The Islanders announced Monday that they've signed defenseman Alexander Romanov to an eight-year, $50 million contract extension, keeping the 25-year-old in New York for the foreseeable future.
Romanov was acquired by the Isles in 2022 from the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a first-round pick in that year's draft (No. 13 overall). Since joining New York, he's recorded 15+ assists and 20+ points in each of his three seasons.
The defenseman totaled 16 assists and four goals over 64 games during the 2024-2025 season. He also racked up 20 penalty minutes and was a plus-minus of +5 across 22:18 minutes on the ice per game, while leading the team defensemen in hits (147) and blocked shots (165).
Overall in 354 NHL games with the Islanders and Canadiens, Romanov has recorded 17 goals and 66 assists for a total of 83 points. Plus, he scored two points (one goal, one assist) over 13 career Stanley Cup Playoff games -- his goal in Game 4 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final made him the youngest defenseman (21) in Montreal team history to score in the Final.
Less than 24 hours before unrestricted free agency opens at 9 am PST on Tuesday, teams were to extend qualifying offers to pending restricted free agents before the 2 pm PST deadline on Monday to retain their rights.
The Anaheim Ducks entered Monday, the first day of their annual development camp, with just under $36 million in cap space, five RFAs on their NHL roster, and six RFAs on their AHL roster.
The Ducks announced they have extended qualifying offers to pending RFAs Mason McTavish, Drew Helleson, and Lukas Dostal from the NHL roster and Judd Caulfield, Sam Colangelo, Jan Mysak, Tim Washe, and Calle Clang from the AHL roster.
Center Isac Lundestrom (25), Brett Leason (26), and Josh Lopina did not receive qualifying offers and will become unrestricted free agents on Tuesday.
Isac Lundestrom was an Anaheim first-round pick (23rd overall in 2018) seven years ago and played 337 games for the Ducks, totaling 84 points (35-49=84).
The Ducks claimed Brett Leason off waivers in Oct 2022 from the Washington Capitals (56th in ’19). He played 184 games for the Ducks in his three seasons in Anaheim, scoring 48 points (22-26=48).
Josh Lopina was a Ducks draft pick (98th in ’21) who was never able to crack the NHL roster at any point in his tenure with the organization. He played three-plus seasons with the San Diego Gulls of the AHL and scored 44 points (20-24=44) in 203 games.
The Ducks now have 21 players on their NHL roster, including Helleson, Dostal, and McTavish, who just received QOs.
Welcome to The Hockey News Wraparound with a rapid-fire look at recent news ahead of NHL free agency. Today's show focuses mainly on the Atlantic Division.
Red Wings could be a surprisingly strong contender for restricted free agent Marco Rossi, thanks to their unique Austrian connection with Marco Kasper.
The Red Wings are looking towards trades rather than relying on free agency this upcoming off-season, according to GM Steve Yzerman and the Minnesota Wild present an interesting option on their trade block.
Austrian winger and restricted free agent Marco Rossi played a large role for the Minnesota Wild next season and reports indicate he's looking for a bigger contract. The 23-year-old is seeking a contract that reflects both his performance as a top-two line centre and the premium value of players of his caliber at the position.
This could open up the door for the Red Wings to nab a young player that has very high upside after finishing with 60 points last season. The 2020 ninth-overall pick is quite undersized at 5-foot-9 and reports, like one from EliteProspects' Cam Robinson, suggest this has given teams some pause when looking to add him.
The Wild offered Rossi to the Buffalo Sabres for forward JJ Peterka and the deal was declined. This is a good sign for Detroit as it may not take as much as expected to land the young centre. One of the most appealing aspects of Rossi is his close connection to Red Wings forward Marco Kasper, as both players hail from Austria.
The two have played on national teams together like during the 2021 IIHF U-20 World Junior Championships and could make for a great second line fit for the Red Wings. Kasper played roughly 11 to 17 games at wing last season, according to MoneyPuck and Rossi has better numbers on the face-off dot.
Rossi could be a valuable asset, having played significant power play minutes for the Wild last season with the second-most among forwards. He can help provide a solid second-unit centre that could lead to overall better numbers on the man advantage for Detroit.
The package back to Minnesota will be telling as they will likely be wanting a player back in return that can play NHL minutes like Michael Rasmussen or Jonatan Berggren plus potentially prospects and picks but the chance of getting Rossi would be a massive boost to Detroit's top-six forward group.
Players like Brad Marchand and Martin St. Louis have shown how smaller forwards can thrive in the NHL, typically from the wing. The Red Wings could take a similar long term approach with Rossi, especially if he develops strong chemistry with Kasper. That unique Austrian connection could become a compelling advantage Detroit can offer, one no other NHL team can match, as Kasper is currently the only other Austrian born player in the league.
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While speaking to reporters, including Matt Vensel, GM Kyle Dubas confirmed that the Pittsburgh Penguins will not be sending qualifying offers to any of their restricted free agents (RFAs) besides Philip Tomasino, Connor Dewar, and Vasily Ponamarev (to retain his NHL signing rights).
Thus, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Emil Bemstrom, Taylor Gauthier, and Raivis Ansons will not be receiving qualifying offers from the Penguins before July 1 and will become unrestricted free agents.
Joseph appeared in 47 games last season split between the St. Louis Blues and Penguins, where he posted zero goals, three assists, 36 hits, and a minus-22 rating.
Bemstrom, 26, had one assist, 12 hits, and an even plus/minus rating in 14 games with Pittsburgh this past season. He also recorded 23 goals and 48 points in 48 games with their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Gauthier, 24, had an 18-10-2 record, a .928 save percentage, and a 2.06 goals-against average in 30 games this past campaign with the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL.
Ansons, 23, had one goal, 12 penalty minutes, and a plus-3 rating in nine games this season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 6-foot-1 forward was selected by the Penguins with the 149th overall pick of the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
The Florida Panthers are working hard to keep the band together.
It certainly makes sense, considering the Panthers are back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions.
With free agency just hours away, opening at noon on July 1, the Panthers have been working to retain its two biggest free agents: forward Brad Marchand and defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
According to multiple reports, it sounds like the Panthers are half way home.
Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and TSN’s Bob McKenzie, Florida and Ekblad are coming to terms on a new, long-term deal that will keep the high-end defenseman with the Panthers for the foreseeable future.
All signs point to Aaron Ekblad and FLA making progress on a long-term deal that, assuming it’s finalized, would take the veteran defenceman out of free agency.
Ekblad was selected first overall by Florida at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
He has played every minute of his NHL career with the Panthers, helping the franchise rise from one mired in mediocrity to the powerhouse they are today.
Now the question will be how much Ekblad signs for, and if it leaves enough under the cap for the Panthers to go after Marchand as well.
Friedman is reporting that the deal comes with an AAV in the $6.1 million range.
Photo caption: Mar 3, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) moves the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period at Amerant Bank Arena. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
The extension will pay Romanov an average annual value of $6.25 million and will run through the 2032-33 season.
With the sign and trade of the Islanders' former No. 1 defenseman, Dobson, to the Canadiens on Friday, the 25-year-old Romanov is now the team's highest-paid defenseman, just ahead of 30-year-old Ryan Pulock, who makes $6.15-million per season. The deal is also a sizeable increase on the Russian's previous deal, which paid him $2.5-million per season.
Last season, Romanov put up 16 assists and 20 points in 64 games with the Islanders, and while those numbers are on par with his other two seasons with New York, it is worth noting that Romanov was plagued with injuries during the first half of the 2024-25 season.
The young D-man has played in 354 career NHL games with the Islanders and Canadiens, and in that span, Romanov has 17 goals and 66 assists for 83 points. He’s added two points (one goal, one assist) in 13 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Romanov was initially drafted by Montreal in the second round with the 38th-overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft. He spent two seasons with the Canadiens before being traded to the Islanders during the 2022 off-season for a first-round pick.
In his most recent season, Romanov averaged the most playing time of his career thus far, averaging 22:18 of ice time. And with the exit of Dobson, his role may increase even more as he starts his new deal this coming season.
The Flyers open 2025 development camp Wednesday morning in Voorhees, New Jersey.
The team’s annual summer gathering of prospects will consist of four on-ice days. It wraps up Sunday night with a 5-on-5 scrimmage, which always attracts a crowd at Flyers Training Center.
The camp is free and open to the public. Fans can watch along the boards from certain areas or in the stands.
“Just the whole, complete package there as far as his size, his skill, hockey sense, he has got juice, he’s always engaged around the net, he’s always stirring it up and driving people crazy,” Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr said last Saturday. “So he has got that edge, but more importantly, his skill set is high end when it comes to offense. His ability on the power play to break things down and create things and see things that a lot of guys can’t. … He was just too talented to pass up at that point.”
The Vancouver Canucks' fourth signing of the day is Guillaume Brisebois, who they inked to a one-year, two-way deal. Brisebois' signing comes at the same time as fellow Abbotsford Canucks teammates Arshdeep Bains, Aatu Räty, and Max Sasson. The defenceman is one of the Canucks organization's longest-tenured players, as he has been with the team since being drafted in 2015.
“Guillaume played a big role and was a key contributor with Abbotsford during our Calder Cup winning run,” said Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin. “His leadership and poise on the ice helped our group a lot during the AHL playoffs, and we are happy to have him back in the fold for another season. Guillaume will add to our organizational depth on the backend.”
As mentioned, Brisebois was drafted by the Canucks 66th overall in 2015 and has remained a consistent presence on the organization's back-end in both the AHL and the NHL. Often called up as a depth defender, Brisebois has seen playing time with both Vancouver, Abbotsford, and the Canucks' former AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. He made his NHL debut back in 2019 and has racked up a career total of 30 NHL games played.
Brisebois was a big part of Abbotsford's Calder Cup victory this past season, as he was a reliable presence on their blueline and tallied two goals and an assist in all 24 games played.
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The most notable deal was a six-year, $33 million contract for restricted free agent forward Morgan Geekie. Finding common ground with Geekie was important for the Bruins considering their lack of scoring depth. Geekie scored 33 goals last season — the second-most on the B’s behind David Pastrnak.
But the Bruins aren’t going to significantly improve offensively on internal development alone. Outside reinforcements are needed. The trade market is the best place for the Bruins to acquire a top-six forward. And the Bruins have several good prospects and future draft picks to dangle in potential trades.
The 2025 free agent class isn’t very strong — especially with Mitch Marner and Brad Marchand already off the board — but there are some impact forwards worth targeting, and one that fits what the Bruins need is Nikolaj Ehlers.
He was the Winnipeg Jets’ first-round pick in 2014 (No. 9 overall) and has played for them ever since.
The 29-year-old left wing has been one of the most consistent goal scorers in the league during his Jets career. He has tallied 20-plus goals in seven of the last nine seasons, and the two years he didn’t were 2020-21 (COVID-shortened year) and 2022-23 (missed a bunch of games due to injury).
Ehlers tallied 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in 69 games last season.
He was fantastic on the power play, too, posting six goals and 16 assists with the man advantage. He would be a nice addition to the Bruins’ power-play, which ranked 29th out of 32 teams with a 15.2 percent success rate in 2024-25.
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Ehlers is more than a goal scorer. He’s a pretty good playmaker, too. He has tallied 30-plus assists five times, including each of the last two seasons. The Bruins don’t have any elite playmaking centers, so it would help to have wingers capable of consistently creating scoring chances for teammates. Ehlers fits that description.
One concern with Ehlers is durability. He missed 20 games in 2021-22, 37 games in 2022-23, none in 2023-24 and 13 games last season.
Signing him could use up most of the Bruins’ remaining salary cap space. The Bruins have about $12.7 million in cap space right now, per PuckPedia, and The Athletic projects Ehlers could get a contract in the range of six years and $8.1 million per season.
Ehlers is a legitimate top-six forward in the prime of his career. If the Bruins want to get back in the playoff mix as soon as next season, it would make sense to pursue Ehlers when the free agent market opens Tuesday at noon ET.
The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed center Aatu Räty to a two-year contract extension. The deal will carry an AAV of $775,000 and will keep the 22-year-old in Vancouver until the end of the 2026-27 season. Räty was scheduled to become a restricted free agent after wrapping up his entry-level contract.
In a statement, GM Patrik Allvin wrote, "Aatu had a strong year in Abbotsford and also showed some promise when being called up to the NHL. It was another good step in his development as he continues to learn and grow as a pro. We expect him to have a good summer and come to training camp in September ready to compete for a job in Vancouver."
Räty set a new career high this season with 33 games played at the NHL level. The left-shot center scored seven goals while recording 11 points. Räty was also strong in the faceoff dot, winning 57.7% of his draws.
As for his time in the AHL, Räty played 43 regular season games with the Abbotsford Canucks recording 40 points. He also played six games in the post-season before suffering an injury. Räty will be competing for a full-time spot on the NHL roster and is a front-runner for a spot in the bottom six.
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The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed BC local Arshdeep Bains to a two-year contract that will keep him within the organization until the end of the 2026-27 season. According to PuckPedia, both years of the deal will pay $775,000.
“Arshdeep had another solid season in Abbotsford as he continues to develop and mature,” said Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin in a statement. “His game found another gear late in the AHL playoffs when he stepped up and helped lead the way offensively with several big goals. Arsh is now familiar with our system and style of play, and we expect him to push hard for a spot in September.”
Bains was first acquired by the Canucks back in 2022 after Vancouver signed him to a three-year entry-level contract. He played 13 games with Vancouver in the 2024-25 season and made his NHL debut the season prior against the Colorado Avalanche. He scored his first NHL goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 26, 2024.
Throughout this season, Bains has made a mark as one of the Abbotsford Canucks' most consistent forwards both offensively and defensively. He led Abbotsford in points during the 2024-25 regular season, scoring 11 goals and 32 assists in 50 games played. In the team's Calder Cup campaign, he finished second in scoring with seven goals and 17 assists in 24 games. All seven of his postseason tallies came within the final eight games of the playoffs.
Bains is not the only member of the Calder Cup-winning Abbotsford team to receive a new deal, as Max Sasson, Guillaume Brisebois, and Aatu Räty also agreed on extensions today.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Matias Maccelli from the Utah Mammoth in exchange for a conditional third-round draft pick in 2027, which will convert to a second-round draft pick in 2029 if Maccelli record at least 51 points in the 2025-26 NHL season.
The 5-foot-11 winger had eight goals and 10 assists in 55 games last season. He’s a play-maker who broke out into the NHL in 2022-23 when he led all rookies in assists. He also received Calder Trophy consideration and ultimately landed on the NHL’s all-rookie team that same season.
In acquiring Maccelli, the Leafs are betting that they are buying low on a season that saw the Finnish player have a dip in production. Some of that was attributed to dips in production from his linemates. If paired with elite talent in Toronto, there is certainly potential for the player to see a rebound next year. A deeper dive into the analytics of his season showed a player where contributed 1.78 shot assists above average per 60 while leading the NHL in generating chances off the rush.
Other critics of Maccelli's style focus on his play away from his puck, which could use some improvement. It's believed the lack of hard-nosed physical play led to him falling out of Utah's top-six forward group and that will be something he will need to get better at under Craig Berube, who demands a hard-nosed, heavy north-south game. But with a skilled player like Mitch Marner seemingly on his way out of Toronto, a play-making winger was needed. He isn't Marner, but there was a good reason for Toronto to give this a shot, given the low cost.
The 24-year-old Maccelli carries a salary cap hit of $3,425,000 for next season. After that, the player will be a restricted free agent.
Macccell first exhibited his skillset when he moved to the United States to play in the USHL beginning in 2017. In his second season, he scored 31 goals and 41 assists in 62 games. The Arizona Coyotes selected him in the fourth round (98th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft.
In his first season in professional hockey, he scored 13 goals and 27 assists in 43 games with Ilves Tampere, winning the Liiga rookie of the year award. The Coyotes subsequently signed him to a three-year entry-level contract at the end of that season 2019-20 season.
Leafs salary cap situation following trade
After acquiring Maccelli, the Leafs have $10,145,581 in salary cap space, according to PuckPedia.com as they get set to enter the feee agency period, which opens at noon E.T. on July 1.
The Vegas Golden Knights have traded defenseman Nicolas Hague and a conditional third-round pick in the 2027 NHL Entry Draft to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons.
🔄 The Vegas Golden Knights have acquired Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Nicolas Hague and a 2027 third-round pick. #VegasBornpic.twitter.com/sxYZoEnC3Y
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 30, 2025
Lauzon, 28, is a seven-year NHL defenseman who has played for the Nashville Predators, Seattle Kraken, and Boston Bruins. He has appeared in 316 NHL games, including 187 with the Predators, recording 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) over four seasons. Lauzon set career highs during the 2023–24 season with six goals, 14 points, and 383 hits in 79 games. He has also made four appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, twice with the Bruins and twice with the Predators, skating in a total of 22 postseason games.
Sissons, 31, is a right-shot forward who’s appeared in 690 games with Nashville owning 221 points (95 Goals, 126 Assists) and holds a plus-18 rating over 11 seasons. Known for his physical style of play, Sissons leads all Nashville Predators skaters in hits since the 2015–16 campaign, accumulating 1,131, including a career-high 188 in the 2021–22 season. In the 2023–24 regular season, he set personal bests with 15 goals and 30 total points across 72 games.
Sissons has appeared in 71 playoff games, tallying 10 goals and 15 assists for 25 points. He played in all 22 games during Nashville’s memorable run to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, contributing 12 points (6 Goals, 6 Assists) and finishing with a plus-7 rating. One of his most iconic performances came in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final that year, when he recorded a hat trick to help the Predators clinch their first-ever trip to the championship round. Nashville will retain 50% of Sissons’ salary as part of the trade.
One of our first draft picks and a Stanley Cup Champion.
