Snapshots: Evangelista, Barzal, Jarvis, Luypen
Predators winger Luke Evangelista is one of the few remaining restricted free agents with training camps on the horizon. Nick Kieser of Lower Broad Hockey relays that the two sides are focused on a bridge deal with the sides discussing contracts between one and three years but that there is still a gap to work through with more talks scheduled for this week. The 23-year-old notched 10 goals along with 22 assists in 68 games last season and has 86 points in 172 career appearances with Nashville. A short-term pact should carry a price tag in the $3MM range, one that they can easily afford with more than $9MM in cap room, per PuckPedia. Kieser added that there has not been any talk about trading Evangelista so far.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Speaking at the NHL Player Media Tour today, Islanders forward Mathew Barzal provided reporters, including Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin (Twitter link), an update on his recovery from a knee injury that ended his season early. While he stopped short of declaring himself fully healthy (acknowledging he might not get back to that point), he will be ready to go in training camp. Between this injury and one earlier in the season, the 28-year-old was limited to just 30 games last season where he had 20 points.
- Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis told reporters at the NHL Player Media Tour today, including Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin (Twitter link), that his rehab from a shoulder injury has gone great. He opted not to undergo surgery this offseason despite dealing with the issue for the second year in a row, calling it a pain tolerance situation. Jarvis, who had 32 goals and 35 assists in 73 games last season, also signalled an openness to being tried at center again, an experiment that hasn’t gained much traction over the last two seasons.
- After being non-tendered by Chicago back in June, unrestricted free agent winger Jalen Luypen has found a team for the upcoming season as ECHL South Carolina announced that they’ve signed him to a one-year deal. The 23-year-old spent most of last season in the AHL with Rockford, notching eight goals and six assists in 56 games.
Snapshots: Formenton, Kostin, NCAA
After being found not guilty of sexual assault earlier this summer, Alex Formenton has decided to resume his playing career. While he and the others who were on trial remain ineligible to play in the NHL at this time pending review and consideration of the judge’s findings in the case, Formenton is once again heading overseas as Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland announced that they’ve signed the winger to a three-month contract with a team option to convert it to a full-season deal. Formenton spent two seasons with them in 2022-23 and 2023-24, collecting 20 goals and nine assists in 46 games before leaving the team once charges were laid.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Veteran winger Klim Kostin is still looking to secure a contract for the upcoming season. He told Alexey Shevchenko of Sport-Express that his desire is to return to Edmonton, where he spent the 2022-23 campaign. He notched 11 goals and 10 assists in 57 games that season, both career bests; he managed just 21 points in the last two years combined between Detroit and San Jose. With the Oilers having limited cap flexibility, he’d likely have to settle for a PTO deal and then try to force his way into a roster spot from there.
- The change to allow CHL players to become NCAA-eligible has made waves across the hockey world this offseason. But there is another small wrinkle now in play, as Flames Nation’s Ryan Pike observes (Twitter link). In the past, NCAA-bound players were ineligible to take part in NHL rookie and training camps, even if they weren’t enrolled for the upcoming season. That is no longer the case. While players actively enrolled in college still won’t be eligible to participate, those committed to college hockey but only for next year will be able. Pike notes that Flames prospect Mace’o Phillips is poised to benefit from the change; he’ll play with USHL Green Bay this season but is committed to the University of Minnesota for 2026-27. Because of that, he’s eligible to take part in training camp with Calgary this month.
Snapshots: Price, Prokhorov, PHR Chat
The Canadiens are reportedly intent on moving the contract of LTIR-bound goaltender Carey Price as it enters its final season, a feat that becomes astronomically more achievable after they pay out a $5.5MM signing bonus today. Today, Marco D’Amico of RG confirms that the Sharks are the most likely trade partner for Montreal, but that a move would require some maneuvering on San Jose’s behalf since they’re one contract shy of the 50-player limit. Given that, the framework of any deal would involve the Sharks sending a few AHL depth pieces back to the Canadiens to free up some flexibility, while taking on Price’s deal to ensure they stay above the salary cap floor throughout the season. Montreal still has seven open contract slots, per PuckPedia, so it’s a non-issue for them to take some two-way deals on in a Price trade.
More things to keep an eye on throughout the hockey world:
- Late last month, Islanders 2025 second-rounder Daniil Prokhorov signed a two-year contract with Dynamo Moscow in his native Russia to continue his development. Unlike with other Russian players, though, that won’t necessarily delay his North American arrival until 2027, Stefen Rosner writes for The Elmonters. His deal has a formal out-clause that could allow him to report to the Islanders or their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport if he’s offered an entry-level contract before his KHL obligation ends. The gargantuan 6’6″, 218-lb power winger scored 20 goals in 43 junior games for Dynamo St. Petersburg’s MHL club last year.
- With preseason looming, PHR’s Josh Erickson will host a holiday edition live chat today at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live when the chat begins, or stick around to read the transcript when it’s finished.
Snapshots: Samsonov, KHL, Evason
Nearly two months into free agency, veteran goaltender Ilya Samsonov finds himself still looking for a team to play with this season. It appears at least one KHL team investigated the potential of bringing him back home as KHL Metallurg Sports Director Evgeny Biryukov told Match TV’s Nikita Maximov that he talked to the 28-year-old about playing for them but Samsonov’s intention is to remain in the NHL for the upcoming season. Samsonov posted a 2.82 GAA and a .891 SV% in 29 starts last season with Vegas, numbers that weren’t too much of an improvement over 2023-24 when he was in Toronto. At this point, he may have to settle for a training camp PTO and hope to land a second-string option from there.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Still with the KHL, player agent Darryl Wolski relayed (Twitter link) the top-five KHL salaries for the upcoming season. Long-time AHL winger Rocco Grimaldi has the highest base salary, checking in around $1.19MM US. Meanwhile, winger Daniel Sprong has the highest potential pay day when factoring in performance bonuses. After making $975K last season, his base salary this year is close to that while if he reaches his incentives, he could ultimately wind up with a raise compared to a year ago. Former NHL winger Dmitrij Jaskin is the only other player with a seven-figure USD salary in that league this season.
- Dean Evason had a solid first year in Columbus, helping lead the Blue Jackets to an improbable late-season playoff push that ultimately came up just short. It turns out he very nearly didn’t have the opportunity to join them as Michael Arace of The Columbus Dispatch noted in a thorough profile of the bench boss that it looked like he was going to land the head coaching job in Seattle until they decided to promote Dan Bylsma from the AHL to the top job instead. Bylsma, of course, was let go back in April after just one season behind their bench.
Snapshots: Backlund, Senators, Miftakhov
While Flames center Mikael Backlund recently commented on the future of one of his teammates with the organization, he also discussed his own. Speaking with The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription link), the 36-year-old indicated that he is hoping to sign a contract extension to continue with Calgary. The Flames have been the only NHL organization that Backlund has known after they drafted him in the first round back in 2007. Last season, Backlund played in 76 games, picking up 15 goals and 17 assists in a little under 19 minutes a night of playing time. He’s entering the final year of his contract that carries a $4.5MM cap charge and notably, his trade protection drops to a 15-team no-trade list in January.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- The Senators announced that they have reached an affiliation agreement with ECHL Allen for the upcoming season. They had previously been affiliated with the Americans in 2022-23 and 2023-24 before Utah stepped in and became their affiliate last season, leaving Ottawa without an ECHL squad. Now, the situations have been reversed with the Sens getting their affiliation back while the Mammoth look like they won’t have one in the 30-team league.
- Carolina’s signing of goaltender Amir Miftakhov this summer came as a bit of a surprise since he’s only a few years removed from terminating his entry-level contract to return home to Russia. However, he noted to Evening Kazan’s Dmitry Yashkin that the Hurricanes actually attempted to bring him back to North America in 2023, only one full season after leaving Tampa Bay’s organization but he decided that staying in the KHL a little longer made sense. He also noted that there is no European Assignment Clause in his contract and that he won’t be looking to head home midseason again if he winds up in the minors as expected with AHL Chicago.
Snapshots: Panthers, Clara, Malmstrom
Last season, the Panthers used the LTIR flexibility from Matthew Tkachuk to add big at the trade deadline. Adam Proteau of The Hockey News argues that Florida should take the same approach and use the savings to add a rental player before the season starts. While that would only increase the amount of cap space they’d need to open up when he returns midseason (barring further long-term injuries), it would also give them a boost in the first half. While the Panthers came on strong in the playoffs, they struggled a bit down the stretch with Tkachuk out of the lineup and a slower start this season could complicate things in a tight Atlantic Division. Accordingly, the idea of pre-renting a player makes some sense in theory with an eye on fortifying their roster for the first half but the need to open up room to welcome Tkachuk back later on would only be intensified, rarely an ideal position to be in midseason.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- After a season that saw him play at four different levels plus internationally for Italy, Ducks prospect Damian Clara is hoping for more stability this season. He has already been loaned to SHL Brynas and as he told Gefle Dagblad’s Daniel Sandstrom, both he and Anaheim were in agreement that returning to Brynas (where he played in 2023-24) was the only viable option for him. The Ducks have already signed him to an entry-level contract but with three other prospect netminders signed who need playing time, keeping him in Sweden made sense. Clara had a 3.19 GAA and a .879 SV% in 21 SHL games last season with Farjestad. He has already been named to Italy’s roster for the upcoming Olympics as well.
- After being non-tendered by St. Louis back in June, defenseman Anton Malmstrom signed a one-year deal in Sweden. However, he indicated to HockeySverige’s Robin Olausson that he did have offers to remain in North America although he didn’t indicate if they were NHL two-way offers or merely minor-league pacts. The 25-year-old signed with St. Louis as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and split his time since then between the AHL and ECHL levels.
Snapshots: Kuznetsov, Kings, Josefson
Veteran center Evgeny Kuznetsov remains unsigned for the upcoming season. After signing a four-year deal in the KHL last summer with SKA St. Petersburg, the agreement was terminated a few months ago with the veteran looking to return to the NHL. Speaking with SovSport’s Vladimir Okishev, Kuznetsov’s agent Shumi Babayev said that there is a 90% chance that his client will sign with an NHL team. The 33-year-old was once a true top-line middleman in the NHL but his last season in the league in 2023-24 saw him struggle with more of a limited role as he notched just 24 points in 63 games between Washington and Carolina. Still, in a free agent market that is largely bereft of centers at this point, he could be worth a low-cost flyer in the coming weeks.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider provides an inside look at how the Kings operated during the draft. At one point, they looked into a trade-up scenario from their original slot of 24 before moving down which was their original plan leading into the night. However, with just two of their preferred selections on the board when they dealt down to 31, they looked at trading back up after moving down to ensure they’d get Henry Brzustewicz. However, they ultimately were able to get him as planned where they were. Dooley’s piece also discusses their activity on the second day, including the trade of defenseman Jordan Spence to Ottawa.
- After having to retire following the 2020-21 season due to concussion trouble, former first-round pick Jacob Josefson is attempting a comeback at the age of 34, recently speaking with Expressen in Sweden (video link) about his efforts. Josefson spent parts of eight seasons in the NHL, seven of which came with New Jersey who picked him 20th overall back in 2009. He opted to return home to play in the SHL back in 2018 and spent three seasons with Djurgarden before having to hang up his skates. His attempt to make a comeback kicked off with that same team in a preseason game on Friday.
Snapshots: Penguins Ownership, Canucks, Pradel
A few days ago, a report from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested that a new prospective owner for the Pittsburgh Penguins had emerged in the Hoffmann Family of Companies. In a subsequent report from Jason Mackey and Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the two allege that there’s much more smoke than previously believed.
According to the article and the multiple sources listed, the Hoffmann Family has a decisive lead on the other interested group led by Mario Lemieux, and may have already encouraged the Fenway Sports Group (FSG) to sell their entire stake in the Penguins since the Hoffmann Family is willing to pay the $1.75BB, on line with Forbes’ valuation of the franchise. There has been considerable secrecy throughout the sale process. Still, the sources listed by Mackey and Vensel believe that the Hoffmann Family has already signed a letter of intent with FSG.
It’s important to note that a letter of intent doesn’t necessarily confirm a sale. It simply allows the interested party an exclusive negotiating window and allows them a deeper look into the organization’s financials in good faith. Still, if the Hoffmann Family is seriously considering the full $1.75BB price for the Penguins, it’ll be hard for another buyer to come forward with a better offer.
Additional snapshots:
- Drawing nearer to the start of training camp and preseason, the Vancouver Canucks announced a few changes to their Hockey Operations department. In a public announcement, General Manager Patrik Allvin revealed three significant staff changes: Brian Hamilton has been promoted to Head Equipment Manager, Ian Beckenstein has been appointed as the Video Coach, and Taylor Phillips has taken on the role of Executive Assistant of Hockey Operations. In terms of outside hires, the team brought in Evan Mathias as the Assistant Video Coach.
- Recent draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, Michal Pradel, will remain with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm for another year rather than join the WHL’s Regina Pats. According to a report from Kevin Allen of DET Hockey Now, Pradel will stay with the Storm so that he can play under the tutelage of former Red Wings Assistant Coach John Torchetti, who was named Tri-City’s new head coach this offseason. Although he spent much of the year in his native Slovakia, Pradel appeared in 14 games for the Storm last season, securing a 9-4-0 record with a .899 SV% and 2.41 GAA.
Snapshots: Valentini, Thornton, Nikishin, Wilsby
Initially announced by the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers and later confirmed by the University of Michigan, a top prospect for the 2026 NHL Draft will play for a different team next season. Adam Valentini will be joining the Wolverines next season rather than the Rangers.
The Toronto native is projected to be a late first-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, but his prospect ranking could rise following his performance with Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He finished the tournament with four goals and nine points in five games, after scoring 17 goals and 39 points in 58 games with the USHL’s Chicago Steel.
Moving from the OHL to the NCAA will be a significant risk for Valentini. If he performs well against much older competition, he could find his way into being a late lottery selection. Still, if the transition goes poorly, Valentini could fall out of the first round altogether. Furthermore, with the Wolverines having one of the youngest rosters in the Big Ten Conference next season, there’s no guarantee the team around him can lift him if he falters.
Other snapshots:
- According to a post on his LinkedIn, and shared by Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub, former NHL enforcer Shawn Thornton is moving on from his position with the Florida Panthers. Despite not sharing the next role of his career, Thornton had been working as the Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Panthers for the last four years. Without speculating too much on his next chapter, it’s realistic to think that Thornton has found another role in hockey operations elsewhere.
- In a new interview with Daria Tuboltseva of RG Media, Carolina Hurricanes Alexander Nikishin spoke at length about his preparation for what’s expected to be the first full season in the NHL this upcoming year. Up to this point, Nikishin only has four postseason games under his belt from the 2024-25 Stanley Cup playoffs, but he did play the entire regular season with the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg. In the interview, he spoke about how seriously he’s taking his preparation for the upcoming campaign, saying, “I want to train properly. My first NHL experience was a lesson – I realized what I need to work on. Now it will be easier because I already know the guys, the staff, the locker room, how practices go. I can’t wait for the season, but preparation is the key. I want to be as useful for the team as possible, without being the weak link.“
- A few weeks ago, reports emerged that Nashville Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney considered retiring last summer. Similarly, a new interview between Rasmus Kågstrom of Hockeysverige and defenseman Adam Wilsby indicates that the latter was considering a return to his native Sweden rather than continue his pursuit of an NHL role. As things turned out, Wilsby spent most of his time playing for the Predators last season and has a decent chance to make the team out of training camp this September. In the interview, Wilsby was quoted as saying, “Of course, I started thinking about where I would take the next step. At the same time, I felt like I wasn’t quite done with the US yet. I felt like it would either work out, or I would probably end up going to Europe. It’s great that it paid off.“
Snapshots: Janmark, Puistola, Kotkaniemi
With the Oilers adding some extra depth up front this summer, there should be some good battles at training camp next month. To that end, Allan Mitchell of The Athletic suggests (subscription link) that winger Mattias Janmark’s roster spot could be in some jeopardy. The 32-year-old had a 25-point campaign just a couple of years ago but since then, he has only managed six goals and 24 assists combined, including only two goals in 80 games last season. While his speed and defensive game are assets, they could free up $1.15MM in cap space by waiving and demoting him to the minors, lowering his cap charge to $300K. That would certainly give them some extra breathing room on the salary cap with PuckPedia currently projecting them to open the season at barely $225K under the Upper Limit. Carrying one less roster player would help in that regard and Janmark being that casualty would maximize their flexibility.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Still with the Oilers, it appears as if they at least thought about bringing in another forward from Europe to add to their depth as they did with David Tomasek. Forward Patrik Puistola acknowledged to Nerikes Allehanda’s David Hellsing that he was aware of some speculation that Edmonton was readying a contract offer for him although a formal offer never ultimately materialized. Puistola was drafted in the third round by Carolina back in 2019 with his rights being moved to the Oilers in 2023 although those rights have since lapsed, making him an unrestricted free agent. After a strong season with SHL Orebro last year and four goals at the Worlds for Finland, Puistola could be someone to keep an eye on to come to North America next year.
- The Maple Leafs have hired Mikael Kotkaniemi as a European Scout, Kotkaniemi announced on LinkedIn. He has been a coach in Finland for the better part of the last two decades including at the Liiga level and most recently coached Finland’s Under-18 program. This will be Kotkaniemi’s first scouting role and the first time working for an NHL franchise.