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Kings Re-Sign Pheonix Copley

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11:59 a.m.: It’s a one-way deal for Copley, per the team’s Zach Dooley. That could be an indication the team is open to him starting the season as Kuemper’s backup.

11:31 a.m.: The Kings have re-signed pending UFA goaltender Pheonix Copley to a one-year deal that will pay him the league minimum of $775K next season, per a club announcement. It’s unclear whether it’s a one-way or two-way commitment.

The upcoming season will mark Copley’s fourth in Los Angeles. He was initially brought in for the 2022-23 season to serve as the No. 3 option/AHL starter behind Jonathan Quick and Calvin Petersen, a role he’d held for many years with the Blues and Capitals. Instead, Quick and Petersen both put up unplayable numbers, leading Copley to get the call-up and the lion’s share of the starts. In a career-high 37 appearances, he was more than serviceable with a .903 SV%, 2.64 GAA, and one shutout, helping L.A. to a 24-6-3 record in games he received the decision for. He was supplanted as the starter in the playoffs by trade deadline pickup Joonas Korpisalo, but he at least did enough to establish himself as a full-time NHL option.

L.A. brought him back on a one-year, $1.5MM deal for 2023-24 as a result. He started the year as UFA pickup Cam Talbot’s backup, but after going 4-1-2 with a .870 SV% and 3.16 GAA in just eight appearances, his season came to an end in December after undergoing ACL surgery.

The Kings still wanted to keep him around as an insurance option for this past season, though, signing him to another one-year deal after free agency opened. While Copley was back to full health, he’d slipped behind David Rittich on the depth chart and was back to serving in a more familiar No. 3 role. He allowed two goals on 12 shots in a relief appearance against the Maple Leafs early in the year, otherwise spending the campaign with AHL Ontario after clearing waivers. In his first extended minor-league stint in three years, the 33-year-old Alaskan was good with a 2.49 GAA, .904 SV%, two shutouts, and a 24-17-1 record in 42 games.

His numbers were far better than what top prospect Erik Portillo (.889 SV%, 2.82 GAA) put up as his backup. As a result, with Rittich slated to hit the open market this summer on the heels of an underwhelming 2024-25 performance, Copley might get another chance in training camp to be the Kings’ No. 2, this time behind 2025 Vezina Trophy finalist Darcy Kuemper.

Maple Leafs’ Roni Hirvonen Signs With Liiga’s Kärpät

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Maple Leafs center prospect Roni Hirvonen is returning home to Finland on a one-year contract with Liiga’s Kärpät, per a team announcement Monday. Hirvonen is a pending restricted free agent after completing his entry-level contract. Toronto can retain his NHL signing rights through the 2028-29 season if they issue him a qualifying offer.

A second-round pick by the Leafs in 2020, Hirvonen has been a serviceable middle-six forward in Finland and the AHL, but hasn’t seen much forward progression in his game. His point-per-game rates in his five seasons since being drafted are strikingly similar: 0.39 in 2020-21 with Ässät, 0.57 in 2021-22 and 0.49 in 2022-23 with HIFK, and 0.35 in 2023-24 and 0.36 in 2024-25 with Toronto’s AHL affiliate.

While the 5’10”, 179-lb Hirvonen is only 23 years old and likely still has upside as a fourth-line piece, the lack of offensive progression indicates nothing else in the tank. Unsurprisingly, his play style was always that of a more defensively-minded forward. Nonetheless, he’s dealt with some injuries. He hasn’t played close to a full AHL schedule since arriving in North America two years ago, posting a 17-17–34 scoring line for the Marlies while playing in 96 of 144 possible regular-season games.

Hirvonen likely wanted more opportunity to develop his two-way game and, as a result, will return to a more familiar environment and, ideally, more consistent playing time, before attempting a return to North America next offseason or further down the line. Notable players selected after Hirvonen in the 2020 draft include Will Cuylle (one spot after at No. 60 overall), Alex Laferriere (No. 83), and Nils Åman (No. 167).

Senators Sign Lassi Thomson To One-Year Deal

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According to a team announcement, the Ottawa Senators have signed defenseman Lassi Thomson to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 NHL season. Shortly before, TSN’s Bruce Garrioch had reported that the Senators were closing in on a new deal with Thomson.

Given that it’s a two-way deal and paying Thomson a league minimum at the NHL level, the contract indicates Thomson will play in a familiar depth role next season. The former 19th overall selection of the 2019 NHL Draft is coming off a one-year deal with the SHL’s Malmö Redhawks in which he scored 17 goals and 29 points in 50 games.

There’s little expectation that Thomson will match or get close to that goal-scoring pace at the NHL level. He’s achieved a 10-goal campaign in the 2021-22 season with the AHL’s Belleville Senators, but his career minor league production sits at 24 goals and 93 points in 202 games.

His production has understandably been worse at the NHL level. Thomson played in 18 games for the Senators from 2021 to 2023, hardly enough to make a judgment call on his future worth in the sport’s top league. Still, Thomson left nothing but a poor impression in those games, tallying five assists and a -10 rating with a dreadful 84.5% on-ice save percentage at even strength.

Ottawa is hoping that a strong season overseas will help Thomson to regain some confidence as he re-enters the North American landscape. The Senators desperately needed more depth on the right side of their defensive core, and Thomson gives them a readily available option to stash in the AHL for much of the year.

Devils Sign Juho Lammikko

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The Devils signed center Juho Lammikko to a one-way deal worth $800K, PuckPedia reports. He’ll look to win out a roster spot in training camp and avoid waivers and a subsequent assignment to AHL Utica, although the one-way deal stipulates that it won’t affect him financially if it happens.

Lammikko, 29, has three years and 159 games of NHL experience. The left-shot pivot was a third-round pick of the Panthers back in 2014 and made his NHL debut four years later. He made 40 appearances for the Cats in the 2018-19 season, registering six assists and a minus-seven rating, before returning to Europe when his entry-level contract expired. However, Florida retained his signing rights with a qualifying offer, so when he decided he was ready to return stateside after a year and a half abroad in Finland and Russia, he returned to the Panthers for the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season.

While Lammikko managed a full-time roster spot, something he never held during his first stint in the Panthers organization, his production and role were identical to his rookie campaign. He scored his first four NHL goals but added only one assist for five points in 44 games, posting a minus-eight rating and averaging 10:50 per game. While he didn’t generate any meaningful offense in Florida, he did have some solid possession impacts at even strength, considering he was deployed as a defensive specialist.

After Lammikko re-signed with Florida on a league-minimum, one-way contract for the 2021-22 season, he failed to win a regular spot in the lineup in training camp. As a result, was traded to the Canucks along with Noah Juulsen in exchange for former top defense prospect Olli Juolevi at the beginning of the regular season. It was in British Columbia that Lammikko showed more legitimate upside as a bottom-six checking center. He upped his offensive production with a 7-8–15 scoring line in 75 games, a slight per-game increase even with the increased workload, and saw his ice time jump to the 12-minute range per game. The Finnish pivot also won 51.0% of his faceoffs after finishing at 42.8% and 44.9% in his two prior seasons with Florida. He also finished fourth among Vancouver forwards with 93 hits.

Nonetheless, that wasn’t enough for the Canucks to issue Lammikko a qualifying offer following his career-best campaign. After not pursuing or receiving NHL offers, Lammikko returned to Europe with the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League. He’s been with ZSC ever since, bringing him some much-desired stability and allowing him to re-emerge as an offensive threat. He potted a 48-64–112 scoring line and a +60 rating in 144 games across the last three years, yielding back-to-back NL championships – he even scored the title-clinching goal in ZSC’s 2024 win. Lammikko is also 11th in NL scoring over the last three seasons.

He’ll now head to Jersey in an attempt to win out a bottom-six spot next year. It’s exceedingly rare for a player to make a jump to the NHL after his first two stints didn’t pan out, but he’s nonetheless hoping the third time is the charm. Bottom-six depth was an easily identifiable area of need for the Devils entering the summer, who have more than a few pending unrestricted free agents at the position and need insurance options in case candidates for internal promotion like Nolan Foote and Nathan Legare don’t work out.

Jets Sign Alfons Freij

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The Jets have signed one of their draft picks from last year, announcing that they’ve inked defenseman Alfons Freij to a three-year, entry-level deal.  The agreement will carry an AAV of $975K at the NHL level.

The 19-year-old was the fifth selection in the second round last June, going 37th overall following a strong season in Sweden’s junior system.  Freij predominantly played at the Under-20 level with Vaxjo and fared well offensively, notching 14 goals and 19 assists in 40 games.  He also played in five playoff games with Vaxjo’s Under-20 and Under-18 levels.

This season, Freij moved up a level, going to Sweden’s second-tier professional league, the Allsvenskan, where he played with IF Bjorkloven.  In 29 games with them, he had two goals and six assists while adding five points in five games with Bjorkloven’s Under-20 team as well.

Back in April, Freij signed a two-year deal with SHL Timra, positioning himself to be tested at a higher level once again next season.  This contract shouldn’t change that, as it’s quite likely that he will be loaned back overseas for 2025-26.  Assuming that happens, Freij’s contract is eligible to slide and, in that case, he’d still have three years left on his deal at this time next year.

Canadiens Sign Vinzenz Rohrer

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The Canadiens have signed one of their prospects, announcing today that they’ve inked forward Vinzenz Rohrer to a three-year, entry-level contract.  Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The 20-year-old was a third-round pick by Montreal back in 2022, going 75th overall.  He remained with OHL Ottawa the following season, posting 19 goals and 30 assists in 54 games before deciding to change things up.  Instead of staying for what likely would have been his final year of major junior, Rohrer instead decided to turn pro, inking a two-year deal with Zurich in Switzerland.

Rohrer put up 19 points in 49 games in 2023-24, decent numbers for a teenager playing in the pros.  That was enough to earn a one-year extension with Zurich, putting him under contract through 2025-26.  He followed that up with 15 goals and 10 assists in 52 games this season before adding seven points in 16 playoff contests.  Instead of joining Montreal’s farm team in Laval after that for their playoff run, Rohrer went to the World Championship with Austria and fared well with them, collecting four goals and two assists in eight games as they made it to the quarterfinals.

In a release from Zurich (Twitter link), the Lions noted that while Rohrer will attend training camp with the Canadiens this fall, he will report back to Zurich if the team sends him down to the minors.  This means that the contract has a European Assignment Clause for the upcoming season; if Rohrer ultimately is sent back, he will still count against Montreal’s contract limit of 50 while he’s too old to have the contract slide.

Bruins Sign Victor Soderstrom

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Boston didn’t waste any time getting their newest blueliner under contract.  After acquiring the rights to Victor Soderstrom on Friday, the Bruins announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a one-year, two-way contract.  The NHL portion of the deal will pay the minimum salary of $775K while the AHL salary was not disclosed.

The 24-year-old was a first-round pick back in 2019 when Arizona drafted him 11th overall.  However, his development has not quite gone as well as the then-Coyotes would have hoped.

While Soderstrom saw NHL action in four straight seasons from 2020-21 through 2023-24, he only got into 53 games overall.  Instead, he spent most of his time in North America in the minors, spanning 170 contests.  His 2023-24 performance was arguably his best as he had 32 points in 62 games with AHL Springfield but that didn’t yield much in the way of a chance in Arizona as he played just three times with them that year, leading him to voice his frustration with his lack of opportunity.

As a result, Soderstrom didn’t want to re-sign with that organization (which moved to Utah last offseason) while, at the time at least, Utah didn’t want to trade him.  At an impasse, the blueliner decided to go back home, signing a two-year deal with SHL Brynas.  With one year left on that agreement, it’s clear that the agreement had an NHL out clause.

Soderstrom had a solid season in Sweden, posting nine goals and 28 assists in 49 regular season games with Brynas while logging over 22 minutes a night of playing time.  While he didn’t post points at the same level in the playoffs, he chipped in with eight points in 17 outings in a little more than 23 minutes per game of ice time.  Along the way, Chicago acquired his rights as part of the move that saw them add Shea Weber’s contract to their books and the thought was that the Blackhawks might try to sign Soderstrom themselves this summer.

Clearly, that didn’t happen and Chicago’s prospect depth on the back end might have had something to do with that, leading to Friday’s trade.  Boston’s right-shot defensive depth isn’t as deep as Charlie McAvoy and Andrew Peeke are the only two regular blueliners who shoot from that side.  As a result, there could be an opportunity for Soderstrom to push for a roster spot with the Bruins although a lot can change between now and the start of training camp that could affect that chance.  Either way, Soderstrom will be getting a second opportunity to play in North America this season.

Brandon Gignac Signs In Swiss League

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Rather than test free agency next month, pending UFA Brandon Gignac has decided to head overseas.  EHC Kloten in Switzerland announced that they’ve inked the center to a two-year contract.

The 27-year-old was originally drafted by New Jersey in the third round back in 2016.  However, playing time was hard to come by at the top level as he made just one NHL appearance with them before being non-tendered in 2021.

That brought him to Montreal’s farm team on a minor-league deal, one that he was able to convert to a two-year, two-way NHL pact in 2023-24.  When that happened, Gignac got into seven games with the Canadiens, scoring once while logging a little under 12 minutes a night of playing time.  Meanwhile, he had a career year in the AHL with Laval that season, notching 55 points in 61 games.

Coming off that season, there was some thought that Gignac could push for a back-of-the-roster spot with Montreal this year or at least be in line for a recall when injuries arise.  However, after clearing waivers in training camp, Gignac suffered a long-term injury that caused him to miss 53 games, putting an end to any hopes of a promotion.  He returned for the playoffs and had just three points in 12 games.

Knowing that an NHL opportunity likely wasn’t going to be on the table this summer, Gignac’s options likely would have been limited to two-way offers next month.  Instead of taking another one of those, he’ll now try his hand in a new league altogether.

Penguins Re-Sign Bokondji Imama To One-Year Contract

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have signed depth forward Bokondji Imama to a one-year, two-way contract that carries a league-minimum $775K salary at the NHL level. Imama split the 2024-25 season between the NHL and AHL rosters, and appeared in a career-high 16 games with the Pittsburgh lineup.

Imama blazed his style at the top flight this season. After years of establishing himself as a minor-league bruiser, he showed the control needed to maintain that title at the top level – with 30 penalty minutes and a plus-two in his NHL appearances. He also chipped in 47 penalty minutes and a minus-one in 24 AHL games – a modest total relative to seasons past. Imama led the Belleville Senators in PIMs last season, with 115 through 53 appearances. He held the same title with the 2021-22 Tucson Roadrunners, where he racked up a daunting 178 PIMs in 54 games played.

Through eight seasons in the AHL, Imama has averaged just over nine points a year. He’s a low-scoring, low-minutes depth forward with the smooth skating and pest tendencies to continue finding work at a pro level. A one-year deal will keep him in Pittsburgh’s depth charts as the team looks to move into a new era, with a much younger lineup. That fact could earn Imama even more ice time at the NHL level next season, though any minutes are likely to come in an extra-forward role.

Ducks Sign Lucas Pettersson To Entry-Level Contract

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The Anaheim Ducks have signed 2024 second-round draft pick Lucas Pettersson to a three-year, entry-level contract. Pettersson split his season between Sweden’s SHL and HockeyAllsvenskan, and is expected to return to the SHL’s MoDo Hockey next year.

Pettersson had a quiet introduction to the pro flight. He earned a call-up to the SHL after netting eight points in eight games in Sweden’s U20 league – but struggled to find a clear groove in a fourth-line SHL role. Recognizing the struggles following numerous lineup changes, MoDo opted to send Pettersson to the HockeyAllsvenskan (HA) for the entirety of January. Having his feet under him launched Pettersson’s performance. He scored a hat trick in his first game on assignment, then proceeded to net 14 points in 12 HA games throughout January and early February.

Pettersson followed his hot streak in the HA with a quartet of international friendlies with Sweden’s U20 club. He scored three points in the four games, but didn’t stay lit when he returned to league play in mid-February. By the time he rediscovered his pace – with four points in three HA games to end February – MoDo opted to bring the dynamic forward back to the top flight.

When all was said and done, Pettersson ended his season with 19 points in 26 HA games, one assist in 29 SHL games, and eight points in eight J20 (U20) games. His 0.73 point-per-game scoring pace in the HA fell just behind 2025 NHL Draft stars Anton Frondell (0.86) and Victor Eklund (0.74) on the league’s U19 leaderboards. The trio posted the highest scoring paces since Noah Ostlund (0.70, 2022-23), Lucas Elvenes (0.95, 2017-18), and Elias Pettersson (0.95, 2016-17).

Lucas Pettersson earned high-end consideration for much of the 2024 draft season. He earned a second-round bid after posting 27 goals and 57 points in 44 J20 games, though some outlets had him ranked as high as an early-20s talent. He’s a flashy, agile forward with strong puck-skills and sharp offensive instinct. Those traits will need to become consistent and refined as he eyes a move to North America, but another year in the SHL could go far in preparing Pettersson to join an often Swede-friendly Ducks lineup.

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