NHL Rumor Mill – July 17, 2025

by | Jul 17, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – July 17, 2025

Some recent speculation about Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SDPN: On Monday, TSN insider Chris Johnston was a guest on the Steve Dangle Podcast Network. Among the topics discussed was possible landing spots for Connor McDavid if he tests the open market next summer.

Johnston believes Connor McDavid will most likely re-sign with the Edmonton Oilers. Nevertheless, he thinks that there could be 10 teams in the running to sign the 28-year-old superstar if he becomes an unrestricted free agent (UFA).

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

“I’m sure it has occurred to the Kings, I’m sure it has occurred to the Rangers, you don’t think Julien BriseBois down in Tampa Bay is looking at his long-term roster?” said Johnston.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If McDavid goes to market next July, he will likely want to become the highest-paid player in the league.

The salary cap for 2026-27 will be $104 million. A team can invest no more than 20 percent of its salary-cap payroll on one player. McDavid could seek between $18 million and $20 million per season on his next contract.

PuckPedia indicates that the Rangers have a projected $29.6 million in cap space for 2026-27. The Kings have $37.8 million, and the Lightning $27.7 million. All have the cap space to sign McDavid.

However, the Rangers would be bidding farewell to Artemi Panarin as they can’t afford to retain him and still sign McDavid. The Kings could afford to retain aging captain Anze Kopitar on a cheaper contract, but could have a difficult time keeping a UFA-eligible Adrian Kempe and defenseman Brandt Clarke, who will be a restricted free agent (RFA).

The Lightning could be the most enticing. All their core players are under contract for 2026-27, with defenseman JJ Moser an RFA with arbitration rights and winger Oliver Bjorkstrand and defenseman Ryan McDonagh as their notable UFAs. However, signing McDavid to even a reduced rate of, say, $17 million (because the Lightning are in a no-tax state), could make it difficult to re-sign Moser and re-sign or replace Bjorkstrand and McDonagh.

McDavid also stressed that winning the Stanley Cup means the most to him. Given their recent records, those three clubs might not be the best options to answer that need.

Johnston also joined the pundits who believe Sidney Crosby probably won’t finish his playing career with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He acknowledged that no one knows Crosby’s intentions, but claimed that the possibility of his availability is a topic of discussion around the league.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NHL analyst Pierre McGuire recently talked about the speculation linking Crosby to the Montreal Canadiens. He believes it would take a first-round pick, a top prospect, and an NHL player (“and a great one at that”) to land him. So, Habs fans, Suzuki for Crosby? Maybe Demidov? Lane Hutson? How bad do you want to see Sid in a Canadiens jersey?

A Crosby trade is possible. As the old saying goes, if Wayne Gretzky could be traded, anyone could be traded. Whenever I mention his two-year extension, some believe that it enhances his trade value because any playoff club acquiring him before the March 2026 trade deadline would have him for two postseason runs.

Nevertheless, I remain skeptical. There’s nothing to suggest Crosby wants out, and most of the trade talk thus far sounds like wishful thinking. Unless something changes, he seems intent on finishing his playing career with the Penguins.

Turning to the Minnesota Wild, Johnston wouldn’t be surprised if they re-sign Kirill Kaprizov this summer. He thinks the winger’s new AAV could be higher than that of Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl. “It wouldn’t surprise me if he gets something like $15 million”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild owner Craig Leipold last year indicated that his club intends to open the vault for Kaprizov. Draisaitl currently has the NHL’s highest annual average value at $14 million.

Johnston noted that Carey Price will receive $5.5 million of the $7.5 million in actual salary that he’s owed for this season as a signing bonus on September 1. Once that’s paid out, Johnston thinks there’s a high probability that the Canadiens will trade Price’s contract.

TVA SPORTS: explained why the Canadiens would do that. With Price permanently sidelined, the Canadiens could put him on long-term injury reserve (LTIR) to become cap-compliant when the season begins. However, they won’t be able to accrue cap space throughout the season.

Trading Price’s contract ($10.5 million AAV) before the season begins makes them cap-compliant and allows them to accrue cap space. It would also allow a rebuilding team to remain above the salary-cap minimum if they shed salary leading up to the March trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: TVA Sports listed clubs like the San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks and the Pittsburgh Penguins as possible trade partners. Hey, maybe Price’s contract can be part of the return when the Canadiens acquire Sidney Crosby (insert wink here).










NHL Rumor Mill – July 10, 2025

by | Jul 10, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – July 10, 2025

Check out the latest on Erik Karlsson, Ilya Sorokin and Jordan Kyrou, plus five teams that could make moves this summer, in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports multiple teams are interested in Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson.

According to a league source, the Toronto Maple Leafs are among them. They’re in the market for an offensive defenseman and have also been linked to Dougie Hamilton of the New Jersey Devils. The Penguins would have to retain part of their share ($10 million) of his average annual value.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images)

The source also dismissed the notion of bad blood between Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas and his former team. It’s also believed the Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, Utah Mammoth and Dallas Stars were involved.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs have $4.9 million in cap space, meaning the Penguins must retain up to half of their share of Karlsson’s cap hit. Even then, the Leafs would have to shed more salary to make it work.

Karlsson is reportedly willing to waive his no-movement clause to join a contender. That rules out the Red Wings, Ducks and Mammoth.

The Stars meet the contender criteria, but they’re over the cap by nearly $1.8 million. It’s unlikely they could make the dollars fit.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Stefen Rosner is skeptical of a recent report suggesting the New York Islanders were considering trading goaltender Ilya Sorokin during the 2025 NHL Draft.

The report claimed Islanders GM Mathieu Darche might’ve dangled Sorokin in an attempt to move up in the first-round draft order to select Long Island native James Hagens. However, Rosner pointed out that Darche indicated teams weren’t willing to trade their first-rounders.

Rosner also doesn’t see the Islanders trading their franchise goaltender when backup Semyon Varlamov is coming off lower-body surgery. He also noted that Sorokin is in the second season of an eight-year contract with a full no-movement clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The only reason Darche would trade Sorokin is if he were staging a full roster rebuild. As Rosner noted, the Islanders aren’t moving their core players if they remain committed to being competitive.

STLTODAY.COM: Lynn Worthy doesn’t put much stock into recent trade rumors surrounding Blues winger Jordan Kyrou.

He acknowledged the 27-year-old’s scoring ability is what would make him a great trade chip. However, it’s also a big reason why the Blues should retain him, especially since they were 13th last season in goals scored.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the Kyrou speculation occurred before his no-trade clause kicked in on July 1. Unless he’s keen to move on (and he’s publicly expressed no such sentiment), he’ll be in their lineup when the regular season begins in October.

SPORTSNET: Sonny Sachdeva listed the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche as five teams that could make moves in this summer’s trade market.

It’s believed the Oilers considered moving out a key player like Adam Henrique or Darnell Nurse to continue reshaping their roster, but they declined to waive their no-trade clauses.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sachdeva suggested the Oilers take a swing at adding Minnesota’s Marco Rossi or Florida’s Evan Rodrigues, or a depth forward like New Jersey’s Dawson Mercer or Colorado’s Ross Colton. Their biggest need, however, remains between the pipes. However, the limited goaltending options available mean they could be waiting for a while to find a suitable trade target.

The Maple Leafs could use a couple of scoring forwards. Sachdeva proposed Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust of the Pittsburgh Penguins as trade targets. Moving out forwards Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf would free up $4.5 million to create additional cap space to facilitate a trade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs could get Rakell or Rust but not both. However, they lack the tradeable assets to interest the Penguins, like a first-round pick or a good, young NHL player.

The Jets have the cap space ($19.8 million) to work with if they wish to continue adding to their forward lines. One option could be Utah Mammoth center Nick Schmaltz, who has a year left on his contract with a cap hit of $5.85 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Mammoth hopes to push for a playoff berth this season, so it’s unlikely Schmaltz is available. It might be a different story if they’re outside the postseason picture by the March trade deadline.

Sachdeva noted the Kings made some additions via free agency (forwards Corey Perry and Joel Armia, defensemen Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin), but they need more if they hope to take the next step this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sachdeva mentioned acquiring Jason Robertson from the Dallas Stars, but even he considers that to be a remote possibility.

The Avalanche could be a landing spot for Schmaltz or one of the Penguins’ wingers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: See my previous comments on Rust, Rakell and Schmaltz.










NHL Rumor Mill – July 2, 2025

by | Jul 2, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – July 2, 2025

Check out the latest on Nikolaj Ehlers, Bowen Byram and Rasmus Andersson, plus the latest on the Maple Leafs in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

EHLERS STILL AVAILABLE IN UFA MARKET

Former Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers is the only player still unsigned among this summer’s top-10 unrestricted free agent class.

Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers (NHL Images).

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning were among the clubs interested in the 29-year-old winger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ehlers camp can afford to take its time. Unlike recent UFA years, there are a lot of teams with cap space this summer. Those in the market for a top-six forward will be interested in signing him.

One of them is his former team. We can’t rule out the possibility of his return to Winnipeg, but it seems likely he’ll be heading elsewhere as early as today.

WILL BOWEN BYRAM BE TRADED OR SIGN AN OFFER SHEET?

TSN: Darren Dreger reported Tuesday that the Flames, Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, and St. Louis Blues were among the teams holding trade talks with the Buffalo Sabres about Bowen Byram. The 24-year-old defenseman is a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights.

Dreger also suggested the possibility of Byram signing an offer sheet with a rival club. Chris Johnston believes the sweet spot of such an offer would come in at $7,020,113 on the offer-sheet compensation scale. Anything below that means the Sabres receive a first-round pick and a third-round pick as compensation if they decline to match.

If the Sabres were to match an offer sheet for Byram, Johnston pointed out that it would take him up to UFA status next summer while losing the ability to trade him.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Mike Harrington noted the reports suggesting Byram might receive an offer sheet. However, he thinks Byram would’ve signed one by now if he were interested.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The interested teams could be trying to go the trade route first before resorting to an offer sheet. Then again, maybe the offer-sheet speculation was merely some pundits killing time on air during the opening day of a talent-thin free-agent market. We’ll find out in due course.

Even with Alex Pietrangelo on long-term injury reserve, the Golden Knights have limited cap space to pursue Byram. They must find another way to shed salary to pull this off.

The Blues could be out of the market after acquiring promising Logan Mailloux from the Montreal Canadiens yesterday. The Kings are also probably out after signing Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci.

THE LATEST ON RASMUS ANDERSSON

CALGARY SUN: Wes Gilbertson considers it inevitable that the Flames will trade Rasmus Andersson. The 28-year-old defenseman is in the final season of his contract with no extension in sight.

Andersson has been linked to the Vegas Golden Knights following reports claiming they were the only team he was willing to sign a contract extension with if traded.

TSN: reports Flames general manager Craig Conroy said he hadn’t given the Andersson camp permission to speak with other clubs about an extension, and the blueliner has never told him that he was honed in on one team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Conroy has repeatedly said he has no problem with Andersson being in the lineup when the Flames begin the 2025-26 regular season. Nevertheless, a team that lost out in signing a top-four defenseman via free agency could soon come calling about Andersson.

UPDATES ON THE MAPLE LEAFS

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel believes the Toronto Maple Leafs’ biggest offseason need is finding a way to bolster their offense following the departure of Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Siegel believes they need a winger who can make plays next to Auston Matthews or John Tavares, or a second-line center that pushes Tavares to the wing or drops down to the third line.

SPORTSNET: Luke Fox believes Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving will survey the trade market, find a bona fide top-six forward, and make a hard pitch.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Easier said than done. Treliving might have to wait until the regular season to address that issue.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 2, 2025

by | Jul 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 2, 2025

Mitch Marner reveals why he left the Leafs for the Golden Knights, reaction to the biggest moves during the opening day of free agency, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

MITCH MARNER SHEDS LIGHT ON HIS DECISION TO LEAVE THE MAPLE LEAFS

TORONTO SUN: Former Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner was formally introduced as the newest member of the Vegas Golden Knights during a press conference in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old winger was part of a sign-and-trade agreement between the two clubs on June 30, agreeing to an eight-year, $96-million contract. Speaking with the media for the first time since the deal, he revealed the reasons why he changed teams.

Former Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Marner said Vegas was his first choice. Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said the trade between the two teams was agreed to during the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft last Friday. He said they wanted the sign-and-trade to get the eighth year on his new contract, as it slightly lowered the average annual value.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Under the existing CBA, a team can re-sign its own player to a maximum eight-year contract. Had the Golden Knights waited until free agency opened on July 1 to sign Marner, the deal would’ve been a maximum of seven years.

Under the next CBA, the maximum contract will be seven years for re-signing a player, and six years if they become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) starting in 2026-27.

The Golden Knights have been interested in Marner for some time. They attempted to acquire him at the March trade deadline in a three-way deal involving the Carolina Hurricanes. However, his wife was pregnant and he didn’t want to leave Toronto at that time. “And I was still very committed to playing in Toronto, and wanted to focus on being there and finishing a job there,” Marner said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner released a statement thanking the Leafs and their fans, acknowledging that he came up short trying to end their long Stanley Cup drought.

It’s a sad end to Marner’s nine seasons in Toronto. He was one of the greatest players in franchise history, sitting fourth all-time with 520 assists and fifth with 741 points. However, his postseason struggles drew the wrath of Leafs Nation, greasing the skids for his inevitable departure.

Marner will add more offense to the Golden Knights’ forward lines, and his elite two-way game will also help them defensively. However, his hefty new contract leaves them top-heavy with expensive forwards, leaving little cap space to address their lack of overall roster depth that has prevented them from repeating as Stanley Cup champions since winning the Cup two years ago.

REACTION TO SOME OF THE NOTABLE MOVES OF THE OPENING DAY OF FREE AGENCY

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I listed most of yesterday’s notable signings and trades here. However, I was unable to post my reactions as I was busy grading the biggest UFA signings for Bleacher Report. You can read those by following this link.

The New York Rangers traded defenseman K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman Scott Morrow, a conditional first-round pick in 2026, and a 2026 second-round pick. The Hurricanes signed Miller to an eight-year, $60-million contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $7.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller struggled with consistency during his tenure with the Rangers. The Hurricanes are betting he’ll blossom under head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s system.

The Vancouver Canucks signed goaltender Thatcher Demko to a three-year contract extension with an AAV of $8.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demko has a year left on his current deal with a cap hit of $5 million. The 29-year-old netminder was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy in 2023-24, but a nagging lower-body injury limited him to 23 games last season.

The Canucks hope Demko’s injury woes are in the past. His new cap hit is among the league’s highest for goaltenders, but the short term suggests the injury issue remains a concern.

The Hurricanes also re-signed forward Logan Stankoven to an eight-year, $48 million contract. The AAV is $6 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stankoven was acquired from the Dallas Stars as part of the return in the Mikko Rantanen trade in March. A versatile forward who can play center or wing, the 22-year-old had 38 points in 78 games last season between the Stars and Hurricanes, and five goals and eight points in 18 playoff games.

The Hurricanes are betting on Stankoven’s potential to become a second-line forward. They will be hoping this gamble pays off better than the one they made in Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who hasn’t played up to expectations as a second-line center.

The Los Angeles Kings signed forwards Corey Perry and Joel Armia, defensemen Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin, and goaltender Anton Forsberg.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This would be quite a haul for the Kings if most of those players were five years younger. It appears they’ve gotten older, not better.

The Boston Bruins acquired winger Viktor Arvidsson from the Edmonton Oilers for a 2027 fifth-round pick, and signed forward Tanner Jeannot to a five-year contract with an AAV of $3.4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins did the Oilers a favor by taking Arvidsson and his $4 million cap hit off their books. However, the 32-year-old winger hasn’t been the same since back surgery sidelined him for most of the 2023-24 campaign. They brought in Jeannot to bolster their toughness, but the deal is too long and too expensive for a fourth-line forward.

The Edmonton Oilers signed winger Andrew Mangiapane to a two-year contract with an AAV of $3.6 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mangiapane had a career-best season (35 goals, 55 points) in 2021-22, but his production has dropped off since then. He’s part of the Oilers’ efforts to offset the gaps in their forward lines following the departures of Arvidsson, Perry, Evander Kane and Connor Brown.

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

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This deal should benefit both clubs. The Canadiens drew from their depth in young defensemen to get a promising middle-six forward who tallied 19 goals as a rookie last season. The Blues added a mobile young blueliner with top-four potential to their defense corps.

The Philadelphia Flyers signed Dan Vladar to a two-year, $6.8 million contract with an AAV of $3.4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers’ goalie depth was dreadful last season. Vladar should be a reliable backup for young starter Samuel Ersson.

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks for a 2028 third-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Salary dump by the Penguins, clearing his $2.3 million cap hit from their books. Nedeljkovic will back up promising Yaroslav Askarov in San Jose.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Winger Nikolaj Ehlers is the top player remaining in the UFA market. Other notables include defenseman Dmitry Orlov, center Pius Suter and winger Jack Roslovic.

RG.ORG: Utah Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev is pleased with the new CBA, singling out the elimination of escrow that annually withheld a portion of a player’s salary to balance potential revenue shortfalls. With league revenues more stable and predictable, escrow is being phased out.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Escrow was an annoying issue for the players for years. They’re understandably happy that they won’t have to deal with those clawbacks.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Reports suggest Flyers forward Tyson Foerster suffered a biceps injury that could sideline him for some time. Flyers general manager Daniel Briere said Foerster suffered an injury during the 2025 World Championships and came down with an infection that required surgery. There’s been no timeline for his return.

TSN: Long-time hockey analyst and insider Bob McKenzie has retired after 48 years as a journalist. His long career included stops with The Globe & Mail, The Hockey News, and the Toronto Star before joining TSN.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McKenzie was the gold standard for hockey insiders. He was well-liked and highly regarded around the league, and was also the go-to source for information on top NHL prospects. I had only brief interactions with McKenzie, but he was always kind and helpful. Here’s to a long, happy and healthy retirement, Bobfather.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Former Red Wings star Alex Delvecchio passed away on Tuesday at age 93.

A skillful, disciplined and durable playmaker, Delvecchio spent his entire 24-year NHL career with the Red Wings from 1950-51 to 1973-74, winning three Stanley Cups and the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy three times. He’s among their franchise leaders with 1,550 games played, 456 goals, 825 assists and 1,281 points. Delvecchio also had 104 points in 121 playoff games. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Delvecchio’s family, friends, former teammates, and the Red Wings organization.










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.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 1, 2025

by | Jul 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.