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Lightning Share Plans, Expectations For Free Agency

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are approaching July 1st with only three notable pending-free agents. That short list has made the summer easy to forecast for Bolts general manager Julien BriseBois, who broke down the team’s upcoming expectations to Diandra Loux of The Hockey News. He most notably shared that each of Cam Atkinson, Nicklaus Perbix, and Luke Glendening are expected to hit the open market on July 1st. All three players are set to become unrestricted free agents.

The season-long impact of the three names varied quite widely. Perbix served as a bottom-pair defender for 74 games of the regular season. He recorded a meager 19 points, 20 penalty minutes, and plus-eight while averaging just under 15 minutes of ice time each game. Glendening was also a nightly fixture of the Bolts lineup, stepping into 77 games as the team’s fourth-line centerman. He managed just seven points and a minus-nine on the year, but did offer a staggering 57 percent faceoff win-rate and 105 hits on the full year. Those marks were strong enough to hold down a role in Tampa Bay’s bottom-end – a sentiment that can’t be shared by 36-year-old winger Atkinson. Despite over-800 career games in the NHL, Atkinson found himself facing routine healthy scratches and assignments to the minor-leagues in the season’s second-half. He finished the year with just nine points and a minus-four in 39 NHL games.

Perbix should command a reasonable market in free agency. He’s far from the most explosive defender, but has rivaled 20 points and a positive plus-minus in each of his first three seasons in the NHL. He is only 26 years old, and could offer a new club with the prime years of his career on a new deal. While he negotiates that contract, Glendening and Atkinson will grapple with the thought of retirement. Both players turned 36 after the end of the season, and are now faced with the task of convincing a team they’re still worth depth money. Glendening could win that argument on the back of his continued faceoff wins, and physical role, but it could be an uphill battle for the undersized Atkinson. Atkinson has appeared in 13 seasons and 809 NHL Games, while Glendening has appeared in 12 seasons and 864 games.

BriseBois also shared that the team isn’t expecting to make much of a splash when the market opens up. He told Loux that they underwent a massive change last summer – swapping franchise icon Steven Stamkos for Jake Guentzel through a series of moves. The GM emphasized that teams can’t go through changes of that scale each season, which could lead to a “quiet” summer. Tampa Bay will enter July 1st with just $3.48MM in projected cap space, per PuckPedia. Without a cap-clearing move, it’s unlikely that budget is enough to swing much more than a depth contract before Tampa Bay begins thinking about a cap cushion for next season.

But while they won’t be too active on the open market, BriseBois continued by directly sharing that the Bolts do plan to re-sign defenseman Ryan McDonagh when he hits free agency in 2026. McDonagh has played through six seasons and 349 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, as part of a career that’s spanned 15 seasons and 1,010 games. He posted an impressive 31 points, 22 penalty minutes, and league-high plus-43 while appearing in all 82 games of the 2024-25 season. It was yet another strong year for the iron-man McDonagh – who has posted at least 25 points and a high plus-minus through three of the last four seasons. McDonagh also recently turned 36 years old, but has so far shown no signs of slowing down. He averaged 19 minutes of ice time and scored three points through five postseason games. So long as he stays on course, it seems the Lightning are prepared to re-up McDonagh on a manageable and short-term deal at age-37 next summer.

Tampa Bay is set for a summer of budgeting and tough exits – but they’re changes the team should be able to turnover with a growing emergence of young prospects. Development camp could be the most notable piece of Tampa Bay’s season, as they look to maintain a roster that achieved the third-best record in the Eastern Conference last season.

Maple Leafs Could File For Tampering If Mitch Marner Signs With Golden Knights

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are just days away from a separation with their superstar right-winger Mitch Marner. Signs have pointed towards Marner testing the free agent market for the bulk of the regular season – but official word of the split came via Chris Johnston of The Athletic in mid-May. It’s been a scramble in the five weeks since, with multiple teams pushing their way into the sweepstakes for a 100-point winger. As usual in big-end moves, the Vegas Golden Knights have made themselves front-and-center in discussions – and even gone as far as discussing a trade to acquire Marner’s negotiation rights. But draft day rumors have revealed that, should Vegas sign Marner right away on July 1st without a trade, the Maple Leafs are prepared to file a tampering charge against the Golden Knights, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the latest 32 Thoughts Podcast.

Friedman emphasized repeatedly that despite these rumors, there is no present evidence of any tampering in Vegas. He also added that charges of tampering would likely go away should the two sides complete a trade before July. But teams are recently acutely sensitive to evidence of tampering, and Friedman adds that the NHL has recently been eyeing opportunities to set examples of how player rights should be managed and respected.

Tampering has been a hot topic in the NHL over the last year. The NHL included a reminder of tampering rules in the 2024-25 season’s first round of GM meetings in November. Specifically, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly reiterated that teams do not have the power to negotiate or agree to new deals with pending-free agents until noon ET on July 1st, unless provided express permission from the rightsholder.

Marner isn’t the only player with tampering concerns swirling around. The Maple Leafs were also the subject of a tampering scare over the last few weeks, after popular podcaster Paul Bissonnette shared that Toronto had already agreed to a deal with Brad Marchand on the Spittin Chiclets podcast — though it appeared those claims were ultimately debunked. The NHL also investigated possible tampering charges against the New Jersey Devils, Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks, and Chicago Blackhawks last summer – for their potentially premature signings of Brett Pesce, Brandon Montour, Tyler Toffoli, and Tyler Bertuzzi respectively. The Ottawa Senators also alleged “soft tampering” against the New York Rangers for their pursuit of Brady Tkachuk in December.

On a Hockey Night in Canada broadcast from December, Friedman listed out some of the potential penalties for teams caught tampering (captured here by @PuckReportNHL on Twitter). At a team level, the possible punishments included a fine of up to $5MM, termination of contracts signed, forfeiture of draft picks, and rewarding of confiscated draft picks or cash to the effected club. Players can also be penalized with a $1MM fine, suspension, or expulsion from the league.

For a player like Marner, the thought of tampering charges will ring loud. He is headed for a possible record-breaking, or record-tying, contract this summer after netting 102 points in 81 games this season. He’s among the league’s best wingers – and will be making the first move of his nine-year career with a change of teams this summer. If the NHL is looking for an example to set, closely monitoring free agent negotiations at this scale would be a strong place to start.

These concerns could be mitigated by a swap of assets for Marner’s negotiating rights, which would allow Vegas to sign Marner ahead of July 1st while also providing compensation back to the Maple Leafs. Should Vegas have any concerns, that move may be a nice safeguard to ensure they can land another lineup star with no barriers. Then again, with no clear evidence of tampering, rumors or concerns spreading around NHL circles will be no more than that, until a team is proven guilty.

Offseason Checklist: Florida Panthers

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The offseason has arrived with the draft now complete and free agency fast approaching.  Accordingly, it’s time to look at what each team needs to accomplish this summer.  We wrap up our series with a look at the Stanley Cup-winning Panthers.

Late in the regular season, things weren’t looking great for Florida.  The team was banged up and underachieving, slipping to third in the Atlantic Division, finishing just one point ahead of Ottawa who occupied the first Wild Card spot in the East.  However, they once again showed that they were a team built for the playoffs, taking care of business to win the Cup for the second straight year.  Now, GM Bill Zito has some work to do in the coming days to keep his team intact as much as possible.

Bridge For Samoskevich

While Florida has several pending unrestricted free agents (that we’ll look at in more detail shortly), they have one restricted free agent of some significance in winger Mackie Samoskevich.  The 22-year-old is coming off his first full NHL season and needs a new contract although he qualifies as a 10.2 (c) player and is therefore not eligible for an offer sheet.  That helps take the pressure off as there won’t be an inflationary offer coming in that could mess up the rest of their plans.

The 22-year-old played in 72 games with the Panthers this season, notching a solid 15 goals and 16 assists despite only averaging 13:19 per game.  However, he was used only sparingly in the playoffs, dressing for just four outings, only one of those coming after the first round.  With just seven other regular season games to his name from 2023-24, this is a profile that screams bridge contract.

If the Panthers want to leave as much flexibility as possible for next season, a one-year deal might only check in around the $1.25MM range.  Alternatively, a two-year pact would likely push the AAV closer to $1.5MM per season.  With no true pressure points, this is a case that could drag on a bit but there’s value in getting something done sooner rather than later so they know how much they have to spend on their core free agents.

Keep Key Free Agents

One of Florida’s ‘big three’ potential unrestricted free agents is off the market with the team announcing on Friday that center and Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett had signed an eight-year, $64MM contract to remain with the Panthers.  That leaves them with $11MM in cap space, per PuckPedia, and two key players to try to keep, defenseman Aaron Ekblad and winger Brad Marchand.

Ekblad has been a fixture on the back end for the Panthers since they made him the first overall selection back in 2014.  He has been a full-time NHL player ever since and ranks second to only Aleksander Barkov for games played in franchise history.  Between missing a few games due to injury and a 20-game late-season suspension for a violation of the NHL/NHLPA Performance Enhancing Substances Program, Ekblad is coming off a quieter year by his standards but he still had 33 points in 56 games while logging 23:31 per night of ice time.  He’s still capable of playing on the top pairing and being an all-situations player for several more years.  But with a lot of mileage already, is Florida willing to give him a max-term deal?  Meanwhile, Ekblad appears to be in a position to command something around the $7.5MM he made on his expiring eight-year contract as the top right-shot option on a market largely bereft of impactful players on that side which gives him a lot of leverage in talks.

As for Marchand, this was not a situation that either side would be in.  When he was acquired at the trade deadline, the expectation was that he’d be a good secondary contributor and then probably move on.  But Marchand wound up being an instrumental part of their Cup run, chipping in with 10 goals and 10 assists in 23 games despite primarily playing in Florida’s third line.  Coming off a 51-point regular season, his stock is now quite high as well to the point where a raise on the $6.125MM he made on his set-to-expire contract is now doable, something that seemed very unlikely just a few months ago.

Zito has made it clear he wants to keep both of these players but the math simply doesn’t work.  One is an option but if they want to keep Ekblad and Marchand in the fold, they’re going to have to get creative and also move a player or two out.  Less than 72 hours away from the start of free agency, he’ll have to move fast.

Goalie Work

There’s work to do on a few fronts between the pipes for Florida this summer.  None of them necessarily qualify as significantly pressing but will require action at some point.

The first involves starting extension talks with Sergei Bobrovsky.  When Florida dealt Spencer Knight in the Seth Jones deal (leading some to believe Jones would replace Ekblad on the back end long-term), their in-house replacement for Bobrovsky went away.  Now, instead of potentially handing him the crease in 2026-27, working out a new deal for the 36-year-old seems like the route they’re going to try to take as a short-term solution.  It’s fair to say that the price tag won’t come close to the $10MM he’s making now but a two-year pact around the $6MM or so range would buy Zito a little more time to find a longer-term replacement.  The sooner they get that deal secured, the more confidence they can have about taking on money for 2026-27.  But it’s not necessarily something that has to be done over the next few months.

Florida got ahead of what was the next item on this list when they acquired goaltender Daniil Tarasov from Columbus earlier this week.  It’s expected he’ll take the place of Vitek Vanecek, who was acquired at the deadline to take Knight’s vacated spot, as Bobrovsky’s backup next season.  Now, they need to get him under contract.  He’s owed a qualifying offer of $1.26MM but the offer also carries arbitration rights, something they’d likely prefer to avoid.  With that in mind, it’s likely that they’d like to get something done soon or close enough where they could non-tender him and then sign him after that, a strategy that teams have started to employ more often in recent years.

The other thing they need to do is land a veteran third-stringer.  That was Chris Driedger’s role for most of the year before he was traded for Kaapo Kahkonen who played a big role in AHL Charlotte getting to the Calder Cup Finals.  They have prospect Cooper Black signed for one more year and he did quite well with the Checkers, albeit in limited action.  They’ll likely want to give him more action next season so a veteran who can split starts and also be called up to be the backup in a pinch in the NHL is the type of player they’ll likely want.  There will be several of those available so they’ll just have to ensure that they’re able to get a deal done with one of them.

Add Defensive Depth

At the moment, the Panthers only have five NHL blueliners under contract for next season.  One of those is Uvis Balinskis who was largely a regular during the regular season but was a healthy scratch 18 times in the playoffs.  Ekblad returning would make a big difference and shift the focus toward adding some injury insurance and depth above all else.

Nate Schmidt was one of the players signed last year to serve that depth role and he fared quite well to the point where he’ll either have to take a below-market deal to remain with the Panthers or move on.  At this point, the goal should be to try to find someone who can fill that type of role on the third pairing (16-17 minutes a night) for around that price tag to, again, maximize their spending room on their top players.  An extra one of those players would also be handy in an ideal world.

Internally, Tobias Bjornfot is someone who has been a depth defender but as a pending RFA with arbitration rights and 134 career NHL games, he’s a non-tender candidate to avoid any risk of a higher-than-desired award.  He’s the only reserve list defender with some NHL experience although Mike Benning has shown some promise and could be in the mix for a recall at some point.  With that in mind, a veteran defender who could start with the Checkers and be injury insurance would also be useful.

Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.

Capitals Notes: Alexeyev, Free Agents, Fehervary, Sourdif

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Following the end of the draft today, Capitals GM Chris Patrick met with the media (video link) and provided updates on several players.  While not going out and confirming that the team won’t be tendering Alexander Alexeyev a qualifying offer on Monday, he stated that the team is “going to be as helpful as we can to him to get him the best opportunity to play in the NHL next year.”  Alexeyev was limited to just eight games during the regular season with Washington and with their addition of Declan Chisholm earlier today, it’s harder to see a pathway to playing time if he remains with the Capitals.  Knowing that a qualifying offer would also carry arbitration rights, the likeliest outcome is that he’s cut loose.

More from Patrick’s presser:

  • Patrick indicated that he’s spoken to almost all of Washington’s pending unrestricted free agents, a list that includes forwards Anthony Beauvillier, Andrew Mangiapane, Lars Eller, and Taylor Raddysh. He added that he’s still talking to some of them so it’s not a guarantee that all of them will ultimately hit the open market on Tuesday.  The Caps currently have a little over $9MM in cap space for next season, per PuckPedia.
  • When asked about defenseman Martin Fehervary, Patrick stated that the blueliner is doing great in his recovery from meniscus surgery and is pretty much at the point where he can begin his normal offseason training routine. That would suggest that the 25-year-old will be ready to participate in training camp.  Fehervary played in all but one game during the regular season but wasn’t able to suit up in the playoffs due to the surgery.
  • Newcomer Justin Sourdif signed earlier today, inking a two-year deal. The trade earlier this week to acquire him raised some eyebrows given that the cost was a second-round pick plus a sixth for a player who only had four NHL appearances under his belt in three years.  Patrick noted that there was another suitor for Sourdif’s services that had a second-rounder on the table, one that was slightly better than Washington’s, requiring them to offer up the extra draft choice to make sure they got him.

Snapshots: Pageau, Grubauer, Avalanche, Dobson

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While there has been strong trade interest in Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, it doesn’t appear as if he’s in play.  Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic report (subscription link) that the Isles have informed teams that they won’t be moving the 32-year-old.  The 32-year-old is coming off one of his better years offensively after tallying 42 points in 79 games while winning nearly 60% of his faceoffs.  A capable checker, Pageau will be entering the final year of his contract next season on a deal that carries a $5MM cap charge.  Given the lack of depth in the center market, New York likely would have been well-positioned to land a return of some value for Pageau’s services but it appears now that they’ll hold onto him and potentially reassess his situation closer to the trade deadline in March.

Elsewhere around the NHL:

  • Kraken GM Jason Botterill confirmed to reporters including Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times that the team will not be buying out goaltender Philipp Grubauer by Monday’s deadline. The 33-year-old had a rocky performance this season, posting a 3.49 GAA with a .875 SV% in 26 starts, resulting in a stint with AHL Coachella Valley after clearing waivers.  Grubauer has two years left on his contract that carries a $5.9MM cap charge and while Seattle would have been able to open up nearly $4MM in room this summer with a buyout, Botterill instead will keep him around with the belief that he’ll be able to bounce back next season.
  • Avalanche pending unrestricted free agents Jonathan Drouin and Ryan Lindgren are expected to hit the open market next week, relays Peter Baugh of The Athletic (subscription link). Drouin reached free agency last year as well before re-signing a one-year, $2.5MM deal.  The winger put up 37 points in 45 games this season.  Meanwhile, Lindgren was acquired at the trade deadline and put up 22 points in 72 games this year with the blueliner playing on a $4.5MM contract.  After yesterday’s trade of Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood to Columbus, the Avs have nearly $9MM in cap space, per PuckPedia, giving GM Chris McFarland more wiggle room to work with in reshaping his roster this summer.
  • Noah Dobson’s new contract with the Canadiens contains just a 14-team no-trade clause beginning in 2026-27, PuckPedia reports (Twitter link). He was not eligible for any trade protection next season since that was an RFA-eligible year and RFA-eligible players can’t have any trade restrictions.  The deal was heavily front-loaded with $33MM in signing bonus money over the first three seasons of the agreement.

2025 NHL Draft Results By Team

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The 2025 NHL Draft is now complete. Check out how each team did accruing talent and filling needs with each of their selections this weekend:

Anaheim Ducks

1-10 – F Roger McQueen, Brandon (WHL)
2-45 – F Eric Nilson, Djurgården (Sweden U20)
2-60 – D Lasse Boelius, Ässät (Finland U20)
3-72 – F Noah Read, London (OHL)
4-101 – D Drew Schock, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
4-104 – G Elijah Neuenschwander, Fribourg-Gottéron (Switzerland U21)
5-136 – D Alexis Mathieu, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)
5-159 – F Émile Guité, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
6-168 – D Anthony Allain-Samaké, Sioux City (USHL)
7-200 – F Brady Turko, Brandon (WHL)

Boston Bruins

1-7 – F James Hagens, Boston College (Hockey East)
2-51 – F William Moore, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
2-61 – D Liam Pettersson, Växjö (Sweden U20)
3-79 – F Cooper Simpson, Shakopee (USHS-MN)
4-100 – D Vashek Blanár, Troja-Ljungby (Sweden U18)
5-133 – F Cole Chandler, Shawinigan (QMJHL)
6-165 – F Kirill Yemelyanov, Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)

Buffalo Sabres

1-9 – D Radim Mrtka, Seattle (WHL)
3-71 – D David Bedkowski, Owen Sound (OHL)
4-103 – F Matous Jan Kucharcik, Slavia Praha (Czechia2)
4-116 – G Samuel Meloche, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
5-135 – D Noah Laberge, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
6-167 – F Ashton Schultz, Chicago (USHL)
7-195 – F Melvin Novotny, Leksand (Sweden U20)
7-199 – G Yevgeni Prokhorov, Dinamo-Shinnik Bobruysk (MHL)
7-219 – F Ryan Rucinski, Youngstown (USHL)

Calgary Flames

1-18 – F Cole Reschny, Victoria (WHL)
1-32 – F Cullen Potter, Arizona State (NCHC)
2-54 – F Theo Stockselius, Djurgården (Sweden U20)
3-80 – D Mace’o Phillips, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
5-144 – F Ethan Wyttenbach, Sioux Falls (USHL)
6-176 – F Aidan Lane, St. Andrew’s (Canada U18 AAA)
7-207 – D Jakob Leander, HV71 (Sweden U20)
7-211 – F Yan Matveiko, CSKA (MHL)

Carolina Hurricanes

2-41 – G Semyon Frolov, Spartak (MHL)
2-49 – F Charlie Cerrato, Penn State (Big 10)
2-62 – F Ivan Ryabkin, Muskegon (USHL)
3-67 – D Kurban Limatov, Dynamo Moscow (MHL)
3-87 – D Roman Bausov, Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)
6-183 – F Viggo Nordlund, Skellefteå (Sweden U20)
7-221 – F Filip Ekberg, Ottawa (OHL)

Chicago Blackhawks

1-3 – F Anton Frondell, Djurgården (HockeyAllsvenskan)
1-25 – F Vaclav Nestrasil, Muskegon (USHL)
1-29 – F Mason West, Edina (USHS-MN)
3-66 – F Nathan Behm, Kamloops (WHL)
4-98 – F Julius Sumpf, Moncton (QMJHL)
4-107 – F Parker Holmes, Brantford (OHL)
6-162 – D Ashton Cumby, Seattle (WHL)
7-194 – G Ilya Kanarsky, AKM Tula (MHL)

Colorado Avalanche

3-77 – D Francesco Dell’Elce, Massachusetts (Hockey East)
4-118 – D Linus Funck, Luleå (Sweden U20)
7-214 – F Nolan Roed, Tri-City (USHL)

Columbus Blue Jackets

1-14 – D Jackson Smith, Tri-City (WHL)
1-20 – G Pyotr Andreyanov, CSKA (MHL)
3-76 – D Malte Vass, Färjestad (Sweden U20)
5-160 – F Owen Griffin, Oshawa (OHL)
6-173 – D Victor Hedin Raftheim, Brynäs (Sweden U20)
7-198 – F Jérémy Loranger, Sherwood Park (BCHL)

Dallas Stars

3-94 – F Cameron Schmidt, Vancouver (WHL)
4-126 – F Brandon Gorzynski, Calgary (WHL)
5-146 – F Atte Joki, Lukko (Finland U20)
5-158 – G Måns Goos, Färjestad (Sweden U20)
6-190 – F Dawson Sharkey, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
7-222 – F Charlie Paquette, Guelph (OHL)

Detroit Red Wings

1-13 – F Carter Bear, Everett (WHL)
2-44 – F Eddie Genborg, Linköping (Sweden U20)
3-75 – G Michal Pradel, Tri-City (USHL)
4-109 – F Brent Solomon, Champlin Park (USHS-MN)
4-119 – F Michal Svrcek, Brynäs IF (Sweden U20)
5-140 – D Nikita Tyurin, Spartak Moscow (MHL)
6-172 – D Will Murphy, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
7-204 – F Grayden Robertson-Palmer, Phillips Academy (USHS-MA)

Edmonton Oilers

3-83 – F Tommy Lafrenière, Kamloops (WHL)
4-117 – F David Lewandowski, Saskatoon (WHL)
5-131 – D Asher Barnett, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
6-191 – G Daniel Salonen, Lukko (Finland U20)
7-223 – F Aidan Park, Green Bay (USHL)

Florida Panthers

4-112 – F Mads Kongsbak Klyvø, Frölunda (Sweden U20)
4-128 – F Shea Busch, Everett (WHL)
5-129 – F Shamar Moses, North Bay (OHL)
6-192 – F Arvid Drott, Djurgården (Sweden U20)
7-197 – D Brendan Dunphy, Wenatchee (WHL)
7-224 – G Yegor Midlak, Spartak Moscow (MHL)

Los Angeles Kings

1-31 – D Henry Brzustewicz, London (OHL)
2-59 – F Vojtech Cihar, Karlovy Vary (Czechia)
3-88 – F Kristian Epperson, Saginaw (OHL)
4-120 – D Caeden Herrington, Lincoln (USHL)
4-125 – F Jimmy Lombardi, Flint (OHL)
5-152 – G Petteri Rimpinen, Kiekko-Espoo (Liiga)
6-184 – F Jan Chovan, Tappara (Finland U20)
7-196 – F Brendan McMorrow, Waterloo (USHL)
7-216 – D Will Sharpe, Kelowna (WHL)

Minnesota Wild

2-52 – D Theodor Hallquisth, Örebro (Sweden U20)
4-102 – F Adam Benák, Youngstown (USHL)
4-121 – F Lirim Amidovski, North Bay (OHL)
4-123 – F Carter Klippenstein, Brandon (WHL)
5-141 – D Justin Kipkie, Victoria (WHL)

Montreal Canadiens

2-34 – F Alexander Zharovsky, Ufa (MHL)
3-96 – F Hayden Paupanekis, Kelowna (WHL)
3-81 – D Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat (WHL)
3-82 – G Arseni Radkov, Tyumen (MHL)
4-113 – F L.J. Mooney, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
5-145 – G Alexis Cournoyer, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
6-177 – D Carlos Händel, Halifax (QMJHL)
6-189 – D Andrew MacNiel, Kitchener (OHL)
7-209 – D Maxon Vig, Cedar Rapids (USHL)

Nashville Predators

1-5 – F Brady Martin, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
1-21 – D Cameron Reid, Kitchener (OHL)
1-26 – F Ryker Lee, Madison (USHL)
2-35 – D Jacob Rombach, Lincoln (USHL)
2-58 – G Jack Ivankovic, Brampton (OHL)
4-122 – D Alex Huang, Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
6-163 – D Daniel Nieminen, Pelicans (Liiga)

New Jersey Devils

2-50 – F Conrad Fondrk, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
2-63 – F Benjamin Kevan, Des Moines (USHL)
3-90 – F Mason Moe, Madison (USHL)
4-99 – G Trenten Bennett, Owen Sound (OHL)
4-114 – F Gustav Hillström, Brynäs (Sweden U20)
6-161 – F David Rozsíval, Liberec (Czechia U20)
6-178 – F Sigge Holmgren, Brynäs (Sweden U20)

New York Islanders

1-1 – D Matthew Schaefer, Erie (OHL)
1-16 – F Victor Eklund, Djurgården (HockeyAllsvenskan)
1-17 – D Kashawn Aitcheson, Barrie (OHL)
2-42 – F Daniil Prokhorov, Dynamo St. Petersburg (MHL)
3-74 – F Luca Romano, Kitchener (OHL)
4-106 – F Tomas Poletin, Pelicans (Finland U20)
5-138 – D Sam Laurila, Fargo (USHL)
6-170 – G Burke Hood, Vancouver (WHL)
7-202 – F Jacob Kvasnicka, U.S. U18 (NTDP)

New York Rangers

2-43 – F Malcolm Spence, Erie (OHL)
3-70 – D Sean Barnhill, Dubuque (USHL)
3-89 – D Artyom Gonchar, Magnitogorsk (MHL)
4-111 – F Mikkel Eriksen, Färjestad (Sweden U20)
5-139 – D Zeb Lindgren, Skellefteå (Sweden U20)
6-166 – F Samuel Jung, Kärpät (Finland U20)
6-171 – D Evan Passmore, Barrie (OHL)
7-203 – F Felix Färhammar, Örebro (Sweden U20)

Ottawa Senators

1-23 – D Logan Hensler, Wisconsin (Big 10)
3-93 – F Blake Vanek, Stillwater (USHS-MN)
4-97 – G Lucas Beckman, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)
5-149 – F Dmitri Isayev, Yekaterinburg (MHL)
6-181 – F Bruno Idzan, Lincoln (USHL)
7-213 – G Andrei Trofimov, Magnitogorsk (MHL)

Philadelphia Flyers

1-6 – F Porter Martone, Brampton (OHL)
1-12 – F Jack Nesbitt, Windsor (OHL)
2-38 – D Carter Amico, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
2-40 – F Jack Murtagh, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
2-48 – F Shane Vansaghi, Michigan State (Big 10)
2-57 – F Matthew Gard, Red Deer (WHL)
5-132 – F Max Westergård, Frölunda (Sweden U20)
5-157 – D Luke Vlooswyk, Red Deer (WHL)
6-164 – F Nathan Quinn, Quebec (QMJHL)

Pittsburgh Penguins

1-11 – F Benjamin Kindel, Calgary (WHL)
1-22 – F Bill Zonnon, Rouyn-Noranda (QMJHL)
1-24 – F William Horcoff, Michigan (Big 10)
2-39 – D Peyton Kettles, Swift Current (WHL)
3-73 – D Charlie Trethewey, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
3-84 – G Gabriel D’Aigle, Victoriaville (QMJHL)
3-91 – D Brady Peddle, Waterloo (USHL)
4-105 – F Travis Hayes, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
5-130 – F Ryan Miller, Portland (WHL)
5-148 – D Quinn Beauchesne, Guelph (OHL)
5-154 – F Jordan Charron, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
6-169 – F Carter Sanderson, Muskegon (USHL)
7-201 – F Kale Dach, Sherwood Park (BCHL)

San Jose Sharks

1-2 – F Michael Misa, Saginaw (OHL)
1-30 – G Joshua Ravensbergen, Prince George (WHL)
2-33 – D Haoxi Wang, Oshawa (OHL)
2-53 – F Cole McKinney, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
3-95 – F Teddy Mutryn, Chicago (USHL)
4-115 – D Ilyas Magomedsultanov, Yaroslavl (MHL)
4-124 – D Zack Sharp, Western Michigan (NCHC)
5-150 – F Max Heise, Penticton (BCHL)
7-210 – F Richard Gallant, U.S. U18 (NTDP)

Seattle Kraken

1-8 – F Jake O’Brien, Brantford (OHL)
2-36 – D Blake Fiddler, Edmonton (WHL)
3-68 – D Will Reynolds, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
5-134 – D Maxim Agafonov, Ufa (MHL)
7-205 – D Karl Annborn, HV71 (Sweden U20)
7-218 – F Loke Krantz, Linköping (Sweden U20)

St. Louis Blues

1-19 – F Justin Carbonneau, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
5-147 – F Mikhail Fyodorov, Magnitogorsk (MHL)
6-179 – G Love Härenstam, Skellefteå (Sweden U20)

Tampa Bay Lightning

2-56 – F Ethan Czata, Niagara (OHL)
4-108 – F Benjamin Rautiainen, Tappara (Liiga)
4-127 – F Aiden Foster, Prince George (WHL)
5-151 – D Everett Baldwin, St. George’s (USHS-RI)
7-193 – G Caleb Heil, Madison (USHL)
7-206 – F Roman Luttsev, Yaroslavl (MHL)
7-212 – D Grant Spada, Guelph (OHL)
7-215 – F Marco Mignosa, Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)

Toronto Maple Leafs

2-64 – F Tinus Luc Koblar, Leksand (Sweden U20)
3-86 – F Tyler Hopkins, Kingston (OHL)
5-137 – F William Belle, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
5-153 – F Harry Nansi, Owen Sound (OHL)
6-185 – D Rylan Fellinger, Flint (OHL)
7-217 – F Matthew Hlacar, Kitchener (OHL)

Utah Mammoth

1-4 – F Caleb Desnoyers, Moncton (QMJHL)
2-46 – D Max Psenicka, Portland (WHL)
3-78 – F Stepan Hoch, Ceske Budojevice (Czechia U20)
4-110 – F Yegor Borikov, Minsk (KHL)
5-142 – G Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko, Ufa (MHL)
6-174 – D Ludvig Johnson, Zug (ML)
6-182 – D Reko Alanko, Jokerit (Finland U18)

Vancouver Canucks

1-15 – F Braeden Cootes, Seattle (WHL)
2-47 – G Alexei Medvedev, London (OHL)
3-65 – F Kieren Dervin, St. Andrew’s (Canada U18 AAA)
5-143 – F Wilson Björck, Djurgården (Sweden U20)
6-175 – F Gabe Chiarot, Brampton (OHL)
7-207 – F Matthew Lansing, Waterloo (USHL)

Vegas Golden Knights

2-55 – F Jakob Ihs-Wozniak, Luleå (Sweden U20)
3-85 – F Mateo Nobert, Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL)
6-186 – F Alex Weiermair, Portland (WHL)
6-187 – D Gustav Sjöqvist, AIK (HockeyAllsvenskan)

Washington Capitals

1-27 – F Lynden Lakovic, Moose Jaw (WHL)
2-37 – F Milton Gästrin, MoDo (Sweden U20)
3-96 – F Maxim Schäfer, Berlin (DEL)
5-155 – F Jackson Crowder, Chicago (USHL)
6-180 – D Aron Dahlqvist, Brynäs (Sweden U20)

Winnipeg Jets

1-28 – D Sascha Boumedienne, Boston University (Hockey East)
3-92 – F Owen Martin, Spokane (WHL)
5-156 – F Viktor Klingsell, Skellefteå (Sweden U20)
6-188 – D Edison Engle, Dubuque (USHL)
7-220 – F Jacob Cloutier, Saginaw (OHL)

Canucks Acquire Rights To Ilya Safonov From Blackhawks

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The Canucks announced Saturday they’ve acquired the signing rights to forward Ilya Safonov from the Blackhawks in exchange for future considerations. Vancouver will now presumably try to get the Russian center, who’s been on Chicago’s reserve list since they drafted him in the sixth round in 2021, signed to an NHL contract.

The 24-year-old was a sixth-round pick by Chicago back in 2021, going 172nd overall.  At the time, Safonov had a minor role with Kazan in the KHL but in 2022-23, he had a breakout 37-point performance that suggested he could bring more to the table while also sparking hopes that he might come to North America.

Unfortunately for Chicago, Safonov’s production has gone in the wrong direction since then.  He managed 20 points in 67 games in 2023-24 and while his point total (22) was marginally better this season, his seven goals were the lowest he had in a single season since being drafted.  In the meantime, he signed a one-year contract extension with Kazan last month, keeping him signed in Russia through the end of next season.  Unlike contracts in some other countries, his deal does not have an NHL out clause.

With this in mind, it feels like this is a longer-term no-risk move for the Canucks.  If Safonov is able to rebound offensively next season, he could play his way into consideration for being signed and given a chance to crack Vancouver’s lineup.  Meanwhile, if that doesn’t happen or Safonov decides he just wants to keep playing at home, it’s not as if they’ve given up anything to get his rights.

Vladislav Gavrikov Expected To Reach Free Agency

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The Kings are not expecting to get an extension done with defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov before he reaches unrestricted free agency on Tuesday, general manager Ken Holland told reporters Saturday (including John Hoven of Mayor’s Manor).

The news doesn’t rule out Gavrikov returning to L.A. if they dole out the most competitive offer for him on the open market, but it does understandably significantly decrease the likelihood of him remaining in a Kings uniform next season. They’ve had continued discussions with Gavrikov’s camp on a new deal this week, but still aren’t close, Holland said.

The silver lining for Los Angeles is that Gavrikov has a limited number of teams he’s considering signing with this summer, the Kings obviously being among them. The other presumed frontrunner for his services will be the Rangers, where there have been strong indications of mutual interest, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period said last week.

If Gavrikov departs, that’s now two defense slots L.A. needs to replace on the open market or via trade. The team also traded young righty Jordan Spence to the Senators during today’s draft.

Replacing Gavrikov directly will be a struggle. The 29-year-old is understandably looking to cash in following the best two-way season of his career, averaging over 23 minutes per game while posting 30 points and a +26 rating in 82 appearances for the Kings.

There’s no one available who checks all the boxes of Gavrikov’s strengths as a puck-mover, penalty-killer, and shot-blocker with a big frame. Some names could at least help them recoup a big chunk of Gavrikov’s value.

Ivan Provorov is one, and it looks like the fellow Russian lefty will be available next week with no extension looming with the Blue Jackets. He doesn’t match Gavrikov’s defensive skillset but could produce better possession impacts in an insulated L.A. system, and he has plenty of experience logging the type of deployment Gavrikov managed for the Kings this season. He’s also one of the more durable players in the league and has three straight 82-game seasons under his belt.

Matt Grzelcyk, Ryan Lindgren, and Dmitry Orlov round out the next tier of available lefties after Provorov, all of which present a more significant projected downgrade on the value Gavrikov brought to the Kings’ blue line last season. Among trade targets, there could be an informal swap with the Rangers in the cards. Los Angeles has kicked tires on New York’s K’Andre Miller, a pending RFA, according to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. A speculative sign-and-trade that sees Gavrikov head to Manhattan while the Kings acquire Miller’s signing rights could be feasible.

That would, of course, leave the Kings looking to pursue a more defensively responsible righty to replace the puck-moving Spence. That’s not exactly the skillset Miller provides, and in order to get the most out of his all-around value, he’d need something of an anchor partner next to him on the right side. Top open-market righties include Aaron Ekblad – although that likely won’t work under the salary cap if they’re already bringing in a speculative mid-priced asset in Miller – along with Cody Ceci, Henri Jokiharju, and Dante Fabbro.

Wild’s Jonas Brodin Underwent Surgery, To Miss Start Of Season

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According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, General Manager Bill Guerin has confirmed that Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin underwent upper-body surgery a few weeks ago, and he’ll likely miss the beginning of the 2025-26 season.

It’s an interesting development considering Brodin played for Team Sweden at the 2025 IIHF World Championships a few weeks ago. After scoring three goals and seven points in 10 tournament contests, Russo indicated that despite being medically cleared to play in the international competition, Brodin’s upper-body injury flared up again.

If Guerin’s assessment is correct and Brodin misses several games at the start of the 2025-26 season, it will be the seventh consecutive year that he has not played 80 or more games. The 13-year veteran has been mired by injuries for much of his career, failing to register even 70 games in three straight years.

Being limited to only 50 regular-season games during the 2024-25 campaign, it was Brodin’s lowest games played total since his rookie campaign during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season. Still, he was able to avoid his worst offensive output, managing four goals and 20 points with a +10 rating when available.

Because he’s such a quality option for Minnesota when healthy, it would be inappropriate to call Brodin’s contract a sunk cost. Sure, the Wild would like more availability from their third-highest-paid defenseman, but his ability when healthy makes up for the lost time.

It’ll be interesting to see how Guerin fills the void left by Brodin. Depending on the duration of his absence, the team may shift Marco Rossi’s trade negotiations towards a readily available top-four option. Still, due to their urgent need for a second-line center, Minnesota is likely to wait for Brodin’s return and utilize internal candidates to fill the gap.

Canucks, Golden Knights, Kings Interested In Bowen Byram

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After sending high-end winger, JJ Peterka, out West a few days ago to the Utah Mammoth, the Buffalo Sabres are reportedly working the phones on another one of their younger roster players. According to TSN’s Darren Dreger on the Barn Burner podcast, the Sabres are receiving consistent interest in defenseman Bowen Byram from the Vancouver Canucks, Vegas Golden Knights, and Los Angeles Kings.

For the former two teams, it’s apparent that Byram is being viewed as an option on his off-hand. Operating on the assumption he’ll be in any acquiring team’s top-four, the Canucks already have Quinn Hughes and Marcus Pettersson on the left, while the Golden Knights have Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin.

Meanwhile, the Kings may view Byram as a sufficient replacement for Vladislav Gavrikov should the defensive blue liner depart in free agency. Byram isn’t nearly as good as Gavrikov in the defensive zone, but would bring far more offensive pressure and could create a quality pairing with fellow youngster, Brandt Clarke.

For context, there’s no trade close at the time of writing, but it’s become apparent that the Sabres are making a concerted effort to balance out the handedness of their defensive core. The team has already found one quality right-handed option in Michael Kesselring, and is likely seeking one more after moving Byram.

Unfortunately for Buffalo, it’s challenging to ascertain Byram’s value on the trade market. He has not made many significant strides since his time with the Colorado Avalanche, recording a 0.46 PPG average over the past three years, despite an increase in average ice time since arriving in New York.

Still, despite his billing as an offensive-minded defenseman, Byram can hold his own in the defensive zone, racking up 313 blocked shots in 246 career games, with a 90.1% on-ice save percentage at even strength. It’s also important to note that, unlike many of his peers in Buffalo, Byram has postseason experience and had his name put on the Cup in 2022 with Colorado.

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