Notable NHL Signings and Trades – July 1, 2025

by | Jul 1, 2025

Notable NHL Signings and Trades – July 1, 2025

 Anaheim Ducks sign unrestricted free-agent forward Mikael Granlund to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $7 million.

The New York Rangers signed winger Will Cuylle to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.9 million. Cuylle was a restricted free agent completing his entry-level contract.

Buffalo Sabres re-sign center Ryan McLeod to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $5 million. McLeod was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

The San Jose Sharks signed John Klingberg to a one-year, $4 million contract. He was an unrestricted free agent.

 

Defenseman Ryan Lindgren signed a four-year contract with the Seattle Kraken with an average annual value of $4.5 million.

The Utah Mammoth signed defenseman Nate Schmidt inked a three-year contract ($3.5 million AAV) and forward Brandon Tanev to a three-year contract ($2.5 million AAV).

The Los Angeles Kings signed defenseman Cody Ceci to a four-year contract with an AAV of $4.5 million, blueliner Brian Dumoulin to a three-year deal with a $4 million AAV, and winger Corey Perry to a one-year, $2 million contract.

Winger Jonathan Drouin agreed to a two-year contract ($4 million AAV) with the New York Islanders.

Forward Radek Faksa inked a three-year contract ($2 million AAV) with the Dallas Stars.

 

The Vancouver Canucks brought back Brock Boeser, signing him to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $7.25 million.

The New York Rangers sign defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year deal with an AAV of $7 million.

The Los Angeles Kings sign forward Joel Armia to a two-year contract with a $2.5 million AAV.

The Boston Bruins signed forward Tanner Jeannot to a four-year deal with an AAV of $3.5 million.

The New Jersey Devils sign forward Connor Brown to a four-year contract with an AAV of $3 million.

The Philadelphia Flyers sign goaltender Dan Vladar to a two-year contract with a $3.35 million AAV.

The San Jose Sharks sign winger William Eklund to a three-year deal with an AAV of $5.6 million. Eklund, 22, was a restricted free agent.

The Philadelphia Flyers signed center Christian Dvorak to a one-year, $5.4 million contract.

The Montreal Canadiens trade defenseman Logan Mailloux to the St. Louis Blues for forward Zachary Bolduc.

Logan Stankoven signs an eight-year contract extension ($6 million AAV) with the Carolina Hurricanes. The 22-year-old forward was slated to become an RFA next July.

Jake Allen re-signed with the New Jersey Devils. The 34-year-old goaltender agreed to a five-year contract with an AAV of $1.8 million.

The Edmonton Oilers trade winger Viktor Arvidsson to the Boston Bruins for a fifth-round draft pick in 2027. This move frees up $4 million of salary-cap space for the Oilers.

Thatcher Demko signs a a three-year contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks worth an average annual value of $8.5 million. The 29-year-old goaltender was eligible for UFA status next July.

The Canucks also confirmed that Conor Garland signed a six-year contract extension with an AAV of $6 million. Like Demko, he was slated to become a UFA next July.

Martin Fehervary signed a seven-year contract extension with the Washington Capitals worth an AAV of $6 million. The 25-year-old defenseman was a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.










Notable NHL Trades and Signings – June 30, 2025

by | Jun 30, 2025

Notable NHL Trades and Signings – June 30, 2025

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed winger Mitch Marner to an eight-year, $96 million contract ($12 million average annual value. They subsequently traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights for center Nicolas Roy. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And with that, Marner’s nine seasons with the Maple Leafs come to an end. 

Marner was projected to receive between $12.5 million and $13 million annually. It’s a little less than market value, but it comes with long-term security. 

It’s a good deal for Marner, and he ends up in a preferred destination. The 28-year-old winger is coming off a career-best 102-point performance. He’s in his prime and considered among the league’s elite two-way forwards. Whether this is the right deal for the Golden Knights remains to be seen. 

Toronto Maple Leafs sign winger Mitch Marner and trade him to the Vegas Golden Knights (NHL Images).

Marner brings additional offense to the Golden Knights and should also help defensively. However, this leaves the Golden Knights top-heavy among their top-six forwards at the expense of their overall roster depth. That should be a familiar situation for Marner, having been part of a similar experience with the Leafs for years. 

Snark aside,  a lack of overall depth prevented the Golden Knights from repeating as Stanley Cup champions over the last two seasons. Marner’s monster contract will once again leave them with limited cap space, forcing them to try and get creative. 

One way is placing veteran defenseman Alex Pietrangelo on long-term injury reserve for 2025-26, freeing up his $8.8 million AAV. However, that will be used up mostly for Marner’s cap hit, leaving little wiggle room to boost their depth. 

As for the Leafs, they at least get something for Marner rather than losing him to free agency for nothing. Roy, 28, is a big, physical middle-six forward who can play center or wing with two years on his contract at an annual cap hit of $3 million. He’ll provide size, versatility, and experienced skill to their checking lines. 

The Edmonton Oilers have signed defenseman Evan Bouchard to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $10.5 million. Bouchard, 25, was slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bouchard’s getting a significant raise over the $3.9 million AAV of his previous contract. It’s not surprising given how he’s blossomed into a high-scoring puck-moving blueliner.

Bouchard netted a career-best 82 points in 2023-24. His production slipped to 67 points in 2024-25, but he was fifth among defensemen in scoring. He also led all blueliners in postseason scoring this year with seven goals and 23 points.

The Oilers had little choice but to pay Bouchard that much, though at four years it’s a manageable term if his performance drops off. However, they now have nearly $20 million tied up in two defensemen, with Darnell Nurse pulling in $9.25 million annually through 2029-30. It leaves the Oilers with around $550,000 in cap space, which means a cost-cutting trade is coming soon.

The Florida Panthers re-sign Aaron Ekblad to an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $6.1 million. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekblad made no secret of his desire to remain with the Panthers. It was assumed he’d have to accept a pay cut on a contract shorter than the eight years ($7.5 million AAV) of his previous deal. 

Instead, he gets another maximum eight-year contract with a pay reduction that wasn’t as severe as expected. 

The Panthers rewarded Ebklad for not only his loyalty but his years of hard work as the anchor of their defense corps, culminating in back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. However, this is a contract that probably won’t age well. 

Now 29, Ekblad has been hampered by injuries since 2020-21, and his performance declined a bit in 2024-25. If this persists, this deal could become a salary-cap headache down the road. 

The Detroit Red Wings trade winger Vladimir Tarasenko to the Minnesota Wild for future considerations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tarasenko signed a two-year contract last summer with the Red Wings, but things didn’t work out for him in Motown. After netting 23 goals and 55 points in 2023-24 with the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers, the 33-year-old winger managed only 11 goals and 33 points with the Wings.

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquire winger Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth in exchange for a conditional third-round pick in 2027.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A skillful playmaking winger, the 24-year-old Maccelli had a career-best performance in 2023-24 with 17 goals and 40 assists for 57 points. However, his production dropped significantly last season as he tumbled down the Mammoth’s depth chart, becoming a healthy scratch in 26 regular-season games. This could turn into a steal for the Leafs if Maccelli regains his form.

The New York Islanders signed defenseman Alexander Romanov to an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $6.25 million. Romanov, 25, was slated to become a restricted free agent on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a foregone conclusion after the Islanders traded Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens on Friday. Romanov’s deal makes him their highest-paid defenseman. He’s not a point-producer like Dobson, but he’s a physical shutdown blueliner who logged over 22 minutes of ice time per game last season.










Notable NHL Trades and Signings – June 28, 2025

by | Jun 28, 2025

Notable NHL Trades and Signings – June 28, 2025

The Anaheim Ducks trade goaltender John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for goaltender Petr Mrazek, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick.

Anaheim Ducks trade goaltender John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson, 31, had been a fixture in the trade-rumor mill for the past two seasons. The sticking point had been his contract with its $6.4 million average annual value. However, he has only two years remaining on his deal. With the salary cap rising significantly over that period, his contract became more palatable for a club like the Red Wings, which went through five goalies last season.

Gibson will be expected to help the Red Wings end their franchise-record nine-year playoff drought. He’s spent the past several seasons backstopping the rebuilding Ducks, but with a potentially more competitive team in front of him in Detroit, he has a chance to prove he’s still a reliable starting goalie.

This move solidifies Lukas Dostal as the Ducks’ starting goaltender. The 25-year-old had outplayed Gibson for the job last season. Mrazek will support him in the backup role.

The Ottawa Senators acquire defenseman Jordan Spence from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a third-round pick in 2025 and a sixth-round pick in 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators were in the market for a right-shot defenseman to replace Nick Jensen, who recently underwent hip surgery with no timeline for his return. Spence, 24, carries an affordable $1.5 million cap hit for 2025-26. He netted 28 points in 79 games last season with the Kings.

The Calgary Flames signed defenseman Kevin Bahl to a six-year contract with an average annual value of $5.35 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bahl was acquired from the New Jersey Devils as part of the return in the Jacob Markstrom trade. He quickly established himself among their top-four blueliners, logging over 21 minutes of ice time per game.










Notable NHL Trades and Signings – June 27, 2025

by | Jun 27, 2025

Notable NHL Trades and Signings – June 27, 2025

The Florida Panthers signed Sam Bennett to an eight-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $8 million. He was slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s doubtful anyone’s surprised by this news. Bennett, 29, won the 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy, helping Florida win their second straight Stanley Cup. His versatility and agitating two-way style made him an important part of the roster core that turned the Panthers into the NHL’s dominant team over the past two years.

Bennett completed a four-year contract with an average annual value of $8 million, which is what most observers projected he’d get. He might’ve received a little more on the open market from teams eager to overpay for his services, but he never had any intention of leaving a proven winner, especially when they were keen to pay up to keep him.

The Panthers intend to keep their roster core intact to remain a Cup contender for the foreseeable future. However, Bennett’s gritty style of play could catch up with him over the latter half of his deal, which could make this deal burdensome in its final years.

The Montreal Canadiens acquired defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders in exchange for the 16th and 17th overall picks in this year’s draft and forward Emil Heineman. The Habs also signed the 25-year-old defenseman to an eight-year contract worth an average annual value of $9.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the biggest move yet by Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes. Dobson is a right-shot blueliner who netted a career-best 70 points in 2023-24. His production dropped to 39 points last season, but so did the offensive output of most of the Islanders in 2024-25. There were also rumors that he was clashing with Islanders head coach Patrick Roy.

New York Islanders trade Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens (NHL Images).

Dobson is entering the prime of his career. If he returns to form under Montreal coach Martin St. Louis, it will take considerable pressure off young star Lane Hutson on the right side of the Canadiens’ blueline.

The Islanders didn’t seem to be much in return for Dobson. However, those two first-round picks could be used to make a trade to move up in the round, putting them in position to draft center (and Long Island native) James Hagens.

The Toronto Maple Leafs re-sign John Tavares to a four-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $4.38 million. He also gets a full no-movement clause in the first two years, followed by a five-team trade list for the final two seasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was never in doubt. Tavares stated he wanted to stay in Toronto following the Leafs’ second-round playoff exit. He knew he’d have to accept a pay cut from the $11 million AAV of his previous contract. This shows his willingness to remain a Maple Leaf.

The Colorado Avalanche traded center Charlie Coyle and winger Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets for prospect center Gavin Brindley, a 2025 third-round pick, and a 2027 second-rounder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a salary dump by the Avalanche. The 33-year-old Coyle is a versatile middle-six forward who can play center or right. Acquired at the trade deadline from the Boston Bruins, he has a year left on his contract with an AAV of $5.25 million. 

Wood frequently surfaced in the rumor mill after struggling through injuries and inconsistency in 2024-25. The 29-year-old checking-line winger is signed through 2028-29 with an AAV of $2.5 million. 

Taking into account Brindley’s $775K cap hit, the Avalanche have $8.9 million in cap space with 16 active roster players under contract. They could be planning other moves with that cap room to shore up their depth. 










Roundup of Commentary on Some Recent NHL Stories

by | Jun 21, 2025

Roundup of Commentary on Some Recent NHL Stories

Once upon a time, I used this Soapbox to share my opinions on whatever NHL news I found interesting. Over time, however, my workload increased as I took on more freelance work, leaving me little time to devote attention to specific topics.

As I did more daily coverage of noteworthy NHL headlines, I offered up more commentary on the topics that caught my eye. The following is a roundup of viewpoints from stories that appeared in recent weeks.

Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts in the comments below.

McDavid’s Future In Edmonton Uncertain?

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Robert Tychowski reports Oilers captain Connor McDavid left just a little doubt over whether he’ll remain in Edmonton after next season. The 28-year-old superstar center has a year left on his contract and will be eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July.

McDavid talked about the hard work the organization has done to build toward being a Stanley Cup contender. He indicated that he would take some time to regroup, talk to his agent and family, adding there was no rush to sign a contract extension on July 1.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

However, McDavid made a remark that left just enough room for doubt.

“With that being said, ultimately, I still need to do what’s best for me and my family. That’s how you have to take care of, first. But of course there is unfinished business here.”

McDavid was asked what would influence his decision.

“Winning would be at the top of the list, it’s the most important thing. If I feel there is a good window to win here, then signing is no problem.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edmonton pundits, including Tychowski and Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic, believe the odds favor the Oilers re-signing McDavid. They felt his comments were meant as a direct message to management that he’ll be closely watching their roster decisions over the next two weeks.

Nevertheless, a few observers around the league speculated about the possibility of McDavid becoming available in the trade market or via free agency next summer.

If McDavid becomes a trade candidate, several factors will determine potential destinations.

An interested team needs sufficient trade capital on its roster, which could include its most promising young player and a top-six veteran forward. They must be prepared to part with at least one first-round pick and at least one top prospect. Finally, and most importantly, they need sufficient cap space to sign McDavid to a long-term extension and still be able to ice a contending roster.

It would be cheaper to wait for free agency, but it could still cost up to 20 percent of a team’s cap payroll for 2026-27 to sign McDavid. If the cap reached $104 million as projected, the maximum contract is $20.8 million.

State Tax Follies

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks believes the NHL must address what he considers the “glaring inequality” that six teams out of five states (Florida, Texas, Nevada, Washington and Tennessee) with no state income tax have had over the other 26 clubs over the past decade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The salary cap addresses that inequality. The Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2004 Stanley Cup roster was swiftly depleted by the imposition of the cap in 2005. As well managed as the Lightning have been over the past 10 years, salary-cap constraints took their toll over the past three years, leading to three straight first-round eliminations.

Shrewd management played a significant role in the recent championship success of the Lightning, Panthers, and Golden Knights. The lack of a state tax may have made it easier to re-sign key players, but they were still expensive to retain, eating up valuable cap space at the expense of their overall roster depth.

The Panthers are a strong club and could repeat as champions this season. Nevertheless, cap constraints took their toll last season when top-four defenseman Brandon Montour departed via free agency. That trend will continue to affect their roster depth as it did to their rival in Tampa Bay.

Before their recent dominance, the Panthers were a laughingstock for decades. The lack of a state income tax didn’t help them during those grim years when they were mismanaged.

The Stars have done well since 2020 (four Conference Finals, one Stanley Cup Final) because of their management. Jim Nill won the Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award in 2023 and 2024 and is a finalist this season. However, they missed the playoffs nine times between 2008-09 and 2018-19, with four of those under Gill’s watch. A lack of a state tax didn’t give them an edge during those lean years.

Despite the Golden Knights’ short history, management was a significant factor in their success. A lack of a state tax likely played a role in signing core players like Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo. However, the club’s impressive record was due to the efforts of former general manager George McPhee and his successor, Kelly McCrimmon.

Nevertheless, the salary cap also affected their roster depth. In recent years, limited space forced them to part with several core players, including 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault.

Strong management played a key role in the Predators maintaining a competitive roster under a cost-conscious ownership for years, including their march to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. Their supposed tax advantage may have helped them land Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei via free agency last summer, but it didn’t help them reach the playoffs this season, nor has it helped them return to the heights of their 2016-17 season.

As for the Seattle Kraken, their tax advantage hasn’t given them any advantage thus far in their short history, missing the playoffs in three of the four seasons of their short existence.

SPORTSNET: The NHL and NHLPA indicated there will be no changes in the upcoming CBA to address any perceived advantages for teams located in no-tax states.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said there are many reasons why a player chooses to play in a certain location, a particular team or a particular coach that have nothing to do with the tax situation in that market.

NHLPA assistant executive director Ron Hainsey pointed out that clubs in higher-tax states like Detroit, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston dominated the league between 2008 and 2020. He noted that superstars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Patrice Bergeron, and Zdeno Chara could’ve made more money playing elsewhere, but stayed put because they were playing for contenders, they liked where they lived, and didn’t want to move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stick tap to Hainsey for pointing out the blatantly obvious to punch holes in this “issue”.

The notion of teams in no-tax states having an advantage over other clubs has been recently trotted out by critics of the Florida Panthers, insinuating it’s the main reason behind their recent success. It’s the same excuse being used to explain why a Florida-based team has reached the Stanley Cup Final in every season since 2020.

That critique, of course, is nonsense.

The Panthers, and the Tampa Bay Lightning before them, were built by smart general managers and guided by shrewd coaches. To suggest otherwise is insulting to the hard work that those franchises have done to become champions.

NHL To Address LTIR Loophole

THE ATHLETIC: Hainsey confirmed that the league and the PA are working to address the long-term injury reserve loophole in the next CBA. He didn’t get into the details, but said they continue to discuss finding a mechanism to put into place to manage that issue.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LTIR is legalized salary-cap circumvention because there is no salary cap during the postseason. Every team has used it at one time or another, but some clubs have used it to bolster their rosters in preparation for the playoffs.

The Panthers are the most recent example. Matthew Tkachuk suffered an injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off that sidelined him for the final weeks of the regular season. The Panthers used the salary-cap savings to acquire Seth Jones before the trade deadline. Tkachuk returned to action for the start of this postseason, able to rejoin the roster because the salary cap only applies to the regular season.

The Panthers operated within the rules as laid out in the CBA. They did nothing wrong, and they aren’t the only team to have used LTIR to their advantage. Nevertheless, this loophole allowed them to bolster their roster for the playoffs in a way that they wouldn’t have had if Tkachuk had been healthy.

Podkolzin A Big Miss For The Canucks?

THE PROVINCE: Former Vancouver Canucks forward Vasily Podkolzin is in the Stanley Cup Final with the Edmonton Oilers. Ben Kuzma believes drafting Podkolzin 10th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft was a “big miss” by the Canucks.

Kuzma points out they could’ve had Matt Boldy, who was chosen two picks later by the Minnesota Wild. Boldy has gone on to become a first-line forward with the Wild, netting a career-best 73 points this season.

Podkolzin struggled in his three season with the Canucks, who traded him to the Oilers last summer. The 23-year-old winger had 24 points in 82 games as a depth forward this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reviewing NHL Central Scouting’s final 2019 rankings, Boldy was ninth among North American skaters while Podkolzin was second among International skaters. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman had Boldy eighth overall among his top prospects and Podkolzin 12th. The Hockey News’ Ryan Kennedy had Podkolzin eighth and Boldy 11th, and McKeen’s Hockey and Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino had Podkolzin 11th and Boldy 12th.

Hindsight is 20-20. The NHL Draft is often a crapshoot, with some players meeting or exceeding expectations while most fail to do so.










Notable NHL Trades – March 7, 2025

by | Mar 7, 2025

Notable NHL Trades – March 7, 2025

The Boston Bruins traded Brad Marchand to the Florida Panthers for a conditional 2027 second-round pick. The Bruins retained half of Marchand’s $6.13 million cap hit.  

Boston Bruins traded Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Fraser Minten and a first-round pick. 

Toronto Maple Leafs trade Conor Timmins and Connor Dewar to the Pittsburgh Penguins. More to follow. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets acquire Luke Kunin from the San Jose Sharks for a 2025 fourth-rounder. 

The Ottawa Senators acquired Fabian Zetterlund, Tristen Robins and a fourth-round pick from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Noah Gregor, Zack Ostapchuk and a second-round pick. 

Philadelphia Flyers trade Erik Johnson to the Colorado Avalanche for Givani Smith.

The Buffalo Sabres shipped Henri Jokiharju to the Boston Bruins. Details to follow.  

The Dallas Stars acquired Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Logan Stankoven and two first-round picks. The Stars sign Rantanen to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $12 million. More details to follow.

New Jersey Devils acquire Cody Glass from the Pittsburgh Penguins for a third-round pick.

The Boston Bruins Trade Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for Casey Mittelstadt, prospect Will Zellers and a second-round pick.

The Detroit Red Wings Acquire Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Joe Veleno.

The Philadelphia Flyers trade Scott Laughton, a fourth-round pick and a sixth-rounder to the Toronto Maple Leafs for prospect Nikita Grebenkin and a 2027 first-round pick.

The Buffalo Sabres trade Dylan Cozens, Dennis Gilbert and a 2026 second-round pick to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forward Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker.

The Winnipeg Jets acquire Luke Schenn from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick.

The Jets also acquire Brandon Tanev from the Seattle Kraken for a 2027 second-round pick.

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded Anthony Beauvillier to the Washington Capitals for a second-round pick in 2025.

The Philadelphia Flyers traded Andrei Kuzmenko to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick. Flyers retain 50 percent of Kuzmenko’s $5.5 million cap hit.