Week In Review

The free agent and trade rush is now over and as always, things have started to quiet down throughout the hockey world.  However, there was some news of note from over the past seven days which is recapped in our key stories.

Staying Put: The drama heading into the week was what Anaheim and Utah would do with their respective players who signed offer sheets.  In the end, nothing really changed as the Ducks matched Leo Carlsson’s five-year, $90MM contract while the Mammoth did the same with Barrett Hayton.  Accordingly, neither player can be traded for the next calendar year.  Carlsson now becomes the highest-paid player in NHL history while the Ducks are down to around $9MM in cap room, per PuckPedia, with Cutter Gauthier still needing a new contract and a back end in considerable need of improvement.  As for Hayton, he’s only a year away from UFA eligibility so if an extension isn’t reached (he’s eligible to sign one as of January 1st), he’ll be able to hit the open market at 27 next summer.

Sens Keep A Veteran: While the Senators tried hard to re-sign Claude Giroux before free agency opened up, the veteran decided to test the open market.  In the end, he decided to stay, signing a one-year deal that carries a $2MM base salary but also contains another $3MM in performance bonuses.  Half of that will be reached at the 10-game mark with another $500K at Game 40; the other million is dependent on playoff success.  Giroux has spent the last four seasons in Ottawa and is coming off a solid showing where he had 49 points in 82 games while winning over 63% of his faceoffs.  He turns 39 in January and there has been speculation in recent weeks that this could be his final season.

Five For Nemec: The Flames paid a big price to acquire Simon Nemec, sending two first-round picks and more to the Devils to acquire him last month.  They’ve now paid a big price to sign him, inking him to a five-year, $36.25MM contract.  The deal puts him close to ones signed by Pavel Mintyukov and Brandt Clarke in recent weeks.  Nemec was the second overall pick in 2022 and hasn’t quite lived up to that draft billing yet, bouncing up and down over his first couple of years before an improved showing last year that saw him notch 11 goals and 15 assists in 68 games in nearly 20 minutes per night of playing time.  On a back end that’s not quite as deep as New Jersey’s, Calgary will be banking on Nemec taking on a more prominent role based on this contract.

Bedard Out For Four: The Blackhawks won’t have their top forward available for at least the first month of next season and it has nothing to do with contract talks for the restricted free agent.  The shoulder injury center Connor Bedard sustained earlier this month required surgery with the team revealing that he will miss the next four months as a result.  That means he’s likely not available until the early part of November or around five to six weeks into the season.  Bedard was Chicago’s top scorer last season with 30 goals and 45 assists in 69 games and the team has won just eight of 27 games that Bedard didn’t play in over his entry-level contract.

Alfredsson To Toronto: A long-time participant in the Battle of Ontario is changing sides.  Daniel Alfredsson spent 17 seasons as a player with Ottawa and had two separate off-ice stints with the club, one as an advisor and one as a coach for the last three seasons.  However, his contract expired at the end of June and he has moved on to Toronto as the Maple Leafs hired him as their associate coach on Jim Hiller’s new staff.  It’s a step up for Alfredsson with the associate title effectively being the lead assistant, moving him one step closer to a potential head coaching opportunity down the road.

Photo courtesy of  Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images.

The offseason is in full swing and as expected, it was a busy week across the NHL.  On top of a long-time Blackhawk confirming reports last month about his retirement, there were several signings, hirings, and trades over the past seven days.  We recap the most notable ones in our key stories.

Key Injury In Anaheim: The Ducks will be without one of their top forwards when the season gets underway in late September.  The team announced that winger Troy Terry underwent successful hip surgery to repair an impingement; the recovery timeline is five to six months.  That means the best-case scenario is that he’d miss around the first six weeks of the season while at the back end of the timeline, he’d only be coming back a little before the holiday break.  Terry had 57 points in 61 games for the Ducks this season and has tallied at least 54 points in five straight seasons now, meaning Anaheim will be without some firepower early on in 2026-27.

Kraken Get Wingers: After a disappointing year, the Kraken got a head start on their summer shopping.  They dealt the 25th pick in this coming week’s draft along with a 2027 second-rounder to Florida in exchange for pending RFA winger Mackie Samoskevich.  The 23-year-old was a first-round pick back in 2021 but hasn’t been able to establish himself as a full-time top-six forward just yet on a deep Florida roster.  Now, he’ll have a better chance of getting that opportunity in Seattle, a team that appears set to lose multiple wingers in free agency.  They then followed that up by re-signing winger Bobby McMann to a six-year deal worth $5.75MM.  Acquired at the trade deadline from Toronto, he had a career year with 29 goals in 78 games while establishing himself as a top-six forward.  As for the Panthers, they took that pick and, well, used it rather quickly.

Tkachuk Brothers Reunited: Florida quickly moved the 25th pick although with the ninth selection, a 2029 first-rounder (top-10 protected), and a 2027 second-round pick to Ottawa in exchange for winger Brady Tkachuk.  Tkachuk had spent his entire eight-year NHL career with the Sens to this point and had been their captain.  However, speculation had started to surface that he might welcome a change of scenery but while he denied it, he later went to management and indicated that he wouldn’t re-sign two years from now.  Rather than let the situation fester, GM Steve Staios moved him out and will now try to flip some of those picks for the win-now help he couldn’t get in this swap although for now, it’s a big blow to their roster.  As for Florida, Tkachuk will now get to play with his brother Matthew Tkachuk on one of the deeper forward groups in the league.  The Panthers still need to sign a goalie tandem but this move will put them at or near the top in speculative Stanley Cup favorites next season.  With this move and the Samoskevich one, the Panthers have dealt all of their first-round picks from 2021 through 2029 now.

More Coaching Changes In Vegas: The Golden Knights have changed head coaches for the second time in three months.  After taking the team to the Stanley Cup Final, John Tortorella’s contract wasn’t renewed; instead, AHL Henderson bench boss Ryan Craig was promoted to the top job in Vegas.  This was likely the planned move all along with GM Kelly McCrimmon thinking Tortorella might be able to get more out of the group in a late-season coaching change when Bruce Cassidy was let go.  Considering how they fared in the playoffs, it’s safe to say the plan worked.  But Craig has waited for his turn, spending time as an assistant in the NHL and head coach in their system, making him the logical long-term fit for their head coaching role.

Busy Week In Toronto: The Maple Leafs are the early leader in the busiest team category.  First, they dealt goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to Philadelphia for pending restricted free agent goalie Samuel Ersson, pending RFA defenseman Emil Andrae, and a third-round pick.  Assuming that Ersson goes non-tendered, the deal allows them to clear their goalie surplus, add a young defenseman that they think still has some upside, plus a draft pick.  In doing so, they opened up some cap space.  The Flyers, meanwhile, get an upgrade at the backup goalie position while Benoit gives them some extra grit at the back end of their blueline.

That cap space was quickly spent.  They acquired blueliner Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade with Tampa Bay, sending a fifth-round pick to the Lightning to get them to sign the defender to an eight-year, $68MM contract.  The 30-year-old had a breakout showing this past season, recording 22 goals and 48 assists in 73 games, making him one of the top-scoring defenders in the NHL.  He has only been a full-time NHLer for three seasons now, with his output in the other two years being in the 30s.  New GM John Chayka clearly feels that Raddysh can be a top-end producer with this commitment and the blueliner should get a chance to put up some big numbers in Toronto.

In between those moves, the Maple Leafs made their head coaching hire, bringing back a familiar face.  The team appointed Jim Hiller as their new bench boss.  He spent four years as an assistant in Toronto and is coming off his first head coaching role, spending parts of three years at the helm in Los Angeles where his teams played to a 93-58-24 record.  While Hiller’s Kings this season were known for trying to play a stingy defensive system, it’s fair to assume that the team will be asking him to open things up a bit more to allow some of their top offensive talents to make the type of impact they have in the past.

Photo courtesy of  John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images.

The beginning of June certainly brought some exciting games on the ice as Carolina and Vegas began the Stanley Cup Final.  Meanwhile, it also brought some news of note off the ice, which is recapped in our key stories.

Trotz’s Replacement Found: After a nearly four-month search to find Nashville’s next top executive, the Predators have one in place.  They lured away now-former Colorado GM Chris MacFarland and named him their President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, handing him a six-year contract in the process.  MacFarland had spent the previous 11 years in Colorado, the last four as GM and also worked with Columbus for 15 seasons as well.  He’ll now be tasked with trying to get the team out of the middle where they either just make or just miss the playoffs each season.  Joining him to aid those efforts will be former Kings GM Rob Blake, who was quickly brought in as Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations.  He spent eight years running the show in Los Angeles before being replaced by Ken Holland last offseason.

One Less Coaching Vacancy: While it ultimately took a little longer than most expected, the Canucks indeed went the route many thought they would with their head coach.  As they embark on a rebuilding phase, new GM Ryan Johnson is sticking with someone he knows as he promoted Manny Malhotra to take over behind the bench.  The two had worked together previously with AHL Abbotsford.  It’s Malhotra’s first NHL head coaching opportunity but he has seven years of NHL experience as an assistant to go along with a 16-year career at the top level.  Now, he’ll be tasked with maximizing the development of some of Vancouver’s younger players as they begin what seems likely to be a multi-year rebuilding process.

Larkin Wants Out: It has been a rough go for Detroit as of late as they have missed the playoffs in 10 straight years.  That has led to some frustration from captain Dylan Larkin being vocalized in the past and now it appears it has reached a boiling point after multiple reports indicate that he has asked to be traded.  The 29-year-old has spent his entire 11-year career with the Red Wings and is their captain while locking down the top center spot for a significant chunk of that time.  He has five years left on his contract with an $8.7MM AAV to go along with full trade protection.  If Larkin gives GM Steve Yzerman a fair-sized list of teams to work with and Yzerman is willing to move him, he’d instantly become one of the top players available on the trade front in a market that has many more buyers than sellers.

Done For Good? After missing more than two full seasons due to Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, Jonathan Toews returned to the NHL in 2025-26, signing a one-year deal with his hometown Winnipeg Jets.  However, it appears the comeback will be one-and-done as the veteran is expected to retire.  Toews had 29 points in 82 games this season but struggled when deployed in the top-six role he was expected to fill.  He wasn’t rusty at the faceoff dot, however, winning over 62% of his draws.  Toews likely would have drawn interest in a bottom-six role if he decided to keep playing but it appears his 16-year career is now over.

Oilers Seeking Defensive Shakeup: As the Oilers look to pick up the pieces after a first-round elimination, it appears they’re looking to shake things up.  One of the casualties could come on the back end following a report that says the team is ready and willing to move veteran Darnell Nurse as soon as they are able.  That last bit matters as Nurse has full trade protection for next season so if he wants to stay, he’s going to stay for at least one more year.  Nurse has four years left on his deal at a $9.25MM AAV, a price tag that’s on the high side for someone who is likely best utilized as a second-pairing option.  But if Nurse is open to move, he could be a candidate to move for another veteran blueliner in need of a change of scenery in the hopes that the move yields a player who better fits their system.

Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images.

With the Conference Finals well underway, most teams are in offseason mode with as many coaching searches going on as there are teams still playing.  Understandably, some of the notable news from the past seven days comes from behind the bench.

Offer Sheet Thresholds Set: With more teams having cap flexibility thanks to a big jump to the Upper Limit and a thinned-out UFA market, teams will have to get more creative to try to upgrade their rosters.  That makes this summer’s offer sheet thresholds a little more intriguing.  While it’s unlikely a team would go to the top tier (around $11.94MM, costing four first-round picks) but notably, a player could cost $4.77MM and only require a second-round pick in compensation if an offer sheet wasn’t matched.  Meanwhile, third-round compensation would be between $1.575MM and $2.387MM.  We haven’t seen that tactic used much in recent years (though the three latest ones were all successful) but it wouldn’t be shocking if more teams started sniffing around this option, assuming there are players willing to sign them.

Ruff’s Sticking Around: When Lindy Ruff returned behind the Buffalo bench in 2024, he only signed a two-year deal and it was expected that he’d make a decision after that about staying behind the bench, moving into an advisory role, or something else altogether.  With how things went this season, it’s not surprising that he’s going to stay as their head coach after he signed a two-year extension.  The Sabres ended a 14-year playoff drought after winning the Atlantic Division and fared pretty well in the playoffs, only falling in overtime in Game 7 in the second round.  With that decision now done, GM Jarmo Kekalainen gets set for his first summer at the helm of the team.

Surgery For Gustavsson: Heading into the offseason, it looked as if one of Minnesota’s trade chips would come from between the pipes.  With veteran Filip Gustavsson and youngster Jesper Wallstedt, one could presumably be moved.  Instead, those plans are on hold after an announcement that Gustavsson will be undergoing hip surgery.  At this point, it’s unknown if he will be available for training camp with a determination on that front to be made once the extent of the repairs is known after the procedure.  Gustavsson is set to begin a new five-year, $34MM contract next season and teams will want definitive proof that he’s fully healthy before considering trading for that deal.  Accordingly, the Wild’s tandem might remain intact after all heading into 2026-27.

Canucks Make A Change: With their new front office now in place, the Canucks have quickly made changes behind the bench.  The team has fired head coach Adam Foote after just one season in that role, while three assistants were let go as well.  Foote was promoted to the role last offseason after the team couldn’t reach a new contract with Rick Tocchet.  But things went off the rails with the team finishing dead last and ultimately moving their top player, Quinn Hughes, to Minnesota.  Now, GM Ryan Johnson will get to conduct a search if he wants although it wouldn’t be surprising if AHL Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra gets the nod.  At least for now, Vancouver joins Toronto, Los Angeles, and Edmonton as teams looking for a new bench boss.

Two For Liljegren: When the Capitals acquired Timothy Liljegren at the trade deadline, it was a bit of a surprise that a non-playoff team would bring in a pending UFA.  However, the team liked what it saw in limited action from him down the stretch and they rewarded him with a two-year, $6.5MM extension.  The $3.25MM AAV is a small increase on the $3MM he made on his most recent deal.  While the 27-year-old hasn’t exactly lived up to his first-round draft billing, he has been a serviceable bottom-pairing defender over the last five years.  With Liljegren now signed, it looks more likely that pending UFA rearguard Trevor van Riemsdyk will not return for next season as Washington now has eight blueliners signed for next season.

Photo courtesy of Matt Blewett-Imagn Images.

With just five teams still alive in the playoffs, most of the NHL is in offseason mode.  There was plenty of news away from the ice, including a unanimous Calder Trophy winner plus a pair of coach firings, which are featured in our key stories.

Canucks Set Front Office: With now-former GM Patrik Allvin gone and Jim Rutherford set to move into an advisory role for next season, the Canucks have now set their new-look front office.  Well, new in the sense that they’ve promoted people into roles they haven’t had before.  Ryan Johnson, who briefly played for Vancouver late in his career, has been promoted from his Assistant GM role to GM to replace Allvin.  It will be his first opportunity running an NHL franchise.  Meanwhile, with Rutherford’s role change opening the Team President role, the organization decided to split the role, naming long-time Canucks mainstays Daniel Sedin and Henrik Sedin as Co-Presidents.  Their promotion is a little less gradual as they were only working as development coaches but will now turn their focus to the business side of operations.

Six For McAvoy: The Bruins will be without their top defenseman for the first couple of weeks of next season.  This isn’t due to injury, but rather a suspension as he received a six-game ban for a slash on Buffalo’s Zach Benson late in the first round.  The ruling indicated that McAvoy used his stick as a weapon, even winding up for the strike, which undoubtedly played a big role in the ruling.  As the suspension is for longer than five games, McAvoy has the right to appeal the penalty if he so chooses.  Barring that happening, he’s set to forfeit a little over $300K in salary as a result of this suspension.

Six For Coyle: The number six was notable for Blue Jackets center Charlie Coyle, albeit for a much happier reason.  One of the few centers of note who was set to test the open market, that will no longer be the case as he signed a six-year deal to stay with Columbus, one that will carry a $6MM AAV.  The 34-year-old bounced back quite nicely this season with 58 points, the second-highest total of his 14-year NHL career.  While there is certainly some risk in giving someone his age a six-year contract, the dearth of impact middlemen available on the open market gave Coyle’s camp plenty of leverage.  Had the Blue Jackets not offered a deal like this, someone else likely would have in July.

Expensive Silence: The Golden Knights won their second-round series against Anaheim in six games earlier this week but didn’t open up the dressing room to the media while John Tortorella didn’t speak either.  After apparently warning them several times for their failure to adhere to playoff media regulations, the league issued a steep punishment.  Tortorella has been hit with a $100K fine while the team has been stripped of its highest draft pick in next month’s draft, their second-rounder.  The Golden Knights have the right to appeal and will undoubtedly do so in an effort to at least reduce the forfeited selection.  But this sent a strong message across the league that the NHL expects its postseason media obligations to be met at all times with strong penalties for frequent non-compliers.

More Head Coach Openings: A pair of teams have decided to part ways with their head coaches.  First, new Toronto GM John Chayka didn’t waste much time making a change, firing Craig Berube after just two seasons with the team.  Toronto made the second round last year but struggled mightily this season, missing the playoffs altogether.  Overall, he departs with an 84-62-18 record in the regular season.  Meanwhile, Edmonton has relieved Kris Knoblauch of his duties, just weeks before his three-year extension was set to begin (he’ll still be paid the money owing on that deal).  Knoblauch took over early in the 2024-25 season and ultimately led the Oilers to two straight Stanley Cup Finals, coming up short against Florida each time.  This year, they were ousted by Anaheim in the first round.  He leaves with a 135-77-21 regular season record (plus a 31-22 mark in the playoffs) and it wouldn’t be shocking to see him get another opportunity to run a bench down the road.

With the playoffs underway, half of the NHL’s teams have seen their seasons come to an end.  That typically results in a lot of off-ice news and this past week was no exception with several teams making personnel moves that are part of the key stories from the past seven days.

Back To The Devils: The Devils didn’t waste much time finding its next GM as they hired Sunny Mehta away from the Panthers.  He becomes the sixth GM in franchise history and takes over from Tom Fitzgerald.  Mehta sent four years with New Jersey from 2014-15 through 2015-18 as their Director of Analytics.  Two years later, he joined Florida and moved up the ranks, eventually becoming an assistant GM.  Mehta will now get his first chance to be the final shot-caller on a roster and will look to make his mark on a Devils group that underachieved relative to expectations this season.  Beyond Simon Nemec, the bulk of their core is already under contract so most of Mehta’s big work this offseason will come on the trade and free agent front.

Player Extensions: A pair of pending free agents got their next deals done ahead of time.  First, the Stars signed defenseman Nils Lundkvist to a two-year, $3.5MM extension.  The $1.75MM AAV represents a $500K raise on his current deal.  Lundkvist played in 52 games with Dallas during the regular season, picking up 11 points while averaging a career-best 16:29 per game of playing time.  He’ll stay in a third-pairing role moving forward.  Meanwhile, Cole Koepke’s first season in Winnipeg was good enough to earn him two more as the Jets signed him to a two-year, $2.9MM extension, a $450K raise on his current deal.  The 27-year-old matched his career high in points this season with 17 while his 186 hits were a team high.

Quick Calls It Quits: A veteran goaltender has decided to call it a career as Jonathan Quick announced before his final game that he’s retiring.  The 40-year-old spent the last three seasons with the Rangers but the bulk of his 19-year career was spent in Los Angeles.  Quick, a third-round pick by the Kings back in 2005, spent 16 years with the franchise that drafted him, helping lead them to a pair of Stanley Cups while he took home the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2012 as Playoff MVP.  Overall, Quick winds up his career with 410 wins in 809 regular season starts while posting a 2.51 GAA, a .910 SV%, and 65 shutouts.  He added 49 victories in 92 playoff outings – all with the Kings – while putting up even better numbers in the form of a 2.31 GAA and a .921 SV%.

Off-Ice Extensions: It was a good week for some off-ice staff as well.  The Blackhawks signed GM Kyle Davidson to a multi-year extension.  Davidson has been in charge for a little more than four years and has overseen a full-scale rebuild that has seen the team add several promising players with another high draft pick coming in June.  Meanwhile, Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness ended the season with some harsh words for his team and a vow to change the culture if he returned.  He’ll get that opportunity now after signing a one-year extension.  The 71-year-old took over three months ago and led the team to a 21-11-5 record.  They went from near the bottom of the conference to a playoff spot for a while but a tough finish saw them narrowly on the outside looking in for the second straight year.

Canucks Make A Change: While one GM vacancy was filled with Mehta joining New Jersey, another was quickly created when the Canucks fired GM Patrik Allvin.  Things were looking up early on his tenure, highlighted by a Pacific Division title back in 2023-24.  However, the last two years have been a lot rockier.  They’ve missed the playoffs each time, decided to move Quinn Hughes after he gave plenty of advance notice that he wouldn’t re-sign, and finished dead last in the league this season.  Now, the team will turn to someone else – either internal candidate Ryan Johnson or an external option – to try to get them going back in the right direction.

Photo courtesy of Danny Wild-Imagn Images.

We’re barely a month removed from the Olympics but the next best-on-best competition is now on the books.  That’s among our key stories from the past seven days.

World Cup Of Hockey Returns: The last time there was a World Cup of Hockey was back in 2016 when the tournament was held before the season began.  Now, the event is slated to return in 2028 with a midseason event to be held during what would have been the All-Star break, similar to the 4 Nations Face-Off last year.  Unlike that event, this one will feature eight different teams playing a total of 17 games.  Calgary and Prague will host half of the round robin section of the tournament while Edmonton will host the medal round.  The intention is to hold this every four years, meaning that there will be a best-on-best event every two years with the Olympics also being held every four years.

Crosby Returns: The Penguins got a significant boost to their lineup when captain Sidney Crosby was activated off injured reserve.  Injured while playing for Canada at the Olympics, he was initially expected to miss a minimum of four weeks.  Instead, he came back ahead of schedule, with Pittsburgh holding its own in his absence with a 5-3-3 record.  Still, as the Penguins look to hold onto a playoff spot that few expected heading into the season, getting their leading scorer back will certainly help their chances in a tight Wild Card and Metropolitan Division battle.  Crosby had three points in his first two games back in the lineup.

Oilers Down A Star: It has been a tough year for the Oilers.  Viewed as a contender heading into the season, they instead find themselves in a dogfight to simply make the playoffs (though they’re within striking distance of the division lead as well, to be fair).  However, their postseason push just got a lot harder with center Leon Draisaitl is dealing with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season.  He was subsequently placed on LTIR, meaning a minimum absence of 10 games and 24 days.  The 30-year-old was well on his way to his fifth straight 100-point season before the injury.  His 2025-26 campaign ends with 35 goals and 62 assists in 65 games and he’ll now hope that his teammates can get to the playoffs so he’ll have a chance to return.

Two For Carcone: After not getting the types of offers he wanted after saying he’d leave Utah last summer, Michael Carcone ultimately re-signed with the Mammoth.  That proved to be the right move as he’s had a bounce-back year, earning himself a two-year, $3.5MM extension for his efforts.  The 29-year-old had a breakout campaign in 2023-24 with Arizona, tallying 21 goals but he struggled last season.  However, he has played his way back into a full-time bottom-six role this season and has been productive, tallying 14 goals and 12 assists in 67 games.   This will be the first time that Carcone will make more than $775K in a season.

Three For Greer: Earlier this week, George Parros met the media to discuss and defend some of the recent decisions from the Department of Player Safety.  The department is back in the discussion once again following its decision to suspend Panthers forward A.J. Greer for three games for a hit on Calgary’s Connor Zary.  Greer shoved Zary from behind toward the boards a fair distance away from the boards, resulting in an upper-body injury for the youngster.  This is the second suspension of Greer’s career, and he will be eligible to return to Florida’s lineup next Sunday.

Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images.

As always, trade deadline week provided a flurry of activity around the league, even if the volume of trades over the past seven days wasn’t quite as high as it has been in previous years.  As expected, that activity highlights the bulk of this week’s key stories.

Islanders Make A Splash: After a division rival added a key veteran forward (Columbus adding Conor Garland from Vancouver), Islanders GM Mathieu Darche made another move to add to his roster.  New York acquired center Brayden Schenn from St. Louis in exchange for winger Jonathan Drouin, 2026 first and third-round picks, and goalie prospect Marcus Gidlof.  While Schenn’s offensive numbers are starting to drop, he’s still a capable two-way center on a reasonable contract as he has two years left on his current deal at a $6.5MM cap charge.  Schenn didn’t have to go very far to join his new team as the Blues and Islanders were both in the same hotel in San Jose.  Meanwhile, Darche kept another middleman in the fold, signing Jean-Gabriel Pageau to a three-year, $14.55MM contract extension.  The 33-year-old figures to be New York’s third-line center for the next little while and is taking a small pay cut from his current $5MM price tag to stick around.

Contract Extensions: While the trade deadline is a time for players to be moved, it’s also often a time for pending UFAs to sign contract extensions and this year was no exception.  With rumblings that he could be flipped once again just after being acquired, the Sharks and Kiefer Sherwood worked out a five-year, $28.75MM extension.  He already has 19 goals for the second straight year and set the single-season hit record last year and will make more in one season of this deal than his combined earnings to this point of his career.  Meanwhile, the Ducks inked center Ryan Poehling to a four-year, $15MM pact, taking another center off the open market.  In his first season with Anaheim, he’s on pace for his second straight 30-point season.  This deal made it easier for the Ducks to then flip Ryan Strome to Calgary for a seventh-round pick, knowing they’d have the stability with Poehling locked up.  Lastly, the Kraken signed captain Jordan Eberle to a two-year, $11MM pact.  The 35-year-old is their leading scorer with 22 goals and 22 assists this season and the price tag is certainly fair for someone still producing as a top-six piece.

Colorado Swings Big: Already the top team in the NHL with decent depth down the middle, the Avalanche made two moves to shore things up.  First, they parted with a first-round pick and a fifth-round selection to pick up Nicolas Roy from Toronto.  Roy is having a down season but was a quality third-line center in Vegas and should help stabilize their bottom six.  Then, just before the deadline, they swung a bigger move, bringing back Nazem Kadri from Calgary.  They received Kadri and a 2027 fourth-round pick in exchange for winger Victor Olofsson, forward prospect Max Curran, a 2028 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-rounder.  Calgary will retain 20% of Kadri’s $7MM cap charge (that runs through 2028-29) as part of the swap.  Kadri was Calgary’s top scorer before the swap and has lots of experience with Colorado, having played three seasons with them, the last of which saw him win a Stanley Cup.  All of a sudden, the Avs now have one of the deepest center groups in the NHL.

Defensemen Getting Dealt: There were some notable blueliners who found themselves on the move as well.  The Flames parted with another veteran defender, sending MacKenzie Weegar to Utah for Olli Maatta, prospect Jonathan Castagna, and three 2026 second-round picks.  Weegar is having a down season but had 99 points over the last two years combined and is an all-situations player.  The Mammoth are taking on his full $6.25MM cap charge through 2030-31.  Meanwhile, the Ducks made a splash on the rental front, acquiring long-time Capitals defender John Carlson for a conditional 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 third-rounder.  The 36-year-old is on pace for his third straight 50-point season and will give a big boost to an Anaheim group that quietly leads the Pacific Division heading into today’s action as they look to reach the playoffs.  Lastly, the Red Wings added a key piece as well in Justin Faulk from St. Louis.  The Blues received veteran Justin Holl, prospect Dmitri Buchelnikov, plus 2026 first and third-round picks.  Faulk will provide Detroit with some secondary offense plus an ability to log big minutes in all situations to help them try to end their playoff drought.

Defenseman Doesn’t Get Dealt: In a week that featured lots of trades, one of the bigger stories was one that didn’t happen.  The Sabres had reached an agreement with the Blues that would have landed them defenseman Colton Parayko.  Top prospect Radim Mrtka and a first-round pick were believed to be part of the return while Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman added in a Saturday Headlines segment (video link) that AHL Rochester’s roster would have been decimated, suggesting St. Louis was getting more as well.  However, Parayko declined to waive his no-trade protection, nixing the move.  Parayko, who missed his fifth straight game tonight with back spasms, will now stick around for at least the rest of the season but given the potential strong return, it wouldn’t be shocking if incoming GM Alex Steen tried to revisit the idea of dealing him over the summer.  Meanwhile, Buffalo pivoted to Plan B on the back end, acquiring blueliners Logan Stanley and Luke Schenn from Winnipeg.  In exchange for the pending UFAs, the Jets picked up prospect Isak Rosen, defenseman Jacob Bryson, a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2026 fourth-round selection.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.

The week before the trade deadline usually generates some notable headlines on the trade front.  While there weren’t many of those, there was still some trade-related news of note in our key stories.

Kings Shake Things Up: Kings GM Ken Holland made the biggest swap before the Olympic break when he added Artemi Panarin from the Rangers.  Now, he’s made the biggest move after the break (for now) as he fired head coach Jim Hiller, replacing him with associate coach D.J. Smith on an interim basis for the rest of the season.  Hiller lasted a little more than two years with the top job in Los Angeles, with the team playing to a solid 93-58-24 record in that time.  However, the team has struggled mightily this season offensively, leaving them on the outside of the playoff picture at the moment.  Smith, in his second season in his associate role, will now be tasked with getting more out of his forward group.  This will be his second time running an NHL bench after spending parts of five seasons in charge in Ottawa.

Crosby Out A Month: While he was believed to be close to suiting up in the Gold Medal game at the Olympics, Sidney Crosby won’t be playing for a while yet.  The team announced that he will miss at least the next four weeks due to the lower-body injury sustained overseas.  Crosby has once again been a crucial part of Pittsburgh’s attack this season, leading the way offensively with 27 goals and 32 assists in 56 games, continuing his streak of point-per-game campaigns which now stands at 21.  He has also been instrumental in taking a Pittsburgh team that was expected to be a basement dweller by many to a top-three spot in the Metropolitan Division.  They’ll now have to find a way to hold onto it without their captain and top scorer.

Defense Swap: There was one trade of some significance in the NHL this week, a swap of blueliners as Pittsburgh sent Brett Kulak to Colorado for Samuel Girard and a 2028 second-round pick.  Kulak came over from Edmonton as part of the return for Tristan Jarry earlier this season and now joins a Colorado squad where he’ll likely suit up on their third pairing and then hit free agency this summer.  Girard, meanwhile, makes nearly twice as much as Kulak while being signed through next season which explains the draft pick component of the trade as the Avs made this move in part for cap flexibility reasons.  Once a consistent key cog on Colorado’s back end, Girard’s role and effectiveness have dropped in recent years so he’ll be looking for a chance to rebuild his game with Pittsburgh.

Trade To Come? This is the time of year when players will be scratched for roster-related or trade-related reasons.  The latest of these is Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers, who was scratched back on Wednesday.  However, these are typically followed by a trade although that has not been the case here.  Instead, he is believed to have been presented with a team (thought to be Detroit) to consider waiving his trade protection for.  Myers has made it known in the past how much he wants to stay in Vancouver but now, it appears it’s a matter of seeing if other teams get into the mix that he’s more open to joining before deciding on waiving that protection.

Seguin Done For The Season: The Stars were hoping that they’d be able to get Tyler Seguin back at some point in the playoffs after undergoing ACL surgery four months ago.  That is no longer an option as the team filed paperwork to rule him out for the rest of the season.  In doing so, they become eligible to utilize his full $9.85MM AAV through LTIR instead of the $3.82MM they had access to, the maximum allowed for players who will or could return later in the year.  With nearly an extra $6MM to spend and Dallas being one of the top teams in the NHL this season, it will be interesting to see how they utilize those funds.  Notably, with Jason Robertson up for a new deal in the summer, it wouldn’t be surprising to see GM Jim Nill target an expiring contract to fill Seguin’s spot on the roster.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

With the NHL continuing its break for the Olympics, it was a relatively quiet week around the league.  However, on top of the Olympic tournament ending, there was still some notable news around the hockey world which is recapped in our key stories.

Gold For USA: Heading into the Olympics, a Canada versus the USA matchup was one that many fans were hoping to see after their two memorable matchups at the 4 Nations Face-Off in 2025.  With both teams going undefeated through their first five games, that meeting came in the Gold Medal contest.  Matt Boldy opened the scoring for Team USA while Cale Makar tied it up for Canada late in the second.  After a goalless third period, that set the stage for a three-on-three overtime where Jack Hughes fired home the winner to win USA the gold.  It’s a measure of revenge after losing in overtime last year at the 4 Nations while it’s their first gold medal in the men’s tournament since 1980.  Meanwhile, on the injury front, Canada’s Sidney Crosby and Finland’s Mikko Rantanen both missed medal round games due to injuries which will be something to keep an eye on.

Back On The Market: When Jeff Skinner signed a one-year, $3MM deal with San Jose in free agency, it felt like one of those cases where the Sharks could give him some playing time, increase his value, and flip him for future assets at the trade deadline.  That clearly isn’t happening now after the two sides reached a mutual agreement to terminate the remainder of his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.  The 33-year-old notched just six goals and seven assists in 33 games this season and had been scratched for several weeks before his release.  While he’s walking away from more guaranteed money than he’ll get when he gets his next contract, Skinner appears to be willing to make that trade off to land either more guaranteed playing time or a chance to play with more of a contender.

Three For Bussi: Brandon Bussi has been one of the feel-good stories of the season.  Claimed off waivers in training camp to serve as Carolina’s third goalie despite never seeing NHL action before, he has since taken on a bigger role and won 23 of his 27 starts.  He was rewarded for his efforts as the Hurricanes signed him to a three-year, $5.7MM contract extension that begins next season.  With Pyotr Kochetkov likely done for the season with a lingering hip injury and Frederik Andersen having some up-and-down performances, Bussi is likely to be Carolina’s top netminder down the stretch.  Meanwhile, assuming Kochetkov is able to return next season, the Hurricanes’ goalie tandem will cost just $3.9MM next season, a significant bargain.

Injury News: The Ducks won’t be getting their backup goalie back to aid in their push for a playoff spot.  Instead, Petr Mrazek will miss the rest of the season after undergoing hip surgery.  The veteran is in the final year of his contract, one that carries a $4.25MM cap charge, and finishes with just ten appearances.  Ville Husso, who started the season as a pricey third-string option, is now the full-time backup behind Lukas Dostal.  Meanwhile, Filip Chytil’s rough year continues.  After the Canucks center returned from a suspected concussion, he’s now out indefinitely once more after suffering a facial fracture in a mini-game in practice earlier in the week.  A key part of the return for J.T. Miller last season, Chytil has been limited to just 27 games in total since then, a number that won’t be increasing for a while.

Back Behind The Bench: The Oilers will have a familiar face behind the bench when play resumes this week.  The team announced that Paul Coffey has rejoined their coaching staff.  He has held a variety of roles with Edmonton in recent years but joined the staff as assistant coach when Kris Knoblauch took over as head coach in 2023 and helped stabilize their back end.  Coffey had moved back into an advisory role ahead of this season but is now being tasked with repeating history and shoring up that group once again to give them a boost for the stretch run.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.