NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-07-12 01:55:51
Pacome Dadiet leads the way, but Knicks blown out by Pistons in Summer League opener
The Knicks got shellacked in their 2025 Las Vegas Summer League debut, falling 104-86 to the Detroit Pistons.
It was a forgettable offensive performance from the franchise’s prospects that left little to write home about.
Here are some takeaways...
- New York's 2024 first-round pick Pacome Dadiet led the way with 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting, making hay attacking closeouts and leaking out in transition. Marjon Beauchamp scored 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting from two and 0-for-4 shooting from three. Kevin McCullar Jr. finished with 13 points, six rebounds and three assists on 5-of-14 shooting, while getting a large portion of the backcourt creation reps.
- Tyler Kolek had 10 points, six rebounds, eight assists and five turnovers on 4-of-11 shooting from the field. New York went pretty deep into their bench, with 2025 second-round pick Mohamed Diawara highlighted, playing 17 minutes and finishing with seven points and seven rebounds.
- Ron Holland II led Detroit with 28 points and 11 rebounds -- he wreaked havoc defensively early and turned it up from deep later in the contest. Daniss Jenkins added 18 points on three threes while Tolu Smith finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
- The Pistons got off to a quick 16-4 start, making five of their first six field goals thanks to some sloppy Knicks turnovers. Holland made an early impact with seven points and two steals in the opening period.
McCullar Jr. made some nice plays to get the offense going after earlier miscues, long tossing off a steal to get Kolek an easy lay-up and driving hard for a reverse layup. The highlight of the quarter for New York was Diawara’s bullet to Luka Scuka inside for a bucket, though they ultimately trailed 21-15 going into the second.
- Detroit opened the period on another run to go back up double digits behind another stalled Knicks offense. Dadiet got into the action with a three and emphatic revenge block early in the quarter.
Former Knick draft pick Trevor Keels hit a three to help the Pistons to a 6-of-14 three-point shooting half compared to a meek 1-of-9 outing from the Knicks. The team had 12 turnovers and shot 35.1 percent from the field in the opening half en route to a 46-32 halftime deficit.
- The Knicks found their groove to open the second half, going on a 9-3 run out of the gates behind a Dadiet walk-in middie and driving dunk in transition. Detroit quickly responded at the hands of Holland, showing off his newly restructured jumper with a couple threes including a tough one off the dribble in the corner.
New York missed another eight consecutive threes and fell behind by as much as 21, ultimately going into the final frame down 74-56 thanks to a full-court buzzer beating heave from Diawara.
- The fourth quarter was more of the same as the Pistons built on their lead behind threes and stifling defense. Dadiet was able to sneak a few more transition buckets in before New York was eventually put away.
Ariel Hukporti 💪 pic.twitter.com/EPnnzqxdmv
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) July 11, 2025
Pacome Dadiet throws it down! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/nqeJDPLByr
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) July 11, 2025
What's next
The Knicks return to action on Sunday as they face-off with the Celtics' Summer League squad at 5:30 p.m.
Pete (Alonso) for Pete (Crow-Armstrong)? The Mets and Cubs once talked about it. For like a second. But still.
Pete Crow-Armstrong had no idea that the Mets once attempted to get him back -- and for Pete Alonso, no less.
“I did not know that,” Crow-Armstrong said on Friday afternoon at Yankee Stadium, chuckling at the revelation. “That’s awesome.”
It also happens to be true. Although it was never close -- or even close to close -- to becoming a reality, the Pete-for-Pete discussion is a fun one to chat about. The magnitude of both players, who will be National League teammates at next week’s All-Star Game, is what makes it so.
Let’s first rewind to 2020. That year the Mets made Crow-Armstrong their first-round pick (19th overall). The following May he underwent shoulder surgery, ending his first season in pro ball.
Meanwhile, the Mets were under new ownership, had just acquired and then extended a franchise cornerstone in Francisco Lindor, and were in contention at the trade deadline. The front office, wanting to convey to fans and players alike that they believed in the team, traded Crow-Armstrong to the Chicago Cubs for Javier Baez.
Even in retrospect, it’s easy to understand the impulse. Baez played well for the Mets, posting an .899 OPS in 47 games. But he and Lindor also flashed an infamous thumbs down sign at fans, and he left as a free agent for Detroit. The Mets fell out of contention in August.
Over the next few years, Crow-Armstrong solidified his status as a top prospect. He debuted with the Cubs in 2023, and has broken out this season as a superstar.
It was in 2023 that the Mets and Cubs had their brief chat about him. That was the trade deadline in which then-GM Billy Eppler executed an impressive selloff, aided by Steve Cohen’s willingness to absorb salary as a way to turn veterans into prospects.
Eppler and his front office were serious about trading Max Scherzer (to Texas for Luisangel Acuña), Justin Verlander (to Houston for Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford), along with David Robertson and Tommy Pham for intriguing lower-level prospects.
The Mets were not particularly serious about trading Alonso, who would become a free agent after the following season. But they owed it to themselves to answer calls about him, just to see what other clubs would offer.
That openness led to conversations with several clubs about Alonso. The Milwaukee Brewers called, but did not get close to a deal.
During this time, the Mets front office hatched a brief, outside-the-box idea. What about calling the Cubs to feel them out about Pete for Pete? The Cubs were known to have liked Alonso, and rumored to be weighing a pursuit of him.
According to league sources with direct knowledge of the situation, the call was made. The conversation was brief. The answer was no.
It’s no knock on Alonso that the Cubs passed. It was about the specific concept. Good luck finding any team willing to trade a rookie centerfielder with star potential for less than two seasons of a slugging first baseman.
Flash forward to today. Alonso re-signed with the Mets for another year, chasing Darryl Strawberry’s franchise home run record. Crow-Armstrong is the face of the new Cubs. After a few lean years in Detroit, Baez will also be at the All-Star Game.
The only dangling thread lingers in center field for the Mets. The team is still looking to fill that position.
But maybe everything worked out the way it needed to?
“It was not a disappointment at all,” Crow-Armstrong said about the trade from the Mets to the Cubs. “I was looking for anything good to happen. I was still relatively early on in the rehab process when I got traded. The change of scenery ended up being important.”
Jacob Bernard-Docker 'Pumped' to Join Red Wings
Among the handful of new names that fans of the Detroit Red Wings could be seeing a lot of in the coming season is defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker, who was signed to a one-year contract by GM Steve Yzerman.
Bernard-Docker played for both the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres last season, and already has 144 games of NHL experience under his belt. And he's already looking forward to adding to his total with the Red Wings.
"There's a lot of potential there, and it's a team on the right trajectory," he said. "I'm super excited to go in there and show what I got and hopefully be a contributor."
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Bernard-Docker drew parallels between the young, rising core of players he suited up alongside with in Ottawa and Buffalo as part of the reason behind his excitement.
"In a way it's a similar group to where I was in Ottawa, with a real good young core, Buffalo had a real good core," he said. "They're (Detroit) on that edge of breaking out. There's a lot of real good players on the team.
"I'm just pretty pumped about the fit there."
JACOB BERNARD-DOCKER SCORES AGAINST HIS OLD TEAM
— Crossing Swords ⚔️ (@CrossSwordsPod) March 26, 2025
HIS FIRST AS A SABRE
ONLY #24 TO SCORE TONIGHT
SABRES TIE IT AT 2 pic.twitter.com/XrIgv7DVQM
Bernard-Docker will be competing for a roster spot in Training Camp with Justin Holl and Albert Johansson, the latter of which emerged as a reliable option by playing in 61 games in his rookie season.
An area of play for the Red Wings that he can help improve is the penalty killing, which was in danger of being the lowest ranked in NHL history at one point in late 2024 and ultimately finished 32nd overall at just 70.1 percent.
"That's one area where I was really looking to develop and show kind of how I played in the minors and, maybe I haven't showed as much as I'd like to in the NHL yet," Bernard-Docker said. "It's an area that I really think is a strong part of my game. I'm willing to block shots and I'm pretty good on my stick, areas that I'd really like to show."
Selected by the Senators in the 2018 NHL Draft with the 26th overall pick, Bernard-Docker enjoyed a breakout season in 2023-24, appearing in 72 games and scoring four goals with 10 assists. But a high-ankle sprain earlier this year in January derailed his season, causing him to miss several weeks.
He was then traded to the Sabres along with Josh Norris in the deal that brought Dylan Cozens to the Senators on March 7. In the 15 games he played in a Buffalo uniform, he scored a goal while adding three assists.
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Mets’ Sean Manaea ready to make highly-anticipated season debut: ‘Feels good to be back’
It’s been a long road back for Mets starter Sean Manaea.
Manaea was supposed to headline this retooled rotation following a breakout 2024 campaign, but he was quickly forced to the injured list after suffering an oblique strain during his ramp up in spring training.
The initial expectation was that he’d be able to return to the club in mid-to-late April, but that timeline continued to be pushed further and further back as he endured some minor setbacks along the way.
The first one came in mid-March when he first resumed throwing, and then he was recently forced to receive a cortisone injection after a loose body was discovered in his left elbow following a rehab start.
Manaea was able to work his way through his final two rehab outings without experiencing any further discomfort, though, and now he’s officially set to make his season debut this weekend in Kansas City.
He’ll piggyback Clay Holmes during Sunday afternoon’s first-half finale.
“Talking to both they said whatever you guys want to do,” Carlos Mendoza said. “We’re just trying to keep things simple for Clay and then we’ll give Sean the proper time to make sure he's ready before we put him in.”
Manaea allowed 15 runs over his six rehab appearances, but he did show some positives.
Easily his most encouraging showing came prior to his latest setback, when he gave up just one of those runs on a pair of hits while striking out seven over 5.1 stellar innings of work while with Triple-A Syracuse.
He was a little rusty his next two times out, but still feels ready to return to a Mets rotation that desperately needs a spark heading into the second-half.
“It feels good,” Manaea said. “It sucks to be on the IL, you want to be out there helping this team win and it’s frustrating when you can’t do that -- everyone has been doing an incredible job, so it feels good to be back.”
Kasparas Jakučionis bounces back to drop 24 points in Vegas debut
LAS VEGAS- The first three Summer League games for Kasparas Jakučionis came in the California Classic, and it couldn’t have gone much worse for him. He finished with a total of 12 points and 12 turnovers while shooting 1-of-15 from the floor during his three appearances in San Francisco.
That poor play didn’t carry over to Vegas.
He scored 14 points in the first quarter alone and had 19 at halftime, which included four three-pointers. He scored in a variety of ways, including some strong finishes at the basket, catch-and-shoot threes and a pair of triples off the dribble.
"I think I was a little bit more aggressive on the offensive end,” Jakučionis said. “You know, it's a process and it's usually a long process. And it takes some time just getting to know everybody, getting to know yourself during these games. And just try to learn and try to do the best I can."
The spin through traffic
— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2025
The fading finish
Kasparas Jakučionis with a fancy first bucket in #NBA2KSummerLeague!
ATL-MIA on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/KCQkdotjom
Jakučionis, who was projected to be a lottery pick ahead of the draft, fell to the Heat with the 20th overall selection last month. Miami hasn’t made many moves this offseason, but they did trade for Norman Powell, which means that Jakučionis will likely join Davion Mitchell in filling out the backcourt minutes off the bench during his rookie season.
Jakučionis’ hot start didn’t stretch into the second half, but he did hit a late corner three that brought Miami within three points. He also set up multiple clean looks from deep for his teammates late in the game that would’ve given them a chance to win. They ended up losing 105-98 to the Hawks, and he finished with 24 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and five three-pointers. While Jakučionis was much improved, he acknowledged that there is still plenty of room for him to grow.
"Basketball is a lot more than just shooting,” Jakučionis said. “It felt good, yeah, but you know, eventually we still lost, I didn't do a great job on the other side, like, rebounding, getting on transition defense. So, yeah, but, definitely feels better with a good shot."
KASPARAS JAKUČIONIS BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK TRIPLES
— NBA (@NBA) July 11, 2025
11 early points for Miami's First Round pick! pic.twitter.com/1XYlq77Fxu
Summer League isn’t a reliable indicator of how successful a player will be in the NBA, but it was encouraging to see Jakučionis respond to a poor three-game stretch with a big-time performance on Friday. Seeing improvement over the course of Summer League is a great sign for a young player, and Jakučionis said that he will “watch more and more film” to help him adjust to the pace of play in the NBA.
Start of Friday's Mets-Royals series opener delayed due to inclement weather
The start of Friday's series opener between the Mets and Royals in Kansas City has been delayed due to inclement weather.
First pitch was originally scheduled for 8:10 p.m. and a new start time has yet to be announced.
When the action does get underway, New York will be looking to bounce back after being swept by the Baltimore Orioles in a doubleheader on Thursday.
Kodai Senga takes the mound for the Mets, making his return from the injured list.
The right-hander was a bit shaky during his lone rehab appearance, but he had been pitching spectacularly prior to suffering the hamstring injury, posting a 1.47 ERA across 13 outings.
He'll be opposed by former Met Michael Wacha, who has pitched to a 3.83 ERA on the season.
Kansas City's pitching staff has been tremendous on the year, but Wacha has dropped his last three outings, allowing a total of 12 runs over that span.
The game can be seen on SNY.
Mets Injury Notes: Prognosis for Jesse Winker, Starling Marte’s ‘encouraging’ MRI
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza provided some updates prior to Friday’s series opener in Kansas City…
Good news on Marte
Starling Marte underwent an MRI on his knee Friday, which still showed some inflammation, but overall was “very encouraging.”
The team is planning on limiting his running for the time being, but they will start the process as soon as this weekend, which is certainly good news.
They are still hopeful Marte will be available coming out of the All-Star break.
The 36-year-old was placed on the injured list earlier this week after tweaking his right knee during his at-bat in the ninth inning of last weekend's Subway Series finale.
Marte had been swinging a hot bat prior to that, picking up three more hits to raise his average to an impressive .324 since the beginning of June.
Getting him back in the mix right away would certainly be a huge boost, especially with Jesse Winker hitting the IL as well.
Winker’s prognosis
Speaking of Winker, Mendy revealed that he’s dealing with lower back inflammation.
He'll be on medicine for the next four-to-seven days, and then the team will see how he’s feeling before deciding on next steps -- potential options include receiving an injection, depending on how he responds.
Though there’s been some speculation that Winker’s back injury is connected to the oblique strain he was just returning from, the skipper said trainers told him the two had nothing to do with each other.
“That was my first question too,” Mendoza said. “This is something that just came up now, nothing related -- hopefully the medicine works here over the next four-to-seven days, and then we’ll see where we’re at from there.”
Winker was hitless in three at-bats before landing back on the IL.
With him and Marte sidelined, the team will continue to mix and match at DH this weekend.
The left-handed hitting Jared Young was recalled from Triple-A, but it is Mark Vientos who will receive the first opportunity against veteran right-hander Michael Wacha in Friday's series opener.
Paul Blackburn on the mend
The right-hander threw a successful bullpen session on Friday in Kansas City.
He is expected to throw another one on Sunday, and if all goes well there, he’ll head down to Port St. Lucie during the break to face hitters.
Blackburn officially landed on the IL last week due to a right shoulder impingement.
With Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga back healthy and in the rotation mix, he could potentially be looking at a bullpen role when he does eventually return.
Prior to his injury, Blackburn had been struggling mightily -- pitching to a 7.71 ERA in six appearances.
Former Vancouver Canucks Movements In 2025 Free Agency Period
Despite the Vancouver Canucks locking down their main core during free agency, many former players — who had moved on from the team by the 2024–25 season — ended up signing new deals elsewhere. Here’s a recap of where former Canucks who were not part of the 2024–25 roster ended up signing.
Ethan Bear
Bear spent one season with the Canucks after being traded by the Carolina Hurricanes alongside Lane Pederson. In this time, he scored three goals and 13 assists in 61 games played. On July 1, 2025, Bear signed a one-year, $775K contract with the New York Islanders.
Anthony Beauvillier
Beauvillier was acquired by Vancouver in 2023 as part of the trade that sent former captain Bo Horvat to the Islanders. A Canuck for 55 games, Beauvillier scored 11 goals and 17 assists in his time with Vancouver. He ended up with the Washington Capitals after a couple of trades and signed a two-year, $2.75M AAV contract with the team this off-season.
Travis Boyd
Claimed off of waivers by the Canucks back in March of 2021, Boyd played in 19 games for Vancouver and scored two goals. After, he spent three seasons with the Arizona Coyotes and one with the Minnesota Wild before signing a one-year contract with the team that put him on waivers, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Justin Dowling
Dowling signed a two-year contract with Vancouver back in 2021, spending the bulk of his time with the Abbotsford Canucks. He headed to the New Jersey Devils shortly after, and just recently signed a two-year, $775K AAV deal with the New York Rangers.
Adam Gaudette
Gaudette was selected 149th overall by Vancouver in the 2015 NHL Draft and remained with the team up until 2021, when he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. He had a breakout season with the Ottawa Senators this year, scoring 19 goals in 81 games. On July 1, he signed a two-year, $2M AAV contract with the San Jose Sharks.
Matthew Highmore
Speaking of the Gaudette trade, the return piece for Vancouver was none other than Highmore. The forward spent 64 games with the Canucks and scored eight goals and nine assists in this span of time. After stints with the Senators and the St. Louis Blues, Highmore signed a one-year contract worth $775K with the Islanders.
Curtis Lazar
Vancouver signed Lazar, who is from Salmon Arm, BC, to a three-year deal back in 2022. He was traded to the Devils after 45 games and played out the remainder of this contract with New Jersey. He signed a one-year deal at $775K with the Edmonton Oilers during the 2025 free agency period.
Tanner Pearson
For a good chunk of Vancouver’s transitional period from the Sedin era to now, Pearson was a big part of the locker room. He was traded to the Canucks in 2019 and departed from the team in 2023. After a season each with the Montréal Canadiens and the Vegas Golden Knights, Pearson signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets.
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Lane Pederson
Pederson’s time with Vancouver only lasted 11 games (and 18 in Abbotsford), but the forward still managed to score a goal and two assists. During the 2025 free agency period, he signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers valued at $775K.
Derrick Pouliot
Pouliot hasn’t worn a Canucks jersey since 2019, as the team let go of him in the free agency period of that season. In 133 games played with Vancouver, he scored six goals and 28 assists. He has played for five different teams since leaving Vancouver, and could be suiting up for his sixth after signing a one-year, $775K contract with the Rangers.
Nate Schmidt
A Stanley Cup champion after the Florida Panthers’ second consecutive victory, Schmidt signed a three-year contract worth $3.5M per year with the Utah Mammoth. In his lone season with Vancouver, he potted five goals and 10 assists.
Riley Stillman
Acquired by the Canucks after trading Jason Dickinson, Stillman played 32 games with Vancouver before being flipped to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for prospect Josh Bloom. He spent the 2024–25 season with the Hurricanes and will take on a depth role in Edmonton after signing a two-year, $775K AAV contract with the Oilers.
Jack Studnicka
Studnicka found his way to the Canucks after being traded by the Boston Bruins for Michael DiPietro and Jonathan Myrenberg in 2022. Vancouver dealt him to the Sharks the season after , though he remained in California a year past that after signing a deal with the Los Angeles Kings in 2024. By signing a one-year, $775K contract with Florida in 2025, he’ll be a part of the Panthers organization for the 2025–26 season.
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What is the biggest Red Wings need still left unattended to?
The Detroit Red Wings have made a handful of additions to their roster in preparations for the upcoming 2025-26 NHL season, but is GM Steve Yzerman content to go into the new campaign as currently constructed?
Detroit did pick up depth pieces on both offense and defense, signing forwards James van Riemsdyk, Mason Appleton and John Leanard along with defensemen Ian Mitchell and Jacob Bernard-Docker.
They also shored things up in the crease, acquiring goaltender John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Petr Mrazek.
While their goaltending situation appears to be more stable than it was at this point last offseason, the Red Wings still have a pressing need both up front and on the back end.
A bona fide offensive threat who can play in the top-six of Detroit's forward units along with a top-four defenseman is still at the top of the Red Wings' wish list, but with just about every impactful free agent no longer available, they will have to explore trade possibilities if they are to make either position need a reality.
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Unfortunately, Yzerman said that he never had a chance to so much as speak to top free agents who were already either re-signed or traded by their respective teams.
"We were were certainly open to it," Yzerman said. "The guys that we were hoping to talk to all signed before free agency with their clubs, or got traded. In the case of Mitch Marner, we didn't even get an opportunity to talk to these guys. There's not much you can do about that."
Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, whom the Red Wings were said to have interest in, ultimately re-signed with the team, as did both Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. That was also the case with Ivan Provorov, who re-signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Nikolaj Ehlers, formerly of the Winnipeg Jets, signed with the Carolina Hurricanes, while Mason Marchment, formerly of the Dallas Stars, was traded to the Seattle Kraken.
Additionally, defenseman Noah Dobson was traded from the New York Islanders to the Montreal Canadiens, while Vladislav Gavrikov signed with the New York Rangers. What's more, K'Andre Miller was traded from the Rangers to the Carolina Hurricanes, and subsequently signed to a an eight-year contract.
The good news for the Red Wings, who still have around $12 million of available cap space, can still make a trade for an impact player that would significantly increase their favorability of ending their postseason drought.
Names like Jason Robertson, Bryan Rust, and Kyle Connor have all been discussed as potential targets for the Red Wings up front, while Rasmus Andersson and Erik Karlsson have been named potential possibilities for the blue line.
While there are over two months between now and the start of Training Camp in mid-September, Yzerman made it clear that he's leaving the door open to the potential of a trade before then.
"We're going to wait and see if any opportunities arise," Yzerman said. "We'll certainly explore. I know there's a couple of teams that are looking to move some people for various reasons, depending on where they're at or what they need to do.
"I think there's a couple that have to do a few things in relation to the cap, but for the most part, everybody's still got a lot of cap space."
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Pittsburgh Penguins Weaponized Their Cap Space – Who Else Could?
The Pittsburgh Penguins weaponized their salary cap space this week.
On Thursday, the Penguins acquired veteran defenseman Matt Dumba and a second-round draft pick in 2028 from the Dallas Stars in exchange for depth blueliner Vladislav Kolyachonok.
The reality of the Stars’ cap situation necessitated this deal, as Dallas was over the cap with Dumba’s $3.75-million cap hit. But after dumping Dumba’s last year of his contract onto Pittsburgh, the Stars have $1.95 million in cap space – enough to eventually add another depth veteran or accrue space ahead of a bigger acquisition during the season.
On Pittsburgh’s end, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas still has about $13 million in cap space after acquiring Dumba. In theory, at least, the Penguins had a roster spot open for a defenseman after veteran Matt Grzelcyk hit the UFA market this summer.
Dumba’s best days are behind him, as he posted only nine assists and 10 points in 63 regular-season games, and in the playoffs, Dumba was a healthy scratch.
Clearly, there was no future in Dallas for Dumba, just one year after signing a two-year contract last summer. Dubas recognized that fact and stepped in to offer cap relief at the cost of a second-rounder – not an insignificant pick by any means.
Given where the Penguins are in their competitive cycle, they could afford to take on Dumba’s contract and give their amateur scouts an additional swing at the plate three years from now. By that point, the Stars may have fallen in the standings, setting up the second-round pick to be relatively high.
Those are exactly the type of deals that other teams like the Penguins can make.
For instance, the Chicago Blackhawks retained $2.5 million of defenseman Seth Jones’ contract in each of the next five seasons when they sent him to the Florida Panthers around the trade deadline. That deal might not have happened otherwise, and they got Spencer Knight and a first-round pick as a result.
Chicago also traded Joe Veleno to the Seattle Kraken for Andre Burakovsky. His $5.5-million cap hit was more than double Veleno’s cap hit, but he scored 37 points this past season, compared to Veleno’s 17.
The Anaheim Ducks used some of their space to eat goaltender Petr Mrazek’s $4.25-million cap hit when sending John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings. That sweetened the pot in getting a deal done and giving the Ducks a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-rounder in 2026.
The Ducks could still weaponize their cap space in case other NHL teams have bloated contracts they want to clear. Anaheim still has about $28.9 million in cap space. Their Pacific Division rival, the San Jose Sharks, have $20.5 million in space after signing Jeff Skinner on Friday and trading for Ryan Reaves on Thursday. Their lineup has started to come into focus, but nothing should stop them from getting more assets by eating a contract as well.
This is how the NHL’s food chain operates in the cap era: different teams are at different points in their competitive trajectories, and not every team needs to spend to the cap ceiling – or anywhere close to it, for that matter. Teams like the Penguins, Ducks, Blackhawks and Sharks can justify absorbing bad contracts when it results in them being able to stockpile picks and prospects to address their long-term needs.
Even as the cap ceiling rises this season and in the foreseeable future, there will always be NHL teams needing to clear space and other squads looking to capitalize on that. It’s the way the system pushes teams, and it’s not going to change anytime soon.
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Pacers re-sign backup center Isaiah Jackson to three-year, $21 million contract
With a center rotation of Tony Bradley and Jay Huff, the Indiana Pacers were looking for some depth headed into the season.
Enter Isaiah Jackson. The Pacers are re-signing the center, the team announced Friday.
we have re-signed center Isaiah Jackson ✍️
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) July 11, 2025
learn more: https://t.co/D6oMvM620gpic.twitter.com/3AivkVUUSV
This is a three-year, $21 million contract, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
Jackson looked like a solid reserve NBA center for a couple of years in Indiana, averaging 7.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in the 2022-23 season. However, he played in just five games last season before tearing his Achilles (he did not take the court in the postseason during the Pacers' playoff run).
Locking up Jackson for three years is a sign of confidence in what Jackson can contribute to the Pacers in the coming years.
12 Years Ago Today: Ilya Kovalchuk Announced His Retirement from the NHL
On this day in 2013, New Jersey Devils right winger Ilya Kovalchuk announced his retirement from the NHL. At the time, Kovalchuk still had 12 years and $77 million remaining on his contract.
Kovalchuk was acquired by the Devils on February 4, 2010, and became a free agent that July. On July 19, 2010, the Devils signed him to a landmark 17-year, $102 million deal, the largest contract in NHL history at the time.
But the deal didn’t come without controversy. The NHL rejected the contract, ruling it violated the league’s salary cap structure. The league argued the deal was designed to circumvent the cap by extending well into Kovalchuk’s 40s at a lower salary to reduce the average annual value.
As a result, the Devils were penalized with a $3 million fine and the forfeiture of a first-round pick. Although the league later allowed the team to retain a first-round selection, ultimately awarding them the 30th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, the penalty marked a significant moment in NHL contract history.
Fans are comparing Kovalchuk's contract to Florida Panthers’ Brad Marchand, who just signed a six-year $31 million contract. Marchand’s contract was not rejected by the NHL, but raised similar concerns over his age.
Following the NHLPA’s appeal, the original contract was voided. The Devils and Kovalchuk then agreed to a revised 15-year, $100 million deal, which was approved by the NHL in September 2010.
Twelve years later, the hockey world still reflects on what could have been. Had Kovalchuk honored the full length of his contract, it would still be active today, set to expire in a little under two months (as of July 11, 2025).
Instead, in a stunning move during the 2013 offseason, Kovalchuk announced his retirement from the NHL at just 30 years old. He then signed with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), where he continued his career for several years.
In 2018, the 2001 first overall draft pick made his NHL return, playing four more seasons with the Kings, Canadiens, and Capitals before stepping away once again.
Today marks the 12th anniversary of Kovalchuk walking away from the Devils and one of the most ambitious contracts in league history. It’s wild to imagine a 42-year-old Kovalchuk skating alongside Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jake Allen in today’s lineup.
Since Kovalchuk’s departure in 2013, the Devils have posted a record of 414–410–121 and are 7–15 in playoff games. His early exit marked the end of a chapter in New Jersey Devils history.
Photo Credit: © Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images
Why the Matt Dumba Trade Is About More Than Just The Player
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas was busy on the trade market again on Thursday, sending defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok to the Dallas Stars in exchange for fellow defenseman Matt Dumba and a 2028 second-round pick.
The Stars were over the salary cap at the time of the trade and had been looking for a team to take Dumba off their hands. He has one year left on his contract and will make $3.75 million this upcoming season. The Penguins easily absorbed that contract because they had over $15 million in cap space going into the trade.
If the Penguins were still trying to win, this move would be a headscratcher, but that's not where they are right now. They are in transparent rebuild mode and have been since they traded Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes before the 2024 NHL trade deadline. They've been stockpiling assets over the last year and a half and now have 29 picks over the subsequent three drafts, including 17 in the first three rounds. They may not even use that 2028 second-rounder that they got with Dumba and could package it for a young player when the time is right.
All of their moves throughout this offseason so far indicate that they don't care that much about the 2025-26 season. They see how good the 2026 NHL Draft is and could be in line to get a high pick, especially if they trade at least two of Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell. They are asking for good returns on all three, and so far, no team has been willing to meet their price. Karlsson feels like the most likely to go right now since there's a bit of a logjam on the right side with him, Kris Letang, Connor Clifton, Dumba, and Harrison Brunicke waiting in the wings.
Speaking of Dumba, he played in 63 games for the Stars during the 2024-25 season, finishing with one goal and 10 points. He was healthy for the playoffs but got scratched in all of their playoff games. That's telling, considering the Stars had Cody Ceci, Ilya Lyubushkin, and even Alex Petrovic logging big minutes on their blue line.
Dumba is only 30, but the fall-off in his game has been drastic. Throughout his career, he has been a player who can drive offense and bring some snarl, but the offense has dried up over the last few seasons. The last time he finished with more than 25 points in a season was during the 2021-22 season when he compiled seven goals and 27 points in 57 games with the Minnesota Wild. Dumba has also been below 50% in shot attempts per 60 minutes in six of his last seven seasons and has an expected goal share below 50% in four consecutive seasons.
He spent 10 seasons with the Wild before bouncing to the Arizona Coyotes (now Utah Mammoth), Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, and now the Penguins. The Penguins will attempt to get him back on track a little so that they can try to flip him at the 2026 trade deadline. That means likely starting him on the third pairing and potentially moving him up to the second pairing to "showcase" him to other teams.
It's somewhat similar to when they signed defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year deal in free agency last year, aiming to "rehab" his game. Yes, he didn't get dealt to a contender at the deadline, but they still wanted to showcase him as much as possible in a top-four role at 5v5 and on the top power-play unit. The Penguins will likely rely on one of Karlsson (if he's not traded) or Letang to quarterback the top unit since Dumba only has a little over 65 power-play minutes over the last three seasons. He used to compile well over 100 PP minutes with the Wild before his game started to fade. Dumba may get a little bit of time on the second PP unit this season, but that's about it.
The Penguins will "try" to get some of Dumba's 5v5 offense going a bit again to pair with the snarl and physicality that he has brought to the table throughout his career. They want to get a bit bigger, meaner, and tougher to play against after looking a little soft in front of their net last season.
The Dumba deal isn't a trade that will "wow" anyone, but it provides the Penguins with another body for the right side of their defense and a good future asset that they don't necessarily have to retain. They are also set up to gain more future assets at next year's deadline, as Dumba is one of several players who don't have a contract beyond this season, including Connor Clifton, Kevin Hayes, Anthony Mantha, Blake Lizotte, Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar, and Danton Heinen. In other words, the rebuild is proceeding as planned.
(Data via Natural Stat Trick).
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Featured Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images