The Ducks have signed another RFA to a contract extension. This time, its defenseman Tyson Hinds, who made his NHL debut towards the end of the regular season. Hinds appeared in six regular season games and nine Stanley Cup Playoff games as part of the third defensive pair.

With Olen Zellweger dealt to the Buffalo Sabres and Pavel Mintyukov recently signed to a five-year contract extension, the Ducks appear to have their left side of the blue line solidified for the upcoming season. Hinds’ contract extension is for two years. It’s a one-way deal with an AAV of $900,000.

After playing most of the season in the AHL with the San Diego Gulls, Hinds was recalled on April 4, making his NHL debut that night against the Calgary Flames. He impressed in his debut, playing alongside John Carlson and finishing the game with over 23 minutes of time on ice. He was paired primarily with Drew Helleson for the rest of the regular season and into the playoffs, prioritized over Zellweger during the postseason for his defensive-minded approach.

Every indication is that Hinds will have priority for a regular lineup spot heading into the 2026-27. Tristan Luneau, who he spent most of the season playing alongside in the AHL, is also expected to be given plenty of rope as he too competes for full-time spot on the NHL roster. It’s possible that they could form one of the Ducks’ three defensive pairs.

With $9 million in projected cap space (per PuckPedia) remaining, the Ducks still have a few RFAs left to sign, namely budding star Cutter Gauthier. A decision for Leo Carlsson’s five-year, $90 million offer sheet from the Flyers looms on Friday, though the projected cap space takes his cap hit into account. However, Gauthier’s eventual extension will leave general manager Pat Verbeek with very little wiggle room to operate with for any further additions.

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Just under a week ago, the Edmonton Oilers made a quiet addition to their roster with a depth forward that went largely unrecognized except by Detroit Red Wings fans. 

On July 1, the Oilers signed former Grand Rapids Griffins forward Eduards Tralmaks to a one-year, two-way contract worth $850,000, giving the 29-year-old winger his first real shot at cracking an NHL lineup after years as a career minor leaguer.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman spoke on the move during Monday's episode of his podcast, 32 Thoughts, pointing to new Oilers head coach Mike Babcock, who won a Stanley Cup with Detroit back in 2008, as the kind of coach who could get the best out of a player with Tralmaks' skill set. 

Friedman suggested Babcock's track record of developing depth players into legitimate NHL contributors could give Tralmaks a real chance to work his way into a regular role at the game's highest level, something the Red Wings never gave him during his one year with the franchise.

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Red Wings fans saw Tralmaks at his best last season, when he recorded 26 goals and 16 assists for 42 points in 64 AHL games with Grand Rapids, finishing fourth on a Griffins team that broke several league records during a 51-win campaign in just 72 games. 

Tralmaks did earn emergency recalls and practiced with the Red Wings at times, but he never once cracked the lineup for an actual NHL game, spending his entire tenure in the organization strictly as a minor-league piece.

Tralmaks likely helped his case with his performance at the Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, where he was one of the better players in the tournament for Latvia, scoring three goals and adding an assist for a point-per-game average across the country's four games, with several of those goals proving to be genuine difference-makers. 

Now heading to Edmonton, Tralmaks will get an extended look with the Oilers as they aim to finally get over the hump under Babcock after two Western Conference Championships in the last three seasons.

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TORONTO (AP) — Daniel Alfredsson, once public enemy No. 1 in Toronto as captain of the Ottawa Senators, is leaving Canada's capital to join the Maple Leafs as an associate coach.

The Maple Leafs announced the move Tuesday, saying John Gruden and Brad Werenka also are joining coach Jim Hiller’s staff as assistants.

Alfredsson, 53, spent the last three seasons as an assistant in Ottawa after a Hall of Fame playing career spent mostly with the Senators.

The Swedish winger was a prominent figure in the “Battle of Ontario” between the Maple Leafs and Senators, which included four playoff showdowns between 2000 and 2004.

Senators owner Michael Andlauer in a statement said that while he wished Alfredsson were not joining a rival organization, the door would always be open for a return.

The Maple Leafs announced that assistant coaches Mike Van Ryn and Derek Lalonde would not return.

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Although the St. Louis Blues entered the 2026 NHL draft with four first-round picks, they left making just two of those picks but added three left-handed centers.

With the 11th overall pick, the Blues selected two-way, smooth-skating center Tynan Lawrence. Then, they flipped the 15th and 29th overall picks to land 23-year-old Mason McTavish. With their final piece of business in the first round, the Blues selected 6-foot-4 Quebec native Maddox Dagenais.

The Blues entered the draft with a bit of a shortage of centers. In the NHL, they had Robert Thomas and Dalibor Dvorsky, both of whom stand at six feet and 6-foot-1. While they are not small by any margin, size and physicality aren’t strengths of their game. McTavish is listed at 6-foot-1, but he can play with a physical edge.

Lawrence is listed at 6-foot-1 as well, but his play style doesn’t scream bruiser. Dagenais, on the other hand, is a physical beast, bringing an element that the Blues need at the center ice position.

The 18-year-old was a former first overall pick in the QMJHL, but he hasn’t necessarily lit it up offensively just yet. In 2025-26, Dagenais notched 30 goals and 62 points in 62 games, taking a large step forward in his development from his rookie season in 2024-25. 

Dagenais has some international experience as well, representing Canada at the U-17 and U-18 Levels, but hasn’t broken out offensively there either.

Blues Go Center Heavy With Their First-Round Picks In 2026 NHL Draft St. Louis grabs Tynan Lawrence at No. 11, Dagenais at No. 16 after trading No. 15, 29 To Ducks For McTavish

Despite that, Dagenais brings several intriguing elements. We’ve touched on his power forward traits, but he is also a strong skater who excels in transition. His shot is strong, and he became more comfortable utilizing it as the season went on.

His playmaking needs some development, but if that develops, Dagenais has all the traits of a top-six NHL center. 

Eliteprospects.com compared Dagenais’ game to Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies and former Blues first-round pick Zachary Bolduc. 

The Blues have plenty of highly skilled prospects, and although Dagenais is very skilled, he brings a different element that the Blues may have been putting off recently. Diversifying the prospect pool was a must, and there is an avenue for Dagenais to be successful with the Blues in the NHL. 

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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.

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Kekalainen ideally would like to replace the 60-to-70 point production that he lost with Tuch, and one possibility is Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann. The 30-year-old is in the final year of a five-year, $25 million contract with the Kraken, and his name has begun to pop up on trade rumors. After starting his career in Vancouver in 2015, the winger played three years in Florida, and another three with the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

The Pens traded him to Toronto, who exposed him in the 2022 expansion draft, where the Kraken claimed him. The Stratford, ON native has scored 20 or more goals in each of his five seasons in the Pacific Northwest, with his career-high 40 goals in 2023. McCann played only 52 games last season due to recurrent lower-body injuries, but still posted 40 points (20 goals, 20 assists).

McCann has a 10-team modified no-trade list, which could still be a hurdle that Kekalainen has to clear with some players. The cost certainty of a $5 million cap hit would be attractive to the Sabres with their limited cap space, and the fact that he could be a one-year rental would keep the trade price down. Moving him would be a head-scratcher for former Sabres GM Jason Botterill, but it could be indicative that McCann or the Kraken are not open to a contract extension.  

The Sabres have to be looking for someone who could replace as much of Tuch’s production as possible, and in the final year of his contract, McCann would be motivated to put up big numbers in advance of hitting the open market next July. The fact that the Sabres are relying on internal improvement of their young players to make up the difference is a risky proposition, since them taking the next step is not linear. The addition of someone like McCann or Buffalo native Patrick Kane will not make up for all the offense and leadership lost with the departure of Tuch, but it would definitely help.  

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced major changes across the entire coaching staff.

Since hiring Jim Hiller as the bench boss on June 17, the Maple Leafs have brought in John Gruden, Daniel Alfredsson and Brad Werenka behind the bench, the team announced on Tuesday.

This past year, the Maple Leafs started the campaign with Craig Berube as the head coach, with Derek Lalonde, Mike Van Ryn and Marc Savard as the assistants. On Dec. 26, Savard was replaced as the power-play coach by Steve Sullivan.

Ultimately, the Leafs announced that Lalonde and Van Ryn won't be returning to the organization as assistant coaches.

Former Ottawa Senators assistant coach and star, Alfredsson, will be joining the Maple Leafs behind the bench as Hiller's associate coach.

He becomes just the second instance of the Maple Leafs naming an associate coach. Lane Lambert was the last coach to hold that title, which lasted for one season before becoming the head coach of the Seattle Kraken.

Alfredsson spent the past three seasons as an assistant coach with the Senators, earning the role in December 2023 and holding onto it ever since.

Outside of his NHL experience, he was also a senior advisor for Team Sweden at the 2025 World Championship and an assistant coach for his nation at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

There is some shock attached to this hire considering the history between the Maple Leafs and Alfredsson. 

Alfredsson was a star for the Senators during his time as a player in the NHL. He played 18 seasons in the league, 17 of which in Ottawa, and was the captain of the Sens from 1999-00 to 2012-13.

Alfredsson and the Leafs have been through some heated affairs in the Battle of Ontario. Some moments that stick out are their first-round playoff series in 2003-04.

Now, he contributes to the same franchise as Leafs senior executive advisor Mats Sundin. Alfredsson famously mocked Sundin for throwing his broken stick into the crowd back in their playing days.

Gruden joins the Leafs fresh off a Calder Cup win in the AHL as the head coach of the Toronto Marlies this past season, and for the past three years.

He'll understand what sort of talent Toronto has in its system, and he has experience handling young players. That'll be a resource with Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna likely in the NHL lineup regularly.

He also has experience with Auston Matthews from their time in the USA Hockey National Team Development Program.

Gruden has five years of experience as an NHL assistant coach with four seasons with the New York Islanders and one with the Boston Bruins from 2018-19 and 2022-23.

As for Werenka, he doesn't have experience in the NHL as a coach like Alfredsson and Gruden do. However, from 2022 to 2025, he was an assistant at the University of Calgary. He led the Dinos to a Canada West Men’s Hockey Championship in 2023.

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On July 1, the Chicago Blackhawks signed forward Cole Smith to a three-year, $9 million contract. With this move, the Blackhawks have added more experience and depth to their forward group.

While Smith may not be the biggest signing of the summer, he could end up being a very solid addition to the Blackhawks' roster. The 31-year-old should fit nicely in Chicago's bottom six due to his high-energy style of play and grit. 

Smith should also provide value because of his strong defensive play. Because of this, he should now be a key contributor to the Blackhawks' penalty kill. This element of his game should benefit the Blackhawks nicely as they look for better results in 2026-26. This is especially so when noting that they lost top penalty-killing forward Ilya Mikheyev to the Tampa Bay Lightning in free agency this off-season.

Smith appeared in 63 games last season split between the Nashville Predators and Vegas Golden Knights, where he recorded eight goals, 12 points, and 173 hits. He also had three goals, six points, and 24 penalty minutes in 22 playoff games this spring for the Golden Knights. 

Smith's best offensive NHL season was in 2023-24, when he posted career highs with nine goals, 14 assists, and 23 points in 80 games with the Predators. If he can produce offense like this in a bottom-six role and maintain his hard-nosed style of play, he could end up being a nice pickup for Chicago.

According to TVA Sports, the Montreal Canadiens have put pen to paper on a one-year, two-way deal with right-shot defenseman Reilly Walsh. The American-born 27-year-old blueliner was a third-round pick by the New Jersey Devils at the 2017 NHL draft (81st overall) but never really made it in the NHL, suiting up for only one game with the Devils, in which he collected an assist.

Once drafted, he went from the Chicago Steel in the USHL to Harvard in the NCAA, where he spent three seasons before turning pro and spending three seasons with the Devils’ AHL affiliate. He then spent one season with the Boston Bruins farm team in Providence before skating for the Los Angeles Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, for a single campaign. In 304 AHL games, the 6-foot-185-pound blueliner put up 159 points and accumulated 121 penalty minutes.

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After five seasons in the AHL, Walsh decided to head to the KHL for the 2025-26 season, where he suited up for the Kazakhstan-based Astana Barys. A team that only won 16 games last season, put up 54 points, and missed the playoffs by 15 points. As for Walsh himself, in 68 KHL games, he did put up 46 points, the fourth-highest total for a defenseman in the league behind Damir Sharipzyanov (67 points), Daniil Pylenkov (54 points), and Mitchell Miller (47 points).

This is a depth signing for the Habs and he will more than likely spend the year with the Laval Rocket, but his arrival will help make up for the fact that the AHL side will have to make do without Bryce Pickford for a while since the highly-touted prospect underwent shoulder surgery last week and will need to rehabilitate before starting his professional career.

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Devils GM Sunny Mehta and Comets GM Braden Birch have begun revamping the AHL franchise. Here’s a look at some of the early summer roster changes.

Out With the Old

Utica’s goal leader last season, Angus Crookshank, was shipped off to the Florida Panthers in the Jacob Markstrom trade. Defenseman Calen Addison and forward Dylan Wendt were not tendered qualifying offers and walked to free agency. Lastly, UFA forwards Jonathan Gruden, Nathan Legare, and Mike Hardman were not brought back as of the writing of this article. That does not mean none of them will return. Free agent center Ryan Schmelzer signed a new AHL one-year contract on July 2nd according to the Comets website, a move that hasn’t been confirmed on Puckpedia as of Monday. Forward Jack Malone and netminder Jeremy Brodeur re-upped with new AHL deals on July 3rd and RFA goaltender Jakub Malek signed a two-year, two-way extension on July 6th.

In With the New

Diminutive winger Ben Steeves joined the roster as a piece of the Jacob Markstrom swap. Steeves was an offensive force for the Charlotte Checkers last season, scoring 23 goals and potting 45 points in 72 games and easily replaces Crookshank’s production. Steeves signed a one-year, two way contract with the Devils yesterday, so could be a candidate for a call-up to New Jersey at any point during the seaason.

A flurry of trades and signings in and around the draft and the beginning of free agency brought in some players who will be fighting for a spot in New Jersey, but may spend some time in Utica. Amadeus Lombardi is a 23-year-old center, who can play wing, and is looking to make the jump into the NHL after being a nearly point per game player for the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL the past two seasons. Sunny Mehta specifically mentioned Lombardi at his press conference as not only “depth”, but a “bet” as a player who’s shown promise of being ready for the next level.

Another depth “bet”, 28-year-old 6’6” winger Riley Tufte has been one of the AHL’s most prolific goal scorers, finishing tied for third in the league last season with 32 twine touchers in only 64 games. Tufte provides a different element to Lombardi as a large, netmouth presence with a scoring touch and will be an interesting player to watch in camp.

Lastly, left-handed defenseman Vladislav Kolyachanok is a 25-year-old, 6’1” puck mover, who will be competing with trade acquisition Declan Chisholm for a roster spot. Kolyachanok is an intriguing player. An analytics darling in small sample sizes at the NHL level, Kolyachanok has bounced around the Coyotes, Penguins, Stars, Bruins and their AHL affiliates in his short career.

Other players were signed to AHL contracts. Former teammate of Shane LaChance at Boston University, Jeremy Wilmer finished his collegiate career with Quinnipiac, and despite a season-ending injury his senior year, the undrafted, crafty winger put up 41 points in 38 games in his last full NCAA season. Center/winger Gabe Klassen put up 17 goals and 36 points in 59 games for the Wilkes-Barre Penguins last year. Former Red Wings 3rd round draft pick, Zach Gallant also signed an AHL deal. A highly physical energy forward, Gallant has split time between the AHL and ECHL after a stint with the U Sports McGill’s hockey program.

The Comets also signed 24-year-old defender Eamon Powell. A former fourth round pick of the Tampa Bay Lighting, Powell, known for his edgework and aggressive style, put up 7 points in 23 games for the Charlotte Checkers last season after five years at Boston College.

Another AHL signing, goaltender Seth Eisele has been one of the better netminders in the ECHL, finishing last season with a 18-7-1 record, 2.37 GAA and .919 SV% in 29 games for the South Carolina Stingrays. The 26-year-old will likely be competing with recently re-upped Jeremy Brodeur for platooning time between Utica and Adirondack and takes Tyler Brennan’s place down the goalie depth chart without the use of a NHL roster spot.

If there are themes in most of these moves, they seem to be the targeting analytical darlings and players who have excelled at the lower level and may be ready for the next step up, whether it be star AHLers, who may be ready for the NHL, or star ECHL and NCAA players, who may be ready for the AHL. It’s a fresh approach compared to the middling state Utica has been mired in for years. We will soon know how it plays out.

Your Take

What do you think? Post your comments below.

The New York Islanders enter the quiet part of the 2026 summer with 13 clear NHL forwards, with multiple players pushing for roles elsewhere on the depth chart.

Many expect Victor Eklund to compete for and win a job in the opening-night lineup, but that's far from guaranteed.

The 2026-27 Islanders will not be significantly changed, but a tidal wave of change is bubbling beneath the surface.

Next summer, the Islanders have four pending unrestricted free agents at forward-Kyle Palmieri, Casey Cizikas, Ondrej Palat, and Kyle MacLean.

Matias Maccelli, signed to a one-year, $2.25 million deal, is an RFA, but if the year doesn't go well, he would almost certainly be headed to the UFA market once again.

Simon Holmstrom and Emil Heineman are restricted free agents.

So, as it stands, the Islanders have seven forwards under contract for the 2027-28 season, which becomes eight if you include Eklund.

That number also includes both Anthony Duclair and Pierre Engvall, who remain candidates for a trade as soon as this summer.

That's a wide-open forward group for a crop of young, skilled players to barge right into.

Conveniently, Hamilton's going to be chock-full of those youngsters learning the ropes.

Cole Eiserman, Daniil Prokhorov and Quinn Finley -- Danny Nelson after he finishes his senior season at Notre Dame -- are all very popular names to be the "next" forward to break through after Eklund, with Hamilton first.

One name consistently passed over is Daylan Kuefler, but Kuefler is the closest of them all.

The Islanders originally selected Kuefler, 24, in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, and he's gone on to become an extremely steady pro for Bridgeport despite multiple injuries.

His skill set translates perfectly to the bottom six, with the potential to become a strong third-line shutdown winger who plays with speed and an edge.

It would not be shocking at all to see Kuefler play NHL games this season, as he's already played 105 AHL games to date.

The Islanders and general manager Mathieu Darche intentionally left the door wide-open for these young forwards to grab hold of roster spots.

Defensively, the Islanders will be open for business soon, too.

After the 2026-27 season ends, the Islanders will be able to trade any of their five NHL defenseman not named Matthew Schaefer.

After seeing Darnell Nurse go for positive value, with Morgan Rielly likely to follow, the Islanders can absolutely bank on getting good returns for any of their defensemen, with each one signed to cheap deals under the rising cap.

On the left side, both Adam Pelech and Alexander Romanov could fetch massive hauls.

Teams called this summer on Romanov, likely hoping to get him for a discount after he did not play another game following a season-ending shoulder injury in November.

Romanov's full no-trade clause kicks in on July 1, 2027.

With Isaiah George ready to push for a roster spot now, Kashawn Aitcheson joining Hamilton, and Malte Gustafsson behind them, the importance of the Islanders having flexibility with their defenseman becomes heightened.

This summer of 2026 will be looked back upon as a prelude to the Islanders' future, one led by Schaefer and the young core behind him.

That core is going to have every opportunity to succeed and explode onto the scene.

Chris Thorburn may not be taking part in the Winnipeg Jets' expanding alumni roster after all. A recent announcement from the St. Louis Blues appears to explain why.

After initially being included on the roster for Winnipeg's alumni game vs. Montreal ahead of the 2026 Heritage Classic this October when the Jets unveiled their growing list of alumni participants earlier this offseason, Thorburn's name has later been removed.

A Jets public relations representative later indicated that the former fan favourite was "no longer a 100 percent commit," with the Blues now confirming the next step in his hockey career.

St. Louis announced a series of front-office promotions following Alexander Steen's transition to general manager, including Thorburn's promotion from development coach to director of player development. The Blues also elevated former Winnipeg Jets captain Keith Tkachuk to advisor to president of hockey operations Doug Armstrong after seven seasons as the club's director of recruitment.

Thorburn remains a familiar face to Jets fans after spending four seasons with the organization following its relocation from Atlanta in 2011. The rugged forward appeared in 255 games for Winnipeg between 2011 and 2015, serving as an alternate captain while earning a reputation as one of the club's hardest-working and most respected veterans.

After finishing his 14-year NHL career as a member of the Blues' 2019 Stanley Cup championship team, Thorburn returned to the organization as a development coach in 2021. His latest promotion puts him in charge of helping guide the franchise's next generation of prospects.

Tkachuk's promotion carries Winnipeg significance as well.

Although he never suited up for the current iteration of the Jets, Tkachuk remains one of the most recognizable players in franchise history after captaining the original Jets before the club relocated to Phoenix in 1996. He played 563 games with the franchise, recording 323 goals and 630 points, cementing himself as one of the organization's all-time greats.

Now, nearly three decades after leaving Winnipeg, Tkachuk continues to climb the executive ranks in St. Louis, joining Thorburn in taking on an even larger role within one of the NHL's most established front offices.

NHL Free Agency began almost a week ago on July 1. According to CapWages.com, 389 players were seeking new contracts, and the list has been reduced to roughly 223 heading into the second official week of the NHL off-season. 

When free agency kicked off, 19 former Calgary Flames players became free agents, and now that list has dwindled to eight. Today, we are going to look at the top five players still looking for a new team for 2026-27.

Anthony Mantha

Anthony Mantha had a resurgence season last year with the Pittsburgh Penguins, scoring a career-high 33 goals and 64 points on a team that bounced back and qualified for the playoffs.

The 11-year veteran is one of the top wingers still available, and at 31, he may be looking for a long-term deal, but could end up settling on another one-year prove-it deal before landing a multi-year contract. During Mantha's one season with the Flames, in 2024-25, he scored just four goals and seven points in 13 games.

Cam Talbot

Cam Talbot is an ageless wonder, just recently turning 39 and still looking for a gig in the NHL. For the last two years, he'd been in goal for the Detroit Red Wings, posting a 33-28-11 record on a team that failed to qualify for the playoffs in either of the years he was there. After 13 seasons in the league, he's 278-204-53 with a .911 SV% and 2.69 GAA.

Moreover, last season, Talbot produced a .883 SV% and 3.19 GAA, his totals of the decade, making it a little more difficult to land a starting or backup role on a contender.

Calle Järnkrok

For the past four seasons, Calle Järnkrok has played with the Toronto Maple Leafs, beginning his tenure there with a 20-goal season back in 2022-23. Since then, he's tallied a total of 16 games over the past three seasons. Meanwhile, he was minus-15 last year, the seventh-worst total on the club.

After 13 seasons, Järnkrok has 143 goals and 316 points in 774 games. He'll be 35 at the beginning of the season, and could be looking for a fresh start with a new club on one of his final NHL deals.

Travis Hamonic

Travis Hamonic was a teammate of Talbot in Detroit last season, where he played just 26 games and recorded two points with a minus-11 rating. He'll be 36 next month, which may be a reason why he's still looking for a new deal. Considering his most productive seasons came almost a decade ago, he'll be looking for a modest contract to get him closer to retirement after 17 seasons.

Curtis Lazar

Curtis Lazar played for the Flames' provincial rival, the Edmonton Oilers, last season, appearing in 45 games and picking up six points, including four goals. Two years ago, he had a 25-point season, a career-high for the bottom-six player. Considering Lazar has never played 82 games in a single season, he'll be hard-pressed to land a role on a contender, in what would be his 13th NHL season.

Honorable Mentions

The three other former Flames players left looking for new deals also include Derek Forbort, Jordan Oesterle, and Kevin Rooney. Interestingly, all three of them combined to play four games in the league last season, so the likelihood of them landing a new NHL contract is slim, but never say never. Considering all three are still under 35, they could continue playing professionally with a chance of a call-up. 

The Utica Comets have undergone a massive overhaul this offseason.

Since taking over as New Jersey Devils general manager, Sunny Mehta has made the organization's American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate a clear priority. One of his first decisions was not to renew the contract of Comets general manager Dan MacKinnon, paving the way for Braden Birch to take over the role just days later.

“When I got here and talked it through, even with ownership, David Blitzer and I talked about what are some of the things we really want to focus on,” Mehta said during his media availability on July 2nd. “He himself brought up Utica also. That needs to be something that we make more of a priority, that we think more about in terms of both not just the success of that organization in terms of wins and losses, but just also in terms of player development.

“As much as we used this sort of decision-making process that I talk about to focus intently on our decisions at the NHL, we really have done the same thing at the AHL,” Mehta continued. “On the screen, when we put up our NHL roster, we've got the AHL roster right next to it, and we're thinking of it all as one big thing, where we are trying to use that same roster strategy in Utica.”

The 2025–26 Comets roster has been reshaped dramatically over the past several days. Below is a complete rundown of every move the organization has made.

Forwards

New Additions

Jeremy Wilmer signed a one-year AHL contract.

Amadeus Lombardi signed to a two-year, two-way contract.

Ben Steeves re-signed a one-year, two-way contract.

Riley Tufte signed a one-year, one-way contract.

Gabe Klassen signed an AHL contract.

Zach Gallant signed an AHL contract.

Returning

Ryan Schmelzer signed an AHL contract.

Xavier Parent re-signed a one-year, two-way contract.

Marc McLaughlin re-signed a one-year, two-way contract.

Jack Malone signed an AHL contract.

Departures

Angus Crookshank was traded to the Florida Panthers along with Jacob Markstrom.

Brian Halonen signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Boston Bruins.

Dylan Wendt (did not receive a qualifying offer)

Mike Hardman

Jonathan Gruden

Nathan Legare

Kyle Criscuolo

Defensemen

New Additions

Etienne Morin acquired from Calgary Flames in exchange for Simon Nemec.

Vladislav Kolyachonok signed a one-year, one-way contract.

Eamon Powell signed an AHL contract.

Returning

Topias Vilen (tendered qualifying offer)

Departures

Colton White signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Dennis Cholowski signed a two-year contract with the New York Rangers.

Austin Strand signed with Ilves in the Finnish Liiga.

Dmitry Osipov

Calen Addison (did not receive a qualifying offer)

Goaltenders

New Additions

Seth Eisele signed an AHL contract.

Returning

Nico Daws re-signed to a two-year, two-way contract.

Jakub Malek re-signed to a two-year, two-way contract.

Jeremy Brodeur signed an AHL contract.

Departures

Tyler Brennan (did not receive a qualifying offer)

Returning Players Under Contract for 2026-27 Season

Josh Filmon, Lenni Hameenaho, Shane Lachance, Matyas Melovsky, Seamus Casey, Mikael Diotte, and Ethan Edwards.

The Comets home opener for the 2026-27 season is scheduled for for Oct. 10 at the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium

Emil Andrae is set for a new chapter in his NHL career.

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired the defenseman on June 16 from the Philadelphia Flyers. Along with Andrae, the Maple Leafs received goaltender Samuel Ersson and a 2026 third-round pick in exchange for Simon Benoit and Joseph Woll. The third-round pick was used to select goalie Juuso Ainasto.

Andrae spent parts of three seasons with the Flyers before being dealt to the Leafs. Following the trade from three weeks ago, he posted his farewell on social media on Monday.

"THANKS Philadelphia and all my teammates for 3 amazing years," Andrae captioned on his Instagram post. "Couldn’t be more grateful and honored to have been a part of this organization."

This past season, the 24-year-old reached 100 regular-season games in the NHL, now featuring in a total of 107 after making 61 appearances in 2025-26. In that campaign, he scored a pair of goals and registered 13 points, the most in his young career thus far. He also recorded a plus-15 rating, which was the second-best on the Flyers' roster.

He achieved those numbers while averaging 15:20 of ice time per game, which is about two minutes less than what he logged the year prior.

Indeed, the 5-foot-9 blueliner was sheltered on the back end in Philadelphia. But he's ready to put that behind him and turn the page to a new chapter in Toronto.

"Now it’s on to a new chapter, and I’m so excited to join the Toronto Maple Leafs," Andrae signed off on his post.

Emil Andrae Signs Two-Year Deal And How The Latest Signings Impact The Club's Salary CapAndrae signed a reported $1.55 million on an average annual basis as the Maple Leafs now juggle other roster decisions.

On Saturday, Andrae locked himself in with the Maple Leafs' organization, signing a two-year contract as he was an RFA before inking that new deal. He'll earn $1.55 million against Toronto's salary cap through the 2027-28 season.

Looking at the Leafs' blueline depth chart, a spot in the lineup is certainly not confirmed for Andrae. But with the right effort and performances in training camp, pre-season, and the start of the 2026-27 campaign, he could nab a spot on Toronto's bottom pairing.

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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman feels Kyle Dubas could potentially consider reuniting new Penguins winger Andrei Kuzmenko with Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson.

Less than a week after the Penguins signed Kuzmenko to a one-year deal, Friedman speculated about Pettersson as a potential Penguins trade target on Monday’s 32 Thoughtspodcast.

“The ground has shifted here in a huge way,” Friedman said about Pettersson’s status in Vancouver. “I’ve sat there and I’ve said, where could he go that could be good for him? I don’t know. I wonder if the Penguins, with Crosby and Malkin, might be good for him.”

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun said in a June appearance on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer other teams felt Pettersson was “definitely available.”

Any trade talks surrounding Pettersson, who will turn 28 in November, will be complicated by the size of his contract. He’s signed through the 2031-32 season at a $11.6 million AAV, and he’s scored 15 goals in each of the last two seasons.

Four seasons ago, however, Pettersson was a top-10 producer in the NHL. That was back in the 2022-23 campaign, when Pettersson posted 39 goals and 102 points while spending most of the season skating with Kuzmenko on his wing.

That was a relatively brief partnership, as the Canucks traded Kuzmenko the following season.

That connection still makes Friedman mentioning the Penguins as a landing spot intriguing, as does the possibility of what a change of scenery could do for Pettersson.

After all, Teddy Blueger recently spoke about how difficult the culture was in the Canucks organization after experiencing Crosby “setting the tone” earlier in his career in Pittsburgh (h/t Dan Riccio). Maybe a change in organizational structure could result in a change in how much success Pettersson is finding on the ice.

Should that happen, the Penguins could theoretically add depth behind Crosby and Malkin in the short term and, thanks to the length of Pettersson’s contract, set up a succession plan at center in the post-Crosby era.

That would hinge on Pettersson turning things around in Pittsburgh, however, as well as whether Dubas would be willing to make that bet without the Canucks retaining salary.

The player will have some say in the matter, too. Pettersson possesses a full no movement clause – and some believe his preference will be to remain on the west coast.

@JoshYohe_PGH This was always going to be a huge variable. And why the west coast teams were always favoured here. Location & volume matters to EP40 & family. Probably more so than winning

— Farhan Lalji (@FarhanLaljiTSN) July 6, 2026

There’s been more buzz lately around the Penguins and Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson, about whom Friedman confirmed the Penguins have spoken with the Stars. Friedman added he still saw Pittsburgh as a “potential option” for Robertson despite his decision to file for arbitration in Dallas.

“I think they had some conversations with Dallas about Jason Robertson. I don’t know why it didn’t happen, but I heard there were some pretty legitimate talks,” Friedman said Monday. “So I don’t know if this was the Penguins’ call, or if this was Robertson’s call… the belief is he wants to stay there, so maybe it was Robertson’s call, I don’t know. But that is a potential option, ‘cause I heard they had some pretty serious talks about it, and we don’t know where this is going to go for Robertson in Dallas.”

Friedman also provided updates on how the Penguins are viewing two of the franchise’s highest-rated prospects.

He indicated the franchise has high hopes for Owen Pickering, who played a key postseason role for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins despite skating on a broken foot.

“I think that the Penguins are really excited for him,” Friedman said.

Friedman added he feels the Penguins could see this offseason as a make-or-break moment for winger Ville Koivunen, who played 39 NHL games last season but never established a permanent spot for himself on the roster.

“I think they’re hoping that Ville Koivunen can take another step,” Friedman said. “He had a good end to the previous year, he had a rough year this year scoring-wise, and I think they’ve basically told him: ‘You need to have a massive summer, and then we’ll see where we go.’ I don’t think they’ve given up on him by any means, but I think they’ve told him he needs to have a massive summer.”

Pickering is signed for one more season before he is scheduled to hit restricted free agency in 2027.

The Penguins have yet to sign Koivunen after extending him a qualifying offer back on June 29, so he currently remains an unsigned restricted free agent. Pittsburgh has just under $17 million in cap space after re-signing players including Egor Chinakhov and Arturs Silovs earlier this week, per PuckPedia.