM, with veteran John Carlson also in need of a new deal at some point.  In that season, Fehervary is currently set to carry the second-highest cap charge among Capitals blueliners, checking in behind Jakob Chychrun ($9MM).

Photo courtesy of Peter Casey-Imagn Images.

List Of Players Not Receiving A 2025 Qualifying Offer

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The deadline to issue a qualifying offer to pending restricted free agents is today at 4:00 p.m. CT, making any player who has not received one eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday. Below are the players who will not be issued a qualifying offer:

(this list will be updated as reports continue to come in)

[Related: 2025 Free Agents]

[Related: How Do Qualifying Offers Work?]

Anaheim Ducks 

F Brett Leason, F Josh Lopina, F Isac Lundeström

Boston Bruins 

F Trevor Kuntar, F Jakub Lauko, F Jaxon Nelson, F Oliver Wahlstrom, D Drew Bavaro, D Daniil Misyul, D Ian Mitchell

Buffalo Sabres 

F Alexander Kisakov, F Bennett MacArthur, F Tyler Tullio, D Jacob Bernard-Docker

Calgary Flames 

G Waltteri Ignatjew, G Connor Murphy

Carolina Hurricanes 

D Anttoni Honka, D Ty Smith, G Yaniv Perets

Chicago Blackhawks 

F Cole Guttman, F Philipp Kurashev, F Jalen Luypen, F Aku Raty, F Antti Saarela

Colorado Avalanche

F William Dufour, F Jean-Luc Foudy, D John Ludvig, G Kevin Mandolese

Columbus Blue Jackets 

D Ole Julian Bjørgvik-Holm, D Cole Clayton, D Jordan Harris, D Samuel Knazko

Dallas Stars 

None

Detroit Red Wings

G Gage Alexander, F Cross Hanas

Edmonton Oilers

F Jacob Perreault, G Olivier Rodrigue, F Cameron Wright

Florida Panthers

D Nathan Staios, D Zachary Uens

Los Angeles Kings

D Cole Krygier, F Jack Studnicka

Minnesota Wild 

F Graeme Clarke, F Adam Raska, F Luke Toporowski, D Ryan O’Rourke

Montreal Canadiens 

F Rafaël Harvey-Pinard, F Xavier Simoneau, D Gustav Lindström, D Noel Hoefenmayer

Nashville Predators 

F Jordan Frasca, F Ondrej Pavel, F Jesse Ylönen, D Luke Prokop

New Jersey Devils 

F Nolan Foote, D Santeri Hatakka, G Isaac Poulter

New York Islanders

D Samuel Bolduc, D Aidan Fulp, D Scott Perunovich

New York Rangers

F Lucas Edmonds, F Arthur Kaliyev, F Jake Leschyshyn, D Zachary Jones

Ottawa Senators 

F Philippe Daoust, F Jamieson Rees, F Tristen Robins

Philadelphia Flyers 

F Elliot Desnoyers, F Jakob Pelletier, F Zayde Wisdom

Pittsburgh Penguins 

F Raivis Ansons, F Emil Bemström, F Connor Dewar, F Philip Tomasino, D Pierre-Olivier Joseph, G Taylor Gauthier

San Jose Sharks

F Carl Berglund, F Nolan Burke, F Brandon Coe, F Noah Gregor, F Klim Kostin, F Nikolai Kovalenko, G Georgi Romanov, F Mitchell Russell

Seattle Kraken 

D Peetro Seppala

St. Louis Blues

F Tanner Dickinson, D Anton Malmstrom

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Jaydon Dureau, F Gage Goncalves, F Ryder Korczak

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Pontus Holmberg, F Reese Johnson, F Cedric Pare, D Mikko Kokkonen

Utah Mammoth 

F Kailer Yamamoto

Vancouver Canucks 

F Ty Glover, F Tristen Nielsen, D Christian Felton, D Cole McWard

Vegas Golden Knights 

G Isaiah Saville

Washington Capitals

F Pierrick Dube, D Alexander Alexeyev, G Mitchell Gibson

Winnipeg Jets 

F Mason Shaw, D Simon Lundmark

Metro Notes: Ehlers, Malkin, Allen, Bridgeport

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After today’s flurry of moves, Nikolaj Ehlers has arguably become the top pending free-agent forward available. Commanding plenty of interest already, Murat Ates of The Athletic lists the Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, and Washington Capitals as known suitors. He also mentioned the Tampa Bay Lightning, but it’s incredibly unfeasible given their salary cap circumstances.

It’s unlikely to be an exhaustive list, but, notably, the three prominent teams listed come from the Metropolitan Division. It’s been known for several weeks that the Hurricanes were looking to make a significant addition this summer after falling short in another postseason appearance. With limited cap space themselves, the Capitals and Rangers may be engaging in some gamesmanship, and merely making life more difficult for their intra-division rival.

Still, with several prominent names taken off the board earlier today, Ehlers’s free agent landscape may have dramatically opened up over the last few hours. More than half the league is entering tomorrow’s action with more than $10MM in cap space, and Ehlers would be a notable needle-mover for nearly all of them.

Other Metropolitan notes:

  • A few weeks ago, Josh Yohe of The Athletic set the stage for a potential Evgeni Malkin trade, reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t expected to offer him a contract beyond the 2025-26 season. Furthering that point this afternoon, Josh Getzoff, the play-by-play voice of the Penguins, indicated that General Manager Kyle Dubas will meet with Malkin and his representation regarding Malkin’s next steps with the team during next year’s Olympic break. It doesn’t necessarily guarantee a trade, as Malkin could retire in Pittsburgh after next season. Still, if he has any hopes of contending for one last Stanley Cup, he and his representation will negotiate a trade away from the Penguins by next season’s deadline.
  • Following the trend of some of his peers from today, there’s no guarantee netminder Jake Allen will be available to other teams once unrestricted free agency opens tomorrow afternoon. Peter Baugh of The Athletic reports that Allen and the New Jersey Devils are negotiating a new contract, which may extend until just before the deadline. It seems unusual for the Devils to prioritize extending Allen, especially since they already have Jacob Markström in goal, and considering that Allen would demand a high price as the market’s top available goaltender.
  • All signs indicate that professional hockey will return to Hamilton, Ontario. According to Frank Seravalli, the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders, an affiliate of the New York Islanders, are expected to relocate to Hamilton beginning in the 2026-27 AHL season. The new team would play at the freshly revamped TD Coliseum. Seravalli did not indicate if Hamilton would retain their affiliation with the Islanders after the relocation, but New York’s affiliate agreement with Bridgeport expires after next season.

Atlantic Notes: Nosek, Maple Leafs, Gaudette, Spence

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After re-signing Aaron Ekblad earlier today and agreeing to terms on a new contract for Brad Marchand, the Panthers might not be done just yet.  David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports (video link) that Florida is also working on a new contract for pending unrestricted free agent center Tomas Nosek.  The 32-year-old inked a one-year deal worth the league minimum of $775K on the opening day of free agency last summer and, when healthy, was largely a regular on their fourth line.  Nosek picked up a goal and eight assists in 59 games this past season while winning more than half his faceoffs for the eighth straight season.  Speculatively, should a new deal be reached, it should check in at or near the minimum salary once again.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Even after adding Matias Maccelli earlier today, the Maple Leafs will likely want to make an addition on the wing. To that end, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic noted in an appearance on TSN 1050 (audio link) that winger Nikolaj Ehlers “holds some appeal” for Toronto.  The 29-year-old is the number two player on our Top 50 UFA list and the top available with Mitch Marner on his way to Vegas in a move that’s expected to be made official soon.  Ehlers has scored at least 20 goals in eight of the last nine seasons and had 63 points in 69 games in 2024-25.
  • The Senators haven’t given up on trying to re-sign winger Adam Gaudette, notes Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). The 29-year-old wound up scoring a career-best 19 goals this past season after being an AHL regular the previous two seasons.  That has Gaudette in a position for a raise and a one-way deal; he checked in 43rd on our Top 50 UFA list.
  • At the draft, Los Angeles moved defenseman Jordan Spence to Ottawa but the Senators weren’t the only Atlantic team interested in his services. Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek reports that the Bruins were also in on the 24-year-old.  Spence had 28 points in 79 games this past season but had requested a trade in the hopes of finding a bigger role elsewhere.  Speculatively, had Boston landed Spence, they may not have turned around and re-signed Henri Jokiharju, who inked a three-year deal earlier today.

Pacific Notes: Andersson, Granlund, Seabrook, Juulsen, Chovan

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A few days ago, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned that the Vegas Golden Knights had attempted to acquire Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson last week. No deal came to fruition, and TSN’s Darren Dreger doesn’t believe that the Golden Knights were the only intra-divisional opponent to try to poach Andersson from Alberta.

Speaking on The Nielson Show, Dreger indicated that the Los Angeles Kings put together a formidable offer for Andersson at the 2025 NHL Draft. Dreger believes that the offer was compelling enough for the Flames that they brought it up to Andersson, but the nine-year veteran had no interest in playing for Los Angeles.

After being previously connected to Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram and now Andersson, it appears the Kings are under the impression that Vladislav Gavrikov won’t be back with the organization next summer. At any rate, General Manager Ken Holland is being aggressive in pursuing a replacement top-four defenseman in any way that he can.

Other notes from the Pacific Division:

  • Being one of several teams looking to add a second-line center from a thin pool tomorrow, the Vancouver Canucks have been connected to one of the top available options remaining in the free agent class. David Pagnotta from The Fourth Period reports that the Canucks are expected to aggressively pursue Mikael Granlund if he becomes available in free agency tomorrow. Pagnotta noted that Granlund is seeking a new contract with the Dallas Stars; however, it will be nearly impossible due to their limited salary cap space.
  • Back in Calgary, the Flames have added a three-time Stanley Cup champion to their player development staff. Earlier today, the Flames announced that they’ve hired Brent Seabrook as a player development coach. Despite having no prior affiliation with the Flames organization, he has been serving as a development coach for the WHL’s Vancouver Giants since retiring from his playing career.
  • Unsurprisingly, Rick Dhaliwal of The Athletic reported that the Canucks aren’t expected to re-sign defenseman Noah Juulsen before he becomes an unrestricted free agent tomorrow afternoon. Coming off of arguably the worst season of his NHL career, Juulsen went completely scoreless in 35 games with Vancouver this past season, with a -12 rating before having his season cut short due to injury.
  • According to Ben Leeson of the Sudbury Star, Kings’ draft pick Jan Chovan has signed with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves to continue his development. The Bratislava, Slovakia native was selected 184th overall in last week’s draft. The Wolves selected Chovan in the first round of the 2024 OHL Import Draft, and he’s coming off a year with the U20 SM-sarja’s Tappara, scoring 11 goals and 23 points in 39 games with a +7 rating.

Minor Transactions: Merkulov, Bishop, McLaughlin

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In what has turned out to be a busy day on the transactions front, there were several minor signings as well that haven’t previously been covered.  We’ll run through those here.

  • The Bruins announced earlier today that they’ve re-signed forward Georgii Merkulov to a one-year, two-way deal worth $775K at the NHL level. PuckPedia adds (Twitter link) that the deal will pay $235K in the AHL and has a guaranteed salary of $270K.  The 24-year-old got into six games with Boston this past season, notching one assist but he was much more productive in the minors with AHL Providence.  With them, he led the team in scoring with 15 goals and 39 assists in 59 appearances.  Merkulov will be waiver-eligible beginning next season which could give him a leg up in a battle for a roster spot in training camp.
  • The Flames announced that they have re-signed Clark Bishop on a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K in the NHL. PuckPedia adds (Twitter link) that the winger will make $350K in the minors and that the agreement has a $375K guaranteed salary.  The 29-year-old got into six games with Calgary this past season, his first taste of NHL action since 2021-22, scoring once.  He also put up his best offensive numbers in the minors, notching 19 goals and 19 assists in 66 games with the Wranglers.
  • The Devils have kept forward Marc McLaughlin away from Group Six unrestricted free agency. PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the sides have agreed to a one-year, two-way contract that pays $775K in the NHL and $350K in the minors.  The 25-year-old got into 14 NHL games this season between Boston and New Jersey, picking up two goals and an assist.  In the minors, meanwhile, he had five goals and 14 assists in 48 games between their respective farm teams.

Alex Pietrangelo Expected To Miss 2025-26 Season

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Monday: The Golden Knights have released statements from Pietrangelo and GM Kelly McCrimmon.  While stopping short of announcing it officially, it would appear as if Pietrangelo’s playing days may very well be over.

Pietrangelo:

The past few years have been very challenging on my physical well-being, and I am in a difficult position with my overall playing health. After exploring options with doctors as well as my family, it’s been advised to remove the intensity of hockey to see if my body can improve so that I can return to a normal quality of life. This decision has been difficult to come to terms with after the last 17 years of competition and the camaraderie with my teammates and coaches. The likelihood is low that my body will recover to the standard required to play, but I know this is the right decision for me and my family.

McCrimmon:

Alex has our organization’s full support in prioritizing his long-term health and quality of life. Alex is dealing with hips that would require bilateral femur reconstruction, with no guarantee of success. Throughout the season, the steps that Alex needed to take to be able to play and practice began to grow and take a significant toll on his body. Our hope in February during the NHL’s break for the 4 Nations Face-Off was to give Alex treatment and rest to help provide relief, but instead, what we found were diminished positive results and a process that is no longer sustainable moving forward. Alex has given everything to the game and to the Golden Knights and has played through significant challenges in the pursuit of trying to win another Stanley Cup in Vegas. He is one of the most respected players in the league, not only for his elite talent but for his character, leadership, competitiveness, and professionalism. Today’s decision is a difficult one for both Alex and the Golden Knights, but it is being made for the right reasons – so that Alex can be the family man we all know him to be.

Sunday: After weeks of speculation, it’s looking more like Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo won’t be available next season. He’s in line for “multiple major surgeries” this offseason that will go so far as to jeopardize his career, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.

The news comes just days after general manager Kelly McCrimmon spoke after the draft on Pietrangelo’s future. When asked whether or not Pietrangelo would be healthy enough to play next season, McCrimmon said it was something that still needed to be sorted out.

“We’re going to know more on that in the coming days. Alex and I have had a number of discussions. There are a number of decisions that need to be made. When I spoke earlier about having a number of things that need clarity, that would be one of them,” he said.

As rumors continue to intensify linking pending free agent Mitch Marner with the Golden Knights, Vegas now seemingly also faces the challenge of replacing Pietrangelo’s leadership and production. But moving Pietrangelo to long-term injured reserve before the start of free agency may free up the space the team needs to sign Marner, as outlined by Danny Webster of Las Vegas Review-Journal. Pietrangelo has two years remaining on his $8.8MM AAV deal, and the Knights currently have just $5.615MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.

Pietrangelo, 35, appeared in 71 games for the Golden Knights last season, posting four goals, 33 points, and a plus-11 rating. While he missed 11 games on the year and opted out of the Four Nations Faceoff due to injury, Pietrangelo averaged over 22:24 of ice time per game on the year, showcasing his ability to log meaningful minutes when healthy. The two-time Stanley Cup winner has produced 637 points throughout his 17-year career.

PHR’s Paul Griser contributed significantly to this article.

Red Wings Sign Patrick Kane To One-Year Contract

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According to a team announcement, the Detroit Red Wings have signed veteran forward Patrick Kane to a one-year contract for the 2025-26 season. Detroit shared that Kane will earn $3MM base salary, while PuckPedia reported his potential performance bonuses:

  • $2.5MM after 10 games played
  • $250K after 30 games played
  • $250K after 50 games played
  • $500K for reaching the postseason
  • $250K for Round One win
  • $250K for Round Two win

Although his base salary has decreased by $1MM, Kane has the opportunity to earn a slight raise on his new deal with Detroit. The Red Wings signed Kane to a one-year, $4MM contract a year ago to the day, with an additional $2.5MM available in performance bonuses. Unfortunately for Kane, he only earned $1.75MM of those bonuses. Still, by the time Kane reaches 30 games played in the upcoming season, he’ll have matched last year’s total.

Kane became an obvious re-sign candidate during the end-of-season press availability for the Red Wings. General Manager Steve Yzerman stated his intention to re-sign Kane, and the 18-year veteran felt the same way.

Since coming to Detroit early in the 2023-24 campaign, Kane has been a valuable secondary scorer for the Red Wings. Despite undergoing hip resurfacing surgery, Kane has scored 41 goals and 106 points in 122 games donning the ’Winged Wheel’, averaging 18:09 of ice time per night.

Kane’s recovery from hip resurfacing surgery has been fairly remarkable. He was in visible pain toward the end of his tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks, and he finally underwent surgery after concluding his time with the New York Rangers. The same surgery ended Nicklas Bäckström’s career prematurely, just before Kane had his. However, Kane has returned stronger, maintaining his production levels.

Furthermore, Kane’s speed hasn’t appeared affected by the surgery, either. To be fair, ’Father Time’ has zapped much of the speed from his Hart Memorial days, but it’s decreased only slightly since. According to NHL EDGE data, Kane finished in the 81st percentile of the league in 18-20 mph bursts pre-surgery, and 76th percentile post-surgery. He may not have the best edge work anymore, but Kane has been playing like he’s got much more left in the tank.

Max Bultman of The Athletic was the first to report that the Red Wings were finalizing a new deal with Kane. 

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