2026-27 Salary Cap Will Likely Increase Past $104MM
Last season, the NHL made an unprecedented decision to release an official salary cap figure well in advance of the upcoming campaign. Not only did they lock in this year’s $95.5MM upper limit number well in advance of when they normally do, but they also informed teams that the league and NHLPA had agreed upon a $104MM cap for 2026-27 and a $113.5MM cap for 2027-28.
Those figures were subject to “potential minor adjustments,” however, and it appears those may already be coming into play. Next season’s figure may rise by as much as $3MM to an upper limit of $107MM, sources tell Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.
That would be a 12% increase from this season’s number, almost as large a jump as the change from last year to this one that kicked off the post-pandemic era of rapid salary cap growth. Last year’s salary cap was set at $88MM before jumping to $95.5MM for 2025-26, a 13.1% increase.
An upper limit of $107MM for 2026-27 would thus mean a salary cap increase of $19MM in just two years. For context, a player who signed a contract carrying a $5MM cap hit in 2024-25 would be making $6.1MM per season if he signed for the same percentage of the cap in 2026-27 as he did two years prior. For the league’s new highest-paid player, Kirill Kaprizov, his $17MM AAV extension that takes effect next season would be equivalent to $14MM if signed for the same percentage of the cap in 2024-25.
While not a sure thing, it’s a fair assumption that a slight increase in next year’s cap would mean further upscaling of 2027-28’s $113.5MM number as well. The percentage increase between the initial two figures for 2026-27 and 2027-28 was 9.1%. If that’s now based on an $107MM upper limit for 2026-27, the upper limit for 2027-28 could theoretically be near the $117MM range.
It’s great news for the 2026 free agent class, particularly since a good portion of its high-profile names have come off the market in the weeks leading up to this season. Kaprizov, Connor McDavid, and Kyle Connor have taken themselves off the market, leaving remaining headliners like Jack Eichel, Adrian Kempe, Martin Nečas, and Artemi Panarin even more room to cash in, whether that’s as a UFA or on an extension.
Summer Synopsis: New York Rangers
With training camps underway, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective. Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled. Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team has accomplished this offseason. Next up is a look at the Rangers.
A triumphant President’s Trophy-winning campaign in 2023-24 preceded a jarring nosedive in Manhattan last year. It was the second time in franchise history the team missed the playoffs entirely after having the best regular-season record in the trophy’s existence and just the fourth time it’s happened altogether. That resulted in some drastic in-season trades and some notable offseason movement as well as the Rangers aim to return to playoff contention in 2025-26.
Draft
2-43 – F Malcolm Spence, Erie (OHL)
3-70 – D Sean Barnhill, Dubuque (USHL)
3-89 – D Artyom Gonchar, Magnitogorsk (MHL)
4-111 – F Mikkel Eriksen, Färjestad (Sweden U20)
5-139 – D Zeb Lindgren, Skellefteå (Sweden U20)
6-166 – F Samuel Jung, Kärpät (Finland U20)
6-171 – D Evan Passmore, Barrie (OHL)
7-203 – D Felix Färhammar, Örebro (Sweden U20)
The Rangers held the No. 12 pick in the draft but needed to pick between sending this year’s or next year’s first-round pick to the Penguins to complete the conditions they attached when they sent the pick to the Canucks for J.T. Miller (Vancouver flipped the pick to Pittsburgh in the Marcus Pettersson deal). They opted to retain the unprotected 2026 selection and part ways with a lottery pick in what was viewed as a weaker 2025 class.
Nonetheless, they managed to snag a player in Spence that many prognosticators believe has first-round talent anyway. The physical winger was once viewed as a potential top-10 selection and saw his stock tumble somewhat, but most still had him as a top-25 choice – or at least a late first – heading into the draft. He was among the Otters’ top scorers last year with a 32-41–73 line in 65 appearances and is now heading to the University of Michigan. He already slots in as the No. 4 prospect in their system, according to NHL.com.
The Rangers’ depth picks had a European slant to them aside from a pair of big North American defenders. Barnhill was a combine standout and fits New York’s ethos of drafting for size – the righty clocks in at 6’6″ and 214 lbs. The Arizona native only had 12 points in 54 USHL games last year, but projects solely as a shutdown threat at the NHL level anyway. Like Spence, he’s making the jump to a Big 10 school and will suit up for Michigan State this fall. Passmore has nearly the exact same frame and is also a righty.
Gonchar, the nephew of longtime NHL star Sergei Gonchar, headlines the European contingent. He’s comparatively undersized at 6’0″ and just 157 lbs but was the first left-shot rearguard the Blueshirts took. He had a 7-18–25 scoring line in 50 Russian junior games last year, his first real showing at the country’s top U20 flight, and has already made the jump to North America with the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves for 2025-26.
Eriksen was one of two Norwegians taken in the draft and was the country’s top player at the Division 1A World Juniors last year, also posting 43 points in 40 Swedish junior league games. Lindgren is a mobile 6’1″ lefty who’s already off to a great start back in juniors with Skellefteå this year, recording five assists through his first five games. Jung is a Polish-born Czech national who checks in at 6’3″ and 172 lbs and went undrafted in 2024. He transitioned from Finland’s U18 league to its U20 one last year and will remain with Kärpät’s junior program for 2025-26, already notching a 4-4–8 line through seven games. Färhamar, a 6’1″ lefty, also looks like a promising depth puck-mover and has four assists through his first four games this year.
None outside of Spence are legitimate needle-movers in the Blueshirts’ pool, but it was among the better classes they’ve roped in over the past few years among its depth contingent.
Trade Acquisitions
D Scott Morrow (from Hurricanes)
F Carey Terrance (from Ducks)
The Rangers didn’t pick up any bona fide NHLers via trade this summer but did land Morrow, who’s trending toward a spot on the opening night roster, as the principal piece of the return from Carolina for K’Andre Miller. The 2021 second-rounder was offensively dominant during his time in college with UMass and looked mostly comfortable in the pro environment last year, his first after three years in school.
He has just 16 NHL games to his name, 14 coming in multiple call-ups with Carolina last year. He already looked like a capable third-pairing piece and power-play option with six points while averaging 15:48 per game. Whether his defensive game develops enough for him to be a top-four piece remains to be seen, but the Rangers don’t really need him to be one with Adam Fox, William Borgen, and Braden Schneider all chewing up time on the right side for the near future.
Terrance was the only other player who changed hands in the Chris Kreider deal, which also included a pick swap. His two-way game down the middle made him the No. 7 prospect in the organization after his pickup, per Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff. He’s already under contract and will jump to the pro level with AHL Hartford this year. The New York native captained the OHL’s Erie Otters last year, skating with Spence, and had a 20-19–39 line in 45 games.
UFA Signings
F Justin Dowling (two years, $1.55MM)*
F Trey Fix-Wolansky (one year, $775K)*
D Vladislav Gavrikov (seven years, $49MM)
D Derrick Pouliot (two years, $1.55MM)*
F Taylor Raddysh (two years, $3MM)
*-denotes two-way contract
The Rangers were already close to the contract limit with existing deals entering 2025-26, so their number of signings was understandably limited. They did have one of the largest-magnitude deals of the UFA period by landing Gavrikov, who was the top defenseman to actually reach the market on July 1, to a max-term deal. The 29-year-old has been a quality two-way piece since entering the league six years ago but broke out in a big way with the Kings last year, averaging north of 23 minutes per game while Drew Doughty missed significant time. Those were high-quality minutes too, with Gavrikov churning out 30 points and a +26 rating with a 53.7% Corsi share at even strength in heavy defensive deployment.
Gavrikov will serve as the best partner Fox has ever had on his left flank, a significantly more stable and offensively capable option than his longtime partner Ryan Lindgren. He’s the clear No. 1 ahead of a rather thin left side behind him and will see a similar workload in 2025-26, with greater potential for point production playing with one of the league’s best offensive threats from the blue line in Fox.
Raddysh was the only other pickup with a seven-figure cap hit. The 27-year-old was a 20-goal threat with the Blackhawks a couple of years ago but has fallen on harder times since. He skated in 80 games with the Capitals last year, averaging 12:22 per game and contributing 27 points. He’s brought in as a higher-ceiling bottom-six piece than some of the other names they already had and could challenge for a consistent top-nine role depending on how many minutes New York’s younger wingers push for.
Dowling, Fix-Wolansky, and Pouliot are all AHL depth, although the former could work his way onto the roster as a veteran fourth-liner or press box fodder.
RFA Re-Signings
G Talyn Boyko (one year, $775K)*
F Brendan Brisson (one year, $775K)*
F William Cuylle (two years, $7.8MM)
F Adam Edstrom (two years, $1.95MM)
G Dylan Garand (one year, $775K)*
F Juuso Pärssinen (two years, $2.5MM)
F Matt Rempe (two years, $1.95MM)
D Matthew Robertson (two years, $1.55MM)*
*-denotes two-way contract
While the Rangers had a few NHL-caliber RFAs to re-up, none of them reached the magnitude of Cuylle, who many feared might have been at risk for an offer sheet. While it wasn’t a long-term marriage, they did get that all-important bit of business done right on July 1 to keep that from looming over either side’s heads over the summer, understandable as they looked for a drama-free offseason to lead into a calmer regular season.
A 2020 second-round pick, Cuylle emerged as a true top-nine piece and potential long-term top-six fixture in 2024-25. In his second full NHL season, he managed 20 goals and 45 points in 82 games to tie for fifth on the team in scoring while racking up 301 hits, fourth in the league and the most by a Rangers player since the stat started being tracked in 2005. He’s back for two more years at an extremely team-friendly $3.9MM cap hit and could be in line to at least double that in 2027 if his current trajectory continues.
Edstrom, Pärssinen, and Rempe were the other notable RFA skaters in need of new deals. They all received cap hits in the $900K-$1.25MM range but all project to play bottom-six roles for the club on opening night. Edstrom and Rempe are towering fourth-line wingers who averaged under 10 minutes per night last year but combined for 17 points, 211 hits, and 94 PIMs. Pärssinen was a late-season trade pickup from the Avalanche and closed out the year with five points in 11 games. He’ll look for more consistent time in the lineup this year, potentially starting the season as the club’s third-line center.
Boyko and Garand will comprise the Blueshirts’ primary AHL tandem in Hartford this year. Brisson and Robertson slot in as organizational depth as well, although the former was a first-round pick by the Golden Knights in 2020 and requires waivers to head to the minors.
Departures
F Nicolas Aubé-Kubel (signed with Wild, one year, $775K)*
D Calvin de Haan (signed with Rögle, SHL)
D Zachary Jones (signed with Sabres, one year, $900K)*
F Arthur Kaliyev (signed with Senators, one year, $775K)*
F Chris Kreider (traded to Ducks)
D K’Andre Miller (sign-and-trade with Hurricanes)
D Chad Ruhwedel (retired)
*-denotes two-way contract
The Rangers spent much of the season trading away big-name talent in hopes of a locker room refresh. That continued into the summer with Kreider, who spent 13 years and nearly 900 games in New York. A nightmarish 2024-25 campaign saw the three-time 30-goal scorer manage only 22 tallies and eight assists for 30 points in 68 appearances, though, and the Rangers weren’t keen on keeping him at $6.5MM per season for two more years after that. He’ll look for a resurgence in Anaheim while the Rangers opened up flexibility to retain younger names like Cuylle, sign Gavrikov, and graduate younger forwards to meaningful minutes.
Miller is also a considerable departure. He’d been their second-pairing lefty for quite some time, essentially stepping into the role out of the gate in 2020 after being a first-round pick two years prior. He was coming off an underwhelming 7-20–27 scoring line in 74 games, though and, with questions around his individual defensive skills looming over what might have been a considerable payday as an RFA this summer, the Blueshirts opted for a sign-and-trade with Carolina. The Canes get Miller locked in long-term on an eight-year deal with a $7.5MM cap hit as a result.
All the other names were fringe pieces who wouldn’t have had an impact on their 2025-26 opening night lineup had they stayed in the organization. Jones was once a promising puck-mover but never advanced beyond a No. 7 role in parts of five NHL seasons. Ruhwedel, de Haan, and Kaliyev spent most of their time in the press box last year while Aubé-Kubel was in the AHL after getting picked up from the Sabres at the trade deadline.
Salary Cap Outlook
The Rangers are very nearly in forced emergency recall range, with their projected 23-man opening night roster projected to leave them with $778K in cap space, per PuckPedia. That’s enough for a league-minimum recall in the event of an IR placement, but nothing else, at least to start the campaign while their cap space slowly accrues.
Key Questions
Can Igor Shesterkin Return To Form?
Shesterkin signed an eight-year, $92MM extension midway through last season, the largest deal ever handed out to a goalie. That was given to him during the worst campaign of his six-year NHL career by a considerable margin. His numbers were only slightly above average at a .905 SV% and 2.86 GAA, leading to him not receiving any Vezina consideration despite starting a career-high 61 games. Advanced numbers were much kinder to him, attributing a good portion of his decline to woeful team defense in front of him. His 21.6 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck, still ranked seventh in the league but didn’t quite reach the heights of his two-year window of utter dominance from 2021-23. With question marks still around the Rangers’ depth on the blue line behind Gavrikov and Fox, he might need to build on that GSAx figure again to get New York back in the playoff picture.
What Will A Full Season Of J.T. Miller Bring?
Only Artemi Panarin had more points per game for the Rangers last year than Miller, whose second stint in Manhattan began with a blockbuster trade in January. His 35 points in 32 games to close the season worked out to 1.09 per game, much closer to the level of offensive production he’s set as his expectation over the last few years in Vancouver. Now newly minted as the club’s captain, a full season of that production ahead of the aging Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad could get the Rangers’ offense back into top-10 range and help along names like Cuylle and Alexis Lafrenière to resurgences.
Is Gavrikov A One-Hit Wonder?
The Rangers committed a lot of resources to Gavrikov, and the pressure is on him to perform like a true top-pair talent for a second straight season. But aside from last year in L.A., Gavrikov’s untested with that kind of responsibility and always played a more sheltered second-pairing role. He also played in a much more adept defensive system with the Kings, although a new head coach in Mike Sullivan might address a good portion of those woes for the Rangers. Nonetheless, there could be a significant swing in the team’s results depending on if Gavrikov repeats his standout, first-pair play from last year or is simply an average-to-above-average complementary piece for Fox.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images.
Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag
The wait for hockey to return is just about over. While the regular season is still a few weeks away, training camps are now underway and preseason play will soon follow. With that in mind, it’s a good time to once again open up the mailbag.
Our last call for questions yielded enough for three separate columns. The first discussed the significant movement from CHL players to the NCAA, the now rapidly increasing salary cap, and August 15th free agents. Topics in the second included the Robertson brothers and the state of the Bruins heading into the season. Meanwhile, the third included talk about Toronto’s top six, my annual prediction for a breakout player, and potential playoff newcomers.
You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on Twitter/X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run this weekend.
Islanders Notes: Varlamov, Engvall, Duclair
While Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov resumed skating last month following a season-ending knee surgery last December, there’s still no timeline for his return to the lineup, the team told reporters, including Ethan Sears of the New York Post. Varlamov said at last season’s exit interviews that he felt he would be ready for training camp, so this amounts to yet another setback in a saga that’s left the 37-year-old out of playing action for nearly 10 months now. He only made 10 appearances last season before going under the knife, posting a 3-4-3 record and a .889 SV% with a 2.89 GAA. With his health a point of concern, the Isles inked experienced backup David Rittich to a one-year, $1MM deal when free agency opened to give Ilya Sorokin a capable No. 2 option regardless of Varlamov’s status.
Other updates as training camp gets underway on Long Island:
- Winger Pierre Engvall had offseason hip surgery that will delay his arrival at training camp. The team told Andrew Gross of Newsday that they expect him on the ice in two to three weeks, ruling him out for the preseason and threatening his availability for their season opener on the road against the Penguins on Oct. 9. Any hope he had of cracking the opening night lineup after clearing waivers twice last season has been significantly slashed, regardless of if he’s medically cleared to play. The 6’5″ lefty had an 8-7–15 scoring line in 62 appearances last season, just the second year of an oft-chastized seven-year, $21MM commitment made to him in 2023.
- As expected, winger Anthony Duclair has reported to camp and is skating today after ending last season on a leave of absence, according to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. He left the team in the last few days of the 2024-25 campaign after some harsh criticism from head coach Patrick Roy, although that relationship has evidently been repaired. Duclair said this week that he returned too early from the lower-body injury he sustained in his first few games as an Islander last year, saying he “basically played on one leg” after sustaining a rather significant groin tear.
Bruins Promote Adam McQuaid, Hire Ben Smith
Former Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid is now carving out a successful career for himself in their front office. The club announced today that he’s been promoted to a director of player development role, among a few other minor hockey ops hirings and promotions.
It’s a new role in the organization, so McQuaid will presumably be taking some work off an assistant GM’s plate. Boston didn’t have a particularly large player development department – it consisted of McQuaid, their lone dedicated skater development coach and coordinator since his hiring in 2021, and longtime NHL netminder Mike Dunham as their goalie development coach.
While a reward for McQuaid’s work so far, the title change is also a signifier for Boston’s organizational repositioning from contender to retooler. The club was a big seller at last year’s trade deadline and added center James Hagens – their top prospect since selecting Charlie McAvoy nearly a decade ago – with the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft.
The Bruins are also bringing up Nick Neary from their AHL staff to join the big club. The 30-year-old joined the Providence Bruins in 2020 as a video coordinator before being promoted to the club’s video coach and manager of hockey operations prior to last season. He’ll now serve on the NHL staff as an assistant video coordinator under Mathew Myers, who’s been Boston’s video coach since 2019. Replacing Neary in Providence is Cam Wolbach, who lands his first documented hockey staffing job. He played high school hockey in Massachusetts as well as ACHA Division II hockey with Bentley University.
Joining McQuaid in Boston’s player development department is former NHL forward Ben Smith, who’s been brought on under McQuaid as a player development coordinator. It doubles as a retirement announcement for the 37-year-old, who had been playing in Germany since heading overseas in 2018. He suited up for Boston College but never played for the Bruins. Smith won a Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2013 and recorded 54 points in 237 NHL games for them, the Maple Leafs, Sharks, and Avalanche.
Flames Notes: Wolf, Andersson, Parekh
The Flames announced a seven-year, $52.5MM extension for premier young netminder Dustin Wolf this morning ahead of the final season of his entry-level contract. The deal, which carries a cap hit of $7.5MM, will make him among the league’s 10 highest-paid goalies when it takes effect in 2026-27.
Now, PuckPedia has the full breakdown of the contract. The deal will be paid out almost entirely in base salary, with only one up-front $2MM signing bonus in the first year. That will be paired with a $6MM base salary to give him $8MM in total compensation out of the gate. From 2027-28 through 2031-32, he’ll earn an even $7.5MM per year. The difference between his first-year compensation and the $7.5MM average annual value will be made up in the contract’s final year in 2032-33, when he’ll take a small pay cut to $7MM.
Wolf’s deal also includes relatively limited trade protection. He’s not eligible for it until 2028-29, when he’d otherwise be eligible for unrestricted free agency. From that point forward, he’ll have a 10-team no-trade list, but no full movement protection is included in the deal.
There’s more out of Calgary today:
- While all parties have acknowledged pending UFA Rasmus Andersson will be traded at some point this season, the defender rebuked claims over the offseason that he was only willing to extend with one team – believed to be the Golden Knights. That would obviously have handcuffed Calgary from moving him elsewhere or even landing market value from Vegas, something Andersson said he’d never do, according to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960.
- Top defense prospect Zayne Parekh isn’t fully recovered from the lower-body injury he sustained earlier this summer, general manager Craig Conroy told Steinberg. “The hope is that he’ll be ready for training camp,” Conroy said, indicating he likely won’t participate in any rookie camp activities in the days leading up to full camp beginning at the end of next week. He did skate today, Conroy confirmed, a welcome sign ahead of a pivotal camp that could lead to him carving out a roster spot. The 2024 No. 9 overall pick scored in his NHL debut last year and has led the OHL in scoring among defensemen in back-to-back years, although he’s still ineligible for a full-time assignment to AHL Calgary.
Joe Pavelski, Scott Gomez, Zach Parise Named To U.S. Hockey Hall Of Fame
Longtime NHL forwards Joe Pavelski, Scott Gomez, and Zach Parise are the headliners of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2025 induction class, the organization announced Wednesday.
Pavelski and Parise are the most recently retired of the group and are both coming off their first seasons on the sidelines after announcing their retirements last year, although the latter has yet to actually file his retirement paperwork. Pavelski has already had quite the successful post-hockey career, leaning into golf and winning the celebrity American Century Championship in July.
Of course, it’s his league and international play that is earning him this honor. He’ll likely be a fringe Hockey Hall of Fame candidate when all is said and done, but the Wisconsin native was one of the league’s most consistent players since debuting with the Sharks during the 2006-07 season. A seventh-round pick in the famed 2003 draft, Pavelski leveraged a highly successful collegiate tenure in his home state into an 18-year NHL career with San Jose and Dallas, recording 1,068 points in 1,332 games to rank 74th on the league’s all-time scoring list.
‘Captain America’s’ international resume is more limited than one would think, but he was part of the American squad that took home silver at the 2010 Winter Olympics. He also appeared for the top national team at the 2009 World Championships, the 2014 Winter Olympics, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey – a team he did actually serve as captain for. He had three goals and nine assists for 12 points in 20 top-level international games and advanced to two Stanley Cup Finals (2016, 2020).
Parise was the No. 17 overall pick of that same draft and debuted a season earlier than Pavelski, but injuries meant his total games played ended up lower at 1,254. He was more of an early peaker, namely his back-to-back 80-point seasons with the Devils in 2008-09 and 2009-10, but still managed 434 goals and 889 points for his career. That ranks 29th in scoring since the 2005 lockout.
However, Parise has a much more expansive international resume. He suited up for the U.S.’ top junior and senior national teams on nine different occasions, starting with the 2002 under-18 World Juniors and ending with the 2016 World Cup. He was the Americans’ leading scorer in their silver medal pursuit in 2010 with four goals and eight points in six games, earning a spot on the tournament All-Star Team. He also won gold at the U18 and U20 World Juniors, earning MVP honors at the latter tournament in 2004 with 11 points in six games.
Gomez, 45, has been retired for much longer. He last suited up for the Senators in 2016 but has remained active in staff roles, now serving as the head coach for the USHL’s Chicago Steel. He played for the U.S. at the 2004 World Cup and the 2006 Winter Olympics, early into an NHL career that saw him become the first Latino player and first Alaskan to win the Calder Trophy. He finished his NHL career with 756 points in 1,079 games for the Devils, Rangers, Canadiens, Sharks, Panthers, Blues, and Sens.
Rounding out this year’s class are two-time Olympic medalist Tara Mounsey (1998, 2002) for the women’s program and photographer Bruce Bennett, who was the Islanders’ team photographer from 1982 to 2004 and has shot over 7.5 million photos since beginning his career in the sport in 1974. He’s still active and will be working at the upcoming 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
Kraken Hire Ryan Jankowski As Assistant General Manager
The Kraken announced that longtime NHL scout and executive Ryan Jankowski has been hired as an assistant general manager ahead of the 2025-26 season. They didn’t provide much detail on Jankowski’s exact role, but he’ll presumably serve at the top of their scouting hierarchy above director of pro scouting Dave Baseggio and director of amateur scouting Robert Kron.
Now 51, the uncle of Hurricanes forward Mark Jankowski has been in NHL front offices for the better part of the last two decades. The Calgary native doesn’t have a playing background. Nonetheless, today’s news is still something of a homecoming for Jankowski, whose first job in hockey was as a scout in Washington state for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. He worked for them from 1997 to 2003 before being picked up as a scout by the Islanders.
Jankowski was promoted to an assistant GM with the Isles two years into his tenure, a role he held until he departed the organization in 2010. He immediately caught on with the Canadiens’ scouting staff, staying there for three years before taking a role with Hockey Canada. He served as the junior program’s head scout from 2013-15 and then as their director of player personnel from 2015-17. During that time, he won a bronze medal with the U-18 group at the World Juniors in 2014 and 2015 and a silver medal with the U-20 team in 2017.
In 2017, he returned to the NHL as the Sabres’ director of amateur scouting. He accepted the same role with the Coyotes in 2020 and followed the rest of the team’s hockey operations staff to Utah last summer, serving as the Mammoth’s director of amateur scouting for their first season. He’ll now depart for another fresh-faced franchise as they undergo a front office restructuring, highlighted by Ron Francis being promoted from GM to president of hockey operations with Jason Botterill, who Jankowski worked with in Buffalo, replacing him.
2025 International Signings Recap: SHL
Weeks into NHL free agency and months into most European leagues’ signing windows, it’s a good time to review the notable action that has seen NHL-experienced players find new homes in other countries. We’re starting with the Swedish Hockey League with signings that have come across the wire in the last two months:
F Kieffer Bellows – one year, Brynas IF: Bellows heads overseas for the first time after playing in four NHL organizations in the last three seasons (link to signing article).
D Gabriel Carlsson – three years, Farjestad BK: The 2015 first-round pick lands some stability in his home country after spending last season with Switzerland’s EV Zug. The physical shutdown lefty last played in the NHL with the Capitals in 2022-23 and only managed 81 career games despite appearing in seven straight seasons, mainly with the Blue Jackets, who drafted him No. 29 overall. He has previous SHL experience with Linköping HC in his teenage years and also played for Växjö Lakers HC in the 2023-24 season, where he scored 26 points with a +18 rating in 45 games.
G Collin Delia – one year, Brynas IF: Delia, 31, served as the Oilers’ fourth-stringer last season and had a .906 SV% in 28 games for AHL Bakersfield (link to signing article).
F Gabriel Fortier – two years, Leksands IF: Fortier was a Group VI unrestricted free agent after playing the last five seasons in the Lightning organization, mostly with AHL Syracuse. The 2018 second-round pick played 11 NHL games across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, scoring once, but didn’t see action in the last two years. His scoring has steadily declined, posting only 19 points in 50 games last year, so it’s not particularly surprising to see him head overseas.
D Mark Friedman – two years, Rogle BK: A solid press box option on NHL rosters for a few years, Friedman was mostly relegated to AHL action last season and will now look for more stability and ice time overseas (link to signing article).
D Robert Hagg – one year, Brynas IF: Hagg spent last season on a two-way deal with the Golden Knights, spending most of the year in the AHL but getting into a pair of NHL contests (link to signing article).
G Magnus Hellberg – three years, Djurgardens IF: Hellberg jumps back to his homeland after spending last season as the Stars’ No. 3 option and starter for AHL Texas, posting a .904 SV% in 41 games (link to signing article).
F Aleksi Heponiemi – two years, HV71: Heponiemi, whose NHL rights are still owned by the Panthers, hasn’t played for them since the 2022-23 campaign (link to signing article).
F Jere Innala – one year, Frolunda HC: Innala’s NHL sample ends after one season with the Avalanche, going pointless in 17 games for them in 2024-25 (link to signing article).
F Axel Jonsson-Fjallby – three years, Brynas IF: Jonsson-Fjallby last played in the NHL with the Jets in 2023-24 and spent all of last season on assignment to AHL Manitoba (link to signing article).
D Michal Kempny – one year, Brynas IF: A member of the Capitals team that won the 2018 Stanley Cup, Kempny has been in Europe since mutually terminating his contract with the Kraken at the beginning of the 2022-23 season. He spent the last three years in his home country with HC Sparta Prague of the Czech Extraliga. Although he was a top point producer early on, he recorded just eight points in 24 games last year. He turns 35 in September and will now look to play a supporting role on the reigning SHL regular season champions.
F Justin Kloos – two years, HV71: It’s a lateral move for the 31-year-old, who’s already spent the last four years in the SHL with Leksand. The speedy but undersized forward has two NHL games to his name, one each with the Wild and Ducks in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns, respectively. He was an undrafted free agent signed by the Wild out of the University of Minnesota in 2017 and was a strong AHL producer for a few years. However, he has been overseas since 2019, also spending one year in Russia with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. He scored 47 goals and 106 points in 177 games with Leksand.
F Janne Kuokkanen – four years, Malmö Redhawks: Kuokkanen, 27, has alternated between Switzerland and Sweden since heading to Europe in 2022, but now lands some stability with Malmö. He registered over a point per game for them previously in the 2023-24 season. The Finnish native made 119 NHL appearances for the Hurricanes and Devils from 2017-22, scoring 14 goals and 46 points with a -26 rating.
F Karson Kuhlman – one year, Rogle BK: Kuhlman has nearly 150 games of NHL experience with the Bruins, Kraken, and Jets. He spent last season in Finland with Lukko, where he put together a 21-25–46 scoring line in 60 games (link to signing article).
D Paul Ladue – one year, Rogle BK: LaDue stays in Sweden’s top flight after spending last season with MoDo, which has been relegated to the HockeyAllsvenskan for 2025-26. The 32-year-old is a veteran of 70 NHL games with the Kings and Islanders from 2016 to 2022. Last year was his first overseas stint after being a consistent farmhand in the Isles’ system for AHL Bridgeport. He scored 17 points with a minus-seven rating in 50 games for MoDo.
D Gustav Lindstrom – five years, Djurgardens IF: The 2017 second-round pick spent last season in the Montreal organization with AHL Laval, recording 11 points and a +18 rating in 42 games (link to signing article).
F Sean Malone – two years, Orebro HK: A longtime Sabres farmhand with two games of NHL experience with them and the Predators, Malone last saw NHL ice with Nashville in 2020-21 and last played in North America for AHL Rochester in 2022-23. The 6’0″ Buffalo native has played in Switzerland for the previous two years, scoring 20 goals and 67 points in 90 National League games for the SCL Tigers.
F Lukas Rousek – two years, HV71: Rousek, 26, did not see NHL ice with the Sabres in 2024-25 after making 17 appearances for them across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns (link to signing article).
F Joe Snively – one year, Djurgardens IF: Snively, long a top AHL producer, heads over to help the newly-promoted Djurgarden after spending last season on a two-way deal with the Red Wings (link to signing article).
F Jesse Ylonen – two years, Djurgardens IF: Ylonen chose Djurgarden after not getting into any NHL action last season with either the Lightning or Predators, instead recording 35 points in 66 games across their AHL affiliates (link to signing article).
Canucks Sign Braeden Cootes To Entry-Level Contract
The Vancouver Canucks have signed centerman Braeden Cootes to a three-year, $2.93MM entry-level contract. Cootes was recently selected 15th-overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. He will have the ability to earn $500K in bonuses in each year of the contract, per Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK News. In comparing to Vancouver’s last two first-round picks, Dhaliwal points out that Cootes’ bonus is above winger Jonathan Lekkerimaki ($475K) but lesser than Tom Willander ($800K) on a per-season basis.
Cootes becomes the fourth player from his draft class to sign, after standing tall at Vancouver’s development camp. He’s a true middle-lane center, who showed a strong ability to work with his linemates to push pucks down the ice and generate scoring chances. While serving as the team’s captain, Cootes led the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds in scoring with 63 points in 60 games. He was a great couple with top Thunderbirds defenseman – and Buffalo Sabres ninth-overall draft pick – Radim Mrtka, who scored 35 points in 43 games.
Cootes rounded out a strong draft year with a stellar performance at the World U18 Championship. He led Team Canada with 12 points, split evenly, in just seven games played – while also wearing the ‘C’ for his country. That scoring was more than fifth-overall pick Brady Martin, who finished second on the team with 11 points.
That precedent of strong scoring will now push Cootes onto his first pro contract. He will forgo NCAA eligibility with this deal, meaning the Vancouver roster or a return to the WHL will be his only options for next season. Given Cootes’ room to add more dynamic playmaking, and explosivity, into his game – a return to juniors seems more likely.