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Lightning Sign Harrison Meneghin To Entry-Level Contract

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed goaltender Harrison Meneghin to a three-year, entry-level contract. Meneghin won the WHL Championship with the Medicine Hat Tigers just days ago. He was awarded the WHL Playoffs MVP for his 14-1-0 record and .906 save percentage through the postseason.

Meneghin becomes just the third player from the seventh-round, and the fourth goalie overall, to sign his entry-level contract after the 2024 NHL Draft. He was originally drafted out of the Lethbridge Hurricanes lineup, where he posted a 27-20-5 record and .919 Sv% last season. Meneghin seemed headed back to Lethbridge’s starting role this season, but was instead traded to the goalie-needy Medicine Hat just one game into the year. He quickly became the Tigers’ de facto starter, and continued to perform at a top-level behind an all-gas, no-breaks lineup. Meneghin finished this season with a 23-9-2 record, .901 Sv%, and three shutouts in 35 games. He shined through as an athletic and technical goalie, who leans into the advantage of a six-foot-four frame.

Meneghin will have one more chance to flash his potential before his CHL career ends. The Medicine Hat Tigers are headed to the Memorial Cup this weekend, where they face off against the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic and Moncton Wildcats. But even if his season ends on a sour note, Tampa Bay has recognized Meneghin’s title-winning year. He’ll join the Lightning’s minor-league ranks next season, and likely compete with Brandon Halverson for minutes. Halverson posted a 22-11-8 record and .915 Sv% in 43 games as Syracuse’s starter this season and is signed for one more year.

Sharks Sign Egor Afanasyev

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May 19: Afanasyev is headed to the Sharks for next season. He’s signed a one-year deal worth $800K, the team announced.

May 15: After being traded to San Jose last summer, Egor Afanasyev surprised some people by inking a deal with CSKA Moscow of the KHL instead of joining the Sharks.  However, things could be changing on that front as the two sides reached an agreement on a mutual termination, per the KHL, paving the way for the winger to potentially join San Jose for next season.

The 24-year-old was a second-round pick by Nashville back in 2019, going 45th overall after a solid season with USHL Muskegon.  He went to the OHL the following year with Windsor before returning home for the 2020-21 campaign, spending time in three different levels in Russia.

Afanasyev spent three years in Nashville’s system, getting into 19 games with the Predators but didn’t have much success offensively, recording just a single goal.  He was, however, a steady performer in the minors and put up 27 goals and 27 assists in 56 games in 2023-24 with AHL Milwaukee which was enough for San Jose to part with Ozzy Wiesblatt to secure his rights.

Unfortunately for Afanasyev, he wasn’t able to match that level of success back home this season.  In 53 games, he notched just seven goals and 14 assists although he was a little better in the playoffs with four points in six outings.

Afanasyev is waiver-eligible moving forward so if he does wind up joining the Sharks, his time with them could be short-lived if he fails to crack the roster.  Alternatively, he could be looking to try his hand at a different league altogether but with some recent NHL experience under his belt, a return to North America would seemingly make the most sense.  Sport-Express’ Artur Khairullin suggests (Telegram link) that Afanasyev is expected to sign with San Jose so it looks as if he’ll give it another go to try to make the top level.

Bruins Sign Simon Zajicek To Entry-Level Contract

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The Bruins have made a splash in the undrafted free agent market. They announced they’ve signed Czech goaltender Simon Zajicek to an entry-level contract for the 2025-26 campaign. He’ll carry a cap hit of $872.5K if he’s on the NHL roster.

Zajicek, 23, has been a late but quick bloomer. He wasn’t even close to getting NHL consideration in his draft year. He would have first been eligible following the 2018-19 season, a campaign he split between Czechia’s U-19 junior league and their third-division professional circuit. Despite that, he saw action in the top-level Extraliga by the following year and, after several seasons bouncing between the Extraliga and the second-division Maxa liga, emerged as a full-time tandem option for HC Litvinov in 2024-25.

Not only did Zajicek stick on Litvinov’s roster for the entire season, he wrestled the lion’s share of starts away from Flyers reserve list netminder Matej Tomek, a high-end option in European professional leagues since 2019. Zajicek recorded a .930 SV% in 29 games to lead the Extraliga, adding a 2.12 GAA, five shutouts, and a 15-13-0 record. He also played in three of Litvinov’s four playoff games and recorded a .927 SV%.

The 6’2″, 187-lb netminder will now head to training camp in Boston in the fall to determine where he falls on the organization’s depth chart to begin the season. The Bruins’ NHL duo of Jeremy Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo is locked in for 2025-26, but their minor-league tandem, Brandon Bussi and Michael DiPietro, are both pending unrestricted free agents. Signing Zajicek indicates they expect at least one of them not to return. If both come back or they replace them with subsequent free agent signings, the younger Zajicek could get his start in the North American pros down a level with ECHL Maine.

Capitals Reassign Ethan Bear, Clay Stevenson, Mitchell Gibson

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Since being eliminated from the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Washington Capitals could stand to lose a few players on their postseason roster. In an attempt to help their AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, the Capitals announced they’ve reassigned defenseman Ethan Bear, and netminders Clay Stevenson and Mitchell Gibson.

Bear will be the most important piece for the Bears’ Division Finals matchup against the Charlotte Checkers. In his first full AHL season since 2018-19, Bear was impressive in Hershey, scoring 10 goals and 46 points in 62 games with a +33 rating. He led the entire Bears roster in scoring and finished tied for eighth among AHL defensemen. Fortunately, Hershey was able to eliminate their division rival, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, in five games without their top scorer.

After debuting in the NHL on the last game of the regular season, Stevenson was recalled by the Capitals yesterday in case Charlie Lindgren couldn’t participate. As it would turn out, Lindgren managed to serve in a backup role, and Stevenson will return to the AHL to help the Bears win their third consecutive Calder Cup championship. He appeared in one postseason game against the Phantoms, stopping 28 of 32 shots in Game 4, which allowed the Bears to extend the series.

Gibson is the only member of the trio who has spent little time on either team’s roster. He spent much of the 2025-26 season with the Capitals’ ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, managing a 12-1-0 record in 14 games with a .933 SV% and 1.75 GAA. Depending on what Washington does with pending unrestricted free agent Hunter Shepard this offseason, Gibson could be in line to share the crease with Stevenson in southeast Pennsylvania next season.

Capitals’ Ryan Chesley Signs Entry-Level Deal

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May 16, 4:29 p.m.: Chesley’s deal pays him a $775K base salary, a $95K signing bonus, and up to $80K in games-played bonuses next season, per PuckPedia. For 2026-27 and 2027-28, those figures jump to an $855K base and a $95K signing bonus with no GP bonuses.

May 16, 11:45 a.m.: It took over a month, but Chesley has signed his entry-level contract, the Caps announced. The three-year deal runs through the 2027-28 season and will carry a cap hit of $923.3K. He had a goal and two assists in four games with Hershey on his tryout.

March 31: Capitals defense prospect Ryan Chesley is turning pro. The team announced the 21-year-old has signed a tryout with AHL Hershey for the remainder of the season while they work out the details of his entry-level contract.

Washington selected Chesley early in the second round (No. 37) of the 2022 draft with a pick they acquired in the Vítek Vaněček trade with the Devils. A 6’0″ righty, the two-way defender was coming off a standout season with the U.S. National Development Team Program. He’s suited up at the University of Minnesota for the three seasons since, continuing to play an extremely sound game despite a lack of flashy point totals.

That’s not to say Chesley can’t produce. After being limited to eight points in 39 games last year, he served as one of many team captains for the Golden Gophers in 2024-25 and put up a career-high 8-12–20 scoring line in 40 games. He finished fifth on the team with a +17 rating. Over his trio of collegiate campaigns, he totaled 12-26–38 with 80 PIMs and a +34 rating in 115 appearances.

Scott Wheeler of The Athletic regards Chesley as a relatively safe bottom-pairing fixture long-term, although he likely has some upside in top-four deployment as a complementary defender to a more skilled partner. He’s the No. 8 prospect in Washington’s system and the second-ranked defenseman behind Boston University standout Cole Hutson (No. 3).

The Minnesota native won bronze with the United States at the 2023 World Juniors before winning gold at the 2024 tournament, playing top-pairing minutes while posting 1-3–4 in seven games. His pending ELC will be three years, regardless of whether it starts this season or in 2025-26.

Blue Jackets Sign Oiva Keskinen To Entry-Level Deal

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The Blue Jackets announced today they’ve signed center prospect Oiva Keskinen to his entry-level contract. While financial terms weren’t disclosed, the deal begins next season and will make him a restricted free agent in the 2028 offseason.

Columbus selected Keskinen in the seventh round in 2023, one year after he was initially eligible for selection. The 6’0″ pivot didn’t get many cracks at Finland’s top junior league in his draft year but did in the 2022-23 campaign, posting a 20-21–41 scoring line in 38 top-flight junior games with Tappara en route to his selection.

Keskinen has spent the two seasons since in full-time professional roles with Tappara, doing well against older competition in one of Europe’s upper-tier leagues in Liiga. He’s coming off a strong 2024-25 campaign in which he finished fifth on the team in scoring with 17 goals and 35 points in 59 games. He won a Liiga title with Tappara the year prior and recorded nine points in 16 postseason games in their run to the championship. He also had five points in seven games for the Finns back at the 2024 World Juniors.

Needless to say, he’s impressed considering his draft slot and gets rewarded as such. He’ll get a long look in camp before presumably being assigned to AHL Cleveland or being loaned back to Tappara for further development in 2025-26. Keskinen’s deal with the Finnish club runs through next season, so that’s the likeliest possibility.

Wild Sign Danila Yurov To Entry-Level Contract

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The Wild have signed top forward prospect Danila Yurov to his entry-level contract, the team confirmed. The three-year deal starts next season and carries a $950K cap hit, Michael Russo of The Athletic reports. Yurov can also earn up to $2MM in performance bonuses each season ($1MM in Schedule A, $1MM in Schedule B) as part of the deal, Russo adds.

Yurov was released from his contract with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League late last month, so he was free to sign with Minnesota before the KHL contract year ends on May 31. Negotiations between Yurov and Wild general manager Bill Guerin have likely been ongoing for the past few weeks, as with most ELCs, the time between becoming eligible to sign and signing likely hinged on performance bonus negotiations.

The 21-year-old right-winger arrives in Minnesota nearly three years after the Wild selected him 24th overall in the 2022 draft. He was widely regarded as a top-15 prospect in the class but fell to later in the first round due to concerns over his contract status with Metallurg.

With parts of five seasons of pro hockey in the KHL and a Gagarin Cup championship under his belt, Yurov will now focus on making his NHL debut as part of the Wild’s opening night roster in the fall. The 6’1″, 176-lb forward is one year removed from a spectacular 21-goal, 49-point showing with a +22 rating in 62 games for Magnitogorsk to lead them in scoring as the club won its third championship since the KHL’s inception in 2008.

This year was less impressive offensively for Yurov, who battled injuries and was limited to a 13-12–25 scoring line in 46 games (a 0.54 points per game pace). He still finished second on Metallurg with a +15 rating but was limited to one goal in five playoff games as their postseason came to a quick end.

Yurov is nonetheless the crown jewel of Minnesota’s forward prospect pool, Scott Wheeler of The Athletic wrote a few months back. While a natural winger, he has played a fair bit of center in his home country and could eventually slot in for the Wild. His up-and-down production in the KHL indicates that Yurov’s everyday first-line role may be a tad optimistic. Still, he’s got an excellent chance of settling in as a long-term complementary top-six piece for the Wild, even as soon as out of the gate in 2025-26.

Flyers Sign Oscar Eklind To One-Year Extension

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The Philadelphia Flyers have signed forward Oscar Eklind to a one-year contract extension. His deal is a one-way contract with a flat $950K salary. Eklind was set to become restricted-free agents this summer.

This is great news for Eklind, who will get his stay in Philadelphia reaffirmed after playing his first season in the AHL. The six-foot-four winger scored five goals and 22 points in 64 games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms this season, after joining the Flyers organization from Sweden last summer. Eklind had spent the prior nine seasons playing at various levels of Swedish pros. He made his SHL debut at the age of 17 and played through his first 15 pro games between 2016-17 and 2017-18. Without any pro points through those appearances, Eklind was moved to Pantern IK of Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan – the second-tier pro league.

Eklind scored six points in 28 games in his first year in the HockeyAllsvenskan, but grew to 30 points in 52 games just four seasons later. That was enough to earn a move back to the SHL, and to Brynas IF, where Eklind found a bit more footing at the top level. He managed 30 points in 97 games and two seasons with Brynas, then capped off his time in Sweden with 28 points in 48 games with Lulea HF last season. He’s a lumbering, heavy-hitting winger who finds impacts away from the scoresheet. Those attributes, and a one-way deal, could be enough to earn Eklind an NHL debut next season.

Capitals Recall Clay Stevenson, Charlie Lindgren Questionable

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10:00 AM: The Capitals’ optional morning skate revealed a bit more about their call-up of Stevenson. Expected Game 5 backup Charlie Lindgren is dealing with a personal matter that could hinder his ability to suit up on Thursday, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. If that’s the case, Washington will run with Thompson starting and one of Stevenson or Mitchell Gibson in the backup role.

9:00 AM: The Washington Capitals have recalled goaltender Clay Stevenson from the AHL in preparation for Thursday’s Game 5 matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. Washington is one loss away from being eliminated. With the Hershey Bears not playing until Friday, AHL backup Stevenson will join the Capitals as an emergency third-string goalie for the must-win contest.

It’s unlikely that Stevenson will get near the lineup with Logan Thompson holding a firm grip over the starting role. Thompson is expected to receive his 10th-straight playoff start on Thursday. He was red-hot against the Montreal Canadiens in Round One, posting a 0.923 save percentage and 2.00 goals-against-average as Washington bounced Montreal in five games. Thompson’s numbers have slipped slightly against Carolina – down to a .913 and 2.75 goals-against-average, even despite only allowing three goals on 61 shots through the first two games of the series. But even with the dip, Thompson’s numbers are strong – and will keep him unwavering in the starter’s crease.

Stevenson has served behind Hunter Shepard through the start of the AHL’s Calder Cup Playoffs. He posted a .875 save percentage and 6-4 win in the sole appearance he’s made so far – though hasn’t been able to get over the .850 save percentage and 2-2 record of Shepard. Stevenson posted an 18-8-5 record, .888 save percentage, and 2.94 goals-against-average through the AHL regular season. He also made his NHL debut this season – and recorded five goals on 33 shots and a loss. Stevenson will likely be reassigned before Hershey’s next game on Friday, though that could change should Washington hold onto their season for one more game.

Canucks Sign Tom Willander To Entry-Level Contract

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The Canucks announced they’ve signed Tom Willander, the organization’s top defense prospect, to a three-year, entry-level contract beginning next season. The deal carries a $950K cap hit with an $855K base salary and a $95K signing bonus each year, per PuckPedia.

It’s been a rocky few months for Vancouver and Willander, whom they selected No. 11 overall in the 2023 draft. After a repeat performance of his strong freshman performance at Boston University in his sophomore year in 2024-25, most expected he’d turn pro with the Canucks as soon as BU’s season ended.

That didn’t happen, and reporting quickly indicated a rift in contract talks related to how much they were willing to give Willander in Schedule A performance bonuses. General manager Patrik Allvin even said shortly thereafter that Willander informed them he planned to return to BU for his junior season. Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK reports Willander’s ELC affords him up to $800K in A bonuses each season, short of the $1MM max but above the $475K they entered talks with, Dhaliwal said last month. PuckPedia confirms his deal averages $800K in A bonuses per season – up to $500K in 2025-26, $900K in 2026-27, and the maximum $1MM in 2027-28.

Willander, 20, will now have the chance to make the Canucks’ roster out of camp in the fall. He’ll begin his professional career with AHL Abbotsford if he doesn’t. Signing his contract prohibits him from returning to college, and since he’s a first-round pick, Vancouver doesn’t have to offer the Swede on loan to the Swedish Hockey League team that owns his rights (Rogle BK) before assigning him to the minors.

A 6’1″, 190-lb righty, Willander has good offensive tools but isn’t an all-out point producer. He plays more of a well-rounded game and racked up a +57 rating in 77 games over two years with the Terriers, including six goals and 43 assists for 49 points. He was named to Hockey East’s Second All-Star Team in each of his two collegiate seasons.

Willander has also done well for his country at the last two World Junior Championships, posting eight points and a +12 rating in 14 games. While Sweden didn’t medal at this year’s tournament, he won a silver medal with them last year. He ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Canucks’ system behind winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki in Scott Wheeler of The Athletic’s most recent team-by-team breakdown. He’ll first be eligible for restricted free agency in 2028.

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