Senators general manager Steve Staios has turned his attention toward some of his Belleville free agents, and for the second straight day, he signed a 2021 first-round draft pick to a one-year, two-way contract for next season.
After Xavier Bourgault re-signed on Thursday, it was Tyler Boucher's turn on Friday.
Like Bourgault, Boucher is coming off his best pro season, by far, this past year and the Senators are hoping he can take another step this fall.
Senators European scout Anders Ostberg describes Jonas Lagerberg Hoen, Ottawa's top pick in last month's draft
Over 47 games, Boucher had 12 goals, 14 assists, and 26 points with the Belleville Senators, which over a full 72-game AHL season, would be a valuable 40-point pace.
That was not only a good step, it earned him another contract. But games played will remain the key statistic for Boucher, as it does every year.
Looking back to the draft five years ago, Boucher was seen by most analysts as a very good prospect at the 2021 NHL Draft, and probably the most physical forward available, but almost no one, except for the Senators, saw him as top-10 overall material.
He'd love a chance to prove everyone wrong but he'll need to dodge that injury bug that always seems latched on to some part of his body. In the five seasons since his draft day, he's played only 177 hockey games total between his time at Boston U, the Ottawa 67s and the Belleville Senators.
The Senators are obviously hoping (and banking) on Boucher being able to take another step this fall.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators, check out one of the latest headlines below:
The Buffalo Sabres could go a number of different ways as the NHL is in the midst of trade season following the NHL Draft and the opening of free agency on July 1. With the departure of winger Alex Tuch and defenseman Bowen Byram, GM Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to seek out offensive reinforcements to make up for the 44 goals lost by their departures.
Over the next few weeks, we will continue to look at potential options for the Sabres. Some of the possibilities are not going to match Tuch’s stats, but any additions could provide some relief to the pressure that youngsters Konsta Helenius, Jiri Kulich, or Noah Ostlund will be under to make up the deficit.
Kekalainen ideally would like to make up as much of the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, and another possibility is someone who may be readily available in the way of the Anaheim Ducks matching the offer sheet to center Leo Carlsson and that is veteran winger Chris Kreider. The 35-year-old was part of the dismantling of the NY Rangers by former Sabre Chris Drury, as he was dealt to the Ducks after 13 years on Broadway. In his first season on the West Coast, Kreider matched his goal total in his previous season with the Rangers (22) and posted 50 points.
What do the Sabres do to replace Alex Tuch's scoring and leadership?
The matching of Carlsson’s five-year, $90 million deal ($18 million AAV) has left the Ducks with just over $9 million in cap space, 40-goal scorer Cutter Gauthier still to sign, and a blueline short-handed after the departures of vets Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba, and the trade of Olen Zellweger to Buffalo last month. Ducks GM Pat Verbeek was taken by surprise at the Carlsson offer sheet, thinking he would have plenty of cap space to sign him, Gauthier, blueliner Pavel Mintyukov, and more defensive replacements.
The Ducks scrambled to re-sign Mintyukov to a five-year deal at an AAV of $7.2 million, and now do not have enough cap space to extend Gauthier. A number of NHL insiders have indicated that Verbeek is now looking to jettison a contract to clear room to re-sign the 22-year-old scorer, which reportedly include Kreider, former Tampa winger Alex Killorn, and Frank Vatrano.
Adding Kreider would make perfect sense for the Sabres, if he is not on their 15-team no-trade list. Even though he is slowing down, the Massachusetts native can still move and is capable of playing in the top-six. He has one year left on his contract at $6.5 million, which would mean no long-term commitment on the part of Kekalainen, and in the spot that Verbeek is in, a deal might be so low-cost that the Ducks would have to include a pick to take on contract.
That might be a long shot, since there might be a number of teams interested in the big winger, but the potential cost would likely be significantly less than any of the other trade or free agent options out there currently.
The Senators announced on Thursday that restricted free agent forward Xavier Bourgault has signed a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season. Bourgault, who's entering his third season with the Senators organization, was scheduled for arbitration later this month.
The 23-year-old is a former first-round draft pick of the Edmonton Oilers, who dealt him to Ottawa in 2024 with Jake Chiasson for winger Roby Jarventie and a fourth-round pick.
Senators European scout Anders Ostberg describes Jonas Lagerberg Hoen, Ottawa's top pick in last month's draft
Playing alongside Arthur Kaliyev and Phillipe Daoust, which was one of the most productive lines in the AHL, Bourgault had his best pro season by a country mile. He finished second in Belleville scoring with 25 goals and 57 points. He even got his first taste of the NHL, playing in two games this season, including his debut on December 27 in Toronto.
Bourgault is a player that Staios has liked and monitored since their junior days. In 2022, Staios was GM of the Hamilton Bulldogs when they came up against Shawinigan in the Memorial Cup, and Bourgault was the Cataractes' best player.
That fall, both men reported for pro duty in Edmonton.
Bourgault turned pro and headed for the Oilers' training camp, while Staios was hired by Edmonton as a special advisor to the hockey operations staff. Bourgault didn’t make the Oilers out of camp and was sent to AHL Bakersfield, where Staios was obviously in a position to keep close tabs on him.
Two years ago, after Staios had left Edmonton for Ottawa, he still thought enough of Bourgault to bring him to Ottawa in the Jarventie deal.
With 26 points in 51 games, Bourgault's first season in Belleville was underwhelming. However, B-Sens head coach David Bell said last summer that he believed Bourgault played through injuries that prevented the skilled forward from showing what he was fully capable of.
Seems like he was right, because Bourgault was a different player.
With his contract now signed, Bourgault heads into training camp this September with more momentum than at any point in his professional career. His next step is proving he can hang at the NHL level.
In the meantime, with Garrett Pilon signing in the KHL for next season, Bourgault has probably even earned some consideration as Belleville’s next captain.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators, check out one of the latest headlines below:
Although it hasn’t been announced yet, BPM Sports’ and RG.org’s Marco D’Amico has confirmed with player agency Gold Star that Bogdan Konyushkov has signed a two-year ELC contract with the Montreal Canadiens.
The 23-year-old was drafted by the Habs in the fourth round of the 2023 draft with the 110th overall pick, stands 6 feet tall, and weighs 171 pounds, according to the KHL website. Unlike last year, Konyushkov was not present at the development camp, which raised a few eyebrows, but it makes sense if the Canadiens were already planning to sign him and knew he would have to play with HC Torpedo this season.
The Russian side published a news release today stating that the defenseman’s representatives had asked the team to technically terminate his contract so he could sign a two-way contract with the Canadiens. The release goes on to explain that the team agreed, but that he will still be loaned to Torpedo until the end of his existing contract with them on May 31, 2027.
While he’s not exactly big, the blueliner plays with a physical edge, and after a down year production-wise in the KHL in 2024-25 with just 17 points, he bounced back nicely with 38 points in 67 games in the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 21:25 in ice time. Konyushkov had a successful career at the lower levels in Russia as well, winning championships with his teams in both the MHL and the VHL. In the MHL, he had six points, all assists, in six playoff games while the rugged defenseman collected 13 points in 17 playoff games in the VHL.
When he does come over at the end of the KHL season, he will be able to either join the Laval Rocket in the AHL or the Canadiens. You can add his name to the list of reasons why Canadiens fans can look forward to next spring, right alongside Michael Hage and Alexander Zharovsky.
The Buffalo Sabres have brought in a few new players this off-season, but they should not be done making moves yet.
One way that the Sabres could look to strengthen their roster is through the free agent market. Because of this, let's look at three remaining UFAs who the Sabres should consider signing.
Patrick Kane
Out of all the UFAs left, Patrick Kane stands out in a major way. The future Hall of Famer would have the potential to be a great addition to the Sabres' top six. With the Sabres taking a big step forward last season, now feels like the right time for them to bring the Buffalo native home. In 67 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season, he recorded 16 goals and 57 points.
Anthony Mantha
The Sabres have another top-six winger worth considering in Anthony Mantha. After posting career highs with 33 goals, 31 assists, and 64 points in 81 games last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the 2013 first-round pick is still a UFA at this point in the summer. The 6-foot-5 forward could be a solid replacement for Alex Tuch in Buffalo's top six.
Vladimir Tarasenko
Vladimir Tarasenko is another intriguing UFA still available right now. The 34-year-old winger had a nice bounce-back year with the Minnesota Wild in 2025-26, posting 23 goals and 47 points in 75 games. While he is no longer the star he was during his prime, he would still have the potential to be a good addition to Buffalo's middle six. It also doesn't hurt that he has won the Stanley Cup twice during his career.
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Wild has re-signed defenseman Carson Lambos to a one-year contract, keeping one of the organization's top young blueliners in the fold ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Lambos, 23, was selected by Minnesota with the 26th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and has spent the past several seasons developing with the Iowa Wild.
The left-shot defenseman also made his NHL debut during the 2025-26 season, giving the organization a glimpse of what he could bring at the next level.
With Quinn Hughes, Brock Faber, Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon leading the NHL blue line, with a mix of Olli Maatta, Zach Bogosian and Daemon Hunt to round it out, Lambos will likely continue competing for opportunities while serving as valuable organizational depth.
He remains one of Minnesota's more intriguing defensive prospects and could push for a larger NHL role as the season progresses.
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In the last two seasons, the Montreal Canadiens made the playoffs, and their dominance over their divisional rival, the Florida Panthers, was a big part of that. The Habs have won their last seven games against the Cats. This past season, Montreal outscored Florida 13-7, while the January matchup ended 6-2; the other two games didn’t finish in regulation. The April bout was ultimately decided in a shootout, while the December meeting went into overtime.
Back in 2024-25, the Tricolore played four games against the Panthers and outscored them 14-5. Montreal blanked the Panthers 4-0 in their first matchup of the season, before winning 3-1 at home and 4-2 in Florida in March. They then wrapped up the season series with another triumph, this time at the Bell Centre by a score of 4-2. Back then, Florida was the two-time defending champions and being able to handle them like that was a big confidence builder for the young Habs.
Looking ahead to the 2026-27 season, however, it looks like winning against Paul Maurice’s team won’t be quite that easy. After missing the playoffs last season, there won’t be any bumps or bruises left on the Panthers. Captain Aleksander Barkov sat out the entire season after undergoing knee surgery on both his ACL and his MCL, but he’ll be back with a vengeance.
Barkov won’t be the only addition, though; Bill Zito was able to add some more sandpaper to a team that hardly needed any more when Brady Tkachuk essentially fell into his lap after forcing his way out of Ottawa. The younger Tkachuk will join big brother Matthew and effective pest Brad Marchand, who’s just not slowing down despite being 38 years old. Last season, he put up 54 points in just 52 games; one can wonder if he would have kept up the same pace in 82 games, but it’s far from impossible that he would have. As for the older Tkachuk, he played only 31 games due to an injury, but he still put up 34 points. Those are three players who know how to get under your skin, and it will take a lot of self-control not to fall victim to their antics.
On July 1, they also added some depth at center, signing former Hab Lars Eller to a one-year deal at just $850,000. He may not put up many points, but he’s an effective player on both sides of the puck and highly responsible defensively. Since they knew they couldn’t afford to sign A.J. Greer to a new contract, they traded for Garnet Hathaway, who will replace Greer’s physicality, though he’s unlikely to be as productive.
On the blueline, Zito added even more physicality by signing Radko Gudas as a free agent. He may only be a third-pairing guy, but he knows how to lay down the boom effectively and punish his opponent’s forwards. Just like Marchand, Zito signed him to a long-term contract he probably has no hope of playing through, but it allowed the Panthers to spread out the money they have to pay him, bringing his cap hit down to just $1.5 million.
The offseason isn’t over yet, though, and the Cats have only $1,221,786 in cap space while still needing to sign a backup goaltender. They didn’t re-sign Sergei Bobrovsky, but they traded for Jacob Markstrom, who has a $6 million cap hit over the next two seasons. While he’ll be looking for a bounce-back season after only winning 23 games with a 3.07 goals-against average and a .883 save percentage, he has won his last four games against the Habs.
The Cats have also acquired goaltender Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights, but he’s an RFA right now and has filed for arbitration. The hearings are set to take place from July 20th to August 1st, so they should get some clarity on the net front sooner rather than later. Depending on the result, Zito may be forced to make another move as teams are allowed to go over the cap during the offseason, but they’ll have to be cap-compliant by the time the season starts.
Wherever you look in the Panthers’ lineup, there doesn’t seem to be any weakness. Meanwhile, Kent Hughes has yet to address any of the Canadiens’ needs this offseason. The GM is after a top-six forward (a center wouldn’t go amiss, but the Habs would settle for a winger if he were impactful), a top-four right-shot defenseman, and some more grit for the bottom six.
Of course, the offseason is far from over, but when you compare the Canadiens’ lineup to the Panthers, you get a sense of how much the Habs are missing to really ice a contender. That was also made clear by the Carolina Hurricanes' dominance in their third-round series. Hughes has a lot of futures to trade, but as he has said himself, there aren’t that many rebuilding teams looking for what he’s selling right now. There’s no doubt that this makes his job harder, and with the Canadiens making the Eastern Conference Final last season, other GMs aren’t exactly keen on helping the Habs improve. Still, the GM will need to find a way if he wants his team to keep improving. There’s only so much organic growth can do.
The Toronto Marlies, AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, had an incredible campaign this past season. They went on to win the Calder Cup and were crowned champions of the American League, which is always a great sign for any organization.
As for the players on that Marlies team, there were multiple standouts. However, as good as some of the Marlies' core players were in the post-season, they may not get the opportunity they deserve in the AHL after a busy off-season for the Leafs and GM John Chayka.
Players such as goaltender Artur Akhtyamov, defenseman William Villeneuve, centers Jacob Quillan, Bo Groulx and others all deserve some more time in the NHL.
Akhtyamov was stellar for the Marlies this past season, especially in the playoffs. He played 22 games, earning the starting role for the team early in the post-season, and finished with a .923 save percentage, a 2.22 goals-against average and a pair of shutouts.
The 24-year-old's campaign was so impressive that not only did he go home with his team carrying the Calder Cup, but he was also named the AHL playoff MVP and awarded the Jack A Butterfield Trophy.
Villeneuve, 24, made his first three NHL appearances this past year, but really should get much more than that next season, considering his playoff campaign.
He scored 23 points in 24 playoff games for the Marlies, leading all American League defenseman in scoring for the post-season by a landslide. Not to mention, he almost led the entire league in playoff scoring if it weren't for Toronto's Vinni Lettieri, who potted 26 points in 23 contests.
With a campaign that impressive and a blueliner who can move the puck and provide speed to an aging NHL D-corps, Villeneuve should certainly be given more than the three appearances he got in 2025-26.
Quillan and Groulx got real looks in the NHL this past year, particularly after the trade deadline, when some regulars were shipped away for future assets and the Leafs' season was drifting away.
In Quillan's 23 games and Groulx's 13 appearances, they showed potential to be bottom-six centers who can contribute on the penalty kill. They have areas that could require some improvement, including Quillan's offensive presence and Groulx's record in the faceoff dot.
However, with the opportunity they got last year, they'll be looking for another taste after showing that they can hang in the NHL.
Unfortunately for those players, who all have their own cases to get a chance in the NHL, there don't seem to be many open spots on the Maple Leafs' roster going into 2026-27.
One player a part of the Marlies' run that hasn't been mentioned is left winger Easton Cowan. He'll likely be an NHL regular this coming year after scoring 11 goals and 29 points in 66 contests for the Leafs in 2025-26. So that's one roster spot filled.
Of course, there are the stars or perennial NHLers on the roster, such as Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies, John Tavares, Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe, and several others.
And within all those names, there were an abundance of additions this off-season, taking up half of the roster practically. In terms of forwards, the Leafs added Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime and even first overall draft pick Gavin McKenna.
On the blueline, Toronto completed a sign-and-trade for Darren Raddysh and acquired Emil Andrae in a separate trade. They also signed Troy Stecher to a two-year contract extension.
And in the crease, they traded away Joseph Woll, but acquired future Hall of Fame goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in free agency, inking him to a three-year deal.
Indeed, injuries are a part of the game and could certainly free up some roster spots for the handful of Marlies who would deserve them. But in terms of flat-out making the team out of camp and having a relatively regular role next season, the odds are certainly against many of those Calder Cup champions.
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The $3.5 million the Islanders have is solely Matthew Schaefer's bonuses after his Calder Trophy-winning rookie campaign.
The Islanders had around $3.5 million in available space come the end of the season, but that was because they were using Long-Term Injured Reserve to stay under the salary cap limit.
When LTIR is used to stay under the cap, that automatically triggers cap-overage penalties for bonuses.
The Islanders $2.997 in available cap space right now includes Schaefer's bonuses.
That number is closer to $4 million if goaltender Vitek Vanecek begins this season in the minors, with the Islanders burying his entire $1 million cap hit in the minors.
Expect Schaefer to continue to get the $3.5 million bonus in each of the next two seasons. So, unless the Islanders avoid using LTIR to stay under the cap, expect to see this trend continue for the totality of his entry-level deal.
ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Wild continued taking care of business with its restricted free agents on Friday, re-signing forward Caedan Bankier and defenseman David Spacek to one-year contracts.
Bankier, 23, was selected by the Wild in the third round (86th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft. The two-way forward has spent the past two seasons with the Iowa Wild, where he has continued to develop into a reliable depth option capable of playing in a variety of situations.
He is expected to return to Iowa this season as he continues working toward his first NHL opportunity.
Spacek, 23, was drafted in the fifth round (153rd overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft and has steadily climbed Minnesota's organizational depth chart.
The puck-moving defenseman has shown offensive upside during his time with the Iowa Wild and even played in two NHL games last season.
Both players are expected to play significant roles in Iowa during the 2026-27 season while continuing their development within the Wild organization.
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Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon is facing criticism after engraving the names of six family members onto the Stanley Cup ahead of those who helped win their first championship in 20 years.
Dundon added the names of his wife and five children immediately after his own, placing them ahead of front-office members, coaches, players and staff.
As a result, Tom Dundon, Veruschka Dundon, Caden Dundon, Dax Dundon, Drew Dundon, Blake Dundon, and Tagan Dundon now occupy the first two lines of the iconic trophy.
The Chicago Blackhawks have plenty of promising young players to keep an eye on next season. Oliver Moore is among them, as the 2023 first-round pick has the tools to blossom into a very good NHL player.
Moore showed promise as a rookie this past season for the Blackhawks. In 51 games, the 5-foot-11 forward posted five goals, 14 assists, and 19 points. While he did not necessarily have a big year offensively, he showed that he is already capable of being a solid forward at the NHL level.
Yet, with Moore now having a year of NHL experience on his resume, it would not be surprising if he takes his game to a new level next season.
When looking at the Blackhawks' current forward group, Moore should be put into a position to succeed. He will likely have a top-nine role, and this could help him take that next step offensively during the 2026-27 season.
If Moore can continue to play a strong all-around game but increase his offensive totals, he could emerge as a very important part of the Blackhawks' forward group next season. It will be interesting to see how the young forward performs in 2026-27, but it is clear that he has a lot of potential.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a busy off-season. After getting back into the playoffs last season, they have added multiple players, like Andrei Kuzmenko, Hendrix Lapierre, Nick Robertson, Kaedan Korczak, Declan Carlile, and Trevor van Riemsdyk, to their roster.
Yet, when noting that the Penguins traded Parker Wotherspoon and lost Ryan Shea in free agency, it would not hurt for them to add another left-shot defenseman to their roster before the start of the 2026-27 season. When looking at the unrestricted free agents (UFAs) still available for the taking, former Penguins blueliner Matt Grzelcyk is an intriguing option for Pittsburgh to consider.
If the Penguins brought back Grzelcyk, he could compete for a spot on their bottom pairing. However, even if he ended up being an extra defenseman for the Penguins, he could be a good veteran player for them to have when injuries arise.
Grzelcyk also had the best season of his NHL career as a Penguin in 2024-25. In 82 games, he scored one goal and set new career highs with 39 assists and 40 points. With how well he performed during his stint with the Penguins, it would be understandable if Pittsburgh took another chance on him.
On a cheap one-year deal, there could be a good match between the Penguins and Grzelcyk.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 25: Arturs Silovs #37 of the Pittsburgh Penguins tends goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Four of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 25, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Last weekend the Penguins re-signed two restricted free agent goalies at the same time. Arturs Silovs got a one-year extension for $2.8 million, Joel Blomqvist got a two-year deal.
The details within Blomqvist’s salary are very interesting. It is a two-way contract in 2026-27 that has a $300k downside guaranteed salary, worth up to $850k if he spends the full season in the NHL. The contract suggests what many expect: that Blomqvist will be the organization’s third string goalie next season and likely spend a lot of time in the AHL.
It’s the second year of the deal that’s interesting, it switches to a one-way contract that pays Blomqvist a $900k salary, regardless of whether or not he plays in the NHL or AHL level.
The #LetsGoPens signed 24 y/o G Joel Blomqvist to a two year two-way contract
$875K Cap Hit
Yr 1: $$850K NHL, $225K Minors, $300K Guaranteed Yr 2: $900K 1-way
The other interesting element is that Blomqvist loses waiver status at the start of the 2027-28 season. This deal could serve to make other teams less likely to claim Blomqvist, given the one-way contract. It also was likely a necessary carrot to dangle, lest the goalie return back to Sweden to play given that his NHL future has been delayed, which figures to only continue next season. Giving the money makes for incentive to stay in the organization instead of leaving.
At this time, let’s pivot back to Silovs. He’ll be making $2.8 million in 2026-27 and is set to be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2027. Sergei Murashov is also set to become a RFA next summer, leaving Blomqvist (at his affordable $875k cap hit that is little above the minimum amount of $850k) as the only NHL caliber goalie in the organization currently under contract in 2027-28.
The future of the Pens’ goalie situation is dependent on next season, naturally enough, but there will be some decisions to make next summer where Silovs will be only one year out from UFA approaching for him in 2028 and seeing what kind of salary Murashov might prove he deserves coming off his entry level contract.
It’s not difficult to see a path where if Silovs doesn’t improve some metrics from last season – where his 5v5 save percentage ranked 43rd out of 52 goalies with 1200+ minutes and his GSAA was 44/52- that perhaps Pittsburgh doesn’t qualify Silovs for 2027-28 and instead looks to elevate Blomqvist from No. 3 up to a full-time spot in the NHL as a cheaper option if it doesn’t look like they are interested in making a market rate type of commitment for Silovs.
The situation could flip the other way, though few expect Murashov not to be impressive, if next season plays out to the point where he isn’t an NHL option for 2027-28, the Pens are in perfect position to retain Silovs for 2027-28 and have Blomqvist right there should Murashov sputter through his rookie NHL season. Goalie paths can be volatile at best, no one really thought highly-regarded goalie prospects like Spencer Knight and Yaroslav Askarov would need AHL time a few years into their careers, but sometimes it happens that way. There’s a lot of hope, and for valid reason, that Murashov will be a long-term factor in net for the Pens, but at this point that is still a path he is going to have to travel and prove.
Or, in the best of all worlds where Silovs AND Murashov both have strong seasons in 2026-27, the Pens would find themselves with quality depth and could be paying Blomqvist an NHL salary to play in the AHL as an insurance policy against injury in 2027-28.
There are as many variables in play as one’s imagination allows, no one can predict the future when is comes to NHL goaltending performance from year-to-year so it’s a curious detail that Blomqvist secured one-way money in 2027-28. Whether or not that portends to him drawing that salary as a full-time NHL goaltender in a couple years still is obviously way up in the air and almost entirely dependent on how he and the other two goalies play in 2026-27 with a wide array of extremely possible outcomes for all parties. Blomqvist’s contract structure, especially seeing Silovs only sign for one year, serves to open up multiple possibilities for the mid-range outlook for how the Penguins might go about building their goaltending options, which at this point is a good position to be in and give ample ability to adjust based on how the future unfolds.
Chris MacFarland has spent much of his first offseason in Nashville surrounding himself with familiar faces, whether that's acquiring former Colorado Avalanche players or adding personnel from his old organization. Earlier this week, he continued that trend by bringing back another player with Avalanche ties.
The Nashville Predators re-signed defenseman Justin Barron to a one-year, $1.575 million contract, giving the former Colorado first-round pick another opportunity to establish himself on Nashville's blue line.
The 24-year-old Barron was a restricted free agent after appearing in 52 games for the Predators last season, recording nine assists while averaging 14:15 of ice time. He also finished with 60 blocked shots after being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in December 2024 in exchange for defenseman Alexandre Carrier.
"Justin Barron is a 24-year-old, right-handed defenseman who we feel still has growth in his game," Predators President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Chris MacFarland said in a team release. "He can skate and has a lot of physical tools. We're looking forward to seeing him at our training camp in September."
For Avalanche fans, Barron's name is forever linked to one of the biggest trades in franchise history.
Colorado selected the defenseman with the 25th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, and he spent most of the next two seasons developing with the AHL's Colorado Eagles, where he recorded six goals and 18 assists in 50 games. He also made two NHL appearances before being included, along with a 2024 second-round pick, in the March 2022 trade that brought Artturi Lehkonen to Denver.
That deal became one of the defining moves of Colorado's Stanley Cup run. Lehkonen scored the overtime winner that completed the Avalanche's sweep of the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final before netting the Cup-clinching goal in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Barron eventually found his footing in Montreal, posting consecutive double-digit point seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24 despite playing fewer than 50 games in each campaign. His production slowed to one point in 17 games to begin the 2024-25 season before he was traded to Nashville, where he rebounded with 12 points in 45 contests after the deal.
Defensive consistency has remained the biggest question mark throughout Barron's NHL career. Across 208 games with the Avalanche, Canadiens and Predators, he has recorded 18 goals and 34 assists for 52 points but has yet to finish a season with a positive plus-minus rating, posting a career minus-27.
His underlying numbers paint a mixed picture. Barron ranked third among Predators defensemen with 60 blocked shots last season and led the group in blocked shots per 60 minutes (4.86). He also finished third among Nashville blueliners in hits. On the other hand, his four takeaways were the fewest on the team.
The one-year contract gives Barron another chance to carve out a larger role in Nashville while providing MacFarland with additional depth on the right side entering the 2026-27 season.
Barron has appeared in 208 regular-season NHL games but has yet to make his Stanley Cup Playoff debut. He is also the younger brother of Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron.
