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NHL Hoping To Set Cap Ceiling For 2025-26 Before Trade Deadline

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There’s optimism around the NHL announcing the upper limit for the 2025-26 season’s salary cap before the March 7 trade deadline, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes Thursday.

Doing so would allow teams significantly more advanced planning than they’re used to in several ways. Official numbers for cap changes usually aren’t announced until a few weeks prior to the new league year, meaning general managers would now have months instead of weeks to execute extension negotiations better. There’s also a chance that the league’s boom in hockey-related revenue coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic will allow them to announce preset cap numbers for the 2026-27 and potentially 2027-28 campaigns as well, Friedman wrote.

The current projection for next season’s salary cap laid out by commissioner Gary Bettman last month is $92.4MM, but better revenue projections over the past few weeks have added fuel to the fire of a significantly higher increase. Player agents have predicated an increase to as high as $97MM for 2025-26, Friedman wrote, a $9MM jump from this year’s $88MM ceiling.

Surging revenues are also putting more money into players’ pockets this season. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported over the weekend that the league has terminated escrow withholding from players’ paychecks for the remainder of the season starting Jan. 30, with current HRR projections indicating the “amount already withheld will also be returned in full following final season accounting.” Players are also set to receive the full amount of escrow they had withheld from their 2023-24 paychecks plus an additional 1.5 to 2% to maintain the 50-50 revenue split between players and owners.

As for negotiations on the next CBA, set to commence soon to prevent a lockout in the 2026 offseason, Friedman writes, “There’s also reason to be optimistic in CBA negotiations. If the financials are sorted out, what on earth could stop a deal?”

News of a significant cap increase comes ahead of a potentially star-studded 2025 unrestricted free-agent market that, for now, is still set to feature names like Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, and Nikolaj Ehlers.

Hurricanes Activate Jack Drury From Injured Reserve

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The Hurricanes took center Jack Drury off injured reserve on Friday, according to the team. Carolina reassigned winger Juha Jaaska to AHL Chicago in a corresponding transaction. Their active roster count remains at 23.

Drury, 24, has been out since Dec. 10 after undergoing hand surgery as a result of a blocked shot in the first period of a game against the Sharks. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters one week later that his surgery would keep him out for at least four weeks. Instead, Drury returns to the active roster two and a half weeks after surgery and three and a half weeks past the initial injury.

The Hurricanes only placed Drury on injured reserve on Monday when they needed roster space to recall defenseman Riley Stillman in the wake of Shayne Gostisbehere’s upper-body injury. Since the placement was retroactive to the date of his initial injury and he’d already been out for more than seven days, Drury was eligible to come off IR at any time.

Drury skated in 28 games for Carolina before landing on IR, posting three goals and six assists for nine points with a +4 rating. He averaged 13:09 per game, a career-high aside from a two-game stint in 2021-22, and is on pace to win a career-best 56.4% of his draws.

Carolina will have Drury back in the lineup tomorrow when they host the Wild, presumably in a fourth-line role between Jackson Blake and Eric Robinson. He’s spent the vast majority of the season with at least one of that pair on his wings.

Meanwhile, Jaaska returns to the AHL after making his NHL debut in last night’s win over the Panthers. He logged 13 shifts for 8:21 of ice time, shifting to center and winning four out of five draws while recording three hits.

The Hurricanes signed Jaaska, 26, to a one-year entry-level contract worth $850K back in April after he spent the previous nine seasons with Finland’s HIFK. He has seven goals and nine assists for 16 points in 25 AHL games this season.

Submit Your Questions For The Next #PHRMailbag

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With the holiday break in the rearview mirror, it’s time for the next edition of Brian La Rose’s PHR Mailbag.

Last month’s edition ran in two parts. The first dealt with some potential cap dumps, some Central Division teams’ interest in defensemen on the trade market, and the playing future of Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog. The second covered the state of the Flyers’ rebuild, potential buy-low trade candidates for the Canadiens, and some of the best off-season pickups.

You can submit your questions in the comment section below or by using #PHRMailbag on X/Twitter.

PHR Chatter: Hypothetical 2025 All-Star Game Rosters

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There won’t be an All-Star Game this season due to the two-week break in the schedule for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Just as well – with how much the format has changed in recent years, it’s hard to know what the event would have even looked like.

But roster debate is always fun, and just because there’s no actual event this year doesn’t mean it’s worth looking at who would have been worthy selections. For this exercise, I went back to the division-based format as compared to 2024’s player-led fantasy draft for obvious reasons. I kept the likely 3-on-3 play in mind and went for nine skaters and three goalies for each division, just like how last year’s rosters shook out. I also tried to keep defense selections to a minimum in line with how things have trended over the past few years. The one-player-per-team rule was also kept intact.

Who would be on your teams? Any glaring omissions or bad inclusions on the list below? Discuss in the comments.

Atlantic Division

F – Aleksander Barkov (Panthers)

F – Nikita Kucherov (Lightning)

F – Mitch Marner (Maple Leafs)

F – David Pastrňák (Bruins)

F – Brayden Point (Lightning)

F – Sam Reinhart (Panthers)

F – Nick Suzuki (Canadiens)

F – Tage Thompson (Sabres)

D – Victor Hedman (Lightning)

G – Anthony Stolarz (Maple Leafs)

G – Cam Talbot (Red Wings)

G – Linus Ullmark (Senators)

Metropolitan Division

F – Jesper Bratt (Devils)

F – Sidney Crosby (Penguins)

F – Jack Hughes (Devils)

F – Travis Konecny (Flyers)

F – Anders Lee (Islanders)

F – Martin Nečas (Hurricanes)

F – Alex Ovechkin (Capitals)

F – Artemi Panarin (Rangers)

D – Zach Werenski (Blue Jackets)

G – Jacob Markström (Devils)

G – Igor Shesterkin (Rangers)

G – Logan Thompson (Capitals)

Central Division

F – Connor Bedard (Blackhawks)

F – Kyle Connor (Jets)

F – Matt Duchene (Stars)

F – Filip Forsberg (Predators)

F – Kirill Kaprizov (Wild)

F – Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche)

F – Mikko Rantanen (Avalanche)

F – Robert Thomas (Blues)

D – Cale Makar (Avalanche)

G – Filip Gustavsson (Wild)

G – Connor Hellebuyck (Jets)

G – Karel Vejmelka (Utah)

Pacific Division

F – Macklin Celebrini (Sharks)

F – Leon Draisaitl (Oilers)

F – Jack Eichel (Golden Knights)

F – Jonathan Huberdeau (Flames)

F – Anže Kopitar (Kings)

F – Connor McDavid (Oilers)

F – Mark Stone (Golden Knights)

D – Quinn Hughes (Canucks)

D – Shea Theodore (Golden Knights)

G – Joey Daccord (Kraken)

G – Lukáš Dostál (Ducks)

G – Adin Hill (Golden Knights)

John Klingberg Hoping To Resume NHL Career

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Unrestricted free agent defenseman John Klingberg will resume skating shortly after the holiday break in hopes of continuing his NHL career, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports Saturday.

Now 32, Klingberg has been out of commission for over a year after undergoing season-ending hip surgery while with the Maple Leafs in early December 2023. The 2015 All-Rookie Team member last played nearly a month prior on Nov. 11.

The Swedish native was a dominant offensive force in his early days, finishing in the top six in Norris Trophy voting twice in the first four seasons of his career with the Stars. From his NHL debut in 2014-15 until the COVID-19 pandemic truncated the 2019-20 season, Klingberg posted 291 points in 425 games for the Stars, ranking 10th among defenders league-wide. His 0.68 points per game were seventh among those with over 100 games.

In that 2019-20 season, though, the ever-present defensive cracks in Klingberg’s game began to border on outweighing the offensive benefits. That year saw him lose the title of the team’s de facto No. 1 option on the blue line to up-and-comer Miro Heiskanen, and while he still contributed 32 points in 58 games, he logged a -10 rating – reaching the negatives for the first time in his career. He added 21 points in 26 postseason games as Dallas marched to the Stanley Cup Final but posted a -5 rating that was second-worst among Stars blue-liners.

It was more of the same for Klingberg over the next couple of seasons as his even-strength ice time and on-ice goal differential continued to decline. He was still a top-four threat offensively, logging 47 points in 74 games in the 2021-22 campaign, but nonetheless hit free agency the following summer and didn’t garner much interest in a long-term deal.

That led to a one-year, $7MM prove-it deal with the rebuilding Ducks after he had been unsigned for weeks. His stint in Anaheim was short-lived and unremarkable. He posted 24 points and a -28 rating in 50 games on a 2022-23 Anaheim team that allowed an incredible 39.1 shots per game. He was dealt to the Wild at the trade deadline, where he finished the year with nine points in 17 games and was scratched twice in their six-game loss to the Stars in the First Round.

That rather uninspiring performance led to another one-year pact on the open market the following summer—this time, a $4.15MM commitment from the Maple Leafs. His stint in Toronto was also quite short-lived. He posted five assists in 14 games while quarterbacking their top power-play unit before the hip issue, which had been nagging since the end of the prior season, forced him out of the lineup for the rest of the season.

If he does manage to land another NHL offer, it certainly won’t be in the top-four, 20-minute average ice time role he’s grown accustomed to. As an already-declining veteran coming off major surgery, Klingberg landing much more than the league minimum on a one-year deal for the rest of 2024-25 would be surprising. The right shot would likely factor into a third-pairing role at even strength with second-unit power-play usage.

Oilers Activate Viktor Arvidsson From Injured Reserve

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The Oilers announced that winger Viktor Arvidsson has been reinstated from injured reserve and will play in tonight’s contest against the Bruins. The active roster already had a vacancy with defenseman Travis Dermott being claimed off waivers by the Wild last week, but the roster is now full with this move.

Arvidsson, 31, sustained an undisclosed injury against the Islanders on Nov. 12 and was initially ruled out day-to-day, but a lengthier-than-expected recovery period means he ended up sitting out of action for over a month. He missed 15 games, during which time Edmonton went 10-4-1 and now sits third in the Pacific Division after a rocky start to the year.

Arvidsson, who the Oilers signed to a two-year, $8MM contract over the summer, started the year in a second-line role with Leon Draisaitl and Vasily Podkolzin. It didn’t go as planned. The two-time 30-goal scorer was limited to two goals and five points in 16 appearances before exiting with injury, averaging 15:41 per game. Connor Brown, Kasperi Kapanen and Jeff Skinner have all found themselves in Arvidsson’s spot in his absence. None of them have had particularly good results, although Brown has the most production with 13 points through 31 games.

The Swedish winger hit free agency after an injury-plagued 2023-24 campaign that limited him to 18 appearances with the Kings, although he was far more productive when healthy with six goals and 15 points. Dating back to his days as a developing forward in Nashville, Arvidsson has averaged 26 goals and 54 points per 82 games throughout his career. He’s projected to slot into a more conservative third-line role with Brown and Adam Henrique in his return tonight, per multiple reports.

Atlantic Notes: Paul, Knies, Staios

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The Lightning will be without the services of center Nick Paul tonight in Columbus, head coach Jon Cooper told the team’s Gabby Shirley. The 29-year-old sustained an undisclosed injury against the Penguins on Tuesday and will be re-evaluated when the Bolts return home from their road trip tomorrow, Cooper said.

It’s a tough break for Paul, who’s on pace to have the best offensive season of his career by a country mile. The 6’4″ pivot is part of a Lightning top-six that’s roared to life, posting 13 points (5 G, 8 A) in 17 games. That’s a 0.76 point-per-game pace, shattering last year’s 0.56 career high.

Paul had recently moved to the wing, skating on the second line alongside Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli. Cam Atkinson could take that job after serving as a healthy scratch for the last three games, assuming the Bolts don’t want to make any other lineup changes, although he has just one assist in 11 games with a team-worst -7 rating.

Paul is now in his fourth season in the Bay after parts of seven years with the Senators. The Ontario native has emerged as a crucial middle-six weapon, posting 105 points in 200 games while averaging north of 16 minutes per game and winning 53.5% of his faceoffs.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies is still being evaluated after being pulled by concussion spotters from last night’s win over the Golden Knights but is “feeling okay today,” head coach Craig Berube told Mark Masters of TSN. Knies left the game in the second period after a hit to the head from Vegas defenseman Zach Whitecloud, which was initially called a major penalty but was rescinded entirely upon review. It’s unclear if he’ll be ready by Sunday’s game against Utah – if not, the Leafs are at risk of being down a seventh forward due to injury and would likely dress seven defensemen.
  • A 3-5-1 rut in November has the Senators below .500 yet again and at considerable risk of extending their playoff drought to eight years. Don’t expect general manager Steve Staios to make a blockbuster move to bail his club out, though, saying Wednesday that “each individual in the room needs to step up” in order to get Ottawa back on the right track (per Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch). “For us to figure out as a group why that’s our record is what we’re trying to unlock,” Staios said. “For most games, the team looks and feels not only like a competitive team but a playoff-looking team. We’ve proven against good teams.“

Flyers Recall Helge Grans Under Emergency Conditions

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The Flyers announced Monday that they’ve recalled defenseman Helge Grans from AHL Lehigh Valley under emergency conditions. The 22-year-old will make his NHL debut tonight against the Avalanche, Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports.

Grans will enter the lineup for Emil Andrae, who the team said won’t play after sustaining a mid-body injury against the Sabres on Saturday. Philadelphia moved goaltender Samuel Ersson to injured reserve to open a spot on the active roster.

Grans arrived in the Flyers organization last year as part of the three-team trade with the Kings and Blue Jackets that sent Ivan Provorov to Columbus. Drafted 35th overall by Los Angeles in 2020, the 6’3″, 205-lb righty already has loads of professional experience. He logged 69 games of Swedish Hockey League experience with Örebro HK before coming to North America in 2021, and he’s since recorded 11 goals, 33 assists, 44 points, 58 PIMs, and a -4 rating in 185 games for the Kings’ and Flyers’ affiliates in Ontario and Lehigh Valley.

While Grans once projected as a solid puck-moving defender with good size, his point totals in the minors suggest he’ll be more of a stay-at-home option if he manages to lock down an everyday NHL role. He’s struggled to make a significant impact on the scoresheet after a 24-point rookie season in 56 games with Ontario in 2021-22, posting just eight points (1 G, 7 A) in 56 games with Lehigh Valley last season.

Grans will debut on the right side of a pairing with Yegor Zamula, head coach John Tortorella said. Don’t expect them to log a ton of minutes, though, with Tortorella adding he plans to “play the s*** out of [Travis Sanheim] and [Rasmus Ristolainen]” as the Flyers look to win their fourth game in a row and push their record above .500 for the first time since their first game of the season (via Kevin Kurz of The Athletic).

For Andrae, it’s a tough break for the 22-year-old. He’s played well in fringe top-four minutes with Jamie Drysdale and Cameron York hitting injured reserve in recent weeks, posting three assists with a +1 rating in 10 appearances while averaging 18:27 per game. The undersized 5’9″ blue-liner has gotten involved physically with 13 blocks and 15 hits, and his possession play has been quite good. The Flyers have controlled 51.2% of shot attempts with Andrae on the ice at even strength compared to 42.2% without him.

Ersson, meanwhile, hits IR after re-aggravating a lower-body injury last week. He’s not expected back until Saturday’s game against the Blackhawks at the earliest, so today’s move is purely for roster flexibility purposes and doesn’t impact his timeline for a return.

Submit Your Questions For The #PHRMailbag

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There’s already been a bit of early-season trade action with a bevy of unexpected hot starts and disappointing runs. With every team now across the 10-game mark in their schedule, we’ll open the space to answer questions from our readers in the mailbag.

The last edition was divided into two parts. The first discussed a potential solution to the Oilers’ Darnell Nurse problem, expectations for the Maple Leafs, and challenges for the Rangers to stay atop the Metropolitan Division. The second covered the beginnings of a likely lengthy Connor Bedard/Matvei Michkov rivalry and the first player to land a $20MM AAV, among other topics.

You can submit a question by using #PHRMailbag on X or by leaving a comment down below. The mailbag will run on the weekend.

Kings’ Tanner Jeannot Receives Three Game Suspension

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5:43 PM: The Department of Player Safety announced Jeannot has been suspended three games for the hit on Boeser last night.

10:30 AM: The NHL Department of Player Safety announced today that Kings winger Tanner Jeannot will have a hearing today for an illegal check to the head against Canucks star Brock Boeser. It’s not an in-person hearing, so his pending suspension will be five games or less.

The incident occurred midway through the first period of last night’s 4-2 road win for Vancouver. Immediately after Boeser completed a neutral-zone pass, Jeannot attempted to lay an open-ice hit on Boeser while crossing the other direction. He led with his shoulder, making contact with Boeser’s head and knocking him out of the game (video via Lachlan Irvine of Canucks Army). Officials assessed Jeannot a match penalty on the play, initiating an automatic league review for supplemental discipline.

Vancouver has yet to give Boeser an injury designation, so he remains uncertain for tomorrow’s game against the Oilers. Hearings that do not result in suspensions are rare, so the Kings are undoubtedly preparing to be without Jeannot tomorrow against the Blue Jackets and potentially for a couple of more games afterward. The heavy-hitting power forward has never been suspended in his 242-game NHL career, but he has been fined once before for kneeing Senators captain Brady Tkachuk in March 2022.

The 15 PIMs assessed to Jeannot last night gave him 36 on the season, the most in the league. Through his first 15 games as a King, the 27-year-old has struggled to produce offensively, with just a goal and an assist while averaging 10:28 per game. So far, it’s not the resurgence L.A. hoped for when they parted ways with a pair of draft picks to acquire him from the Lightning in June. He hasn’t been a legitimate top-nine player offensively since his rookie season when he potted 24 goals and 41 points in 81 games for the Predators in 2021-22.

Three years later, it’s become clear that his play that season was more of a flash in the pan than anything else. In 146 games since for the Preds, Bolts and Kings, he has just 14 goals and 34 points with a -18 rating. Upon completing the two-year, $5.33MM deal he signed with Tampa Bay in 2023, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent next summer.

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