Hearing Dates Set For Players Who Filed For Arbitration
Salary arbitration hearings are a little more than a week away with a total of 15 players filing for one earlier this month. Ottawa’s Xavier Bourgault has already signed while the other 14 are still without contracts. PuckPedia has received the schedule for hearing dates, which is as follows:
July 20
D Jamie Drysdale, Flyers
F Cole Perfetti, Jets
July 22
F Trevor Zegras, Flyers
July 23
G Jet Greaves, Blue Jackets
July 25
F Connor McMichael, Blues
F Jason Robertson, Stars
July 27
F Cole Sillinger, Blue Jackets
July 28
F Nicholas Robertson, Penguins
July 29
D Braden Schneider, Rangers
D Ronan Seeley, Hurricanes
July 30
F Kirby Dach, Canadiens
F Alex Jefferies, Islanders
August 1
F Peyton Krebs, Sabres
G Akira Schmid, Panthers
Philadelphia will be busy early in the process but that is by choice, as teams can request where their players are scheduled on the arbitration docket. Conversely, teams like Montreal, Florida, and Buffalo likely requested that their players be placed at the back, allowing for more time for negotiations or planning.
A refresher on the arbitration rules:
- A player and team can settle on a deal at any point before the hearing starts.
- Once the hearing has taken place, the arbitration decision must be issued by email within 48 hours of the closing.
- Arbitration awards can only be one or two years in length; players who are in their final year of restricted free agency are only entitled to a one-year term.
- The team decides on the awarded term, as these were all player elections.
- The team can walk away from the arbitration decision if a contract with an average annual value of more than $4.9508MM is Teams have 48 hours to decide if they’ll accept or walk away.
Once a team has had all of its cases settled or awarded, a second buyout window will open up three days later. However, only a player who was on the roster at the trade deadline and has a cap charge of $4MM or more is eligible to be bought out during this 48-hour window.
15 Players Elect For Salary Arbitration
The deadline to file for salary arbitration passed at 5 P.M. ET on July 5. 15 players elected to head to arbitartion before then, including the market’s top free agent, Dallas Stars’ winger Jason Robertson. Arbitration hearings will take place between late-July and early-August. Filing for arbitration will restrict players from negotiating contracts with any other team, removing high-value RFAs like Robertson from offer sheet eligibility. Players will have the opportunity to continue negotiating with their current team and could avoid arbitration by reaching a new deal before their hearing occurs. The full list of players who filed for salary arbitration in 2026, per Chris Johnston of The Athletic, is as follows:
F Xavier Bourgault (Ottawa Senators)
F Kirby Dach (Montreal Canadiens)
D Jamie Drysdale (Philadelphia Flyers)
G Jet Greaves (Columbus Blue Jackets)
F Alex Jefferies (New York Islanders)
F Peyton Krebs (Buffalo Sabres)
F Connor McMichael (St. Louis Blues)
F Cole Perfetti (Winnipeg Jets)
F Jason Robertson (Dallas Stars)
F Nicholas Robertson (Pittsburgh Penguins)
G Akira Schmid (Florida Panthers)
D Braden Schneider (New York Rangers)
D Ronan Seeley (Carolina Hurricanes)
F Cole Sillinger (Columbus Blue Jackets)
F Trevor Zegras (Philadelphia Flyers)
Florida Panthers Acquire Akira Schmid
The Florida Panthers have acquired netminder Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a 2028 third-round pick, per a team announcement.
The trade, one made between the 2023 Stanley Cup Finalists, provides some clarity to an increasingly unsettled goaltending situation in South Florida.
Before this trade, the Panthers only had three goaltenders under contract for next season: AHL starter Cooper Black, AHL/ECHL tweener Kirill Gerasimyuk, and rookie NCAA signing Tyler Muszelik. All three goalies in the organization with any kind of NHL experience – starter Sergei Bobrovsky, backup Daniil Tarasov, and veteran No. 3 Louis Domingue – will become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday.
By adding Schmid, 26, the Panthers have acquired a still-developing goalie with some legitimate NHL experience. The former New Jersey Devils prospect has played NHL games in each season since graduating from the USHL, amassing 82 career games played between 2021-22 and 2025-26.
Before this past season, Schmid had struggled to advance beyond the status of organizational No. 3 goalie. While he had received a backup’s workload in past seasons, much of that was to do more with the instability of the Devils’ goaltending situation. In an organization with more stability in net, it’s likely Schmid would have spent much of that time in the AHL.
That’s not to say he hasn’t had his moments at the professional level, though. Schmid posted a .911 save percentage in 38 games as an AHL rookie in 2021-22, and had a stellar .922 save percentage in 18 NHL games the following year.
Schmid displayed incredible promise in the playoffs that same year, taking over the net for the Devils in the middle of their first-round playoff series against their arch-rivals, the New York Rangers.
Former Devils head coach Lindy Ruff’s decision to start Schmid was the turnaround point of that series, as Schmid registered two shutouts and a cumulative .951 save percentage across his five starts in that series. His 4-0 shutout over the Rangers in game seven of that series ranked as one of the franchise’s highest moments in the decade that followed its 2012 run to the Stanley Cup Final.
At that moment, it looked as though there was real potential for Schmid to become the Devils’ “goalie of the future.” But that would not come to pass. Schmid struggled the following year (.895 save percentage, 19 games played) and was ultimately shipped to Vegas alongside 2020 No. 7 overall pick Alexander Holtz on this date two years ago.
While Schmid’s form had been defined by its highs and lows before his trade to the Golden Knights, Schmid’s tenure in Vegas represented a solid step forward. He spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, but performed well in his five-game cameo at the NHL level, to the tune of a .944 save percentage. That gave Vegas confidence they could trust him in the NHL the following season. In 2025-26, Schmid went 16-10-6 with an .893 save percentage and 2.59 goals-against-average.
While he routinely provided Vegas with enough to win games, and actually started the most regular-season contests of any Golden Knights netminder, the team turned to Carter Hart as their No. 1 goalie. That kept Schmid off the ice as the Golden Knights won their third Clarence S. Campbell Bowl in franchise history.
By trading Schmid, the Golden Knights have begun to clear up a somewhat crowded goaltending picture. Hart remains under contract and is expected to resume his No. 1 role next season, while 2023 Stanley Cup champion Adin Hill is a very real possibility to be traded in the coming days. Hill carries a $6.25MM cap hit and Vegas may need to clear that money off their books to be able to extend Rasmus Andersson. And amidst all of that, one of Vegas’ top goalie prospects, Carl Lindbom, appears to be close to NHL-ready after posting a .926 save percentage in the AHL.
With Schmid out of a contract and eligible for arbitration, this junction of the offseason felt like a natural point for Vegas to move on from the goalie.
From the Panthers’ perspective, the third-round pick the team paid falls in line with other comparable moves from prior offseasons. It cost the Pittsburgh Penguins a fourth-round pick to acquire goaltender Arturs Silovs last summer, though Silovs had a notably thinner NHL resume compared to Schmid.
While it’s tough to imagine the Panthers trusting Schmid as their undisputed No. 1 goalie next season – a season where the team expects to compete for a third Stanley Cup in four years – it’s clear he’ll at least make up half of the team’s goaltending tandem.
That means backup Tarasov, who posted an .895 save percentage in 33 games last season, is likely to hit the open market.
The trade could also signal Florida is willing to move forward without Bobrovsky, the hero of the team’s three deep playoff runs. But at this stage, it’s important to caution that it’s still too early to do anything but speculate on what the full scope of the Panthers’ goaltending plans are. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic wrote the trade “shouldn’t be seen as a sign of whether or not Bobrovsky is gone.” All that is clear today is that the Panthers had a definite need to invest more resources in NHL-ready talent in their crease, and they’ve done exactly that with this deal.
Photos courtesy of Brett Holmes-Imagn Images
Minor Transactions: 3/31/25
It has been quite a busy day on the transaction front, with plenty of college players signing their entry-level contracts. Meanwhile, there have been some other moves involving NHL players and prospects. We’ll quickly run through those here.
- The Jets announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled center Jaret Anderson-Dolan and goaltender Chris Driedger from AHL Manitoba. Anderson-Dolan is up after Rasmus Kupari suffered a setback in his recovery from a concussion, while Driedger will cover for Eric Comrie, whose wife went into labor over the weekend. This is Anderson-Dolan’s second recall of the season but he didn’t play in the first one. He has 19 points in 51 games with the Moose this season. Meanwhile, Driedger was acquired from Florida near the trade deadline, combining to make 25 appearances between their farm team and Manitoba, playing to a 3.03 GAA and a .877 SV%.
- The Golden Knights have recalled goaltender Akira Schmid from AHL Henderson, relays Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal (Twitter link). He’ll be covering for Ilya Samsonov for the time being who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Schmid is in his first season with Vegas after being acquired at the draft but has played almost exclusively with the Silver Knights, posting a 3.58 GAA and a .886 SV% in 30 outings.
- The Predators announced that they’ve reassigned wingers Hiroki Gojsic and Kalan Lind to AHL Milwaukee. Gojsic was a late third-round pick in June and has already signed his entry-level deal. The 18-year-old had 20 goals and 17 assists in 61 games this season with WHL Kelowna but with the Rockets missing the playoffs, he’s eligible to be sent to the minors. As for Lind, he wrapped up his major junior career with WHL Red Deer, tallying 12 goals and 15 assists in 37 games with the Rebels. A 2023 second-round selection, Lind has also already signed his entry-level deal and since he’s 20, he’ll be turning pro full-time next season, an option that won’t be available to Gojsic.
Golden Knights Sign Goaltender Cameron Whitehead
The Vegas Golden Knights have signed goaltender Cameron Whitehead to a two-year, entry-level contract, per a team release. General Manager Kelly McCrimmon announced today that the team came to terms with Whitehead, the team’s 2022 fourth-round selection. It is not yet known whether Whitehead will report to the AHL or ECHL.
Whitehead, 21, spent the last two seasons at Northwestern University and started 35 of the team’s last 37 games, securing a .911 save percentage and a 2.74 goals-against average in those contests. He also helped lead the team to the semifinals of the 2025 Hockey East Conference Tournament, beating top seeded Boston College along the way. Prior to his time in college, Whitehead spent two seasons in the USHL with the Lincoln Stars, where he recorded a 41-23-6 record in 74 games.
At 6’3, 189 pounds, the lefty-catching prospect has the size NHL teams covet and provides Vegas with a solid prospect to put between the pipes. Whitehead joins current AHL starter Carl Lindbom atop the organization’s goaltending prospects list. Lindbom is having a great start to his North American career this year, recording a 16-11-1 record and .915 save percentage in the AHL. Lindbom could be knocking on the door of the NHL, especially considering current Golden Knights’ backup Ilya Samsonov is set for free agency following the season.
Also in the prospect mix is 2024 third round selection Pavel Moysevich, although the massive 6’5 prospect has yet to make his way over to North America from Russia. He has spent the season between the VHL and KHL, recording an .898 save percentage with SKA St. Petersburg through 18 appearances on the season. There is also 24-year-old Akira Schmid, who has seen limited action in parts of three NHL seasons, but has struggled mightily this season in the AHL, recording an 8-18-3 record to pair with his .884 save percentage.
Golden Knights Place William Karlsson on LTIR, Recall Three
The Vegas Golden Knights are spending their final days before the 4-Nations Face-Off break by jumping through salary cap hoops. They’ve announced a litany of roster moves intended to maximize their cap space accrued from long-term injured reserve, all captured by PuckPedia. Vegas first recalled winger Alexander Holtz and goaltender Akira Schmid, then reassigned center Raphael Lavoie. Those moves placed them $135K under the cap ceiling. Vegas then placed top center William Karlsson on long-term injured reserve and recalled forward Jonas Rondbjerg, which they wouldn’t have been able to afford without shelving Karlsson. By recalling two players and getting as close to the cap ceiling as they could before moving Karlsson, Vegas maximized the amount of LTIR cap relief they were provided. They now sit with $5.133MM in available cap space, but will be one contract’s worth of cap over the limit when Karlsson is back to full health.
The string of moves were a great exercise in how to leverage the NHL’s LTIR policies, but Vegas will still be worse for wear without Karlsson. The 32-year-old centerman hasn’t played since January 20th, when he sustained a lower-body injury against the St. Louis Blues. He was immediately ruled out week-to-week, and the team still didn’t have a clear timeline for his return 10 days later. An LTIR placement will now force him out of the lineup through at least February 24th, the second game after Vegas returns from break.
Karlsson has continued to serve as a top center for the Golden Knights, but his season has been filled with abnormal scoring struggles. He has just 18 points in 38 games on the year, and was amidst a seven-game scoring slump prior to his injury. Karlsson has one assist in 10 games since the start of 2025. He’s still provided strong performances for the Golden Knights away from the scoresheet. He currently sits with a fantastic 58.9 percent faceoff win-rate that ranks Karlsson fifth among all NHL centers. Karlsson has also recorded 89 shots on goal and a plus-seven, respectively ranking him third and fifth among the team’s forwards.
Those numbers represent an impact that’ll be hard for Vegas to replace. Their flurry of moves leaves the task of filling in up to Rondbjerg and Holtz. The latter has far-and-away been the more popular fixture of Vegas’ lineup. Holtz has scored 11 points in 49 games this season, while Rondbjerg hasn’t yet scored through 10 appearances. The duo should both earn ice-time on Vegas’ left wing while the team deals with absences to Karlsson, Lavoie, Cole Schwindt, and Tanner Pearson.
Golden Knights Assign Akira Schmid And Grigori Denisenko To AHL
The Golden Knights have made a pair of roster moves heading into tonight’s matchup against Utah. The team announced (Twitter link) that goaltender Akira Schmid and winger Grigori Denisenko have been assigned to AHL Henderson.
Schmid was recalled two weeks ago to take the place of Ilya Samsonov, who was dealing with an undisclosed injury. Samsonov returned to practice on Sunday and evidently has been cleared to return but won’t get the start.
Schmid got into one game while on recall, playing 33 minutes earlier this week in relief duty against Carolina, stopping all 12 shots he faced. The 24-year-old has a career 2.85 GAA and a .900 SV% in 44 career NHL appearances and has a 3.56 GAA with a .885 SV% in six appearances with the Silver Knights so far this season.
As for Denisenko, his time with the big club was short-lived as he was only brought up on Wednesday. However, he did suit up that night against Anaheim, receiving a little more than eight minutes of ice time in his first NHL game of the season. The 24-year-old has been productive in Henderson this season, picking up a goal and six assists in ten appearances with them.
With the assignments, Vegas now has two vacancies on its active roster.
Golden Knights Recall Akira Schmid
Vegas hasn’t had particularly strong goaltending in the early going this season with starter Adin Hill struggling, in particular. Now, they’ve added a third netminder to their roster as the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled Akira Schmid from AHL Henderson.
The Golden Knights acquired the 24-year-old from New Jersey at the draft along with winger Alexander Holtz in exchange for center Paul Cotter and a 2025 third-round pick. Schmid was then non-tendered by Vegas to avoid giving him arbitration eligibility but he quickly signed a two-year, $1.75MM contract to stick around with his new team.
Schmid made quite an impact with New Jersey in 2022-23, playing to a 2.13 GAA and a .922 SV% in 18 games, even seeing some action in the playoffs. However, he didn’t have anywhere near the level of success last season, posting a 3.15 GAA with a .895 SV% in 19 outings and was eventually assigned to the minors when Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen were acquired at the trade deadline.
While it originally looked like Schmid might be the backup to Hill when he was acquired, Vegas went out and signed Ilya Samsonov in free agency which put an end to any thought of that. Instead, the Golden Knights utilized his waiver exemption to get him to the Silver Knights. However, he has struggled with them in the early going this season, putting up a 3.56 GAA and a SV% of just .885 in his first six outings. Notably, Schmid is eight NHL appearances away from being waiver-eligible. SinBin.Vegas notes (Twitter link) that Samsonov is not on the ice for practice today which is what led to Schmid’s promotion.
Vegas had an open spot on its active roster so no corresponding move needed to be made to add Schmid.
Golden Knights Sign Akira Schmid
The Vegas Golden Knights have signed goaltender Akira Schmid to a two-year, one-way contract with a salary of $875K in both seasons, per CapFriendly.
It’s been under a week since the Golden Knights acquired Schmid and Alexander Holtz from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Paul Cotter and a third-round pick in 2025. Due to his approximate $850K salary from 2021-2024, Schmid’s qualifying offer with Vegas would have been close to $900K, which the team decided not to extend to Schmid.
Only on the free agent market for a few days, Schmid officially joins the Golden Knights with plans on starting the year with their AHL affiliate, the Henderson Silver Knights. Vegas already filled the hole left by the trade of Logan Thompson, as they’ve signed goaltender Ilya Samsonov to assume the role of backup.
The past two seasons for Schmid could not be more dissimilar even though he totaled nearly the same amount of games played. On the backs of an impressively strong year from the rest of the young roster, Schmid recorded a 9-5-2 record while posting a .922 save percentage and 2.13 goals against average. Somehow, in only a year, Schmid recorded a 5-9-1 record for New Jersey, earning a .895 SV% and 3.15 GAA.
It will be difficult for Vegas to surmise exactly what goaltender they will be getting after such a stark contrast in performance. By starting in Henderson, Schmid will join a team on the rise as they look to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 AHL season.
Golden Knights Trade For Alexander Holtz, Akira Schmid
The Vegas Golden Knights have acquired goaltender Akira Schmid and forward Alexander Holtz from the New Jersey Devils, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). In return, New Jersey has received forward Paul Cotter and Vegas’ 2025 third-round pick.
This trade provides Vegas a quick fill-in for Logan Thompson after they dealt him to the Washington Capitals for two picks. Thompson served as Vegas’ starter in the wake of injuries to Adin Hill last season, posting 25 wins and a .908 save percentage in 46 starts. It was a strong year for Thompson that warrants another shot at opportunity. He’ll search for that in Washington, while Vegas brings in Schmid, 24, who’s filled a much more typical backup role with the Devils. He posted a measly five wins and .895 save percentage this year, but was much more effective as a rookie last season, when he managed nine wins and a .922 save percentage in 18 games. Schmid is still in need of a bigger sample size, but his career .899 save percentage through 43 games suggests a modest NHL upside.
The Golden Knights will get to test that upside alongside the surprising addition of top young forward Alexander Holtz. Previously the seventh-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Holtz struggled to earn consistent ice time under previous Devils head coach Lindy Ruff. Even then, Holtz found his way to good effect, recording 16 goals and 28 points while playing in all 82 games this season. Holtz seemed rife with upside this season, even amidst an ever-changing role. Consistency in the Vegas top-six could lead to a major pay-off, though Holtz will have to fight with Pavel Dorofeyev for the role of young sniper atop the Vegas depth charts.
Meanwhile, New Jersey receives the projectable role of Cotter. He stepped as Vegas’ full-time fourth-line centerman this year, recording 25 points and 41 penalty minutes through 76 games. It was his second full-year on an NHL roster, having recorded 13 goals and 18 points in 55 games last year. Cotter doesn’t inspire too much down the lineup, though he should be a responsible addition to New Jersey’s bottom lines.