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2025 Composite NHL Preseason Schedule

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The Capitals, Blackhawks, Stars, Wild, Blues, Jets, Flames, Oilers, Kraken, and Canucks are the teams who have still yet to announce their preseason rosters. For everyone else, we’ve compiled their announcements into a composite schedule here. All times are in CT.

* – denotes split squad game

Sunday, Sept. 21

TBD: Avalanche* at Mammoth*
TBD: Mammoth* at Avalanche*
12:00 p.m.: Rangers at Devils
2:00 p.m.: Panthers* at Predators*
2:00 p.m.: Maple Leafs at Senators
4:00 p.m.: Blues at Blue Jackets
4:00 p.m.: Capitals at Bruins
5:00 p.m.: Ducks at Kings (Toyota Arena, Ontario, Calif.)
6:00 p.m.: Flyers at Islanders
6:00 p.m.: Panthers* at Predators*
7:00 p.m.: Golden Knights at Sharks

Monday, Sept. 22

6:00 p.m.: Lightning at Hurricanes
6:00 p.m.: Sabres at Blue Jackets
6:00 p.m.: Penguins at Canadiens
9:00 p.m.: Mammoth at Ducks

Tuesday, Sept. 23

6:00 p.m.: Blue Jackets at Sabres
6:00 p.m.: Islanders at Devils
6:00 p.m.: Bruins at Rangers
6:00 p.m.: Flyers at Canadiens
6:00 p.m.: Blackhawks at Red Wings
6:00 p.m.: Lightning at Predators
6:00 p.m.: Senators at Maple Leafs
9:00 p.m.: Kings at Golden Knights

Wednesday, Sept. 24

5:00 p.m.: Panthers at Hurricanes
6:00 p.m.: Penguins at Blue Jackets
9:00 p.m.: Kings at Ducks

Thursday, Sept. 25

6:00 p.m.: Islanders at Rangers
6:00 p.m.: Flyers at Capitals
6:00 p.m.: Sabres at Red Wings
6:00 p.m.: Maple Leafs at Canadiens
9:00 p.m.: Mammoth at Golden Knights

Friday, Sept. 26

6:00 p.m.: Hurricanes at Lightning
6:00 p.m.: Devils at Islanders
6:00 p.m.: Red Wings at Penguins
9:00 p.m.: Golden Knights at Sharks

Saturday, Sept. 27

2:00 p.m.: Red Wings at Sabres
4:00 p.m.: Bruins at Flyers
5:00 p.m.: Ducks at Kings (Dignity Health Arena, Bakersfield, Calif.)
6:00 p.m.: Blue Jackets at Penguins
6:00 p.m.: Canadiens at Maple Leafs
6:00 p.m.: Predators at Lightning
6:00 p.m.: Stars at Avalanche

Sunday, Sept. 28

2:00 p.m.: Devils* at Senators (Videotron Centre, Quebec City, Que.)
2:00 p.m.: Capitals at Devils*
6:00 p.m.: Predators at Hurricanes

Monday, Sept. 29

5:00 p.m.: Hurricanes at Panthers
6:00 p.m.: Rangers at Islanders
6:00 p.m.: Flyers at Bruins
6:00 p.m.: Penguins at Red Wings
9:00 p.m.: Sharks at Ducks

Tuesday, Sept. 30

6:00 p.m.: Capitals at Blue Jackets
6:00 p.m.: Panthers at Lightning (Kia Center, Orlando, Fla.)
6:00 p.m.: Canadiens at Senators (Videotron Centre, Quebec City, Que.)
7:00 p.m.: Red Wings at Blackhawks
7:00 p.m.: Golden Knights at Avalanche
8:00 p.m.: Kings at Mammoth (Idaho Central Arena, Boise, Idaho)

Wednesday, Oct. 1

6:00 p.m.: Penguins at Sabres
8:00 p.m.: Avalanche at Golden Knights
9:00 p.m.: Ducks at Sharks

Thursday, Oct. 2

6:00 p.m.: Devils at Rangers
6:00 p.m.: Islanders at Flyers
6:00 p.m.: Bruins at Capitals
6:00 p.m.: Red Wings at Maple Leafs
6:00 p.m.: Panthers at Lightning
7:00 p.m.: Senators at Blues
8:00 p.m.: Kings at Mammoth

Friday, Oct. 3

6:00 p.m.: Sabres at Penguins
9:00 p.m.: Sharks at Golden Knights

Saturday, Oct. 4

1:00 p.m.: Rangers at Bruins
2:00 p.m.: Devils at Flyers
3:00 p.m.: Hurricanes at Predators
3:00 p.m.: Ducks at Kings
5:00 p.m.: Avalanche at Stars
6:00 p.m.: Blue Jackets at Capitals
6:00 p.m.: Maple Leafs at Red Wings
6:00 p.m.: Lightning at Panthers
6:00 p.m.: Senators at Canadiens
8:00 p.m.: Sharks at Mammoth

AHL Notes: Pitlick, Gibson, Utica

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The Oilers’ AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, announced Wednesday they’ve signed forwards Rem Pitlick and Rhett Pitlick to one-year and two-year contracts, respectively. Both are still free agents in the NHL’s eyes, but will have a secure playing role in the pros in Edmonton’s system next season.

Rem, 28, is the older of the two brothers and has the NHL experience to show for it. He’s produced quite well in limited minutes when given the chance but has never found a stable home, suiting up for the Predators, Canadiens, Wild, and Blackhawks in parts of five seasons from 2018-19 to 2023-24. He’s managed a 21-33–54 scoring line in 132 career games, but despite that solid production, he didn’t land an NHL contract for 2024-25. He didn’t sign anywhere until February, when he inked an AHL contract with the Sharks’ affiliate. He finished the year with two goals and 13 points in 18 games, a diminished output from the point-per-game rate he’s hovered around in the minors over the past few years.

He’s joined by his younger brother, Rhett. The 24-year-old was a fifth-round pick by the Canadiens in 2019, but they relinquished his signing rights last offseason. Instead of turning pro following three years at the University of Minnesota, he transferred to Minnesota State for his senior season. He led the Mavericks with 27 assists, 40 points, and a +32 rating in 39 games en route to a CCHA regular-season and tournament championship. He was also named to the conference’s First All-Star Team and was dubbed CCHA Forward of the Year. He finished the season on a tryout with Bakersfield, notching six assists in six games with a plus-eight rating. Both are strong candidates to get NHL contracts from the Oilers at some point next season if they perform well and move up their list of potential call-ups.

Other notable news out of the AHL:

  • It’s unclear if the Capitals plan on issuing a qualifying offer to pending RFA goalie Mitchell Gibson, but the depth netminder will be staying in the organization next season regardless. He’s agreed to a one-year contract with the Hershey Bears, per a club announcement. Gibson, 26, was a fourth-round pick by the Caps in 2018 and turned pro in 2023 following four seasons at Harvard. He’s spent the vast majority of his pro career down a level with ECHL South Carolina but has made three appearances for the Bears in the past two years, recording a 1.95 GAA and .920 SV% in the process. He also did quite well in limited ECHL action this past season with a .933 SV% and 1.75 GAA in 14 games for the Stingrays. That may be enough to land him a full-time AHL job as a backup with Hershey in 2025-26 without taking up a contract slot on Washington’s books, particularly if the club doesn’t plan on re-signing UFA Hunter Shepard.
  • The Devils announced that the coaching staff for their affiliate, the Utica Comets, is set in stone for next season. Ryan Parent will stay on as head coach after taking over for Kevin Dineen on an interim basis early last year. They had a 31-33-6-2 record after the coaching change following a 0-8-1 start under Dineen. The club also promoted player development coach Mark Voakes to an assistant role under Parent and hired former NHL defenseman Matt Carkner as his other assistant. Utica’s goaltending coach, Brian Eklund, remains in his post.

Offseason Checklist: Edmonton Oilers

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The offseason has arrived with the draft and free agency fast approaching.  Accordingly, it’s time to look at what each team needs to accomplish this summer.  Next up is a look at Edmonton.

Like usual, the Oilers were one of the league’s streakier teams in the regular season. They had a couple of ruts, and although they weren’t as offensively dominant as they were in years past, they still managed third place in the Pacific Division with a 101-point season. That didn’t mean much as the Oilers dominated their way to the Stanley Cup Final, going 12-4 in the first three rounds before losing the championship series to the Panthers for the second season in a row. General manager Stan Bowman now has to navigate another offseason of limited spending flexibility in Edmonton while having some must-needed improvements to make.

Lock Up Bouchard

The Oilers haven’t had many impact players arrive through the draft since Connor McDavid ended their string of high-end picks (for the most part) in 2015. They have hit on one of them, though, selecting defenseman Evan Bouchard 10th overall back in 2018.

Bouchard became a full-time NHL player in 2021-22 and had a good rookie season with 12 goals and 43 points, averaging nearly 20 minutes per game. He took a small step back offensively in his sophomore campaign, putting up 40 points in 82 games, but found a new gear in the postseason as he posted 17 points in just 12 games to lead the 2023 postseason in scoring among defensemen despite Edmonton being eliminated in the second round. That was a sign of things to come, but the cap-strapped Oilers opted to bridge him upon expiry of his entry-level contract that summer, signing him to a two-year, $7.8MM deal instead of freeing up space to commit to Bouchard long-term.

That’s a decision that may come back to haunt them. Now an RFA again, Bouchard has finished top 11 in Norris Trophy voting each of the last two seasons and, while he has some visible defensive faults, plays an elite possession game and has established himself as one of the league’s top offensive rearguards. He’s scored 149 points in his last 163 games, averaged a career-high 23:28 per game in 2024-25, and he’s one of the most productive playoff defensemen in league history. Among D-men with at least 50 postseason games, his 1.08 points per game are second only to Bobby Orr’s 1.24.

There’s no other option here besides a max-term extension for Bouchard, and they need to do it quickly to avoid the threat of a short-term offer sheet with a high AAV that would be too prohibitive to match. According to AFP Analytics, that deal is projected to cost the Oilers in the high $10MM range per season. They did themselves a favor today by opening up $5.125MM in cap space by trading Evander Kane to the Canucks with no salary retention. Still, they likely need to make another cap-clearing move, too – potentially underperforming winger Viktor Arvidsson and his $4MM cap hit – to be able to sign Bouchard and make some other roster alterations comfortably.

Work On McDavid Extension

There’s been little doubt in the past few seasons that this summer would result in a max-term extension for McDavid to avoid any talk of a free-agency departure in 2026 and restore his place as the league’s highest-paid player. After a second straight Cup Final loss, though, doubt has crept into public opinion. Those fires were stoked more over the weekend when Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reported that no deal was expected to come across the wire in the near future and that it may not be an eight-year deal if it gets done. TSN’s Ryan Rishaug added that informal negotiations will begin this week, but they’re not close to a position of exchanging initial numbers.

Those talks come after somewhat of a down season for the 28-year-old. He dealt with injuries and a suspension that limited him to 67 games, his lowest total in an 82-game schedule since a collarbone fracture limited him to 46 appearances in his rookie campaign. Of course, a “down season” for the best player in the world still means 74 assists and 100 points, even if his 0.39 goals per game were his lowest total since the 2016-17 campaign. 2024-25 also marked the first time McDavid went without a First Team All-Star selection in back-to-back seasons.

Nonetheless, he will assuredly eclipse teammate Leon Draisaitl’s $14MM cap hit and once again become the league’s highest-paid player sometime in the next 12 months, no matter the team and no matter the length of the contract. Draisaitl signed his extension for 14.67% of the salary cap – if McDavid signs for 15% at the projected $104MM for 2026-27, that would mean a $15.6MM cap hit. He’ll likely get even more – AFP Analytics’ extension projection is a four-year deal at $16.35MM per season, a reasonable bet if he opts for a bridge deal to maximize his career flexibility, particularly if the Oilers enter next season with a weaker roster.

It all comes down to how soon and for how long McDavid is willing to commit to Edmonton. They’ll almost certainly write him a blank check, so the ball will be in his court throughout extension talks. Winning a championship, not cash, will be his top priority. While that gives the Oilers some leverage, they at least need to provide McDavid with the hope/promise that Edmonton is his best chance of winning a Stanley Cup.

Improve Goaltending Situation

Saying goaltending has been an issue for Edmonton in recent years would be an understatement. They haven’t had a legitimate No. 1 netminder since Cam Talbot’s brief peak from 2015 to 2018. Stuart Skinner has been a high-ceiling option at times, but at least so far, simply doesn’t have the game-to-game consistency to get Edmonton to their first Cup win since 1990.

He’s also coming off an exceptionally difficult 2024-25 campaign. His .896 SV% in the regular season was a career-low among his seasons as a full-timer, and that figure dropped to an .889 mark in the postseason. The Oilers faced enough high-profile offensive clubs that Skinner was actually still a league-average goalie compared to the quality he faced, but the last team to win a championship without high-end playoff goaltending was the Avalanche in 2022.

Skinner is still an extremely cost-effective option for the club at a $2.6MM cap hit, though, as is backup Calvin Pickard for $1MM. They’re both entering the final year of their contracts and will be UFAs in 2026. Neither warrants entering extension discussions now with much bigger fish to fry in Edmonton. It might make sense for the Oilers to trade away one of them – either in an in-kind trade for an upgrade or to help open space to pursue the top UFA option in veteran Jake Allen. Either way, it’s hard to imagine Edmonton running things back with the same tandem in 2025-26.

Look At Depth Scoring Upgrades

The Oilers were one of the more active teams in free agency last summer, at least in terms of the volume of signings meant for the NHL roster. They were all veteran wingers on short-term deals, namely Arvidsson and Jeff Skinner, while also retaining Corey Perry. Aside from the last name, those pickups didn’t work out. Both Arvidsson and Skinner were healthy scratches in the playoffs, and neither one had more than 30 points in the regular season.

Their cap situation dictates they’ll need to take a similar approach this summer. They’ll need to be better at identifying who has the upward mobility to play with McDavid or Draisaitl, though, and should be open to younger reclamation projects as well. They’ve already added some cheap insurance in the form of reigning SHL scoring leader David Tomasek on the open market, but will look for NHL-experienced options too as cap space allows. There’s an extension in the works for deadline acquisition Trent Frederic, which should go a long way toward solidifying their middle-six group if he can rediscover his 40-point ceiling.

Image courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images.

Canucks Acquire Evander Kane From Oilers

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11:01 a.m.: The trade call is complete, and the Oilers have now announced the deal.

10:01 a.m.: The Oilers and Canucks are working on a trade that would send winger Evander Kane to Vancouver if completed, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Wednesday. Kane has confirmed the move himself on his X account. The Canucks are sending the Senators’ 2025 fourth-round pick (No. 117 overall) to Edmonton in return, according to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff.

Kane had frequently been speculated as a trade candidate in the days since the Oilers lost their second consecutive Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton requires additional salary cap flexibility this summer to iron out a new deal for restricted free agent defenseman Evan Bouchard while reserving space for potential depth scoring and goaltending upgrades.

The 33-year-old winger is entering the final season of the four-year, $20.5MM contract he signed with the Oilers in 2022, which carries a $5.125MM cap hit. Edmonton is not retaining any of his salary, per Ryan Rishaug of TSN. Kane had a 16-team approved trade list as protection, but it doesn’t appear that was a hiccup for today’s move. Vancouver, Kane’s hometown, was his preferred destination if traded, LeBrun reports.

Kane’s move comes amid an active league inquiry into the Oilers’ handling of his surgeries and subsequent long-term injured reserve placement that kept him out for the entire 2024-25 regular season. The 6’2″ lefty underwent a wide-ranging abdominal/hip surgery last offseason but waited until the beginning of training camp to do so, keeping him sidelined until an expected January return.

Edmonton then announced shortly before he was due to return that Kane needed knee surgery, which paused his recovery from the previous surgery and added weeks to his return timeline. He wasn’t cleared to return until Game 2 of the first round, and the Oilers used the cap space Kane’s LTIR placement created to acquire defenseman Jake Walman from the Sharks in the week before the trade deadline. That surgery was recently reported as addressing a congenital issue, raising concerns with the league about the team’s decision to have him undergo the surgery at that point.

Upon returning to action in the playoffs, Kane’s performance was as expected. Even for his injury troubles and disciplinary concerns – he led the Oilers with 44 PIMs in the postseason – he’s still an extremely effective top-nine scorer and posted a 6-6–12 scoring line in 21 games. His defensive impacts continue to drag on his value, though. While never a stalwart shutdown winger by any stretch, his possession play was historically competent enough to help compensate for his defensive faults. That hasn’t been the case during his last couple of seasons in Edmonton, though, and it was especially apparent in the playoffs. Kane’s 45.5 CF% at even strength was 16th out of 23 Oilers skaters, while his relative impact of -6.5% was 18th.

That won’t be of enormous concern to Vancouver, though, especially with just one season left on his deal. The Canucks desperately needed to acquire scoring depth this offseason, and they’ll accomplish that in a pure form with Kane’s pickup. He’s averaged 29 goals and 54 points per 82 games over his 16-year NHL career. Those numbers would have put him in the team lead in goals and second in points last season. Vancouver only averaged 2.84 goals per game, 23rd in the league. Health is a legitimate concern – Kane’s only topped the 70-game mark once in the last five seasons – but with no long-term financial risk and a minimal acquisition cost, it’s a risk worth taking.

Kane should be penciled into a top-six role in Vancouver. He could even see increased minutes as a top-line wing option for Elias Pettersson, particularly with the Canucks expected to lose Brock Boeser in free agency next week.

As for the Canucks’ salary cap picture, they’re down to just over $7MM in space but have just one roster spot to fill assuming depth names like Linus Karlsson and youngsters like Jonathan Lekkerimaki and Victor Mancini get cracks on the opening night roster in the fall. While Boeser won’t be back in the picture, they have the flexibility to iron out an extension to keep center Pius Suter off the UFA market if they choose.

Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV was the first to report that the Oilers received a mid-round draft pick in return for Kane.

Image courtesy of Perry Nelson-Imagn Images.

Senators Notes: First-Round Pick, Forsberg, Merilainen, Søgaard

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After qualifying for the postseason for the first time since the 2016-17 season, speculation began that the Ottawa Senators could look to make a notable addition this summer to continue their winning ways. It doesn’t appear that an addition of that magnitude will be made at the draft, as General Manager Steve Staios shared on TSN 1200 that the Senators are more inclined to move down in the first round, rather than move up.

The Senators should have quality options available to them with the 21st overall pick of the 2025 NHL Draft. Still, it makes little sense to move up in this summer’s draft, which has been perceived as weaker than normal, unless they’re willing to make an offer for a top-four selection. According to PHR’s 2025 NHL Mock Draft by Gabriel Foley, the Senators are projected to select center Cole McKinney from the U.S. National Team Development Program, should they retain their pick.

As a counterpoint, the same reason it makes little sense for Ottawa to move up in the draft could be the same reason another team isn’t interested in helping them move down for additional assets. Teams may not see much discrepancy in talent from picks 20 to 32nd, giving them little reason to include additional draft picks to move up a few spots in the draft order.

Other notes from the Senators:

  • Stemming from the same interview with TSN, Bruce Garrioch reports that the Senators are interested in re-signing Anton Forsberg, but it’s not a priority. The expectation is that Forsberg will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st and make a decision then. Forsberg is coming off a quality season as Ottawa’s backup netminder, managing an 11-12-3 season in 30 games with a .901 SV% and 2.72 GAA. AFP Analytics projects a two-year, $3.4MM contract for Forsberg, which should be feasible for a team with $10.7MM in cap space.
  • If the Senators and Forsberg can’t agree on a contract moving forward, Staios suggests he’s comfortable with Ottawa’s in-house options. Garrioch shares that the Senators would use Leevi Merilainen or Mads Søgaard as the backup next season, with a competition taking place during training camp and preseason. Both netminders played sparingly for Ottawa in the 2024-25 season, with the former maintaining a .925 SV% through 12 games. Still, Søgaard is the only one signed through next season, with Merilainen entering the summer months as a restricted free agent.

Snapshots: McKenna, Peterka, Dobson, Pacioretty

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Although the 2025 NHL Draft is only a few days away, the projected first overall pick of the 2026 NHL Draft is already making waves. The expectation is that Gavin McKenna, currently rostered with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, will play in the NCAA for the 2025-26 season.

In this week’s rendition of 32 Thoughts, podcast host Elliotte Friedman shared that McKenna has completed interviews with Penn State University, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Denver. Friedman lists the former two as the perceived favorites, but all four programs are expected to compete for a National Championship next season.

Any program that lands McKenna will have successfully recruited a generational talent. McKenna scored 41 goals and 129 points in 56 games for the Tigers this season, with another nine goals and 38 points in 16 postseason contests en route to a Memorial Cup Final finish. To put McKenna’s season into perspective, Connor McDavid scored 28 goals and 99 points in 56 games for the OHL’s Erie Otters in his age-17 season, with another four goals and 19 points in 14 postseason games.

Other snapshots:

  • According to Frank Seravalli in the DFO Rundown podcast, the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders have had loose trade negotiations regarding forward JJ Peterka and defenseman Noah Dobson. A one-for-one swap would fill an area of need for both organizations, with the Sabres prioritizing a right-handed defenseman and the Islanders looking to jumpstart a lethargic offense. Still, both teams are continuing to gauge the market for each player, and a trade isn’t considered imminent.
  • Nick Alberga of The Leafs Nation reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs remain interested in re-signing winger Max Pacioretty for next season. Despite a solid postseason performance, Pacioretty should warrant a relatively cheaper contract, given he missed more than half of the season due to injury. Still, Alberga notes that Pacioretty is prioritizing remaining close to his family in Michigan, meaning his desired employer will come down to the Maple Leafs and the Detroit Red Wings.

Morning Notes: McDavid, Hertl, Kostin

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Yesterday evening, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug gave a brief update on contract extension negotiations between Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. Rishaug shared that General Manager Stan Bowman and team President and CEO Jeff Jackson are in Ontario to meet with McDavid’s agent, Judd Moldaver, to begin informal negotiations.

This week’s negotiations will reportedly focus on ’big picture’ issues, as the two sides are not close to exchanging numbers. The talks are expected to last well into the summer months and may not be solidified until closer to training camp, similarly to Leon Draisaitl’s recent extension.

Last week, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that McDavid was in no rush to sign an eight-year extension with the Oilers, hinting toward a contract similar to Auston Matthews’ with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the perceived driver’s seat for the negotiations, a shorter-term contract would allow McDavid to pursue other options if the Oilers fail to capitalize on their Stanley Cup contention window.

Other morning notes:

  • Yesterday morning, there was some loose speculation that the Vegas Golden Knights were in trade discussions with the Carolina Hurricanes over forward Tomáš Hertl, which could be completed by the end of the weekend. Without any solid reporting on the situation, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff refuted the talks. He stated on yesterday’s edition of Daily Faceoff Live that he found no evidence suggesting Vegas is looking to trade Hertl. Although the Golden Knights are aiming to free up salary cap space, Hertl possesses significantly more trade protection than other candidates, like William Karlsson or Ivan Barbashev, which makes moving him objectively more challenging.
  • With the salary cap increasing, there will be significantly fewer non-tender candidates this summer. One player expected to depart is from the San Jose Sharks, as Seravalli reports that Klim Kostin will likely not receive a qualifying offer from the team. Shortly after, Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News shared that instead of seeking another NHL opportunity, Kostin is expected to take his talents to the KHL with Avangard Omsk. Kostin last played for Omsk back during the 2020-21 season on loan, scoring seven goals and 18 points in 43 contests.

Pacific Notes: Elias Pettersson, Marner, Eklund

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While the trade rumors don’t seem to subside related to the Vancouver Canucks’ forward Elias Pettersson, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun doesn’t believe the star forward will be dealt.

Rumors surrounding Petterson have been circulating since the trade deadline. At that time, the team was struggling, and Pettersson and J.T. Miller were at the forefront of trade speculation. While Miller was eventually dealt to the New York Rangers, Pettersson remained with the franchise that drafted him fifth overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. Despite a difficult 2024-25 season, Pettersson is still just 26 years old and already has five seasons with 27 or more goals to his name, and is two seasons removed from a 102-point campaign.

If the team does intend to move Petterson, they’ll have to do so before his full no-move clause kicks in July 1.

Elsewhere in the Pacific:

  • The Athletic’s Chris Johnston noted on TSN 1050 that he believes the San Jose Sharks will make a run at pending free agent star Mitch Marner. While the Sharks have more than enough cap space to make the signing, with over $40 million available according to PuckPedia, and boast young talent like Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, Johnston noted that he doesn’t view San Jose as a great fit for Marner. As Johnston said, “I would be surprised if he went to a place coming off a rebuild. I think he’s going to go to one of the better teams in the league.”
  • Sharks GM Mike Grier said he is not focused on signing winger William Eklund to an extension and is instead concerned with Eklund’s health above all else, per Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. Eklund is eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1st, and Grier previously seemed committed to getting a deal done, noting that he had met with Eklund’s agent to get an early sense of what the asking price might be. Eklund took his game to the next level last season, posting career highs in goals (17), assists (41), and points (58). However, at the World Championships, he was involved in a scary incident when he was cut on the wrist by a skate. Although he was reported to be in stable condition afterward, the long-term effects remain uncertain.

Central Notes: Marchessault, Predators, Dobson

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Despite ample trade rumors, Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz has shut down speculation surrounding veteran forward Jonathan Marchessault. Per John Glennon of the Nashville Post, Trotz stated today that there is no truth to the rumors related to Marchessault’s availability.

Trotz admitted the speculation around Marchessault reached a point where he felt compelled to call the forward’s agent, Pat Brisson, to ensure the rumors weren’t true. As Trotz was quoted, “There’s nothing happening. I didn’t know if anything was happening, so I just double-checked with him that maybe I missed something. I didn’t miss anything.”

Just last offseason, Marchessault signed a five-year, $27.5MM free agent deal with the Predators. In 78 games, the 34-year-old posted 21 goals and 56 points, marking the eighth time he has eclipsed the 20-goal plateau. However, his goal total was half of what he produced in his final season with the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Preds finished with the third-worst record in the league. Moreover, Marchessault had the second-worst plus/minus rating on the team (minus-29), behind only fellow veteran Steven Stamkos. These factors have sparked speculation that Marchessault could draw significant trade interest, but Trotz’s comments today appear to put those rumors to rest.

Elsewhere in the Central:

  • Trotz also expressed confidence in the Predators’ roster, stating his belief that the team is built to compete in the near future. Per team reporter Brooks Bratten, Trotz noted, “We still have enough good players that if we go in the right direction, yes [we can win and compete].” Despite the team’s offensive struggles last season (finishing second-to-last in the league with 212 goals), the Preds do have pedigree at the top of their lineup with the likes of Marchessault, Stamkos, Filip Forsberg, as well as defensemen Brady Skjei and Roman Josi. Holding the fifth overall pick in the upcoming draft, the team is also expected to add an impact prospect to its pipeline.
  • The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta appeared on “The Sheet with Jeff Marek” and shared his belief that the St. Louis Blues have at least some level of interest in acquiring Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. The 25-year-old defender posted 10 goals and 39 points in 71 games this past season while averaging just north of 23 minutes per night. While Dobson didn’t replicate his 70-point 2023-24 campaign—due in part to injuries—he should still command a significant return if the Islanders decide to move him.

Metropolitan Notes: Devils, Allen, Lemaire

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The Devils were among a myriad of teams interested in signing Jonathan Toews, and GM Tom Fitzgerald is still in the market for top-six forwards, per The Athletic’s Pierre Lebrun. Lebrun notes that Fitzgerald may be monitoring situations like the one Jason Robertson is currently facing with the Dallas Stars, and added, “Fitzgerald has been active fleshing out the forward market.” While Toews recently agreed to a one-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets, Robertson has been rumored to be available via trade.

While the Devils are led by young stars like Jesper Bratt, Jack Hughes, and Nico Hischier, they were the only players on the team to record more than 55 points last season. The Devils finished 20th in the league last season with 240 goals in the regular season and managed just 11 goals over five playoff games before being eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes. If they hope to contend with the Eastern Conference’s top teams, they’ll need to boost their offensive production.

Elsewhere in the Metro:

  • Lebrun also notes that Devils’ pending unrestricted free agent goalie Jake Allen is in a strong position, given the limited depth available at the position in this year’s free agency market. As LeBrun notes, Allen led all soon-to-be free agent goalies with a .906 save percentage last season. While Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has expressed interest in re-signing last year’s backup, Allen is expected to draw substantial interest on the open market. Notably, the Flyers, Oilers, and Sharks have already been linked to Allen.
  • Jacques Lemaire, who has been serving as the New York Islanders’ special assignments coach since 2018, is no longer with the organization, per NHL.com reporter Stefen Rosner. His departure from the Isles makes sense considering he was brought to the team by former GM Lou Lamoriello. Lemaire, 79, enjoyed a Hall of Fame playing career, recording 835 points in 853 NHL games. In 2017, he was named to the league’s “100 Greatest Players” list. He later transitioned to coaching, serving as an NHL head coach for 17 seasons, most notably leading the Devils to a Stanley Cup title in the 1994-95 season.

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