Flyers Rank Below Average in NHL Contract Efficiency Once Again

As their rebuild kicks on towards the adding and re-signing players segment, the Philadelphia Flyers still have work to do when it comes to getting value back from the contracts they hand out.

The Flyers have signed a slew of players to contract extensions in recent years and months: Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, Dan Vladar, Travis Konecny, Owen Tippett, and Tyson Foerster all stand out.

In addition to their overall lack of star power, the problem with the Flyers is simply that too many contracts are more or less in line with what the player earned based on the market, rather than getting a team-friendly deal more often than once in a while.

Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic just released his annual assessment of every NHL team's contract efficiency, which is based on the on-ice value the team gets back relative to all their players' contracts.

The Flyers, after ranking a paltry 26th in the contract efficiency totem pole last year, placed 20th this year. That's a modest improvement, but still firmly in the bottom half of the NHL.

Flyers' Offer Sheet to Leo Carlsson No Longer NHL's Biggest ContractFlyers' Offer Sheet to Leo Carlsson No Longer NHL's Biggest ContractThe Philadelphia Flyers once made Leo Carlsson the highest-paid player in the NHL, but Macklin Celebrini has entered the chat.

Here's what Luszczyszyn had to say about the Orange and Black at this point in time: 

"One year makes a pretty big difference. The Flyers’ roster responded really well to Rick Tocchet hockey, with much of the roster’s value taking a positive step forward. Noah Cates was arguably the biggest beneficiary of that, and the Tyson Foerster extension helped add a fair bit of surplus value.

"Still, the Flyers land a bit below average thanks to a string of deals that are close to fair for both sides from Trevor Zegras, Christian Dvorak, Jamie Drysdale and Dan Vladar. There’s nothing wrong with that, but in a rising cap world in which other teams are getting massive wins, fair deals aren’t quite enough."

Luszczyszyn notes that Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster have two of the better deals on the roster, and the caveat there is that these are two defense-first, middle-six players.

Cates, 27, has three years remaining on his contract at a modest $4 million cap hit per year, which is looking more and more like a steal in today's cap environment, especially compared to teammate Christian Dvorak's less tame five-year deal that comes with a $5.15 AAV.

Luszczyszyn has Cates's contract at an A-, while Dvorak checks in a few pegs below at a B-.

Among the Flyers' biggest detractors for Luszczyszyn's model are free agent signing Noel Acciari (C+, two years, $2.8 million AAV), Travis Konecny (C, seven years, $8.75 million AAV), and Sean Couturier (D, four years, $7.75 million).

The Flyers went out of their way to secure the aging Acciari in free agency, and they gave Konecny a long-term eight-year deal that would still carry a large cap hit well past his prime years, which they aren't really paying for in the deal.

Matvei Michkov Says Flyers Contract Talks Haven't StartedMatvei Michkov Says Flyers Contract Talks Haven't StartedAlthough he has been eligible to sign a contract extension for several weeks, Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov is taking a patient approach waiting for negotiations to begin.

As for other recent deals, like Luszczyszyn noted, Zegras, Drysdale, and Vladar all got fair value: B-, B-, and B-.

No Flyers players were graded out better than an A, though Cates, Foerster, and Travis Sanheim each got an A-. And this same Flyers front office nearly traded Sanheim before that deal even began.

That all said, it would be nice if the Flyers could do better than to get surplus value on players other than depth pieces; Zegras especially sticks out.

Time will tell what happens with Porter Martone and Matvei Michkov once their entry-level contracts expire.

While the Flyers have improved from last year, they can only go up so far with the raw amount of players they already have signed to long-term deals, and especially the ones who are in or near their 30s.

64 Days to Opening Day: The Story of Mikael Granlund

Throughout the over three-decade history of the San Jose Sharks, only two players have ever worn the number 64 for the team in teal. 

The most recent player to wear the number was forward Mikael Granlund, who the Sharks acquired as a part of the trade that sent Erik Karlsson to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Granlund's NHL career started in the State of Hockey, as he was drafted by the Minnesota Wild with the ninth-overall selection in the 2010 NHL Draft. The Finnish forward spent just under a decade in Minnesota before being dealt to the Nashville Predators during the 2018-19 season. 

Granlund then spent five seasons in Nashville, helping them reach the playoffs on a regular basis. He'd be on the move once again during the 2022-23 season though, as he was dealt to the Penguins ahead of the trade deadline. That stint was less than memorable for the veteran forward, and the Penguins moved him to the Sharks that summer.

Granlund then spent two seasons with the Sharks, mentoring some of their young players and shining as a bright spot in a difficult time for the organization. In 121 games for the Sharks, Granlund scored 27 goals and 105 total points. 

The Sharks then traded Granlund to the Dallas Stars ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline, where he spent the rest of the 2024-25 season. That summer, he signed with the Sharks' state rivals, the Anaheim Ducks, where he remains today.

Roman Kantserov Hopes To Build Chemistry With Patrick Kane & Connor Bedard

During the 2023 NHL Draft, the Chicago Blackhawks selected Roman Kantserov in the second round with the 44th overall pick. He has since become one of the top prospects in the entire organization. 

Kantserov is developing into an incredible goal-scorer, as he led the KHL in goals during the 2025-26 season. He is now looking to translate that success to the NHL, where he will make his debut in 2026-27. 

Roman Kantserov Will Sign ELC With Blackhawks, Begin NHL Career In 2026-27Roman Kantserov Will Sign ELC With Blackhawks, Begin NHL Career In 2026-27The Chicago Blackhawks will land Roman Kantserov. He will begin his NHL career next season.

On Wednesday, Kantserov attended the NHLPA/Upper Deck Rookie Showcase as a member of their 2026 class. This took place at Blackhawks Ice Center in Chicago. Kantserov skated alongside some of the best prospects in the game right now, including fellow Blackhawks prospect Sacha Boisver and the number one overall pick made by the Toronto Maple Leafs, Gavin McKenna. 

When asked about the Blackhawks during his media scrum, Kantserov had some interesting things to say. For one, he wants Connor Bedard to return from his injury as soon as possible, but he understands the magnitude of Patrick Kane coming back. 

"It's [Bedard's injury] sad news," Kantserov said. "But Chicago signed Patrick Kane. The legend has come back. It's awesome.”

A lot of the young players on the team are going to be excited to play with Patrick Kane. Most of them grew up watching him. 

“He's the greatest American player, all-time scorer, and this is a very good opportunity to play with him," Kantserov said of Kane. "Of course, if we play together with Bedard, maybe we can find the chemistry.”

Coming into the year, Kantserov is going to get some runway when it comes to ice time in the top six. If he has a good camp and preseason, playing with the team's top players is absolutely going to be in the cards for him. 

Whether it is at even strength or on the power play, Kantserov is going to get looks with Patrick Kane early in the season. It will get even more lethal when Bedard returns. When it comes to his desire to build chemistry with them, it shouldn't be a problem, as they are all highly skilled players with experience playing with elite talent. 

Chicago, whichever linemates they start Kantserov with, should see him score a fair number of goals. Whether it's the two stars in Bedard and Kane, or others like Frank Nazar or Anton Frondell, there is a lot of playmaking talent on the roster. Feeding it to a sniper like this could create a whole new dynamic to the overall offense. 

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Jets' Brad Lambert Poised for Biggest NHL Opportunity Yet Heading Into 2026-27

Towards the end of last season, the Winnipeg Jets made some adjustments to their roster, bringing up young talent to see what they had at the NHL level. One of the names recalled from the minors was Brad Lambert.

The former 2022 first-round pick got the call for 25 games last season, his largest NHL stint yet after appearing in just five and one games at the NHL level over the two prior seasons, respectively. Lambert finished the season with three goals and three assists for six points, hardly the kind of impact that quiets questions, leaving Jets fans wondering what comes next for the 22-year-old.

Lambert is slated to make Winnipeg's opening night roster, according to Elite Prospects, where he'll look to secure his longest look yet at the NHL level and could slot in on the wing rather than at center, a shift that's been floated as a way to simplify his role and let his speed and skating ability play a bigger part in his offensive game. 

Daily Faceoff projects Lambert to open the season on the third line alongside Isak Rosen on the opposite wing, with Vladislav Namestnikov centering the trio, an intriguing look for Winnipeg's bottom six.

Lambert will likely cycle through different line combinations before the Jets land on something that sticks, as has often been the case throughout his brief NHL career so far. 

The best-case scenario is a middle-six role, one that could even see him get chances on the second line and further opportunities to adjust to the pace of the NHL. The worst-case outcome would be a fourth-line role, or another trip back down to the AHL if things don't click early.

It's difficult to project exactly what Winnipeg will get out of Lambert this season, but a full, uninterrupted look figures to provide the biggest sample size yet of his game. 

With his entry-level contract set to expire after this season and restricted free agency looming in 2027, how Lambert performs will likely be one of the more closely watched storylines for the Jets heading into the year.

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Whether It's Kirill Marchenko Or Someone Else, The Senators Are Finally In Position To 'Get In The Game'

In an offseason in which its captain quit on his group to be a wingman in Florida and the franchise icon left the coaching staff to broaden his horizons in pursuit of an NHL head coaching gig, it certainly is not hard to become cynical about the Ottawa Senators’ chances in 2026-27.

The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn rated the Senators as being the second-least improved team this summer and, on many levels, it is understandable. Outsiders will look at the Senators’ wild card placement last season and offseason to conclude that they could finish outside the playoff picture in 2027.

Replacing Brady Tkachuk’s blend of skill and physicality is an impossible task, but after general manager Steve Staios acknowledged in his end-of-the-year availability that the backup goaltending position was his biggest misstep last year, entrusting those responsibilities to one of the worst statistical goaltenders in the NHL these past three years is a massive roll of the dice.

Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss who might round out the top six in Ottawa.

Recency bias obviously adds weight and attention to what has been a relatively low-key series of additions for the Senators.

Re-signing Jordan Spence to a multi-year commitment at an affordable cost was a tidy piece of business. William Eklund won’t replace Tkachuk, but the organization is hoping he has a chance to pop for more offence and, at the very least, he should be a solid two-way addition to the team’s top six.

Staios has repeatedly referenced Justin Peters and Maciej Szwoch’s belief in Samuel Ersson’s tools over the past several weeks. There is so much volatility in NHL goaltending that Ersson could reward that confidence with significantly improved play. It also helps that he is Swedish, and that consideration could help favourably in building a relationship and battery with Linus Ullmark.

With so much emphasis on recent moves, it is easy to forget that Ottawa finished in the top-five in many important statistical categories.

According to Natural Stat Trick’s five-on-five data, the Senators finished in the top-five in the percentage of shots (52.85 CF%, 5th), shots on goal (54.08 SF%, 4th), expected goals (54.54 xGF%, 3rd), shots allowed per 60 (51.85 CA/60, 3rd), shots on goal allowed per 60 (23.37 SA/60) and expected goals allowed per 60 (2.32 xGA/60, 2nd).

On special teams, the Senators finished with the league’s eighth-ranked power play (24.0%), and after assistant coach Mike Yeo took over the penalty kill duties from Nolan Baumgartner on January 24th, the Senators had the second-best rate in the league (89.2%).

The Senators’ greatest strength lies in their structure and commitment to defence. They match one of the best and youngest bluelines in the NHL with incredible young centre depth. Provided the organization can maintain their strong five-on-five numbers, they should be in good shape.

It was widely documented last season that the Senators could not get saves. Had the team received league-average goaltending, they would have been one of the Atlantic Division's top three teams and sat comfortably in a playoff spot.

It is naive to believe that Ullmark can carry his exceptional playoff performance across a full slate of regular season games, but he can be significantly better than he was last season.

Perhaps most importantly, what is really exciting about this stage of the franchise’s development is how the team is well-positioned to make a splashy trade should the right player and fit become available.

Speaking to TSN 1200’s John Rodenburg last week, Staios expanded on this prospective development.

“The way we've positioned ourselves now, I always look back to where we're always trying to improve,” the general manager stated. “When I first came in the doors here in Ottawa and assessed where we were, and continue to build on our team and continue to improve our team. The position we're in now with not only the cap flexibility and the depth of our roster, but also draft assets and prospects that we didn't have when we got here (has changed).

“It’s not the exciting stuff that fans probably want to hear, but I think when you look at it on the work that we've done, sometimes it looks subtle, but there's there's ways that we've built up on this roster and the depth to continue to be a competitive team, but also give us the flexibility moving forward to be able to be in on things.

"And initially, when I got here, we were a little bit hamstrung, so there wasn't the optionality to look at these options. We certainly looked at them. We assessed them, but we just couldn't get in the game. We have put ourselves in a position now where we can get in the game.”

A recent report on RG.org by Daria Tuboltseva indicated that Columbus’ Kirill Marchenko may be close to being traded.

The 26-year-old right winger is in the final year of his contract that carries a $3.85 million cap hit per PuckPedia. His real salary for the 2026-27 season is $3.975 million. Marchenko has one more year of restricted free agency beyond this season before he can become an unrestricted free agent.

Listed at 6’3, 201 lbs, Marchenko tallied 27 goals and 67 points in 76 games last season while playing predominantly with Adam Fantilli and Mason Marchment. The winger has scored 20-plus goals in each of his four NHL seasons, with his best season occurring in 2024-25 when he recorded 31 goals and 74 points in 79 games.

Although they are different players, Marchenko’s impacts are not dissimilar from Senators winger Drake Batherson.

Graphic: Hockeystats.com.

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Marchenko’s age certainly aligns with the Senators’ core, but his goal-scoring ability would certainly fill a need. His five-on-five goals (0.91 G/60) and points (1.94 Pts/60) rates last season would have been the third-highest on the team behind Tim Stützle and Batherson.

The Alex DeBrincat deal illustrates why the lack of a controllable term leaves the Senators needing an extension in hand to justify incurring the significant opportunity cost to acquire good players. But, make no mistake, Marchenko represents the type of player the Senators should be targeting.

A shiny new toy may not arrive this summer, but with the Senators’ strengths, coupled with a reasonable expectation that the goaltending will be better, the organization should be poised to add at some point this season.

And assuming they do, they will put themselves in the conversation of being one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

By Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News

This article first appeared at The Hockey News Ottawa. For full Senators coverage, check out one of The Hockey News headlines below:

Senators Won't Be Replacing Daniel Alfredsson On Their Coaching Staff
A Member Of The Senators 'One-And-Done' Club Announces His Retirement

Report: Senators Players Grew Tired Of The Noise Around Brady Tkachuk, Including His PodcastReport: Senators Players Grew Tired Of The Noise Around Brady Tkachuk, Including His PodcastAccording to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Sens teammates grew weary of the noise surrounding their former captain.

Red Wings' Offseason Stuck In Neutral As Big Questions Remain Unanswered

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The offseason for the Detroit Red Wings in the wake of missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 10th consecutive year has been filled with a pair of major storylines that have understandably grabbed the lion's share of fan attention. 

In early June, captain Dylan Larkin's trade request was made public. And on July 15, the Red Wings announced that GM Steve Yzerman had stepped down from his role and that they were conducting a search for a successor. 

The timing of Yzerman's departure from his role was nothing short of curious, as it took place not only after the 2026 NHL Draft in late June, but also two weeks into the start of the free agency period. 

On the opening day of free agency, Yzerman inked former Boston Bruins forward Viktor Arvidsson to a two-year contract, while also signing former Florida Panthers goaltender Daniil Tarasov to a one-year pact; he also acquired grinding forward Keegan Kolesar via trade from the Vegas Golden Knights. 

And while a handful of other depth players were signed, there haven't been any subsequent moves that have really moved the needle or could be considered of an aggressive nature. 

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That being said, there still remain far more questions than answers. The Red Wings have yet to announce any official interviews with potential successors to Yzerman, or given a timeline as to when a successor will be named.

Additionally, fans are wondering how the club will supplement the 57 points lost by Patrick Kane's departure to the Chicago Blackhawks, as well as how the ongoing standoff with Larkin will ultimately end. 

There's also the status of defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who remains a restricted free agent. 

There hasn't been much in term of answers for a fan base starved for winning hockey again with Training Camp less than two months away. 

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&quot;I Did A Triple Take&quot;: NHL Insider Still Shocked By Patrick Kane's New Deal in Chicago

One of the most pressing questions for the Detroit Red Wings this offseason was whether they'd be able to bring back future Hall of Fame winger Patrick Kane. 

The Buffalo native, who turns 38 in November, is still a near point-per-game player, and the Red Wings couldn't afford to lose any more offense from a unit that finished with the 11th-worst scoring output in the NHL this past season.

The homecoming many expected, however, didn't play out in Detroit's favor. The Chicago Blackhawks instead offered Kane a two-year, $16 million deal carrying an $8 million cap hit, and he took it, returning to the franchise where he built the bulk of his Hall of Fame resume.

Few fans were upset with the decision, especially once the dollar figure became public. Some were downright stunned by Chicago's willingness to hand a three-time Stanley Cup champion that kind of money on the back end of his career.

Kane's $8 million cap hit lands just a shade below what Detroit stars Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider carry on their own deals, while coming in above the cap hit of notable linemate Alex DeBrincat.

There was little chance the Red Wings were ever going to match that kind of offer, and the Fourth Period's David Pagnotta made clear just how surprised he was by the number on a recent episode of Daily Faceoff's "The Sheet" podcast. 

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Pagnotta explained he did a triple take when the figure came across, adding that it wasn't as if Chicago lacked the cap space to make it work. He also said he had heard Kane was offered something closer to $5 million before the Blackhawks ultimately decided to sweeten the pot to ensure their longtime winger made his way back to the Windy City.

Detroit, meanwhile, never came close to that range as Kane's salary with the Red Wings topped out at $4 million across three one-year deals from 2023 through 2026, during which he remained a highly productive scorer, totaling 57 goals and 163 points in 189 games. 

Chicago's willingness to more than double that price tag underscores just how much value the Blackhawks are placing on Kane's return, particularly with top center Connor Bedard expected to open next season on the shelf following offseason shoulder surgery.

Selected first overall by the Blackhawks in the 2007 NHL Draft, Kane spent the first 17 seasons of his career with the franchise, winning three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013 and 2015 along with the Calder Trophy, the Conn Smythe Trophy, the Art Ross Trophy, the Hart Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award. 

In 1,161 games with Chicago, Kane recorded 446 goals and 779 assists for 1,225 points, numbers that rank him third in franchise history in goals and second in both assists and points.

Kane was one of the more reliable playmakers left on the Red Wings roster that struggled to generate offense last season, and his departure leaves the team searching for more answers up front as they continue chasing their first playoff berth in a decade.

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‘This Has To Be The Best Off-Season For The Canucks In The Past Decade’: Canucks Fans React To Celebrini & Bedard's Contract Extensions

The NHL’s latest big contract signing has Vancouver Canucks fans excited. 

Earlier today, the San Jose Sharks announced that star forward and BC-local Macklin Celebrini has signed a five-year contract extension beginning during the 2027–28 season. The contract expires after the 2031–32 season, during which Celebrini will become an unrestricted free-agent at the age of 26. 

It’s safe to say that Canucks fans are very happy about the prospect of a potential Celebrini free-agency signing. 

“Walked himself to UFA basically,” @LaheyHNIC wrote on X. “Incredible day for the Canucks.” 

Celebrini’s contract is the second five-year extension signed by a player from North Vancouver, as Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard also inked a new contract in mid-July that will walk him to UFA status in 2031.  

With both North Vancouver products set to become UFAs in the future, Canucks fans have already begun celebrating an outcome in which both Bedard and Celebrini return home to play for the Canucks. 

“CELEBRINI AND BEDARD ONLY SIGNED FOR 5 YEARS, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS !!!” @Springer4MVP said on X. 

"This has to be the best off-season for the Canucks in the past decade. 2 hometown boys signing contracts that lineup perfectly with the Canucks rebuild. Couldn't ask for anything else," @Taj1944 commented. "Now they have to stay patient for 4-5 years and keep loading up with young talent." 

“Bedard and Celebrini are both walking themselves to be 25 and 26 year old UFAs,” @Naughty4Novotny added. “They both want to come home and play for their favourite hockey team as soon as possible 🤩.” 

#Canucks have 5 years to put together a decent roster AND get a practice facility project built. Don’t let that time go to waste ⏳,” @LachInTheCrease wrote. 

Only time will tell whether fans’ premature celebrations are a sign of something true to come along. For now, it appears the allure of two potential homecomings will be enough to keep Vancouver’s fanbase excited. 

Apr 6, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) and Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) face off during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images
Apr 6, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (71) and Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) face off during the second period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images

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Two Notable Rangers' Defensemen Remain Unsigned

Brad Penner-Imagn
Brad Penner-Imagn

We are at one of the quietest points of the offseason, but the New York Rangers still have two notable restricted free agents without a contract extension in place.

The futures of defensemen Scott Morrow and Vincent Iorio with the Rangers appear to be in flux, as both remain unsigned. 

The Blueshirts acquired Morrow from the Carolina Hurricanes as part of the K’Andre Miller sign-and-trade package. 

Despite coming into the 2025-26 season with some promise and expectation, the 23-year-old defenseman was unable to carve out a consistent role with the Rangers, bouncing up and down from the NHL and American Hockey League. 

The 23-year-old defenseman played in 29 NHL games this past season, recording six points while averaging 15:40 minutes. 

Meanwhile, the Rangers claimed Iorio off waivers from the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 31. 

Iorio stuck around with the Rangers for the remainder of the season, but he was scratched for a handful of games. ‘

The 23-year-old defenseman posted three points in 27 games for New York while averaging 13:05 minutes. 

The Rangers re-signed Braden Schneider to a one-year, $5.5 million contract extension, and acquired both Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, which puts Morrow and Iorio in a difficult position to earn consistent playing time at the NHL level. 

It’s unclear where the Rangers are regarding negotiations with Morrow and Iorio.

How Does Celebrini's Extension Compare to Past Teenage Greats?

In the 21st century, only three teenagers have recorded 100-point seasons at the NHL level. A fourth, Steven Stamkos, came close, but finished with 95 points. On Wednesday morning, the San Jose Sharks signed forward Macklin Celebrini to a record-breaking deal. He's now projected to be the highest-paid player in the NHL during the 2027-28 season, although a lot can change between now and then. So, how does his new deal compare to previous teenage superstars?

Macklin Celebrini's 115 points is the most in San Jose Sharks history, and the fourth-most by a teenager in NHL history. He trails just two of hockey's all-time greats, Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby. Considering Gretzky's teenage seasons were almost half a century ago, we'll leave him out of this discussion and focus directly on Crosby to start.

Sidney Crosby

Crosby's first years in the NHL were a little different, as by the time he was due for his first big contract, he had already surpassed the 100-point threshold in back-to-back seasons. As a result, the Pittsburgh Penguins wanted to lock him up as quickly as possible and as soon as he became eligible for an extension, he got his new contract. 

Crosby's first big deal was a five-year contract with an average annual value of $8.7 million. While that is over $10 million less than Celebrini's new cap hit, at the time, the salary cap was much lower. Crosby's cap hit took up 15.34% of the Penguins' cap space at the time, a significant sum, but a manageable one for the best player in the world.

Celebrini's cap percentage is a bit higher, sitting at 16.56%, but it's still in the same ballpark. The Sharks' young star had another feather in his cap as well. While the Sharks had superstars in the past, Celebrini already owns the franchise record for points in a season, something Crosby has never come close to doing because of franchise legends Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr. As a result, it makes sense that the Sharks would have to give Celebrini a bit of a bump.

Connor McDavid

Roughly a decade ago, Edmonton Oilers standout Connor McDavid was coming off of his first 100-point season and was the face of a new generation of stars in the NHL. As a result, the Oilers locked up their budding superstar with an eight-year contract that carried an average annual value of $12.5 million. While it was quite a bit more money than Crosby had earned a decade prior, McDavid's cap percentage was just marginally higher at 15.72%. 

Of course, the main difference between McDavid's contract and those of Celebrini and Crosby was the term. McDavid signed the maximum term, eight years, while both Celebrini and Crosby opted to go with shorter-term deals. 

Interestingly though, both McDavid and Crosby have remained at the exact same cap hit for the rest of their careers, at least to this point anyway. While their contracts were sizeable at the beginning, their loyalty to their organizations, while occasionally questioned in the media, was always at the forefront as their careers progressed.

While many have criticized Celebrini's message of taking a "team-friendly" deal, in reality, he's taken almost the exact same contract as other players of his caliber historically. His cap percentage is slightly, but not significantly, higher and unlike McDavid and Crosby, Celebrini has the potential to be the best player in the history of his organization. While that's not meant as a slight on two future legends of the game, it means that the Sharks have to do whatever they can to keep Celebrini happy, even if it means paying slightly more.

Had he wanted to, Celebrini undoubtedly could have become the first player with a cap hit north of $20 million. Instead, he chose not to and followed in the shadow of Crosby and McDavid by taking slightly less than market value.

Sizing Up The Atlantic: How Do The Senators Compare To The Florida Panthers?

As we continue our exploration of the Atlantic, it's time to dissect the roster of the team responsible for the biggest change to the Senators' offseason.

After back-to-back Stanleys, the Florida Panthers finally hit a wall last season. Injuries not only knocked off their three-peat hopes but also ended their six-year run of making the playoffs.

It's not often the 25th-ranked NHL team has a chance to become the best team in the NHL, but here we are.

Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy agree that Shane Pinto should move up to second line centre to help fill out the Sens top six.

Senators Offseason Summary

The Senators' summer changed dramatically when Brady Tkachuk requested a trade and was eventually sent to Florida for the ninth and 25th picks in the 2026 draft, a 2027 second-rounder and a 2029 first-round pick.

GM Steve Staios then flipped the ninth pick to San Jose for William Eklund and prospects Kasper Halttunen and Brandon Svoboda.

Ottawa also acquired Andre Burakovsky and goalie Samuel Ersson, while re-signing Claude Giroux, Nick Cousins, Jordan Spence and Leevi Merilainen.

The biggest question remains whether Eklund and Burakovsky can replace Tkachuk's offence.

Let's compare that with Florida's offseason.

Panthers Trades: Additions

Obviously, we start with Tkachuk, who arrived in Sunrise last month in the aforementioned trade.

The Panthers are at the cap and have almost all their top guys locked up for at least the next four years, so it will be interesting to see what happens when Brady becomes a UFA in 2028.

The Panthers also completely changed their goaltending.

Jacob Markstrom was added from New Jersey while Akira Schmid came over from Vegas for a 2028 third-round pick. 

Florida also added more grit, acquiring Garnet Hathaway from Philadelphia and bringing back Radko Gudas from Anaheim. The Panthers also got former Sens buzzsaw Angus Crookshank in the Markstrom deal.

Panthers Trades: Subtractions

The Tkachuk trade cleaned out much of Florida's premium draft capital. They don't have a first-round pick for the next three years.

They gave up 23-year-old Mackie Samoskevich to Seattle to bring in a first-round pick they'd later have to send to Ottawa.

In a rugged UFA swap with Anaheim, they sent forward AJ Greer to the Ducks for Gudas. Both players re-signed with their new clubs.

The Markstrom deal with the Devils cost the Panthers Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and minor league prospect Ben Steeves.

GM Bill Zito wasn't afraid to sacrifice depth and future assets to try and build a winner.

Panthers Free Agency

The Panthers' biggest losses came in free agency. Sergei Bobrovsky signed a three-year deal with Toronto after seven seasons and two Cups in Florida.

Backup Daniil Tarasov also left for Detroit, meaning the Panthers enter next season with an entirely new goalie tandem.

On the plus side, Florida signed Gudas to a six-year contract and added a familiar name for Senators fans in Lars Eller. Veteran defenseman Alexander Petrovic was also brought back on a two-year deal.

Who Had the Better Offseason?

The Panthers.

The Sens lost Brady Tkachuk, and their loss is Florida's gain. Tkachuk, Radko Gudas, and Garnet Hathaway ensure that the Panthers won't be much fun to play against.

If there's one reason for pause, it's in goal.

Markstrom is 36 and posted an .883 save percentage last season, while Schmid was at .893 in Vegas. 

Aleksander Barkov missed all of last season, while Matthew Tkachuk, Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart and several other important Panthers missed a lot of time as well.

Florida is healthy again, and their talent level is not only outrageous, but it's locked up and not leaving anytime soon. The numbers listed beside their best players are how long they're locked up for.

Brady Tkachuk (2) – Aleksander Barkov (4) – Sam Reinhart (6)
Carter Verhaeghe (5) – Sam Bennett (7) – Matthew Tkachuk (4)
Eetu Luostarinen (9) – Anton Lundell (4) – Brad Marchand (5)

Jonah Gadjovich (2) – Lars Eller – Garnet Hathaway

Gustav Forsling (6) – Aaron Ekblad (7)
Niko Mikkola (8) – Seth Jones (4)

Dmitry Kulikov (2)Radko Gudas (6)

Unreal.

Just like last year, the Panthers have a better roster than most teams. They just need to stay healthy.

If they do, they look a lot more like the club that won consecutive Stanley Cups than the one that finished 25th last season.

On paper, they might be even better.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article first appeared at The Hockey News Ottawa. For full Senators coverage, check out one of The Hockey News headlines below:

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Islanders Make Alex Jefferies Deal Official

The New York Islanders announced on Wednesday that they have signed restricted free agent Alex Jefferies to a one-year, two-way deal.

His arbitration hearing was scheduled for July 31. 

This isn't news for those keeping tabs during the offseason. 

Last Friday morning, Elliotte Friedman reported the signing:

Jefferies, who recorded 29 points (nine goals, 20 assists) in 60 games for the Bridgeport Islanders this past season, received his qualifying offer worth $850,000 on June 5. 

The 24-year-old was selected by the Islanders in the fourth round (No. 121) of the 2020 NHL Draft. 

Comparing Macklin Celebrini's Contract With Sharks To Connor Bedard's With Blackhawks

On Wednesday, the San Jose Sharks announced their five-year, $18.8 million contract extension with superstar forward Macklin Celebrini. San Jose selected Celebrini with the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and he's already one of the best players in the NHL. 

This came just under two weeks after Connor Brdard, who went number one overall a year before Celebrini, signed his extension. Bedard's, like Celebrini's, is a five-year deal, but it's only carrying a cap hit of $15 million. Bedard was already a restricted free agent, so his deal kicks in right now, while Celebrini's won't go into effect until the 2027-28 season. 

Celebrini has had a better start to his NHL career than Bedard. On top of already being a much better defensive forward, his points per game (70 goals and 108 assists for 178 points in 152 games) top Bedard's (75 goals and 128 assists for 203 points). 

This past season, however, Bedard had a breakout season. It wasn't at the level he thought it would be because of an injury that sidelined him for a month in December and January. At the time of the bad break, Bedard was right there with Celebrini in the top five of league scoring. While Bedard was out, Celebrini pulled away. 

It was still a 30-goal point-per-game season for Bedard, but it was not close to the masterclass year that Celebrini had for the Sharks. 

With all of that in mind, is Celebrini worth $3.8 million more than Bedard in this market? Both of their deals made them top-five players in the NHL in terms of average annual value, but Bedard makes a lot less. 

Celebrini's AAV will account for 16.5% of San Jose's salary cap. Meanwhile, Bedard's is 14.4% of the Hawks' cap. For a variety of reasons, this is great business for the Blackhawks.

Neither guy would be making this much if the Philadelphia Flyers never tendered an offer sheet to Anaheim Duck forward Leo Carlsson, who went 2nd in Bedard's draft, for $18 million, but it did and each franchise responded accordingly. 

Having an extra $3.8 million to work with when roster building is big for Kyle Davidson and his staff. If Bedard continues to develop his game and reaches Celebrini's level permanently (staying healthy will play a big role in that), the Blackhawks will be very thankful he took this deal. 

Within the next handful of years, as the salary cap grows, both guys will be "underpaid", but Bedard showed incredible commitment to the Chicago Blackhawks and made sure there is enough to build a winning roster by avoiding any offer sheets and getting this contract done promptly. 

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Flyers' Offer Sheet to Leo Carlsson No Longer NHL's Biggest Contract

When the Philadelphia Flyers signed Leo Carlsson to a five-year, $90 million offer sheet with an $18 million AAV, the contract was considered to be an outrageous one. Times, however, have simply changed, and a new big-money deal proves that.

Carlsson, 21, briefly became the highest-paid player in the entire NHL with that $18 million AAV, but that title, as of next year, is no longer one he holds.

Instead, the San Jose Sharks signed superstar forward Macklin Celebrini to a new five-year contract extension, which will make him the highest-paid player in the NHL when it kicks in on July 1, 2027.

Celebrini, 20, got the five-year, $94 million contract from the Sharks less than a month after Carlsson signed the Flyers' offer sheet, and his $18.8 million annual cap hit will account for 16.56% of the Sharks' salary cap, per PuckPedia.

Additionally, the structure of the deal is very similar to that of Carlsson's, as Celebrini will receive $19.85 million in signing bonuses in Years 1 and 2, and another $19.8 million in Year 3.

In each of the five years of the contract, Celebrini will make the majority of his cash in signing bonuses, and his actual base salary never exceeds $1 million.

Matvei Michkov Says Flyers Contract Talks Haven't StartedMatvei Michkov Says Flyers Contract Talks Haven't StartedAlthough he has been eligible to sign a contract extension for several weeks, Philadelphia Flyers star Matvei Michkov is taking a patient approach waiting for negotiations to begin.

The latter is also true of what the Flyers gave Carlsson.

The Swede will receive $19.95 million in signing bonuses this year, $18.1 million next year, and $17.05 million the year after.

That is all to say that the contracts signed here are almost identical, with the Flyers setting the baseline for the new generation of star players.

Of course, the Flyers are attempting to spend that kind of money because they do not have a player of their own from that pool, though the hope is that, with time and a bit of luck and investment, Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone can take that leap.

Fortunately for the Flyers, both of their young talents are wingers, so they'll end up being a bit cheaper than Carlsson and Celebrini once they hit their peaks.

And it goes without saying that the Flyers' search for a young, true No. 1 center still goes on, even after previously trading for and subsequently re-signing Trevor Zegras.

The price will be steep, but between Carlsson and Celebrini, they do know the price.

Bryan McCabe Parts Ways With Florida Panthers Following Successful Stint As Director Of Player Personnel

There is another major change coming to the Florida Panthers front office.

THN Florida has confirmed that longtime development executive and former team captain Bryan McCabe has parted ways with the franchise. 

“Caber’s work within our hockey operations department was integral to our success, and we wish him nothing but the best in his next chapter,” said Panthers General Manager Bill Zito.

McCabe had been working to develop players in Florida’s pipeline since he was hired as a development coach in 2012 following his retirement as a player from the NHL.

In 2013 he was named Director of Player Development, and then four years later was promoted to Director of Player Personnel.

During his career, McCabe played three of his 15 NHL seasons for the Panthers, becoming the first defenseman in franchise history to be named team captain.

He racked up 104 points and 152 penalty minutes during his 199 games with Florida and played in his 1,000th NHL game while wearing a Panthers sweater.

“I spent 15 years with the Panthers, I made a lot of great relationships throughout the community and the organization, and I wish them nothing but the best moving forward,” McCabe told THN Florida. “South Florida is home to me, I raised my family there, and winning two Stanley Cups has been a dream come true. I loved my time there.”

Looking ahead, McCabe is expected to be highly coveted among teams looking to improve their development systems.

This summer the Panthers have already seen three members of their executive team depart the franchise, all heading to the New Jersey Devils.

First, the Devils hired former Florida assistant general manager and head of analytics Sunny Metha as their new general manager.

Then Metha turned around and hired Braden Birch, who served as Florida’s Director of Hockey Operations and Salary Cap Management, as his assistant general manager, and Leo Luongo, a key member of Florida’s Goaltending Excellence Department, as Jersey’s new Director of Goaltending.

For now, we’ll have to wait and see what the future has in store for McCabe.

Considering the success he found in Florida, it will be fun to see where he lands and what kind of impact he has during the next steps of his career.

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