Hockey is back on Long Island. The New York Islanders Rookie Camp officially opens Friday, marking the official beginning of hockey season for the Islanders.
Wednesday, the Islanders released the roster for camp, which contains 25 players, including 15 forwards, seven defensemen, and three goaltenders:
The headliners are first-time rookie camp participants Victor Eklund, Cole Eiserman, Kashawn Aitcheson, and Quinn Finley.
All four could be massive standouts at camp, with Eklund expected to be one, with his goal and target being the NHL roster.
The camp will be run by Hamilton Hammers' Head Coach, Jay McKee, his first year running camp as he enters his first year as the AHL Head Coach of the Islanders' organization.
There are also a few rookie camp invitees: Lane Gallacher, Samuel Beachemin, Ryan Bottrill, Kadon McCann, Luke Puchner, Luke Antonacci, Julian Brown, and Aaron Trotter.
Gallacher, took part in Islanders' development camp and played the 2024-25 and 2025-season for McKee, when both were with the Brantford Bulldogs.
Samuel Beauchemin is a 20-year-old left-shot center who has spent the last four seasons with the QMJHL's Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. He recorded 66 points (16 goals, 50 assists) in 64 regular-season games, along with 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in 17 playoff games.
Samuel is also the son of longtime NHL defenseman Francois Beauchemin, who played 903 NHL games and won the 2007 Stanley Cup with the Anaheim Ducks.
According to a statement by the NHLPA, defenseman John Klingberg is officially announcing his retirement from professional hockey. Following a career that spanned 700 games played, and time with the Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, and San Jose Sharks, Klingberg is hanging up his skates to become the new hockey expert at SVT.
Klingberg was an unrestricted free agent this summer, one of many who still didn't have a contract as training camps started to approach. That likely led to his decision to start a new career path.
John Klingberg is officially announcing his retirement from professional hockey after 700 NHL career games played – wishing all the best to this former blue liner in the future! pic.twitter.com/ebjLBp7sKM
"It feels very inspiring, actually. It's something that I've thought I could do well moving forward in life when I'm done with hockey. So I'm very excited to get this chance," he said.
Klingberg, 34, saw his career plagued by ongoing hip problems. The Swedish defenseman underwent three hip surgeries and says his body ultimately could no longer keep up with the demands of the game. He also revealed he frequently relied on injections, anti-inflammatory medication and painkillers to manage the pain and continue playing. After hoping his latest surgery would restore him to full health, he realized his body wasn't responding and his motivation had eventually run out.
He'll be remembered as one of the most elite offensive defensemen in the NHL, showcasing his skills as a member of the Dallas Stars in the mid-2010s. But, his success got to his head and he turned down an eight-year, $7M AAV contract extension in 2021-22. He struggled to find consistent work after, especially given his injury troubles.
Klingberg wound up being a bit of a journeyman defenseman, which included a short stint with the Edmonton Oilers. He signed late as a free agent in 2024-25, played 11 regular-season games and was a big part of their playoff run to the Stanley Cup Final. However, that playoff success led to him jumping ship when the San Jose Sharks offered him a deal in free agency.
Now, as a retired NHL player, he'll take on a new role, analyzing hockey on television. "I think I can come in and see hockey from a different perspective..."
Klingberg will work with SVT's national team broadcasts, including the Junior World Cup and the Euro Hockey Tour.
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It was was an exciting day for a set of siblings who mean a whole lot to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
On Thursday, Phil and Amanda Kessel were both named to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Amanda is currently the Penguins' Director of Minor League Operations and the Assistant General Manager for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins and won three Olympic medals during her prolific women's hockey career, while Phil played for the Penguins from 2015-19, registered 110 goals and 303 points in 328 games during that time, and won back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships with the team in 2016 and 2017.
The other three 2026 inductees were forward T.J. Oshie, defenseman Ryan Suter, and athletic trainer Stan Wong, who has been working with the NHL and USA hockey for more than 40 years.
"This is a great honor," Phil said to reporters during the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame call Thursday, "You know me, I loved playing for USA Hockey over the years. Enjoyed my time, enjoyed all the friends I made. It was always a great honor to play for the team. I'm just happy to be included.
"This is a great class. Obviously, I'm excited to go in with my sister. She was a great player."
And a great player she was. Aside from her dominant play for the University of Minnesota - she recorded 46 goals and 101 points in 46 games for the the team in 2012-13 and led them to three National Championship titles in 2012, 2013, and 2016 - she brought home seven gold medals for USA Hockey on the international stage and had 26 goals and 74 points in 60 combined games for Team USA internationally, which doesn't even include her 10 goals and 30 points in 10 World Junior Championship (WJC) appearances.
In her four seasons with the Penguins' hockey operations staff, the 35-year-old has helped rebuild the prospect pipeline along with the front office under General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Kyle Dubas, with the Wheeling Nailers - former ECHL affiliate of the Penguins - and WBS Penguins each going to the Eastern Conference Final in 2026.
Phil was drafted fifth overall by the Boston Bruins in 2006 and played in 17 NHL seasons between the Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Penguins, Arizona Coyotes, and Vegas Golden Knights. In addition to three Stanley Cups - he won with Vegas in 2023 - Kessel had 413 goals and 992 points in 1,286 career games and owns the NHL's all-time iron man streak for consecutive games played at 1,064.
He represented Team USA at the WJC twice, at the World Championship three times, and the Olympic games twice, winning a silver medal for Team USA in 2010.
Kessel is the first former member of the Maple Leafs to be inducted into the U.S Hockey Hall of Fame since former president and GM Brian Burke was inducted in 2023. Before Burke, it was former Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson, who was inducted in 2017.
As for former players, Mathieu Schneider was the last player to be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame who served for Toronto in their career. He was inducted in 2015.
Kessel represented the Maple Leafs for a large chunk of his career. In fact, it was the longest stop at any destination throughout his 17-year NHL career.
The right winger played six seasons for the Maple Leafs, from 2009-10 to 2014-15. He appeared in a total of 446 regular-season games for the club, scoring 181 goals and 394 points. His best season came in 2011-12 when he notched 37 goals and 82 points in 82 games. Kessel never went on to score more goals in one year.
He also played for the Boston Bruins, Pittsburgh Penguins, Arizona Coyotes, and Vegas Golden Knights, winning two Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016-17 and 2017-18, and one with the Golden Knights in 2023.
Kessel's all-time best campaign was with Pittsburgh in 2017-18 when he scored 34 goals and 92 points in 82 games.
He currently holds the record for most consecutive NHL games played, with 1,064 outings in a row. The 2022-23 season was his last year in the NHL. In total, he's played 1,286 NHL games, scoring a total of 413 goals and 992 points.
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On Friday evening, Philadelphia Flyers rookie camp officially begins with an on-ice training session at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pa., at 4 p.m., and from there, we'll have the two rookie series games on Saturday night and Sunday night.
Top prospects like Porter Martone, Alex Bump, and Denver Barkey will be the headlining acts for rookie camp, and they will joined by 2026 first-round pick Maksim Sokolovskii, who was interestingly included on the training camp roster as well.
Players like Brek Liske, Matthew Gard, Nathan Quinn, and Ilya Pautov, for example, were excluded.
The Flyers may want to just have Sokolovskii under their watch for a while longer, or they intend to have the hulking defenseman play in a preseason game before sending him back to the OHL London Knights.
In either case, fans heading to Allentown or the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees over the next week will have several opportunities to watch Sokolovskii further.
Here's the full Flyers rookie camp schedule as follows:
Friday, Sept. 11: Training session at PPL Center from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 12: Morning skate from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., game vs. Rangers prospects at 7:05 p.m. at PPL Center
Sunday, Sept. 13: Morning skate from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., game vs. Rangers prospects at 5:05 p.m. at PPL Center
Monday, Sept. 14: Training session at to-be-announced time at Flyers Training Center
Tuesday, Sept. 15: Training session at 11:15 a.m. at Flyers Training Center
Wednesday, Sept. 16: Day off
Thursday: Sept. 17: Flyers training camp begins
In just over two weeks, the Flyers will have played their last preseason game against Washington on the 26th, then dive right into the season opener against Pittsburgh on the 30th.
Many roster battles will have to be settled in a short period of time, in which case it helps that the rookie camp roster and training camp roster are mostly separate.
Martone, Barkey, and Bump will see some extra work, of course, but it's fair they put some extra time in for having what are effectively guaranteed roster spots.
Macklin Celebrini is here for the long haul. After finishing his second NHL season with over 100 points and proving his superstar status in the league, the Sharks rewarded him with a five-year, $94 million extension. Now Celebrini enters the season fully focused on hockey and leading the Sharks to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
But Celebrini is not just a hockey player, he is also one of us. Hockey players have a reputation for being focused solely on hockey and nothing else, giving off the vibe that they only really care about being the best players they can be. But sitting down with actor Belmont Cameli in a video for The Hollywood Reporter, Celebrini squashed that notion.
“I think hockey players in general have a bad rap of not having much personality,” Celebrini told Cameli. “Just kind of what the culture has always been with hockey. If you meet some of the guys that play in the NHL, it’s some of the best people you ever meet. Obviously, when the cameras are off and you’re just shooting it with them, just some of the best guys to hang out with. I feel like that doesn’t really get portrayed very well on camera. People don’t really see it.”
Since joining the Sharks as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft, Celebrini has captured the hearts of many in the Bay Area, quickly becoming a star right before our eyes. Celebrini firmly put himself on the map during the 2026 Winter Olympics, where he finished the tournament as the leading goal scorer en route to guiding Canada to the silver medal.
This offseason, Celebrini made even more history when he was named the cover athlete of NHL 27, making him the youngest NHL player ever to receive that honor.
The Sharks last made the playoffs in 2018-19, and while the team has experienced down years in recent seasons, confidence in this year’s team is sky high — especially if Celebrini stays healthy and continues to play at an elite level. Already being mentioned in MVP conversations, Celebrini will head to training camp on a mission to become the face of the NHL.
The Edmonton Oilers signed Alex Formenton to a one-year, $850,000 contract Wednesday, bringing the 26-year-old back to the NHL for the first time since the 2021-22 season.
Edmonton was connected to Hart after he, Formenton, Michael McLeod, Dillon Dube and Cal Foote were acquitted in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case. Hart had already spent six seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers when the league allowed the five players to sign contracts again.
Stan Bowman addressed Hart during training camp last September and said Edmonton wasn't looking at "those types of situations." The Oilers went through the season without him and eventually rebuilt their goaltending again this summer.
One year later, Formenton is an Oiler.
All five players were acquitted, and Formenton was also made immediately eligible for Hockey Canada programs this summer; Bowman pointed to that decision when discussing Edmonton's willingness to sign him. Bowman said he had multiple conversations with Formenton before the organization offered him a contract.
The Oilers clearly did their homework, and somebody within the organization decided Formenton was worth bringing in.
Formenton hasn't played an NHL game since 2022. He scored 18 goals and 32 points in 79 games during his final season with Ottawa. He spent the following years with HC Ambri-Piotta in Switzerland where he had 13 goals and 23 points last season.
Formenton can kill penalties, which he'll have to do for Matt Savoie, and scored 18 goals during his only full season with Ottawa. An $850,000 contract also carries very little financial commitment. Formenton can earn his place during camp and give Mike Babcock another option in the bottom six.
But again, why is Edmonton willing to take on everything surrounding Formenton now?
Hart was available last year when Edmonton needed a goalie. He had played 227 NHL games and was well regarded as a capable goaltender around the league. His career numbers included a .906 save percentage and a 2.94 GAA, and the Oilers decided not to pursue him.
Formenton was an available UFA this summer with 109 NHL games under his belt and almost five years removed from his last NHL game. In his most recent season, he only had 23 points in Switzerland.
Bowman made it clear last September that he didn't want to get involved with players coming out of that situation. There wasn't much ambiguity in the answer at the time. Now, he likely believes enough time has passed.
There's less attention on the players now than last year, and several organizations have had to make decisions about them, and the NHL's reinstatement process has been in place for a full year.
Still, four seasons away from the league is a long time, and his production in Switzerland leaves a lot to be desired. Sure, the ice is bigger, and it often strengthens the defensive side of a player's game, but an NHL forward should score more than 23 points. It remains to be seen whether he can handle a regular role under Babcock.
Edmonton publicly stated last year that it wanted no part in this conversation, but has now willingly put itself directly into it.
Edmonton wasn't willing to make that decision with Hart last year, but is with Formenton now. Something changed inside the organization during those 12 months, and the Oilers should explain what it was.
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The Detroit Red Wings are only days away from starting Training Camp in preparation for the upcoming 2026-27 NHL campaign amidst a feeling of uncertainty.
Not only have the Red Wings not found Steve Yzerman's successor as general manager, but RFA defenseman Simon Edvinsson has yet to be signed to a new deal, while captain Dylan Larkin has reportedly not rescinded his trade request.
That hasn't stopped Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat from expressing optimism about the upcoming campaign despite the departure of his good friend and longtime teammate Patrick Kane.
"I think we have a majority of our team coming back," DeBrincat said at the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour. "Obviously Kaner is gone, but we got a couple of additions that will really help us out. Going into the year, we're looking essentially the same as last year."
The Red Wings signed Viktor Arvidsson, who scored 25 goals with the Boston Bruins last season, on the opening day of free agency. They also acquired hard-nosed forward Keegan Kolesar and signed backup goaltender Daniil Tarasov.
Last season, Detroit lost what was a comfortable points cushion entering the month of March for the third consecutive year; they're now mired in the NHL's longest active postseason drought.
For DeBrincat, the new campaign represents a chance to correct the mistakes that have plagued them during critical times in previous seaosns.
"I think it's a fresh start, we can get our mindset and get confident again and learn from our mistakes last year, I think that's the biggest thing," he said. "We made too many mistakes late in the season, and it ended up costing us. But the first 60-75 percent of the season was really good; we were right at the top, but we just fell off a cliff."
"Try and get back that confident side of the game and hopefully not go through that same lull."
Last season, DeBrincat became the first Red Wings player since Marian Hossa in 2008-09 to reach the 40-goal plateau, many of which were assisted by Kane.
However, Kane decided to return to the Chicago Blackhawks, who will pay him $8 million a season over the next two years. While it's a disappointing loss for the Red Wings, DeBrincat believes the future Hall of Famer still has lots left in the tank.
"I think he's got a lot more (left) than people give him credit for," he said. "I feel like everyone thinks that he was a great player, but I think he still is. He's still almost a point per game, the way he still controls the play and makes passes and slows it down. Obviously still a power-play guy."
"I think Chicago is lucky to have him," he continued. "Obviously, we wish he were still in Detroit, but I guess if he's going anywhere, it's probably good that he's going back there, and the fans will treat him well there."
The Red Wings start Training Camp on Sept. 17, followed by their first preseason contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, Sept. 21.
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23 years after the Nashville Predators selected Ryan Suter seventh overall in the 2003 NHL Draft, he's set to be immortalized as a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2026.
Suter, a native of Madison, Wisconsin, is more widely remembered for his time with the Minnesota Wild these days, but his professional career began in Nashville. After being drafted by the Predators, the defenseman spent one more season at the University of Wisconsin before remaining in his home state to start his professional career with the Milwaukee Admirals.
It didn't take long for the highly-touted prospect to get a chance in the NHL, as he made his debut after just a single season in the American Hockey League. While Suter would go on to play 1,526 games, the 21st most in NHL history, only 542 of them were spent with the Predators. In 2012, he opted to sign a 13-year contract with the Wild as an unrestricted free agent.
Suter is joined in the Class of 2026 by Phil and Amanda Kessel, TJ Oshie, and Stan Wong.
Earlier today, The Hockey News took a closer look at Braeden Bowman’s mindset heading into the 2026-27 season.
The 23-year-old forward wanted to prove he belonged in the Vegas Golden Knights’ long-term plans. He wanted to turn last season’s promising NHL debut into something more permanent and show that he was more than a player simply passing through the lineup.
As it turns out, Bowman didn’t have to wait very long for an answer.
The Golden Knights had already made up their minds.
Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon announced Thursday that the organization had signed Bowman to a six-year contract extension worth $3.4 million annually, keeping him under contract through the 2032-33 season.
It is a substantial commitment to a player who, not long ago, was still trying to establish himself within the organization.
Bowman made his NHL debut against the New York Islanders on Nov. 13 and wasted little time making an impression. He scored in three consecutive games and recorded a point in five straight, tying franchise rookie records in both categories. He finished the season with 26 points — eight goals and 18 assists — in 54 games, tying for seventh among Vegas forwards.
But his impact went beyond his initial NHL audition.
Bowman continued to dominate when he returned to the Henderson Silver Knights, recording 26 points in just 20 AHL games during the 2025-26 campaign. Fourteen of those points came during an eight-game stretch in April, earning him AHL Player of the Month honors.
His 1.30 points-per-game rate was the highest among AHL forwards who played at least 15 games last season.
That production helps explain why Vegas was willing to make such a significant investment now.
Bowman wanted this season to be about proving he was worth a permanent place in the Golden Knights’ lineup.
Instead, Vegas just gave him six more years to show exactly why he was worth it.
The Winnipeg Jets open training camp next week, and goalie Connor Hellebuyck is likely hoping that a trade will occur before that. The Vezina and Hart Trophy winner revealed his trade request late last month and according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, there appears to be no chance of reconciliation between the Jets and the netminder who has played 625 games over 11 seasons in Manitoba since 2015.
“Some things that happened last year that were out of the Jets control, post-Olympics, that have made the situation impossible to resolve. I think the Jets were hopeful that maybe it would change, but I don’t think that’s possible at all.” Friedman said on Thursday’s 32 Thoughts podcast. ““I do think the Jets understand that now & we'll see where this goes over the next few days.”
Friedman indicates that a Hellebuyck trade may move more swiftly, since the 33-year-old has a much larger list of destinations than other players who looked to move this summer, but that deals that were discussed around the NHL Draft in June are not possible now, since assets that were involved in trade offers (such as first round picks, players or prospects) were either selected, used in other deals, or unavailable due to no-trade clauses that fell into place after July 1.
Specific to Buffalo, the fourth overall pick (used to select defenseman Daxon Rudolph) is now unavailable, and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen five-team no-trade clause came into effect in July. The Florida Panthers were reportedly interested, but some of the pieces offered in the deal for Hellebuyck were since used to acquire forward Brady Tkachuk and goalie Jacob Markstrom from New Jersey.
Friedman indicated that it is imperative for Winnipeg GM Kevin Cheveldayoff to do well in a Hellebuyck trade, and is looking for a hockey trade rather than future assets to keep the Jets as a competitive club. Along with the Sabres, the Utah Mammoth and Carolina Hurricanes are still in the mix, but there are mixed signals of whether the New Jersey Devils are.
Jun 14, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Phil Kessel (81) waves to the crowd during the Stanley Cup championship parade and rally in downtown Pittsburgh. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Phil and Amanda Kessel have each been elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame’s 2026 class.
During his 4 years with the Penguins, Phil Kessel helped the team win two Stanley Cup titles as a key part of the franchise’s infamous “HBK Line” alongside Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino.
In his 4 seasons in Pittsburgh, Phil Kessel scored 110 goals and added 193 assists in 328 games.
After leaving Pittsburgh, Phil Kessel added another Stanley Cup title to his resume with the Vegas Golden Knights, completing his career with 992 points in 1,286 games.
“Obviously, this is a great honor,” Phil Kessel said to NHL.com. “I loved playing for USA Hockey over the years, enjoyed my time, enjoyed all the friends I made. It was always a great honor to play for the team, and I’m just happy to be inducted. This is a great class. Obviously, I’m excited to go in with my sister. She was a great player.”
At the international level, Phil Kessel represented the United States at the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014, bringing home one silver medal.
Phil Kessel’s younger sister, Amanda, who is currently serving as the Penguins’ Director of Minor League Operations and Assistant General Manager of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, had an outstanding international playing career, representing the United States at the the Winter Olympics three times, winning gold once and silver twice.
“It’s, obviously, really special to go in with my brother, who’s helped me a ton throughout my career, and I couldn’t be more proud of him as well,” Amanda Kessel said.
In addition to her international career, Amanda Kessel won three national championship titles at the University of Minnesota and played two seasons in the NWHL.
The Kessel duo will become just the second brother-sister pair to be elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, joining Cammi and Tony Granato, the latter having served as a Penguins assistant coach under Dan Bylsma.
The official enshrinement ceremony will take place on November 30.
One of the more shocking bits of news to come out of the tail end of the offseason is that the Anaheim Ducks are moving on from veteran winger Chris Kreider.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Anaheim is expected to place the 35-year-old on waivers for the purpose of mutually terminating his contract, a move that requires Kreider's approval and will make him an unrestricted free agent.
The decision stems from a cap crunch in Anaheim after the Ducks matched Philadelphia's five-year, $90 million offer sheet for center Leo Carlsson, leaving them roughly $9 million in space while still needing to lock up restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier, who scored 41 goals last season.
Kreider is coming off a 50-point season and has shown he still has plenty left in the tank, even if his overall numbers have trended down from his peak years with the New York Rangers. It begs the question of whether the Detroit Red Wings should consider making a run at him, given how much the team could use his production, the veteran presence he'd bring to a young locker room, and the boost he could provide to a club still trying to end the NHL's longest active playoff drought.
There is a real caveat here is Detroit doesn't currently have a general manager, and by the time the search wraps up, Kreider may already be off the board. There's also the matter of what Kreider himself wants.
He's never won a Stanley Cup, and after leaving a playoff-caliber roster in Anaheim, he may prefer to chase a ring with a more established contender rather than help rebuild one. Friedman has reported that Kreider, a Boxford, Massachusetts, native who spent his first 13 NHL seasons with the Rangers, wants to head back East to be closer to family, and he won't report to training camp if claimed by a team he doesn't want to play for.
The Boston Bruins have emerged as the perceived frontrunner given his ties to the area and his time at Boston College, with the Rangers and a handful of other Eastern Conference clubs also mentioned as possibilities.
Still, if Detroit can move quickly once a GM is in place, adding a former 50-goal scorer like Kreider could be a worthwhile swing for a team looking for difference-makers, potentially even slotting him into a top-six role.
It's an unlikely outcome given his stated preference to stay East, but the NHL has a way of producing surprises, and with Anaheim's cap crunch forcing its hand, a proven goal-scorer like Kreider landing in Detroit's lap isn't entirely out of the question.
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Ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, NHL.com has released its top 26 prospects list. As expected, 2026 first overall pick Gavin McKenna took the top spot, followed by Porter Martone and Anton Frondell. The list also featured one Vancouver Canucks prospect, with Caleb Malhotra being ranked 22nd overall.
Malhotra was selected third overall by Vancouver during the 2026 NHL Entry Draft. The 18-year-old had an OHL campaign to remember, recording 84 points during the regular season before adding 26 points in 15 playoff games. Malhotra is headed to the NCAA this year, where he will play for Boston University.
NHL.com's Top Prospects For The 2026-27 Season:
Gavin McKenna
Porter Matrone
Anton Frondell
Ivar Stenberg
James Hagens
Cole Hutson
Tij Iginla
Michael Hage
Caleb Desnoyers
Chase Reid
Konsta Helenius
Viggo Björck
Carson Carels
Ilya Protas
Roger McQueen
Victor Eklund
Alberts Šmits
Carter Yakemchuk
Brady Martin
David Reinbacher
Anton Silayev
Caleb Malhotra
Roman Kantserov
Jacob Fowler
Keaton Verhoeff
Trey Augustine
Caleb Malhotra at Vancouver Canucks Development Camp (Photo Credit: Kaja Antic/The Hockey News)
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, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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Two months after the Philadelphia Flyers tendered an aggressive $90 million offer sheet to Leo Carlsson, the Anaheim Ducks are beginning to pay the price for matching the blockbuster contract.
Former Flyers draft pick Cutter Gauthier, now a 40-goal-scorer just two years into his NHL career, is still in need of a new contract from the Ducks and remains an RFA.
After matching the Carlsson offer sheet and making a handful of auxiliary signings, the Ducks had just $9 million in cap space to reach an agreement with Gauthier, and as we now know, that was never going to happen.
As a result, Anaheim was forced to consider gutting their roster depth and salary dump players to free up space for Gauthier, and again, no takers were found.
So, on Wednesday, veteran winger Chris Kreider was placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination, and on Thursday, Kreider cleared waivers, making him an unrestricted free agent and freeing up $6.5 million in cap space for the Ducks.
Kreider, 35, was in the last year of his contract anyway, but because the Flyers put the Ducks in such a bind with the Carlsson offer sheet, Anaheim loses a winger with 958 regular season games of experience, and a player who scored 22 goals and 50 points for their club last year.
Replacing Kreider and his 22 goals and 50 points won't be an easy task for the Ducks either, as Troy Terry will miss the start of the season due to injury, and other depth options include Frank Vatrano, who scored five goals and nine points in 50 games last year; and newcomer A.J. Greer, a career fourth-liner who exploded for 17 goals and 32 points last year after having previously never scored more than six goals and 17 points in a single season.
That leaves a lot of heavy lifting for Carlsson, who wouldn't have to do so on the Flyers, Gauthier, and Beckett Sennecke. Their only support offensively will come from Alex Killorn, Mikael Granlund, Vatrano, Greer, Ryan Poehling, Nathan Gaucher, Jeff Malott, Nikita Nesterenko, and Tim Washe.
Of course, it goes almost without saying that the motivation behind all of this was the Flyers simply trying to pull a lever that was available to them to try and acquire a young No. 1 center.
It didn't work out for them, clearly, but it also isn't working out too well for the Ducks right now. After losing Kreider for free, they have $15.5 million to re-sign Gauthier, and there's no telling if that will even be enough to get it done.
