In the last two seasons, the Montreal Canadiens made the playoffs, and their dominance over their divisional rival, the Florida Panthers, was a big part of that. The Habs have won their last seven games against the Cats. This past season, Montreal outscored Florida 13-7, while the January matchup ended 6-2; the other two games didn’t finish in regulation. The April bout was ultimately decided in a shootout, while the December meeting went into overtime.

Back in 2024-25, the Tricolore played four games against the Panthers and outscored them 14-5. Montreal blanked the Panthers 4-0 in their first matchup of the season, before winning 3-1 at home and 4-2 in Florida in March. They then wrapped up the season series with another triumph, this time at the Bell Centre by a score of 4-2. Back then, Florida was the two-time defending champions and being able to handle them like that was a big confidence builder for the young Habs.

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Looking ahead to the 2026-27 season, however, it looks like winning against Paul Maurice’s team won’t be quite that easy. After missing the playoffs last season, there won’t be any bumps or bruises left on the Panthers. Captain Aleksander Barkov sat out the entire season after undergoing knee surgery on both his ACL and his MCL, but he’ll be back with a vengeance.

Barkov won’t be the only addition, though; Bill Zito was able to add some more sandpaper to a team that hardly needed any more when Brady Tkachuk essentially fell into his lap after forcing his way out of Ottawa. The younger Tkachuk will join big brother Matthew and effective pest Brad Marchand, who’s just not slowing down despite being 38 years old. Last season, he put up 54 points in just 52 games; one can wonder if he would have kept up the same pace in 82 games, but it’s far from impossible that he would have. As for the older Tkachuk, he played only 31 games due to an injury, but he still put up 34 points. Those are three players who know how to get under your skin, and it will take a lot of self-control not to fall victim to their antics.

On July 1, they also added some depth at center, signing former Hab Lars Eller to a one-year deal at just $850,000. He may not put up many points, but he’s an effective player on both sides of the puck and highly responsible defensively. Since they knew they couldn’t afford to sign A.J. Greer to a new contract, they traded for Garnet Hathaway, who will replace Greer’s physicality, though he’s unlikely to be as productive.

On the blueline, Zito added even more physicality by signing Radko Gudas as a free agent. He may only be a third-pairing guy, but he knows how to lay down the boom effectively and punish his opponent’s forwards. Just like Marchand, Zito signed him to a long-term contract he probably has no hope of playing through, but it allowed the Panthers to spread out the money they have to pay him, bringing his cap hit down to just $1.5 million.

The offseason isn’t over yet, though, and the Cats have only $1,221,786 in cap space while still needing to sign a backup goaltender. They didn’t re-sign Sergei Bobrovsky, but they traded for Jacob Markstrom, who has a $6 million cap hit over the next two seasons. While he’ll be looking for a bounce-back season after only winning 23 games with a 3.07 goals-against average and a .883 save percentage, he has won his last four games against the Habs.

The Cats have also acquired goaltender Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights, but he’s an RFA right now and has filed for arbitration. The hearings are set to take place from July 20th to August 1st, so they should get some clarity on the net front sooner rather than later. Depending on the result, Zito may be forced to make another move as teams are allowed to go over the cap during the offseason, but they’ll have to be cap-compliant by the time the season starts.

Wherever you look in the Panthers’ lineup, there doesn’t seem to be any weakness. Meanwhile, Kent Hughes has yet to address any of the Canadiens’ needs this offseason. The GM is after a top-six forward (a center wouldn’t go amiss, but the Habs would settle for a winger if he were impactful), a top-four right-shot defenseman, and some more grit for the bottom six.

Of course, the offseason is far from over, but when you compare the Canadiens’ lineup to the Panthers, you get a sense of how much the Habs are missing to really ice a contender. That was also made clear by the Carolina Hurricanes' dominance in their third-round series. Hughes has a lot of futures to trade, but as he has said himself, there aren’t that many rebuilding teams looking for what he’s selling right now. There’s no doubt that this makes his job harder, and with the Canadiens making the Eastern Conference Final last season, other GMs aren’t exactly keen on helping the Habs improve. Still, the GM will need to find a way if he wants his team to keep improving. There’s only so much organic growth can do.

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The Toronto Marlies, AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, had an incredible campaign this past season. They went on to win the Calder Cup and were crowned champions of the American League, which is always a great sign for any organization.

The Marlies' success beamed a spotlight on the team's coaching staff. Now, John Gruden, head coach of the Marlies for the past three seasons, has earned a role with the Maple Leafs as an assistant coach next season.

As for the players on that Marlies team, there were multiple standouts. However, as good as some of the Marlies' core players were in the post-season, they may not get the opportunity they deserve in the AHL after a busy off-season for the Leafs and GM John Chayka.

Players such as goaltender Artur Akhtyamov, defenseman William Villeneuve, centers Jacob Quillan, Bo Groulx and others all deserve some more time in the NHL. 

Akhtyamov was stellar for the Marlies this past season, especially in the playoffs. He played 22 games, earning the starting role for the team early in the post-season, and finished with a .923 save percentage, a 2.22 goals-against average and a pair of shutouts.

The 24-year-old's campaign was so impressive that not only did he go home with his team carrying the Calder Cup, but he was also named the AHL playoff MVP and awarded the Jack A Butterfield Trophy.

Are The Marlies Staff, Players Destined For Maple Leafs And NHL Roles?: Comparing This Year's Marlies To The 2018 Calder Cup ChampionsWith the Toronto Marlies advancing to the Calder Cup final, how does this team compare to the 2018 Calder Cup champions, and what staff members or players are destined for the NHL?

Villeneuve, 24, made his first three NHL appearances this past year, but really should get much more than that next season, considering his playoff campaign. 

He scored 23 points in 24 playoff games for the Marlies, leading all American League defenseman in scoring for the post-season by a landslide. Not to mention, he almost led the entire league in playoff scoring if it weren't for Toronto's Vinni Lettieri, who potted 26 points in 23 contests.

With a campaign that impressive and a blueliner who can move the puck and provide speed to an aging NHL D-corps, Villeneuve should certainly be given more than the three appearances he got in 2025-26.

Maple Leafs' Former Assistant Steve Sullivan Named Marlies Head Coach And Mark Giordano's RoleThe Toronto Maple Leafs announced the Toronto Marlies' coaching staff for next season, including Steve Sullivan as head coach and Mark Giordano earning an elevated role.

Quillan and Groulx got real looks in the NHL this past year, particularly after the trade deadline, when some regulars were shipped away for future assets and the Leafs' season was drifting away.

In Quillan's 23 games and Groulx's 13 appearances, they showed potential to be bottom-six centers who can contribute on the penalty kill. They have areas that could require some improvement, including Quillan's offensive presence and Groulx's record in the faceoff dot.

However, with the opportunity they got last year, they'll be looking for another taste after showing that they can hang in the NHL.

Maple Leafs Re-Sign Vinni Lettieri, Sign 3 More Depth Players To New ContractsThe Maple Leafs are bringing back one of the driving forces of their Calder Cup championship while adding to their depth.

Unfortunately for those players, who all have their own cases to get a chance in the NHL, there don't seem to be many open spots on the Maple Leafs' roster going into 2026-27.

One player a part of the Marlies' run that hasn't been mentioned is left winger Easton Cowan. He'll likely be an NHL regular this coming year after scoring 11 goals and 29 points in 66 contests for the Leafs in 2025-26. So that's one roster spot filled.

Of course, there are the stars or perennial NHLers on the roster, such as Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies, John Tavares, Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe, and several others.

And within all those names, there were an abundance of additions this off-season, taking up half of the roster practically. In terms of forwards, the Leafs added Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime and even first overall draft pick Gavin McKenna.

On the blueline, Toronto completed a sign-and-trade for Darren Raddysh and acquired Emil Andrae in a separate trade. They also signed Troy Stecher to a two-year contract extension.

And in the crease, they traded away Joseph Woll, but acquired future Hall of Fame goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in free agency, inking him to a three-year deal.

Indeed, injuries are a part of the game and could certainly free up some roster spots for the handful of Marlies who would deserve them. But in terms of flat-out making the team out of camp and having a relatively regular role next season, the odds are certainly against many of those Calder Cup champions.

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The New York Islanders have the seventh-most dead cap space in the NHL, per PuckPedia.

Teams with the most dead cap space:

San Jose - $6.53M
Buffalo - $6.44M
Vancouver - $6.27M
Montreal - $5.18M
Calgary - $3.85M
Nashville - $3.56M
NY Islanders - $3.50M
Edmonton - $2.85M
Chicago - $2.76M
Colorado - $2.29M
Dallas - $2.08M
Ottawa - $1.88M
Minnesota - $1.67M
St. Louis…

— NHL Rosters (@NHL_Rosters) July 10, 2026

The $3.5 million the Islanders have is solely Matthew Schaefer's bonuses after his Calder Trophy-winning rookie campaign.

The Islanders had around $3.5 million in available space come the end of the season, but that was because they were using Long-Term Injured Reserve to stay under the salary cap limit.

When LTIR is used to stay under the cap, that automatically triggers cap-overage penalties for bonuses. 

The Islanders $2.997 in available cap space right now includes Schaefer's bonuses.

That number is closer to $4 million if goaltender Vitek Vanecek begins this season in the minors, with the Islanders burying his entire $1 million cap hit in the minors. 

Expect Schaefer to continue to get the $3.5 million bonus in each of the next two seasons. So, unless the Islanders avoid using LTIR to stay under the cap, expect to see this trend continue for the totality of his entry-level deal. 

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Wild continued taking care of business with its restricted free agents on Friday, re-signing forward Caedan Bankier and defenseman David Spacek to one-year contracts.

Bankier, 23, was selected by the Wild in the third round (86th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft. The two-way forward has spent the past two seasons with the Iowa Wild, where he has continued to develop into a reliable depth option capable of playing in a variety of situations.

He is expected to return to Iowa this season as he continues working toward his first NHL opportunity.

Spacek, 23, was drafted in the fifth round (153rd overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft and has steadily climbed Minnesota's organizational depth chart.

The puck-moving defenseman has shown offensive upside during his time with the Iowa Wild and even played in two NHL games last season.

Both players are expected to play significant roles in Iowa during the 2026-27 season while continuing their development within the Wild organization.

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Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon is facing criticism after engraving the names of six family members onto the Stanley Cup ahead of those who helped win their first championship in 20 years.

Dundon added the names of his wife and five children immediately after his own, placing them ahead of front-office members, coaches, players and staff.

As a result, Tom Dundon, Veruschka Dundon, Caden Dundon, Dax Dundon, Drew Dundon, Blake Dundon, and Tagan Dundon now occupy the first two lines of the iconic trophy.

The Chicago Blackhawks have plenty of promising young players to keep an eye on next season. Oliver Moore is among them, as the 2023 first-round pick has the tools to blossom into a very good NHL player.

Moore showed promise as a rookie this past season for the Blackhawks. In 51 games, the 5-foot-11 forward posted five goals, 14 assists, and 19 points. While he did not necessarily have a big year offensively, he showed that he is already capable of being a solid forward at the NHL level. 

Yet, with Moore now having a year of NHL experience on his resume, it would not be surprising if he takes his game to a new level next season. 

When looking at the Blackhawks' current forward group, Moore should be put into a position to succeed. He will likely have a top-nine role, and this could help him take that next step offensively during the 2026-27 season.

If Moore can continue to play a strong all-around game but increase his offensive totals, he could emerge as a very important part of the Blackhawks' forward group next season. It will be interesting to see how the young forward performs in 2026-27, but it is clear that he has a lot of potential. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a busy off-season. After getting back into the playoffs last season, they have added multiple players, like Andrei Kuzmenko, Hendrix Lapierre, Nick Robertson, Kaedan Korczak, Declan Carlile, and Trevor van Riemsdyk, to their roster.

Yet, when noting that the Penguins traded Parker Wotherspoon and lost Ryan Shea in free agency, it would not hurt for them to add another left-shot defenseman to their roster before the start of the 2026-27 season. When looking at the unrestricted free agents (UFAs) still available for the taking, former Penguins blueliner Matt Grzelcyk is an intriguing option for Pittsburgh to consider.

If the Penguins brought back Grzelcyk, he could compete for a spot on their bottom pairing. However, even if he ended up being an extra defenseman for the Penguins, he could be a good veteran player for them to have when injuries arise.

Grzelcyk also had the best season of his NHL career as a Penguin in 2024-25. In 82 games, he scored one goal and set new career highs with 39 assists and 40 points. With how well he performed during his stint with the Penguins, it would be understandable if Pittsburgh took another chance on him.

On a cheap one-year deal, there could be a good match between the Penguins and Grzelcyk. 

Last weekend the Penguins re-signed two restricted free agent goalies at the same time. Arturs Silovs got a one-year extension for $2.8 million, Joel Blomqvist got a two-year deal.

The details within Blomqvist’s salary are very interesting. It is a two-way contract in 2026-27 that has a $300k downside guaranteed salary, worth up to $850k if he spends the full season in the NHL. The contract suggests what many expect: that Blomqvist will be the organization’s third string goalie next season and likely spend a lot of time in the AHL.

It’s the second year of the deal that’s interesting, it switches to a one-way contract that pays Blomqvist a $900k salary, regardless of whether or not he plays in the NHL or AHL level.

The #LetsGoPens signed 24 y/o G Joel Blomqvist to a two year two-way contract

$875K Cap Hit

Yr 1: $$850K NHL, $225K Minors, $300K Guaranteed
Yr 2: $900K 1-way

Rep'd by Craig Oster @TheHockeyAgencyhttps://t.co/wHuOWOwiLQ

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 5, 2026

The other interesting element is that Blomqvist loses waiver status at the start of the 2027-28 season. This deal could serve to make other teams less likely to claim Blomqvist, given the one-way contract. It also was likely a necessary carrot to dangle, lest the goalie return back to Sweden to play given that his NHL future has been delayed, which figures to only continue next season. Giving the money makes for incentive to stay in the organization instead of leaving.

At this time, let’s pivot back to Silovs. He’ll be making $2.8 million in 2026-27 and is set to be a restricted free agent in the summer of 2027. Sergei Murashov is also set to become a RFA next summer, leaving Blomqvist (at his affordable $875k cap hit that is little above the minimum amount of $850k) as the only NHL caliber goalie in the organization currently under contract in 2027-28.

The future of the Pens’ goalie situation is dependent on next season, naturally enough, but there will be some decisions to make next summer where Silovs will be only one year out from UFA approaching for him in 2028 and seeing what kind of salary Murashov might prove he deserves coming off his entry level contract.

It’s not difficult to see a path where if Silovs doesn’t improve some metrics from last season – where his 5v5 save percentage ranked 43rd out of 52 goalies with 1200+ minutes and his GSAA was 44/52- that perhaps Pittsburgh doesn’t qualify Silovs for 2027-28 and instead looks to elevate Blomqvist from No. 3 up to a full-time spot in the NHL as a cheaper option if it doesn’t look like they are interested in making a market rate type of commitment for Silovs.

The situation could flip the other way, though few expect Murashov not to be impressive, if next season plays out to the point where he isn’t an NHL option for 2027-28, the Pens are in perfect position to retain Silovs for 2027-28 and have Blomqvist right there should Murashov sputter through his rookie NHL season. Goalie paths can be volatile at best, no one really thought highly-regarded goalie prospects like Spencer Knight and Yaroslav Askarov would need AHL time a few years into their careers, but sometimes it happens that way. There’s a lot of hope, and for valid reason, that Murashov will be a long-term factor in net for the Pens, but at this point that is still a path he is going to have to travel and prove.

Or, in the best of all worlds where Silovs AND Murashov both have strong seasons in 2026-27, the Pens would find themselves with quality depth and could be paying Blomqvist an NHL salary to play in the AHL as an insurance policy against injury in 2027-28.

There are as many variables in play as one’s imagination allows, no one can predict the future when is comes to NHL goaltending performance from year-to-year so it’s a curious detail that Blomqvist secured one-way money in 2027-28. Whether or not that portends to him drawing that salary as a full-time NHL goaltender in a couple years still is obviously way up in the air and almost entirely dependent on how he and the other two goalies play in 2026-27 with a wide array of extremely possible outcomes for all parties. Blomqvist’s contract structure, especially seeing Silovs only sign for one year, serves to open up multiple possibilities for the mid-range outlook for how the Penguins might go about building their goaltending options, which at this point is a good position to be in and give ample ability to adjust based on how the future unfolds.

Chris MacFarland has spent much of his first offseason in Nashville surrounding himself with familiar faces, whether that's acquiring former Colorado Avalanche players or adding personnel from his old organization. Earlier this week, he continued that trend by bringing back another player with Avalanche ties.

The Nashville Predators re-signed defenseman Justin Barron to a one-year, $1.575 million contract, giving the former Colorado first-round pick another opportunity to establish himself on Nashville's blue line.

The 24-year-old Barron was a restricted free agent after appearing in 52 games for the Predators last season, recording nine assists while averaging 14:15 of ice time. He also finished with 60 blocked shots after being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens in December 2024 in exchange for defenseman Alexandre Carrier.

"Justin Barron is a 24-year-old, right-handed defenseman who we feel still has growth in his game," Predators President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Chris MacFarland said in a team release. "He can skate and has a lot of physical tools. We're looking forward to seeing him at our training camp in September."

For Avalanche fans, Barron's name is forever linked to one of the biggest trades in franchise history.

Colorado selected the defenseman with the 25th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, and he spent most of the next two seasons developing with the AHL's Colorado Eagles, where he recorded six goals and 18 assists in 50 games. He also made two NHL appearances before being included, along with a 2024 second-round pick, in the March 2022 trade that brought Artturi Lehkonen to Denver.

That deal became one of the defining moves of Colorado's Stanley Cup run. Lehkonen scored the overtime winner that completed the Avalanche's sweep of the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final before netting the Cup-clinching goal in Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Barron eventually found his footing in Montreal, posting consecutive double-digit point seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24 despite playing fewer than 50 games in each campaign. His production slowed to one point in 17 games to begin the 2024-25 season before he was traded to Nashville, where he rebounded with 12 points in 45 contests after the deal.

Defensive consistency has remained the biggest question mark throughout Barron's NHL career. Across 208 games with the Avalanche, Canadiens and Predators, he has recorded 18 goals and 34 assists for 52 points but has yet to finish a season with a positive plus-minus rating, posting a career minus-27.

His underlying numbers paint a mixed picture. Barron ranked third among Predators defensemen with 60 blocked shots last season and led the group in blocked shots per 60 minutes (4.86). He also finished third among Nashville blueliners in hits. On the other hand, his four takeaways were the fewest on the team.

The one-year contract gives Barron another chance to carve out a larger role in Nashville while providing MacFarland with additional depth on the right side entering the 2026-27 season.

Barron has appeared in 208 regular-season NHL games but has yet to make his Stanley Cup Playoff debut. He is also the younger brother of Winnipeg Jets forward Morgan Barron.

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No Town Like Motown - December 4, 2007 - Vol. 61, Issue 11 - Ken Campbell

NO, WE DON’T HAVE A LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE RED WINGS.

But thanks so much for asking.

Last season, we anointed Ken Holland as the No. 1 GM in the league. A couple of issues back, we came to the determination the Wings have the premier defense corps in the NHL this season.

And now this. Hey, if the skate fits…

After an exhaustive study of each of the NHL’s 30 organizations, we can say with confidence the Red Wings are the No. 1 franchise in the league and it isn’t even close. In our examination of nine on- and off-ice criteria focused primarily on the past five seasons, the Wings not only finished first in the NHL, but the gap between themselves and the second-place Ottawa Senators was bigger than the chasm between any other two teams in the league.

That was the case when we ranked the league’s GMs and came up with Holland, and the NHL’s blueline corps and also settled on the Red Wings. It wasn’t even close, as evidenced by the fact that when we ranked Detroit’s defense corps No. 1, we said, “it’s not even close.” When we picked Holland as the top GM in the league, we quoted a fellow NHL executive as saying, “To me, Ken Holland is the best GM in hockey and there’s nobody even close to him.”

But what makes the Red Wings so dominant in a league that has been overrun by parity? They have not won a Stanley Cup since 2002, but that’s one more than 25 other teams in the league have won in that time span. Simply put, the Wings are very strong in every organizational aspect. They’ve been perennial playoff contenders; been dominant in the regular season; have one of the best ownerships and front offices in the league; have drafted relatively well considering their dearth of high draft picks; their franchise value is high; and, until this season, their attendance has been among the most robust in the NHL.

They are, if you will, the model franchise. They have managed to be a powerhouse with an unlimited budget and unlike some other big-market teams, have yet to become a casualty of the salary cap. They continue to develop solid, if not spectacular players and their late-round picks – such as Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and (maybe one day) Niklas Kronwall – have proven to be major home runs.

It’s mid July, free agency has settled down…how do we get something on the radar? I got an idea and it’s only as fish-sticky as you make it…

Islanders News

In a move that would’ve invited infinite scorn during the Blog Box era, and now only invites…well, scorn but also satire and shrugs, the Islanders are inviting fans to design (via a template) their next third jersey. Here’s their PR hype about it. Here’s Newsday on it. Have fun with your design here. It’s for the 2027-28 season, of course.

It did its job by getting lots of attention and media coverage, and it’s off to a big start with 37,000 submissions so far — some of them probably aren’t even from Rangers fans. [Newsday | ESPN]

The unusual path of March undrafted goalie signing Josh Kotai, and the friends he met along the way. [Isles]

Elsewhere

• In a move that surprises very few, the Ducks chose to match the offer sheet to Leo Carlsson. [Sportsnet] So Danny Briere and company singlehandedly shat on everyone’s salary scale for…the drama, I guess. At least they made Pat Verbeek uncomfortable.
• Carlsson appreciates the generous raise and generational wealth for his family but insists he “always wanted to be a Duck.” [NHL]
• The Mammoth also matched the offer sheet for Barrett Hayton by the Devils, so the lesson here once again: It’s not that NHL GMs are too chicken or buddy-buddy to do offer sheets (though some surely are), it’s that they only make sense and actually work in very specific circumstances, such as when Edmonton screws itself and leaves it exposed. [NHL]
• Connor Bedard needs surgery and will be out till November. Dude’s cursed, but the Blackhawks deserve all the misfortune. [NHL]
• “Fresh challenges” led Daniel Alfredsson to turn to the Senators’ hated rivals to join their bench. [Sportsnet] That makes for a tough offseason overall for the Sens.
• Mark Giordano — who’s worked with Isaiah George and Matthew Schaefer — also earned a promotion to the Leafs’ NHL bench. [THN]
• Hayley Wickehnheiser is leaving the Leafs though, unable to find common ground on her role with the new GM. [Sportsnet]

In a recent article for The Athletic, Harman Dayal ranked the nine best contracts signed during the 2026 NHL off-season so far. One of the Buffalo Sabres' moves was among the contracts that made Dayal's list.

Dayal gave the Sabres' decision to sign defenseman Olen Zellweger to a three-year contract with a $3.1 million AAV a shout-out in his list. 

"After trading Bowen Byram and Kesselring, the Sabres needed to add some secondary skating and puck-moving to the back end. Zellweger is an excellent budget option to fill that hole. He isn’t nearly as established as Byram yet and his ceiling is likely lower, especially as a 5-foot-10 defenseman, but the upside of his game is tantalizing," Dayal wrote. 

When noting that Zellweger's new cap hit is a very reasonable $3.1 million, it is clear that this has the chance to be a very good deal for the Sabres. There is no question that the young blueliner has plenty of potential, and it also doesn't hurt that the salary cap is continuing to go up.

If Zellweger can continue to develop his game and blossom into a top-four defenseman for the Sabres, this bridge deal could become a complete steal for Buffalo. This is epecially when looking at the kinds of contracts that other NHL defensemen have received this off-season.

In 76 games during this past season with the Ducks, Zellweger scored seven goals and set new career highs with 15 assists and 22 points. With numbers like these, the 2021 second-round pick has shown plenty of promise, and it will be interesting to see if he can hit a new level in Buffalo from here. 

By all accounts, the Philadelphia Flyers exit the Leo Carlsson saga exactly where they began: back at Square 1. Drama aside, it has been a mediocre, humdrum offseason for a team that needed to make the big move.

Flyers general manager Danny Briere admitted himself that the team could "take a little bit of a step back", which would have been fine if they hadn't already committed to being more competitive.

The Flyers, when they were really bad, walked away from the NHL draft with Matvei Michkov, Cutter Gauthier, and Porter Martone. When they've been good or average, they got Jett Luchanko and Maksim Sokolovskii. Combining two first-round picks from teams that were good, they traded up for Jack Nesbitt.

There's a bit of a pattern there, where the higher the Flyers draft, the better players they get, and the lower they draft, the players they can get have obvious strengths, as well as obvious weaknesses. That's not a knock on those players, but it's just the reality of team building in sports.

Starting goalie Dan Vladar, as expected, signed a five-year contract extension. Two seasons ago, it was Nick Seeler who got the contract extension. Then Garnet Hathaway landed a two-year extension, made it through one, and got traded at retained salary before the start of the next.

A few weeks after that, Travis Konecny signed his eight-year, $70 million extension that expires in 2033, when he'll be 36.

Flyers Have Clear Leo Carlsson Offer Sheet AlternativeAfter their Leo Carlsson offer sheet bid came up short, the Philadelphia Flyers must pivot to Adam Fantilli next.

Last summer, the Flyers signed Christian Dvorak to a one-year deal, essentially admitting to overpaying for the one-year term to avoid blocking developing prospects, like Luchanko and Nesbitt. By January, the now-30-year-old got a five-year extension.

After years and years of trade rumors, Rasmus Ristolainen remains on the roster, despite turning 32 this upcoming October and having one year remaining on his contract at a $5.1 million cap hit.

And then this year, the Flyers signed Noel Acciari to a two-year deal, with no trade protection in Year 1, but a 10-team no-trade list in Year 2.

They were, at one point, on the right track, when they flipped Sean Walker to Colorado for a first-round pick (and Ryan Johansen) in 2024 despite being in the playoff hunt, but have otherwise completely abandoned that logic. Why not do more of that?

The Flyers have done so well with flipping older veterans for picks and prospects that better fit their true competitive timeline, like when they traded Ryan Poehling, who was found money, and a second-round pick for Trevor Zegras.

Flyers Reveal Jett Luchanko Underwent Procedure Prior to Development CampTop Philadelphia Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko finally had an operation to correct a lingering injury lasting nearly two years.

Walker was found money and became a first-round pick, which helped yield Nesbitt.

But then Seeler stayed despite trade interest, Dvorak inked a five-year pact in a career-year, and Konecny, an aging top-six winger, got eight years.

Vladar, in an anomalous career year, also got his five years.

So, that's the state of the Flyers.

They haven't committed to being bad enough long enough to get a center like Leo Carlsson in the draft, so they were prepared to spend $90 million over just five years, and four first-round picks, to get him as a restricted free agent... and still came up short.

That leaves them, on the heels of a second-round playoff appearance, with a mostly unchanged roster, highlighted only by the arrivals of Acciari, backup goalie Joseph Woll, and defenseman Simon Benoit.

Metropolitan Division teams that missed the playoffs last year, like Washington and New Jersey, made wholesale changes in an effort to get their ducks back in a row.

The Devils offloaded their biggest distraction in Simon Nemec, and dumped their worst contract in Jacob Markstrom, while getting back a competent bottom-six forward in Evan Rodrigues and two future first-round picks.

The Capitals beefed up heavily, bringing back future Hall of Famer Alex Ovechkin for another year, as well as adding Jordan Kyrou, Boone Jenner, and Alex Tuch via trade and free agency.

As for the Flyers, well, they at least got a backup goalie who is demonstrably better than Sam Ersson, Aleksei Kolosov, Ivan Fedotov, Cal Petersen, and Felix Sandstrom, but the buck really stops there.

Young Flyers Stars File for Arbitration; Potential Offer Sheet Threat AvertedStandout Philadelphia Flyers duo Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras have filed for arbitration, and that may not be a bad thing for the Flyers.

Now that they've reached the Stanley Cup playoffs and raised everyone's expectations, the big move didn't come, and the Flyers ultimately missed out on *clears throat* Mavrik Bourque, Leo Carlsson, Darnell Nurse, John Carlson, Claude Giroux, Bowen Byram, Mason McTavish, and Zach Werenski, and probably Dylan Larkin, this offseason.

Don't forget about Kirill Kaprizov, who never even hit the market.

And maybe the 2023-24 and 2025-26 seasons, that were okay or successful, would have been better served as dismal, uninspiring, but necessary development years to continue to acquire long-term assets while letting the young guns play big minutes.

Michkov had a great first year under John Tortorella two years ago, and Martone, Alex Bump, and Denver Barkey had phenomenal stretches to end the year, too. Even Oliver Bonk looked square to the task. Jack Berglund is looking like he'll develop into a real force, too.

But in a few years, the pressure will be all on them to take the Flyers to the promised land, with no No. 1 center or franchise defenseman coming to help them. Zegras and Jamie Drysdale can only do so much, and Konecny, Travis Sanheim, and Owen Tippett aren't getting any younger.

Things can always change, like if the Flyers pivoted to Adam Fantilli, but the element of surprise won't be on their side this time.

After missing out on Leo Carlsson and doing little else of substance this offseason, the one that was meant to be the proverbial game-changer, the Flyers' long-term plan may have to be altered.

Former Philadelphia Flyers forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare recently announced his retirement from professional hockey. This was after he spent the last two seasons with HC Ajoie of Switzerland's National League.

Now, Bellemare has landed his first post-playing career gig. 

The Tampa Bay Lightning have announced that they have hired Bellemare as their new player development specialist. 

Bellemare is somebody who the Lightning organization already knows well. This is because the former Flyers forward spent the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons with the Lightning. Now, he is rejoining the Bolts organization in an off-ice role after landing this cool new gig. 

Bellemare spent the first three seasons of his NHL career with the Flyers from 2014-15 to 2016-17. In 237 games over that span with the Flyers, he posted 17 goals, 17 assists, 34 points, and 259 hits. His time with the Flyers ended when he was claimed by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.

In 700 career NHL games over 10 seasons, Bellemare recorded 64 goals, 74 assists, 138 points, 615 hits, and a plus-22 rating. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins have officially signed one of their 2026 draft picks. 

Defenseman Tomas Galvas signed a three-year entry-level contract with the team on Thursday after he was selected in the second round of the 2026 NHL Draft last month. 

The news was announced via the Penguins' official X account. 

The Penguins have signed defenseman Tomas Galvas to a three-year, entry-level contract. pic.twitter.com/ZrweCzl9vO

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) July 9, 2026

Galvas played in Czechia for Bílí Tygři Liberec during the 2025-26 season, finishing with eight goals and 24 points in 32 games.

He also represented Czechia at the World Juniors and was fantastic, compiling three goals and nine points in seven games. He was everywhere on the ice, utilizing his strong skating skills to his advantage. 

Galvas is expected to play another season in Czechia before coming over to North America. He could join the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins if his 2026-27 season in Czechia ends early. 

This is a player that the Penguins are pretty excited about, and rightfully so.

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