Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Focus: Calgary Flames

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. There will be several impact players set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We start our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Calgary Flames.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Connor Zary – With Matthew Coronato signed to a six-year extension, the Flames will enter the off-season with two free agents demanding particularly close attention. The first is young center Connor Zary, who caught a strong wind with 14 goals, 34 points, and a plus-12 in 63 games last season. He seemed on track to top those numbers this year – netting 13 goals and 27 points in 54 games – but routine injuries forced Zary to miss most of January and shut down for the season before the end of March. He had three points in his final five games of the year, and was receiving upwards of 22 minutes of ice time each night. Those are lofty totals for a player who has paced for 40 points in back-to-back seasons. It’s clear that Calgary sees a future top-six center in Zary, but without reaching 70 games in a single NHL season, his upside is hard to project. He’ll likely be a candidate for a bridge deal this summer, and hopefully a much larger deal after a few healthy seasons.

D Kevin Bahl – Joining Zary at the top of Calgary’s list is defender Kevin Bahl, who the Flames acquired in their shipping of Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils last summer. Bahl was a revelation for a gutted blue-line, that lost the likes of Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov last season alone. The 24-year-old Bahl quickly took to playing north of 20-minutes a night and posted a career-high 20 points in 73 games this season. He’s 6-foot-6 and looked plenty comfortable playing opposite of Calgary’s top right-defenders, like MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson. Calgary doesn’t have much in the way of competition for Bahl’s role as the top left-defense. Unless that changes with a big signing this summer, it’d be hard to think Bahl won’t land a deal that will carry him into his 30s.

F Morgan Frost – Frost is another trade acquisition who’s matched the bill in Calgary. He was acquired mid-season alongside Joel Farabee, in a deal that sent Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier the other way. Frost quickly stepped into a middle-six center role with the Flames, but found his way into boosted minutes when Zary fell to injury. The results were simply fine – 12 points and a minus-six in 32 games, but never any egregious moments of poor play. Frost combined for 37 points in 81 games this season, just shy of the 41 points he scored last year; and the career-high 46 points he managed in 2022-23. He has tepid upside at the age of 26, but could be a reasonably-priced option as Calgary looks to build out their center depth. Given his mid-season move, Frost seems to be a strong candidate to re-sign.

F Adam Klapka – Klapka played in the most NHL games of his career this season when he made 31 appearances in Calgary’s bottom-six. He performed alright in the role – netting 10 points, 29 penalty minutes, and a minus-three. He also confidently led the Flames in hits-per-60, recording a whopping 108 hits despite averaging just 9:39 in ice time each game. His 21.65 hits-per-60 is over five hits more than the 16.14 hits-per-60 averaged by Martin Pospisil in second place. Simply put, hard hitting, 6-foot-8 wingers don’t grow on trees. Even in his modest role, Klapka has emerged as a legitimate piece for an undrafted player. He should continue to offer Calgary the services of an imposing forward, and could even have scoring upside ahead – evidence by his 26 points in 33 AHL games this year. This should be a cheap and promising re-signing for the Flames.

F Rory Kerins – Flames fans kicked down doors to try and earn Kerins a hardy NHL chance this season. The 23-year-old centerman led the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers in scoring for much of the year, and finished the season with a whopping 33 goals and 61 points in 63 games. He continued to perform in his brief view of the NHL, recording four assists and a plus-three in what were the first five games of his NHL career. After such a red-hot season, Kerins seems like a strong bet to make the Flames’ roster out of training camp next season – even if it’d require some additional padding to house his small frame. Kerins isn’t at the point of a hefty contract yet, but could earn good money and a few years to prove he can continue his hot play into the NHL.

Other RFAs: F Eetu Tuulola, F Sam Morton, D Carl-Johan Lerby, D Nikita Okhotyuk, D Yan Kuznetsov, D Jeremie Poirier, G Waltteri Ignatjew, G Connor Murphy

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

F Anthony Mantha – Mantha suffered an ACL injury on November 5th, less than one month into the regular season. The injury immediately ended his season, cutting things short after he posted an impressive seven points and plus-six in the first 13 games of the year. Mantha continued to perform into his age-30 season, and is only one season removed from posting 23 goals and 44 points in 74 games. He’s a hard bet to make coming off such a tough injury. That could push him out of favor for a Flames group with players earning roles. But on the open market, Mantha shouldn’t have too much trouble finding a cheap, prove-it deal.

F Justin Kirkland – Less than three full weeks after Mantha’s injury, bottom-line forward Justin Kirkland also suffered a season-ending ACL injury. The blow took out what was set to be Kirkland’s first full year in the NHL. He looked strong to start the campaign, managing eight points and a plus-six through 21 appearances despite a low-grade role. But instead, Kirkland has spent the last few months recovering, and could face an uncertain future as a result. He’s a hard-working, bottom-end centerman who’s grown to an NHL role after multiple strong seasons in the minors. But he’s also coming off a difficult injury and facing competition from Calgary’s many emerging prospects. He could be on the cutting block in Calgary, and may have to rediscover his NHL hopes somewhere new.

F Kevin Rooney – Rooney was the beneficiary of injuries up the depth chart. He stuck into Calgary’s bottom-six for the entirety of the season, and scored a modest 10 points, split evenly, in 70 games. Rooney has now rotated onto the Flames roster in each of the last three seasons, and went on long campaigns with the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers in four seasons before joining Calgary. He’s up to 60 points in 330 career games in the NHL. Those numbers won’t jump off the page for a Flames team close to the playoffs, but Rooney will offer cheap veteran upside.

D Joel Hanley – Among the unheralded this season is depth defenseman Joel Hanley, who seemed to grow as a shutdown option operating behind Bahl on the depth chart. Hanley posted a career-high nine points in 53 games this season, while adding 21 penalty minutes and a plus-12. He didn’t push the boundaries in any one way, but boasted a style that was well-rounded enough to stick. Calgary will need left-shot defenders this summer, and Hanley should be a cheap way to pad their depth.

G Daniel Vladar – Behind the glimmer of Dustin Wolf’s star rookie season, Daniel Vladar appeared in 30 NHL games for the first time in his career. He handled the growing backup role just fine – setting a 12-11-6 record and .898 save percentage. Those numbers – like many of Calgary’s UFAs – don’t jump off the page. But the Flames will continue to need a backup they can count on behind their top-notch starter. Vladar has served in that role for the last four years, and it’d be tough to see the organization let him go without a clear option to replace him.

D Tyson Barrie – Barrie signed a one-year, $1.2MM contract with the Flames in October, but wasn’t able to carve out much of any role in the daily lineup. He posted three points in 13 games with Calgary before being waived and assigned to the minors in February. Barrie didn’t find much spark in the AHL either, though – with just five points and a minus-five through 11 appearances. He’ll be a hard bet to earn a new contract this summer, unless it’s a league-minimum price or two-way deal. One silver lining – Barrie has 508 points in 822 career games in the NHL.

Other UFAs: F Dryden Hunt, F Martin Frk, F Clark Bishop, D Jarred Tinordi, D Jonathan Aspirot

Projected Cap Space

The Flames are entering the summer with $28.15MM in projected cap space. That should be more than enough to lock-up the must-sign options on this list – Zary, Bahl, and Frost – and other upside bets like Klapka, Kerins, or Dryden Hunt shouldn’t come at too much additional premium. All of that should set Calgary up for an aggressive summer. They finished the 2024-25 season with the most points ever from a team that missed the playoffs – and a couple of impactful free agent moves could be what pushes the Flames back into Spring hockey.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports. Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.

Aleksi Heponiemi Signs In Sweden

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While Aleksi Heponiemi remains on the Panthers’ reserve list until next offseason, it doesn’t appear he’ll entertain an NHL return before then. The 26-year-old center signed a two-year deal with HV71 of the Swedish Hockey League today, per a team announcement, essentially confirming Florida will lose his signing rights on July 1, 2026.

Heponiemi, a 2017 second-round pick, once checked out as one of the organization’s top prospects. The Finnish native was named the WHL’s Rookie of the Year in his draft year after posting 86 points in 72 games and took things to another level in 2017-18, leading the league with 90 assists in just 57 games while adding 28 goals for 118 points. But he didn’t immediately join the Panthers’ pro ranks after that, instead opting to return home with Kärpät in the top-division Liiga for 2018-19. He continued to impress there, logging 46 points in 50 games, finally receiving an entry-level contract from Florida at the end of the year.

Upon his arrival in the North American professional ranks, Heponiemi’s development and production cratered. He managed only 14 points in 49 AHL games in his first pro season stateside and managed only six points in 25 NHL games over the following three years. Upon becoming an RFA in 2023, the Panthers still issued Heponiemi a qualifying offer to retain his signing rights, but he was obviously unhappy with his trajectory in the organization and opted to return to Europe instead.

Heponiemi has spent the last two years with EHC Biel-Bienne of the Swiss National League. He’s been serviceable there but not as dominant as he would have hoped. The 5’10” pivot posted a 13-22–35 scoring line in 59 appearances since his arrival, and while Biel-Bienne signed him to a three-year extension last summer, they recently mutually terminated that contract.

He’ll now look to rediscover his game in Sweden, but with his production still yet to rebound to its ceiling, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him not add to his NHL resume down the line. A major resurgence with HV71 could put him on the international free agency radar in 2027, though.

Offseason Checklist: New Jersey Devils

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those already eliminated through the first couple of rounds.  Accordingly, it’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at New Jersey.

Over the first half of the season, the Devils looked like a potential contender before injuries to several key players dropped them in the standings.  While they managed to hold onto a playoff spot, they were eliminated quickly by Carolina.  While GM Tom Fitzgerald has suggested he’d like to take some big swings this summer, this checklist is if they opt to take a more measured approach if those bigger moves don’t pan out.

Look For Center Help

This was an area that the Devils were believed to be looking into during the season but once Jack Hughes went down with his shoulder injury that required surgery right before the trade deadline, those plans were understandably shelved.  After all, when you’re missing multiple key pieces, pushing in some prominent trade chips for short-term help might not be the best way to go.

Between Hughes and Nico Hischier, New Jersey’s top two middlemen are in place for at least a couple more years until Hischier’s deal comes to an end; Hughes is signed through 2030 so he’s around for a while yet.  After that, things get a bit murkier.

The hope was that Erik Haula would be the right fit for the third line but while he started off pretty well in his tenure with the Devils three seasons ago, this was a particularly rough year for him.  His point-per-game average dropped to the lowest it has been (0.30) since his sophomore year back in 2013-14 when he spent a lot of time on Minnesota’s fourth line as he was getting acclimated to the NHL.  He has one year left on his deal at a $3.15MM price tag and is the type of player who could plausibly be added to a trade to help match money.  Alternatively, if they were to add another center and keep Haula, he’d fit in well on the left wing, a position he has plenty of experience at.

Another internal option that has run hot or cold is Dawson Mercer.  After putting up 56 points in his sophomore year, he has managed just 33 and 36 the last two seasons.  Meanwhile, he hasn’t fared particularly well when asked to play down the middle.  He has two years left on his deal at a $4MM cap charge and he’ll still be RFA-eligible at its expiration.  Not surprisingly, he could be someone that Fitzgerald is open to moving to shake up his roster.  In terms of being a solution at the 3C spot, he’s probably only a stopgap one whenever injuries arise.  If he and Haula aren’t deemed ideal for the role, they’ll have to look externally.  They may not have much to spend on it, however, as we’ll get into over the next couple of sections.

Before moving on, it’s also worth noting that Curtis Lazar, who has often anchored the fourth line when healthy in recent years, is also an unrestricted free agent.  So too is Justin Dowling who spent a lot of time with the Devils this season.  Paul Cotter has played a few games down the middle over his career but is a better fit on the wing so this is another spot they’ll need to fill this offseason.

Re-Sign The Other Hughes

While one Hughes brother is signed for several more years, the other isn’t.  Defenseman Luke Hughes will be a restricted free agent this summer after completing the first year of his entry-level contract.  While he won’t be eligible for an offer sheet (he didn’t play enough to accrue a season in the first year of his deal), he’s still going to be in line for a significant raise after putting up 91 points in 153 games over the last two seasons, especially with the big jump coming to the salary cap.

Before getting into the bridge versus long-term debate, this is a good time to mention their cap situation.  Per PuckPedia, the Devils have roughly $12MM in cap space at their disposal with a few forward spots to fill (including those center positions), a new deal for Hughes, and one other possible opening in the next section.  On top of that, they likely want to leave themselves some in-season wiggle room so not all of that may be spendable.

While there’s enough of a track record to make a long-term deal feasible, New Jersey’s cap situation might dictate they go with a short-term pact, allowing for some extra flexibility, especially if Fitzgerald is able to make a big swing or two as he’s hoping for.  Notably, Hughes has five years of club control remaining, giving them a few more options on a short-term agreement as a bridge deal could conceivably be four years long with him still being restricted at the end of it.  A two-year agreement could land around the $5MM range while a four-year pact likely could push past $6MM per season.

On the flip side, Hughes could be viewed as the top priority of the offseason which could allow the two sides to work out a longer-term pact up to the maximum of eight years.  There are recent comparables to work with in Owen Power (seven years, $8.35MM per season) and Brock Faber (eight years, $8.5MM per season) although those were obviously signed before the projection of a faster-escalating cap came into play.  But New Jersey should know that if they want to go long-term with Hughes, the price tag likely starts with an eight.

With no arbitration or offer sheet rights, this is one of those cases that could linger toward training camp.  But with the Devils needing to know what money they have available to fill their other holes on the roster, this is something that they’re going to want to get done sooner than later.

Look For Goalie Insurance

Starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom has just one year left on his contract before being eligible for unrestricted free agency.  Jake Allen is set to hit the open market this summer and profiles as one of the top netminders available in a particularly thin class.  This season, their goaltending position was one of strength but it’s already looking a little shallower.

Yes, Nico Daws is already under contract at a cap hit that’s less than $40K above the league minimum.  While that’s ideal from a cap standpoint, he’s coming off a particularly rough year with AHL Utica that saw him put up a 3.16 GAA and a .893 SV% in 34 games.  Meanwhile, while he fared much better in six NHL games, his career numbers in 54 outings aren’t the strongest.  It’s possible that the plan is to give him a shot at being the full-time backup and if that’s the case, they’re going to want some insurance, either as someone who could battle with Daws for the number two spot or come up if he struggles.

Alternatively, they could look for a more proven second option with an eye on starting Daws in the minors again, pending waiver clearance.  Markstrom’s former Calgary teammate Daniel Vladar could be an option, as could Ilya Samsonov if he leaves Vegas.  Allen realistically shouldn’t be ruled out either after a relatively solid first full season with them.  Of course, those options cost more and would cut into what they can spend for help down the middle or when working out a deal with Hughes.  Some of those players might require more than one year which would at least give them one proven option under contract beyond 2025-26 as well.

Utilize Defensive Depth

New Jersey has put together a solid defensive group with two promising youngsters behind them in Simon Nemec and Seamus Casey.  As things stand, they have more than $27MM committed to their blueliners, a cost that’s only going to go up considerably once Hughes signs.  It’s not out of the realm of possibility that their back end will be the most expensive in the league, costing more than 35% of the salary cap in the process.

Once Hughes signs, their lowest-paid defenders will be Jonas Siegenthaler ($3.4MM) along with Johnathan Kovacevic and Brenden Dillon ($4MM apiece).  Individually, these aren’t bad value contracts but with that much tied up in their top six and Nemec and Casey in the wings, there’s a case to be made that they might be better off dealing from their surplus of veterans, a move that would open up a spot for one of the youngsters and potentially some additional cap flexibility.

The challenge here revolves around handedness and it’s not necessarily the normal one.  Both youngsters are right-shot players as are veterans Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Kovacevic.  At a $9MM price tag for three more years, Hamilton will be difficult to move, at least without considerable retention.  Pesce just signed last summer and has a full no-trade clause while Kovacevic only signed his extension less than three months ago so he’s probably safe as well.

Speculatively, Siegenthaler would be the likeliest to move if the Devils do deal from their depth.  Being the cheapest player helps but he has primarily played top-four minutes over the last four years and with three years left on a reasonable contract, he would yield a solid return.  That would put them in a rare spot of having more right-shot options than lefties but that would help open up some options for Fitzgerald to try to make a splash this summer.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Snapshots: Islanders, Nabokov, Andersson, Hagens

at CDT | by 7 Comments

New Islanders GM Mathieu Darche met with the media today (video link) for the first time since being hired.  While he addressed the coaching situation, he was also asked about the upcoming draft.  New York now holds the number one selection following a surprising victory at the draft lottery, leading some to wonder if they might be open to moving it to help get back into the playoff picture for next season.  While he stopped short of ruling out the idea outright, he did his best to pour cold water on the idea, saying that “Someone would have to really knock my socks off to trade that pick.”  The Isles have only picked first overall twice this century, goalie Rick DiPietro (2000) and John Tavares (2009).  Barring an offer Darche can’t refuse, they’ll be adding to that count in a little under a month.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The Avalanche appear to be likely to sign goalie prospect Ilya Nabokov to an entry-level contract, suggests Evan Rawal of the Denver Gazette (Twitter link). The 22-year-old was a second-round pick last year after a breakout year with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL.  This season, he was nearly as dominant, posting a 2.22 GAA and a .923 SV% in 49 games.  With Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood both signed for next season already, one scenario that could come into play is Nabokov signing with a European Assignment Clause which would allow him to return to Russia for the upcoming season and then make the move to North America for 2026-27.
  • Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson played through a fractured fibula at the end of the season and at the recently completed World Championship, relays Uffe Bodin of Hockey Sverige. The injury isn’t expected to require surgery so there shouldn’t be any issues heading into training camp when he’ll be beginning a contract year.  Andersson played in 81 games with Calgary this past season, notching 11 goals and 20 assists while logging nearly 24 minutes a night of playing time.
  • Speaking with reporters earlier this week including Steve Conroy of the Boston Herald, top prospect James Hagens hasn’t decided if he’ll return to Boston College for his sophomore year. The 18-year-old is likely to go in the top five in the draft next month and will be eligible to play in the minors if the team that picks him wants to start him there if he can’t make the NHL roster.  Alternatively, if he’s not deemed ready for pro hockey, he could return to school or go to OHL London, which holds his rights at the junior level.  Hagens had a solid freshman year as one of the youngest players in college hockey, notching 11 goals and 26 assists in 37 games for the Eagles.

Kraken Hire Lane Lambert As Head Coach

at CDT | by 13 Comments

After a long search, the Kraken have found their new bench boss.  The team announced that Lane Lambert has been hired as the third head coach in franchise history.  GM Jason Botterill released the following statement:

After conducting an extensive search, we’re thrilled to announce Lane as our new head coach. We cast a wide net for suitable candidates. What impressed us throughout the interview process was Lane’s strategy and vision for this team. He was an integral part of the Capitals winning the Cup and the Islanders advancing to two straight Eastern Conference finals. We have full confidence in Lane to lead this team behind the bench.

Lambert will be taking over behind the bench from Dan Bylsma who was let go after just one year.  He had previously replaced Dave Hakstol who served as the head coach for the franchise’s first three seasons.  The hire shouldn’t come as too much surprise as earlier this week, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Lambert had emerged as the frontrunner for the position.

This will be Lambert’s second stint leading a team.  The 60-year-old spent 127 games in charge of the Islanders but was let go partway through the 2023-24 season and replaced by Patrick Roy.  Over that time, the Isles put up a 61-46-20 record while making the playoffs in 2022-23 where they lost in the first round.

The playoff success Botterill alludes to in his statement came when Lambert wasn’t in the top job.  He spent four years with Washington as an assistant including 2018 when the Capitals won the Stanley Cup.  Lambert followed Barry Trotz to the Islanders the following year while receiving a promotion to associate coach; their two Eastern Conference Final appearances came while he was in that role.  This past season, Lambert was an associate coach with Toronto who now has an opening to fill on their staff.

Lambert will now be tasked with turning around a Kraken team that impressed considerably in its sophomore season when they amassed 100 points in the regular season but has struggled since, putting up 81 and 76 over the last two.  One area of focus will undoubtedly be on the back end as they went from allowing the eighth-fewest goals in 2023-24 to 24th in that category this season while their possession game took a big hit as well.

With this hiring, there are now just two head coach vacancies remaining across the NHL: Pittsburgh and Boston.  The belief is that the Penguins are looking to finalize a hire before the end of the month while the Bruins have been whittling down their shortlist in recent days as well so it may not be much longer before all 32 spots are spoken for.

Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports.

Penguins Receiving Interest In Bryan Rust

at CDT | by 7 Comments

With there being plenty of speculation about the Penguins trying to make their roster younger for the upcoming season, a veteran winger is being eyed by other teams.  Josh Yohe of The Athletic reports (subscription link) that teams are calling to gauge the potential availability of veteran winger Bryan Rust.

The 33-year-old is coming of a career year after putting up 31 goals and 34 assists this season despite missing 11 games due to injuries and illness.  That came on the heels of him matching his previous career best in points the year before when he only played in 62 games.  Suffice it to say, Rust has gone from being more of a role player at the beginning of his career to a trusted top-six option in recent seasons, making it very understandable that he’s attracting interest.

While his recent performance is certainly fueling that, so too is his contract.  Rust has three years left on his current contract with a $5.125MM cap hit.  In a cap environment that’s going to see the Upper Limit increase considerably over the next several years, inflating salaries along the way, his deal increasingly becomes more of a bargain.

A long-time linemate of Sidney Crosby, it’s likely that GM Kyle Dubas would prefer to keep Rust in the fold.  While there’s a stated desire to get younger, there doesn’t seem to be any indication that they’re looking to go into more of a full rebuild, meaning that their top veterans aren’t likely to be made available.

It’s also worth noting that Rust currently has a no-move clause for a few more weeks although that protection lapses on July 1st.  Accordingly, if a move were to be made with Dubas receiving an offer that was simply too good to refuse, it might have to wait until the start of the new league year for it to be made official.  And if the free agent market proves to be as lucrative as many expect, Rust’s trade value and Dubas’ asking price will only be going up from there.

Robert Hagg Signs In SHL

at CDT | by 1 Comment

May 29: Hagg is indeed heading to Brynas on a one-year deal, per a team announcement.

May 17: After seeing very limited NHL action this season, pending unrestricted free agent defenseman Robert Hagg is heading home.  The blueliner confirmed to Expressen’s Gunnar Nordstrom that he will be playing in the SHL next season; SportBladet’s Hans Abrahamsson adds that Hagg is expected to sign a one-year deal with Brynas.

The 30-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Golden Knights last summer but he once again spent the bulk of the season in the minors with AHL Henderson where he had six goals and 21 assists in 54 games, his best offensive showing at that level.  However, his improved play didn’t give Hagg much of an opportunity with Vegas as he suited up just twice with them in late November.

Having cleared waivers for two straight years now while then spending the bulk of those campaigns in the AHL, the writing is clearly on the wall for Hagg.  He’s now viewed as more of a depth defender than someone that can be counted on to be a regular contributor in the NHL.  Accordingly, at this stage of his career, heading back home makes a lot of sense.

If this winds up being the end of the road for Hagg in North America, he’ll finish up with 345 career NHL appearances over parts of nine seasons across six organizations although more than two-thirds of those outings were with the Flyers.  Overall, Hagg has 63 points, 532 blocks, and 1,017 hits at the top level while logging 16:28 per game on average.

Brock Nelson Could Explore Extension With Avalanche

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Colorado Avalanche won a sweepstakes for veteran winger Brock Nelson at this year’s Trade Deadline. It took a massive trade package that included top prospect Calum Ritchie and a first-round draft pick, but Colorado was able to convince both Nelson and the New York Islanders’ brass to make the move – bringing an end to Nelson’s 12-year tenure with the Islanders. He flashed strong play as he rounded out the regular season, netting 13 points in 19 games with Colorado, but then recorded no goals and four assists in the club’s seven playoff games. The sour end to the season seemed to set Nelson up to enter unrestricted free agency this summer. But with June rolling around, mutual interest in signing an extension is beginning to grow, shares David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.

Re-signing Nelson would go far in supporting Colorado’s 2025-26 campaign. Not only would it give the team a chance to reaffirm their blockbuster swap at the deadline, but Nelson would also nicely meet the team’s need for depth at left-wing. The Avalanche have been void of a consistent, top-six left-winger as captain Gabriel Landeskog and vet Jonathan Drouin battled routine injuries over the last few seasons. Landeskog played in his first games since 2022 during this year’s postseason and managed an impressive four points in five games – but the extent of his availability for next season is still hard to gauge. The same can be said for Drouin, who posted another strong year – 37 points in 43 games – with Colorado but is currently set to enter unrestricted free agency this summer.

Nelson would be the perfect player to hedge Colorado’s bets on the open market. Combining his statlines from New York and Colorado, Nelson managed 26 goals and 56 points in 80 games this season – an impressive mark for a 33-year-old wing. Even more notable is the fact that 2024-25 marked a down year for Nelson – and the first since the shortened 2020-21 season that he didn’t challenge a 35-goal season. He found a new groove with New York over the last few years, and posted a career-high 75 points in 82 games as recently as 2022-23. Nelson also has ample playoff experience and – save for his performances this year – always seems to come through in the clutch. He’s scored 54 points, split evenly, in 85 playoff games over the course of his career.

The downside of a new deal will inevitably be Nelson’s price tag. He just wrapped up a six-year, $36MM contract originally signed in New York – and is almost certainly due for a pay raise after netting three seasons near or above 60 points in just the last four years. He’s projected to earn up to a three-year, $21MM extension on his next deal by CapWages. An annual cap hit of $7MM would take up nearly all of Colorado’s $8.7MM in available cap space this summer, and could limit the team’s ability to re-sign their six other pending-UFAs. That could require Colorado to get savvy in negotiations, and may potentially push Nelson closer to the door as he anticipates getting to choose a home away from New York for the first time in his career.

Islanders’ Bo Horvat Out Four To Six Weeks With Ankle Injury

at CDT | by 4 Comments

New York Islanders assistant captain Bo Horvat sustained a lower-body injury in the sixth game of Team Canada’s run through the World Championship. The injury ended his tournament early and required Horvat to return immediately to New York for further evaluation. Now, just over a week after he sustained the injury on May 19th, it’s been revealed that Horvat’s recovery likely won’t take as long as previously thought. Freshly-hired Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche told the media that Horvat is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with injury and that the team has no concerns, per Ethan Sears of the New York Post.

This is great news for the Islanders, all things considered. Horvat was an integral piece of both the New York and Team Canada rosters this season. He chipped in 28 goals and led the team with 57 points in 81 games this season – operating as the clear top forward on an injury-riddled Islanders lineup. He continued to serve a pivotal role on Canada’s World Championship roster, and even ranked fifth on the team in scoring before his injury. Horvat earned that standing with four goals and eight points in just six games. The performance lapped his last international appearance in 2018, when he recorded seven points in 10 World Championship appearances.

This news sets Horvat up to be fully healthy by the start of the 2025-26 season. He’ll enter the year ready to resume his role as New York’s top center – hopefully this time bolstered by a wave of good health and improved prospects. Islanders’ star Mathew Barzal missed all but 30 games of last season due to battles with two separate injuries. Over the course of the year, New York also landed top center prospect Calum Ritchie, who made the Colorado Avalanche roster out of training camp last year, and the first-overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft. All three options could support Horvat’s reign over the Islanders’ offense, and give the 30-year-old vet a chance to resign into a more defense-first role.

Flyers Sign Tyson Foerster To Two-Year Extension

at CDT | by 4 Comments

2:16 p.m.: Foester’s two-year extension is official as reported, the club announced Thursday afternoon.

12:13 p.m.: The Flyers are closing in on a two-year extension with pending RFA winger Tyson Foerster, according to Anthony Di Marco of Daily Faceoff. It’s a $7.5MM contract worth $3.75MM per season, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Foerster will earn $3.5MM in base salary next season and $4MM in 2026-27 with no signing bonuses, per Kevin Kurz of The Athletic.

Philadelphia’s decision to bridge Foerster instead of giving him a long-term deal is an interesting one that bucks the league-wide trend. Foerster, 23, just finished a strong sophomore season after an impressive rookie campaign, particularly considering his defensive play. The right-shot winger posted 33 points, an even rating, and 102 hits for the Flyers in 77 games in his first year, placing him seventh in Calder Trophy voting for the league’s top rookie and even earning him some outside consideration for the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward. He got heavy deployment, averaging over 17 minutes per game, and controlled 54.1% of shot attempts at even strength – this after recording seven points through his first eight NHL games the year prior.

Things only improved for him in 2024-25. He was healthy scratched once early in the season by former head coach John Tortorella after a slow start, but quickly regained his top-nine role and didn’t miss a game the rest of the way. He scored 25 goals and 43 points in 81 appearances, the former of which ranked second on the team behind star rookie Matvei Michkov’s 26 tallies. While his possession numbers took a small hit, his on-ice shot suppression impacts were still third on the team at 24.19 SA/60 at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Foerster had not accrued enough NHL experience to be eligible for salary arbitration if he didn’t have a new deal by July. His deal comes across as slightly shorter and a tad pricier per season than the three-year, $3.3MM AAV deal AFP Analytics projected him to receive. The 2020 23rd overall pick will be an RFA again with one year of team control left when his extension expires in 2027.

The Philadelphia forward group remains lacking outside of the high-end offensive upside that Michkov, Travis Konecny, and, to some degree, Owen Tippett offer. Strong two-way play from their secondary forwards has always been a hallmark of the club’s identity, though, and it’ll presumably stay that way with head coach Rick Tocchet now at the helm. Foerster fits that bill expertly with an above-average finishing touch as well, and he’s also one of their stockier forwards at 6’2″ and 214 lbs.

Bridging Foerster does leave some more financial flexibility for the Flyers now to be aggressive on the trade and free agency markets in an effort to end their five-year playoff drought. The club still has nearly $23MM in cap space after Foerster’s deal, per PuckPedia, but there are still notable RFAs to sign in Noah Cates, Jakob Pelletier, and Cameron York.

Image courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top