Sharks Sign Phillip Sinn To Entry-Level Contract
The San Jose Sharks have looked towards Germany to reinforce their blue line. Defenseman Phillip Sinn has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Sharks set to begin next season. Sinn spent last season with EHC Munchen of Germany’s DEL and played five games with Team Germany at the 2026 World Championships. Reports of NHL interest around Sinn was first reported by German hockey news source Eisblog.
Sinn, 22, is a true shutdown-defenseman. He scored just nine points across all levels of competition in the 2025-26 season, including three points in 35 games of his DEL season. Despite those low marks, Sinn stood out with a long reach and physical style that helped secure an otherwise offensively-leaning defense corps – led by former Carolina Hurricanes defender Ryan Murphy. Sinn was most productive in a seven-game assignment to Germany’s minor-pro league, where he recorded four assists.
The 6-foot-2 defender rose through the ranks of Austrian hockey and made his debut in the country’s top league in 2023. He finished his first pro season with seven points in 30 games with EC Salzburg and captained Team Germany at the 2024 World Junior Championships – where he scored four points in five games. Sinn has since built a tendency for very little scoring in top pro leagues, but near point-per-game scoring in minor-pro leagues, through trips in Austria and Germany. Those tenures include no scoring in 12 games in the Champions Hockey League, but two points in three games of Germany’s Deutschland Cup.
Sinn will bring another big body and shutdown ability to the Sharks defense corps. He could have a hope at one day filling the hard-working, shutdown role filled by Mario Ferraro in his final months in the Sharks lineup. That dream will be far off, though, as Sinn enters his North American career behind prospect Leo Sahlin Wallenius on the depth chart and almost certainly headed for a second-pair role in the AHL.
Sharks Sign Jimmy Huntington To One-Year Extension
The San Jose Sharks shared earlier today that forward Jimmy Huntington has been re-signed on a one-year, two-way contract. Financial terms have not yet been reported, but as a two-way pact it automatically carries at least a league minimum $850k at the NHL level.
A veteran of the AHL, the 27-year-old joined the San Jose Barracuda this past season and put together his best campaign yet, recording 48 points in 71 games. The center was third in team scoring, producing alongside several skilled youngsters such as Filip Bystedt and Quentin Musty.
Undrafted out of the QMJHL, Huntington feasted alongside Alexis Lafrenière with the Rimouski Oceanic in 2018-19. Catching on with the Lightning organization after a 92-point season, he went on to make a two-year stop with the Milwaukee Admirals. The Laval, Quebec native moved on to the Hershey Bears for 2023-24, helping lead the Capitals affiliates to a Calder Cup title, with 14 points in 20 games during the run.
Since finding himself out west, Huntington’s efforts this season in San Jose helped the Barracuda rank 13th in the AHL, although they were sent home by the Henderson Silver Knights in the opening round. Still seeking his NHL debut, the 6’0″ lefty will aim to build off a strong season, continuing to bring a well-rounded two-way game to the Sharks organization.
Edmonton Oilers Sign Aku Raty
The Edmonton Oilers have already gotten involved in the overseas market. According to a team announcement, the Oilers have signed Aku Raty to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season worth $850K.
Raty, 24, began his professional career in 2019 when he was selected with the 151st overall pick of that summer’s draft by the Arizona Coyotes. He spent his post-draft season playing for the Finnish Liiga’s Kärpät, scoring two goals and seven points in 32 games with a +2 rating.
After posting a nearly identical scoring line for the 2020-21 campaign, Raty’s offensive presence began to grow in Finland’s professional circuit. Combining the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, Raty registered 29 goals and 64 points in 109 games for Kärpät with a +30 rating. That output rightfully gave the Coyotes the confidence to bring him to North America to test his mettle in the AHL.
At first, he didn’t look out of place. Playing for the Tucson Roadrunners, Raty finished his first season with 15 goals and 44 points in 55 games with a +9 rating. It wasn’t enough to win any awards, but he didn’t finish second on the team in scoring behind Josh Doan.
Unfortunately, Raty took a significant step back during the 2024-25 campaign. He got off to a tough start with the Roadrunners, scoring four goals and 19 points in 50 games, leading to a mid-season trade to the Chicago Blackhawks organization, causing him to finish the year with the Rockford IceHogs.
After that difficult season, Raty took the opportunity to rejoin Kärpät last year, and it turned out to be a worthwhile endeavor. He enjoyed the best season of his professional career, scoring 20 goals and 57 points in 51 games with a +8 rating. Again, his strong offensive output wasn’t enough to lead the league in scoring, but he finished first on the team and seventh overall.
The Oilers frequently adjust their bottom six due to injuries or poor performance, which should create opportunities for Raty at the NHL level, assuming that trend continues. Should Raty get off to a hot start with AHL Bakersfield, if he doesn’t start the season on the NHL roster, the signing could give Edmonton more offensive firepower and energy at the bottom of their forward corps.
Lightning Re-Sign Scott Sabourin
Veteran Scott Sabourin will be sticking around in the Lightning’s organization for another year. The team announced today that they’ve signed the winger to a one-year, two-way contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed but he’ll be guaranteed at least a $75K raise at the NHL level with that minimum salary moving up to $850K next season from $775K in 2025-26.
The 33-year-old joined Tampa Bay last summer on a one-year, two-way deal, one that worked out well for both sides. Sabourin played in 26 games with the Lightning this season, the second-highest NHL total of his career. He picked up a goal and four assists in those outings, along with 89 penalty minutes and 63 hits. That’s the type of physicality he’s been known for over his professional career, one that spans parts of 15 seasons.
Sabourin was on Tampa Bay’s roster for the playoffs and even got into a pair of games in the first round against Montreal, his first career NHL postseason action. For his career, he now has 73 career NHL appearances under his belt, collecting three goals, 10 assists, and 147 penalty minutes over parts of six seasons.
While he hasn’t been a big offensive producer in the NHL, Sabourin has been a reasonable producer in the minors. He played in 24 games with Syracuse this season, notching a respectable six goals and two assists. Prior to this season, Sabourin had at least 25 points in the minors in each of the last three years.
It’s likely that Tampa Bay envisions Sabourin filling the same role he did this season. For games where they expect things to get more physical, he’ll probably see time on the fourth line. Meanwhile, he can serve as a capable depth producer in Syracuse in between those outings, assuming he clears waivers to be eligible to be sent back to the Crunch.
Golden Knights Add Two More Black Aces
Last week, the Golden Knights recalled several players as their Black Ace recalls. Earlier this week, they decided to bring up two more to give them more depth up front. Per the AHL’s transactions log, Vegas recently promoted wingers Alexander Holtz and Trevor Connelly from AHL Henderson.
Holtz broke camp with Vegas this season and spent most of the year on the NHL roster. However, a lot of that time was spent as a healthy scratch. He got into 28 games with the Golden Knights overall, collecting three goals and six assists in 11:29 of playing time per night. It’s the second straight year that his usage and production have dropped, leading to him hitting waivers in early March.
After clearing, the 24-year-old was sent down to the Silver Knights and played a regular role down the stretch, notching nine points in 13 games. However, he wasn’t particularly productive in the postseason, being limited to one goal in six contests. Holtz has one year left on his contract with an AAV below the league minimum next season which could help his chances of staying on an NHL roster.
As for Connelly, he received a recall earlier in the postseason but didn’t wind up playing and is still looking to make his NHL debut. The 20-year-old is a rare first-round pick that Vegas has held onto and he had an impressive rookie year that saw him collect 49 points in 46 games during the season and six more in six playoff contests. He likely won’t be making his NHL debut in the playoffs but he and Holtz will get a chance to keep practicing for a little while longer.
Flames Sign Kirill Zarubin To Entry-Level Contract
The Calgary Flames have signed goaltender Kirill Zarubin to a three-year, entry-level contract per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. The 2024 third-round draft pick spent last season in the MHL, Russia’s junior league. He was named an MHL All-Star and finished the season with 26 wins and a .930 save percentage in 48 games played. Those marks ranked fourth and 13th among 81 goalies with more than 10 games played.
Calgary acquired the draft pick used to select Zarubin in the 2024 trade that sent Noah Hanifin to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Flames used that pick to draft their fourth goaltender, and their third out of Russia, since 2020.
Zarubin brings long legs and a quickness in the crease. Those traits helped him stand out despite filling a split role through parts of the last three seasons with Chicago Blackhawks prospect Ilya Kanarsky. The duo backstopped an AKM Tula squad that made it to – but lost – the MHL semi-finals in all four seasons under their helm.
Zarubin will step onto a crowded Flames depth chart. Eight different goaltenders played games for Calgary’s AHL and ECHL affiliates last season. Zarubin will likely head to the latter to help ease his transition into the pro flight. His addition will provide more stability to Arsenii Sergeev as he moves into a full-time AHL role.
Metro Notes: Bennett, Fedotov, Hammers
Ray Bennett‘s time seeking a new coaching role didn’t take long. Moments after the New York Islanders announced that they had mutually parted ways with Bennett, the Washington Capitals announced they have hired him for the 2026-27 season.
Bennett was presumably hired to replace Kirk Muller, who departed the organization in late April. The 64-year-old coach has served as an assistant coach in the NHL for over 25 years, primarily focusing on power-play strategies with the Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Islanders.
The Capitals’ work with a man advantage could certainly use a fresh perspective. Washington had a solid power play during the 2024-25 campaign, finishing 13th in the league with a 23.53% success rate. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the same prosperity this season, falling to 25th in the league with a 17.84% rate.
Additional notes from the Metropolitan Division:
- Despite being one win away from an Eastern Conference Final berth, the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters have lost some of their goaltending depth, likely for the remainder of the postseason. According to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, netminder Ivan Fedotov has returned overseas to deal with an undisclosed injury. Since he is an unrestricted free agent this summer and left the team during their pursuit of the Calder Cup, it seems likely that Fedotov does not intend to continue his professional career in North America. He may have already begun exploring opportunities overseas.
- The Islanders announced the name and logo of their new AHL affiliate in Hamilton, following the team’s move from Bridgeport, CT. The new AHL franchise will be named the Hamilton Hammers, reflecting the historical significance of the steel industry in the Ontario city.
Victor Soderstrom Signs With EHC Biel-Bienne
May 21st: According to a team announcement, Soderstrom has officially signed a two-year deal with the NL’s EHC Biel-Bienne. It is expected that the deal will include an NHL opt-out clause. However, it is unlikely that Soderstrom will return to North America, as this marks the second time in three years that he has sought a different opportunity overseas.
April 18th: When the Bruins acquired and signed Victor Soderstrom, the defenseman was hoping that he would get that elusive extended NHL opportunity. However, that hasn’t been the case as he has once again spent most of the season in the minors. As a result, he’s eyeing a return overseas as Expressen’s Johan Svensson and Mattias Persson report that the blueliner is expected to sign with EHC Biel-Bienne in Switzerland for next season.
The 25-year-old was a first-round pick by Arizona back in 2019 but after seeing limited opportunities with the Coyotes, he opted to head overseas at the end of his entry-level contract, returning to SHL Brynas. Arizona retained his NHL rights and ultimately flipped them to Chicago at the 2025 trade deadline with Boston acquiring those rights three months later and signing him to a two-way deal.
But Soderstrom went through waivers unclaimed in training camp and outside an eight-game stint in Boston in December (where he had an assist and averaged 13:41 per game), he has played exclusively with AHL Providence. Soderstrom has done well in the minors, tallying nine goals and 21 assists in 57 games and should be set for a long playoff run with Providence guaranteed to finish the season with the AHL’s top record, earning them the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy.
Soderstrom is set to become a Group Six unrestricted free agent this summer and could have entertained offers to see if a better opportunity was out there. But with how this year has gone, he’d likely be viewed as a recallable depth player elsewhere as well so instead of repeating this season, it appears he’ll try his hand in the Swiss league next season.
Capitals Sign Timothy Liljegren To Two-Year Extension
According to a team announcement, the Washington Capitals have extended defenseman Timothy Liljegren to a two-year deal worth around $6.5MM ($3.25MM AAV), as first reported by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period.
The 27-year-old finished this past year with Washington, playing just four games with the Capitals after being traded in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2026 from San Jose at this past deadline. With the Sharks, Liljegren finished with one goal for 11 points in 43 games in over 20 minutes of average time on ice and had 83 blocks, which was fourth on the team in that statistical category as well by season’s end.
Liljegren was the back end of a two-year, $6MM ($3MM AAV) contract that he originally signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the summer of 2024. In Toronto, he played just one game on that contract before he was traded early in the 2024-25 season to the San Jose Sharks for a package deal. He finished his 2024-25 campaign playing 67 games with the Sharks.
The 6-foot-1 Swede was originally selected 17th overall by the Maple Leafs in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft and spent his formative six years in Toronto, signing his entry-level contract and later a two-year deal in 2022 worth $2.8MM (1.4MM).
Liljegren’s short stint in Washington saw few games in the lineup, but after top prospect Cole Hutson entered the mix, having finished his NCAA career at Boston University, most of his time was spent in the press box as a healthy scratch.
Washington’s blue line has two other defenseman who have a right handedness under contract. Liljegren is second on the depth chart in that category in terms of the highest average annual value for next season, behind Matt Roy ($5.75MM) and ahead of Dylan McIlrath ($850K). The Capitals have a little over $33MM in cap space and have a few important names to address among expiring contracts. It should be noted that Washington enters next year with the uncertainty of when Rasmus Sandin will return, who is currently healing from his ACL surgery and has been a mainstay for the Capitals’ defensive group.
Alex Ovechkin is the huge headliner that looms for the Capitals among their UFA players. Add in forwards Brandon Duhaime and David Kampf, as well as restricted free agents in Connor McMichael and Hendrix Lapierre, and that will give Chris Patrick some thinking to do. This signing begs the question of what Washington will do about pending UFA Trevor van Riemsdyk, who remains a question mark on the defensive side of expiring deals. As a veteran 34-year old right-shot blue-liner, it’ll be interesting to see if Patrick will opt to run it back with all the familiar names he had in 2025-26 while Sandin heals from his injury and inserts a full campaign of their shiny new toy in Hutson.
Hurricanes Sign Noel Fransen To Entry-Level Contract
According to a team announcement, the Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Noel Fransen to a three-year entry-level contract.
The 20-year-old will make $850,000 in 2026-27, $900,000 in 2027-28, and $950,000 in 2028-29 at the NHL level. If in the AHL, he will receive $85,000 for all three seasons. The deal will include signing bonuses worth $270,000. He signed this deal after finishing his 2025-26 season between two teams in Sweden. In the SHL, he scored two points in 13 games with Farjestad BK and also posted six goals for 14 points in 38 games on loan with BIK Karlskoga in HockeyAllsvenskan.
General Manager Erik Tulsky said in the team’s release, “Noel has all of the attributes we look for in a Carolina Hurricanes defenseman. He has the mobility to close quickly on a play, as well as the speed to be active on offensive transitions. We’re looking forward to seeing him in North America next season.”
Leading into the 2024 NHL Draft, Fransen profiled as a prospect who prioritizes offense through his skating in both transition and in the offensive zone on the blue line. That mobility is emphasized in his transition ability to connect a play from defense through the neutral zone. Fransen was selected as a third-round pick at 69th overall by the Hurricanes in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
He dominated in the junior levels of his native country. In the J18 South and West regions he participated in, Fransen led his counterparts in scoring and overall points by a defenseman. Those same honors followed as he progressed into J20 Nationell play, where he led all defenders in the league in scoring in 2023-24. An honor previously held by other Swedish NHL defenders, including Erik Karlsson (2007-08) and Alexander Edler (2004-05), dating back to 2000.
Fransen graduates from a list of unsigned Hurricanes defensive prospects like Kurban Limatov, Timur Kol, and joins the likes of fellow 20-year-old defender Dominik Badinka in the system, and will compete as a potential NHL roster player on the Hurricanes’ back-end, like another former third-round pick in Alexander Nikishin, who Carolina will consider as a top-priority RFA signing this offseason.
Before this signing, the Hurricanes had around $11.9MM in cap space for the offseason that they’ll have to address towards their unrestricted free agents, which include Nicolas Deslauriers in the forward group, as well as defenseman Mike Reilly and goaltender Frederik Andersen.