Week In Review

The calendar has turned to September and preseason games are only a few weeks away.  As a result, there was a bit more activity on the transactions front around the NHL over the past seven days, the most notable of which is recapped in our key stories.

Rule Changes Starting This Season: The CBA extension that was agreed upon back in the spring called for some notable changes starting in 2026-27.  But as it turns out, some will be in effect for this season instead.  Chief among those is the changes to LTIR that will see the pool limited to the NHL average salary unless the player is out for the season and the institution of a playoff salary cap.  Additionally, contracts with deferred compensation will only be allowed until October 6th, players assigned to the minors must play in one game before being recalled (to try to dissuade paper moves), a player can only have his contract retained on a second time after 75 regular season days have passed from his original trade, and post-deadline recall limits being expanded from four to five.

Price’s Contract Traded: After the Canadiens paid Carey Price’s signing bonus on Monday, it was widely expected that they’d move him to get out of using LTIR, a position they’ve been in since 2021.  They did just that, sending the injured netminder to San Jose with a 2026 fifth-round pick in exchange for defenseman Gannon Laroque.  Price hasn’t played since 2022 but has carried a $10.5MM AAV during that stretch, causing Montreal to have carryover bonus penalties each season since then which is why they were willing to part with a draft pick to avoid being in that spot this season.  Meanwhile, the Sharks will only be responsible for paying 40% of his $2MM salary (insurance will cover the rest), meaning they’ve effectively bought a draft pick for $800K.  As for Laroque, he has played in just 22 games over the last three years and didn’t suit up at all last season and his playing future remains in question.

Three For Zary: One of the few remaining restricted free agents reached an agreement on a new contract as the Flames re-signed forward Connor Zary to a three-year deal that will carry a $3.775MM AAV.  The 23-year-old was a first-round pick by Calgary back in 2020 but he hasn’t seen a ton of action at the NHL level thus far, just 117 outings over two seasons.  Last season, Zary was limited to just 54 games due to a pair of knee injuries but when he was in the lineup, he was reasonably productive with 13 goals and 14 assists.  The deal is a sign that the Flames feel he still has another level to get to offensively.  When this contract expires in 2028, Zary will be arbitration-eligible with one year of RFA eligibility remaining.

Calling It A Career: After parts of ten NHL seasons, veteran center Derek Ryan has called it a career, announcing his retirement at the age of 38.  A free agent this summer, he acknowledged that he wasn’t actively pursuing a contract although he would have been open to returning to Edmonton.  Ryan took the long route to the NHL, not getting his first contract until 28, that coming after stints in Canada’s college system and three seasons in Austria, hardly a common route.  But Ryan eventually became a quality bottom-six center for several years, chipping in with 209 points and a 55.3% success rate on faceoffs in 606 games between Carolina, Calgary, and Edmonton.

Dryden Passes Away: Early Saturday, the Canadiens announced that their long-time goaltender and Hall of Famer Ken Dryden passed away at the age of 78 after a battle with cancer.  He was an elite netminder for Montreal in the 1970s, winning six Stanley Cups and five Vezina Trophies over eight seasons and is tied with Dominik Hasek for the highest save percentage in NHL history (among goalies with at least 100 games) at .922.  Dryden retired in his 20s but remained in the game as an announcer, an author, and later, as team president in Toronto for several seasons before pursuing a career in Canadian politics.  Dryden was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.

Photo courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images.

The month of August is in the books which means training camps are getting a lot closer now.  It was a relatively quiet week around the hockey world which isn’t uncommon for this time of year but there was still some news of note which is recapped in our key stories.

Calling It A Career: Veteran defenseman Tyson Barrie has hung his skates, announcing his retirement at the age of 34.  When asked why now by NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy (Twitter link), Barrie jokingly said it was a decision made in tandem with all 32 teams, suggesting his desire was to keep playing but no offers were coming.  He was once a premier offensive defenseman but had struggled in recent years, only getting into 13 games with Calgary last season.  Barrie ends his career with 508 points in 822 games over 14 NHL seasons, including four 50-point campaigns, a very solid career for a player drafted in the third round by Colorado back in 2009.

A Case Of When, Not If: Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson has been in trade speculation for a while but there remains the possibility of a contract extension as well.  Some cold water was poured on that by team captain Mikael Backlund who indicated that after talking to the blueliner, he’s going to get traded with Andersson hoping that his situation won’t become a distraction.  The 28-year-old has been a top-pairing defender for Calgary for several years now while averaging 42 points over the last four seasons.  That has him in position for a significant increase on his $4.55MM AAV and it appears that contract will be coming from somewhere else.

Still Lots Of Work To Do: Devils defenseman Luke Hughes is one of the top remaining restricted free agents.  Usually, there’s a lot of haggling still to do with money in these situations.  However, on top of that, it appears as if the sides are far apart on term as well.  New Jersey’s preference appears to be either a short-term bridge deal or a long-term one while Hughes would prefer a five-year pact that takes him to free agency at the same time as his brother Jack Hughes.  Notably, he has five RFA-eligible years remaining, meaning such a move wouldn’t gain the Devils any extra years of control which is the exact situation they want to avoid.  Clearly, there’s a long way to go before the two sides reach an agreement.

Carolina Tryouts: The end of August and early September is often colloquially known as PTO season in the NHL.  With guaranteed deals less likely, players will start settling for tryouts with the hopes of landing a full-season contract from there.  The Hurricanes are the latest team to go that route, reaching PTO deals with defenseman Oliver Kylington and winger Givani Smith.  Between injuries and a personal leave, Kylington hasn’t played much in recent years and only got into 19 games between Colorado and Anaheim last season where he had five points in a little over 12 minutes a night of ice time.  He could find himself battling for a reserve spot on the back end.  As for Smith, he got into just 13 NHL games last season, logging barely six minutes a night in those outings while being in the minors the rest of the way.  Speculatively, he’ll be vying for a two-way deal that would have him likely starting in the AHL and hoping for a recall.

Off To Switzerland: One player who looked like he’d be involved in PTO season was veteran blueliner Jan Rutta.  However, instead of going that way, he has decided to play in Switzerland, inking a two-year contract with Geneve-Servette.  He didn’t make his NHL debut until his age-27 back in 2017-18 with Chicago and leaves with 417 outings over parts of eight seasons.  Rutta had 98 points and 479 blocked shots in those outings along with a pair of Stanley Cup victories from his time with Tampa Bay.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

With training camps inching closer, there is still some work to do in terms of roster building with several players in need of new contracts.  A couple of those files were closed off over the past seven days and are among the key stories of the week.

Olofsson To Avalanche: It took longer than expected but winger Victor Olofsson has found his next team after signing a one-year, $1.575MM contract with Colorado.  The 30-year-old is only two years removed from a career-best 28 goals but has seen his production drop since then.  Last year, Olofsson notched 15 goals and 14 assists in 56 games in Vegas despite not seeing a lot of playing time in their top six.  That should be particularly appealing to an Avalanche roster that has had some challenges getting production from their bottom six forward group.  The deal eats up a little more than half of the cap space they had and with Logan O’Connor out to start the season, this could be it for them beyond potentially adding a player at the minimum salary around training camp.

Comeback Attempt: Veteran winger Milan Lucic is hoping to return to the NHL this season after inking a tryout deal with St. Louis.  He last played in the NHL back in October 2023 but while on injured reserve, he was charged with assault and battery for a domestic incident though those charges were later dropped.  However, he entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program but has now been cleared.  In his prime, the 37-year-old was a feared power forward with 30-goal offensive production but over his last few seasons of action, he was more of a fourth liner.  Now nearly two years removed from playing, it’s fair to suggest that he’ll be playing a similar role if he’s able to secure a full-season contract from the Blues.

Seven For Nazar: Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar has just 56 career NHL games under his belt after spending the first two months of last season in the minors.  However, Chicago has seen enough to make a long-term commitment to him as the two sides worked out a seven-year, $46.13MM extension that will begin in the 2026-27 campaign.  Drafted in the first round in 2022 with the pick acquired for Kirby Dach, Nazar spent two years at the University of Michigan before turning pro at the end of the 2023-24 campaign.  Last season, he notched 24 points in 21 games with AHL Rockford before putting up 12 goals and 14 assists in 53 games with the Blackhawks.  They clearly feel he has another level or two to get to offensively and if he does, this could become a team-friendly deal before too long.

Surgery For Tkachuk: While Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk had hoped to avoid needing surgery, that isn’t the case as he underwent surgery to repair the adductor injury that he sustained at the 4 Nations Face-Off.  Despite playing through the injury in the playoffs, he was quite productive with 23 points in as many games to help them win their second straight Stanley Cup.  Tkachuk, who is now LTIR-eligible, could be out until January.  Florida will place him on LTIR, ending any short-term speculation about them needing to clear salary in the process.  The Panthers wasted little time filling his spot on the roster in the short term, signing veteran forward Luke Kunin to a one-year, $775K contract.  Kunin won’t be able to replace Tkachuk’s production but he’ll add further grit to a lineup that already has a lot of it.

Rossi Gets A Bridge Deal: For months, the word was that center Marco Rossi wanted a long-term contract but the Wild wanted a bridge deal.  In the end, the team got their way as the two sides worked out a three-year, $15MM contract.  The agreement is notably backloaded, securing Rossi a $6MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights in 2028, his final year of RFA eligibility.  Rossi’s second full NHL season was a strong one as he noted 24 goals and 36 assists in 82 games while logging over 18 minutes a night as a full-time top-six forward.  However, his usage was dropped to barely 11 minutes per contest in their first-round loss to Vegas, fueling speculation about his future.  But after all sorts of trade scenarios and even talk of an offer sheet, Rossi will stick around with the team that drafted him in the first round back in 2020.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

We’re now past the midpoint of August and training camps are starting to get closer. We saw a handful of moves on the transaction front over the past seven days, several of which are highlighted in our key stories.

Going For 20: Long-time NHL veteran Jack Johnson isn’t ready to call it a career just yet as he has signed a tryout deal with Minnesota. The 38-year-old was an every-game regular as recently as 2023-24 but his second stint with Columbus last season saw him reduced to a much lesser role with playing time very limited when he did get in the lineup for his 41 games. Johnson has 342 points in 1,228 games with six different teams over 19 seasons and will look to make it an even 20 if he can secure a contract from the Wild, a team that moved Declan Chisholm at the draft and didn’t re-sign veteran depth defender Jon Merrill.

Bridge For Evans: Seattle took care of their last remaining restricted free agent, working out a two-year bridge deal with defenseman Ryker Evans. The contract carries a cap hit of $2.05MM. The 23-year-old wrapped up his first full NHL campaign last season and it was a good one that saw him pick up 25 points in 73 games while logging over 19 minutes a night of playing time. Evans also played for Canada at the Worlds in May, notching a pair of assists in eight outings. The deal is slightly front-loaded with his required qualifying offer in 2027 checking in at an even $2MM; that offer will also come with salary arbitration rights. By going with a bridge agreement instead of a long-term pact, Seattle projects to enter the season with nearly $4.6MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.

Johansen Grievance Ruling: While it took quite a while – the better part of a year – a ruling has been made in the Ryan Johansen grievance for the termination of his contract. Philadelphia acquired him in 2024 and after he cleared waivers, he was assigned to the AHL where Johansen asserted there was an injury (a nagging hip issue), leading to the rescinding of the assignment. However, the Flyers then terminated Johansen’s contract last August, citing a material breach of contract. The hearing went to an arbitrator who has sided with Philadelphia, meaning that Johansen’s deal will not be restored in part or in full on the books. Johansen’s contract being added retroactive to last year’s books would have caused a bonus overage penalty for the Flyers which would have then rolled onto their 25-26 numbers. Johansen didn’t play at all last season and remains an unrestricted free agent although it would be surprising to see him sign now.

Calling It A Career: Veteran defenseman Chad Ruhwedel has decided to retire at the age of 35. He was a late bloomer, not really establishing himself in the NHL until he joined Pittsburgh at 26 but wound up becoming a reliable depth option who could step in and play on the third pairing for several years, including the 2021-22 campaign that saw him play in a career-best 78 NHL games. Ruhwedel spent most of last season with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford and rather than seek out what would likely have been a PTO deal, he has decided to hang up his skates now. He ends his career with 50 points in 369 NHL games over parts of 13 seasons, a solid run for a player who was never drafted.

Detroit Adds A Defenseman: The Red Wings have added some extra depth on the back end, signing veteran Travis Hamonic to a one-year, $1MM contract. The 35-year-old was a high-quality shutdown defenseman in his prime but he has seen his role scaled back in recent years to that of a depth defender lately. Hamonic was battling Jacob Bernard-Docker for playing time with the Senators for the bulk of the last two seasons and that battle is now set to continue with Detroit’s other signing on the blueline this summer being Bernard-Docker after he was let go by Buffalo.

Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig-Imagn Images.

With training camps now a little more than a month away, a lot of teams are in summer vacation mode while there’s still time.  Although that has resulted in much more limited activity around the hockey world, there was still some news of note which we’ll cover in our key stories.

Schaefer Signs: The top pick in this year’s draft is now under contract as the Islanders signed defenseman Matthew Schaefer to a three-year, entry-level deal.  The agreement pays him $975K per season in the NHL plus another $3.5MM in potential bonuses.  Schaefer was limited to just 17 games with OHL Erie last season and was sidelined for the final few months after suffering a fractured clavicle in the second game of the World Juniors.  That said, he was dominant enough in his two-plus months of action to move him up the draft rankings, making him the consensus number one selection in this year’s class.  By signing now, Schaefer is no longer NCAA-eligible should he not make New York’s roster.

Vesey Heads Overseas: Veteran winger Jimmy Vesey had strong interest in free agency, just not from NHL clubs.  Teams from several leagues tried to sign him and in the end, he decided to sign in Switzerland, inking a two-year deal with Geneve-Servette.  The 32-year-old had a limited role with both the Rangers and Avalanche last season, notching eight points in 43 games.  Originally drafted by Nashville back in 2012, he decided not to sign with them, kickstarting a rarely seen process that saw him reach August 15th free agency and meet with many teams before joining the Rangers.  Overall, Vesey has played in 626 career NHL games over parts of nine seasons, tallying 101 goals and 93 assists.

Panthers Unlikely To Move Rodrigues: With Florida sitting $3.725MM over the salary cap per PuckPedia, many have been waiting for the other shoe to drop; who would be moved to get them back into compliance?  The answer is, for now at least, no one, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Panthers are unlikely to move forward Evan Rodrigues, the one player they could part with to get close to being cap-compliant.  Instead, it appears their intention is to start the season using LTIR with winger Matthew Tkachuk acknowledging that surgery is likely needed to fully repair the adductor injury he dealt with in the playoffs.  If that happens, he’d be expected to miss multiple months, allowing Florida to keep the rest of the group intact for at least a little while longer though they’d have to get compliant whenever Tkachuk was cleared to return.

Winger Signings: While Vesey signed overseas, two other UFA wingers found NHL contracts.  First, the Avalanche agreed to a one-year, $1.25MM deal with Joel Kiviranta.  The 29-year-old had a surprising 16 goals with Colorado last season after his previous career high in points in a single season was 11.  The deal gives Kiviranta a well-deserved raise while still being a reasonable enough price tag should his production drop back to normal levels.  Meanwhile, the Stars dipped their toes into the market as well, signing Nathan Bastian to a one-year, $775K contract.  The 27-year-old had 10 points and 138 hits in 59 games with New Jersey last season.  He’ll battle for a spot on the fourth line in training camp.

Varlamov To Resume Skating: Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov didn’t play at all last season after November due to a lingering knee injury.  They felt it was necessary to add some insurance in free agency when they signed David Rittich to a one-year deal.  However, it appears that Varlamov could be ready for training camp as he’s expected to resume skating in the near future.  The 37-year-old still has two years left on his contract at a $2.75MM AAV and while he’s coming off a down (injury-riddled) year, he has been one of the better backups in recent years.  Getting him back to form would be a nice boost heading into the season.

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol-Imagn Images.

The arbitration period has come to an end with the final few players settling before the point of getting to a hearing.  Those deals are included in the key stories from the past seven days.

Kings Re-Sign Last RFA: The Kings took care of their final remaining restricted free agent, signing winger Alex Laferriere to a three-year, $12.3MM contract.  The 23-year-old has two full NHL seasons under his belt with his 2024-25 campaign being a solid one as he collected 19 goals and 23 assists in 77 games while working his way into being a regular in the top six.  He also chipped in with a trio of helpers in their first-round playoff exit at the hands of Edmonton.  Laferriere didn’t have salary arbitration eligibility this summer but he will when this deal expires in 2028.  At that point, he’ll be a year away from unrestricted free agency.

Not Retiring Yet: While Nicklas Backstrom’s NHL contract quietly came to an end last month, his career isn’t over just yet as he has signed a one-year deal with SHL Brynas.  The 37-year-old didn’t play at all last season and was limited to just eight games in 2023-24 after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery, a procedure that ended his NHL career, one that saw him eclipse 1,000 points in a little over 1,100 games with Washington.  Backstrom now returns to the program that he grew up in as he looks to extend his playing career a little longer.

Three For Samberg: The first player to get to the point of filing arbitration briefs, Dylan Samberg and the Jets had quite a gap to bridge.  However, they were able to reach an agreement, working out a three-year, $17.25MM contract.  The deal buys Winnipeg two extra years of team control while those two years will also see Samberg have a six-team no-trade clause.  After being more of a depth player for his first few seasons in the NHL, the 26-year-old had a breakout season, logging over 21 minutes a night on the back end while becoming their most trusted shutdown defender.  Samberg also had his best offensive season, collecting 20 points in 60 games plus three more in the playoffs when his ice time went past 24 minutes per contest.

Flames Extend A Forward: One player who didn’t need a new contract right away was Flames forward Martin Pospisil, whose bridge deal runs through the upcoming season.  However, he has a new pact in place as the two sides agreed on a three-year, $7.5MM extension that runs through the 2028-29 campaign.  The 25-year-old is coming off his first full NHL campaign but was quieter than expected offensively, notching just four goals in 81 games although he did add 21 assists.  Pospisil was also one of the hit leaders league-wide last season, picking up 301 while spending a bit of time down the middle.  He’ll be an unrestricted free agent when this deal expires.

More Arbitration Avoidances: Two more players also got contracts done to avoid an arbitration hearing.  Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble reached a two-year, $2.825MM pact well before hearing submissions were due.  He played in 56 games for the second straight season, collecting 13 points and 124 hits in a little under 15 minutes a night of playing time.  Meanwhile, Toronto and winger Nicholas Robertson got to the point of exchanging pre-hearing numbers but settled the next day just above the midpoint on a one-year, $1.825MM contract.  Robertson had a career-high 15 goals in 69 games last season but also spent time as a healthy scratch, especially during the playoffs when he only made three appearances.  Both players will be arbitration-eligible RFAs at the end of their respective deals.

Photo courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images.

While the quiet part of the NHL offseason is well underway, there was still some notable news around the NHL, especially on the contract front with several deals being featured in our key stories.

Three For Kakko: Kraken winger Kaapo Kakko was the first of the scheduled salary arbitration hearings but it didn’t get that far.  Instead, the two sides worked out a three-year contract that carries a cap hit of $4.525MM per season.  Seattle acquired the 24-year-old midseason from the Rangers and the change of scenery gave him a boost as he had 30 points in 49 games down the stretch, propelling him to a career-high 44 points for the season.  The contract gives Kakko a raise of more than $2MM per season while Seattle gets two extra years of club control, a sign that they feel he could be part of the longer-term solution moving forward.

Not Guilty Verdicts: More than three months after their trial began after being charged in connection with sexual assault, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube, Alex Formenton, and Cal Foote were all found not guilty by Justice Maria Carroccia in London, Ontario.  The allegations became public back in 2022 with charges being laid in January 2024; none of those players have played in the NHL since then.  They won’t be eligible to return right away either as the league indicated that they will be “reviewing and considering the judge’s findings” to determine next steps.  The NHLPA has already indicated that they are addressing this with the league, citing that the NHL’s declaration is inconsistent with the discipline procedures set forth in the CBA.

Blake Gets Eight: Hurricanes winger Jackson Blake had a solid rookie season, notching 17 goals and 17 assists in 80 games during the regular season.  Management clearly feels that he’s a part of the long-term plans, as they signed him to an eight-year, $45MM contract extension that will begin in 2026-27.  While the normal AAV of that deal would be $5.625MM, the deal has $15.9MM in deferred signing bonus payments that won’t be paid until the day after the contract expires, July 1, 2034.  In doing so, the AAV and cap charge is lowered to $5.117MM.  Deferred compensation contracts have been outlawed in the CBA extension but until that kicks in (in mid-September 2026), they’re fully legal; it’s now the third such contract on Carolina’s books, joining Jaccob Slavin and Seth Jarvis.

Zacha In Play? Center help has been something that many teams are seeking but few options have been available.  It’s possible that the Bruins could have one, however, following a report from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period who notes that Boston is mulling the possibility of moving Pavel Zacha.  The 28-year-old is coming off a small dip in production, notching 14 goals and 33 assists last season after tallying 57 and 59 points in the previous two seasons.  However, he has been above average on draws in four of the last five years, has had his three best offensive years in the last three seasons, and is signed at a reasonable $4.75MM through the 2026-27 season.  If the Bruins do make him available, they should be able to generate strong interest in his services.

More Arbitration Settlements: More players reached contract settlements before the arbitration submission process began.  The Islanders agreed to a two-year, $4.5MM contract with winger Maxim Tsyplakov after a solid rookie year that saw him record 10 goals and 25 assists along with 140 hits.  Meanwhile, Arvid Soderblom’s bounce-back year with Chicago last season earned him a two-year, $5.5MM pact.  He put up a 3.18 GAA and a .898 SV% last season, a significant improvement on his 2023-24 numbers.  Lastly, new Sabres defenseman Conor Timmins received a two-year, $4.4MM contract.  He split last season between Toronto and Pittsburgh, picking up 15 points in 68 games and was acquired from the Penguins on the second day of the draft.  All three players will be unrestricted free agents when these deals expire in 2027.

Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.

With arbitration hearings on the horizon, some players and teams are working to get new deals in place quickly.  Some of those contracts highlight the key stories of the past seven days.

Two For Byram: The Sabres elected to take defenseman Bowen Byram to salary arbitration earlier this month, avoiding the risk of an offer sheet.  But in doing so, they gave him the right to request a two-year deal that would take him right to UFA eligibility at 26.  They didn’t need a hearing in the end but Byram got his two-year deal, one that will carry a price tag of $6.25MM.  Byram is coming off his first full season in Buffalo which was a career year, one that saw him record 38 points in 82 games while also averaging a career-high in ice time at 22:42 per game.  This price tag is certainly reasonable for an improving top-four blueliner although the short term on the contract won’t do anything to get rid of the trade speculation that has followed him for several months now.

Chinakhov Wants Out: Speaking of trade speculation, there will be plenty of it surrounding Blue Jackets winger Yegor Chinakhov who has made his trade request public.  The request had already been known to the team with discussions with other teams underway.  Chinakhov, a 2020 first-round pick, cited “misunderstanding with the coach” as the reason for wanting out.  He had seven goals and eight assists in 30 games last season but after returning from a back injury, he was predominantly a healthy scratch for the stretch run and their playoff push.  Chinakhov has one year left on his contract a $2.1MM cap charge and will be a restricted free agent with salary arbitration eligibility next summer.

Vilardi Gets Long-Term Pact: Another player who was arbitration-bound was Jets winger Gabriel Vilardi.  With two years of team control remaining, Winnipeg’s hope was that they’d be able to get him signed long-term.  They did just that, inking him to a six-year, $45MM agreement.  The centerpiece of the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade two summers ago, Vilardi took a step forward (when healthy) in 2023-24 and then blew past that last season, collecting 27 goals and 34 assists in 71 games.  The price tag is certainly reasonable for someone who has shown he can be a top-six forward but his lengthy injury history (last season was the only time he reached the 70-game mark) also makes the agreement a bit riskier.  That said, the Jets have another core piece under contract for the long haul.

Toronto Adds Grit: The Maple Leafs decided to use some of their remaining cap space to add some grit up front, acquiring winger Dakota Joshua from Vancouver for a 2028 fourth-round pick.  Toronto actually drafted the 29-year-old back in 2014 but traded him to St. Louis for future considerations five years later.  Joshua had a career year with Vancouver in 2023-24, notching 18 goals and 14 assists in 63 games but missed the start of last season while recovering from testicular cancer and struggled to play at the same level when he did return.  Joshua has three years remaining on his contract, one that carries a $3.25MM AAV with Toronto picking up the full freight of that deal.  It will now be interesting to see how Vancouver uses their freed-up cap room.

Ducks Duck Arbitration: The Ducks entered the week with two looming arbitration hearings and ended it with none.  First, they signed goaltender Lukas Dostal to a five-year, $32.5MM contract.  The 25-year-old took over as Anaheim’s starter and that status was cemented when John Gibson was moved to Detroit last month.  Dostal played in 54 games last season, posting a 3.10 GAA and a .903 SV% playing behind one of the weaker back ends in the NHL; clearly, the Ducks feel he has another level to get to as the team continues to improve.  Soon after that, they re-upped defenseman Drew Helleson to a two-year, $2.2MM pact.  The 24-year-old played in 56 games with Anaheim in 2024-25, his first taste of extended NHL action.  He will still be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent in the 2027 offseason when this agreement expires.

Photo courtesy of Terrence Lee-Imagn Images.

While the bulk of the roster activity occurred on or around July 1st, there was still some movement of note over the past week, including a big CHL to NCAA transfer.  We’ll run down the top moves from around the NHL in our key stories.

Five For Two: A pair of arbitration-eligible restricted free agents inked five-year deals.  First, the Flyers signed blueliner Cameron York to a five-year, $25.75MM pact.  The deal buys out his first two seasons of UFA eligibility.  York had a career year in 2023-24 but struggled last season, notching just 17 points in 66 games while clashing at times with former head coach John Tortorella.  He’ll get a fresh start under Rick Tocchet next season with plenty of job security as well.  Meanwhile, not long after Utah opted to take Jack McBain to arbitration, the two sides agreed on a five-year, $21.25MM deal, one that gives the Mammoth three extra years of team control.  McBain set career highs in goals (13) and points (27) last season while coming up just short of reaching 300 hits for the second time in his career.  The signing ensures that an important part of their bottom six won’t be going anywhere for a while.

Howard Saga Ends: After deciding that he didn’t want to sign with Tampa Bay, prospect winger Isaac Howard has a new home as he was acquired by Edmonton for center Sam O’Reilly.  Howard subsequently signed a three-year, entry-level deal upon being acquired.  Howard was the 31st pick in 2022 and is coming off his junior year at Michigan State where he finished fifth in NCAA scoring, showing he’s ready for the next test.  He didn’t want to take that step with the Lightning but will with the Oilers.  O’Reilly, meanwhile, was the 32nd pick in 2024 and is coming off a solid showing with OHL London.  He’s expected to return to junior next season but immediately becomes one of Tampa Bay’s better prospects, allowing them to salvage a solid return from a tough situation.

Dallas Dumps Dumba: Needing to clear cap space, it was only a matter of time before the Stars made a move.  That move came in the form of trading defenseman Mathew Dumba along with a 2028 second-round pick to Pittsburgh for blueliner Vladislav Kolyachonok.  Dallas inked Dumba to a two-year, $7.5MM contract last summer but he struggled mightily, notching just 10 points in 63 games with some defensive struggles that saw him dropped to the third pairing during the season and benched outright in the playoffs.  Needing to get cap-compliant, the cost of doing so was one of their better draft picks which the rebuilding Penguins will be happy with getting at the cost of some cap room.  Kolyachonok, meanwhile, played in 37 NHL games last season between Utah and Pittsburgh and could be in the mix for a spot at the back of the roster for the Stars.

Manson’s Sticking Around: Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson has been a speculative trade candidate at times when Colorado looked like it needed to open up salary cap room.  However, he has been with the team for more than three years now and will be staying for a while longer as he signed a two-year, $7.9MM extension that begins in the 2026-27 season.  The 33-year-old has been a dependable defensive and physical presence when healthy but he has missed significant time due to injury in two of the last three years.  Manson is now just one of two Avs blueliners signed for the 2027-28 campaign; the other is Devon Toews.

More San Jose Movement: A busy summer in San Jose continued this week.  First, the team flipped defenseman Henry Thrun to Toronto for winger Ryan Reaves in a swap of players on expiring contracts.  Thrun was unlikely to break camp with the Sharks given their additions on the back end in recent weeks while Reaves could find himself in a reserve role like he had with the Maple Leafs last season.  They followed that move up with the signing of veteran winger Jeff Skinner to a one-year, $3MM contract.  The 33-year-old is coming off a quiet year with Edmonton that saw him record 15 goals and 12 assists in 72 games while logging just 13 minutes a night of ice time.  It stands to reason that he’ll get more of a chance with the Sharks, who have now changed up close to 40% of their roster from last season.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.

As expected, the past week was extremely busy around the NHL.  There were plenty of signings, re-signings, trades, and even a head coaching hire.  Rather than try to break down just a few important stories in a week that had plenty of them, we’ll break down the week that was in five key themes.

June 30th Activity: In the hours leading up to free agency, many of the top names found themselves off the market.  Mitch Marner agreed to terms on an eight-year, $96MM deal with Vegas, being acquired in a sign-and-trade with Toronto for Nicolas Roy.  The Panthers found a way to keep both Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand in the fold, signing Ekblad for eight years and $49MM and Marchand for six seasons and $31.5MM.  Ivan Provorov re-upped with Columbus for seven seasons and $59.5MM, making him the top-paid defenseman from the UFA-eligible players.  The Kings decided to stick with Andrei Kuzmenko, giving him a one-year, $4.3MM contract while Detroit once again signed Patrick Kane in the hours before the market opened up, giving him a one-year, $3MM contract that could jump to $7MM with bonuses.

Trades: There was plenty of activity on the trade front before 11 AM CT on July 1st as well.  Vegas dealt Nicolas Hague to Nashville for Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons (with the Preds retaining half of his contract).  Detroit offloaded the final season and $4.75MM of Vladimir Tarasenko’s deal to Minnesota for future considerations.  Toronto tried to replace some of Marner’s playmaking with the acquisition of Matias Maccelli from Utah for a conditional third-round pick.  Boston opted to buy low on Viktor Arvidsson with Edmonton looking to free up cap space, getting the winger for a 2027 fifth-rounder.  Then, just before the market opened up, Montreal and St. Louis swapped youngsters with the Canadiens getting Zachary Bolduc in exchange for Logan Mailloux.

Extensions: While many contracts for next season were handed out in recent days, some big ones were also signed but won’t start until 2026-27.  Vancouver was particularly active, giving deals to two players.  Thatcher Demko signed a three-year, $25.5MM extension while Conor Garland officially inked his previously-reported six-year, $36MM agreement.  Carolina locked up Logan Stankoven to an eight-year, $48MM deal, ensuring they’ll have at least one long-term piece from the Mikko Rantanen series of trades.  Washington got another important part of their back end signed long-term, signing Martin Fehervary to a seven-year, $42MM deal.  Lastly, early extensions are rarely for bridge contracts but San Jose did just that with William Eklund, handing him a three-year, $16.8MM extension; he’ll still be RFA-eligible at its conclusion.

RFA Re-Signings: While this is the time of year when unrestricted free agents generally dominate the headlines, some of the biggest contracts handed out went to players who didn’t hit the open market or get to the point of having discussions about a potential offer sheet.  After moving Noah Dobson who received a rich deal from Montreal, the Islanders handed out a pricey pact of their own to Alexander Romanov who received an eight-year, $50MM contract.  Edmonton wasn’t able to get a long-term deal done with Evan Bouchard but the four-year, $42MM agreement bought them two extra seasons of club control.  Meanwhile, Toronto inked its top youngster Matthew Knies to a six-year, $46.5MM contract, ensuring that most of its top six group (beyond Marner) will be in place for several more years now.

UFA Period Activity: While some of the bigger moves were already made before free agency got underway, there have still been some notable contracts.  The Canucks ultimately wound up keeping Brock Boeser who received a seven-year, $50.75MM contract.  Vladislav Gavrikov’s linking to the Rangers proved to be true as he got a seven-year, $49MM pact; New York, in turn, dealt K’Andre Miller in a sign-and-trade (eight years, $56MM) to Carolina for Scott Morrow plus first and second-round picks.  Anaheim added a veteran center, inking Mikael Granlund to a three-year, $21MM pact after moving Trevor Zegras to Philadelphia last month.  The Sharks opted to shore up their back end, handing Dmitry Orlov a two-year, $13MM contract while also claiming Nick Leddy off waivers from St. Louis.  Meanwhile, the other top winger on the market (Nikolaj Ehlers) waited a couple of days to determine his future before signing a six-year, $51MM contract with Carolina, giving the Hurricanes a needed boost up front.