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.
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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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.
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.
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.
NHL salaries are rising so quickly that Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby has dropped out of the top 50 and Minnesota Wild standout Kirill Kaprizov didn't get a chance to earn a paycheck with the title of top-paid player.
Carlsson's status was also surpassed when the San Jose Sharks announced on Tuesday, July 29, that Macklin Celebrini signed a five-year extension with an $18.8 million average. His deal won't kick in until the 2027-28 season.
Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard signed a five-year deal with a $15 million cap hit that makes him No. 3 overall in 2026-27 behind Carlsson and Kaprizov. Anaheim's Cutter Gauthier and Columbus' Adam Fantilli, restricted free agents without arbitration rights, have yet to sign for the upcoming season.
The NHL salary cap, which was stagnant after the pandemic, rose to $95.5 million last season and $104 million this season.
Crosby, whose $8.7 million cap hit is derived from his 87 jersey number, is now ranked 52nd in average annual value.
Here are the top 50 players in the league in cap hits, plus the top salaries and the top defensemen and goaltenders (money figures are from puckpedia.com):
Highest-paid NHL players by cap hit
Note: Sharks center Macklin Celebrini will average $18.8 million, starting in 2027-28
Top 50 plus ties
C Leo Carlsson, Ducks, $18,000,000
LW Kirill Kaprizov, Wild, $17,000,000
C Connor Bedard, Blackhawks, $15,000,000
C Leon Draisaitl, Oilers, $14,000,000
C Jack Eichel, Golden Knights, $13,500,000
C Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs, $13,250,000
C Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche, $12,604,000
C Connor McDavid, Oilers, $12,500,000
LW Jason Robertson, Stars, $12,000,000
RW Mitch Marner, Golden Knights, $12,000,000
RW Mikko Rantanen, Stars, $12,000,000
LW Kyle Connor, Jets, $12,000000
C Elias Pettersson, Canucks, $11,600,000
C/RW William Nylander, Maple Leafs, $11,500,000
C Martin Necas, Avalanche, $11,500,000
D Erik Karlsson, Penguins, $11,500,000
RW David Pastrnak, Bruins, $11,250,000
D Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres, $11,000,000
D Drew Doughty, Kings, $11,000,000
LW Artemi Panarin, Kings, $11,000,000
LW Pavel Dorofeyev, Rangers, $11,000,000
C Adrian Kempe, Kings, $10,625,000
D Thomas Harley, Stars, $10,587,000
D Evan Bouchard, Oilers, $10,500,000
RW Alex Tuch, Capitals, $10,500,000
LW Jonathan Huberdeau, Flames, $10,500,000
C Logan Cooley, Mammoth, $10,000,000
C Tyler Seguin, Stars, $9,850,0000
C Sebastian Aho, Hurricanes, $9,750,000
D Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets, $9,583,334
D Seth Jones, Panthers, $9,500,000
D Noah Dobson, Canadiens, $9,500,000
RW Nikita Kucherov, Lightning, $9,500,000
C Brayden Point, Lightning, $9,500,000
D Adam Fox, Rangers, $9,500,000
RW Mark Stone, Golden Knights, $9,500,000
D Charlie McAvoy, Bruins, $9,500,000
LW Matthew Tkachuk, Panthers, $9,500,000
D Darnell Nurse, Sharks, $9,250,000
C Mathew Barzal, Islanders, $9,150,000
C Trevor Zegras, Flyers, $9,125,000
D Roman Josi, Predators, $9,059,000
LW Jake Guentzel, Lightning, $9,000,000
D Dougie Hamilton, Devils, $9,000,000
D Cale Makar, Avalanche, $9,000,000
D Jakob Chychrun, Capitals, $9,000,000
D Luke Hughes, Devils, $9,000,000
D Jackson LaCombe, Ducks, $9,000,000
D Lane Hutson, Canadiens, $8,850,000
RW Timo Meier, Devils, $8,800,000
Highest-paid players by 2026-27 salary
Top 30, plus ties
C Leo Carlsson, Ducks, $20,800,000
LW Kirill Kaprizov, Wild, $19,100,000
C Jack Eichel, Golden Knights, $17,700,000
C Connor Bedard, Blackhawks, $17,000,000
C Leon Draisaitl, Oilers, $16,500,000
RW Alex Tuch, Capitals, $15,700,000
LW Kyle Connor, Jets, $15,000,000
C Connor McDavid, Oilers, $14,250,000
C Martin Necas, Avalanche, $14,000,000
RW Mitch Marner, Golden Knights, $14,000,000
LW Pavel Dorofeyev, Rangers, $14,000,000
C Logan Cooley, Mammoth, $13,000,000
D Thomas Harley, Stars, $13,000,000
C/RW William Nylander, Maple Leafs, $12,500,000
C Nathan MacKinnon, Avalanche, $12,150,000
D Noah Dobson, Canadiens, $12,000,000
D Evan Bouchard, Oilers, $12,000,000
C Adrian Kempe, Kings, $12,000,000
LW Jason Robertson, Stars, $12,000,000
LW Artemi Panarin, Kings, $12,000,000
D Lane Hutson, Canadiens, $12,000,000
RW David Pastrnak, Bruins, $11,250,000
RW Mikko Rantanen, Stars, $11,250,000
C Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs, $11,080,000
D Drew Doughty, Kings, $11,000,000
D Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres, $11,000,000
D Darren Raddysh, Maple Leafs, $11,000,000
C Elias Pettersson, Canucks, $11,000,000
D Jacob Trouba, Sharks, $11,000,000
D Rasmus Andersson, Golden Knights, $10,500,000
LW Jonathan Huberdeau, Flames, $10,500,000
C Trevor Zegras, Flyers, $10,500,000
Highest-paid defenseman by cap hit
Note: Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram will have a $12.5 million cap hit, starting in 2027-28.
Top 30 plus ties
Erik Karlsson, Penguins, $11,500,000
Drew Doughty, Kings, $11,000,000
Rasmus Dahlin, Sabres, $11,000,000
Thomas Harley, Stars, $10,587,000
Evan Bouchard, Oilers, $10,500,000
Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets, $9,583,334
Seth Jones, Panthers, $9,500,000
Charlie McAvoy, Bruins, $9,500,000
Adam Fox, Rangers, $9,500,000
Noah Dobson, Canadiens, $9,500,000
Darnell Nurse, Sharks, $9,250,000
Roman Josi, Predators, $9,059,000
Dougie Hamilton, Devils, $9,000,000
Jakob Chychrun, Capitals, $9,000,000
Cale Makar, Avalanche, $9,000,000
Jackson LaCombe, Ducks, $9,000,000
Luke Hughes, Devils, $9,000,000
Lane Hutson, Canadiens, $8,850,000
Moritz Seider, Red Wings, $8,550,000
John Carlson, Lightning, $8,500,000
Darren Raddysh, Maple Leafs, $8,500,000
Ivan Provorov, Blue Jackets, $8,500,000
Rasmus Andersson, Golden Knights, $8,500,000
Mikhail Sergachev, Mammoth, $8,500,000
Brock Faber, Wild, $8,500,000
Miro Heiskanen, Stars, $8,450,000
Owen Power, Sabres, $8,350,000
Jacob Trouba, Sharks, $8,250,000
Jake Sanderson, Senators, $8,050,000
Victor Hedman, Lightning, $8,000,000
Thomas Chabot, Senators, $8,000,000
Philip Broberg, Blues, $8,000,000
Highest-paid goaltenders by cap hit
Top 30
Igor Shesterkin, Rangers, $11,567,857
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning, $9,500,000
Thatcher Demko, Canucks, $8,500,000
Connor Hellebuyck, Jets, $8,500,000
Jake Oettinger, Stars, $8,250,000
Jeremy Swayman, Bruins, $8,250,000
Linus Ullmark, Senators, $8,250,000
Ilya Sorokin, Islanders, $8,250,000
Juuse Saros, Predators, $7,740,000
Dustin Wolf, Flames, $7,500,000
Sergei Bobrovsky, Maple Leafs, $7,000,000
Filip Gustavsson, Wild, $6,800,000
Lukas Dostal, Ducks, $6,500,000
John Gibson, Red Wings, $6,400,000
Adin Hill, Golden Knights, $6,250,000
Jordan Binnington, Blues, $6,000,000
Jacob Markstrom, Panthers, $6,000,000
Philipp Grubauer, Kraken, $5,900,000
Logan Thompson, Capitals, $5,850,000
Spencer Knight, Blackhawks, $5,833,333
Elvis Merzlikins, Blue Jackets, $5,400,000
Tristan Jarry, Oilers, $5,375,000
MacKenzie Blackwood, Avalanche, $5,250,000
Darcy Kuemper, Kings, $5,250,000
Jet Greaves, Blue Jackets, $5,000,000
Joey Daccord, Kraken, $5,000,000
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, Sabres, $4,750,000
Karel Vejmelka, Mammoth, $4,750,000
Kevin Lankinen, Canucks, $4,500,000
Joonas Korpisalo, Rangers, $4,000,000
What is the NHL salary cap for 2026-27 and beyond?
Celebrini has played two seasons and has totaled 70 goals and 178 points in 152 games. His 115 points last season broke Joe Thornton's previous franchise record of 114.
Macklin Celebrini signed a five-year, $94 million contract extension with the Sharks.
Sharks star Macklin Celebrini has signed a massive new contract extension that will make him the highest-paid player in the NHL.
The new deal is a five-year, $94 million contract that has a record $18.8 million average annual value, surpassing the $18 million AAV Leo Carlsson got on his five-year, $90 million deal when the Ducks matched the Flyers’ offer sheet earlier this month.
Celebrini, 20, was eligible to sign an extension since he is entering the final year of his entry-level contract with the Sharks and it will kick in at the start of the 202-28 season.
Macklin Celebrini signed a five-year, $94 million contract extension with the Sharks. Getty Images
“I couldn’t be happier to sign an extension today,” Celebrini said in a statement. “The faith and support that Mr. Plattner, Mike Grier and the entire staff have shown me throughout the past two seasons is proof that we are building something special here. My teammates and I are ready to take another step toward the ultimate goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to this city and its incredible fans. I can’t wait to get going.”
The 2024 No. 1 overall pick has developed into a star for San Jose, setting a franchise record during the 2025-26 season with 115 points and he recorded the second most goals in Sharks history with 45.
Celebrini had also been a finalist for the Ted Lindsey Award for most outstanding player, which is voted on by the NHL Players Association.
Leo Carlsson had set a record with an $18 million AAV when the Ducks matched the Flyers’ five-year, $90 million offer sheet. NHLI via Getty Images
“In just two seasons as a teenager in the National Hockey League and on the International stage, Macklin has established himself as one of the premier players in the world,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said in a statement. “We are extremely excited to have him secured and committed as the centerpiece of a core of talented players in San Jose.
“As we continue our goal of building a team capable of annually competing for the Stanley Cup, we want to thank Macklin and his representatives for a respectful negotiation process, and acknowledge the flexibility they have provided to the team in how we allocate future dollars towards the team being constructed around Macklin.”
San Jose Sharks General Manager Mike Grier has now gotten his biggest piece of business done, as the team announced on Wednesday morning that they have signed Macklin Celebrini to a five-year contract extension that makes him the highest-paid player in the league.
Celebrini’s new contract carries an average annual value of $18.8 million, $800k more than the deal Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson signed earlier this summer.
"In just two seasons as a teenager in the National Hockey League and on the International stage, Macklin has established himself as one of the premier players in the world,” Grier said in the press release for the move. “We are extremely excited to have him secured and committed as the centerpiece of a core of talented players in San Jose.”
Celebrini has already broken a number of records during his time with the Sharks and we’ve only seen him scratch the surface of his career. He also finished fourth in the NHL in points last season with 115, setting the Sharks franchise record for points in a season.
“I couldn’t be happier to sign an extension today,” Celebrini said in the press release. “The faith and support that Mr. Plattner, Mike Grier and the entire staff have shown me throughout the past two seasons is proof that we are building something special here. My teammates and I are ready to take another step toward the ultimate goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to this city and its incredible fans. I can’t wait to get going.”
The 2026 NHLPA Rookie Showcase, which will be held in a different location this year, will feature St. Louis Blues top prospect Justin Carbonneau.
The Rookie Showcase is now being hosted at the Blackhawks Ice Center in Chicago, Ill, kicked off on Tuesday, and will run through Thursday.
The event had been held in Washington for the last four years but has now moved to Chicago for the very first time.
The Rookie Showcase is largely a promotional event, where rookies don their clubs' jerseys as they pose for trading cards and other collectable merchandise. Many autographed items, specifically pucks, are gathered during this event.
Additionally, the rookies will have their faces scanned for the EA Sports NHL video game.
Carbonneau, a 19-year-old right winger, is preparing for his first season of professional hockey. The 19th overall pick of the 2025 NHL draft scored 51 goals and 80 points in 60 games last season for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the QMJHL.
He did receive some AHL experience, skating in three playoff games with the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Carbonneau is likely to start the season in the AHL, but he does have his sights set on making the opening night roster. He'll be required to outperform several other Blues players, but with his power forward abilities, Carbonneau has the tools to do so.
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - APRIL 15: Macklin Celebrini #71 of the San Jose Sharks looks on against the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center on April 15, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images)
Getty Images
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — San Jose Sharks superstar Macklin Celebrini signed a five-year, $94 million extension Wednesday that will make him the highest-paid player in the NHL.
Celebrini had one year remaining on his three-year, $2.925 million entry-level contract before signing the deal that keeps him locked up with the Sharks through the 2031-32 season.
The $18.8 million average annual value of the deal that Celebrini reached with general manager Mike Grier and owner Hasso Plattner is the richest in NHL history, topping the $18 million a year Leo Carlsson got when Anaheim matched a five-year offer sheet from Philadelphia.
“I couldn’t be happier to sign an extension today,” Celebrini said in a statement. “The faith and support that Mr. Plattner, Mike Grier and the entire staff have shown me throughout the past two seasons is proof that we are building something special here. My teammates and I are ready to take another step toward the ultimate goal of bringing a Stanley Cup to this city and its incredible fans. I can’t wait to get going.”
Celebrini, who turned 20 in June, has established himself as one of the game’s top young stars since being picked first overall by San Jose in 2024.
Celebrini had 45 goals and 70 assists last season, with his 115 points breaking Joe Thornton’s franchise record of 114 set in 2006-07 and trailing Wayne Gretzky (137 in 1979-80) and Sidney Crosby (120 in 2006-07) for the most in a season for a player before turning 20.
He also was the leading goal scorer in the Olympics, with five goals to help Canada win the silver medal.
“In just two seasons as a teenager in the National Hockey League and on the international stage, Macklin has established himself as one of the premier players in the world,” Grier said. “We are extremely excited to have him secured and committed as the centerpiece of a core of talented players in San Jose.”
Despite Celebrini’s exploits, the Sharks still missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season. They improved by 34 points for the 10th best single-season jump in the last 30 years but landed four points out of the playoffs.
There have only been two players wear the #64 for the Columbus Blue Jackets. Unfortunately for Columbus, neither one of them made a significant impact for Columbus. Cleveland is a different story, however.
Trey Fix-Wolansky - 2019-25
Many people thought, despite being drafted so late in the draft and his diminutive size —5-foot-7, 180 pounds —he would turn out to be a really good winger in the NHL. So far, he’s yet to be able to show his talent at the NHL level.
Fix-Wolansky played three seasons in the WHL for the Edmonton Oil Kings. In those three seasons, he played 206 games, scored 93 goals, and had 245 points. His production improved year after year, so many thought he could translate that into the pros.
He made his full-season pro debut during the 2019-20 season for the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. He would play in 43 games, score 12 goals, and end with 26 points. The following season, he suffered a leg injury that required surgery, limiting him to only nine games. But even in those limited games, he would have nine points.
In the 2021-22 season, Fix-Wolansky played in 53 games and had 33 points, but more importantly, on February 8th, 2022, he would make his NHL debut. Fix-Wolansky would score in his debut against the Washington Capitals, taking a pass and sneaking the puck by Phoenix Copley. He finished playing in six games for Columbus that season, netting two points. He had five shots in those six games and had an average time on ice of around six minutes.
TFW's breakout season in the AHL would be the 2022-23 season. He would score 29 goals and total 71 points in 61 games. He set career highs in goals, assists, points, games played, and power-play goals. Fix-Wolansky played in nine games for the CBJ, scoring only one goal. He did average almost 13 minutes a game, however.
Fix-Wolansky had two very good seasons in 23-24 and 24-25. In each season, he finished with 26 goals and 60 points. Despite having an unreal career for Cleveland over the last seven years, Fix-Wolansky never got an extended chance to prove he could be an everyday NHL player and was not tendered a contract in 2025. He went on to sign a deal with the New York Rangers. He would never play for the Rangers, but played 72 games for the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack, scoring 31 goals and totaling 55 points.
He is signed with the AHL's Abbotsford Canucks for next season.
TFW is generally considered the greatest player in Monsters' history. He leads the Monsters franchise with 112 goals, 147 assists, and 259 points. His goals, assists, and points records are fairly safe, but Owen Sillinger and Luca Del Bel Belluz are within 120 points of him.
Tyler Motte - 2017
Tyler Motte was the first player to wear #64 for the Blue Jackets, although it wasn't for very long.
Motte was traded to Columbus by Chicago with Artemi Panarin and the NY Islanders' 6th-round pick (previously acquired; Columbus selected Jonathan Davidsson) in the 2017 NHL Draft for Brandon Saad, Anton Forsberg, and Columbus' 5th-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, June 23, 2017.
Motte would go on to play in 31 games for the Blue Jackets, scoring 3 goals and 5 points, while averaging 9:56 per game of ice time.
Later that season, Motte was traded to Vancouver by Columbus with Jussi Jokinen for Thomas Vanek on February 26, 2018.
The St. Clair, Michigan native went on to play four more seasons in Vancouver. After playing with the Detroit Red Wings in 24-25, He played in the AHL for Charlotte in 25-26. Motte currently sits without a contract after playing nine NHL seasons.
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Next up are the Buffalo Sabres, another Atlantic rival that had some big losses this summer. Like Ottawa a year earlier, the Sabres finally broke their playoff drought this past season, although Buffalo's was the longest in NHL history at 14 years.
Not only did they break the drought, they won the division. But not by much.
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss who might fill out the top six in Ottawa this fall.
Senators Offseason Summary
The Senators' offseason turned on a dime when captain 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 enough of Tkachuk's offence.
Let's compare that with Buffalo's offseason.
Sabres Trades: Subtractions
Like Ottawa, Buffalo's biggest offseason departure was one of its most important forwards.
Alex Tuch, the Sabres' third-leading scorer, was dealt to Washington in a sign-and-trade after agreeing to an eight-year, $84 million extension. Buffalo received bottom-six forward David Kämpf and a 2027 third-round pick.
The Sabres also traded defenseman Bowen Byram and rugged forward Jordan Greenway to Chicago for the fourth and 45th picks in the 2026 NHL Draft and 6-foot-8 defenseman Louis Crevier.
Also gone is Michael Kesselring to San Jose as part of a deal to move up from 27th to 20th in the first round.
Goaltender Devon Levi, the former Carleton Place Canadian, was sent to Edmonton along with a 2028 seventh-round pick for a 2028 third-rounder.
All told, that's a decent amount of NHL talent heading out the door. And they weren't particularly well replaced...
Sabres Additions
The Sabres flipped the 45th pick and prospect Anton Wahlberg to Anaheim for 22-year-old defenseman Olen Zellweger.
Zellweger should immediately help replace some of the mobility and offence lost with Byram, while Crevier gives Buffalo another young right-shot defenseman.
Free agency was relatively quiet. Buffalo re-signed Zellweger, and also brought back veteran Conor Sheary and Sens UFA defenseman Dennis Gilbert.
The Sabres also signed Zach Benson, Peyton Krebs, amd Beck Malenstyn to long term extensions.
Buffalo also built for the future, using the fourth overall pick acquired from Chicago to select defenseman Daxon Rudolph and the No. 20 pick to select centre Ilia Morozov.
Who Had The Better Offseason?
Both teams lost an important winger. Ottawa lost Tkachuk while Buffalo lost Tuch.
But the Sabres also bid farewell to Byram, Greenway, Kesselring, and Levi.
There's plenty to like about Buffalo's return. Zellweger is already an NHL player with considerable upside, while the fourth overall pick could eventually become a major piece.
But much of that return is geared toward the future. The Sens' response was a little more focused on the present.
Staios turned the ninth pick into Eklund, a 23-year-old established NHL forward who immediately steps into the top six. Burakovsky provides another offensive option and Ersson gives Ottawa a new partner for Linus Ullmark. And 21-year-old winger Kasper Halttunen, acquired with Eklund, is a compelling prospect who might be ready for an NHL look later in the season.
The Senators also retained Giroux, Cousins and Spence, keeping several important pieces of last year's team in place.
Offseason edge: Senators
Who's Better Right Now?
Buffalo finished ahead of Ottawa last season and still has plenty of talent.
Tage Thompson remains as big and elite as ever, while Josh Norris, Zach Benson, Jack Quinn, Josh Doan, Jason Zucker, and Ryan McLeod fill out a strong group of forwards.
Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, both former first overall picks, remain the foundation of an excellent blue line.
Ottawa counters with Tim Stützle, Drake Batherson, Dylan Cozens, Shane Pinto, Giroux and newcomers Eklund and Burakovsky up front, with Thomas Chabot, Jake Sanderson and Spence on defence and Ullmark in goal.
Also keep in mind that Ottawa's goaltending, injury luck and off-ice drama would be hard-pressed to be worse than they were last season, and the Senators still made the playoffs with 99 points.
Buffalo earned the right to enter this comparison with an advantage after finishing ahead of Ottawa last season.
But after what happened this summer, that advantage may have disappeared.
Better team right now? The Senators. But not by much.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have made multiple moves this off-season, but they should be open to making more. After losing Ryan Shea in free agency to the Edmonton Oilers and trading Parker Wotherspoon to the Vegas Golden Knights, it is clear that the Penguins could use another left-shot defenseman.
Because of this, let's look at two potential defenseman trade targets for the Penguins to consider.
Alexander Nikishin, Carolina Hurricanes
With Alexander Nikishin being a 24-year-old defenseman with great upside, he is exactly the kind of defenseman who a retooling team like the Penguins should make a serious push for. He just had a strong rookie season with the Hurricanes, posting 11 goals, 33 points, and a plus-18 rating in 81 games. The potential for him to become a high-impact defenseman in the NHL is there, so he is a blueliner the Penguins should consider making a serious push for.
Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs
If the Penguins want to add another veteran defenseman, Maple Leafs blueliner Morgan Rielly could be worth taking a gamble on. The 32-year-old defenseman has been the subject of trade rumors throughout this off-season and would be a nice addition to the Penguins' left side if acquired. However, he has a full no-movement clause, so he would need to approve any potential trade. In 78 games last season for Toronto, he posted 11 goals and 36 points.
When looking at the Buffalo Sabres' current roster, it is fair to wonder if they could look to bring in a player to training camp on a professional tryout (PTO) agreement.
One remaining UFA who could be worth taking a look at on a PTO for the Sabres is forward Jonathan Drouin.
Drouin was bought out by the Blues earlier this off-season after a tough 2025-26 season. In 64 games split between the New York Islanders and Blues, he posted four goals, 20 assists, and 24 points.
While Drouin struggled offensively last season, his previous seasons indicate that he could potentially bounce back if he landed another chance.
Just back during the 2024-25 season with the Colorado Avalanche, Drouin posted 11 goals, 26 assists, and 37 points in 43 games. This was after he scored 19 goals and set career highs with 37 assists and 56 points in 79 games for the Avalanche during the 2023-24 season. With this, he has had some recent offensive success.
With the Sabres needing more forwards, it could make sense of them to take a gamble on Drouin with a PTO. It would come with zero risk, and they could simply release him from his PTO if the fit isn't there.
In 671 career NHL games, Drouin has recorded 111 goals, 287 assists, and 398 points.
The Pittsburgh Penguins should be open to bringing in a player or two to training on a professional tryout (PTO) agreement.
When looking at the remaining UFAs at this point in the off-season, Carson Soucy is an interesting defenseman who could be worth taking a gamble on with a PTO for the Penguins.
With the Penguins' left side not having the strongest depth, a player like Soucy would have the potential to be an interesting addition to their group if he earned a contract for the season. When playing at his best, the 32-year-old defenseman can be a solid bottom-pairing defenseman due to his steady defensive play and physicality.
Soucy split this past season between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders, where he recorded five goals, 12 points, 91 blocks, and 105 hits. This was after he had four goals, 13 points, 106 blocks, and 115 hits in 75 games split between the Vancouver Canucks and Rangers during the 2024-25 season.
Overall, with the Penguins needing more defensive depth, there would be no harm in them taking a look at Soucy on a PTO. He could work on their bottom pairing or as an extra defenseman for the Penguins if signed.
