Bokondji Imama's time with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization is over, as he has signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Florida Panthers.
Imama spent the majority of this past season down in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In 66 games with the AHL club this past season, he posted six goals, five assists, 11 points, and 137 penalty minutes. This was after he had three goals, five points, and 47 penalty minutes in 24 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton during the 2024-25 season.
Imama also made appearances at the NHL level for Pittsburgh during each of the last two seasons. In 18 games with Pittsburgh over that span, the 6-foot-1 forward scored one goal and recorded 35 penalty minutes.
Imama will now be joining a Panthers club that certainly values grit and toughness. He should be a call-up candidate for the Panthers when they want to add more bite to their lineup or when injuries arise.
The Columbus Blue Jackets went into Day 1 of NHL Free Agency with a ton of uncertainty. But the black cloud hanging over the franchise revolved around Zach Werenski and Kirill Marchenko and whether they would be traded anytime soon.
There was other business to attend to as well though. From signing free agents to signing their own RFA's, Don Waddell was a busy man on Wednesday.
Let's recap everything that happened on Day 1.
The first piece of business was Zach Werenski. After all the chaos that ensued on Tuesday night, with reports of a declined trade by Werenski, Columbus fans were left in shock and NHL fans begging for more. Late on Wednesday, the CBJ and Werenski put out joint statements to address the situation.
Mason Marchment - San Jose Sharks - 5 Year, $35 Million Contract
OTHERS
Erik Gudbranson has yet to sign with a new team. It's possible he still returns to the CBJ.
RFA's Adam Fantilli, Jet Greaves, Cole Sillinger, and Luke Tuch have been given their QO's, but have yet to sign their contracts.
Next Up For Columbus: Free Agency continues on.
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The Buffalo Sabres have reunited with two players in free agency.
The Sabres have announced that they have signed forward Conor Sheary and defenseman Dennis Gilbert to one-year, $850,000 contracts.
Sheary spent this past season with the New York Rangers, where he recorded seven goals, 11 assists, 18 points, and a plus-1 rating. He will now provide the Sabres with a veteran depth forward and should compete for a spot in their bottom six.
Sheary previously played for the Sabres from 2018-19 to 2019-20. In 133 games with the Sabres over that span, he posted 23 goals, 30 assists, and 53 points.
As for Gilbert, he had one assist and 10 hits in eight games this season with the Ottawa Senators. He spent the bulk of the season in the AHL split between the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Belleville Senators, though, where he recorded zero goals, 13 assists, and 33 penalty minutes.
Gilbert appeared in 25 games for the Sabres during the 2024-25 season, where he recorded five assists, 50 penalty minutes, and 52 hits.
In an overview of this batch of transactions, the Maple Leafs have sent a message to the rest of the league about looking to be competitive next season. But more importantly, they've addressed some key areas of the roster, bolstered their forward depth, and practically reshaped the entire bottom six.
"Well, certainly a player of Sergei Bobrovsky's caliber, I think, sends a message that we're serious about moving this team ahead and getting back on track and trying to take it to another level," Chayka said in his media availability on Wednesday. But I'd say everyone from him to the depth signings that bring us a lot of different elements and are allowing our players to be put in different positions where they can have their talents come out in the best way possible."
While the overall roster has seemingly improved on paper, Chayka has been able to address a couple of areas that needed some tweaks.
After the departures of players such as Scott Laughton, Nicolas Roy and even Bobby McMann this past season, Toronto lost some individuals who were excellent penalty killers and defensively strong.
Those abilities were recouped in Wednesday's activity, with Sissons, Blueger and Duhaime all being great suitors for a penalty-killing role, or even to take a D-zone start over Auston Matthews to allow him to focus on the offensive side of the game.
"It's a full picture, and so, we needed to get better in terms of the defensive side of the game," Chayka said. "We need to address our penalty killing, and we need to bring some more speed to the lineup. And I think if you look at the full picture, we're a much more dynamic team today than we were 24 hours ago."
When Chayka mentions speed, he's likely referring to Duhaime, who is a well-above-average skater in terms of his speed.
The 29-year-old left winger finished the past season in the 91st percentile in speed bursts at 22-plus mph, executing 11. The average NHL skater recorded 3.8. Duhaime also reached the 92nd percentile in max skating speed, clocking at 23.3 mph in a game from late March, according to NHL Edge.
In the theme of penalty killing, Duhaime can also do a job in that aspect, averaging 1:07 of shorthanded ice time in 2025-26 with the Washington Capitals.
The new-look bottom-six forward group that Chayka has introduced brings more tools and will have a lot more responsibility than the way the Leafs ended this past campaign.
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Maccelli, who was selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the fourth round (No. 98) in the 2019 NHL Draft -- fun fact, Isaiah George was selected with the same pick just three years -- was not tendered a qualifying offer by the Toronto Maple Leafs following the 2025-26 season, which allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent.
The Finnish forward had a solid year, recording 14 goals with 25 assists for 39 points after only scoring eight goals with 10 assists for 18 points during his one and only season in Utah after the migration from Arizona.
"Matias is definitely a skilled player and e's only 25 years old too," Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche said on Wednesday night. "He will be a restricted free agent at the end of the year, so you see some teams around the league, like you see a guy that's had 50, 57-point seasons. First of all, he's going to help us now, and if things go well, and he plays well with us, and there's a good fit, well, nothing says that we can't continue with him.
"So, we brought some offensive skill to our lineup that will help our, you know, our top lines, and that will also help on the power play."
Yes, Maccelli will be an RFA after this season, which is critical in a salary cap world for a team that is expecting to undergo some major changes next summer when certain contracts come off the books.
It's a huge prove-it year for the skilled forward.
While doing some digging on the player, I found something very interesting.
Despite being a fourth round pick, he actually, sits in the top 10 in his draft class in points.
Sure, you have the heavy hitters -- Jack Hughes (428), Matt Boldy (329) and Cole Caufiled (307) -- but ninth on the list is Maccelli with 169.
He is ahead of names like Connor McMichael (154), Shane Pinto (153), Pavel Dorofeyev (149) and Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom (120).
Out of the top 10 point producing players from this draft class, Maccelli is only one of two players not selected in the first round. The only other is Aliaksei Protas, who was selected 91st overall.
Maccelli will likely play a middle-six role for the Islanders and maybe, maybe, skate alongside a Mathew Barzal given his wheels.
The Islanders made a few depth signings on the first day of free agency, and evidently, one was to replace the departing Max Shabanov, who very understandably chose not to return. But the big splash (or unsplash?) was the confirmation that captain Anders Lee was existing after 923 regular season plus another 46 playoff games with the organization that drafted him.
Lee, who reports indicated was only offered short term (a year…maybe two late?) by the Islanders, left to take a three-year deal at age 36 with Utah, who also added Vincent Trocheck from the Rangers. A reasonable deduction would be that Lee expects to be able to play at least three more NHL seasons, and he didn’t want one of those to be here if he was just going to be cast away next summer.
For GM Mathieu Darche, the name of the game was flexibility, as each addition he made was for one year, and he referenced an expected $40 million in cap space available next summer.
The Signings
More on Darche’s remarks below, but first, the additions:
A depth goalie: Vitek Vanicek was inked to a one-year deal, taking on the David Rittich role in that he can be in the AHL if and when Semyon Varlamov is healthy but can be the backup if Varlamov has a setback. [Isles]
A depth defenseman: Matthew Kessel joins after several seasons as a callup/7th-8th D with the Blues. He’s perfectly fine as a guy who can step in, likely with more of a coach’s trust than Adam Boqvist was able to garner. [Isles]
A middle-six forward: Matias Maccelli joins, most recently from the Leafs. He’s a creative Finn who plays “the right way” and Pete DeBoer said he liked his game when both were out West. Here are 7 facts about Maccelli (relax, relax, he’s not Italian). [Isles]
Another depth forward: Mitchel Chaffee joins with just 109 NHL games at age 28. [Isles] He’ll be a callup/injury fill-in type.
An AHL forward: Matt Luff was also re-signed at age 29. He was with Bridgeport late last season after yet another Blues-Islanders exchange. It’s a two-way deal, so maybe he sees some NHL time in an injury crisis, but otherwise he’s an experienced AHL (sometimes All-Star) for…Hamilton. [Isles]
#Isles GM Mathieu Darche said signing D Matt Kessel for depth does not alter team's hope that Isaiah George is able to make the team out of training camp.
"We're just trying to bring some depth to the organization and bringing some competition at training camp."
Notes and observations on a few guys from the Blue & White scrimmage. [Isles]
Back to free agency and Lee’s departure: Darche spoke with media, confirming the previously reported gap between Lee and the team on term and setting the context for what the GM did on July 1. [Newsday | Post | THN]
With the captain gone, it’s likely Bo Horvat and Brayden Schenn (whose $6.5M cap hit for the next two years is above what Lee just got) will be the veteran leaders now, with a side of Kyle Palmieri.
After all that drama, the Blue Jackets and Zach Werenski kissed and made up. [Athletic | NHL | ESPN]
Tee hee: the Leafs bet big on Sergei Bobrovsky’s aging years. [NHL]
Ranking the day’s best and worst deals (Maccelli’s is seen as a win): Zuccarello to the Kings for just $1 million somehow, while the Sharks gave Jacob Trouba four years at $8.25 million(!). WTF. [Athletic]
The Oilers did a lot of shuffling, including adding goalie Frederik Andersen and finding a no-salary-retained taker for Darnell Nurse. [NHL]
The Canadiens extended Ivan Demidov for eight years and $73 million, starting a year from now. [Sportsnet]
The Panthers didn’t stop with Brady Tkachuk, and they’re happy with their shuffle. [NHL]
John Carlson signs for two years in Tampa, continuing a tradition of players who choose the Lightning over the Hurricanes. [Sportsnet]
Jamie Oleksiak, who came to the Kraken in 2021 as part of the expansion draft, will be headed to the Vancouver Canucks for the 2026-27 season. The 6’7”, 252 pound defenseman has skated in 758 NHL games over 13 seasons, the past five of those in Seattle.
During his time in Seattle, Oleksiak appeared in 389 regular season games. He posted 17 goals for a total of 89 points. He hit a career-high 9 goals (25 points) in the 2022-23 season. Known primarily for his size, Oleksiak’s control and agility mean he moves like a much smaller skater as he out-maneuvers the opposition to move the puck up ice.
Courtesy of Seattle Kraken
Selected by the Dallas Stars in the first round (14th overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Oleksiak has played with the Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Kraken. The veteran defenseman agreed to a 2-year, $5 million AAV contract with the Canucks.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - NOVEMBER 28: Riley Tufte #10 of the Boston Bruins checks Adam Fox #23 of the New York Rangers during the third period at the TD Garden on November 28, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Rangers won 6-2. (Photo by Richard T Gagnon/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In one of the more under the radar moves today, the Devils announced the signing of 28-year-old winger Riley Tufte to a one-year, one-way NHL contract. A link to the press release can be found here.
A 6’6”, 245lb behemoth, Tufte has been one of the most prolific scorers in the AHL, finishing tied for third in the league last season with 32 goals in only 64 games as Tufte missed some time in the minors during a call-up to the big club. Tufte has played 28 games total in his NHL career as a journeyman tweener splitting time between the Stars, Avalanche, and most recently, the Bruins, and has three goals and an assist at the highest level on his resume.
All in all, it’s a no risk signing. At worst, the Utica Comets, who failed to score over 200 goals as a team last year, should have some much needed goal scoring next season. At best, the Devils found a diamond in the rough, who was being underutilized and never really given a long look at the NHL level.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 14: Goaltender Frederik Andersen #31 and left wing Nikolaj Ehlers #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrate winning the Stanley Cup and their Danish background after game six of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes on June 14, 2026 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Matthew Bolt/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Defenseman John Carlson, whose rights the Carolina Hurricanes made a trade for with their final pick during the NHL Entry Draft on Saturday, ended up signing with the Tampa Bay Lighting. After all the rumors about the starting price for him being $10 million times two, or more, he ended up signing for $8.5 million AAV for two years.
Things like this usually work out for the best and he might have worked out well in Carolina, but maybe he wouldn’t have. Bottom line, the Canes probably matched that offer and he chose Tampa. So be it.
In other big news, Frederik Andersen signed a one year deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Andersen had a tremendous playoffs for the Hurricanes this postseason until he got hurt in Game two of the Finals. He had a rough regular season and overall had an up and down career with Carolina.
In the five years with the Canes, he posted a .906 save percentage, but the last two seasons he was at .874 and .899. He started 51 games in year one in Carolina, but then started 33, 16, 22, and 35 after that due to a variety of injuries or issues. His base salary in Edmonton is $1 million with another $1.8 million in performance bonuses.
Andersen was the consummate professional, was always open to the media, and was a great teammate in the room. He will be missed.
There were several other signings yesterday, you can check them out here as well as who is still available.
While they lost Carlson and Zach Werenski has taken himself out of trade talks, the Canes still have work to do.
Will they be able to re-sign Nikishin or will they trade him? Are they still kicking the tires on Connor Hellebuyck? Do they have another trick up their sleeves?
Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek speaks to the media during his 2025-26 exit interview.
The Ducks were quite active on the first day of free agency, although the signings they made weren't exactly ones of great magnitude. After deciding to let all of their pending unrestricted free agents––aside from A.J. Greer––walk and head to free agency, the Ducks watched as Radko Gudas, Jacob Trouba, Ross Johnston, Jeff Viel and John Carlson all signed with new teams. Meanwhile, they were making some signs of their own.
Note: The signing of A.J. Greer is omitted from this list because his deal was reportedly finalized on Tuesday.
Judd Caulfield, F - $875,000 x 2 years
Their first signing of the day was inking Caulfield to a two-year, two-way contract. Caulfield had played the 2025-26 season on an AHL-only deal, spending the entire season with the San Diego Gulls. He was originally acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in March 2023 and has been in the Ducks organization ever since. The contract is a nice reward for Caulfield, who is coming off of his best season as a professional. A big, physical forward, Caulfield spent most of the season playing alongside Nathan Gaucher as part of the Gulls' de facto checking line. With uncertainty in the Ducks' bottom-6, Caulfield could be given the chance to compete for an NHL roster spot this fall.
Nick Jensen, D - $2.25 million x 2 years
Jensen signed a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.25 million. At 35, he automatically becomes the elder statesman on the right side of Anaheim's defense following the departures of Carlson, Trouba and Gudas. Jensen has played almost 700 NHL games and spent the last two seasons with the Ottawa Senators after coming over in the Jakob Chychrun trade. He did not participate in the Senators' playoff run this past season after suffering a torn meniscus in mid-March, which required surgery. It's unlikely that Jensen will slot in on the top defensive pairing alongside Jackson LaCombe, with him better suited for either the second or third pair.
Jett Woo, D - $875,000 x 2 years
Woo was drafted in the second round of the 2018 draft by the Vancouver Canucks and spent the last nine seasons in the organization before being traded this past March to the San Jose Barracuda. He helped the Abbotsford Canucks win the Calder Cup in 2025 and has played in 300 AHL games, but has yet to make his NHL debut. He is still just 25 (turns 26 on July 27) and may get the chance to break through, now that the Ducks' defensive depth on the right side looks a bit thin.
Corey Schueneman, D - $875,000 x 2 years
Schueneman was one of many players who signed a two-way deal with the Ducks on the first day of free agency. Undrafted out of Western Michigan University, he has bounced around the NHL and AHL since making his professional debut in 2019. He has played over 400 AHL games and can chip in offensively when needed. With Tyson Hinds expected to be with the Ducks on a full-time basis, Schueneman provides another steady veteran for the Gulls to lean on.
James Hamblin, F - $875,000 x 2 years
Outside of a stint in Sweden during the COVID-shortened season, Hamblin had spent his entire professional career in the Edmonton Oilers' system. He had NHL stints with the Oilers during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, but has not been back since. Hamblin had been one of the Bakersfield Condors' alternate captains for the past three seasons and put up 40+ point seasons in the past two seasons. Capable of playing both center and wing, he could be an adequate depth scorer for the Gulls.
Jeff Malott, F - $1.85 million x 3 years
Malott won't have to travel far, joining the Ducks from the division rival Los Angeles Kings. He made his NHL debut during the 2021-22 season with the Winnipeg Jets, but had to wait until 2024-25 to get another shot, where he broke through with the Kings. He played in 58 games this past season, putting up nine points. Offense comes secondary for Malott, who prides himself on being a physical and gritty player. His game is similar to that of Viel, who got a nice pay bump in the deal he signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Malott is coming in to fill the role of his namesake and will likely slot in on the fourth line alongside Tim Washe.
Laurent Brossoit, G - $1.1 million x 1 year
Brossoit is coming in with the expectation that he will fill the role that Ville Husso did at the start of last season: Provide consistent goaltending in the AHL while at the same time being prepared for a call-up to the NHL in the event of an injury. It's been a tough road back to the NHL for Brossoit, who missed the entire 2024-25 season after undergoing hip surgery. He appeared in 26 AHL games this past season, splitting time with the Rockford IceHogs and the Barracuda after a midseason trade. He also played in one game for the San Jose Sharks, his first in 696 days. With Brossoit in the fold, the Gulls now have him, Damian Clara and Tomáš Suchánek battling for the starter's net.
Travis Mitchell, D - $850,000 x 1 year
Mitchell had been with the New York Islanders for the past four seasons, mostly playing for the Bridgeport Islanders in the AHL. He did make his NHL debut this past season and played in nine games, with his first NHL goal coming against the Ducks, funnily enough. At 6-foot-4, Mitchell is now one of the tallest defensemen in the Ducks' system. The left side is a bit more crowded than the right, but Mitchell should provide another strong addition to the left side of the Gulls' defense, if anything, along with Schueneman and budding prospect Stian Solberg.
The opening day of NHL free agency began with a report that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski had vetoed a trade.
The day continued with Werenski and general manager Don Waddell putting out statements that the Norris Trophy winner wanted to stay in Columbus and try to end a six-season playoff drought.
The day also began with the champion Carolina Hurricanes holding the rights to John Carlson after acquiring them at the draft. It ended with the defenseman signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Frederik Andersen and Sergei Bobrovsky are headed to teams that need better goaltending to get them to the top.
Bobrovsky got the better deal, signing for three years and $21 million with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's coming off his worst season but had led the Florida Panthers to championships in 2024 and 2025 and Toronto is counting on that pedigree.
In addition to getting Bobrovsky, the Maple Leafs remade their bottom six with Jack Roslovic, Nick Paul, Colton Sissons and Teddy Blueger. Add in No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna and new general John Chayka is putting his imprint on the team.
Utah Mammoth
They landed Vincent Trocheck in a trade and signed Anders Lee, adding them to an already impressive forward group.
Washington Capitals
They already made a splash before free agency by trading for Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou. Then they added former Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner in free agency. Defenseman Vincent Desharnais will help them with injured Rasmus Sandin expected to be out 6-9 months after April knee surgery.
Salary cap problems caused them to trade Pavel Dorofeyev at the draft. The same issue prevented them from finding an adequate replacement. Victor Olofsson, a three-time 20-goal scorer, was their signing, but he had only 15 goals when he played in Vegas in 2024-25. They also traded popular Keegan Kolesar for draft picks. They did re-sign Rasmus Andersson and gave an extension to fellow defenseman Jeremy Lauzon.
Dallas Stars
Dallas was the team that Werenski reportedly turned down. Thomas Harley's name leaked out as going the other way. Does that cause problems? The Stars still have to re-sign leading scorer Jason Robertson and they lost promising Mavrik Bourque, trading him because of cap concerns.
Minnesota Wild
They're still looking for an upgrade at center. They decided to move on from Mats Zuccarello, who worked well with Kirill Kaprizov. He signed a one-year, bonus-laden deal with the Kings. Minnesota native Anders Lee chose Utah. General manager Bill Guerin said the team won't panic because it didn't get what it wanted on the first day.
When the Vegas Golden Knights traded two-time leading goal scorer Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers, they knew they would have to replace his production. Because they aren’t exactly flush with cash— which is part of the reason they traded Dorofeyev in the first place— finding a flashy replacement just wasn’t in the cards.
Instead, the Golden Knights got the most bang for their buck and ended up opting for a cost-friendly reunion. On Wednesday, they signed old friend Victor Olofsson to a one-year contract worth $1,638,330.
Olofsson, a sniper who will be 31 by the time the season starts, played 56 games for the Golden Knights in 2024-25. He made the most of every opportunity, scoring 15 goals— six of which came on the power play— and added 14 assists. He also added two goals and two assists in nine postseason games.
As a left-shot with a lethal one-timer, Olofsson could slot into Dorofeyev’s old spot on the power play. He’s one of the only pure goal scorers on the team, and has certainly had success there in the past. He established chemistry with both William Karlsson and Tomáš Hertl during his first stint with the Golden Knights, but after this postseason, separating Karlsson from Brett Howden and Mitch Marner feels counterintuitive. So, at 5-on-5, Olofsson will likely reunite with Hertl on the third line.
“We wanted to add someone who has a history of being able to score goals, which Victor does,” said Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon when he met with the media on Wednesday. “We had him, so we know the player. We liked more about his game, then and now, than just the fact that he’s a shooter, but he does bring that skill set to our team. He was responsible, and he’s a smart player. So I think that he’ll find a good spot in our lineup.”
The Vegas Golden Knights entered the offseason with a decision to make regarding their goaltending.
Akira Schmid, who led the team in starts, wins, save percentage, and shutouts, was a pending Restricted Free Agent. And to keep him, the Golden Knights wouldn’t just have to come to terms with him on a new contract— they’d also have to move out one of the other goaltenders on their roster. would have to move out one of the other goaltenders on their roster.
Because Schmid led the team in every statistic, questions arose about Adin Hill and his future in Las Vegas. Hill backstopped the Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup just three years ago, but after a down year in which he posted a career-worst .871 save percentage, his value has never been lower.
Moving Hill would be complicated, as he has a 10-team no-trade list. But he’s set to make $6.25 million for the next five seasons, and the Golden Knights are always looking to shed salary.
It seemed like the Golden Knights answered all of the questions about the direction they’d take with their goaltending when they traded Schmid to the Florida Panthers on Monday. And if there were any remaining doubts, general manager Kelly McCrimmon left no room for interpretation when he spoke with the media following day one of Free Agency.
“My opinion is that you need two good goalies,” said McCrimmon on Wednesday. “You set out on September 1st, and if you’re hoping to play in the Stanley Cup Final, you’re going to play 104, 105 hockey games. You need two goaltenders to get through that.
“I think we have a great tandem,” McCrimmon continued. “I think Adin is gonna bounce back; I think he’s a good goalie who had a tough season. We need him to revert to form, and we expect that he will. Carter made a great impression, getting us straight to the Stanley Cup Final. So, I think we’re in good shape at that position.”
When the Winnipeg Jets selected Ville Heinola with the 20th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, they believed they had landed one of the game's brightest young defencemen.
On Wednesday, that chapter officially came to an end as the unrestricted free agent officially locked in on a one-year, one-way contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. Thus ending a seven-year tenure in Winnipeg that never came anywhere near close to matching the promise of its beginning.
Photo by Kirby Lee/USA Today
For the Golden Knights, it's a low-risk opportunity to uncover untapped potential. For the Jets, it's another reminder of a development story that never quite made sense.
The most puzzling part of Heinola's career in Winnipeg is that the organization initially appeared completely sold on him.
As an 18-year-old, Heinola not only cracked the Jets' opening-night roster in 2019, but immediately became a trusted contributor. He averaged nearly 20 minutes per game during his first eight NHL contests, saw power-play time and produced five points. Along the way, he became the first player born in the 21st century to record both an NHL point and an NHL goal.
At that point it was a diamond found in the rough, a needle in a haystack. Likely something that was looking to be a long-term NHL fit between the player and the Jets.
But like Sami Niku and others before him, things just didn't seem to work out between the player and the Jets.
Despite repeatedly demonstrating his offensive instincts and puck-moving ability, Heinola never received another extended opportunity in Winnipeg. He bounced between the Jets and Manitoba Moose, where he consistently produced at nearly a point every other game from the blueline, only to find himself back in the minors or watching from the press box whenever the NHL roster became healthy.
The Jets didn't simply prioritize established veterans over Heinola. They routinely found opportunities for others.
Whether it was Logan Stanley, Colin Miller, Haydn Fleury or a revolving cast of depth defencemen, Winnipeg continually leaned toward experience or size while Heinola waited for another chance that just didn't come his way.
To be fair, circumstances weren't always on the organization's side.
Just as Heinola appeared poised to finally secure a full-time role entering the 2023-24 season, disaster struck. A fractured ankle suffered during training camp required surgery and wiped out what many believed would be his breakthrough campaign. Complications during his recovery only delayed his return further.
Those injuries undoubtedly altered his trajectory, but they don't explain why a player who looked NHL-ready at 18 finished his Jets career with just 58 regular-season games.
Yes, read that again: 58 NHL games over his seven years in town.
When he was first called into action, the Jets trusted him enough to play nearly 20 minutes a night. Years later, after dominating stretches in the American Hockey League and gaining additional experience, those same opportunities never materialized again. It seemed as though Heinola's leash actually became shorter, not longer with experience/age.
Perhaps Heinola simply wasn't destined to become the top-four defenceman many projected on draft day.
That's entirely possible. But that's also what makes this story frustrating for the team, managerial staff, coaches, fans and the player himself. The Jets never truly found out.
Rather than giving their former first-round pick 40 or 50 consecutive NHL games to determine exactly what they had, Heinola spent years in hockey's version of limbo—too good for the American Hockey League, yet never trusted long enough in the National Hockey League to establish himself.
In all fairness, Heinola was a press box regular, despite his clear talents. Now it is Vegas' turn to figure out his place.
The Golden Knights have built a reputation for identifying overlooked talent and putting players in positions to succeed. At 25 years old, Heinola still possesses the skating, vision and puck-moving ability that made him a first-round selection. If he finds a regular role, few around the league will be surprised. He has always lacked size, but really hasn't made that an issue anywhere - except for its perceived issue in Winnipeg.
If Heinola carves out a meaningful NHL career in Vegas, the conversation won't simply be about a player who needed a change of scenery. It will instead be about a talented first-round pick whose greatest opportunity never came with the team that drafted him.
Chris MacFarland has made clear his plan for the future of the Nashville Predators following the start of NHL free agency.
On Wednesday, he traded for Dallas forward Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin and signed Utah center Alex Kerfoot, Colorado defenseman Jack Ahcan and St. Louis defenseman Hunter Skinner.
That's also on top of signing center Jack Drury to a five-year, $22.5 million contract after trading for him on June 24, sending Zach L'Heureux and Fedor Svechkov.
"We want to surround our young NHL players with character builders, guys that have seen winning, have touched winning, that know what it looks like," MacFarland said. "They can teach these young guys what goes into that on and off the ice.
"Some of the players that we've added, like Jack Drury, Maverick Bourque and Ross Colton, they've seen what winning looks like, and they can certainly impart some things to our young guys."
Bourque's acquisition was MacFarland's biggest win of the day. The Stars center logged 41 points in 82 games last season from their third line. His addition gives the Predators a massive boost from the middle of the lineup.
MacFarland said that they are still hammering out the details on Bourque's contract. He was previously signed to a one-year, $950,000 contract.
He's an attractive, aged player who's proven in this league at 24 years old," MacFarland said on Bourque. "We believe he can play and be a good player in the middle of the ice. And I think that was probably the biggest draw for us...
"He's a smart, heady hockey player. He's a good two-way guy that we think the arrow is still pointing up for. We intend to give him every shot at playing in the middle."
MacFarland also hinted at that the Predators are not done making roster moves.
So far, Nashville has 15 forwards under contract and seven, possibly eight, defensemen. The Predators are likely looking to shrink some of those numbers and add more depth on the backend.
Ahcan and Skinner will likely play in Milwaukee. Lyubushkin is the only defensive acquisition that will likely earn a roster spot.
"The back end is something that we want to find a little bit more puck skill and a little more transition as part of our game," MacFarland said. "It's not easy to do, right? As you can see by free agency, there weren't a lot of those defensemen available. There's a reason for that. Those are the hard-to-get assets."
What the Predators have gone out and done so far is build more stability in their bottom six.
Moving players like Erik Haula, who signed with the Kings, L'Heureux and Svechkov out made room for the Predators to trade for and sign veteran players who can give Nashville that spark from the third line.
Early projections have Drury centering Colton and Matthew Wood and Bourque centering the second line of Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault. On the fourth line, Kerfoot would be centering the newly acquired from the Vancouver Canucks Nils Hoglander and Joakim Kemell.
"You're gonna need depth, right? This is a really hard league and injuries happen," MacFarland said. "You're gonna need a lot of players to get through a National Hockey League season. From (Jason) Blakey to Jamie Langenbrunner in the front office, competition is really, really important. It's healthy. It raises the bar for everyone.
"The players are gonna tell us in training camp (who will make the roster), and then players are gonna have to tell us, again, in October and November, by their play."
