Category: NHL

Entering the current off-season, many hockey observers were intrigued to see the direction the Pittsburgh Penguins would take. 

After all, this team stubbornly refused to go through a full roster rebuild but has also begun making moves that address its long-term future.

Unfortunately for Penguins fans, Pittsburgh GM Kyle Dubas’ initial roster moves this summer have not inspired confidence. Instead, there’s a sense that, at best, the Penguins will once again be a “mushy middle” team – not good enough to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs and not bad enough to secure draft picks that will be the foundation for the organization in the years ahead.

The time is now for Dubas to move veterans who will command a sizeable return in a trade – high-impact players, such as star defenseman Erik Karlsson and right wingers Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. Karlsson has a full no-movement clause, but there’s reportedly a possibility he’ll waive it to go to a Cup contender.Rakell and Rust, meanwhile, don’t have full no-move clauses.

However, Dubas has stubbornly held onto those players so far. He’s instead made low-impact trades, including acquiring third-pair defenseman Connor Clifton from Buffalo in return for depth blueliner Conor Timmins.

In free agency, Dubas has held onto the bulk of Pittsburgh’s cap space – now about $14.9 million – and spent on B-grade players, including wingers Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau. He dealt goalie Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks, further muddying the Penguins’ situation in net. Veteran Tristan Jarry was a candidate for a contract buyout but stayed, and youngster Joel Blomqvist will likely be thrown to the wolves behind a defense corps that is hardly a shutdown unit. 

Consequently, the Penguins lack quality depth in important positions and the type of players who can help them contend for a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division.

It’s true Dubas still has time to effect major change. But if the status quo stays, the Pens will likely miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season – something that is truly hard to fathom for a team with Hockey Hall of Fame-bound icons in Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. But with every day that passes without notable change, the Penguins appear destined to disappoint a fan base that not so long ago was accustomed to championship glory.

Dubas is also working with a first-year coach in Dan Muse, who has to be a teacher to Pittsburgh’s youngsters while also pushing to produce acceptable performances from the veterans. Muse’s balancing act carries with it a real danger that there could be more failure on the horizon, and the pressure felt by Dubas and Pens brass could easily trickle down into the roster, causing everyone to squeeze their sticks a little too hard.

It all adds up to a situation in Pittsburgh that’s far from ideal. The Penguins are being pulled in two different directions – toward playoff contention on one end and toward a bigger rebuild on the other end – and the mixed-message reality of the organization is likely to lead to further letdowns.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

The Buffalo Sabres' first day of the NHL's free-agent frenzy saw Sabres GM Kevyn Adams take some low-risk, decent-return gambles in signing mid-tier veterans like winger Justin Danforth and defenseman Zac Jones. But another Sabres signing could prove to be extremely important as the season goes on -- and that's the signing of experienced goalie Alex Lyon.

For the 32-year-old Lyon, his new contract was about stability, and the Sabres provided him with that, signing him to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.5 million. Lyon has spent the past two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, and in that time, he's posted a save percentage of sligly less than .900 -- a satisfactory-enough number at a time when NHL offenses can be overwhelming, and one that came playing behind the Wings' sub-par defense corps.

Now, before we go much further, let's be clear -- Lyon is obviously the third goaltender on the Sabres' depth chart. He's not going into camp being the ideal starter for this Buffalo team. 

That said, ostensible starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen didn't have a particularly great year in 2024-25, posting a bloated 3.20 goals-against average and an .887 SP in 55 games.  By the end of the season, Luukkonen had lost his starter's job in favor of greybeard journeyman James Reimer. Now, Luukkonen's contract status -- the 26-year-old is entering Year 2 of a five-year contract that pays him $4.75-million per season -- necessitates he be given a chance to win the No. 1 job back. But there's no assurance Luukkonen is going to return to the form he showed in 2023-24, when he posted a .910 SP in 54 games.

So, if Luukkonen can't get the job done, Lyon is still not Plan B.  That would be up-and-comer Devon Levi. The 23-year-old Levi did not have great success in limited NHL action last year, posting an .872 SP in nine games. However, Levi had much more positivity in the American League, putting up a .919 SP in 42 games. If Levi -- currently an RFA -- is intending on bumping up his pay grade, making the jump to the NHL on a permanent basis provides him all the motivation in the world.

After Sabres' Latest Trade, Don't Expect Much From New Buffalo DefensemanThe Buffalo Sabres made a trade Saturday, but it wasn't the trade many were expecting, as star defenseman Bowen Byram remained a Sabre, at least, for the time being. However, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams reshaped his defense corps by sending rugged blueliner Connor Clifton and the 39th-overall pick in this year's draft to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for D-man Conor Timmins and minor leaguer Isaac Beliveau. 

All of which is to say that, if Lyon is called into action on a regular basis, things for Buffalo probably haven't gone very well. Either or both of Luukkonen and Levi could be hurt or under-performing. But by the same token, if Lyon can come through in the clutch when called upon, he's going to look like a terrific financial bargain, and one of Adams' best signings in his history running the team.

Goaltending insurance is something every NHL team is investing in. At a time when it feels like the health of every player in the league is just one bad collision or bounce away from being compromised, you need as much talent as you can get. So while Lyon may not be occupying much of the spotlight when next season begins, there's a road ahead in which the Sabres turn to him as a last line of resort, with their season possibly hanging in the balance.

Sabres Deals Addressed Needs, But Were Budget-ConsciousThe Buffalo Sabres made a pair of trades before and during the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles which were as much about changing the makeup of the roster as they were about trimming the budget of the club in advance of the beginning of free agency on July 1. 

We still believe Adams should be on the hot seat for the roster decisions he's made. If all he does is what he's done thus far, we don't envision the Sabres as a playoff team. But if Adams makes more changes by the time next season begins, Buffalo could challenge for a wild card berth in the Eastern Conference.

And if things go a particular way -- and if Lyon comes through in a pinch -- we might look back on the signing of a third goaltender as the move that saved the Sabres' year.

It's never too early to be thinking about the future. Right? 

Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz said he had two things in mind when thinking about the Predators' future: getting bigger and getting younger. 

"We've got some great prospects on the way, but I felt two things: we wanted to get bigger and we want to get younger," Trotz said. 

The Predators' current defensive corps averages 6 feet 2 inches and 200 pounds. The 2025 draft class averages 6 feet and 181 pounds. In addition, the Predators' defense had an average age of 28 years. 

Looking for size and youth, the Predators may have at least one pick lined up for the 2026 draft in 7-foot, 273-pound Moldovan defenseman Alexander Karmanov. 

The 17-year-old was selected by the Brantford Bulldogs, 172nd overall in the third round of the CHL's Import Draft, an entry draft held for CHL prospects that are not from Canada or the United States.

 

Karmanov is also committed to Penn State for the 2027-28 season. He spent the past year with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights 16U AAA team in Pennsylvania, competing between the Atlantic Youth Hockey League and 16U AAA tournaments. 

Between both, he played 35 games and scored 33 points and had 60 penalty minutes. According to Brantford's X/Twitter account, he is "the largest hockey player on the planet." 

If he were to break into the NHL, he'd be the tallest player to ever play, surpassing Zdeno Chara's record height by three inches. 

Depending on Karmanov's arrival at Penn State, he could be teammates with 2023 Nashville Predators draft pick Aiden Fink, who would be a senior by the start of the 2027-28 season.

Defenseman Mac Gadowsky, who is attending the Predators' development camp by invitation and stands 6 feet 3 inches tall, would also be his teammate, as Gadowsky recently transferred to Penn State.  

When drafting taller players, skating is usually the primary focus. That appears to be the most significant focus for Karmanov when watching his highlights. He's a big body, but doesn't move fast. 

Skating at an NHL pace can be a challenge for larger players, but Nashville has found ways to develop them and maintain a reputation as one of the largest teams in the NHL. 

Trotz wants size and Karmanov has the potential to be the biggest to ever play the game. 

In a shocking twist only 30 minutes into the 2025 NHL Free Agency period, Brock Boeser signed a seven-year, $7.25M AAV contract with the Vancouver Canucks. His signing came after a tumultuous season of uncertainty regarding his fate. Many thought he would be traded at the Trade Deadline, while signs leading up to free agency implied that he would be moving on from the team. With his signing, Boeser will extend his streak as the Canucks’ longest-tenured active skater.  

The Canucks came into the 2015 NHL Draft with the 23rd selection in the first round. While some players were obvious selections (Connor McDavid), realistically, the talent pool provided by this draft class meant that nearly any pick would be profitable. At the time, only three of twelve prospect draft rankings had Boeser going higher than 23rd overall. The general consensus seemed to be that he would not be picked higher than 25th. With that being said, it wasn’t shocking when former Canucks General Manager Jim Benning decided to select Boeser 23rd overall. 

Boeser’s addition to Vancouver’s prospect pool was a bright sign, as some of the only other names in the Canucks’ ranks were Jake Virtanen, Jared McCann, and Hunter Shinkaruk — with only one of these three still playing in the NHL. He was given the expectation of 30-goal scorer in the NHL early on and nearly broke this milestone in his first full season. 

On March 25, 2017, Boeser signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Canucks, making his NHL debut the same day against his hometown Minnesota Wild. In the same game, he scored his first NHL goal. By the end of his first nine games in 2017, he scored four goals on 25 shots and added one assist. For an early campaign, Boeser’s four goals left fans very optimistic about the upcoming season. 

Boeser’s first full season with the Canucks was one to remember. It seemed as though he was shot out of a cannon to start the season, as he scored two goals and three assists in his first four games. It only took him 10 games to get his first hat trick of the season, and the first of his NHL career, which he scored against Matt Murray and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Within the first 10 games of his rookie season, Boeser had five goals and eight assists. 

“The most natural goal scorer I’ve ever played with,” former Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said of Boeser back in 2017. 

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site: 

Vancouver Canucks' Pius Suter Signs With The St. Louis Blues

Vancouver Canucks Sign Pierre-Olivier Joseph To A One-Year Contract

"At The End Of The Day, I Think My Heart Was Still In Vancouver": Brock Boeser Speaks On Signing A Seven-Year Extension With The Canucks

An array of goal-scoring streaks, impressive play, and a Rookie of the Month title in November earned Boeser a nod to the 2018 NHL All-Star Game. There, he won the accuracy shooting event, beating out players such as Sidney Crosby, Brad Marchand, and Steven Stamkos, and took home the award for MVP of the game. 

Despite playing at a near 40-goal pace in his rookie season, injuries sidelined Boeser for 20 of the team’s games. He finished the year with 29 goals and 26 assists in 62 games played, putting him fifth in points among all rookies that season. Boeser finished second in voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy to Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders. 

The start of Boeser’s career in Vancouver was certainly memorable, and with his re-signing, he’ll add even more goals on top of the 204 he has already scored as a member of the Canucks. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

The Buffalo Sabres made a pair of trades during and after the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles that opened up more cap space in advance of the beginning of free agency on July 1, but the club did not make any kind of splash as the market opened on Tuesday, re-signing three players on multi-year extensions and signing free agent winger Justin Danforth and goalie Alex Lyon to two-year deals. 

Danforth had 21 points (9 goals, 12 assists) in 61 games for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season and signed for an AAV of $1.8 million, while Lyon, who went 14-9-1, with a 2.81 GAA and .896 save %  in Detroit last season signed for $1.5 million per season. 

“(Lyon is) a proven goaltender, ” Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said on Wednesday. “I think he's a really good veteran. A high character guy. He's proven in the league. He's played well in his time in the National Hockey League. He's going to challenge and push. We just think he helps us win hockey games.” 

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Summer Dilemmas - Bowen Byram

Sabres Facing An Off-Season Of Change

Danforth is expected to play a fourth line role, replacing Sam Lafferty, who was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday. Lyon, 32, will be in the mix to challenge for playing time behind Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and with youngster Devon Levi. Luukkonen, who did not have much of a threat to his starting role after Levi was demoted to Rochester early last season, had a subpar campaign (24-24-5, 3.20 GAA, .887 save %) in the first year of a five-year deal. 

Levi, a restricted free agent this summer, still has an exemption to waivers that will allow him to be demoted to AHL Rochester next season. If Levi plays well in training camp and earns a roster spot, it is likely that the Sabres will carry three goalies on their NHL roster, as they did at the start of the 2023-24 season with Luukkonen, Levi, and Eric Comrie.  

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

The Buffalo Sabres did not make much of a splash on the opening day of free agency on Tuesday, with the most impactful signing being the two-year contract for goaltender Alex Lyon and the re-signing of center Ryan McLeod to a long-term extension. The item that was the most newsworthy was a report from TSN’s Darren Dreger, that clubs interested in restricted free agent Bowen Byram are contemplating an offer sheet.

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams met with the media during Day 3 of the club’s Development Camp at LECOM Harborcenter on Wednesday and indicated that he is open to bringing back the 23-year-old blueliner, who is two years away from unrestricted free agency on a short- or long-term deal, and is open to a hockey deal bringing back NHL players, but that he would match an offer sheet if it were tabled by another club. 

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Summer Dilemmas - Bowen Byram

Sabres Facing An Off-Season Of Change

“The moves we've made and the position we've put ourselves in, from the cap perspective, has been strategic.” Adams said. “If you leave just enough room in your cap, maybe where you see a projection on a one year deal and someone comes over the top, you're potentially putting your organization in a really tough spot. So the moves we’ve made and the decisions we've made for weeks now leading up to this point (have been) with that in mind. So we'll be matching and have the opportunity to have a player under contract who we think helps us win.”

Dreger indicated that trade conversations have taken place between the Sabres and the Calgary Flames, Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles Kings, and St. Louis Blues for Byram, who scored 38 points last season. After the trade of defenseman K’Andre Miller to Carolina on Tuesday and unrestricted free agents Vladislav Gavrikov and Ivan Provorov signing seven-year contracts with the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets, the availability for a legitimate top-four defenseman has shrunk to Byram, and Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson, putting Adams in a position to exact the price he’s looking for or bringing back him back on a short-term deal.    

“We believe Bo is an excellent hockey player that can help our team win,” Adams said, “I've maintained the same position that if there's a deal out there that makes sense for us that we think is going to improve our roster we're open to it. If there's not, we're not in a situation where we're looking to move him out or looking to move him for futures and stuff like that, for me we want to help our team win hockey games and he helps us do that.”

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

The Philadelphia Flyers were the one team that won as much as it lost on Day 1 of NHL Free Agency.

Entering free agency with three needs - a goalie, a center, and a seventh defenseman - the Flyers got to work and took care of business in record time, but at what cost?

Forward Christian Dvorak, expected to take over as the fourth-line center for at least one year, agreed to a one-year deal worth an egregious $5.4 million, making him the fifth-highest-paid forward on the Flyers' roster behind only Trevor Zegras, Sean Couturier, Travis Konecny, and Owen Tippett.

Now, term was a big part of the deal for the Flyers so as to avoid locking themselves into undesirable future roadblocks for younger players, which drove Dvorak's price upwards, as well as bids from other teams.

But other centers with NHL experience, such as Curtis Lazar, Philipp Kurashev, and Lars Eller, all signed one-year deals with new teams worth no more than $1.25 million.

Lazar, like Dvorak, has played for Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet before. Injuries and adapting to a new coach limited Lazar to just five points in 48 games with New Jersey this season, but last year, he had 25 points in 71 games.

For his efforts, the 30-year-old, a prime bounce-back candidate, signed with Edmonton for one-year and $775k.

Piggybacking off that, new Flyers goalie Dan Vladar was by far the most expensive netminder to come off the market Tuesday, signing a two-year, $6.7 million ($3.35 million AAV) with Philadelphia that included an eight-team no-trade list in both years.

Flyers' Porter Martone Sets Sights on Early NHL DebutJust one day into on-ice activities at development camp, the hype around top Philadelphia Flyers prospect Porter Martone is already growing.

Veteran Anton Forsberg, who signed with Los Angeles for two years at $2.25 million a year, was 11-12-3 last season with a 2.72 GAA, a .901 save percentage, and three shutouts. He was also the only goalie, other than Vladar, to pull in a cap hit north of $1.5 million.

Vladar was comparatively similar but slightly worse, going 12-11-6 with a 2.80 GAA, a .898 save percentage, and two shutouts.

Vladar is 27 and younger than the 32-year-old Forsberg, but does that make up the $1 million difference in cap hit? And, if Vladar isn't a long-term option as a starter or backup, does the age matter at all?

Indeed, much of this is insignificant with the Flyers being a fringe playoff team at best next season, but what is significant is that they have $4.6 million to find a solution to re-sign Cam York, be it a long-term deal or short.

The Flyers insist on not using LTIR to create emergency cap space for themselves, but with Tyson Foerster's status up in the air for opening night, they are pushing the envelope to the fullest, especially in the event further injuries occur during the season.

Speaking of defensemen, journeymen Noah Juulsen and Dennis Gilbert give the Flyers, including York and excluding Rasmus Ristolainen, eight defensemen on the active roster.

One of those eight won't make the roster, and this doesn't account for someone like Helge Grans or Oliver Bonk, who will both be pushing for spots to fill in for Ristolainen.

Looking ahead, the Flyers have one retention slot open to hold onto some salary, with Andrei Kuzmenko off their books and Kevin Hayes and Scott Laughton still on for one more year.

If they want to use that slot to its maximum potential, either in a three-team deal (i.e. Noah Hanifin trade) or retaining salary on one of their own players, they'll have to manage the salary cap extra carefully until Foerster and/or Ristolainen return.

And just imagine how complicated things would have been if they landed Maxim Shabanov.

These free agency signings all address the needs to the Flyers sought out to address, but the relatively poor value of these signings puts the Flyers at high risk of finding themselves in adverse positions for what they want to do later in the season.

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues picked up middle of the lineup center they were hoping to get.

Multiple reports had the Blues signing Pius Suter to a two-year contract worth $8.25 million ($4.125 million average annual value). The team confirmed the signing.

The 29-year-old, who set career highs in goals (25) and points (46) with the Vancouver Canucks last season in 81 games, will fill a void the Blues obviously needed in the middle of the lineup as a 2C/3C with Brayden Schenn. He is an exceptional defensive center with excellent penalty kill skills who just so happened to create offense off his defense a season ago and parlayed them into scoring chances, thus setting career highs in goals and points:

Pius Suter, signed 2x$4M by STL, is an intelligent shut-down scoring centre who transcends his lack of size and especially speed to prevent chances against. Creates a lot of goals and scoring chances by getting to the slot and finding space. #STLBluespic.twitter.com/MNJpPix0AH

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 2, 2025

With the addition of Suter, the Blues now have Robert Thomas, Schenn, Suter, Oskar Sundqvist and Nick Bjugstad, who St. Louis signed to a two-year, $3.5 million ($1.75 million AAV) free agent contract on Tuesday from the Utah Mammoth, to utilize down the middle of the ice.

Remember last season, when Suter scored a third-period hat trick against the Blues? And look where he scored those goals: around the net and slot area. Blues coach Jim Montgomery is going to love this.

It was no secret that the Blues were in the market for a middle man, and when Sam Bennett came off the board and re-signed with the Florida Panthers and Mikael Granlund signed a three-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks for $7 million AAV, it was apparent the Blues were not going to get to those numbers.

But this is a low-risk, high-reward contract the Blues could fit into their salary cap, and they'll be fine when they place Torey Krug ($6.5 million AAV) on long-term injured-reserve and once Nick Leddy ($4 million AAV) either is picked up or clears waivers Thursday.

Cody Glass will don the New Jersey Devils jersey for the next two seasons. 

On Wednesday afternoon, the Devils announced the center signed a two-year contract worth $5,000,000, with an annual average value of $2,500,000. The contract breakdown is as follows: 2025-26: $2,500,000 & 2026-27: $2,500,000. The announcement was made by President/General Manager Tom Fitzgerald.

Our Glass is full for two more years. pic.twitter.com/LgDPoEO3TW

— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) July 2, 2025

"I wanted to stay (in New Jersey) the whole time," Glass told reporters. "I am glad it got done."

The Devils acquired the 26-year-old on March 7, 2025, from the Pittsburgh Penguins along with Jonathan Gruden for Chase Stillman, Max Graham, and a third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. 

Through 14 regular-season games, Glass collected seven points (two goals, five assists). He finished the 2024-25 season with a face-off win percentage of 47.4%, winning 64 of 135 draws. 

Entering the postseason, the Winnipeg native only had three games of playoff experience between the Vegas Golden Knights and Nashville Predators. During his media availability on Wednesday, The Hockey News asked Glass what his takeaway was from New Jersey's Round 1 series against the Carolina Hurricanes. 

"Only having three (games) and then going to a series in Carolina, which is a pretty tough building to play in, was a great experience," Glass said. "Obviously, I wish it could have gone a lot better. It is something that I think about all the time, but I think it is something that is going to drive me this summer. We want to get back to that point, but we want to do a lot better and advance. I think it was a good step in the right direction for me, and it is something I can learn from." 

In addition to Glass returning to New Jersey, Fitzgerald signed unrestricted free agents Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov and re-signed goaltender Jake Allen.

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

Hischier's Manager Patrick Fischer: ''He's Driven to Succeed, but Not Easily

Photo credit: © Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

The latest Montreal Canadiens’ UFAs weren't the only former Habs to change teams yesterday. A pair of long-gone Canadiens landed in intriguing new markets with interesting new contracts.

Since making the Stanley Cup Final with the Canadiens in 2021, offensive defenseman Jeff Petry has struggled to find his form. When the Habs traded him to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2022 offseason, he probably had hope that things would fall into place quickly on a team featuring the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, but that’s not what happened, far from it. The very next offseason, the Penguins traded him back to Montreal in a package that netted them Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick.

Canadiens’ GM Believes There’s Still Room For Matheson In Montreal
About the Canadiens' Second Big Trade Of The Week...
Former Canadiens Didn’t Need Long To Find New Homes

Hughes then sent him to the Detroit Red Wings for Gustav Lindstrom and a fourth-round pick at the 2025 draft. A Michigan native, Petry was ecstatic to be going home, but his two-season stint with the Wings was great, too; he put up 32 points in 117 games and became a UFA on July 1.

Even though he’s now 37 years old, Petry wasn’t ready to retire, but given his recent performances, he didn’t have that many suitors. Ultimately, he signed a one-year contract with the Florida Panthers. The deal has a base salary of $775,000 but includes several performance bonuses. The veteran would like to win a Stanley Cup before retiring, and he has decided to bet on the repeat Champions achieving a three-peat next season.

As for Jonathan Drouin, after a disastrous stay in Montreal in which he struggled with mental health issues, he joined the Colorado Avalanche as a free agent on a one-year deal with an AAV of $825,000. After a convincing first season in which he scored 56 points in 79 games, Colorado signed him to a one-year deal worth $2.5 million.

Due to injuries, the Quebecer was only able to play in 43 games this season, but he still managed to put up 37 points, averaging 0.86 points per game. Still, Drouin found himself a UFA on July 1st, and he was signed to a two-year pact with a $4 M cap hit by the New York Islanders.

In Long Island, Drouin will find QMJHL rival Anthony Duclair and coach Patrick Roy, whom he gave nightmares to in the juniors. We wish both Drouin and Petry the best of luck with their new team.

Photo credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

---

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.

The Vegas Golden Knights have signed defenseman Kaedan Korczak to a four-year, $3.25-million extension and have also signed defenseman Jeremy Davies to a two-year contract.

Korczak set a career-high in games played and points this year, recording 10 assists in 40 games while averaging 15:04 of ice time. It's highly likely and almost a certainty that Korczak eclipses both those marks as he is set to become a full-time NHL player next season after the unfortunate news of Alex Pietrangelo's health. 

Throughout the 2024-25 season, Korczak was utilized exclusively to replace any injured defenseman, but the 2025-26 season will be different. Korczak is set to step into the lineup as a trusted defenseman night in and night out and will have the opportunity to compete with Zach Whitecloud for a spot in the top-four. 

Korczak has all the tools needed for a modern defenseman. He is a capable skater with a 6-foot-3 frame and a solid first pass. When in the lineup, the 24-year-old has won his minutes at 5-on-5, but with an increased role and an increase in ice time, it'll pose a new challenge for the former second-round pick (41st overall) in the 2019 NHL draft.

Korczak was set to become a Group-6 UFA next summer if he didn't reach the 80-game threshold. He signed a two-year $825,000 extension last season as an RFA but will become a UFA when his contract concludes in 2030. His new contract won't kick in until the 2026-27 season. 

The Vegas Golden Knights have re-signed Kaedan Korczak to a four-year extension with an AAV of $3.25M. Korczak is a 3rd pairing defenseman, who has been very good in sheltered minutes. pic.twitter.com/JnBB4ovwsG

— Rono (@RonoAnalyst) July 2, 2025

Davies is a 28-year-old left-handed defenseman who has accumulated 23 games of NHL experience in his career. Davies has been a solid AHL player overall, scoring 44 goals and 174 points in 329 games. 

The Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC native is a safe bet for organizational depth that will likely have to clear waivers at some point during training camp. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

Golden Knights Confirm and Announce Signings Of Several Players The Vegas Golden Knights have confirmed and announced the signings of Reilly Smith, Brandon Saad, Dylan Coghlan,  Cole Reinhardt and Jaycob Megna. REPORT: Golden Knights Interested In Trading For A Pair Of DefensemenThe Vegas Golden Knights are reportedly interested in trading for defensemen Rasmus Andersson and Bowen Byram.

The Nashville Predators have lost another player in free agency as defenseman Marc Del Gaizo signed with the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. 

He agreed to a one-year, $775,000 contract, making as much as he did this past season in Nashville. 

Del Gaizo was drafted by the Predators 109th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft out of UMass Amherst.

This past season, he split time between Nashville and Milwaukee, scoring nine points in 46 games with the Predators and 12 points in 30 games with the Admirals. Del Gaizo also had five points in 10 playoff games with Milwaukee. 

Del Gaizo had two different contracts during his two years in Nashville. During the 2023-24 season, he had an annual hit of $850,833. He made about $75,000 less this year. 

General manager Barry Trotz said that the goal of free agency was to improve the defense, which likely included adding depth. Del Gaizo is on the rise, as last season was the most NHL games he had played in a single season. 

The Predators have about $10.1 million in salary cap space. 

During this free agency period, the Predators have signed two defensemen: Nicolas Hague from the Vegas Golden Knights and Nick Perbix from the Tampa Bay Lightning. They have also extended a qualifying offer to Luke Evangelista. 

Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and center Colton Sissons were traded to Vegas as part of the trade with Hague. 

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- When the Montreal Canadiens made a splash on the trade front and acquired defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders, Logan Mailloux felt like he was on borrowed time.

So when the defenseman was traded to the St. Louis Blues by the Canadiens for forward Zack Bolduc on Tuesday, there was perhaps a sense of relief, and one of appreciation that the 22-year-old will get the opportunity to be a full-time NHL player.

"After I’d seen the Dobson trade come in to Montreal, it was a little bit of a logjam there on the back end, to be honest," Mailloux admitted on Tuesday. "They’ve got some young guys there, some other guys as well. When that happened, I thought there might be a chance (of getting traded). I didn’t really know anything until today. I’m really excited to get to St. Louis and get the chance to play."

Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said as much, when he announced that Mailloux, who has all of eight games' worth of experience at the NHL level, including seven last season (two goals, two assists), has a job here and it's up to him to keep it.

"We think he's NHL-ready now," Armstrong said. "I talked to him, I told him he'll have the opportunity to ... he has a job now. It's his job to come into camp and keep it."

This wasn't going to be the case in Montreal, which chose Mailloux with the 31st pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, 14 spots after the Blues selected Bolduc at No. 17, and the 6-foot-3, 213-pound right-handed shot is more than grateful.

"I’m really excited to come to St. Louis," Mailloux said. "I think they’ve got a great group of guys, and I’m really looking forward to continuing my journey, on and off the ice. Coming to St. Louis and being able to make a positive impact, whether it’s on the ice or off the ice, I think I want to come in there and be able to do some good.

"It’s pretty nice, to be honest. I think they’re giving me a chance here trading for me. I think they gave up a good prospect, a good player. I think I’m NHL ready as well. I think I’m ready to make that jump full-time. Hopefully, come in here and be able to contribute to some wins and some success next year."

Mailloux, who had 80 points (26 goals, 54 assists) in 135 games playing for Laval of the American Hockey League the past two seasons, attributes his success to playing well both offensively and defensively. He's known as an offensive defenseman but feels his positive play stemmed from both ends of the ice.

"I think it was my play on both sides of the puck this year," he said. "I think that’s one of the areas that I made a step compared to my first year. I think I was playing more of a complete game, being physical and trying to provide some offense when I can. Just being able to be out there and be a reliable player.

"I think when I came in my first year, I was a little more raw. I didn’t play too much hockey before that, to be honest. Had one full year of junior in the OHL (with the London Knights), but other than that, I had some injuries and some stuff going on before that. I think coming in and being able to play two full seasons in Laval, I didn’t really miss a game. Just being able to fully round out my game, I think, was definitely a big step I made this past year."

Even if the Blues parted with Bolduc, who came into his own with 36 points (19 goals, 17 assists) in 72 regular-season games last season and flourished when Jim Montgomery took over as coach in late November, Mailloux falls into the mix of a lineup that's got a group of 10 players at 25 or younger.

"They’ve got a good team there," Mailloux said. "It’s pretty exciting to see what they have going on. Got a bunch of young talent, some guys who’ve put up some really good seasons and some young guys who are up and coming as well. I think, hopefully, I fit right in with that age group as well. I’m really excited to get going and hopefully win some games for a long time here."

It was another slower-than-usual July 1 for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. In contrast with previous years, they stayed away from the big-name free agents, instead opting to sign depth pieces to short-term contracts.

Some fans aren’t thrilled about the lack of splashy moves, but Penguins general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas was transparent about his intentions and followed through with them.

“I think it’s like we’ve discussed. They’re not going to be the long-range, big-money guys in their 30s. It just doesn't fit at all with what we’re going to do,” Dubas told the media over the weekend.

While the organization hasn’t officially declared a rebuild, its actions speak volumes. That process arguably began at the 2024 trade deadline, when the Penguins dealt star forward Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes. It continued last offseason with the free-agent signings of defenseman Matt Grzelcyk and forward Anthony Beauvillier.

They were paid in extra draft picks to take on forwards Cody Glass and Kevin Hayes, signaling a focus on asset accumulation. Over the next two years, the Penguins have been aggressively stockpiling draft capital.

This free agency mirrored last year’s approach. The team signed defensemen Alexander Alexeyev, Parker Wotherspoon, Caleb Jones, and Phil Kemp, along with forwards Justin Brazeau, Anthony Mantha, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard.

Mantha is expected to take on a role similar to Beauvillier’s from last season—contributing roughly 15 goals before potentially being flipped at the trade deadline. Beauvillier tallied 13 goals and 20 points in 63 games last season (in Pittsburgh) and netted the Penguins a second-round pick from the Washington Capitals. 

If Mantha, who is recovering from knee surgery due to an ACL injury he sustained in the 2024-25 season, can produce at a healthy rate, the Penguins might expect a better return than the second-round pick the Capitals paid for Beauvillier.

Mantha also brings much-needed size to the lineup, a point Dubas has emphasized repeatedly in media appearances. He wants the Penguins to be bigger and harder to play against.

Brazeau and Wotherspoon help in that department, too. Brazeau, a towering 6’6” forward, isn’t shy about playing a physical game. He chipped in 11 goals and 22 points across 76 games with the Bruins and Wild last season and plays a responsible two-way game. He’s exactly the kind of player playoff teams value at the deadline.

Wotherspoon addresses the left side of the defense—a major focus for Dubas this offseason. He's a strong skater, dependable in his own zone, and can handle third-pairing minutes with ease. While he won’t bring much offense, his reliability fills a pressing need.

There’s still more work to be done on the left side of the defense, but Wotherspoon is a step in the right direction after last year’s struggles at the position.

Jones, Harvey-Pinard, Alexeyev, and Kemp will compete for roster spots in training camp. If they don’t crack the NHL lineup, they’ll provide valuable depth in Wilkes-Barre, where the Penguins are looking to improve their AHL affiliate’s performance next season.

The Penguins might not be a playoff team in 2025–26, but this methodical approach is part of a larger plan to return to contention. There’s also time for more moves before the season starts. The team has a surplus of forwards and will be looking to their young talent—Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, and Tristan Broz—to push for full-time NHL roles.

McGroarty and Koivunen looked NHL-ready by the end of the 2024–25 season, but they’ll still need to earn their spots in camp and the preseason.

Forwards Connor Dewar and Philip Tomasino are also returning after signing one-year deals on Tuesday. Though they reached free agency when Dubas chose not to extend qualifying offers, both ultimately re-signed.

The last two free-agent periods may have looked different for Pittsburgh, but they’ve been necessary. The real heavy lifting still lies ahead, but this was undoubtedly another step in the right direction.

---

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab  to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!     

Featured Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The first day of the NHL’s 2025 free-agent frenzy is now in the books, and as is tradition on THN.com, we’re examining the winners and losers from the beginning of the free-agent period. 

On Tuesday, we broke down the five biggest winners, and today, we’re looking at the six teams who, for different reasons, have to be labelled as losers. 

In alphabetical order:

Boston Bruins

The Bruins did a lot of roster shuffling, acquiring role players including former Oilers right winger Viktor Arvidsson, former Blue Jackets left winger Sean Kuraly and former Kings left winger Tanner Jeannot. But there’s a reason those three veterans were available – namely, that their previous teams felt they were expendable. And picking up spare parts and reclamation projects was not the way the Bruins operated in their recent heyday.

Boston GM Don Sweeney had a decent amount of salary cap space heading into the free-agent frenzy, but after spending most of it in the past few days, he can’t expect prognosticators to project that the Bs will be a playoff team next season. At best, they look to be only slightly improved on paper, and in a highly competitive Atlantic Division, they haven’t done enough to be pegged as a Stanley Cup post-season team in 2025-26.

Buffalo Sabres

The Sabres made a handful of moves – most notably, the re-signing of RFA center Ryan McLeod, and the UFA signings of or trades for fringe players including goalie Alex Lyon, defensemen Zac Jones and Conor Timmins, and wingers Josh Doan and Justin Danforth. Meanwhile, the status of RFA star defenseman Bowen Byram is still in limbo, with many expecting he’ll be traded by Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams, but there has been no movement on the trade front as of Wednesday afternoon.

Consequently, these current Sabres roster changes are thoroughly underwhelming. Adams is gambling he’s made the team better by buttressing their bottom two lines of forwards and their bottom defense pairing, but we just don’t see anyone Buffalo has added as being true needle-movers. 

At a time when Buffalo is desperate to get back in the thick of the playoff race in the Atlantic, there’s not enough there to expect the Sabres will end their 14-year streak without post-season hockey.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Hawks have struggled for years to play at a level that is anywhere close to being a playoff contender, and Chicago GM Kyle Davidson changed coaches this summer in an effort to raise the competitive bar for his team. However, other than trading for fourth-liner Sam Lafferty, the Blackhawks have done nothing of consequence. Budding star Connor Bedard needed some high-end talent to elevate his game in 2025-26, but thus far, Davidson has given him nothing different to work with.

Chicago still has approximately $21.3 million in cap space, and it’s possible that Davidson is hanging onto as much of it as possible to spend on the very deep class of UFA stars on course to be available in the summer of 2026. 

But we’re judging this organization based on the here and now, and looking through that prism, you can’t come to any conclusion other than the fact that the Hawks will almost assuredly finish well out of a playoff spot next season. 

Detroit Red Wings

Like the Blackhawks, the Red Wings are an Original Six franchise who have seen better days. Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has been preaching patience with his lineup, but Wings fans are starting to grow tired of seeing him kick the competitive can down the road. And very few moves he’s made in the past few days qualify as legitimate roster improvements.

Yzerman did trade for former Anaheim Ducks star goalie John Gibson, so there’s an upgrade in net. But otherwise, Detroit has only retained aging star winger Patrick Kane, and signed veteran winger James van Riemsdyk and fringe defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker. This is hardly the stuff of Grade-A acquisitions. 

Even if Yzerman’s gamble on internal improvement comes to pass, the Red Wings don’t have the elite talent to compete with other Atlantic teams. So you can’t say they’ve been anything other than losers through the first couple days of free agency.

Edmonton Oilers

Despite nearly winning a Cup this past season, the Oilers weren’t able to persuade key role players to re-sign with the team. Right winger Connor Brown left via free agency for the New Jersey Devils, while right winger Corey Perry departed for the Kings. Those are two losses that will be hard to address.

Edmonton was able to re-sign star defenseman Evan Bouchard to a four-year, $42-million contract extension, and center Trent Frederic also agreed to a long-term extension. But otherwise, their only additions are bottom-six winger Curtis Lazar and mid-tier winger Andrew Mangiapane, the latter of whom hasn’t scored more than 17 goals in any of the past three seasons. 

At best, the Oilers are approximately the same in terms of all-around talent, and that may not be good enough to keep Pacific Division and Western Conference teams at bay next year. That makes them a loser on our list.

Los Angeles Kings

Kings GM Ken Holland had a boatload of cap space heading into free agency and used a whole lot of it, signing Perry away from Edmonton, then inking former Senators backup goalie Anton Forsberg as well as veteran Montreal right winger Joel Armia and former Devils D-man Brian Dumoulin. 

But the most dubious signing, from our point of view, was the four-year, $18-million contract Holland gave to journeyman defenseman Cody Ceci, who is now on his seventh NHL team in eight seasons. Were there really competing teams out there who were offering Ceci anything close to what he wound up getting? Sorry, but we just don’t see it.

Basically, the Kings haven’t done nearly enough to see them as being as improved as their Pacific rivals around them. Holland has quickly left his imprint on the roster, and with approximately $5.99 million in cap space, he may not be done making additions to his group. But as it stands, Los Angeles has become more mediocre than anything else, and this is why we have them as a loser thus far in free agency.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.