NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 29, 2026
The latest contract signings and news in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Philadelphia Flyers were closing in on a new contract for goaltender Dan Vladar.
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar (NHL Images).
Vladar, 28, has completed the first season of a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.35 million. He is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.
According to LeBrun, Vladar’s new contract will be a five-year, $27.5 million extension worth an average annual value of $5.5 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vladar spent five seasons as a backup with the Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames before signing with the Flyers last summer. He thrived as their starting goalie, posting a 29-14-7 record in 52 games with a 2.42 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage as he backstopped the Flyers into their first postseason since 2020. Vladar also had a solid playoff performance, finishing with a 2.18 GAA, a .922 SP, and two shutouts.
LeBrun also reported that pending unrestricted free agent Vladimir Tarasenko is heading to market on July 1. The 34-year-old winger played for the Minnesota Wild last season, finishing with 23 goals and 24 assists for 47 points in 75 games. He also had five points in 11 postseason contests.
Tarasenko recently changed agents and is now represented by Dan Milstein. LeBrun stated that Milstein had permission to speak directly to teams before the free-agent market opens on Wednesday.
However, Michael Russo of The Athletic reported that the Wild had not permitted Milstein to speak with other clubs. Russo also said the league recently warned all teams that they cannot give blanket permission for UFAs to do this. The sole exception is when the player’s contract rights have been traded to another team, which would allow the acquiring team to speak with the player.
THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators signed center Jack Drury to a five-year, $22.5 million contract, with an AAV of $4.5 million.
Drury, 26, was acquired last week from the Colorado Avalanche. He was coming off a three-year contract with an AAV of $1.75 million and was due to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Drury is expected to center the Predators’ third line next season. His new AAV will likely set the standard for comparable players around the league.
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks signed defenseman Michael Kesselring to a three-year contract with an AAV of $4.5 million.
Kesselring, 26, was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on June 17. He’s completed a two-year contract with a $1.4 million AAV and was due to become an RFA with arbitration rights on July 1.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kesselring is coming off an injury-shortened season in which his playing time was reduced. He’ll get an opportunity to earn second-pairing minutes with the rebuilding Sharks.
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Buffalo Sabres are reportedly finalizing a new contract for Beck Malenstyn. The 28-year-old winger will sign a six-year deal worth an AAV of $3 million.
Malenstyn is completing a two-year contract with an AAV of $1.35 million. A physical, swift-skating checking-line forward, he is slated to become a UFA on July 1.
Wow, almost $5m annually for 3rd/4th line Jack Drury.
Salaries going nuts!
At those prices, NYR should just keep Trocheck at $5.6M and play him on 3rd line.
Welcome to the NBA and NFL only these guys have not figured out there isn’t that much to go around. Greedy agents, posses, selfish I got mine attitides destroyed NBA and is working its way thru other sports. Sad because it is a team game. Super teams are next and lots of bling rather than lunch pails and hard work
Totally agree AZ , greedy agents and bad advice from the people in the players entourage. I have always cheered for the underdog , more-so now.
Not big on the me first attitudes either guys, as I have posted on here a few times.
But, if these attitudes have destroyed the NBA, you sure can’t tell by the TV ratings and revenue increases, both of which are up, and have been trending up.
Same is true for the NFL.
18.7 viewers for 2025 season.
17.3 for 2024
17.9 for 2023
There is concern that they may see drops in the future, but nothing to do with player attitudes, but the subscription models that some of the platforms and cable networks are requiring. Vs network television.
foleyd7: It was inevitable. The higher the cap, the higher the salaries.
The only thing that could slow it down is the number of teams willing to spend up to the cap.
What could also slow it down is a continued rise of ticket prices in inflation-affected economies on the verge of recession and the fan bases saying “screw that!”
I agree that overall league salaries should go up as they have to spend to a certain revenue split % (50/50 or whatever it is).
So the league wide increase is fine.
It’s just concerning when they throw big bucks at 3rd/4th liners simply to spend up. It comes back to bite them when the real top liners need contracts.
JRob supposedly turned down $15M annually from Seattle which seems crazy, but if Drury is getting close to $5M, then JRob is probably worth $20M (in his agents eyes). And what is McDavid getting next if he wants full value
Drury almost tripled his salary. Driving up 3rd/4th line salaries so much has the unintended consequences of driving up future top line salaries and/or limiting $ you have available to put towards the top players.
Maybe this year was jus the perfect storm of a good cap increase to spend and a thin free agent market happening at the same time.
It’s going to be real interesting to see how the top contracts shake out over the next 2-4 years as the big dogs look for new deals (JRob, Makar, Quinn Hughes, McDavid, Bedard).
Kaprizov is going to have company in that $17M range and I don’t think that’s good for the teams trying to build a well rounded, winning roster.
You know George, I think pro sports in general is getting to the top of the dollar amounts they can charge for tickets.
Ticket costs is the biggest barrier to higher salaries. There is only so much more we can take.
And this explains why Carolina is likely not buying out Kotkaniemi this week. At $4.8M for 4 more years he might be underpaid by the end of that deal as a 3C now I guess.
Lyle, re: “Russo also said the league recently warned all teams that they cannot give blanket permission for UFAs to do this. The sole exception is when the player’s contract rights have been traded to another team, which would allow the acquiring team to speak with the player.”
Yeah, right – wink – wink. You know as well as any who follow the game closely that there have been way too many huge, convoluted signings announced on UFA day minutes after the opening of negotiations, not to have already been discussed at length by GMs and agents. None of which had rights traded beforehand.
The Zdeno Chara signing by the Bruins out of Ottawa is probably THE ultimate among “wink wink” examples since it involved what can only be described as a massive conflict of interest, led by the fact that Peter Chiarelli, a former assistant GM in Ottawa, had just taken over as Boston’s GM. What other conclusion can you come to when a huge, convoluted 5-year, $37.5 million contract was announced literally within seconds of the opening of unrestricted free agency on July 1, 2006?
Others along the same lines included:
David Clarkson’s singing by the Leafs to a 7-year $36.7 mil deal, again almost immediately following the opening of free agency; the announcement out of Edmonton in 2016, again within seconds, that they had come to a 7-year $42 mil agreement with Milan Lucic; in 2014, Washington announcing they had signed Brooks Orpic to a 5-year $27.5 mil contract which some critics charging at the time that there was NO way they could have given such a contract to an aging D without first having had lengthy discussions.
The point, as I see it anyway, is that, without such prior discussions having taken place, UFA day would be an even bigger snooze-fest than it already is, hence the “wink-wink” description of any adherence to “rigid NHL rules.” So why not cut just cut the obvious B.S. and allow that, as soon as the cup is won, negotiations can begin with any unsigned UFA, including their current team, but not announced until July 1?
Actually Chiarelli didn’t take over the B’s GM job until July 8, after Chara was signed.
He had agreed to take the GM position in May, but could start working for Boston until July 8th due to his contract with the Sens.
Jeff Gorton handled the draft and that UFA season, and did a bang up job actually.
Did Chiarelli going to Boston impact Chara’s decision, maybe.
But yes your overall point, it does seem pretty obvious when players sign minutes after the clock starts.
My theory has always been it’s the players talking to each other, and sharing internally. Is that against the rules? I have no idea.
Ray, the Bruins hired Chiarelli to be their new GM in May 2006, but the Senators took immediate legal steps to make certain he could not commence working or even communicating with the Bruins until July 15 – two weeks AFTER UFA day.
And although it was interim GM Jeff Gorton who made the signing announcement on July 1, you would have had to have just fallen off a turnip truck not to know instinctivelv that Chiarelli knew all the details of the Senator’s internal workings, including details of their offers to Chara and his and his agent’s demands, and that that information had been paramount in Boston’s discussions with rhe player and his agents WELL before the deadline.
Curiously, it was also on that day that Boston also signed Marc Savard to a 4-year $20 mil per deal, and later that afternoon, in an interview by media all ga-ga signings, Gorton said that getting Savard was facilitated by the Chara signing. For two contracts of that magnitude and legal complexity to fall like dominoes in the opening hours of free agency, the framework had to be negotiated days, if not weeks, in advance.
And, of course, there was the John Tavares signing of his $77 mil deal with Toronto, including a dog’s breakfast combination of deferred income, extensive tax-shelter machinations, signing bonuses that only the proverbial Philadelphia lawyer could comprehend within SECONDS of free agency opening. That HAD to have been worked out days if not weeks before.
Others involving complicated deals announced almost immediately included Lui Erikson in 2016 by Vancouver, Zack Hyman by Edmonton in 2021, Marian Hossa by Detroit in 2008, and Brad Richards by the NYR in 2011.
Every last one of them concluded with figurative middle fingers aimed towards NHL HQ.
Maybe the NHL should just have a “communication period” a week prior to July 1. Or right after the draft.
Just be open about it already.
I agree. OR, wait until mid-July for UFA day to allow around two weeks following the cup win.
George O – looking for your opinion:
Ignoring me not knowing who shoots right or left:
FORWARDS:
Batheson- timmy – ekland
burakowsky – cozens – grieg
zetterland – pinto – amadio
foegele – Holliday- ??? (giroux?) d is same as last year?
DEF:
Chabot – Zub
Sanderson – Spence
Kleven – Mantipalo
Yamerchuk
I’m okay with the D for now, because I don’t think they should wildly overpay for a RD. And any deal would have to involve Grieg and one of Kleven/Mantipalo going out.
So they still need a forward (or make a decision on Giroux).
Of the UFA forwards that are REASONABLY priced, only Roslovic and Marchmant (and maybe Mikheyev) appeal to me because of their age and projected cost.
George O
Wasn’t there a provision in previous iterations of the CBA that allowed a team to speak directly to UFA’s prior to July 1?
I thought I recall Tavares speaking to several teams prior to choosing Toronto
John G – it’s been no secret that 2 areas Staios HAD to improve included the back-up goalie situation, which he recently admitted he had not addressed properly last season when he put too much reliance on the ability of young Merilainen to handle the pressure, and more scoring from the wing positions – specifically RW. That was then further rendered important when he had to move Tkachuk fron he left side.
He addressed that latter with the trade of the 9th pick (which certainly wasn’t going to give them an immediate resolution) to San Jose for William Eklund. Some have given their opinion that that isn’t an improvement over Tkachuk – and from a sandpaper aspect, definitely not. But I’m betting that, placed on the 1st line with Stutzle, he will match if not surpass Tkachuk’s offensive stats.
Staios seems to think Ersson has the mechanics to be an effective back-up handling 35 games in the new 84-game schedule … and all we can do at this stage is hope he’s right.
As to the RW needs, Cozens can – and has – played there (and is reportedly open to that possibility), and I think if he starts at RW with Stutzle and Eklund, that could be a dangerous line for any team to handle. That would also preclude having Pinto play yet another year at 3rd line minutes.
The 2nd line would have Burakovsky at LW, Pinto at C and Batherson at RW, with the 3rd comprising Greig at C, Zetterlund at LW and Giroux at RW (he should be re-signed before UFA day). The 4th line would have Halliday centering Foegele at LW and Amadio at RW.
The D pairings will likely continue having Sanderson-Zub as the first pairing, Chabot with Spence as he 2nd, and Kleven-Matinpalo the 3rd. I’m not too sure about the wisdom of having Yakemchuk (or Matinpalo) serving as the 7th D (if Yakemcuk started with Kleven) as this would do little for their development.
Having said all that, I think we’re in for one more surprising big move by Staios before training camp and that that could take place quite soon. Who and for what? That’s anyone’s guess – but he GM has shown that he doesn’t hesitate when he thinks there’s deal that could improve the team. And he has the full support of owner Andlauer.
Daryl, I put your question above to AI exactly as you posted it, and got this response:
“Yes, your memory is completely correct. There was a highly publicized “interview window” provision in the 2013 NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which is exactly how John Tavares held formal meetings with multiple teams.
The Previous “Interview Window” (2013–2019)
Under the 2013 CBA, the NHL and NHLPA introduced a designated five-to-seven-day free-agent negotiation window right before July 1.
The Concept: Teams were legally permitted to invite impending UFAs and their agents to pitch sessions.
The Restriction: Clubs could sell players on their city, facility, and general franchise vision, but they were strictly forbidden from discussing contract financials or making formal contract offers.
The John Tavares Sweeps (2018)
The 2018 free agency of John Tavares serves as the ultimate historical example of this exact provision. During that specific late-June discussion period, Tavares and his agency (CAA) set up camp in Los Angeles and hosted elaborate pitches from five outside teams:
Toronto Maple Leafs – San Jose Sharks – Dallas Stars – Boston Bruins – Vegas Golden Knights
Because of the interview window rules, these teams were allowed to speak directly with him and try to convince him to sign. He ultimately left the New York Islanders to sign his seven-year deal with Toronto on July 1, 2018. Another high-profile example of a player utilizing this window was Steven Stamkos in 2016, who famously met with teams (including Toronto) before ultimately deciding to stay with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Why the Rule Was Killed
The NHL and general managers grew frustrated with the interview window because the restriction against discussing money was largely treated as a formality. Agents and general managers found loopholes to discuss “general contract parameters,” leading to dozens of finished, massive contracts being leaked days before July 1.
When the NHL and NHLPA extended the CBA in July 2020 following the COVID-19 pause, the free-agent interview period was completely eliminated. The league reverted to the current strict “no contact at all until July 1” policy to try and curb the rampant premature financial negotiations.”
So, for the past 6 years the original rule was supposed to hold sway .
George, I think your Sens did as good as they could upon the desertion of Tkaczuk. My concern is that they Don t have enough sandpaper in the lineup. Hate to see people take liberties with Stutzle. Am I missing something in your group?
About that Malenstyn contract, when did Lou Lamoriello become the Sabres GM?
I didn’t get the reference to Lou but giving a 28 year old fwd who had 14 points last year (48 points in 262 career games) a 6 year contract at $3 mil per seems a bit off.
That’s the point Gored. Lou was in the habit of giving lengthy contracts to bottom of the lineup players.
I like the deal, though I would have preferred a year less. Beck is a solid contributor.
Let’s hope the contract ages better than the Wood contract for the Avs a few years back.
He must have got the idea from Don Sweeney who gave Tanner Jeannot 6 years with a 3.4 AAV.
The higher the cap argument is true obviously but the league revenue is the guide in reality.
NHL teams paying $5m for 3rd and 4th line players is going in the wrong direction because NHL revenue isn’t in the same stratosphere as other pro sports.
NHL revenue gets 45% of revenue in arena seating and 12% from parking and concessions.
Media is where the revenue is and NFL, NBA dwarf the NHL. The cap is up this year but without any real long term high revenue media deals it won’t be rising yearly.
Ticket and concession prices are already squeezing fans out leaving most NHL fans relying on TV and that’s being squeezed out too.
habfan30: For years, I’ve heard that argument that the cap wouldn’t be rising yearly without long-term high revenue media. Heck, I remember hearing it when the cap was first implemented in 2005, when the ceiling was $39 million. And yet, as history shows, it keeps rising.
Perhaps the sharp spikes in revenue we’ve seen recently will slow again at some point. But it will keep rising barring things like a global pandemic.
Lyle, given the inflation from 2005 til today…over 25% aggregate in the last five years alone, both the cap and the revenue have grown very modestly in real dollars. And entry level deals have actually declined in purchasing power for the player over the last few years, while the gap between the entry and the top has increased.
Richard, you’re overlooking the flattened salary cap from 2020-21 to 2023-24. Overall, it’s risen steadily, with its most significant increases being over the last three seasons, largely from new broadcasting contracts, expansion, and other revenue streams.
I do agree with you regarding the gap between the entry level and the top salaries. I daresay the PA will be bringing that up as an issue in the next round of collective bargaining.
I mean, the point of the cap (and the cap floor) from the fan’s perspective was to level the playing field somewhat between the big and small markets. Thanks to the broadcast rights, some surprising teams are within a few million of the cap.
The dark side of that of course is that, in the U.S., you have to sub to several different networks to see every game (and deal with the non-stop barrage of sports betting ads). And in Canada, it’ll be weird that there’s no Hockey Night in Canada this season.
I support the players trying to get what they can because they’re the ones with literal skin in the game. Owners have no problem with making the product on TV less and less watchable.
Like every other sport. Last week, I paid $82 for mid-level Atlanta Braves tickets. Toss in a little beer, hot dogs and parking and you are easily over $150 for a 9-inning baseball game.
World Cup tickets here start at $800 per match.
Pro sports is eventually going to hit the wall someday soon.
DId the math: In US real dollars, today’s cap about 74.9MM if 2005/39MM had held constant. My $40 seat is now $72, which seem like my team has given the STL folks a break, tho admittedly that $40 was often discounted while today in a full building we pay full price. Biggest revenue gain may actually have been in merch licensing, and a number of new buildings with more seats.
Richard, that much of a price jump will feel painful for you, but the average price for a ticket in Montreal is north of $100 and perhaps south of $200.
Same with Canucks tickets in Vancouver, so bookends across Canada.
Hence George’s comment above about a tipping point for fans.
And let us not toss in a beer and a dog.
My wife thinks “its all about the beer”. “A” beer, ie just one, may not be the most common consumption. Concessions are an important part of the revenue stream, though the team control varies from market to market, unlike the licensed merch. 31 years of season tickets, 26 sweaters and uncountable t-shirts in my closet…I feel I’ve done my part,
George, in all cases all teams make provisional plans and lists of players including ways to entice them. That to me sounds logical and a no-brainer. That will include money allocated as well as term and when you’re someone like the Leafs, you can flex your financial power by offering huge signing bonuses which are escrow free upfront as part of luring desirable UFA’s. And plus, would it surprise you if other rival GM’s already knew what your UFA will be looking for?. In short, GM’s need to have a plan in place how to target these desirable UFA‘s before free agency begins…it wouldn’t be hard to imagine teams emailing agents right at the start with their best proposal having their UFA client and agent pick who they want first as well as best offer together and if that GM is from a team your UFA wants to play there and all adds up, I don’t see why they won’t sign within minutes of FA starting.
Collusion would be if the players agent were to say, you know such and such really likes five years rather than eight and would rather like x amount of dollars rather than y…
By what we have heard year after year, the people in this leagues (for the most part) don’t act that way. There’s a lot we don’t know about and are helped by the insiders whose sole objective is to engage us.
The undeniable fact is that total revenue of NHL is 1/4 of the NFL and 1/2 the NBA.
What is also undeniable is that almost 60% of NHL revenue comes from ticket and concession sales.
The media revenue is a joke compared to the other leagues and that is the main source of revenue.
The cap spikes of recent years are a pittance, expansion fees for example, $2B for NHL, $10B for NBA and $8B for NFL.
All to say that while contract prices continue to rise in the NHL, it cannot be as steep or as fast and the same goes for the cap. It isn’t as if an added franchise is bringing in $10B to league coffers or the NHL is signing a national contract with FOX, NBC,ABC CBS, ESPN in the Billions like the other leagues.
We ( NHL and fanbase) are marginal in the big picture.
Even with 25 American cities comprising the vast bulk of the league. That, too, should put into perspective the huge difference in popularity in the U.S. between the NHL and NFL, NBA and MLB, and hence those massive TV deals which the NHL can only drool over. Something that not even another Texas site is going tio change any time soon.
I mean, the game of hockey is certainly a lot more popular across all regions of the U.S. today than ever before … what with the advent of leagues like the USHL and the increased interest in NCAA competition. And much of that is owed to Bettman – like him or not. Alas, though, still nowhere near the popularity of those other sports.
Maybe people wouldn’t get their feathers ruffled if we looked at cap percentage instead of dollar amount. Beck signs for 2.9% of the cap. Looks better than 3 mil. Drury 4.8 of the cap
With the likely good of those percentages dropping slightly each year.
That is the only way to look at it and I’d bet teams look at it in a similar way too.
It’s a lot easier to figure out if the GM was shrewd or handed out way too much. Especially for any type of player that is a known or expected quality and could compare that to the rest of his team, to peers around the league, within reason giving considering on “market taxes” for given clubs. I think dollar figures cloud fans opinions especially when salaries increase yearly, much like the cap does. Plus aren’t we near or getting near to the level where the top players we’re getting paid before the lockout….that was like how many years ago? 🤑