DENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 21: Taylor Makar #16 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Anaheim Ducks at Ball Arena on January 21, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
On the day qualifying offers were due for Restricted Free Agents, the Colorado Avalanche bypassed the process by inking Taylor Makar to a two-year contract extension beginning the 2026-27 season with an $875k cap hit at the NHL level.
The #GoAvsGo signed 25 y/o F Taylor Makar to a 2 year $875K cap hit contact
Yr 1: $850K NHL, $225K Minors, $300K Guaranteed Yr 2: $900K 1-way
This is a nice deal for the younger Makar after only one year of pro hockey under his belt, with 24 points in 52 games and 12 NHL call-up games. No doubt holding arbitration rights gave the left wing some important leverage. The $300k guaranteed in year one of the deal is a significant raise on the $80k paid in the minors on his Entry Level Contract. The most significant portion of the extension is the bump up to $900k on a one-way deal for the 2027-28 season, a sizable investment by the Avalanche. Once this deal expires, Makar will be 27 years old and an Unrestricted Free Agent.
In other Restricted Free Agent news, reports are that forward Daniil Gushchin did not receive a qualifying offer after his one-year stint with the organization. It’s safe to assume that after the Avalanche traded for another winger in Fabian Lysell, he was extended a qualifying offer. With no arbitration rights afforded to Lysell, there isn’t a firm deadline to get him under contract, but it likely won’t be a difficult negotiation.
We've got the full list of players now 2026 UFAs after not receiving qualifying offers by today's 5 p.m. ET deadline.
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 13: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) makes a save on Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) in front as Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Declan Carlile (67) defends during the second period in the NHL game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning on January 13, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Jeanine Leech/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The NHL’s annual free agency period begins tomorrow, the Penguins enter the official start of the 2026-27 league year with a ton of cap space. They’re not expected to be overly-aggressive by targeting players who will command significant salaries and term on those contracts, per their very own general manager making the decisions.
However, they can still use the signing period to their benefit. Pittsburgh signed some under the radar players last summer like Parker Wotherspoon and Justin Brazeau who were instrumental to their success. They found the player who would lead them in goal scoring during 2025-26 in Anthony Mantha for just a $2.5 million guaranteed salary. Last year proved the possibility to find quality adds at decent costs to the team, just because it’s not one of the flashier or bigger signings of the summer doesn’t mean it can’t serve up some importance.
With that in mind, here are some potential targets for the Pens. For this list, we will not consider players in-line for expected contracts of three years or more, since Pittsburgh hasn’t signed an outside free agent for 3+ years since the summer of 2023. Most of those decisions (including the Ryan Graves contract) did not work out and the team doesn’t look like they’re going to try that again at this point. That means the best of the free agent class, like Mason Marchment, Jacob Trouba, Mario Ferraro, Ryan Shea, heck even Andrew Peeke and Logan Stanley are pushed off to the side as options that would require more of a contractual commitment than it seems the Pens will be looking to make.
Pavol Regenda
AFP Contract Projection: $1.934 million AAV for two years
The Penguins don’t really need any more forwards, but that’s never stopped them from loading up on depth in the past in similar situations. Regenda has a lot of intriguing elements going for him: he’s young as far as free agents go (26), he’s a big winger (6’3″, 215 pounds), he’s showed a little bit of scoring touch at the NHL level (nine goals, one assist in 24 games last year with San Jose), he’s physical (59 hits last year for a 11.0 hits/60 rate). He’s played in the Olympics with Slovakia. A lot within his profile to like, the Pens have the space and opportunity to offer that maybe others can’t. The team wouldn’t turn down a Mantha-esque type of replacement, not that Regenda would or should be expected to score 30+ goals and 60+ points next year.
Trevor van Riemsdyk
AFP Projection: $2.36 million AAV for two years
van Riemsdyk turns 35 next month, not sure how much appetite the Penguins would have with a two-year contract for him but he’s got some size (6’3″, 210 pounds) and 751 games of experience that would add some depth to shore up the right side of their defense with skating ability and a history of strong defensive impacts. The Penguins don’t currently have that many defenseman in a ‘5/6’ type of role that could shade more into being used as a ‘5’, van Riemsdyk could be a nice short-term patch and insurance if 20-year old Harrison Brunicke needs more AHL developmental time.
Carson Soucy
AFP Projection: $2.15 million AAV for two years
A player like Soucy, turning 32 soon, works as a potential good fit for the Pens as a stay-at-home left shot defender who might help the team out similar to the way Brett Kulak briefly did last season. The issue might be that Soucy isn’t quite the caliber of a matchup defender, using him with someone like Kris Letang could be a bigger ask than what Soucy can deliver at this point. Still, Soucy could add size (6’4″, 211 pounds) and some PK and provide the type of legitimate NHL caliber depth that has been lacking for the Pens on the blueline these days, though his puck moving deficiencies might not align with team preferences for the spot they’re looking to fill.
Jake Bean
AFP Projection: $1.36 million AAV for one year
Bean, 28, is a former first round pick whose career has been riddled with injuries. His 2025-26 season ended with an undisclosed injury leading to surgery in December that limited him to 16 games. In the six seasons that he’s been a full-time NHL player he’s appeared in: 42, 67, 12, 72, 64 and 16 games in each year. Availability has been a major concern, but it’s also a player whose trajectory with defensive impact has been trending up when he’s been able to play.
Bean is a smart puck mover and would represent a risk but could fill in nicely on a third pair for a team like the Penguins. The risk of being on IR for a significant stretch of the season is real, but also reflected in a very manageable contract.
Mike Reilly
AFP Projection: $1.2 million AAV for one year
Talked a lot about Reilly recently, his profile does fit for the types of players that the Pens have brought in recently. However, he’s also turning 33 next month and has failed over the past few years to establish himself firmly in a niche of keeping a consistent lineup spot with several different teams. The ceiling might be what it is for him at this point as more of a swing player and depth rather than a regular third pair option the team would truly be looking for.
Jordan Harris
AFP Projection: $866k AAV for one year
If the Pens are searching for the next Wotherspoon, Jordan Harris might fit the profile in this free agent cycle. The soon-to-be 26 year old had a lost season in 2025-26 after a fractured ankle in October limited him to just eight NHL games. Harris is a player, who earlier in his career with Montreal in the 2022-24 timeframe looked intriguing.
Harris has decent puck moving ability but has a falling stock – he hasn’t been given a qualifying offer the last two years. He would probably be in a position to need to compete for a spot and prove it, rather than being penciled into a huge role like Wotherspoon was, but this is another case where the lack of quality options at the bottom of the depth chart could find an answer with enough pieces thrown in the mix to see what happens. Sign Harris and if worst comes to worst that he doesn’t outshine someone like Ilya Solovyov, he can be waived. That course wouldn’t solve the need that comes along with it, making Harris more of a complimentary shot than a sole target.
Declan Carlile
AFP Projection: $850k AAV for one year
Saving perhaps the best for last, Carlile gives off some young Ryan Shea vibes with a similar size (6’3, 190) and being a late-bloomer who spent a handful of years toiling in the AHL before getting a chance with Tampa last year in a depth role (42 games and two more in the playoffs) and making a decent accounting on the PK. Carlile might be redundant for Pittsburgh, since they have a similar player in Ilya Solovyov as a depth option, but this could be a projection along the Shea/Wotherspoon area. At only 26 years old, Carlile’s future might be worth taking a low-risk flyer on at a position of need if the Pens think he potentially could stick on their third pair next season if given the opportunity to grow, just as a player like Shea did in recent years. Shea has graduated into big money now, targeting Carlile would reset the cycle back to a younger and less expensive option.
–
As one can tell, we spent the majority of time on defensemen since that appears to be the biggest need for a team that looks likely to lose Shea and lacks a natural internal replacement for the important role he filled last season as one of the team’s steadier players. Going shopping in the bargain bin comes with inherent acceptance of dealing with flaws and limitations, but there is enough quantity to pick through that a team like Pittsburgh should be able to find a decent enough option or two to help round out their team in an affordable and relatively low cost manner.
If you spent the week settling into summer mode and getting out on the golf course, or were on vacation, you missed a busy stretch of Nashville Predators news. From early trade rumours to high-profile roster shakeups, the front office is wasting no time reshaping the lineup for the coming season.
Grab a coffee, settle in, and catch up on everything you may have missed.
Things are only going to get busier in Smashville as free agency officially opens this week. Stay tuned as we continue to track every roster move, contract signing, and trade rumour surrounding the Predators throughout the rest of the summer.
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The Islanders qualified three Bridgeport players in Alex Jefferies, Joey Larson, and Henrik Tikkanen.
Outside of New York, plenty of intriguing options were not retained by their previous clubs, giving the Islanders a new set of potential depth targets.
Option #1: Bobby Brink
Brink, 24, was not qualified by the Minnesota Wild, who aquired him from the Philadelphia Flyers ahead of the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline in exchange for defenseman David Jiricek.
In 55 games with Philadelphia, Brink recorded 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) but recorded only four points (two goals, two assists) in 13 games for his hometown Wild.
With the Wild, he played mostly alongside Vladimir Tarasenko and Danila Yurov.
Bring is a skilled, playmaking winger whose hockey IQ helps him overcome his 5'8, 169 lb frame.
In 2024-25, Brink recorded 12 goals with a career-high 29 assists for a career-high 41 points, playing mostly alongside Owen Tippett and Morgan Frost.
Option #2: Paul Cotter
Cotter, 26, could make a lot of sense for the Islanders as a new depth center. With Casey Cizikas getting older, and Kyle MacLean making a stronger impact on the wing, the Islanders could use a depth center.
This past season, as the New Jersey Devils struggled mightily, so did Cotter. In 79 games, Cotter posted just nine goals and 15 points, a career low in points.
In the previous season, Cotter netted 16 goals and 22 points, playing a speedy, physical game with the ability to kill penalties.
Cotter made his NHL debut under current Islanders' Head Coach Peter DeBoer during the 2021-22 season, when both were a part of the Vegas Golden Knights.
Options #3: Phillip Kurashev
Kurashev, 26, has not been qualified by his NHL team for a second straight year.
Despite decent offensive output (7-13-20 in 43 games), the San Jose Sharks opted to let Kurashev walk, with a special note to the fact that the Sharks have seemingly unlimited young forwards breaking through.
Following the 2024-25 season, the Chicago Blackhawks did not tender Kurashev a qualifying offer.
Kurashev peaked in the 2023-24 season, when he posted 18 goals and 54 points in 75 games, but has not scored more than 7 goals in the previous two seasons, nor has he played more than 51 games.
In 2023-24, Kurashev played with Bedard, which may have contributed to his offensive explosion. He hasn't topped 25 points in any other season.
Defensively, Kurashev has improved recently, but that is not the shiniest part of his game.
He could be worth a flier in case of injuries for the Islanders.
Option #4: Matias Maccelli
Macelli, 25, had a bumpy season with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2025-26. After arriving from the Utah Mammoth, expectations were that Maccelli could fit well in their middle six.
Instead, he spent time as a healthy scratch, missing 11 games total.
In those other 71 games, he had solid enough production, posting 14 goals and 39 points, all while receiving what amounted to third-line minutes and limited special teams opportunities.
Maccelli's also got some good analytics under the hood, with strong defensive metrics to boot.
Depending on price tag, he could be a worthwhile option for the Islanders to consider.
After trading back in the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers got their guy in 6-foot-7 defenseman Maksim Sokolovskii, and he's already turning heads after just one day with the team.
Sokolovskii, 17, took the ice in a Flyers jersey for the start of development camp Monday, skating in Group 3 with the other defense prospects and camp invitee defensemen.
The tall, heavy blue liner literally stands out due to his size, but his stunning mobility was another trait of his that jumps off the page with every practice rep, too.
"He's quite big, especially beside me. It doesn't make me feel too good about myself," the 5-foot-8 Denver Barkey said of Sokolovskii after his on-ice session. "I only watched two games [during the season], but obviously he's a big boy, throws his body around. I think he's got a lot of raw skill. When I watch, it seems like he moves really well, moves the puck well for being six-eight (sic) at that age. It's pretty impressive, and I think he's got a really high ceiling."
Barkey, 21, is now a "veteran" of 53 NHL games, including the playoffs, but he went back to his London Knights to see his old junior team over the Olympic break.
Obviously, it was hard to miss Sokolovskii on the ice playing for the Knights.
Jack Nesbitt, who played in the OHL for the Windsor Spitfires against Sokolovskii and the Knights this season, also believes Sokolovskii to be a fearsome defender, even while scoring a point in each of his five games against the Knights last year and being 6-foot-5 himself.
"Oh, he's pretty big. What's he, around 240 [pounds]? Yeah, he definitely looks like that. He's also a nice guy, really nice, talked to him quite a bit. We're gonna get to know each other even more," said Nesbitt. "Definitely a big boy, and he can hit alright. Try to stay away from him a little bit."
Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong didn't get to see Sokolovskii much throughout the season leading up to the draft, but was quick to name the first-round pick one of his Day 1 standouts from development camp.
The size sticks out for everyone, but the skating quickly dismisses any preconceptions about that size.
"I felt when we were doing the power skating out here, there were some parts that got exposed, but then we went over there and he was doing the puck retrievals and his deception with his feet and moving, I was actually surprised of how fluid he was with that at his size," Armstrong said of Sokolovskii.
"I think he has a lot of upside to him. And when you're that tall, you got a lot of growth to grow into that body at such a young age."
With Sokolovskii, the main critique of his game, both in the short- and long-term, is his offensive potential, passing, and puck movement.
The passing needs further refinement, and the hulking Kazakh scored only two goals in 44 games with the Knights despite having a fairly powerful shot that is buoyed by his size and strength.
Armstrong believes those elements will start to come along in short order.
"I think once he gets more experience, I would probably guess in London next year, once he has the ability to start joining the rush more, and now they know that he can defend, and he's good at it. You see some of the bone-crushing hits, and a couple of fights he was in," Armstrong continued.
"I think he's gonna have more space next year. I think guys are gonna probably be a little bit more scared of him going into the season. I think that's going to open up the offensive side of his game as well. And, I'd like to see him put a couple in the back of the net as well, add to his toolbox."
Sokolovskii is expected to return to the Knights in the OHL for the 2026-27 season before making the jump to the collegiate ranks with the University of Maine in 2027-28.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - JUNE 27: (L-R) Markus Ruck, 39th overall of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Liam Ruck, 22nd overall of the Pittsburgh Penguins, pose for a photo during Day Two of the 2026 NHL Draft at KeyBank Center on June 27, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Penguins started out the franchise’s annual prospect development camp by splitting up the Ruck twins.
First-round pick Liam Ruck and second-round pick Markus Ruck were separated onto different squads when the three-team camp kicked off Monday in Cranberry.
Penguins director of player development Tom Kostopoulos said Monday that was a deliberate decision to give the WHL linemates a chance to skate with new teammates.
“It’s very important for us to play apart. I think it’s good for us,” Markus Ruck said Monday. “I think we play better together, when we’re working off one another, but it’s for sure important to play off one another, too.”
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) June 29, 2026
The twins come to the Penguins after ranking first and second in WHL scoring last season, during which Markus (21 goals, 87 assists) and Liam (45 goals, 59 assists) both played for Medicine Hat.
As Liam summed up the difference between the two players when speaking to reporters Monday: “He’s a bit more of a passer, I’m a bit more of a shooter.”
About what the Penguins want to see from the twins in their next WHL campaign, Kostopoulos said he is seeking more strength from Liam and more speed from Markus.
“I think Liam can get up and down the ice a little bit quicker. He’s got some speed. He’s got some separation speed,” Kostopoulos said Monday. “Just building the strength— I think he’s got a tremendous shot, and he’s able to find space in the o-zone, and finish plays, and score goals. So building the strength, I think, as the strength and power come, his skating will get even better.
“Markus, on the other hand, from what I’ve seen, is an incredible playmaker, really intelligent out there. He probably needs a little more work in the skating department, and as he builds the strength, and works on the technique of the skating, I think he’s going to really come along. Just to add that separation speed, and be able to get to areas and win a few more races.”
Liam, who is listed at 6-foot-0 and 177 pounds, said Monday the Penguins had been talking with him about a food plan even before the draft in an effort to help him add weight while navigating another 68-game WHL season.
“I want to play a lot. I don’t want to rush it into college and play a lesser role or anything like that,” Liam said about returning to the WHL. “So, go back and play a big role, and I think I can put weight on with working with the nutritionists from Pittsburgh and people that can help me out. I think it won’t be easy, with a 70-game schedule, but I’ll find a way to do it.”
#Pens 2nd round pick, and 1st round pick Liam’s twin, Markus Ruck says he still can’t believe he talked to Sidney Crosby & is part of the same organization pic.twitter.com/rdUjrH6OAL
The Penguins also got looks at other new draft prospects including second-rounder Tomas Galvas and third-rounder Pierce Mbuyi.
Mbuyi, a 2027-28 Penn State commit, is set to return to the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack next season, while Galvas is expected to play another season in Czechia.
“I’m looking to even out my game a lot more… I think another year in the O will help me develop my game and get me ready for Penn State,” Mbuyi told reporters.
A few notable prospects are missing from camp this week, including recent fifth-round pick goaltender Matvei Nikonovich and defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke.
Brunicke’s ability to step up onto the Penguins’ blue line in the near future could be even more crucial now that the team has traded Jack St. Ivany to the Winnipeg Jets.
Kostopoulos said Monday the Penguins are “very happy” with Brunicke’s development last season, during which he spent time in the WHL and AHL in addition to making his NHL debut.
“He took everything that was told to him, and really took it to heart, and worked on it,” Kostopoulos said about Brunicke. “He’s defending better. I think, if you guys walked the playoffs in Wilkes-Barre, his competitiveness was right up there with some of the veteran players in the playoffs. He was a go-to guy for the team there at a really young age.
“There are still things he can work on, but I think his willingness, competitiveness, engagement level were great.”
"If you watched the playoffs in Wilkes-Barre, [Brunicke's] competitiveness was up there with some of the veteran guys in the playoffs."
Director of Player Development Tom Kostopoulos shares some thoughts at the first day of Development Camp ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/f7WWmBpbaJ
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) June 29, 2026
Development camp will continue Tuesday, starting with a 9 a.m. goaltending session. The camp wraps up Friday when a tournament between the three prospect teams kicks off at noon in Cranberry.
It’s the end of June, July beckons. Do you know where your prospects are? How about your free agents?
Islanders News
The Islanders wasted no time after the draft getting the kids to Long Island. Development camp began Monday morning with greetings and interviews and breaking into Blue and White. [Isles]
Adam Boqvist, Marc Gatcomb and Max Shabanov did not receive qualifying offers. [Post]
Islanders Anxiety: Mike and Dan review the final week, plus some bonus Masterleaf Theatre. [LHH]
Three Islanders free agency needs and some suggestions for filling them. [Newsday]
What would a successful free agency look like, anyway? (There’s a lot of crap out there.) [Newsday]
Speaking of…here’s a ranking of teams’ cap situations. “The Islanders should be in a strong position to build around Matthew Schaefer, Ilya Sorokin, Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal, but the team’s cap sheet is handcuffed by several overpaid veterans.” [Athletic]
Elsewhere
Florida made a couple acquisitions, sending A.J. Greer to Anaheim for pending free agent Radko Gudas’ rights, and they sent a third to Vegas for goalie Akira Schmid. [NHL]
The Hurricanes acquired the negotiating rights to pending UFA John Carlson, who wants to move back east. [NHL]
Bourne: What the Leafs might be doing, or should do given what they’re doing. [Sportsnet]
Anders Lee is among the free agents the Senators should maybe target. [Sportsnet]
The Oilers invited three women pros to their development camp. [NHL]
The Vegas Golden Knights entered the offseason with a big decision to make and a ticking clock hanging above their heads. Akira Schmid, a pending Restricted Free Agent, needed a new deal— but to keep him, they would need to do more than just offer him a contract.
During the 2025-26 regular season, the 26-year-old goaltender led the team with 29 starts. Four goaltenders played NHL games for the Golden Knights, and Schmid led them in every category: wins, average goals against, average save percentage, and shutouts. However, he was still the backup to Adin Hill, and when Carter Hart returned from injury in April, Schmid found himself as the odd man out. The final game he started for the Golden Knights was on March 21st.
On Monday, the Golden Knights announced that they’d extended Schmid a qualifying offer. But with Hill— who backstopped the team to a Stanley Cup just three years ago— and Hart— who started all 22 postseason games— still ahead of him on the depth chart, Schmid would have been the third goaltender once more. Later that same day, the Golden Knights announced that they’d traded Schmid to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2028 NHL Entry Draft.
“Akira is a talented and athletic goaltender who has shown poise in high-pressure moments,” said Panthers general manager Bill Zito in a released statement. “We are excited to welcome him to our organization.”
This trade answers the question about Schmid’s future with the Golden Knights, but it also answers that same question regarding Stanley Cup Champion goaltender Adin Hill. Hill, who is under contract for five more seasons at a $6,250,000 AAV, is coming off a down year. During the 2025-26 regular season, Hill posted a 10-9-6 record, an average save percentage of .871, and lost the starting net to both Schmid and Hart at times.
The NHL is in the business of ‘what have you done for me lately?’, and no one understands that better than the Golden Knights. Some teams allow nostalgia to dictate contracts and roster spots, but the ‘villains of the league’ refuse to fall into that trap. When the Golden Knights no longer find a player useful– or can’t afford to find that player useful– they get rid of them, end of story.
Hill has a sizable cap hit, and the Golden Knights aren’t exactly flush with cash. They’ll get some relief when they place Alex Pietrangelo on Season Ending LTIR, but as of right now, they only have $4,625,000 in salary cap space. With that in mind, there were some questions around Hill’s future with the team after his performance last season.
Trading Schmid seems to have answered those questions.
As of now, it looks like the Golden Knights will enter the 2026-27 season with Hart and Hill as the top two goaltenders on their depth chart. It’s the easiest solution, but it’s also probably the right one. Hill will enter the season with something to prove, and he’s a prime candidate for a bounce-back campaign.
Liam Greentree (85) at the New York Rangers 2026 Development Camp.
Liam Greentree was able to cross one milestone off his list Monday as Rangers prospect development camp began at the team’s suburban Westchester facility.
Months after being part of the trade that sent Artemi Panarin to Los Angeles, Greentree was finally able to pull the Ranger crest over his head for the first time.
The hulking right winger was still in the OHL when he was dealt in the Panarin deal, and this week’s camp marks the first time Rangers brass gets to see in person the key piece the Blueshirts got back from that February trade.
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“It’s been awesome. New York is such a historic franchise,” Greentree said after his first day on the ice at the MSG Training Center. “It’s an Original Six franchise, and it’s just really cool to be a part of it. This is the first time I’ve worn the jersey, so it’s a pretty cool experience.”
He’s had three consecutive seasons of at least 74 points in the OHL.
And in February following the Panarin trade, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury told reporters that he valued Greentree “higher than a ’26 or ’27 first-round pick.”
Liam Greentree (85) at the New York Rangers 2026 Development Camp. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Couple all of that with the fact that the winger will be turning pro this upcoming season, it could make any young hockey player feel overwhelmed, but the expectations don’t seem to have bothered Greentree one bit.
“It’s the business of it, and I’ve yet to play an NHL game,” he said in response to a question about feeling any extra pressure. “I’m going through the process of it and trying to make my career a good one. There’s a whole process to these things, so I’m trusting everyone around me.
“I want to play my game and be a Ranger one day.”
Greentree described his game as that of a “big power forward” who can do a little bit of everything, and at 6-foot-2, 207 pounds, it’s easy to see why he would view himself in that way.
Greentree, who was taken by the Kings 26th overall in 2024, is expected to start his professional career in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack, but it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for him to see playing time with the big club at some point.
In preparation for the jump to the pros, Greentree has been working on his skating, pointing to the “different speed” of the NHL as the biggest factor in the jump from junior hockey.
One person who knows what the Rangers potentially have in Greentree is fellow prospect Nathan Aspinall, who has known Greentree since they were 6.
The two have been skating together in the summer.
“I think just his playmaking, goal scoring,” Aspinall said about Greentree’s most exciting attributes. “I think just when he gets the puck on his stick, he’s dangerous everywhere, so that’s something. He’s an amazing player.”
Greentree isn’t the only prospect with eyes on him during the Rangers camp this week.
First-round pick Alberts Smits took the ice for his first time after a whirlwind weekend in Buffalo after he was taken by the Blueshirts fifth overall on Friday night.
Smits didn’t go into too much on his first day as he looks to make his own mark with the Rangers.
He kept it close to the vest when he was asked if he would be at training camp in September — “We’ll see how it goes” — and he said he was “focused on getting to know the organization” when asked about conversations with the team about his development and path forward.
Greentree expanded a bit more about what he hopes to take out of development camp.
“I’m here to get better and to learn a lot,” he said. “Try to see what it takes to make it to the next level. It’s about taking everything in here and taking it to the offseason and really having a good offseason.”
NHL clubs had until 5 p.m. ET on Monday to submit qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents, and the Detroit Red Wings have made their decisions.
Defenseman Simon Edvinsson and 2019 seventh-round (191st overall) pick Carter Gylander were the only players to receive qualifying offers from the Red Wings. At the same time, 2021 third-round (70th overall) pick Carter Mazur was among the many players who were not offered one.
By extending qualifying offers, the Red Wings preserve their matching rights if either player signs an offer sheet with another club once free agency begins at 12:00 p.m. ET on July 1. Both players also have the option of accepting their qualifying offer or continuing negotiations on a new contract with Detroit.
#LGRW qualified RFAs Simon Edvinsson and Carter Gylander.
No QO for Carter Mazur, Wojciech Stachowiak, Alexandre Doucet, Michael Milne, Jakub Rychlovsky, and Wojciech Stachowiak. @PuckPedia
Edvinsson, whom the Red Wings selected in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft, has become arguably Detroit's second-most important defenseman behind Moritz Seider.
He appeared in 72 games this season, reaching a new career-high in goals with nine while adding 16 assists for 25 points. He underwent surgery after re-aggravating an existing injury during a late January contest, but eventually returned to the lineup in late February.
Speaking of injuries, Mazur has suffered more than his fair share, the first of which came just seconds into his first NHL contest in March 2025.
He was also limited to just 16 regular-season games in 2025-26 with the Grand Rapids Griffins, during which he tallied 11 goals and five assists; he also added five goals and an assist in eight Calder Cup Playoff games.
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ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues issued a qualifying offer to newly-acquired forward Connor McMichael but are allowing two mainstays to get to unrestricted free agency on Wednesday.
They did not issue QO's to forward Jonatan Berggren and defenseman Matthew Kessel along with forward Thomas Bordeleau, while also qualifying forward Mikhail Abramov and defenseman Leo Loof, according to PuckPedia. The Blues have not officially released their QO list as of Monday evening.
It's somewhat of a surprise that the Blues would not issue a QO to Berggren, who was claimed off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings last season and put up 16 points (six goals, 10 assists) in 36 games.
Berggren, 25, who was playing on a one-year, $1.825 million contract, was projected to be in the mix and battle for a spot likely on the third line with the Blues pending his return to the team, and he can still get resigned, but he will hit unrestricted free agency on Wednesday at 11 a.m. (CT).
As does Kessel, 26, who was a fifth-round pick by the Blues in 2020 who was playing on a two-year, $1.6 million contract ($800,000 average annual value) and had two goals and an assist in 29 games last season. But with the addition of Brandon Carlo in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, Theo Lindstein getting more and more ice time as the year progressed last season and potential of Adam Jiricek, their first-round pick in 2024, knocking on the NHL door in St. Louis, Kessel was falling down the chain and apparently off the ladder.
McMichael is arbitration-eligible but with Alexander Steen taking the reigns of the general manager position on July 1, it has been accustomed by Doug Armstrong in years past to get these RFA contracts wrapped up as quickly and efficiently as possible.
The Blues issued a qualifying offer to restricted free agent forward Connor McMichael (24) on Monday, retaining his rights. (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)
Abramov, who the Blues also picked up from the Maple Leafs, has spent the past two seasons playing in the KHL, and Loof, a third-round pick in 2020, has returned to to play for Ilves in Finland's top league Liiga after spending the past three seasons with Springfield of the American Hockey League.
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While the Philadelphia Flyers have the bulk of their top prospects participating in development camp this week, there is one absence that is quite noticeable.
When the Flyers released their development camp roster over the weekend, they denoted that 2024 draft picks Jett Luchanko and Jack Berglund would not be participating in on-ice activities.
After Monday's first session, we have an explanation for both Berglund and Luchanko, though Luchanko's is one to monitor going forward.
"Jack isn't skating. He's played a lot of hockey in the last season, played on four different teams and he put a lot of miles on, but he wanted to come, he wanted to be a leader," Flyers director of player development Riley Armstrong said Monday.
As for Luchanko, the 2024 first-round pick is also resting, though doing so to manage an injury.
"Yeah, he had a little lower-body thing going on," said Armstrong. "Should be back skating next week, and he'll be ready for training camp."
Notably, Luchanko was held out of development camp for the same reason last year, and having the same issue again this year makes it a bit of a trend.
The Flyers are wisely playing it safe and holding Luchanko out again entirely this year, and that is especially important with the young speedster officially turning pro ahead of his first full pro season.
As of now, the expectation is for Luchanko to play at least one year with the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms, though injuries can always throw a wrinkle in things, be it for Luchanko or someone else.
Because Luchanko only played 38 regular season games in the OHL last year, it is critical that the Flyers ensure their top center prospect does not lose any more development time to injuries or subsequent setbacks from those injuries.
Both he and Berglund will be given the opportunity to make the NHL roster out of training camp this fall.
Earlier this week, the San Jose Sharks re-signed forward Ethan Cardwell to a one-year, two-way contract extension. Cardwell was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1 if he hadn't reached an agreement with the Sharks.
Cardwell missed a substantial portion of the 2025-26 season due to injury, but was producing at a high level for the San Jose Barracuda prior to his injury. In 24 games with the Barracuda, Cardwell scored seven goals and tallied a total of 15 points. He also played seven games in the NHL for the Sharks, scoring a single goal.
Cardwell has become a reliable fringe player for the Sharks over the last few seasons and could potentially compete for a bottom-six role in the NHL in the relatively near future. With that being said, that opportunity likely won't come this season, due to a massive logjam of forwards, specifically bottom-six wingers, at the NHL level.
From the 2025 NHL Draft, four defensemen will join the development camp roster: second-rounder Blake Fiddler, third-rounder Will Reynolds, fifth-rounder Maxim Agafonov and seventh-rounder Karl Annborn.
Those defensemen will be mentored by former Kraken player Justin Schultz, who signed on as a player development consultant.
When speaking to NHL.com about his new role, Schultz shared his excitement about helping players reach the next level.
“I've always wanted to help players try to get to the next level,” Schultz said. 'I’m really excited to help these players. They're all obviously great players. They've been drafted or signed [as free agents]. I am just trying to help in whatever way I can. I've played a lot of games and won some Stanley Cups. Hopefully, I can relay some positive things to them.”
After the first three days of drills, the players will take part in the 3-on-3 "Stucky Cup" on Thursday.
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With the first of July quickly approaching, the Florida Panthers are taking care of some needed business.
On Monday, the Panthers announced which of their restricted free agents received qualifying offers.
They were forward Ben Steeves and defenseman Toby Bjornfot and Mikulas Hovorka, all of whom were regulars with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers last season.
Players who did not receive qualifying offers from the Panthers were Cole Schwindt, Donovan Sebrango, Mike Benning, Evan Nause and Wilmer Skoog.
THN Florida previously reported that Florida would not be qualifying Schwindt or Sebrango.
Steeves had a strong season, logging 23 goals and 55 points in 72 games with the Checkers.
For the second straight season, Bjornfot split his time between the Panthers and Checkers.
He played 19 games with Florida, contributing two goals, two assists and two penalty minutes with the Cats, while adding another four goals and 12 points in his 33 games with Charlotte.
Hovorka also spent time in both the AHL and NHL last season.
He made his NHL debut with Florida in February and ultimately skated in four games with the Panthers, picking up his first NHL point, an assist, during an 8-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on the final day of the regular season.
With Charlotte, Hovorka skated in 57 games and accumulated five goals, 18 points and 46 penalty minutes while skating to an impressive plus-23 on-ice rating.
The Panthers are expected to remain busy as the new league year approaches on July 1, as the team still needs a pair of NHL goaltenders and is looking to potentially add another depth piece or two.
Keep an eye on Florida in the trade market with regard to goaltenders.
Photo caption: Feb 2, 2026; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Tobias Bjornfot (22) shoots the puck against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
