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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Utah Hockey Club

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2024-25 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We begin with a look at the Central Division; next up is Utah.

Utah Hockey Club

Current Cap Hit: $78,079,643 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Logan Cooley (two years, $950K)
F Josh Doan (two years, $925K)
F Dylan Guenther (one year, $894K)

Potential Bonuses
Cooley: $3.5MM
Guenther: $850K
Total: $4.35MM

Cooley’s first NHL season was a solid one.  They kept him in the top six for most of the year while not frequently exposing him to top checking.  While he struggled mightily at the faceoff dot (many rookies do), Utah still views Cooley as their top center of the future.  If he can take a step forward offensively this season, he could be a candidate for a long-term extension next summer.  If that happens, his camp will likely use Juraj Slafkovsky’s contract (eight years, $60.8MM) as a comparable.

Doan impressed in his first taste of NHL action down the stretch, giving him a shot at earning a full-time spot in camp.  But even if that happens, he’ll likely have too small of a track record for an early extension next summer.  Guenther, meanwhile, was able to play in the minors last season but played his way into a promotion relatively quickly where he picked up 35 points in 45 games.  With just 78 games under his belt, an extension in the coming weeks is unlikely but if he puts up a full season at that level of production, he could push for a long-term deal starting with a seven next summer.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

F Nick Bjugstad ($2.1MM, UFA)
F Michael Carcone ($775K, UFA)
D Ian Cole ($3.1MM, UFA)
F Alexander Kerfoot ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Jack McBain ($1.599MM, RFA)
G Karel Vejmelka ($2.725MM, UFA)

Kerfoot was a nice addition by Arizona last summer, giving them a capable two-way pivot who is capable of playing high in the lineup, allowing them to ease Cooley in.  If he can have a similar offensive showing this season (45 points), he could push for upwards of $5MM on a multi-year agreement next summer given the consistently high demand for centers.  Bjugstad made the decision to return to the Coyotes last summer and it was a good one as he had his best season offensively since 2017-18.  While they’re certainly pleased with the performance, his track record is as a player with limited offense.  Accordingly, an early extension would be hard to come by as both sides would be better off seeing if his production can be repeatable.  If it is, he could come in closer to $4MM next time out.

McBain has become a capable checking center who has chipped in a bit offensively while throwing his body around.  That’s a solid profile for a player at this price point.  If the upcoming season is similar to these last two, he could double this price tag with arbitration eligibility.  Carcone reached 20 goals last season, his first full NHL campaign at the age of 27.  Obviously, getting a 20-goal scorer for the league minimum is excellent value but how close he comes to repeating that will dictate if he’s going to stay close to this price tag or easily reach seven figures in 2025-26.

This is the fourth year in a row that Cole has taken a one-year deal with a price point between $2.9MM and $3.1MM.  Barring a significant change in his performance, it seems fair to infer that he could be in line for something close to that range next summer as well.

Vejmelka is an interesting case in terms of his free agent value.  On the surface, his numbers are rather pedestrian; he has yet to record a save percentage of .900 or better while the lowest GAA of his three-year career is 3.35, set last season.  And yet, the general perception around him has been that perhaps on a better team, he’s someone who might be more impactful.  With the overhaul Utah has had on the back end this summer, this could be a good test of that theory.  If that happens, Vejmelka could conceivably push for a contract in the higher tier of backup or platoon goalies with a price tag approaching $4MM.  If that doesn’t happen, however, a small pay cut might be coming his way.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Barrett Hayton ($2.65MM, RFA)
G Connor Ingram ($1.985MM, UFA)
D Michael Kesselring ($1.4MM, RFA)
F Matias Maccelli ($3.425MM, RFA)
F Nick Schmaltz ($5.85MM, UFA)
F Kevin Stenlund ($2MM, UFA)
D Juuso Valimaki ($2MM, UFA)
D Shea Weber ($7.857MM, UFA)

Schmaltz has very quietly been one of the steadier Coyotes in recent seasons, ranging between 58 and 61 points in the last three seasons, two of which saw him over a point per game while dealing with injury trouble.  While he’s not a full-time center anymore, he can still play down the middle which will help from a value perspective.  Assuming this production keeps up, he should push past the $7MM mark on his next deal.  Maccelli, meanwhile, wasn’t quite able to produce at the same level as 2022-23 but he came close, giving Arizona solid value on the first year of his bridge deal.  Staying around this level of offensive numbers could put him around the $6MM range on his next contract.

Hayton followed up a career year with arguably his worst one, resulting in what amounts to a second bridge contract.  He’ll only have one season of club control left after this contract expires and both sides will be hoping that he can become much more impactful by then.  Stenlund had a solid season with Florida, chipping in 11 goals in a limited role which allowed him to double his price tag from a year ago and tack on a second season.  This is more on the upper tier for someone who projects as a fourth liner but if he can hang around the double-digit goal mark, he could beat this price tag.

Weber has been on LTIR for the past three years and will continue to be there for the rest of the deal.  With Utah having ample cap space, he won’t be a burden on their cap.  Valimaki has become a reliable second-pairing defender at a price point well below market value.  While the additions could push down his playing time, he could still conceivably double this in 2026.  Kesselring spent most of last season in Arizona for his first consistent taste of NHL action.  He fared pretty well all things considered but with his limited track record, a bridge deal was the way to go.  He’ll have arbitration rights next time out and could double this if he holds onto a regular spot on the third pair.

Ingram has turned into one of the better waiver claims in recent years, going from a third-string option with Nashville to a starter as he played in 50 games last season while leading the league in shutouts.  If he continues on that trajectory and becomes a consistent starter, he could push past $5MM two years from now.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Lawson Crouse ($4.3MM, UFA)
D John Marino ($4.4MM, UFA)
F Liam O’Brien ($1MM, UFA)

It took some time but Crouse has emerged as a consistent top-six power forward, hitting the 20-goal mark in three straight years while averaging 183 hits per season in that span.  Given the high demand for players like this, Crouse appears to be well on his way to passing the $6MM mark on his next deal.  If the cap goes up quickly before 2027, $7MM could be possible if he stays at that level of production.  O’Brien had a career year offensively last season while leading the league in penalty minutes.  That helped earn him this three-year contract, something that a lot of enforcers don’t typically get.  Even if O’Brien struggles, the deal can come off the cap entirely if he’s in the minors, making it a low-risk signing.

Marino was acquired at the draft from New Jersey to help bolster the back end.  While he hasn’t been able to get back to the level of production from his rookie year (which largely helped him earn this agreement), he has been a consistent minutes-eater, logging over 20 minutes a night in each of his five NHL seasons while recording 25 points in two of the last three years.  For a second-pairing player, that’s solid value.

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Summer Synopsis: Montreal Canadiens

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In a summer when many teams either looked to add to their rosters to aid in their expected playoff push or sold as part of their rebuilding process, the Canadiens have largely stood pat, opting to continue their current trajectory from the rebuild that began in the season following their improbable run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.  In doing so, they’ll be banking on continued development from their young core while hoping for better luck on the health front after dealing with considerable injury trouble in recent years.

Draft

1-5: RW Ivan Demidov, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)
1-21: C Michael Hage, Chicago Steel (USHL)
3-70: C Aatos Koivu, TPS U20 (U20 SM-sarja)
3-78: C Logan Sawyer, Brooks Bandits (BCHL)
4-102: D Owen Protz, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
5-130: RW Tyler Thorpe, Vancouver Giants (WHL)
5-134: G Mikus Vecvanags, Tukums (Latvia2)
6-166: C Ben Merrill, St. Sebastian’s School (USHS-Prep)
7-210: RW Makar Khanin, Dynamo St. Petersburg (VHL)
7-224: D Rasmus Bergqvist, Skelleftea AIK J20 (J20 Nationell)

Some expected Demidov to go as high as second overall with few figuring he’d be available with the fifth selection.  After passing on another high-offense winger the year before in Matvei Michkov, the Canadiens were happy to get their hands on a player who they believe could be a game-breaking talent.  While he’ll play this season in the KHL, he’s expected to sign with Montreal once that campaign ends, providing the possibility that he could get into a game or two with the Canadiens before the end of the 2024-25 season.

That won’t be the case for Hage, however.  After a strong second half in the USHL, Hage is on his way to the University of Michigan.  While some college prospects are one-and-done, the likelier scenario for Hage is that he spends at least two seasons with the Wolverines, allowing him to ease his way into a top role before turning pro.

To start the second day of the draft, the Canadiens turned to a bloodline they’re familiar with in Koivu whose father Saku spent 13 years with the team.  While Saku was in the NHL two years after being drafted, that isn’t expected to be the case for Aatos who will be looking to make the full-time jump to the professional ranks in Finland.  Sawyer, a big center is also a longer-term project even after reclassifying to start with Providence College this season instead of waiting until 2025-26.

In recent years, the Canadiens have opted to largely eschew drafting from the CHL, a decision that gives them a longer signing timeline with most of their picks; only Protz and Thorpe have to sign by June 1, 2026.  As a team carrying 21 players on entry-level contracts at the moment, their hope is that this approach will allow them more time to integrate their prospects into their minor league system and lessen the potential of having too many to sign at a certain time.  And with a dozen picks for 2025 already, they may be continuing that approach for a little while longer.

UFA Signings

F Alex Barre-Boulet (one year, $775K)
G Connor Hughes (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes a two-way contract

Arguably no team was quieter than the Canadiens on the free agent front this summer.  Their one move was to make an addition that some feel is more for their AHL team than Montreal.  Barre-Boulet played in a career-high 36 games with Tampa Bay last season, picking up nine points.  But the 27-year-old has been a high-end AHL performer, recording 302 points in 294 games over six seasons at the minor league level.  An offseason training injury to Rafael Harvey-Pinard could give Barre-Boulet a path to a roster spot to start the season but if that doesn’t happen, he’s likely to play a big role with AHL Laval pending waiver clearance.

Technically, Hughes was signed in the spring, inking this deal nearly a month before free agency opened up but with Montreal not doing anything else on the open market, we’ll note it here.  The 28-year-old has taken a unique path to this NHL contract.  After not landing a CHL opportunity in his junior career, Hughes spent the last seven seasons in Switzerland, working his way up from the second league to the NL where he posted a 1.73 GAA and a .940 SV% in 19 games with Lausanne last season.  He’ll also likely battle for playing time in Laval.

Trade Acquisitions

F Patrik Laine (acquired from Columbus)

Again, it’s a pretty small section to work with as GM Kent Hughes only made one addition on the trade front.  It was, however, a notable one as Laine immediately becomes Montreal’s highest-paid skater at $8.7MM for the next two seasons; the contract was enough of an issue that the Canadiens also received a second-round pick as part of the move to absorb the full cost of it.

Last season was a rough one on multiple fronts for the 28-year-old.  When healthy, he struggled to the point of even being healthy scratched.  Laine then underwent shoulder surgery and entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program soon after, only being taken out of that in recent weeks.  The end result was a career-low 18 games played with just nine points.  However, Laine was a point-per-game or better in his two previous years in Columbus and Montreal will be counting on at least somewhat of a return to form to give them a lift offensively.

RFA Re-Signings

D Justin Barron (two years, $2.3MM)
D Arber Xhekaj (two years, $2.6MM)

Again, you guessed it, it was a pretty small list of RFAs for the Canadiens to navigate.  Both blueliners broke camp with Montreal last season but wound up seeing time in the AHL with the Rocket in an effort to work on some areas of concern before returning to the big club.

Barron, a 2020 first-round pick, logged over 18 minutes a night when he was with the Canadiens, often seeing time in the top four.  With only one other veteran right-shot blueliner in the mix (David Savard) and the fact he’s now waiver-eligible, Barron should have an opportunity to cement himself as a full-time regular this season.

As for Xhekaj, his playing time has been a bit more limited so far, averaging under 16 minutes a night in his first two seasons.  The 23-year-old has been one of the better undrafted free agent CHL players in recent memory, going from being undrafted in 2021 to seeing NHL action the following year.  Montreal doesn’t have a lot of intimidating players on their roster and it stands to reason he’ll be penciled in to remain on the third pairing for at least the short-term future.  Worth noting is that Xhekaj remains waiver-exempt so if the Canadiens are looking to dip in and out of LTIR (or stay out altogether), he could be someone who gets papered to the minors somewhat regularly early on.

Contract Extensions

D Kaiden Guhle (six years, $33MM)
F Juraj Slafkovsky (eight years, $60.8MM)

Continuity was the theme of Montreal’s summer so it comes as no surprise that their most prominent transactions in July revolved around that.

The team wasted little time getting a max-term extension for Slafkovsky done, buying four years of extra club control in the process while respecting the salary structure of Nick Suzuki being their top-paid forward (before Laine took that on six weeks later).  The 2022 number one pick had a dreadful start last season, leaving some calling for him to spend time in Laval.  Instead, Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis took a different approach, instead elevating Slafkovsky to the top line.  The move worked wonders as Slafkovsky picked up 16 goals and 19 assists in the second half of the season, showing signs of becoming the impactful power forward they want him to be.  Clearly, management felt that this was a sign of things to come and with this extension, Montreal’s top line is all signed through at least the 2029-30 campaign.

Meanwhile, management determined that Guhle is one of the building blocks on a back end that has gotten very young very quickly (with a few prospects still looking to make the jump).  The 2020 first-round pick has had injury issues in his first two professional campaigns but when he was in the lineup, he logged over 20 minutes each year.  Montreal will be counting on him to play a key defensive role both now and in the future on a back end that is still expected to have a fair amount of turnover over the next couple of years.  The deal buys two extra years of club control while giving Guhle a chance to hit the open market at 29, giving him a chance at another long-term deal.

Departures

F Lias Andersson (Biel-Bienne, NL)
F Filip Cederqvist (Frolunda, SHL)
F Arnaud Durandeau (Amur Khaborovsk, KHL)
D Jordan Harris (trade with Columbus)
D Brady Keeper (Poprad, Slovakia)
D Johnathan Kovacevic (trade with New Jersey)
F Philippe Maillet (Ambri-Piotta, NL)
D Mattias Norlinder (MoDo, SHL)
F Tanner Pearson (PTO, Vegas)
F Mitchell Stephens (Seattle, two years, $1.55M)*
F Colin White (San Jose, AHL)
D Chris Wideman (retirement)
F Jesse Ylonen (Tampa Bay, one year, $775K)*

*-denotes a two-way contract

On the trade front, the Canadiens parted with a pair of regular defenders from the past two seasons, opening up room for some younger players to push for a spot.  Harris was the return going to Columbus in the Laine swap.  The 24-year-old has 131 career NHL contests under his belt already, establishing himself as a capable depth defender, a role he should be able to push for with the Blue Jackets.  As for Kovacevic, he was a waiver claim late in training camp in 2022 and more or less was a full-time player after that, getting into 139 NHL games since then.  Signed for one more year at a cap charge below the league minimum salary, Kovacevic is likely to have more of a depth role with New Jersey, barring injuries.

On the free agent departure side, Montreal didn’t lose any core pieces.  Ylonen played in a career-best 59 games last season but managed just eight points, resulting in a non-tender.  Pearson was acquired as a salary offset in a late-summer trade with Vancouver last year but had a very limited role while White, a late-season waiver pickup, failed to record a point in 28 NHL games last season.  Aside from Wideman (who didn’t play due to injury), the rest of the departures were from the AHL level; the Canadiens are opting to fill those roles with prospects and some veterans on minor-league contracts.

Salary Cap Outlook

At the moment, the Canadiens project to be a little more than $2MM above the cap ceiling, per PuckPedia.  However, that figure includes Carey Price ($10.5MM) who remains LTIR-eligible should Montreal not be able to get below the $88MM Upper Limit before the start of the season.  While staying in LTIR would give them a seven-figure bonus overage penalty for 2025-26 (as they have this season and had the year before), Price being on LTIR would give them more than enough space to operate with.  If they opt to stay in LTIR all season, it’s possible that they look to take on a contract from a team looking to open up extra cap space.

Key Questions

What Will Laine Provide? When Laine is at his best, he is a high-end goal scorer who can play around a point-per-game level.  If he can get back to that level, he can provide a significant boost to Montreal’s forward group, giving them some much-needed secondary scoring on a roster that has been in the bottom six in goals scored in three straight years.  But his struggles pre-injury with the Blue Jackets were certainly significant and after being off since mid-December, it’s far from a guarantee that he can get back to his top form.  Laine asked for a fresh start and now he has it; we’ll soon see if that can kick-start him after a rough 2023-24 campaign.

Is Hutson Ready For Prime Time? One of the storylines heading into the 2022 draft was Lane Hutson, a player with first-round talent but he was well undersized for a blueliner.  He slipped to the end of the second round and then lit up the NCAA for two seasons, securing his entry-level deal and getting into two games with Montreal to finish the year where he had two assists.  Will Hutson and his high-skilled offensive game be able to stick with the Canadiens or will he need time with Laval?  If Hutson can crack Montreal’s roster, he should become a second legitimate offensive threat from the back end, joining Mike Matheson who quietly finished ninth in points by a defenseman last season.

Can Dach Become A Full-Time Top-Six Center? After showing some promise down the middle late in 2022-23, Kirby Dach was slotted in as Montreal’s second-line center to start last season.  That lasted for all of four periods before he suffered a season-ending knee injury.  Injuries have been a consistent problem for the 2019 third-overall selection going back to his time with Chicago.  Nonetheless, the Canadiens didn’t look to add any help down the middle this summer; their only other potential center with some offensive upside is Alex Newhook who might be better suited on the wing.  Suffice it to say, they’re counting on Dach staying healthy and having a breakout year.  With Hage being at least a couple of years away and being their top center prospect, Dach has some runway to work with.  Can he become that core player the Blackhawks were counting on him to be five years ago?  This season might go a long way toward answering that question.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: St. Louis Blues

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2024-25 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We begin with a look at the Central Division; next up is St. Louis.

St. Louis Blues

Current Cap Hit: $86,732,208 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Jake Neighbours (one year, $835.8K)

Neighbours wasn’t expected to be one of the Blues’ top goal-getters in his first full NHL season but he did just that, notching 27 tallies, good for a tie for second on the team.  That said, it makes sense for both sides to see if it that’s repeatable before approaching extension talks.  A bridge deal at this point should check in around $3MM but another strong showing could push those discussions toward a longer-term agreement.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

F Radek Faksa ($3.25MM, UFA)
G Joel Hofer ($775K, RFA)
D Pierre-Olivier Joseph ($950K, UFA)
F Kasperi Kapanen ($1MM, UFA)
D Scott Perunovich ($1.15MM, RFA)
D Ryan Suter ($775K, UFA)
F Alexey Toropchenko ($1.25MM, RFA)
D Tyler Tucker ($800K, UFA)

Potential Bonuses
Suter: $2.25MM

Faksa was acquired from Dallas in a cap-clearing move but he still is a capable player in a checking role while consistently being above-average at the faceoff dot.  That said, his limitations offensively will hurt him on the open market.  His track record is good enough to secure another multi-year deal but the cap hit is more likely to start with a two than a three this time around.

Toropchenko has been a good depth scorer who has added plenty of physicality in his first two NHL campaigns.  That said, with a limited role, he shouldn’t be able to land too much more than this, even with arbitration eligibility.  On the high end, the 25-year-old might be able to get to the $2MM mark.  Kapanen’s first full season with St. Louis saw him struggle, resulting in him taking a sizable pay cut to stick around.  Now, the deal has a chance to be a team-friendly one if he can get back to the 30-point level.  He’ll need to do so in order to have an opportunity to get any sort of notable raise next summer.

Perunovich has shown flashes of the offensive ability that made him a touted prospect but staying healthy has been a consistent problem for him.  This contract buys both sides a bit more time for evaluation but he’ll need to stay healthy and be a consistent contributor to have a chance at a multi-year agreement.  Joseph comes over from Pittsburgh after being non-tendered (a fate that could await Perunovich if he has another injury-plagued campaign) where he had a limited role.  He’s likely to have a similar role with his new team so unless he’s willing to stay around this price point, he could be non-tendered again to avoid arbitration.

Suter signed with the Blues in free agency after being bought out by Dallas.  There are four levels of bonuses based on games played; if he maxes those out, he’ll receive $1.725MM if he gets to 60 games ($1.125MM at 40) plus another $500K if his team makes the playoffs and he plays in 60 games.  If the Blues are out of the playoffs and look to move Suter, that $500K potential bonus would transfer to the acquiring team which will be something worth noting.  It’s a creative contract structure to say the least and if Suter wants to keep playing after 2024-25, he could very well sign another one like this.  Tucker has had a depth role the last couple of years but hasn’t locked down a full-time spot yet.  He’s likely to be in a similar situation this season which won’t help his marketability.  If he plays in 28 games with St. Louis, however, the Blues can regain his RFA rights instead of him becoming a Group Six free agent.

Hofer did quite well in his first season as a full-time backup, putting up a GAA (2.65) and SV% (.913) that were better than league average.  Another showing like that could push the asking price towards the $3MM mark, especially if the Blues wanted to buy out a UFA year or two.  If he falters a bit this season, then the cost should check in closer to $2MM.

Signed Through 2025-26

D Philip Broberg ($4.581MM, RFA)
F Dylan Holloway ($2.29MM, RFA)
D Matthew Kessel ($800K, RFA)
F Mathieu Joseph ($2.95MM, UFA)
D Nick Leddy ($4MM, UFA)
F Brandon Saad ($4.5MM, UFA)
F Oskar Sundqvist ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Alexandre Texier ($2.1MM, RFA)
F Nathan Walker ($775K, UFA)

Saad hasn’t been able to get back to the scoring levels he had earlier in his career with Columbus but he has averaged 23 goals per season since joining the Blues.  This price tag for that type of production is pretty well close to market value.  That said, he’ll be 33 when his next deal starts so he’s probably not putting himself in position for a sizable increase next time out either.  Joseph was acquired from the Senators in a cap-clearing move and will look to build off a career year in 2023-24.  A capable checker, if Joseph could stay around that 30-point mark, he could earn a small raise two years from now.

Holloway came over from Edmonton in one of the offer sheets tendered earlier this month.  His production thus far doesn’t justify that price tag but if he can secure a regular spot in the top nine, the scoring output to warrant that cost should come fairly quickly.  Texier was acquired from Columbus and was quickly signed to this deal.  Offensive consistency has been a problem so far in his career and he’ll need to improve on that if he wants to get to the next level contract-wise.  He’ll be arbitration-eligible next time out and if his production dips a bit, he could get into non-tender territory as well but on the flip side, if the change of scenery helps, he could command at least $3MM in 2026.

Sundqvist had to settle for a minimum contract in 2023-24 and did rather well with it, earning this extension just before the trade deadline in March.  With the extra depth they’ve brought in, it’s hard to see him boosting his production enough to warrant a considerable raise down the road; he seems likely to stay around this price point moving forward as a result.  Walker has seen more NHL time than AHL time the last two seasons, giving him this two-year, one-way deal.  But with the additions they’ve made, he could be on the outside looking in before too long.  Any sort of extended AHL stretch on this contract could hurt his chances of a one-way agreement two years from now.

Broberg was the big addition via the offer sheet route as the Blues feel he can become a core defender down the road.  But right now, this is a fairly steep overpayment based on what he has accomplished so far.  He’ll have a chance to change that over the next two years and if he becomes the blueliner they think he can, he could be the next Blues defender to get a long-term deal.  Leddy has logged big minutes since joining St. Louis but it stands to reason that Broberg will start to cut into that with him being part of the long-term plans with Leddy, currently 33, not likely to be in those.  Even so, if he can play a steady role at 18-20 minutes a night, another short-term deal around this price tag could be doable.  Kessel held his own in 39 games with St. Louis last season but his waiver exemption is likely to work against him.  Until he can secure a full-time role, he won’t be able to make a case for much more than this.

Signed Through 2026-27

G Jordan Binnington ($6MM, UFA)
D Justin Faulk ($6.5MM, UFA)
D Torey Krug ($6.5MM, UFA)

Faulk took a bit of a step back offensively last season while injuries didn’t help either.  But for the most part, he has been an above-average contributor while spending a lot of time on the top pairing.  He might not necessarily be a true top-pairing piece on every team but Faulk has made it work in that role, giving St. Louis a solid return so far.  Krug hasn’t had as much success and now there are concerns about if he’ll be able to play again.  At a minimum, he’s out for the season so if the Blues have some injuries, he’ll be LTIR-eligible, giving them some flexibility on that front and in doing so, it takes him off the table for their potential worst-valued contract.

Binnington has been hit or miss in recent years when it comes to playing at the level of a starting goaltender, let alone one of the higher-paid ones.  Last season was one of the better ones as he finished sixth in the league in games played while being tied for eighth in save percentage (with Hofer, among others).  Unfortunately, that’s the highest save percentage he’s had in the last five years.  Binnington is the seventh-highest-paid goalie in the league in terms of AAV for 2024-25, sixth if you take Carey Price (who will once again be on LTIR) out of the equation.  While the Blues received a level of performance at least close to that range last season, they haven’t had that with enough consistency to get a good return on this contract.

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Summer Synopsis: Minnesota Wild

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The Minnesota Wild had a far tamer summer than some of their peers around the league – ultimately relying on strong decision-making in the draft and free agency to help round out their lineup, rather than overturning major positions. That could bode well for a team anticipating the return of Jared Spurgeon, and seeing more and more progress out top youngsters like Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi. Hard-hitting depth signings have bolstered those options – effectively placing the faith in Minnesota’s returning stars to carry the team over the 12-point deficit that held them out of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Draft

1-12: D Zeev Buium, Denver (NCHC, NCAA)
2-45: F Ryder Ritchie, Prince Albert (WHL)
4-122: D Aron Kiviharju, HIFK (Liiga)
5-140: D Sebastian Soini, Ilves (Liiga)
5-142: G Chase Wutzke, Red Deer (WHL)
6-174: D Stevie Leskovar, Mississauga (OHL)

Minnesota has quietly built one of the best prospect pools in the NHL over the last few years, making up for a lack of much pick value with lucrative drafting. That sentiment reached a peak this year, with the Wild landing a littany of falling talents. That started with Zeev Buium, who held a claim as the top defender of college hockey’s National Championship last year, using his superb puck-control to drive play and open chances for the Pioneers. Buium was an expected top-10 name, but the Wild jumped when they saw him fall out, trading two picks to the Philadelphia Flyers to move up to the 12-spot.

Their hot day continued when the Wild landed Ryder Ritchie in the second round, and Aron Kiviharju in the fourth round. Both players held first-round acclaim at one point this season. Ritchie – a high-IQ winger with tireless drive and special teams upside – seemed a typical casualty of eager drafting. But the first-round precedent was much more emphatically zapped away from Kivihajru when he went down in November with an ACL injury. The injury limited the standout Finnish defender – once considered in a conversation with Macklin Celebrini and Ivan Demidov – to just seven games and two points last season. He returned to the ice in April, and even managed light work at the NHL Draft Combine, but that wasn’t enough to reassure teams of his upside. Still, Kiviharju has 28 games of Liiga experience to his name at just 18 years old – and could emerge as one of the 2024 Draft’s biggest steals if he returns to his prior glory.

Minnesota backed two high-value picks with a trio of safe bets. Sebastian Soini is far from the most refined defender, but has shown a strong ability to square up to, and beat, opponents when defending the rush. He has a long reach, heavy frame, and hard passing – keeping him effective on his own side of the red line. Wutzke stands as Minnesota’s perennial goalie-pick, after managing a .904 save percentage in 36 games with the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels. Wutzke boasts plenty of athleticism and speed, but needs to continue honing his ability to square up to pucks and stop on a spot. The list of role-based picks ends with Leskovar, who made a name for himself as a mean defender this year. He posted just 12 points through 61 games this year, but added 113 penalty minutes – taking pleasure in using his six-foot-three, 200-pound frame to dominate the gritty areas of the ice. While his profile doesn’t scream upside, Leskovar could prove yet another lucrative Minnesota prospect, with a size and the physical edge that seem well-matched for the pros.

UFA Signings

F Ben Jones (two-years, $1.6MM)*
F Brendan Gaunce (two-years, $1.6MM)*
F Reese Johnson (one-year, $775K)*
F Travis Boyd (one-year, $775K)*
F Yakov Trenin (four years, $14MM)
D Jacob Middleton (extended to four years, $17.4MM)
D Cameron Crotty (one-year, $775K)*
D Joseph Cecconi (one-year, $775K)*
G Troy Grosenick (one-year, $775K)*

* denotes two-way

Minnesota’s off-season was spent rebuilding the depths of the AHL Iowa Wild, who lost a long list of young, upside-bets to other minor league deals this season. Rather than mimic the youth, Minnesota opted to sign a litany of proven veterans – adding 614 games worth of NHL experience through just the additions of Gaunce, Johnson, and Boyd. All three played NHL games last season – and Boyd even managed double-digit goals and 34 points as recently as 2022-23. But their two-way deals suggest that Minnesota is looking more for top-line minor-leaguers capable of being impactful call-ups, rather than everyday lineup pieces.

That’s largely thanks to the addition of Yakov Trenin, who rounds out a Wild bottom-six that didn’t see much change this summer. Trenin became a polarizing player last season, after failing to carry his production to the Colorado Avalanche, despite the team giving up Jeremy Hanzel and a third-round pick in a Trade Deadline swap for the winger. But Trenin did bring his hard-nosed physicality, ultimately ranking fourth among Avalanche forwards with an average of 10.89 hits-per-game. Even better, Trenin carried that physicality through 16 games in Colorado, while only managing one penalty. He’s formerly a 17-goal scorer, twice netting 24 points on a season, but Trenin’s mean streak is what makes him stand out. That’s a factor that’s been missing from the Wild bottom-six since the departure of Brandon Duhaime and aging of Marcus Foligno. Trenin should bring that in droves – while holding onto a fairly manageable $3.5MM cap hit.

The Wild also proved diligent with the extension of defender Jacob Middleton, who will now stick around for four more years after his current deal expires next summer. Middleton proudly planted his feet on Minnesota’s second pairing this season, netting seven goals and 25 points while averaging just under 20 minutes of ice time each game. While his upside has been debated, this deal sets up the 28-year-old, former seventh-round pick for a hardy career as a second-pair option.

Trade Acquisitions

F Graeme Clarke (acquired from New Jersey)
F Jakub Lauko (acquired from Boston)

Minnesota made a pair of trades in June, first acquiring forward Jakub Lauko when Boston opted to trade up in the fourth-round – moving from 122 to 110. But it’s Minnesota stands as the early winner of the deal after using the later selection on defender Aron Kiviharju. Lauko is fine supplementary material as well, having scored 10 points in 60 games last season – his first full year in the NHL. He’s a heavy-framed centerman who’s worked his way up to the top flight with diligent two-way play and consistent physicality. Those are the pieces Minnesota feels their missing – if their UFA signings are any indication. Lauko won’t be one to jump off the page this season, but he will stand as a legitimate option for the Wild’s fourth-line center role – likely entering competition with new additions Boyd, Gaunce, and Johnson.

Meanwhile, Clarke will begin fighting his way to the NHL lineup in a new setting, after moving to Minnesota in a one-for-one swap with Adam Beckman. He climbed the mountain with the New Jersey Devils last year, being awarded the first three games of his NHL career after posting 25 goals and 49 points in 67 AHL games. He went scoreless in his NHL appearances but made a few good plays and looked capable of keeping up with opponents. Clarke, still just 23, has managed 149 points through 218 career AHL games – speaking promise to his long-term upside.

RFA Re-Signings

F Graeme Clarke (one-year, $800K)*
F Adam Raska (one-year, $775K)*
F Sammy Walker (one-year, $775K)*
D Declan Chisholm (one-year, $1MM)
D Brock Faber (eight years, $68MM)

* denotes two-way

Minnesota quickly re-signed Clarke, adding him to the quartet of depth pieces ensured with one-year, two-way deals. He’ll join Raska and Walker in competition for the final pieces of Minnesota’s lineup, though it’d be Raska who stands as the early favorite, having already played five games with the Wild last year. He didn’t score in the outings – not helped by his meager AHL production of seven points in 49 games – but Raska did stand as the heavy-frame, gritty piece Minnesota needed. The addition of Trenin could make Raska’s role a bit more obsolete, especially if he can’t boost his scoring, which could pave way for the higher-skilled options of Clarke or Walker. The latter also appeared in four games with the Wild last year, and also went without a point, though he did manage a much more substantial 45 points in 70 AHL games.

But while the depth forwards vie for spots, it seems Declan Chisholm has locked in his lineup role – earning a one-way deal after scoring eight points in 29 games with Minnesota last season. He was a mid-year waiver claim, and will now, at the least, fill the seventh-defender role vacated by Dakota Mermis.

All of the previous RFA signings pale in comparison to the lofty extension of RFA Brock Faber, who will become a wealthy man when his entry-level deal expires next summer, after opting to go the long-term route on an extension. Faber was simply phenomenal last season, stepping up as Minnesota’s unrivaled top defender after captain Jared Spurgeon went down with a season-ending injury. Faber played in all 82 games of his rookie season, scoring eight goals and 47 points and dominating both sides of possession. He was a favorite for the Calder Trophy, but ultimately placed second behind Central Division competitor Connor Bedard. Still, Faber seems bound for a long pro career, after averaging nearly 25 minutes of ice time in just his first season.

Departures

F Servac Petrovsky (unsigned draft pick, invited to Utah’s Rookie Camp)
F Jujhar Khaira (Tampa Bay, one-year, $775K)*
F Jake Lucchini (Nashville, two years, $775K)*
F Nick Swaney (Chicago Wolves, AHL, one-year, $775K)*
F Steven Fogarty (retirement)
F Turner Elson (unsigned, unrestricted free agent)
F Adam Beckman (traded to New Jersey)
F Vinni Lettieri (traded to Boston)
D Alex Goligoski (retirement)
D Dakota Mermis (Toronto, one-year, $775K)*
D Will Butcher (signed with Barys Astana, KHL)
G Zane McIntyre (signed with Straubing, DEL)

* denotes two-way

As aforementioned, Minnesota turned over much of their minor league depth this season. Many of those options took lateral steps – including Khaira, Lucchini, and Mermis, who will all re-enter the race of top-line minor-leaguers fighting for an NHL spot. Mermis stands as a particularly-interesting option, moving to a Toronto Maple Leafs blue-line in the midst of a major overhaul. The 30-year-old defender worked his way into the first NHL role of his career last season, initially being recalled as the seventh-defender but ultimately slotting into a third-pair role in 47 games. He scored eight points in those appearances, while managing his responsibilities in all three zones. Toronto is experiencing some confusion around signee Jani Hakanpaa – though a major depth role could open up on the left-hand side, should Hakanpaa opt not to join the Leafs.

Will Butcher is another exciting departure, making the move to Russia after finding little success in the NHL. Butcher scored 44 points in 81 games as a rookie in 2017-18, but has seen a hit in scoring every year since, ultimately falling to a routine AHL role through the last two seasons. That proved insufficient for the former fifth-round pick, who has now joined Barys for the first two games of the KHL season, recording one assist.

Salary Cap Outlook

Minnesota is entering training camp tightly bound by the salary cap. They carry just $756.4K in open space, per PuckPedia – not even enough to afford a league-minimum deal. But the Wild have all of the pieces of their lineup locked up, with no remaining RFAs – effectively shifting their focus from buying new additions to finding ways to pad their cap space for any necessary moves once the season starts.

Key Questions

How Will The Defense Shape Up? The ace up Minnesota’s sleeve for the last few years has been the unrelenting tandem of Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin. The two complimented each other beautifully, effectively controlling play on both ends of the ice any time they’re out there. But Spurgeon missed all but 16 games last season, pushing Minnesota into a bit of a scramble for effective right-handed defenders. Luckily, Faber emerged as a star – taking on the bulk of Spurgeon’s role while Zach Bogosian and Mermis offered secondary support. Spurgeon is expected to be ready to go for next season and will certainly boost the defense, though how his role is balanced against Faber – and if the two can work with Brodin and Middleton to form another formidable blue-line – will be the chief focus of Wild fans as games roll around.

Which Star Will Emerge? Minnesota doesn’t boast the superstar talents of a team like Toronto or Edmonton, but they’ve quietly found major contributors through the likes of Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy, and Joel Eriksson Ek. All three took a big step forward last year – with Kaprizov rivaling his career-highs with 46 goals and 96 points; and both Boldy and Eriksson Ek setting career-highs with 69 and 64 points respectively. The trio provide confident momentum at every forward position, and could  each continue their climbs next year, backed by a healthy blue-line and rounded-out offense. Kaprizov seems a certain bet to rival the 100-point ceiling again, though both Boldy and Eriksson Ek are sleeper candidates to join him on that flight. Boldy in specific seems to be settling into more-and-more of an impact role, even scoring 20 points across the last 18 games of the season. While the depth scoring of Minnesota’s offense may prove a concern, the trio of stars leading the pack all seem destine for a big year.

Who’s On First – Or, In Net? The Wild seemed to be headed for a quiet and amicable split with future Hall-of-Fame goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. His contract was due this summer, and while he’s spent three hardy years in Minnesota, the 2023-24 campaign marked the first time since the dead-puck era – 2005-06 to be exact – that Fleury posted a sub-.900 save percentage. Minnesota has the effective Filip Gustavsson and top prospect Jesper Wallstedt waiting for a more concrete shot at the starting role – which made it all the more confusing when the Wild granted Fleury’s request for a farewell tour, signing him to a one-year, $2.5MM contract. Fleury ceded the lion’s share of starts last season – with Gustavsson playing in 45 games and posting an .899 – while Wallstedt posted a .910 in 45 AHL games. That seems to be the split Minnesota is headed for again this season, though how Gustavsson is able to control more starts – and how Wallstedt is able to overcome legendary competition for the backup spot – could go a long way towards determining the Wild’s odds at success.

Summer Synopsis: Los Angeles Kings

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It wasn’t that long ago that the Los Angeles Kings were a team that appeared to be on the cusp of breaking through, they were entering win-now mode and had just acquired Kevin Fiala from the Minnesota Wild. General manager Rob Blake had steered the team through a tough rebuild and managed to keep several veterans from the 2012 and 2014 Stanley Cup-winning teams in the fray. This year the mood around the team feels quite different after a third straight first-round exit at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers. It also feels that many of the Kings’ moves this summer were panic moves that show a lack of direction going forward.

Draft

1-26: F Liam Greentree, Windsor (OHL)
2-57: G Carter George,  Owen Sound (OHL)
6-164: D Jared Woolley, London (OHL)
7-198: F James Reeder, Dubuque (USHL)

The Kings dropped back in the draft from 21st to 26th and selected Windsor Spitfires right winger Greentree. The 6’2”, 214-pound forward is a left shot on the right wing and is a creatively gifted skater with an incredible ability to move the puck while he is in motion and traffic. He is extremely slippery and has a good mind for the game, particularly in the offensive zone where he is calm and clever with the puck on his stick.

Thunder Bay, Ontario native Carter George was the Kings’ second-round pick after spending two seasons with the Owen Sound Attack of the OHL. George led the league with four shutouts last season and was selected to the OHL First All-Rookie Team and the Third All-Star Team. His numbers in the OHL weren’t great with a .907 save percentage and a 3.30 goals-against average, however, goaltenders tend to have skewed numbers due to the high-scoring nature of the league. George has good lateral movement and keeps good angles, but he is undersized and could stand to work on his rebound control. He will likely be a project for Los Angeles and could take five to seven years to reach the NHL.

The Kings had to wait until the sixth round to pick again and chose bruising 6’5” defender Woolley from the London Knights of the OHL. Woolley split last season between London and the St. Thomas Stars of the GOJHL. The Port Hope, Ontario native steadily improved as the season went on and finished by playing four games in the Memorial Cup. Woolley is a physical presence in the defensive zone, both at his blue line and around the net. He is also solid with the puck on his stick, showing patience with the puck at the offensive blue line and starting plays with a good first pass.

Finally, Los Angeles selected James Reeder in the seventh round. The Glenview, Illinois native is set to play in the NCAA at the University of Denver this season and will likely spend all four years of his eligibility there. The two-way forward is dynamic with the puck and isn’t afraid to drive to the net to make a play happen. He plays with a quick pace and can get to open space with relative ease using his speed and hockey sense to create room for himself in the offensive zone. He is a bit undersized but should flourish in Denver over the next few seasons.

Trade Acquisitions

D Kyle Burroughs (San Jose)
F Tanner Jeannot (Tampa Bay)
G Darcy Kuemper (Washington)

The Kings are counting on bounce-back seasons from a couple of trade acquisitions that were brought in this summer. Kuemper struggled with the Washington Capitals after winning the Stanley Cup in 2022 with Colorado. He was brought in on a five-year $26.25MM contract but posted a very pedestrian 35-40-10 record in Washington with a .902 save percentage and a 3.03 goals-against average. Los Angeles hasn’t had solid goaltending during the previous few seasons and is hoping Kuemper can regain his previous form to help the team get over the hump.

Jeannot is another player who will be hoping for better results in a new environment as he underwhelmed in Tampa Bay after being acquired for five draft picks and Callan Foote at the 2023 NHL trade deadline. The Estevan, Saskatchewan native had just seven goals and seven assists in 55 games last season and lost the scoring touch that made him so valuable the season prior. He took a ton of penalties last season and will have to clean that up if he hopes to be a good contributor on the third line.

UFA Signings

D Joel Edmundson (four-year, $15.4MM)
F Warren Foegele (three-year, $10.5MM)
F Glenn Gawdin (two-year, $1.55MM)*
D Caleb Jones (one-year, $775K)*
F Jeff Malott (two-year, $1.55MM)*
C Jason Studnicka (one-year, $775K)*
D Reilly Walsh (one-year, $775K)*

* denotes a two-way contract

Los Angeles signed Edmundson to a four-year contract, which was a massive gamble for a 31-year-old whose body appears to be breaking down the later he gets in his career. Edmundson does give the Kings a big body and should help in the defensive zone come playoff time as he can clear the front of the net and battle in the corners. However, he does have significant warts to his game as he doesn’t do much when the puck is on his stick and he gives up a ton of scoring chances when he is on the ice. The contract could become an albatross for Los Angeles if Edmundson can’t stay healthy.

The Kings signed Foegele away from Edmonton to add depth to their forward group. The contract is a gamble given that Foegele played fourth-line minutes last year with the Oilers. The upside to Blake’s gamble is that Foegele can skate and is good on the forecheck, and he is good at creating scoring opportunities for his linemates despite the limited playing time. He managed 41 points in 82 games last year, which suggests he could become a more prominent offensive contributor in the future.

RFA Re-Signings

F Quinton Byfield (five-year, $31.25MM)
F Samuel Fagemo (one-year, $775K)*
F Joe Hicketts (one-year, $775K)*
F Andre Lee (one-year, $775K)*
D Jordan Spence (two-year, $3MM)
C Akil Thomas (two-year, $1.55MM)*
F Alex Turcotte (three-year, $2.325MM)*

* denotes a two-way contract

Los Angeles took care of one of their most important players when they locked Byfield into a five-year extension. The second overall pick in 2020 had a breakout season last year, registering 20 goals and 35 assists in 80 games. Byfield hadn’t shown much at the NHL level before last year and took a huge jump forward turning into a two-way center who will most likely fill a middle-six role for the Kings next year. Byfield’s playmaking reached new levels last season, and his 46 takeaways suggest that his defensive game is trending upward as well. At $6.25MM per season, Los Angeles is gambling that the 22-year-old is only scratching the surface, and they will likely be proven right over the next few seasons.

The Kings signed Spence to a two-year extension after the 23-year-old found some offensive success for the first time in three NHL seasons. Spence averaged 14:26 in ice time last season and was sheltered in a favorable role. His underlying numbers were quite good, demonstrating that the young rearguard is solid at generating offensive opportunities while making good defensive choices. Spence’s emergence likely influenced the Kings’ decision to move on from Matt Roy.

Departures

F Viktor Arvidsson (Edmonton, two-year, $8MM)
D Kevin Connauton (Utah, two-year, $1.55MM)*
G Aaron Dell (unsigned free agent)
F Pierre-Luc Dubois (traded to Washington)
F Carl Grundstrom (traded to San Jose)
F Hayden Hodgson (Ottawa, one-year, $775K)*
G Jacob Ingham (unsigned free agent)
C Blake Lizotte (Pittsburgh, two-year, $3.7MM)
F Mikhail Maltsev (signed in KHL)
D Matt Roy (Washington, six-year, $34.5MM)
D Steven Santini (Tampa Bay, one-year, $775K)*
G Cam Talbot (Detroit, two-year, $5MM)
F T.J. Tynan (Colorado, one-year, $775K)*

* denotes a two-way contract

Los Angeles let go of a lot of forward depth this summer as Arvidsson, Lizotte, Dubois, and Grundstrom have moved on. The effects of those departures could be felt this season, particularly if Jeannot doesn’t re-capture his game and if some of the Kings’ younger pieces are unable to take the next step.

The Dubois trade was one of necessity for the Kings as his contract had become an albatross after just a single season. Getting out of it was likely the right move for Los Angeles long term, even if it does cost them some depth scoring this season. Dubois didn’t fit in Los Angeles for some reason, he opted far too often to pass away the puck, rather than carrying it to the offensive zone to create scoring opportunities for teammates. Dubois could still work out in Washington, but if his game resembles that of what we saw last year, the Capitals could end up regretting the trade to acquire him.

Arvidsson was a valuable offensive contributor for the Kings but didn’t offer much last season as he was injured for a great deal of it. The Kings certainly missed his scoring and weren’t able to replace it this summer.

Carl Grundstrom was never much of a scorer but did contribute a decent amount for the little that he played. He also offered the Kings a physical presence, but that part of his game should be replaced adequately by Jeannot.

Lizotte is a low-maintenance player that the Kings opted to move on from. On paper, his departure doesn’t seem like a huge loss, but it could quietly be a blow to the Kings’ depth up front. Lizotte was a good forechecker, who could kill penalties and play with pace, something Los Angeles could use if they run into the Oilers again in the playoffs. The 26-year-old didn’t have a great offensive season last year but is just a year removed from a 34-point campaign and is an underrated passer.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Kings figure to enter training camp with just over $1.3MM in salary cap space and could potentially add a veteran player before the start of the regular season. Blake might also opt to keep the space open to make an in-season move to try and improve his club. Long term the Kings don’t have any pressing issues as most of their younger players are now signed to long-term deals. However, improvement in the future might become challenging as the Kings have several long-term contracts that aren’t exactly desirable and might be hard to move on from if the team wants to make significant additions.

Key Questions

Is The Team Better? The Kings shifted a lot of the furniture this offseason, tinkering on the edges of the lineup while maintaining most of their core players. But did it make them better? The answer will lie in the on-ice results but at the moment it’s hard to say whether shifting things around has made the group stronger. The Kings have run into the Oilers for three straight seasons and will likely face a similar opponent in the playoffs once again, and this year Blake focused on players who can help come playoff time, but it remains to be seen if that strategy will work.

What Will The Goaltending Look Like? Los Angeles is banking on Kuemper returning to form and if he does their goaltending should be a lot better. But will he get back to the goaltender he was a few years ago? The answer is very unclear, and the Kings don’t have a great plan B if Kuemper falters. Los Angeles could try and take a swing on another trade if Kuemper’s game isn’t where they need it to be, but they would be unlikely to move on from Kuemper’s cap hit in that scenario which would make a trade very difficult.

How Will The Defence Be?  The Kings opted to let Roy go to free agency which won’t impact the top pairing of Mikey Anderson and Drew Doughty. However, it will move Spence onto the second pairing after he spent last season being sheltered. For the Kings’ third pairing, veteran Edmundson will likely line up alongside Brandt Clarke. Overall, it’s hard to say whether that defensive setup is better than last year’s lineup, but the Kings will be hoping it is if they want to take the next step.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Summer Synopsis: Florida Panthers

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The Florida Panthers achieved the ultimate goal earlier this year by winning the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in team history. Like most champions in the salary cap era, the Panthers have their work cut out for them regarding filling out their depth options for the upcoming campaign. The team has done well in keeping most of their core talent together but the negative externalities of the team’s run of success have created some holes further down the lineup.

Draft

2-58: C Linus Eriksson, Djurgårdens IF (HockeyAllsvenskan)
3-97: D Matvei Shuravin, Krasnaya Armiya Moskva (MHL)
4-129: C Simon Zether, Rögle BK (SHL)
6-169: C Stepan Gorbunov, Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk (MHL)
6-193: F Hunter St. Martin, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
7-201: G Denis Gabdrakhmanov, Tyumenski Legion (MHL)

It was always going to be difficult for Florida to make any noise during the draft due to their lack of draft capital. The organization swung some trades to acquire additional capital but only came away with one player projected to make an impact.

Eriksson is a legitimate NHL prospect after securing a solid season last year with Djurgårdens IF. The young center scored three goals and 11 points in 29 regular season contests and showed a knack for being a physical presence in all three zones. He was a star on the international stage last season scoring seven goals and 22 points in 22 international contests while playing for Sweden’s U18 squad.

Zether is the only other draft pick from the Panthers this summer that could become a fixture in Florida’s future lineup. Zether managed 42 games in the Swedish Hockey League last year while securing four assists. Rögle also kept him around for the playoffs with the team eventually losing in the Finals.

UFA Signings

D Adam Boqvist (one-year, $775K)*
F Jesper Boqvist (one-year, $775K)*
G Chris Driedger (one-year, $795K)
F MacKenzie Entwistle (one-year, $775K)*
F A.J. Greer (two-years, $1.7MM)
D Jaycob Megna (one-year, $775K)*
F Tomas Nosek (one-year, $775K)*
D Nate Schmidt (one-year, $800K)

* denotes a two-way contract

Most of Florida’s available cap space went to Sam Reinhart and his new eight-year, $69 MM contract. The team took a similar approach to last summer to find buy-low bargains on the open market.

The organization hopes that (Adam) Boqvist and Schmidt become a buy-low bargain as the Panthers require help on their blue line. The former is not far removed from being a top defensive prospect but has seen his career hampered by injuries up to this point. He recently scored five goals and 24 points in 46 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2022-23 NHL season but the team cut him loose after only posting one goal and 10 points in 39 games last year.

Schmidt will probably have a longer leash than Boqvist on the back end due to his lengthy experience and he could even sneak into the team’s top four. Schmidt is a trustworthy defenseman as evidenced by his 50.6% career CorsiFor% and he should be a seamless fit in Florida’s playstyle.

RFA Re-Signings

F Anton Lundell (six-years, $30MM)

Lundell has been a terrific middle-six option for the Panthers since his rookie campaign three years ago. He’s already collected 216 games in Florida with 43 goals and 112 points. He gives the Panthers another offensive player who can carry responsibility in all situations. The young Finnish forward was a major tool in the Panthers capturing their first Stanley Cup earlier this year with three goals and 17 points in 24 postseason contests.

Departures

D Lucas Carlsson (San Jose, two-year, $1.6MM)
F Nick Cousins (Ottawa, one-year, $800K)
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Toronto, four-year, $14MM)
D Casey Fitzgerald (NY Rangers, two-year, $1.55MM)*
G Magnus Hellberg (Dallas, one-year, $775K)*
F Ryan Lomberg (Calgary, two-year, $4MM)
D Brandon Montour (Seattle, seven-year, $50MM)
F Kevin Stenlund (Utah, two-year, $4MM)
G Anthony Stolarz (Toronto, two-year, $5MM)
F Vladimir Tarasenko (Detroit, two-year, $9.5MM)

*denotes a two-way contract

It was going to be next to impossible for Florida to keep around all their depth from last season and the team lost quite a bit this summer. The most concerning losses will be Montour and Ekman-Larsson on the blue line as the two combined for 17 goals and 65 points in 146 regular season games. The team still has Gustav Forsling and Aaron Ekblad left to carry the load but the Panthers will need major improvements from other members of their defensive core to replicate that success.

The trio of Cousins, Lomberg, and Stenlund were not game-breakers in their own right but their presence will be missed. That group of forwards gave Florida a certain level of grit last year making them irritating to play against. The team should be able to replicate their tenacity throughout the season and at the trade deadline but it seems like an edge they’re missing headed into this year.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Panthers have a similar situation to last year with only $766K in cap space heading into the regular season. The team will continue to accrue cap space throughout the regular season and should be able to upgrade their roster once the trade deadline rolls around. The team’s core is still intact meaning they won’t need to add any high-level talent via trade this year so they are in a good position to be competitive again. Nex summer could be dramatic as Ekblad, Sam Bennett, and Carter Verhaeghe are expected to reach unrestricted free agency.

Key Questions

Where Will The Physicality Come From? Florida was one of the most physical teams last year with 12 players recording more than 100 hits on the year. Four of those players left via free agency meaning the Panthers will need to supplant the missing toughness. It has become a part of their team identity and a tool for their success. Megna is the only addition from this offseason that could reach 100 hits throughout an entire regular season but this already feels like something the team will need to address at the trade deadline.

What Is The Plan For Spencer Knight? It was not long ago when Knight was one of the most exciting goaltending prospects in the league. He achieved an impressive run during the 2021-22 campaign leading the Panthers to extend him on a three-year, $13.5MM contract. Sergei Bobrovsky took back the reins in a turn of events that eventually led to Knight spending the entirety of last year with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. He played well with the Checkers earning a 25-14-5 record in 45 games with a .905 SV% and is projected to play backup for Bobrovsky this season. Still, Knight’s $4.5MM salary is one of the highest in the league for a backup netminder and the cap-strapped Panthers may look to move on from him if they get a reasonable offer.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Possible Comparables For Dawson Mercer’s Contract

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One of the more prominent remaining free agents is Devils forward Dawson Mercer.  While he’s coming off a down season, he has had enough success over his first three NHL seasons that New Jersey would likely want to work out a long-term deal with them.  Whether they can afford to, however, might be a different story.

The 22-year-old had the lowest output of his career last season but still managed 20 goals and 13 assists while playing all 82 games for the third straight year.  But with a 42-point effort in his rookie season and a 56-point showing in his sophomore campaign, there’s enough of a track record for a long-term deal to potentially make sense.

Looking at some potential comparables, one of their division rivals has a couple of them in Joel Farabee and Travis Konecny (his current deal, not the extension he just signed).  Both were post-entry-level pacts, checking in at $5MM and $5.5MM respectively.  Mercer’s numbers are better than Farabee’s so it’s likely to come in above that while Mercer’s best year was better than Konecny’s at that point.  If we use cap percentages (to reflect the increase in the salary cap at that time), the range of the two deals moves to between $5.333MM and $5.94MM.

Other possible comparable players in that range are Florida’s Anton Lundell ($5MM signed this year) and Nick Schmaltz ($5.875MM).  Notably, none of those contracts were for the maximum eight years either; three were six-year agreements while Schmaltz was the exception at seven seasons.  At this point, something in the high-$5MM area might be the right fit on a six-year deal for Mercer, one that would buy out two years of UFA eligibility.  Going longer (adding on more UFA years) would only push that price tag higher.

But even affording the six-year contract would appear to be a challenge at first glance.  At the moment, the team projects to have $4.976MM in cap space for the upcoming season, per PuckPedia, with a projected 22-player roster.  They could increase that wiggle room by not carrying a full-sized roster but that leaves them vulnerable to injuries.

It’s also worth mentioning that they have more than $5MM in potential performance bonuses for Simon Nemec and Luke Hughes so they may want to leave themselves some wiggle room to absorb some of those – if earned – on the 2024-25 cap instead of rolling them over to their 2025-26 cap.  Additionally, they will almost certainly want to leave themselves some room for in-season movement.

Put it all together and a long-term contract simply isn’t doable, not without moving someone of consequence off their current roster.  And while something like that isn’t impossible, a lot of teams are now tight to the cap ceiling so it’s not as easy as it was six weeks ago to move money; let’s face it, it wasn’t all that easy then either.

That squarely pushes the contract needle in the bridge direction for Mercer.  A two-year agreement would only cover one arbitration-eligible season but should check in around the $3.5MM per season mark, one that would leave GM Tom Fitzgerald at least $1MM in flexibility heading into the fall.  That’s not a lot – especially if there’s an early injury – but that would still have them in reasonable shape.  With him being four years away from UFA eligibility, something in the three-to-five-year range would be a bit riskier so it’s less likely to be one of those lengths.

While it might sound simple enough in theory, this is the type of contractual situation that can drag out.  If Mercer’s camp wants to hold out for the possibility of a long-term agreement, they’ll need to wait to see if something happens in terms of roster movement over the next six weeks or so.  And if both sides are resigned to a short-term agreement, Mercer could simply opt to wait until closer to camp to see if there’s an injury that gives him a bit more leverage and perhaps gives him a chance at a bit more money.  Neither of those scenarios are any reason for concern, that’s just sometimes how things play out with players coming off entry-level deals if they’re not signed at this point.

Despite the down year, Mercer is quite likely to be viewed as a key piece of New Jersey’s plans for the foreseeable future.  But with how their roster looks, it seems unlikely that they’ll be able to give him the type of contract commensurate with a core player.  Barring a change, that contract will have to come after they get through a bridge deal first.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Nashville Predators

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2024-25 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We begin with a look at the Central Division; next up is Nashville.

Nashville Predators

Current Cap Hit: $84,904,199 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Luke Evangelista (one year, $797.5K)

Evangelista’s first full NHL campaign was a good one as he notched 39 points after putting up 15 points in 24 games in 2022-23.  That isn’t a statistical profile that suggests a long-term agreement will be forthcoming but if he can have a similar offensive showing this season, Evangelista could approach the $3MM mark on a bridge agreement.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

D Dante Fabbro ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Gustav Nyquist ($3.15MM, UFA)

Nyquist came to Nashville in the middle of a down season which hurt his market last summer.  However, his first full season with the Preds was his best as he set new career bests in assists (52) and points (75).  A repeat showing could give him a shot at a fair-sized raise, albeit on a short-term deal as he’ll be 36 when the 2025-26 season kicks off.

Fabbro has shown flashes of being a key secondary piece on Nashville’s back end in the past but has settled into more of a depth role in recent years.  That said, he’s still just 26 and as a right-shot player, he should still command a fair bit of interest next summer in free agency.  Even if he stays in the role he’s had lately, he should push past the $3MM mark on his next contract.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Mark Jankowski ($800K, UFA)
D Jeremy Lauzon ($2MM, UFA)
F Michael McCarron ($900K, UFA)
D Luke Schenn ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Cole Smith ($1MM, UFA)
F Colton Sissons ($2.857MM, UFA)
D Spencer Stastney ($825K, RFA)
G Scott Wedgewood ($1.5MM, UFA)

Sissons’ seven-year contract drew some ire at the time for someone whose role was somewhat limited at the time but it has held up relatively well in most of those seasons.  He has provided enough secondary scoring to give them some value on that front while being a key defensive player.  He should land another multi-year deal above $3MM if that holds up the next two years.  Smith has emerged as a viable fourth-line physical winger over the last two seasons.  Those players tend to do well on the open market still so if he can push past the double-digit goal mark, he could double his price tag in 2026.  McCarron and Jankowski have been depth players throughout their careers and are likely to see their future contracts check in relatively close to the league minimum.

Schenn had a resurgent season in 2022-23, moving him from someone making around the minimum salary to someone making nearly four times that much.  He had a limited role with the Preds last season; it’s fair to suggest they were expecting him to cover more than 15 minutes a night.  Continuing with that level of ice time could land him back near the minimum in 2026.

Lauzon was counted on to play a bigger role last season, ranking fourth among Nashville blueliners in ATOI while leading the NHL in hits by 60 over the next closest player.  Two more years like that would give him a strong market heading to free agency where doubling his current price tag could be doable.  Stastney split last season between Nashville and AHL Milwaukee and might be in a similar role this season.  He’ll need to crack the lineup full-time before having a shot at passing the $1MM mark.

Wedgewood had a good run as the backup in Dallas which allowed him to get a 50% raise on this deal with Nashville.  Barring injury, he won’t be counted on to play as many games as a top-level backup and if that winds up being the case, that will prevent him from getting closer to the top backup money ($3MM or more) that many netminders have received in recent years.

Signed Through 2026-27

D Alexandre Carrier ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Thomas Novak ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Ryan O’Reilly ($4.5MM, UFA)

The decision to sign O’Reilly as their top center last summer was a bit of a curious one considering that he hadn’t been in that role for several years and the fact he was coming off his lowest point-per-game rate since he was a teenager.  However, he showed that he still had a high level of offense in his game while continuing to be an above-average player at the faceoff dot and a strong defender.  Even if there’s a bit of a dip in his production given some of the extra firepower brought in this summer, this is still a good price tag if O’Reilly ultimately settles in as more of a second liner.  There may be some concern for the final year of the deal when he’s 36 but right now, this has worked out quite well for the Preds.

Novak was a feel-good story in 2022-23, putting up 43 points in 51 games after being recalled from the minors.  He showed last year that the performance wasn’t just a mirage, surpassing the 40-point mark again, earning himself this new deal in the process.  As long as Novak continues to stay around the 40-point range, Nashville will get at least a reasonable return on this contract.

Carrier bounced back well after a rough 2022-23 season, spending a lot of time in Nashville’s top four which gave him some leverage heading to the open market.  He opted not to test it, instead accepting a 50% increase in his cap hit, not a bad outcome for someone who only became a regular NHL player in 2021-22.

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PHR Mailbag: Blue Jackets, Deferred Contracts, Perfetti, Raymond, Rangers, Ducks, September Moves

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Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include a discussion on deferred contracts, Anaheim’s interest in moving out a pair of long-time veterans, and much more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, watch for it in next weekend’s mailbag.

User 1773920983: With Johnny Gaudreau passing away, what will happen to CBJ’s salary cap? They will fall below if it is removed.

vh33: I don’t want to be disrespectful, but I was wondering: due to the death of Johnny Gaudreau, what happens with the cap hit for the Blue Jackets and the salary? Will the cap hit be reduced? Or in the books for the remainder of his contract? And will the heirs receive his remaining salary? What are the rules for these tragic occasions?

Gaudreau’s contract comes off the books in full for Columbus which does indeed put them under the Lower Limit of $65MM for the upcoming season.  Per PuckPedia, they’re around $62.3MM with a 22-player roster at the moment so they do have a bit of work to do on that front.

It’s possible that they ask for some sort of waiver from the league to start the season below that amount given the circumstances but I think the NHLPA would need to sign off as well.  Their preference would obviously be that Columbus goes and signs a couple of free agents to make up the difference which is an option.  I expect the Blue Jackets will go the trade route and take on a player or two from teams needing or wanting to clear salary, picking up some draft picks in consideration for doing so.  Given that they’re a team that’s likely to sell at the trade deadline, I could see $67MM being a soft target, giving them a path to stay above the Lower Limit even if they move a player or two during the year.

As for what is and isn’t paid out, let’s start with the contract itself.  To the best of my understanding, the family won’t receive any of the remaining payments.  Assuming the $2MM signing bonus in his contract was already paid, that’s the last direct payment in the deal.

However, the family will receive some money.  Article 23 of the CBA provides some information on the insurance of contracts which is relevant here.  From my interpretation, there should be a $1MM life insurance policy as well as an accidental death policy valued at the base salary for that season which in this case is $7.75MM (it excludes the signing bonus).  There’s also a six-month extension of benefits for the family (added in the 2020 CBA extension) with an option to elect (purchase) continuation of coverage beyond that.

aka.nda: Deferred payments in contracts… how many can be in place, and for how much and what duration? How do they count against the cap if they’re paid out the day the season ends vs. some other time?

There are no restrictions on deferred payments in terms of how many can be in place, for how much, or for how long.

As for the second question, the end of the season still falls within the League Year so the quickest way to answer it is to go right to the CBA – Sec. 50.2(ii)(A):

Player Salary denominated as “Deferred” but payable within the term of the SPC shall be counted in the League Year in which the Player Salary is paid and shall not be treated as Deferred Salary.

That covers the day after the season ends but let’s look at another time.  More specifically, a deferral that is payable outside the term of the contract and payable outside the League Year (let’s say July 1st).  At that point, the value of the deferral is discounted to the present value of that compensation in the year it was earned.  Logically, the further out the payment of the deferred money, the lower the present value and therefore the lower the cap hit.  That’s my attempt at a simple explanation for a concept that isn’t all that simple.  PuckPedia has a nice breakdown with some more details of contract deferrals if you’re interested in reading up on it further.

I’m going to quickly comment on the idea of deferred salary in general having seen a lot of general speculation that the two deals Carolina did could lead to a spike in these types of agreements.  I don’t think that will be the case.  With escrow stabilizing, there’s going to be more effort into front-loading contracts as much as possible, especially for established top players.  They then get more money sooner which is the key objective.

Deferred contracts are more or less the opposite as players have to wait longer to get paid.  Presumably, they’re getting more in the end to make up for the deferral but they have to wait.  That’s how Carolina got around the perceived internal ceiling of Seth Jarvis’ deal being the $7.75MM that Andrei Svechnikov has.  The AAV based on total earnings is higher at $7.9MM but the cap hit is only $7.42MM based on the three deferred payments to the day after the contract officially expires.  It’s a creative solution but while we might see a few more of these deals (to be fair, Carolina’s two weren’t the first of its kind; they’ve happened before albeit rarely), this isn’t going to be the start of a new trend.

Cla23: What does a Cole Perfetti and Lucas Raymond contract look like?

For Perfetti, I think the two sides are going to hone in on a bridge deal.  He only has 75 career points under his belt so I have a hard time believing that the two sides can find a number that they’ll be happy with on a long-term agreement.  Perfetti wouldn’t lock in close to a max term for less than $6MM as he undoubtedly feels he has another level to get to offensively while given his performance so far, I doubt the Jets would go that high.  I expect a two-year term will be the target which should check in around $3MM per season, perhaps backloaded slightly to secure a higher qualifying offer.  That also fits nicely within Winnipeg’s current cap situation, giving them a chance to bank some in-season cap space.

As for Raymond, it looks like a long-term agreement is the goal and GM Steve Yzerman made sure to leave enough cap space to afford one.  His platform season was strong (31 goals, 41 assists) and there’s probably a belief that he can beat those numbers down the road.  I could see Raymond’s camp looking to best Cole Caufield’s contract (eight years, $7.85MM AAV) as he has better numbers now than the Montreal winger did at the time while Detroit is probably hoping to get that into the high-six range which lines up more with the cap percentage on Dylan Larkin’s post-entry-level deal.  I’ll go with seven years at $7.8MM or eight years at $8MM as the end result.

sha44ron! Due to the cap limits, the Rangers were unable to improve their bottom six so do you think that will hurt them this year?

I’ll start with this general thought.  If the bottom six is the biggest issue that a team has heading into the regular season, that’s a pretty good spot to be in.  And that’s where the Rangers are.

I’m not sure I agree that they haven’t been able to improve their bottom six.  As long as Filip Chytil stays healthy (granted, that’s far from a given), that’s a big improvement right there as he’s not passing Mika Zibanejad or Vincent Trocheck on the center depth chart.  If Reilly Smith’s addition pushes Kaapo Kakko onto the third line as well, now you have a third line that should be a capable secondary scoring trio.

I also think there’s room for internal improvement in the bottom six.  Will Cuylle should take a step forward while if they get a chance, Brennan Othmann and Adam Edstrom could contribute.

With New York’s overall talent, they’re in good shape for the season so they can be patient with their bottom six.  If the things I mentioned above happen and it’s a better group than expected, great.  If not, they can try to address it at the trade deadline.  If it’s still a problem going into the playoffs, then I’d be a bit more concerned but for now, I don’t think it will hurt them too much.

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Salary Cap Deep Dive: Minnesota Wild

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2024-25 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We begin with a look at the Central Division; next up is Minnesota.

Minnesota Wild

Current Cap Hit: $87,243,590 (under the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Brock Faber (one year left on ELC at $925K, has signed extension)
F Marat Khusnutdinov (one year, $925K)
F Liam Ohgren (three years, $886.6K)
F Marco Rossi (one year, $863.3K)

Potential Bonuses
Faber: $250K
Khusnutdinov: $850K
Ohgren: $475K
Rossi: $850K
Total: $2.425MM

Khusnutdinov spent last season in the KHL but with his team there missing the playoffs, he was able to get into 16 games down the stretch with the Wild.  He didn’t do a lot with somewhat limited minutes but that’s not entirely surprising for someone making their debut late in the season.  A top-six role seems unlikely which makes a bridge deal the most probable outcome, one that’s a bit too early to handicap while hitting his bonuses seems unlikely.  Ohgren, meanwhile, also got his feet wet with Minnesota late in the year and held his own.  In a perfect world, he finds his way onto the roster, giving the Wild some secondary scoring depth.  However, with their cap situation, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him start at AHL Iowa to allow them to bank some early-season cap space but he should be up at some point.  It doesn’t seem likely that he’ll hit his bonuses unless he’s a full-timer and makes an impact on the scoresheet.

Rossi made the jump to the NHL full-time last season and turned in a solid rookie campaign with 21 goals and 19 assists although that didn’t stop him from being in trade speculation earlier this offseason.  He reached two of his ‘A’ bonuses last season (ATOI and goals) and assuming he has a similar role this year, he has a good chance at reaching those again, counting at $212.5K apiece.  Considering the perception of his availability, it stands to reason that Minnesota’s preference is probably going to be a bridge deal.  If Rossi has another season like 2023-24, that contract should surpass $3MM per year on a two-year pact while a long-term agreement would likely push past $5MM per season.

Faber is worth a quick mention here due to the bonuses as they weren’t in the first or second year of his deal.  If he has anywhere near a repeat performance from a year ago, it’s going to be safe to pencil those into Minnesota’s cap planning.

Jesper Wallstedt (one year, $925K plus $425K in bonuses) isn’t mentioned above as while he’s expected to see some action between the pipes, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to carry him on the roster on a full-time basis.  That means the bonuses won’t be hit and with what’s likely to be a limited NHL workload, his next deal likely maxes out at what San Jose gave Yaroslav Askarov (two years, $2MM per season); it wouldn’t be shocking if it came in well below that either.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

D Declan Chisholm ($1MM, UFA)
G Marc-Andre Fleury ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Marcus Johansson ($2MM, UFA)
F Reese Johnson ($775K, RFA)
F Jakub Lauko ($787.5K, RFA)
D Jonathon Merrill ($1.2MM, UFA)

Johansson didn’t light it up like he did after being acquired at the trade deadline the year before although 30 points for this price point isn’t bad value.  However, he’s someone who hasn’t had a lot of success on the open market in recent deals before this one so it wouldn’t be surprising to see his next contract land around this one.  Lauko was acquired from Boston at the draft and was brought in to add some grit on the fourth line.  With a rather limited overall track record (just 83 career NHL games), his next deal shouldn’t cost much more than $1MM barring an offensive outburst in 2024-25.  Johnson was signed to a two-way deal after being non-tendered by Chicago to avoid arbitration.  He’ll likely see action on the fourth line if he makes the team but with over 140 NHL games, he’s a potential non-tender candidate again as well.

Merrill saw his stock drop a bit last season, averaging less than 13 minutes a night when he was in the lineup.  A serviceable depth defender, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Wild tried to run him through waivers to open up a bit of flexibility; all but $50K of the contract would come off the books when he’s in the minors.  Looking ahead, he’ll have a hard time pushing past the $1MM mark unless he can re-establish himself closer to the 15-plus minute mark.  Chisholm, meanwhile, fared well after being claimed midseason from Winnipeg but a limited track record hurt his market value this summer.  If he can stay as a full-time option on the third pairing, doubling his price tag could be doable.

Many expected Fleury to retire but he opted to come back for one final season.  He’s coming off a down year but if he can bounce back a bit, Minnesota should get decent value with this price tag being below the top backup options.

Signed Through 2025-26

D Zach Bogosian ($1.25MM, UFA)
G Filip Gustavsson ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Kirill Kaprizov ($9MM, UFA)
F Mats Zuccarello ($4.125MM, UFA)

Kaprizov has emerged as one of the top wingers in the NHL and he will be signing this deal at the age of 29, meaning he will still have some prime years left when the time comes to sign his next contract.  As a result, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him surpass Artemi Panarin’s $11.643MM AAV; while his point totals haven’t been as high, the increase in the salary cap between the two contracts should make the difference.  Zuccarello signed this extension early and has put up at least 63 points the last three seasons.  If that holds up, the Wild will do quite well here.  Even if the output starts to drop, it should hold up relatively well.  He’ll be entering his age-39 year on his next contract which means it’s far from a guarantee that there will be a next contract.

Bogosian did well in a limited role after being acquired from Tampa Bay.  As long as he stays around that fifth slot in terms of usage, they’ll do relatively well with this contract.

Gustavsson wasn’t expected to necessarily repeat his breakout numbers from 2022-23 but he didn’t exactly come close to them either.  He dropped 32 points on his save percentage while his goals-against average went up by nearly a full goal per game.  The end result was a stat line that was below average, even for a second-stringer.  It’s safe to say they’ll be counting on some sort of rebound.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Ryan Hartman ($4MM, UFA)
D Jared Spurgeon ($7.875MM, UFA)

Hartman didn’t get back to his output from 2021-22 but he still reached the 20-goal mark.  As long as he can stay there and play down the middle, this contract should age well.

Spurgeon, meanwhile, is coming off an injury-plagued year.  When healthy, he’s a top-pairing player but whether he can still be one for the final three seasons of this contract remains to be seen as he’ll turn 35 in late November.  It’s possible as a result that this one could become an issue for Minnesota down the road.

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