NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 19, 2025
The Jets avoid arbitration with Gabriel Vilardi, Jaroslav Halak hangs up his goalie pads, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
THE WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets avoided arbitration with Gabriel Vilardi, signing the 25-year-old forward to a six-year contract worth an average annual value of $6.5 million.
Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi (NHL Images).
That’s more than double the $3.4 million AAV of Vilardi’s previous contract. He’s coming off a career-best 27-goal, 61-point performance playing on the Jets’ first line with Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Having lost long-time winger Nikolaj Ehlers to the Carolina Hurricanes via free agency, the Jets wanted to ensure they locked up Vilardi long term. Despite his injury history, they’re betting that he’ll continue to be a reliable first-line winger as they hope to contend for the Stanley Cup in the near term.
Vilardi’s new contract leaves the Jets with $10.5 million in cap space, with defenseman Dylan Samberg as their only notable unsigned player. Like Vilardi, he filed for arbitration earlier this month.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Jaroslav Halak announced his retirement after 17 NHL seasons. The 40-year-old goaltender played in 581 games with the Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers.
Halak’s career record was 295 wins, 189 losses and 69 overtime losses, with a 2.50 goals-against average, a save percentage of .915, and 53 shutouts. His postseason record was 17-20-0 in 39 games played with a 2.48 GAA and a .919 SP.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Halak’s biggest NHL highlight occurred in the 2010 playoffs, backstopping an underdog Canadiens squad to series victories over the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins before falling to the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Final. The Capitals were the 2009-10 Presidents’ Trophy winners while the Penguins were the defending Stanley Cup champions.
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks re-signed defenseman Drew Helleson to a two-year contract with an AAV of $1.1 million.
TRIBLIVE.COM: Journeyman goalie Louis Domingue signed a one-year contract with KHL team Sibir Novosibirsk.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Domingue, 33, played 144 NHL games in 10 seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Long-time NHL hockey writer Stan Fischler will be inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025. The induction ceremony will be held on Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025.
The arbitration process is slowly being whittled down before any actual hearings, including all those taken to arbitration by their GM. As of this morning, these 7 remain of those who filed for arbitration showing team, position, size, last season stats and expired cap hit:
G Arvid Soderblom – Chicago 6’ 3” 180lbs 36gp 3.18gaa 0.898 save % $962,500
RW Kaapo Kakko – Seattle 6’1” 215lbs 79gp (NYR & Sea) 14g 30a 44pts $2,400,000
LD Dylan Samberg – Winnipeg 6’ 4” 215lbs 60gp 6g 14a 20pts (FFA) $1,400,000
RD Connor Timmins – Buffalo 6’ 3” 215lbs 68gp 3g 12a 15pts (Tor & Pitt) $1,100,000
W Maxim Tsyplakov – New York Islanders 6’ 3” 210pts 77gp 10g 25a 35pts $950,000
W Nicholas Robertson – Toronto 5’ 9” 180lbs 69gp 15g 7a 22pts $875,000
LD Jayden Struble – Montreal 6’ 207lbs 56gp 2g 11a 13pts $867,500
These 13 remaining RFAs who neither filed for, or were taken to, arbitration, are all open for offer-sheets:
LD Wyatt Kaiser Chicago 6’ 175lbs 57gp 4g 4a 8pts $916,667
C Mason McTavish Anaheim 6’ 1” 220-lbs 76gp 22g 30a 52pts $894,167
RW/C Sam Colangelo Anaheim 6’ 2” 210lbs 32gp 10g 2a 12pts $925,000
RW Mikael Pyyhtia Columbus 6’ 176lbs 47gp 4g 3a 7pts $897,500
C Connor Zary Calgary 6’ 178lbs 564gp 13g 14a 27pts $863,334
LD Ryker Evans Seattle 6’ 195lbs 73gp 5g 20a 25pts $897,500
C Marco Rossi Minnesota 5’ 9” 182lbs 82gp 24g 36a 60pts $863,334
RW Luke Evangelista Nashville 6” 183lbs 68gp 10g 22a 32pts $797,500
G Devon Levi Buffalo 6’ 192lbs 9gp 4.12gaa 0.872 save % $925,000
LD Luke Hughes New Jersey 6’ 2” 200lbs 71gp 7g 37a 44pts $925,000
C/W Thomas Bordeleau New Jersey 5’ 10” 180lbs 1gp with San Jose 0pts $874,125
RW Alex Laferriere Los Angeles 6’ 1” 205lbs 77gp 19g 23a 42pts $875,000
RW Alexander Holtz Vegas 6’ 200lbs 53gp 4g 8a 12pts $894,167
The only problem with the above possible offer-sheets is that, with the exceptions of New Jersey, Los Angeles and Vegas, none of the teams are cap-vulnerable … in other words, barring some idiotic, off-the-wall offer, any would likely be matched. And it’s doubtful even Los Angeles – with close to $6.8 mil in reserve – is at the risk of losing Lafferiere to an offer-sheet.
And the fact that 26 being a deep draft, pretty much eliminates the offer sheet route. Until teams know how their seasons going, you might not see many 1st in 26 being traded either
I do still believe we will see at least one offer-sheet before time runs out.
It’s still only just past mid-July and it wasn’t until August 13 last summer that the Blues offer-sheeted both Holloway and Broberg.
If I had to guess which players might be the targets – forcing the hands of the teams concerned – I’d say Connor Zary, Luke Evangelista, Luke Hughes, Alexander Holtz, and Alex Laferriere.
Thanks to Jaro for a memorable 2010.
I also remember thinking the Habs made a mistake choosing to keep Price over him … LOL.
LJ and others,
Just for S&G check out the career stats of Halak and Price.
GAA, Save%, shutouts, I think you’ll be very surprised at the gap between a journeyman who never made $5m and a future Hall of Famer making $10 for years.
HF30. Just checked. Unbelievable. Halak was the Rodney Dangerfield of the NHL – no respect I tell ya!
Indeed I am, HF30. Surprise of the day.
Makes one wonder why no one signed Halak again after his last three years were consistently good.