Author: NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

On Tuesday, the New York Islanders announced that they signed goaltender David Rittich and right-shot defenseman Ethan Bear to one-year deals.

The AAV on Rittich's deal is $1 million annually, per PuckPedia with Bear signing a two-way deal with an NHL AAV of $775,000, with a minor salary of $325,000. 

Rittich, 32, posted a 2.84 GAA and a .887 SV% in 34 games with the Los Angeles Kings last season. The Czech goaltender earned a record of 16-14-2 as backup to Darcy Kuemper.

The signing comes in the wake of Semyon Varlamov’s rehab, which has seen no setbacks since undergoing lower-body surgery.

Rittich will likely fight with goalie Marcus Hogberg, who struggled with consistency towards the end of last season. 

Rittich projects as a strong third string or decent backup option, seeing as the goaltender has experience with 230 NHL games over 10 seasons.

In 2024-25, Bear logged 10 goals with 36 assists for 46 points in 62 games with the Hershey Bears of the AHL.

The 28-year-old defenseman most recently played in the NHL with the Washington Capitals, scoring one goal with three assists for four points in 24 games in 2023-24.

Bear suffered a significant shoulder injury in 2023 and entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program a year later, cutting his 2023-24 season short. Washington then sent Bear down and did not give the defenseman a qualifying offer.

As a right-shot defenseman, Bear will serve as solid depth for the Islanders after losing Noah Dobson.

PHOTO:  Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Kai Russell contributed to this story. 

The Philadelphia Flyers are on a crusade to start NHL free agency, quickly signing multiple players, including Christian Dvorak, to address some big team needs.

The biggest - literally - and perhaps the most important piece of business from the Flyers Tuesday was signing 6-foot-5 goalie Dan Vladar, who is now the only non-prospect to be contracted beyond the upcoming 2025-26 season.

Vladar, 27, should provide some semblance of stability to a position that has had none for the Flyers in recent years, even if he's not quite good enough to elevate the Flyers as a whole.

On the more surprising side, the Flyers also went out and added versatile forward Christian Dvorak on a one-year deal worth $5.4 million.

This was, for all intents and purposes, and overpayment, even in this free agent market, but this was probably the cost the Flyers needed to pay to pry Dvorak away from Stanley Cup contenders.

The 29-year-old played for new Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet during their time together with the Arizona Coyotes and has six 30-point seasons to his name at the NHL level. Oh, and he's won more than 55% of his faceoffs in each of the last two seasons.

The Flyers needed a reliable replacement for the departed Scott Laughton and Ryan Poehling while they wait for Jett Luchanko and Jack Nesbitt to develop, and signing Dvorak buys them another year for that.

Additionally, with the salary retained in the Andrei Kuzmenko trade now off the books, the Flyers have one more salary retention available to use this season.

Ex-Flyers Defenseman Ivan Provorov Signs Absurd Contract Ahead of NHL Free AgencyThe Philadelphia Flyers have won the Ivan Provorov trade in more ways than one.

Assuming Dvorak has a good season in Philadelphia, the Flyers can retain half his salary and move him at the NHL trade deadline. Then, if Luchanko's season ends early, he can then replace Dvorak and join the Flyers at the end of the season.

Two moves that made less sense were the additions of journeymen defensemen Noah Juulsen (RHD) and Dennis Gilbert (LHD).

These players could very well be brought in simply to breed competition for NHL roster spots, but fans won't be happy about the possibility two ineffective veterans with limited skillsets block prospects like Emil Andrae and Helge Grans from playing time.

Including Cam York and excluding Grans, the Flyers now have nine defensemen on their NHL roster, so something is going to have to give a few months from now.

It's worth noting that Juulsen was a favorite of Tocchet's on the Vancouver Canucks and is highly regarded for his shot blocking and penalty kill work, but he also didn't record a point in 35 games last season and is coming off a season-ending injury.

If the Flyers really wanted veterans to push for ice time, why not try Adam Ginning, a 25-year-old prospect on an expiring contract running out of time to crack the NHL? Hunter McDonald, Grans, and Louie Belpedio are there, too.

The Flyers also added a depth forward in Lane Pedersen, who briefly played for Tocchet in the past, as well.

With Tuesday's proceedings seemingly coming to a halt with a decision from Maxim Shabanov looming, the Flyers have $5.49 million in cap space with, hopefully, enough room to re-sign York and add Shabanov.

The Seattle Kraken have signed defenseman Ryan Lindgren to a four-year, $4.5 million AAV contract. 

The 27-year-old is a defensive defenseman who's played 405 games in the NHL, scoring 14 goals and 188 points with the New York Rangers and the Colorado Avalanche. Lindgren was traded from the Rangers to the Avalanche at the trade deadline as a pending unrestricted free agent.

Prior to the trade to the Avalanche, Lindgren was paired with Adam Fox, providing him stability and allowing him to be one of the best defensemen in the NHL.

“Ryan’s a heart-and-soul player who competes every shift,” said general manager Jason Botterill. “He does whatever it takes to win and has been a key fixture on the penalty kill throughout his career. We’re excited to welcome him to the team.”

Lindgren, a left-handed joins a Kraken defence core that consists of Vince Dunn, Ryker Evans, Jamie Oleksiak and Josh Mahura as left-handed defenders. Brandon Montour and Adam Larsson remain the right-handed defensemen. With the addition of Lindgren, the Kraken will likely explore a trade for Oleskiak to free up space on what's becoming a crowded blue line.

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MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- The St. Louis Blues dipped into the center pool on the first day of free agency by inking veteran Nick Bjugstad to a two-year contract for $3.5 million ($1.75 million average annual value).

The 32-year-old played in 66 regular-season games with the Utah Mammoth last season and had 19 points (eight goals, 11 assists).

Bjugstad is a big body (6-foot-5,, 205-pounds) and had 330 points (157 goals, 173 assists) in 760 NHL regular-season games that's including stints with the Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coyotes, Edmonton Oilers and Mammoth.

With Bjugstad's signing, it's a fair assumption that the Blues will not be bringing back Radek Faksa, who became an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday.

In addition to signing Bjugstad, the Blues made a very interesting trade in a swap of young players when they traded forward Zack Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens for defenseman Logan Mailloux.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Pittsburgh Penguins are signing defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to a two-year, $2 million contract.

Wotherspoon spent this past season with the Boston Bruins. In 55 games with the Original Six club, the 6-foot-1 blueliner recorded one goal, seven points, 75 hits, and a minus-10 rating. This was after he had eight assists and a plus-6 rating in 41 games with Boston during the 2023-24 season.

2 x $1M https://t.co/bQU4UfwmrY

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 1, 2025

With the Penguins needing help on the left side of their blueline, it makes sense that they are taking a shot on Wotherspoon. When looking at their roster, he should compete for a spot on their bottom pairing. He also offers versatility, as he can play the right side if needed, too. 

Penguins Should Take Shot On Recently Bought Out ForwardEarlier this month, the Chicago Blackhawks traded forward Joe Veleno to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for Andre Burakovsky. However, Veleno's time with the Kraken quickly came to an end, as he was bought out by Seattle a few days after the trade. With this, he is now an unrestricted free agent (UFA).

Photo Credit: © Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers are reportedly working on trading K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes. 

This comes shortly after the Rangers signed Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract. 

The details of the trade have still not been revealed as of right now. 

Miller is a restricted free agent and this potential trade stems from the Rangers being unwilling to give the young defenseman a long-term contract extension. 

According to Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today, there may still be some ironing out to do regarding this deal.

Chris Johnston of TSN reports that the Hurricanes are working on a contract extension with Miller. 

This past season, the 25-year-old recorded seven goals, 20 assists, and 27 points in 74 games while averaging 21:57 minutes per game.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have reportedly made their first free-agent signing.

According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the Maple Leafs and forward Michael Pezzetta have agreed to a contract. TSN's Pierre LeBrun added to McKenzie's report, saying it's a two-year deal with an annual average value of $787,500.

The 27-year-old played just 25 games with the Montreal Canadiens last season, not registering a single point. In 61 games the year prior with Montreal, Pezzetta scored three goals and nine assists. He’s played 200 career NHL games over four seasons, tallying 15 goals, 23 assists, and 241 penalty minutes in that span.

Pezzetta, born in Toronto, Ontario, will likely join the Maple Leafs in a depth role, replacing Alex Steeves and Nick Abruzzese (both Group 6 UFAs), plus unrestricted free agent Alex Nylander, who signed a one-year, $775,000 deal with Toronto in mid-November.

'Leaving Isn't Easy': Mitch Marner Pens Goodbye Message To Maple Leafs Fans After Joining Golden KnightsMitch Marner has officially departed the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Maple Leafs have had a busy last 24 hours, moving a conditional third-round pick to the Utah Mammoth in exchange for Matias Maccelli. Toronto general manager Brad Treliving also locked up Matthew Knies and Steven Lorentz to long-term deals.

Knies' deal came in at six years with a $7.75 million AAV, and Lorentz's contract has a $1.35 million AAV. They also sent Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade and acquired Nicolas Roy, who has two more years at a $3 million AAV.

'I Would Love To Play My Whole Career Here': Inside Steven Lorentz's Three-Year Extension With The Maple LeafsToronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz is staying at home.

According to PuckPedia, the Maple Leafs have $5,008,081 in cap space after the two-year signing of Pezzetta.

More to come...

(Top photo of Pezzetta: David Kirouac / Imagn Images)

The Philadelphia Flyers found their goalie reinforcements, signing free agent netminder Dan Vladar to a two-year deal to kick off the opening of NHL free agency.

Vladar, 27, has signed a two-year deal with the Flyers worth $6.7 million ($3.35 million AAV), making him the only goalie in the organization with pro experience signed beyond the upcoming 2025-26 season.

With Vladar now in the fold, it would appear Philadelphia will platoon him and incumbent Sam Ersson as the new goalie tandem.

It had previously been reported that Ivan Fedotov will start the season in the AHL as the Flyers’ No. 3 goalie.

Flyers Can Find the Perfect Ryan Poehling Replacement in Joe VelenoAfter losing Ryan Poehling in the Trevor Zegras trade, the Philadelphia Flyers need another reliable two-way center.

Vladar has spent the last four seasons with the Calgary Flames, primarily serving as the backup to Jacob Markstrom and, later, Dustin Wolf.

The 6-foot-5 Prague native appeared in 30 games for the Flames this season, posting a 12-11-6 record, a 2.80 GAA, a .898 save percentage, and two shutouts.

By extension, this was also Vladar’s best season as a Flame since his first, when he went 13-6-2 with a 2.75 GAA, a .906 save percentage, and two shutouts back in 2021-22.

Still on the younger side and relatively experienced, the Flyers hope the 27-year-old Vladar (soon to be 28) can establish himself as a reliable rotational piece between the pipes and, presumably, as their backup goalie of the future with a successful stint in Philly.

The Carolina Hurricanes have reportedly signed KHL netminder Amir Miftakhov to a one-year deal.

The deal is a two-way contract that will pay Miftakhov $775,000 at the NHL level and $100,000 at the AHL level, with a $240,000 guarantee.

The Russian goalie had a 13-11-3 record with Ak Bars Kazan last season with a 0.927 save percentage.

"Amir has put together a number of solid seasons in the KHL and is ready to return to professional hockey in North America," said Carolina general manager Eric Tulsky." It’s important to have goaltending depth, and we look forward to having him in our organization.”

The 25-year-old was drafted in 2020 by the Tampa Bay Lightning and spent just one season in North America before returning to Russia.

Over the last three seasons, Miftakhov has had a 0.927 save percentage, 0.930 and a 0.917.

It provides the Canes with additional goaltending depth, a position that they were severely lacking in.

Congratulations to Amir Miftakhov on signing a 1-year NHL contract with the Carolina #Canes ! #WeAreGoldStar! pic.twitter.com/s0KNaIBv74

— Dan Milstein (@HockeyAgent1) July 1, 2025

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The Brock Boeser era is officially back on the table for the Vancouver Canucks, as the forward has signed a seven-year, $7.25M AAV contract with the team. This comes after a long season of speculation that Boeser would not be remaining with the team after 2024–25, including a trade deadline that nearly saw the decade-long Canuck depart from the team. 

Boeser was drafted 23rd overall by the Canucks during the 2015 NHL Draft, meaning his tenure with the organization just hit 10 years. The forward made his NHL debut for the Canucks on March 25, 2017, against his hometown Minnesota Wild. He also scored his first NHL goal this day — one of 204 total that he scored with Vancouver. In his first full NHL season, Boeser scored 29 goals and 26 assists in 62 games played, earning him a Calder Memorial Trophy finalist bid. He was also named to the 2018 NHL All-Star Game and earned the title of MVP. 

Initially, many saw Boeser as a 30-goal scorer in the NHL, though he didn’t hit the milestone for the first seven seasons of his career. In 2023–24, Boeser had a breakout year, tallying 40 goals and 33 assists in 81 games — the most he has played in a single season. He kicked that season off with a monster four-goal performance against the Edmonton Oilers. 

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Boeser's long-term return to the Canucks will keep him within the organization until 2032. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

The Buffalo Sabres have appeared to have budgetary reasons on their mind with their trades leading into free agency on Monday. On the second day of the NHL Draft, they traded a second round pick and defenseman Connor Clifton to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Conor Timmins and minor leaguer Isaac Belliveau, shedding Clifton’s $3.33 million cap hit for next season. On Monday, the Sabres dealt forward Sam Lafferty to the Chicago Blackhawks for a 2026 sixth-round pick. 

The 30-year-old was part of a flurry of bottom-six signings made by GM Kevyn Adams on free agent day one year ago, agreeing to a two-year, $4 million contract after a 13-goal season with the Vancouver Canucks, but as with many of those additions, Lafferty’s signing was a disappointment. He scored just seven points (4 goals, 3 assists) in 60 games.  

 

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The deal sends Lafferty back to the Hawks, where he played 97 games over two seasons before being dealt to Toronto along with former Sabre Jake McCabe in February, 2023. With the deal, the Sabres save $2 million on the salary cap for next season, giving them nearly $23 million in available cap space.

Buffalo has restricted free agents Ryan McLeod, Tyson Kozak, Conor Timmins, Bowen Byram, and Devon Levi to sign, but there is still an expectation that Adams will deal Byram if he can get a significant return for the 23-year-old. That is something that he may have to wait until the blueline market gets sorted out, as rearguards like Vladislav Gavrikov hit free agency, and veterans like Rasmus Andersson and RFA K’Andre Miller get signed or traded. 

 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

Former Vancouver Canucks defender Noah Juulsen has signed a one-year, $900,000 contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. Juulsen, who is from BC, will be joining his fourth NHL team throughout his seven-year career. Aside from Vancouver, he also played with the Montréal Canadiens and the Florida Panthers. 

Juulsen was drafted 26th overall by Montréal in the 2015 NHL Draft. He played in his first NHL game on February 22, 2018, and finished that season with a goal and two assists in 23 games played. He had eight points in the 44 games he played in with the Canadiens. He was put on waivers in January of 2021 and was claimed by the Panthers, where he only slotted into four regular and postseason games. 

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In October of 2021, the Canucks traded former 2016 first-round pick Olli Juolevi for Juulsen and Juho Lammikko. This was the first of four seasons that Juulsen spent with his hometown team, during which he put up a goal and eight assists in 109 games. He played in a career-high 54 during the 2023–24 season, also slotting into two of Vancouver’s playoff games during the same season. 

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Chicago Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson has now acquired Sam Lafferty in a trade for the third time throughout his tenure. 

This time, it is a deal with the Buffalo Sabres that sends a 6th-round pick in 2026 in exchange for Lafferty, who has also had stops with the Vancouver Canucks and Pittsburgh Penguins throughout his career. 

Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) on Xwelcome back to Chicago, Sam Lafferty‼️👏 📰 ➡︎ https://t.co/SrGPYWevac

In 60 games with Buffalo last year, Lafferty scored four goals and three assists for seven points. It wasn't a productive year offensively for him on an underachieving Sabres team. With that said, he won over 50% of the faceoffs he took.

Lafferty is a big-bodied player (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) who can help the Blackhawks fill out their lineup in 2025-26. He won't be relied on in a big role, but he will provide depth over a long season.

Killing penalties, helping protect a late lead, and being scratched when young players come up and earn spots will make him a valuable addition for the time being. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

Mailloux has been traded to the St. Louis Blues in a deal that doesn’t include Jordan Kyrou. The Montreal Canadiens had been rumoured to be after Kyrou, but in the end, Mailloux was swapped for Zack Bolduc.

It may be free agency day, but that’s not going to prevent Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes from pulling the trigger on a trade. Mailloux was a first-round pick, selected 31st overall in the 2021 draft.

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With Noah Dobson’s arrival, Hughes was given some flexibility when it comes to right-shot defenseman, and he visibly decided that Mailloux was surplus to requirements. As for Bolduc, he was also a first-round pick at the same draft, the 19th selection overall. A 6-foot and 187-pound right winger who shoots left, Bolduc recorded 36 points in 72 games with the Blues this season.

At 22 years old, Bolduc is an interesting project. In the 2023-24 campaign, he had played only 25 games in the NHL and gathered 9 points. His progress was impressive from one year to the next, and in his last two seasons with the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL, he recorded 99 and 110 points.

He skated on the Blues’ third line this past season alongside Oskar Sundqvist and Jake Neighbors, on top of skating on the second power-play unit. From the 4 Nations Face-Off break, he was the highest goal-scoring rookie in the league. 

While Mailloux had a good season with the Laval Rocket, at times he was prone to making the wrong read or decision, going for the big hit, and taking himself out of the play. The organization values David Reinbacher higher than Mailloux and decided to use its overabundance of blueliners to address needs up front.

With Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, and Michael Pezzetta not being re-signed, the Canadiens needed some reinforcement up front. They felt that going with three rookies next season in Ivan Demidov, Owen Beck, and Oliver Kapanen could have been too much. Bolduc is young, but he has some experience. The newcomer is just about to enter the last year of his ELC.

Overall, this is a good deal for the Canadiens and will help address the lack of offense, especially if Bolduc can reach his full potential.

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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The Carolina Hurricanes have agreed to terms with Logan Stankoven on an eight-year, $48 million extension that will kick in for the 2026-27 season.

Stankoven, 22, was traded to the Hurricanes in exchange for Mikko Rantanen at the trade deadline and he's fit in like a glove.

“From the moment he arrived in Raleigh, it was clear to us that Logan was a Hurricane,” said Carolina general manager Eric Tulsky in a press release. “We’re thrilled that he agrees, and is committed to being a big part of this organization long term.”

The rookie had five goals and nine points in 19 regular season games in Carolina, but he was a playoff beast with five goals and eight points in 15 games.

Stankoven might be a smaller player, but his hard-nosed, direct style of play makes him extremely noticeable whenever he's on the ice.

The Canes are making a big bet on a rookie with just 102 games of NHL experience, but it's one they're confident will work out and if Stankoven keeps progressing, that $6 million AAV will be a real steal.

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