NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 1, 2025
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 1, 2025
Alex Pietrangelo to step away from hockey, an update on Evgeni Malkin, Brad Marchand re-signs with the Panthers, Ivan Provorov re-ups with the Blue Jackets, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL’s annual free-agent period begins at noon ET on July 1.
PIETRANGELO STEPS AWAY FROM HOCKEY FOR HEALTH REASONS
VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Alex Pietrangelo released a statement on Monday indicating he was stepping away from hockey for health reasons. In an additional statement, Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said the 35-year-old defenseman is dealing with hip injuries that would require bilateral femur reconstruction, with no guarantee of success.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (NHL Images).
Pietrangelo said doctors advised him to remove the intensity of hockey to see if his body improves so that he can enjoy a normal quality of life. He didn’t indicate that he was retiring, but admitted there was a low likelihood of resuming his playing career.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pietrangelo’s condition likely means he’s played his final game. He is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $8.8 million. It’s expected the Golden Knights will place him on long-term injury reserve to free up salary-cap space to accommodate their recent acquisition of Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Pietrangelo’s absence leaves a big hole on the Golden Knights’ blueline. He was their best all-around defenseman, playing a key role in their march to the 2023 Stanley Cup.
EVGENI MALKIN TO REMAIN WITH THE PENGUINS
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Dan Kingerski reports sources close to Evgeni Malkin and within the Penguins organization confirm the 38-year-old center will play with the club for 2025-26. Beyond that, nothing has been decided positively or negatively.
Penguins GM Kyle Dubas said he told Malkin and his agent that they’ll see how the season goes and will meet again at the Olympic break next February. They’ll see where the veteran center is at that point, and then meet after the season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Malkin was the recent subject of speculation suggesting he could agree to be traded this summer. Barring the unforeseen, he’ll be back in a Penguins jersey to start this season.
LATEST NOTABLE NHL SIGNINGS
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Analysis of Mitch Marner being signed by the Maple Leafs and traded to the Golden Knights, and the new contracts for Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard, Florida’s Aaron Ekblad, the Islanders’ Alexander Romanov, and more can be found at this link.
THE SCORE: The Florida Panthers re-signed winger Brad Marchand to a six-year contract with an average annual value of $5.25 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers GM Bill Zito is ensuring his roster core remains intact as he attempts to keep his club’s Stanley Cup window open for the foreseeable future. As with the new contracts for Sam Bennett and Aaron Ekblad, Marchand’s deal should help the Panthers remain competitive in the short term, but it won’t age well as the 37-year-old winger’s performance inevitably declines.
Those contracts will eventually become burdensome, even under a rising salary cap. Zito could shed them via trades, buyouts or LTIR, but there’s no certainty those moves will be easy to pull off.
Potential trade partners will insist on some salary retention or sweeteners like draft picks and prospects. Buyouts count against the cap as two-thirds of the remaining value over twice the remaining term (and in Marchand’s case, as a “plus-35” player, the full value would still count against the cap). LTIR means they cannot accrue cap space during the season.
TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets are finalizing a new seven-year contract with defenseman Ivan Provorov. The deal would be worth an AAV of $8.5 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets attempted to acquire Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders, but they lost out to the Montreal Canadiens. That left Provorov with considerable leverage to land this deal.
The 28-year-old is a good second-pairing blueliner, but this contract would pay him like a first-pairing rearguard. It would be a significant raise over the $6.75 million of his previous contract.
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings re-signed forward Patrick Kane to a one-year contract with a cap hit of $3 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise here. Both sides wanted this done. The 36-year-old finished fifth among the Wings last season with 59 points in 72 games as a second-line right wing.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Los Angeles Kings signed winger Andrei Kuzmenko to a one-year, $4.3 million contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 29-year-old Kuzmenko struggled last season with the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers. However, he regained his scoring touch following a trade to the Kings, tallying 17 points in 22 regular-season games and six points in six postseason contests. A solid performance this season could earn him an extension with more term.
IN OTHER NEWS…
THE PROVINCE: Thatcher Demko is reportedly close to signing a contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks. The 29-year-old goaltender is in the final season of his five-year contract with an AAV of $5 million.
CALGARY SUN: The Flames hired Brent Seabrook as a player development coach.
RG.ORG: Evgeny Kuznetsov is hoping to return to the NHL this season. The 33-year-old center spent last season with KHL team SKA St. Petersburg. His agent claims that around 10 NHL clubs have expressed some interest in his client.
THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens traded goaltender Cayden Primeau to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick.