Flyers Re-Sign Cam York To Five-Year Contract
9:33 a.m.: The Flyers announced York’s contract and confirmed the financial terms as reported.
7:48 a.m.: The Flyers and restricted free agent defenseman Cameron York have agreed to terms on a five-year contract worth $25.75MM, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The deal carries a cap hit of $5.15MM and takes up two UFA years, meaning he can test the open market upon expiry in 2030. Those seasons do not include trade protection, according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic.
York, the No. 14 pick in the 2019 draft, is coming off his fifth season with Philadelphia, the last three of which have been spent as a full-time NHLer. Since beginning to play a regular role on the blue line in the 2022-23 season, York has scored 16 goals, 51 assists, and 67 points in 21:13 of ice time per night across 202 games, with a -22 rating and 369 blocks.
There was plenty of speculation during last season that York may be a trade candidate, primarily due to a rocky relationship with former head coach John Tortorella. The pair reportedly had a verbal altercation near the end of the year, which resulted in Tortorella’s dismissal and York sitting on the bench for the entirety of interim head coach Brad Shaw‘s first game at the helm to close out the campaign.
It appeared all was forgiven when reports last month indicated the two sides were close on a deal, building on initial extension talks that took place last fall. With a new coach at the helm in Rick Tocchet, the Flyers land a long-term commitment from York at a marginal discount on his market value.
AFP Analytics projected a long-term extension for York to be a five-year deal at roughly $5.75MM per season. That’s shrewd work from general manager Daniel Brière to work quickly to remove an offer sheet threat while locking him in around 10% cheaper than expected.
The Flyers will technically be over the cap by roughly $580K with a full roster after registering York’s contract, although that shouldn’t be cause for concern. Retired defenseman Ryan Ellis‘ $6.25MM cap hit will be placed on long-term injured reserve for the entirety of the season. At the same time, winger Tyson Foerster and his $3.75MM cap hit could also land on LTIR to begin the year while he recovers from an infection in his elbow. High-paid defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen also isn’t expected to be ready to begin the season. Philadelphia has time on their side to shed salary if need be – a move that could be as simple as waiving and reassigning third-string goaltender Ivan Fedotov, bringing his $3.275MM cap hit down to $2.125MM.
Next season, York will reprise his top-pairing role while fellow lefty Travis Sanheim mans the right side. He should be ticketed for a bump in ice time if Tocchet restores some of his power-play minutes. The 24-year-old didn’t see any deployment with the man advantage in 2024-25 – under 10 minutes in total – after playing a regular role there in 2023-24. That should help his offensive numbers to a career-high as well. He had 30 points in 82 games two years ago before posting 17 in 66 last season.
He and Sanheim will headline the Flyers’ defensive unit next season while being supported by veterans Ristolainen and Nick Seeler, some up-and-comers in Emil Andrae, Jamie Drysdale, and Egor Zamula, while also being complemented by depth free agent pickups Dennis Gilbert and Noah Juulsen.
Image courtesy of Eric Hartline-Imagn Images.
Blues Re-Sign Vadim Zherenko And Hunter Skinner
July 7: The Blues confirmed Zherenko’s and Skinner’s contracts while also confirming a two-way deal for winger Matt Luff that was reported when the market opened last week.
July 6: After getting Joel Hofer signed to a new deal late last month, the Blues have re-signed their other restricted free agent netminder. PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that St. Louis has re-signed Vadim Zherenko to a one-year, two-way contract. PuckPedia is also reporting (Twitter link) that defenseman Hunter Skinner has inked a one-year, two-way agreement as well. Both players will receive $775K in the NHL and $125K in the minors, meaning they took less than their qualifying offers to secure more guaranteed money.
Zherenko was a seventh-round pick by St. Louis back in 2019, going 208th overall and has had a bit of a journey thus far in professional hockey. The 24-year-old was drafted out of Russia and spent one more year at home, splitting time between the VHL and the MHL before deciding to play in Finland in 2021-22 where he spent the bulk of the year with Ilves at the top Liiga level. His performance there helped earn him an entry-level contract that spring.
Since then, Zherenko has spent his time with AHL Springfield, save for a brief stint in St. Louis on recall in his rookie year that didn’t yield any NHL playing time. Last season, he posted a 12-17-5 record in 32 games with the Thunderbirds along with a 3.44 GAA and a .897 SV%. He played behind starter Colten Ellis who is now waiver-eligible moving forward, leaving his future a little murkier as he’ll have to pass through unclaimed to return to Springfield. Zherenko, meanwhile, remains waiver-exempt for one more year so it’s safe to say that he’ll be back with the Thunderbirds next season.
As for Skinner, he was a fourth-round pick of the Rangers back in 2019, going 112th overall. He spent the following season with OHL London before turning pro in 2020-21. He spent parts of three seasons in their farm system, primarily with AHL Hartford before being traded to St. Louis in 2023 as part of the deal that sent rental players Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola to New York to try to aid their playoff run.
Since then, Skinner has played with Springfield and is coming off his best season at the AHL level, one that saw him record eight goals and 14 assists in 69 games along with 98 penalty minutes. That was enough to earn him a qualifying offer to get another opportunity but unless he becomes an NHL regular and plays in at least 80 games next season, Skinner will become eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency next summer.
With the signings, the Blues are down to just one remaining restricted free agent to re-sign, forward Nikita Alexandrov.
Rangers Re-Sign Brendan Brisson
July 7: The Rangers confirmed Brisson’s contract Monday morning.
July 6: The Rangers have taken care of one of their remaining restricted free agents. PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that New York has signed forward Brendan Brisson to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will pay $775K in the NHL, $100K in the minors, and contains a guaranteed salary of $125K, meaning he took less than his qualifying offer to secure more guaranteed money.
The 23-year-old was a first-round pick by Vegas back in 2020, going 29th overall after a promising season with USHL Chicago. Brisson continued to be a strong producer in college, averaging a point per game over two seasons at the University of Michigan before turning pro in 2022.
Unfortunately for Brisson and Vegas, his production slowed after that. He picked up 37 points in 58 games in 2022-23 with AHL Henderson but wasn’t able to build off of that too much the following year with 38 in 52. Brisson did, however, get into 15 games with the Golden Knights that season, notching two goals and six assists, providing some hope moving forward.
This season, things didn’t go as well. Brisson was held off the scoresheet in seven games to open the season before being demoted back to the Silver Knights and didn’t notch a point in a two-game stint in January either. In between, Brisson was limited to just five goals and 14 assists in 49 games in Henderson. That was enough for Vegas to make him available at the trade deadline as they sent him and a third-round pick to the Rangers for Reilly Smith, a pending UFA at the time who ultimately re-signed last month. Brisson didn’t get any looks with New York down the stretch but managed just two goals and four assists in 16 games with AHL Hartford.
Brisson is now waiver-eligible and while his 2024-25 performance wouldn’t be enough on its own to justify a potential claim, teams have been known to take flyers on fairly recent first-round picks in the hopes that a change of scenery could get them going. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rangers take a long look at Brisson in training camp to see if he can land a spot on the fourth line or at least break camp as a reserve forward.
The Rangers now have two remaining restricted free agents to deal with this summer, goaltenders Dylan Garand and Talyn Boyko.
Golden Knights Re-Sign Raphael Lavoie, Jonas Rondbjerg, Cole Schwindt
The Golden Knights announced they’ve re-signed RFA forwards Raphael Lavoie, Jonas Rondbjerg, and Cole Schwindt to one-year deals. Lavoie’s deal pays him $775K in the NHL and $235K in the AHL with a $300K guarantee, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA. Meanwhile, PuckPedia reports that Rondbjerg gets $775K in the NHL and $250K in the AHL with a $375K guarantee. PuckPedia also has Schwindt’s terms which check in at $825K on a one-way agreement.
Lavoie, 24, began last season in the Oilers organization. He’ll hope for more stability this year after being waived by Edmonton, claimed by Vegas, waived by Vegas, re-claimed by Edmonton, waived again by Edmonton, and finally re-claimed by Vegas before being sent directly to AHL Henderson in a matter of days last October.
Many thought the Oilers would lose Lavoie on waivers after the 6’4″ winger potted 28 goals and 50 points in 66 games for AHL Bakersfield in 2023-24. Injuries limited Lavoie’s effectiveness somewhat in 2024-25, but he still put together a decent 17-10–27 scoring line in 42 games on an underwhelming Henderson squad.
He got into nine NHL games with the Knights throughout the year but went pointless, averaging 10:05 per game. It was his second taste of NHL action after also going pointless in seven games with Edmonton the year before.
After not taking a meaningful step forward last season, the 2019 second-rounder is likely destined for waivers and a minor-league role again in the fall. He’ll battle for an extra forward spot but isn’t a candidate to begin the year in the opening night lineup unless more injuries happen, thanks to Vegas’ much-improved forward depth.
Rondbjerg, a Golden Knights draft pick in the third round of their inaugural 2017 class, is the only player from that group still with the organization. The Denmark-born winger has topped out as a serviceable fringe NHL forward, recording 10 points in 76 games for the Knights in a spattering of recalls over the past four years.
He’s cleared waivers without incident before and should do so again in the fall. The former captain of Denmark’s World Junior team is now an alternate with the Silver Knights, where he had 11 goals and 26 points with a minus-six rating in 53 appearances last year.
Schwindt is the likeliest of the trio to end up on the 23-man NHL roster in October. Vegas claimed the 24-year-old off waivers from the Flames during training camp last year, and while he wasn’t an everyday piece in the lineup, he was a serviceable extra forward for the entirety of the campaign. He made 42 appearances after seeing only seven games of NHL action over the previous three years, scoring his first NHL goal in the process and adding seven assists for eight points.
The 6’2″ Ontario native can slot in at center if needed, taking over 200 draws last season and winning 50.5% of them. A three-time 30-point scorer in the AHL, Vegas seems to like his game enough to keep him around as a 13th or 14th forward for at least one more year.
Islanders Re-Sign Marc Gatcomb
The Islanders have re-signed forward Marc Gatcomb to a one-year deal, per a club announcement. The restricted free agent lands a $900K commitment on a one-way deal, per PuckPedia, the first of his NHL career.
Gatcomb, who turns 26 later this month, lands the commitment after making his NHL debut in 2024-25. A minor-league depth signing by the Isles last summer, he ended up logging much more NHL ice than anyone expected, making 39 appearances and becoming a fourth-line fixture late in the season after his initial January call-up.
The 6’2″, 195-lb winger was one of the Islanders’ more physical forwards, ranking second on the team with 149 hits despite his limited game log and ice time. He averaged 9:47 per game but did manage eight goals, finishing at a likely unsustainable 19.5% clip.
Gatcomb, a Massachusetts native, has only ever signed NHL contracts with the Islanders. He was initially an undrafted free agent signing by Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks, in 2022 out of UConn. He scored 12 goals, 16 assists, and 28 points in 112 games for the club in parts of three seasons before landing a two-way deal with the Isles last summer.
After also recording nine goals and 17 points in 35 AHL games for Bridgeport last season – respectable totals on the league’s worst club – Gatcomb’s focus turns toward making an NHL roster out of camp for the first time. He faces an uphill battle after the team added Jonathan Drouin and Maxim Shabanov to its forward group in free agency and acquired Emil Heineman from the Canadiens in the Noah Dobson trade, but there’s an opening for him to snag a spot as a No. 12/13/14 forward if he can leapfrog someone like Shabanov or fringe winger Pierre Engvall in camp.
The Islanders have six contract slots remaining after signing Gatcomb, per PuckPedia. One of those will eventually go to RFA winger Maxim Tsyplakov, who was among the 11 players who elected salary arbitration yesterday.
Canadiens Sign Jakub Dobes To Two-Year Contract
The Canadiens have re-signed restricted free agent goaltender Jakub Dobes to a two-year, $1.93MM contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will carry a $965K cap hit. Dobes was still eligible for an offer sheet after not filing for arbitration yesterday, but instead came to a quick agreement with Montreal.
Dobes, a fifth-round pick in the 2020 draft, spent two seasons with Ohio State as their starter before signing his entry-level deal near the end of the 2022-23 campaign. The 6’4″, 201-lb Czech netminder was one of the Big 10’s top goalies in that span, earning both All-Rookie and First All-Star Team honors in 2021-22 after a standout 2.26 GAA and .934 SV% in 35 games after making the jump from the Tier I junior United States Hockey League.
The Ostrava native spent his first professional season as the full-time starter for AHL Laval in 2023-24, adjusting to the next level relatively well with a 2.93 GAA, .906 SV%, one shutout, and a 24-18-6 record in 51 games, tying for the league lead in appearances despite not carrying a minute of professional experience entering the season.
When NHL backup Cayden Primeau struggled out of the gate last season, posting a .836 SV% and 4.70 GAA in 11 games through the first two months of the 2024-25 campaign behind Sam Montembeault, he was waived around Christmas and Dobes was brought up from Laval in his place. The 24-year-old spent the rest of the season as Montembeault’s full-time backup, looking like a true NHL-caliber goalie in the process. He didn’t storm out of the gates but was certainly an above-average No. 2 option, logging a 7-4-3 record, .909 SV%, 2.74 GAA, one shutout, and eight quality starts in 16 appearances.
While Dobes is presumably the favorite to win the backup job in camp this fall, they haven’t handed it to him on a silver platter. The club also signed veteran option Kaapo Kähkönen to a one-year, $1.15MM contract when free agency opened. While he spent most of last season in the minors, he has 140 games of NHL experience and was an everyday NHLer as recently as 2023-24. He and Dobes will make for the Habs’ most intriguing roster spot battle when training camp opens in over two months.
A two-year deal for Dobes walks him to his last summer of RFA eligibility, so the Canadiens won’t be able to control his signing rights again after their next round of contract negotiations.
Image courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images.
Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye
The Kraken have re-signed a key depth forward. The team announced that they’ve inked winger Tye Kartye to a two-year contract worth $1.25MM per season. He would have been eligible to file for arbitration by today’s 4:00 PM CT deadline.
The 24-year-old signed with Seattle as an undrafted free agent back in 2022, a move that has worked out well for both sides. Kartye played his junior hockey with the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds and a 45-goal, 79-point campaign in 2021-22 was enough for the Kraken to give him an entry-level deal.
In the first season of that contract, Kartye played exclusively with AHL Coachella Valley during the regular season where he notched an impressive 28 goals and 29 assists in 72 games. That was enough to earn him a recall to the Kraken for the playoffs where Kartye was an important secondary contributor, picking up five points in ten outings with Seattle along with 44 hits in his first taste of NHL action. He was then returned to the Firebirds for their postseason run, adding eight points in 18 appearances.
His playoff showing was enough to make Kartye an NHL regular since then. In 2023-24, he got into 77 games with the Kraken, tallying 11 goals and nine assists while he threw a team-high 229 hits in just under 12 minutes per game of playing time. However, offense was a little harder to come by last season as he managed just six goals and seven helpers in 63 outings while his ice time dropped below ten minutes per night.
With that drop in production and playing time, it’s not a surprise that both sides opted for a short-term bridge deal. Kartye will still be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent when this contract expires although 2027 will be his final summer of RFA eligibility.
Seattle still has some work to do on the RFA front as winger Kaapo Kakko and defenseman Ryker Evans need new contracts. Kakko is arbitration-eligible while Evans isn’t eligible to file this summer.
Blue Jackets Re-Sign Dmitri Voronkov
The Blue Jackets have taken care of their top remaining restricted free agent, announcing that they’ve re-signed forward Dmitri Voronkov to a two-year contract. The deal carries a $4.175MM cap charge. He was eligible to file for salary arbitration by today’s 4:00 PM CT deadline. GM Don Waddell had the following to say about the signing:
We are very pleased to reach this agreement with Dmitri as he is an important part of our young core. He has size, strength and excellent hands and has a chance to be a very special player. We look forward to his continued growth and development as a Blue Jacket.
The 24-year-old was a fourth-round pick by Columbus back in 2019, going 114th overall. While Voronkov showed some promise with Ak Bars Kazan of the AHL, the Blue Jackets had to wait a while to get him as he spent four more years in their system after being drafted before making the jump to North America in 2023.
Voronkov had a slow start to his rookie season in 2023-24 but adapted well as the season went on. He spent a good chunk of that year playing center and did relatively well offensively in a secondary role, tallying 18 goals along with 16 assists and 55 penalty minutes in 75 games despite averaging just 13:27 per night.
His performance gave the Blue Jackets enough confidence to move him into more of a regular top-six role last season. However, with the addition of Sean Monahan and the decision to move Adam Fantilli back down the middle, Voronkov was predominantly on the wing in 2024-25. He played in 73 games for Columbus in 2024-25, tallying 23 goals along with 24 assists while his playing time jumped up to nearly 17 minutes per game.
Voronkov found himself in trade speculation last month when the Blue Jackets were showing interest in defenseman Noah Dobson. It’s believed that Voronkov was the forward that New York was coveting as part of the package for the blueliner, who ultimately went to Montreal.
With the signing, Voronkov becomes the third highest-paid forward on the Blue Jackets for the upcoming season, joining Monahan and center Charlie Coyle, who was acquired from Colorado last month. The deal buys both sides more time to assess if Voronkov has another level to get to offensively, one that could push him toward a significantly higher pay day in 2027 when the salary cap could be closer to the $113MM mark. When the contract expires, Voronkov will still have one RFA-eligible season left with arbitration eligibility.
With the signing, Columbus has two remaining restricted free agents to re-sign, defenseman Daemon Hunt and winger Mikael Pyyhtia. Neither player is eligible for arbitration this summer.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
Capitals Sign Lynden Lakovic To Entry-Level Contract
The Capitals have wasted little time getting their top pick under contract. The team announced that they’ve signed winger Lynden Lakovic to a three-year, entry-level deal. The agreement will pay Lakovic $975K in the NHL and $85K in the AHL per season. PuckPedia adds (Twitter link) that the contract contains $250K in Class A bonuses in years two and three, pushing the AAV of the deal to $1.14MM.
The 18-year-old was the 27th pick in last month’s draft, slipping that far after being rated in the top 20 by many scouting agencies.
In his first full season at the WHL level in 2023-24, Lakovic didn’t light up the scoresheet but still managed a solid 18 goals and 21 assists in 68 games with Moose Jaw before adding eight points in 20 playoff contests in the Warriors’ run to the Memorial Cup.
Armed with a bigger role last season after several top players moved on, Lakovic led Moose Jaw in scoring despite missing 21 games due to injury. However, the Warriors struggled mightily, finishing at the bottom of the league standings with just 15 wins. Still, Lakovic, who took over as team captain late in the season, had 27 goals and 31 assists in 47 games along with just four penalty minutes despite his 6’4 stature.
In Washington’s team release, it noted that the expectation is that Lakovic will return to Moose Jaw for the upcoming season. Assuming that happens, his contract will ultimately slide and still have three years left on it heading into the 2026-27 campaign.
Madison Bowey Signs One-Year Contract With Augsburger Panther
Former NHL defenseman Madison Bowey has opted to return to his international hockey career after a year in the AHL. He has signed a one-year contract with the Augsburger Panther of Germany’s DEL, per Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey.
Bowey scored a quaint 15 points in 60 games with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters last season. He had a confused lineup role early on, but gained better footing after Denton Mateychuk was recalled to the NHL for the long-term. But Bowey still struggled to make much headway on the scoresheet. He was often featured in the penalty column, with 70 penalty minutes once again stapling his presence as a feisty, low-event defender.
Bowey spent the entirety of the 2023-24 season in Russia’s KHL in what was the first international move of his pro career. He split the year between three clubs, ultimately ending the year with 14 points and 31 penalty minutes in 51 games. The KHL stint brought an end to Bowey’s battle for an NHL role that spanned between 2015 and 2023. He played through parts of eight AHL seasons, and six NHL seasons, over that span — but couldn’t find his way into consistent minutes up a team’s depth chart.
His first stint in North America ended with 108 points in 264 AHL games, and 40 points in 158 NHL games. He’s a stocky, puck-moving defender who should find better footing in a league where skill shines. Augsburg finished the 2024-25 season ranked second-to-last in the DEL. They’ll look for a big energy boost from the NHL veteran Bowey.