Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – August 25, 2024
Is Linus Ullmark planning a long-term stay in Ottawa? How could Matty Beniers’ new contract affect Stars forwards Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven? What’s the latest on Tyson Barrie and the Oilers? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
ULLMARK PLANNING A LONG STAY IN OTTAWA?
NHL insider Shawn Simpson reports hearing goaltender Linus Ullmark bought a home in Ottawa. “I wouldn’t be shocked if we hear about an extension before the season starts,” he wrote.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Steve Warne cautions not to read too much into Ullmark purchasing a house in Ottawa.
Ullmark, 30, was acquired by the Senators from the Boston Bruins two months ago. He can become an unrestricted free agent next July.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (NHL Images).
Following the trade, Ullmark said he’s leaving his contract situation for his agent and Senators general manager Steve Staios to discuss.
Warne acknowledged it might be a good sign that Ullmark’s bought a home in Ottawa. However, he also pointed out the difficulty former Senators goaltender Cam Talbot faced in finding a suitable rental home in the Ottawa area, suggesting Ullmark may have encountered the same issue.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Warne believes Ullmark wants to see how this season shakes out before deciding on an extension with the Senators. If things go well, the goalie and his family could be living in their new Ottawa home beyond this season.
WHAT IMPACT WILL BENIERS’ CONTRACT HAVE FOR TWO YOUNG STARS FORWARDS?
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau pondered the effect Matty Beniers’ new seven-year contract with the Seattle Kraken would have on the Dallas Stars’ eventual contract talks with young forwards Wyatt Johnston and Logan Stankoven.
Beniers, Johnston, and Stankoven were selected in the 2021 NHL Draft. The Kraken center had a better rookie season, winning the Calder Memorial Trophy in 2022-23. However, Johnston had a better sophomore season with 32 goals and 65 points to Beniers’ 15 goals and 37 points.
Stankoven has two years remaining on his entry-level contract. He had a modest rookie campaign (14 points in 24 games) but quickly established himself as a key cog in the Stars’ future.
Beniers will earn an average annual value of $7.14 million on his new contract. Proteau speculates Johnston might get a five or six-year deal worth between $5 million and $6 million because Texas doesn’t have a state tax on income. Stankoven’s might be less lucrative than Johnston’s.
Proteau suggested the Stars could also try signing Johnston and Stankoven to bridge deals.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johnston and Stankoven are currently on entry-level contracts, giving Stars general manager Jim Nill the hammer in contract negotiations.
Nill will have a projected cap space of $42 million for 2025-26 (assuming the cap rises as anticipated to $92 million) when Johnston becomes an RFA, giving him plenty of cap room to sign him to a bridge deal or a more lucrative long-term contract. However, he’s also got goalie Jake Oettinger, defenseman Esa Lindell, forwards Jamie Benn and Matt Duchene to re-sign or replace at that time, and Jason Robertson and Mason Marchment in 2026.
COULD BARRIE RETURN TO THE OILERS?
EDMONTON JOURNAL: Kurt Leavins believes Tyson Barrie could return to the Oilers on a value contract. The 33-year-old defenseman was traded to the Nashville Predators before the 2023 trade deadline and is currently an unrestricted free agent.
Leavins indicates that Barrie loved his time with the Oilers, never wanted to leave, and would welcome an opportunity to return. He’d also be a good fit off the ice. Nevertheless, new GM Stan Bowman will also kick tires on other UFA blueliners like Justin Schultz and Kevin Shattenkirk.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Recent rumors had the Oilers in contract with Barrie about a possible reunion. One of them could attend training camp on a professional tryout offer.
Does anyone else think that Beniers new deal seems a little rich? I know he had a nice rookie year winning the Calder but last season was brutal. I admit I don’t stay up late enough to see most Kraken games but getting term at over 7 million seems to me to be quite risky? Devils, Jets can’t be happy with it either as I’m sure that will be used in contract negotiations with Mercer and Perfetti talks. Would love to hear from Kraken fans that have watched him more and I have.
yes but same was said by many, myself included, about the Keller deal a few years back and trams would kill to habe him on that deal now. For every home run a GM hits onthere over pay long term. deals there are a ton of strikeouts. Problem is you cannot take it back and players donot ripup the bad contracts they are not playing up to. soitis high stakes gambling
Ducky10, while I can’t offer insight on Beniers from the point of view of having watched him a lot, and albeit his having been a # 2 pick overall in 2021, I too wondered about that multi-year $7,142,857 per deal for a 6′ 2″ 178 lb C who, in 167 career gp, has 82-game averages of 20g 29a 49 pts and who, this past season, fell below that with 15g 22a 37 pts and was a minus 11 in 77gp. And, as you mention, I’m sure there are some GMs who still have key RFAs to re-up who aren’t exactly happy with the details of that deal. Coming on the heels of the St. Louis offer sheets, it did smack of a little panic by a team with just 20 of 23 committed to and just $4,286 left in the reserve.
Now you have to wonder what other teams still with KEY RFAs to re-up, are themselves getting edgy with the opening of training camps less than a month away. Each of the 14 still unsigned have had qualifying offers, allowing their teams to match an offer sheet, but several either remain vulnerable to an offer-sheet since they don’t have the cap to match and so, any offer could be marginally above the minimum allowed and so effectively ham-string the holding team.
To shorten my post, I have listed those teams below for reference.
Among the following, only Swayman had arbitration rights but he chose not to file.
BOSTON – $8.64 mil 22 of 23
Jeremy Swayman 6′ 3″ 195 lb G (Shoots L) Rd 4 111th overall 2017 G
Past season: 44gp 2.53 gaa 0.916 save % 3 SO
Career: 132 gp 2.34 gaa 0.919 save % 12 SO
Exp. cap hit: $3,475,000 1 year
BUFFALO – $8.45 mil 22 of 23
Peyton Krebs 6′ 186 lbs C (Shoots L) Rd 1 17th overall 2019
Past season: 80gp 4g 13a 17s +2
Career: 215gp 20g 46a 66 pts cumulative -31
Exp. cap hit: $863,334 3 years
CALGARY – $19.97 mil 23 of 23
Ilya Solovyov 6′ 3″ 208 lbs LD (Shoots L) Rd 7 205th overall 2020 –
Past season & career: 10gp 0g 3a 3 pts cumulative +2
Exp. cap hit: $8928,333 3 years
CAROLINA – $6.44 mil 22 of 23
Seth Jarvis 5′ 10″ 175 lbs C (shoots R) Rd 1 13th overall
Past season: 81gp 33g 34a 67 pts +23
Career: 231gp 64g 82a 146 pts cumulative +44
Exp. cap hit: $894,167 3 years
DALLAS – $6.24 mil 20 of 23
Thomas Harley 6′ 4″ 206 lbs LD (Shoots L) Rd 1 18th overall
Past season: 79gp 15g 32a 47 pts +28
Career: 119gp 16g 37a 53 pts cumulative +29
Exp. cap hit: $863,334 3 years
DETROIT – $17.65 mil 20 of 23
Jonatan Berggren 5′ 11 197 lbs RW (shoots L) Rd 2 33rd overall 2018
Past season: 12gp 2g 4a 6 pts -1
Career: 79gp 17g 17a 34 pts cumulative -12
Exp. cap hit: $925,000 3 years
Lucas Raymond 5′ 11″ 188 lbs LW (shoots R) Rd 14th overall 2020
Past season: 31g 41a 72 pts -12
Career: 238gp 71g 103a 174 pts cumulative -61
Exp. cap hit: $925,000 3 years
Moritz Seider 6′ 3″ 205 lbs RD Rd 1 6th overall 2019
Past season: 9g 33a 42 pts -7
Career: 246gp 21g 113a 134 pts cumulative -27
Exp. Cap Hit: $863,334 3 years
LOS ANGELES – $1.32 mil 23 of 23
Arthur Kaliyev 6′ 2″ 210 lbs RW (shoots L) rd 2 33rd overall 2019
Past season: 51gp 7g 8a 15 pts -3
Career: 188gp 35g 36a 71 pts cumulative -12
Exp. cap hit: $894,167 3 years
NASHVILLE – $3.10 mil 19 of 23
Philip Tomasino 6″ 179 lbs C (shoots R) Rd 1 24th overall 2019
Past season: 41gp 7g 13a 20 pts -3
Career: 148gp 23g 47a 70 pts cumulative -2
Exp. cap hit: $863,334 3 years
Juuso Parssinen 6″ 3″ 212 lb C (shoots L) Rd 7 210th overall 2019
Past season: 44gp 8g 4a 12pts -6
Career: 89gp 14g 23a 37 pts -7
Exp. cap hit: $850,833 3 years
NEW JERSEY – $4.98 mil 22 of 23
Dawson Mercer 6′ 180 lbs C (shoots R) Rd 1 18th overall 2020
Past season: 82gp 20g 13a 33 pts -26
Career: 246gp 64g 67a 131 pts cumulative -29
Exp. cap hit: $894,167 3 years
TORONTO – $1.28 mil 21 of 23
Nick Robertson 5′ 9″ 178 lbs LW (shoots L) Rd 2 53rd overall 2019 Past season: 56gp 14g 13a 27 pts
-1 Career: 87gp 17g 17a 34 pts cumulative +3
Exp. cap hit: $796,667 3 years
WINNIPEG – $5.78 mil 23 of 23
Cole Perfetti 5′ 11′ 185 lb C (shoots L) Rd 1 10th overall 2020
Past season: 71gp 19g 19a 38 pts +13
Career: 140gp 29g 46a 75 pts cumulative +24
Exp. cap hit: $894,167 3 years
First time commenting but long time reader. Damn George O , you really work too hard. I throughly enjoy your posts!! Thank you very much your hard work. Make sure you get paid for this or get whatever you want, for all the knowledgeable facts. Thank you again!!
I would love to see Barrie back on a cheap 1 yr deal.
He and kulak would be an experienced 3rd pair who could really move the puck and not asking Barrie to do more than capable of at this stage of career .
They need to try to get nurse back on track, the style of partner I think he needs is what Emberson reportedly brings. Strong in own end , can move the puck, if that pair can find chemistry that nurse and ceci lacked , that would be best case . Ceci was better than most gave him credit for in an oilers uniform but he and nurse together just wasn’t the answer .
If emberson isn’t the answer, The way they are today , they can experiment early in the year , still have the space to add Kane when healthy, while accruing cap space to add to the backend at the deadline .
Ekholm Bouchard
Nurse emberson
Kulak Barrie
Stetcher
Brown
That is fine to start the year , knowing the plan is to stay out of ltir , accrue and add imo
Playoff look
Ekholm Bouchard
Nurse / 5 M addition
Kulak / Barrie emberson
I would love to trade nurse at his hit , but not realistic , have to do all they can to find the best partner and try to help him get back on track. Larsson at the deadline if Seattle out of the hunt is interesting option.
Re Oilers defence
So Evander Kane is going to be out for ball park
4 Months after his surgery, that will give them over $4.M in Cap relief.
For the defence;
1st pairing Ekholm & Bouchard
2nd pairing Nurse & Emberson
3rd pairing Kulak and i think they will end up
for the RD on the 3rd pairing Rotaiting Big Josh brown 6.ft5 & 220lb for Bigger Heavy teams
and
for smaller teams if they go with a Tyson Barrie and sign him or stay with Troy Stecher use him for samller lighter teams…🤔
then bye the end of February they will be able to figure out if it working or not and bring in an other RD/man❓for the playoffs
I think Ty Emberson is going to surprize a lot of Fans in Edmonton with his defencive play and how well he moves the puck up ice…. hopefully he can help the $9.M Man inprove his game next season….👀
Jim Nill and Stars will be fine, Jamie Benn will stay on in 25-26, but will make 3rd line money…I wouldn’t be surprised if Johnson or Heiskanen become captain at that time.
They will not re-sign Marchent, unless he has a gang-buster season this year.
Duechene will come back on a team friendly salary since he and his family like Dallas and he could see himself winning a cup there…
I do think they’ll wrap Johnston up for a long time.
Stankoven still has another year to prove himself, but a bridge deal could be the best for him.
Oettinger needs to put together a solid full season and playoffs, but he’ll make over 7-8 million. Hes not Igor…….yet
Lindell will probably get 3-4 years at about what he makes now if not a bit less… he’ll still be the 4th D man, behind Heiskanen, Harley, and Liam Bischell……
I do think Seguin will be out when his contract expires in two years. Robertson will get the Seguin money.
Stars will be set for a while!!!
Starsfan, at the moment PuckPedia shows the Stars with 20 of 23 committed to (12F, 6D, 2G) and just $6,243,759 to sign (or elevate from the AHL) 3 players, one of whom just happens to be 6′ 4″ 206 lbs LD Thomas Harley , a Round 1 pick – 18th overall – who, this past season in 79gp had 15g 32a 47 pts and was an impressive +28 and is coming off an ELC of $863,334.
Virtually all of that cap reserve will be taken up by Harley – and conceivably more which would put them over the cap with 2 still to sign/elevate for a full roster.
How do you see them handling that – or a potential offer sheet?
I think Nill is a master of contract negotiations…He’ll most likely talk Harley into a bridge contract for 4-5 million and convince him that if he keeps playing like he did this past season, that after this contract, he’ll still be young enough to make big dollars with an 7-8 year deal. He would still be only 26 after a 3 year deal….He’s got a high ceiling, but wiull always be in the shadow on Miro.
Worth keeping an eye on Starsfan… and if Nill does convince Harley to ink a short-term bridge, that’ll be a lesson for Ron Francis.
But what if – should the talks drag on – someone decides to offer-sheet Harley for, say, $6.5 mil per? someone like San Jose, Anaheim or Calgary, each with a big bag of reserve loot?
George O…Might be a smart idea for an offer sheet…but that’s a lot for a player who had one good season. Although, Harley may think about it, since he’ll always be second fiddle to Miro.
It may have been for just one big season, as you say starsFan, but if there are GMs out there ready to award long-term deals in excess of $7 mil for a UFA who has had one modestly good season, followed by a downward turn in the next, then they probably wouldn’t hesitate to speed up their re-build by going after a 6′ 4″ 206 lbs LD taken 18th overall and who has just completed an eye-opening season of 15g 32a 47 pts and a +28.
Building from the goaltending out through the D has proven to be the key to ultimate success so many times it’s become almost paramount in the rebuilding process.
Beniers has shown he has ability and will be a player to build around.
His drop in production last year isn’t too surprising considering that over-all team goal scoring was down about 25%.
But that does not take away from the deal accorded which, you can now be certain, will be held up as a comparative by the agents of still-to-be re-upped RFAs – Jarvis and Perfetti as examples, with neither Carolina nor Winnipeg having the funds to match without making other moves.
George, just something to remember is Jarvis, Perfetti, Harley, Mercer, etc do not have arbitration rights this year, so the only thing they could do is hold out.
The teams have the hammer now. I can see some teams doing 1 or 2 year deals, to push the long term contracts and higher AAVs down the road.
I believe all these players would be arbitration eligible after those potential deals.
While that’s true Troy, each is still open to an offer sheet … and should that happen in any of the cases, that does, in effect, become their arbitration.
George, while that is true, and in essence, it would be equivalent to arbitration, those players would have to be willing to sign an offer sheet.
The other issue is, most teams have plenty of space to match a mid offer sheet,(not exactly sure of all teams, but Car, NJD,Dall and WPG do, so the offer sheet being made would have to be in the $6.87-$9.16M range to really put the squeeze on teams.
But anything can happen, and it’s already been a wild offseason.
If you scroll back up, Troy, you’ll see my post this morning which shows Carolina with $6.44 mil in reserve and 22 of 23 signed, New Jersey with $4.98 in reserve and 22 or 23 signed, Da;;as with $6.24 mil in reserve with just 20 of 23 signed, and Winnipeg with $5.78 mil in reserve and 23 of 23 signed (which means they could add to that reserve slightly through the demotion of an ELC.
And in each case the unsigned RFA is a pretty darn good player who would help speed up the re-build of several teams with large cap reserves!
Re the blurb above on Linus Ullmark, with all due respect to Steve Warne – there are two HUGE differences between his situation and that of Cam Talbot.
Talbot tried to rent a home in Ottawa – a virtual impossibility the past few years given that it’s been a seller’s market and so very few are interested in going through the headaches of renting out their holdings. And with his contract expiring, Dorion had no interest in trying to re-=sign him.
Ullmark has bought a home outright – one of his early announced priorities along with getting his kids registered in nearby schools. And Staios definitely wants him around for a while – unlike Dorion with Talbot. I believe Shawn Simpson is much closer to the truth … that he will be signed soon.
George O if it is a sellers market in Ottawa,thenUllmark made a good real estate deal and when he becomes a UFA,he sells it! Why pay rent,when you can own!
Clearly, Sr, you either are of the opinion that Ottawa – the capital of Canada – is some backwater jerk town with an imitation NHL team and where someone of the “ilk” of Linus Ullmark has NO intention of ever remaining, under ANY circumstances … or, you simply like to be a burr under someone’s saddle.
Either way, let’s just wait and see. I won’t comment again on whether I think he stays or bolts.
Ullmark likes owning his home, he bbought in Buffalo, bought in Boston and now in Ottawa.
Means nothing about his intention to stay or not.