Category: Ice Hockey

The Winnipeg Jets have agreed to terms on a two-year contract with defenceman Isaak Phillips. 

The move was announced on Friday, completing the process of signing for the restricted free agent recently acquired from Chicago in exchange for Dmitry Kuzmin. 

Phillips' contract is of the two-way variety, meaning he can be sent up and down through Waivers with no issue for the duration of the two years. He will make $813K if playing at the NHL level, or an average of $388K if spending his time with the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League.

Phillips, 23, played in three games with the Blackhawks last season, to which he scored a goal. It wasn't his first NHL goal either, as he has been recalled from the Rockford IceHogs in each of the last four seasons. The defender has two goals, 12 points and 31 penalty minutes to his name in 56 NHL contests. 

The Barrie, ON. product played 28 games for Rockford last year, collecting eight points, before moving to the Moose, where he added another three goals and eight points in 39 games. Phillips has collected 26 goals, 87 points and 234 penalty minutes in 238 career minor league contests. 

He will look to battle for a spot in the current logjam of young defencemen vying for the No. 8 job in Winnipeg. 

Mark Philadelphia Flyers prospect Nikita Grebenkin down as another player who's publicly shared his support for polarizing goalie Aleksei Kolosov.

Kolosov, 23, had a rough first full season with the Flyers organization last year, going 5-6-1 with a 3.11 GAA and .884 save percentage at the AHL level and 5-9-1 with a 3.59 GAA and .867 save percentage at the NHL level.

During his time in the AHL, though, the embattled goalie prospect briefly crossed paths with Flyers trade addition Nikita Grebenkin before getting re-called to the NHL on March 25.

In the duo's brief time together, Kolosov apparently left quite the positive impression on Grebenkin, as he shared in a recent interview.

"Aleksei, a good, positive guy. A professional who knows his stuff," Grebenkin told Legalbet.by of Kolosov. "I'm very glad that I met him."

It should be noted that, in a stretch of five AHL starts in March, Kolosov earned three of his five total wins for the season.

Flames Sniper Backs 'Excellent' Aleksei Kolosov to Stay with Flyers, Continue NHL CareerGoalie prospect Aleksei Kolosov has all the talent and experience to stay with the Philadelphia Flyers and forge a successful NHL career for himself, but will he?

Is it a coincidence that some of Kolosov's best hockey in the AHL came when a fellow Russian speaker joined the fold? Potentially, as those results were rarely repeated in the NHL when playing alongside Matvei Michkov, Ivan Fedotov, and Egor Zamula.

It's been implied that Kolosov only wants to play in the NHL for the Flyers, but it's become clear that the NHL is too great a step up at this time despite the Belarusian's obvious flashes of talent.

Perhaps a full year in the AHL with his new friend, Grebenkin, and/or fellow goalie Fedotov will do Kolosov some good.

The 23-year-old has the talent and apparently takes his craft seriously, but can he muster the motivation to make a career for himself in North America? The Flyers are waiting to see if Kolosov can make it happen.

There have been some crucial changes lately at the junior level. Players who skate in the CHL are no longer ineligible to play in the NCAA, and we’ve started seeing a bit of an exodus towards the American Collegiate League. Projected first-overall pick at the 2026 draft, Gavin McKenna, is leaving the Medicine Hat Tigers for Penn State this upcoming season, and he’s not the only one defecting.

Keaton Verhoeff, another top 2026 draft prospect, is moving on from the WHL’s Victoria Royals to join the University of North Dakota. Cayden Lindstrom, McKenna’s Medicine Hat teammate and fourth overall pick at the 2024 draft, is heading to Michigan State.

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Calgary Flames prospect Luke Misa, who skated with the OHL’s Brampton Steelheads last season, and defenceman Jackson Smith, the 14th overall pick who spent the past three seasons with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, have also committed to Penn State. As for Justin Carbonneau, the St. Louis Blues first pick at the last draft, he has confirmed that he will be returning to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada if he doesn't make the Blues' lineup. 

Thankfully for the CHL, Frank Seravalli reports that the new CBA includes a clause that could make the CHL at least a bit more attractive for top-end talent. Starting in 2026-27, NHL teams will be able to place one 19-year-old CHL player in the AHL per season. Previously, CHL players could only be sent to the AHL if they were 20. This means that top prospects who chose the CHL path could turn pro faster.

With only one player per team eligible, though, that means a maximum of 32 prospects per year will be affected, and that a player will have to be pretty impressive to be given that opportunity by his team.

When this kicks in for the 2026-27 season, the Montreal Canadiens could consider sending a player like Hayden Paupanekis, a third-round pick and 69th selection at the last draft, to the Laval Rocket next season if he completely dominates in the CHL this upcoming season. They felt he had no more to learn from that league, but he is not yet ready for the NHL. Of course, they’d have to sign him first, but it still gives NHL teams an interesting option.

As for top CHL talent, it means they could turn pro a year earlier, even though they are not yet ready for the NHL. For the Habs, it would also mean having more control over a player’s development and progress. The step between the CHL and the AHL is quite steep, however, and only a select few players could be ready to make that move. Given how physical the AHL can be, smaller players may not be good candidates to go down that route.

Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

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We're getting into the deep part of summer, but there is unfinished business in many NHL markets. And one of those markets is Buffalo, where the Sabres continue being unable to move forward on defenseman Bowen Byram, and their roster doesn't inspire confidence they can be in the mix for a playoff spot.

Where could Byram be traded? We've covered many potential possibilities in this series, which focuses on potential trade partners for the Sabres. (You can read some older files by clicking here and here.)

In this file, we're looking at a potential trade fit with the Anaheim Ducks.

TEAM: Anaheim Ducks

CAP SPACE: $28.9 million

FREE AGENTS:  Lukas Dostal, G (RFA); Mason McTavish. LW (RFA); Sam Colangelo, RW (RFA); Brock McGinn, RW; Robby Fabbri, C

NEEDS: Elite depth on defense; goal production; fixing league's worst power play (11.8 percent efficiency) and the league's fourth-worst penalty kill (74.2 percent) last season; adapting to system of new coach Joel Quenneville

SABRES FiIT? The Ducks finished the 2024-25 season in sixth place in the weak Pacific Division, 10 points behind the race for a wild card. Anaheim has worked for some time to rebuild their stock of top talent, and that top talent is starting to unlock their potential. But when it comes to the Sabres, Anaheim's focus is the same as Buffalo's -- namely, each of the two teams want the same type of assets. That won't make it easy for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams to find a Ducks player that (a) he'd like as a competitor, and (b) a financial fit.

That. said, Adams has to know he can command a big price if he trades the right player.  And that player almost assuredoy will be Byram. As an elite puck-moving blueliner, the 24-year-old is going to commond a major raise on the $3.85 million he earned last season with Buffalo. But the key question is, will he be earning it in Anaheim, or somewhere else?

If This Is It When It Comes To Sabres Roster Changes, It's Going To Be A Long Season In BuffaloThe Buffalo Sabres' underwhelming roster changes thus far this off-season have some fans itching to see them make a move of consequence, particularly when it comes to the future of RFA defenseman Bowen Byram. But what if nothing else transipres on the roster alterations front? What if the Sabres roster we see in early July is highly similar to the one we see when next season begins?

At that point, all eyes turned to Ducks GM Pat Verbeek. But Verbeek didn't go crazy at the start of free-agenc, Verbeek signed veteran cemter Mikael Grandlund, and he also traded for veteran left winger Chris Kreider. Clearly, Anaheim is intent on being in the playoff race this year.

The way you get there is to trade Byram. Adans has held onto Byram with all his might, but it may be time to part ways with Byram. And that If that's the case, sending Byram to Anahheim could bring back a player who could help them over the long haul -- Ducks winger Mason McTavish.

McTavish made approximately $894.167 last season, and he produced 22 goals and 52 games last year. That's a terrific bargain, but one that won't last any longer. And if the Ducks aren't sufficiently invested in the 22-year-old, the Sabres would gleefully take McTavish off their hands,

Sabres Could Be Facing Ticking Clock With ByramThe Buffalo Sabres situation elected to go to salary arbitration with restricted free agent defenseman Bowen Byram last week, eliminating the possibility of another NHL club going the offer sheet route, but the yet to be scheduled hearing could be a deadline of sorts for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams to get the best return possible for the Stanley Cup winner.  

One of the Ducks' chief rivals in the Pacific Division is the San Jose Sharks, who made over their back end, bringing in a handful of experienced hands. That's what the Ducks' movees have been all about: if Anahein gets to the trade deadline and they're not in the race, they can trade these veterans for meaningful assets in return.

But we don't see that happening. We like what Verbeek has done here, even if it will take another year or two for Anaheim to blossom into a true Stanley Cup contender. And if he pulls off a trade for Byram -- with that possibility probably being remote -- Verbeek will install an asset that could be part of their defense corps for the next decade.

Details concerning the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) four-year extension - set to go into effect for the 2026-27 season - are beginning to surface. 

And there is one new rule in the CBA that is generating quite the buzz.

As part of the new CBA, the longstanding age requirement of 20 for players coming out of the CHL and into the AHL seems to have been modified. Now, organizations will be able to loan one 19-year-old player per season to play at the AHL level. They must play in one AHL game to be eligible for an official recall.

This news could be quite paramount for a number of reasons.

For one, some of the bigger-name prospects in different organizations will be able to make the jump to professional hockey sooner, which could be better for their development if they have nothing left to learn in junior hockey. Another big part of it is that it might entice players to remain with their CHL clubs as opposed to going to the NCAA, which is set to become a more popular and commonplace option for higher-end prospects after 2026 projected no. 1 pick Gavin McKenna's commitment to Penn State University. 

NHL will try w/ CHL to eliminate mandatory return rule for 19-year olds. Clubs would be limited to 1 loan of 19 y/o to AHL without having to offer him to CHL 1st

AHL paper loans for cap savings:
seems like a player must report to the AHL club + play in 1 game before next recall pic.twitter.com/jngekJxILT

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) July 11, 2025

But, logisitics aside, this is a rule that has - for a long time - worked to stunt the development of some of the league's best prospects. It could also open the door for teams to have a player make the jump who isn't quite ready, but it should largely be a net positive for pretty much all parties involved.

And one team to be on the lookout for in the next handful of seasons is the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Unfortunately for the Penguins, the rule would not go into effect until the 2026-27, meaning it would not benefit top defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke, who - at 19 - is believed by many to be ready for the jump to professional hockey. This really is a shame for Brunicke, who will either have to go back to a poor junior team in the Kamloops Blazers - potentially picking up more bad junior habits - or make the NHL club out of training camp, which is something he may not quite be ready for.

However, this could be big news for some of the Penguins' top draft prospects going forward - and they'll sure have a lot of those.

New episode dropped!@kelsey_surmacz4 and @HunterHodies discuss the Matt Dumba trade and what it means for Erik Karlsson, the new CHL/AHL rule, some potential #LetsGoPens RFA targets, n'at.@TheHockeyNews
Watch: https://t.co/e0ZAI2kuaH
Listen: https://t.co/rx2k4M41fjpic.twitter.com/MuS4sEYSgx

— Pucks N'at Podcast (@pucks_nat_pod) July 11, 2025

Pittsburgh selected 13 players in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, and they have a total of 29 picks in the next three drafts - including 17 picks in the first three rounds. Chances are, they're going to have some players who will be primed to make that jump from the CHL to the NHL - including two of their 2025 first-round picks in Ben Kindel and Bill Zonnon, one of whom would now be AHL-eligible next season.

The new rule will pave a new path for the Penguins to, perhaps, get a jump on the development of some of their top younger players, and - in turn - potentially accelerate their rebuild if all goes to plan. At the end of the day, the change will benefit the NHL teams in the basement the most, as they will be the teams with the most high-end talent in their systems.

What Is The Best Developmental Path For Top Prospect Harrison Brunicke In 2025-26?For 19-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins' defensive prospect Harrison Brunicke, it is only a matter of time. 

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Feature image credit: Kirby Lee - Imagn Images  

Among the handful of new names that fans of the Detroit Red Wings could be seeing a lot of in the coming season is defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker, who was signed to a one-year contract by GM Steve Yzerman.

Bernard-Docker played for both the Ottawa Senators and Buffalo Sabres last season, and already has 144 games of NHL experience under his belt. And he's already looking forward to adding to his total with the Red Wings. 

"There's a lot of potential there, and it's a team on the right trajectory," he said. "I'm super excited to go in there and show what I got and hopefully be a contributor."

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Bernard-Docker drew parallels between the young, rising core of players he suited up alongside with in Ottawa and Buffalo as part of the reason behind his excitement. 

"In a way it's a similar group to where I was in Ottawa, with a real good young core, Buffalo had a real good core," he said. "They're (Detroit) on that edge of breaking out. There's a lot of real good players on the team.

"I'm just pretty pumped about the fit there."

JACOB BERNARD-DOCKER SCORES AGAINST HIS OLD TEAM

HIS FIRST AS A SABRE

ONLY #24 TO SCORE TONIGHT

SABRES TIE IT AT 2 pic.twitter.com/XrIgv7DVQM

— Crossing Swords ⚔️ (@CrossSwordsPod) March 26, 2025

Bernard-Docker will be competing for a roster spot in Training Camp with Justin Holl and Albert Johansson, the latter of which emerged as a reliable option by playing in 61 games in his rookie season.

An area of play for the Red Wings that he can help improve is the penalty killing, which was in danger of being the lowest ranked in NHL history at one point in late 2024 and ultimately finished 32nd overall at just 70.1 percent. 

"That's one area where I was really looking to develop and show kind of how I played in the minors and, maybe I haven't showed as much as I'd like to in the NHL yet," Bernard-Docker said. "It's an area that I really think is a strong part of my game. I'm willing to block shots and I'm pretty good on my stick, areas that I'd really like to show."

Selected by the Senators in the 2018 NHL Draft with the 26th overall pick, Bernard-Docker enjoyed a breakout season in 2023-24, appearing in 72 games and scoring four goals with 10 assists. But a high-ankle sprain earlier this year in January derailed his season, causing him to miss several weeks.

He was then traded to the Sabres along with Josh Norris in the deal that brought Dylan Cozens to the Senators on March 7. In the 15 games he played in a Buffalo uniform, he scored a goal while adding three assists. 

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Sharks sign winger Jeff Skinner to one-year, $3M contract in NHL free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

The Jose Sharks have added a pure scorer.

15-year NHL veteran Jeff Skinner is joining the Sharks on a one-year, $3 million contract.

The 33-year-old left winger is a six-time 30-goal scorer, topping out at 40 in the 2018-19 NHL season.

Even in reduced playing time, a career-low 13:00 a night, with the Stanley Cup Final-bound Edmonton Oilers last year, Skinner still managed 16 goals.

Oilers, ranked by 5v5 goals/hour last season:

1. Leon Draisaitl 1.17
2. Zach Hyman 1.06
3. Jeff Skinner 1.01

One of these guys is presumably available to 32 teams at a modest cap hit…

— Jonathan Willis (@JonathanWillis) July 4, 2025

So there’s no doubt that the 5-foot-11 left-handed sniper can still fill the net.

Read the full article on San Jose Hockey now

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Despite the Vancouver Canucks locking down their main core during free agency, many former players — who had moved on from the team by the 2024–25 season — ended up signing new deals elsewhere. Here’s a recap of where former Canucks who were not part of the 2024–25 roster ended up signing. 

Ethan Bear 

Bear spent one season with the Canucks after being traded by the Carolina Hurricanes alongside Lane Pederson. In this time, he scored three goals and 13 assists in 61 games played. On July 1, 2025, Bear signed a one-year, $775K contract with the New York Islanders. 

Anthony Beauvillier

Beauvillier was acquired by Vancouver in 2023 as part of the trade that sent former captain Bo Horvat to the Islanders. A Canuck for 55 games, Beauvillier scored 11 goals and 17 assists in his time with Vancouver. He ended up with the Washington Capitals after a couple of trades and signed a two-year, $2.75M AAV contract with the team this off-season. 

Travis Boyd

Claimed off of waivers by the Canucks back in March of 2021, Boyd played in 19 games for Vancouver and scored two goals. After, he spent three seasons with the Arizona Coyotes and one with the Minnesota Wild before signing a one-year contract with the team that put him on waivers, the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Justin Dowling

Dowling signed a two-year contract with Vancouver back in 2021, spending the bulk of his time with the Abbotsford Canucks. He headed to the New Jersey Devils shortly after, and just recently signed a two-year, $775K AAV deal with the New York Rangers. 

Adam Gaudette

Gaudette was selected 149th overall by Vancouver in the 2015 NHL Draft and remained with the team up until 2021, when he was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. He had a breakout season with the Ottawa Senators this year, scoring 19 goals in 81 games. On July 1, he signed a two-year, $2M AAV contract with the San Jose Sharks. 

Matthew Highmore

Speaking of the Gaudette trade, the return piece for Vancouver was none other than Highmore. The forward spent 64 games with the Canucks and scored eight goals and nine assists in this span of time. After stints with the Senators and the St. Louis Blues, Highmore signed a one-year contract worth $775K with the Islanders. 

Curtis Lazar

Vancouver signed Lazar, who is from Salmon Arm, BC, to a three-year deal back in 2022. He was traded to the Devils after 45 games and played out the remainder of this contract with New Jersey. He signed a one-year deal at $775K with the Edmonton Oilers during the 2025 free agency period. 

Tanner Pearson

For a good chunk of Vancouver’s transitional period from the Sedin era to now, Pearson was a big part of the locker room. He was traded to the Canucks in 2019 and departed from the team in 2023. After a season each with the Montréal Canadiens and the Vegas Golden Knights, Pearson signed a one-year contract with the Winnipeg Jets. 

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Lane Pederson

Pederson’s time with Vancouver only lasted 11 games (and 18 in Abbotsford), but the forward still managed to score a goal and two assists. During the 2025 free agency period, he signed a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers valued at $775K.  

Derrick Pouliot

Pouliot hasn’t worn a Canucks jersey since 2019, as the team let go of him in the free agency period of that season. In 133 games played with Vancouver, he scored six goals and 28 assists. He has played for five different teams since leaving Vancouver, and could be suiting up for his sixth after signing a one-year, $775K contract with the Rangers. 

Nate Schmidt

A Stanley Cup champion after the Florida Panthers’ second consecutive victory, Schmidt signed a three-year contract worth $3.5M per year with the Utah Mammoth. In his lone season with Vancouver, he potted five goals and 10 assists. 

Riley Stillman

Acquired by the Canucks after trading Jason Dickinson, Stillman played 32 games with Vancouver before being flipped to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for prospect Josh Bloom. He spent the 2024–25 season with the Hurricanes and will take on a depth role in Edmonton after signing a two-year, $775K AAV contract with the Oilers. 

Jack Studnicka

Studnicka found his way to the Canucks after being traded by the Boston Bruins for Michael DiPietro and Jonathan Myrenberg in 2022. Vancouver dealt him to the Sharks the season after , though he remained in California a year past that after signing a deal with the Los Angeles Kings in 2024. By signing a one-year, $775K contract with Florida in 2025, he’ll be a part of the Panthers organization for the 2025–26 season. 

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

The Detroit Red Wings have made a handful of additions to their roster in preparations for the upcoming 2025-26 NHL season, but is GM Steve Yzerman content to go into the new campaign as currently constructed? 

Detroit did pick up depth pieces on both offense and defense, signing forwards James van Riemsdyk, Mason Appleton and John Leanard along with defensemen Ian Mitchell and Jacob Bernard-Docker. 

They also shored things up in the crease, acquiring goaltender John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Petr Mrazek. 

While their goaltending situation appears to be more stable than it was at this point last offseason, the Red Wings still have a pressing need both up front and on the back end. 

A bona fide offensive threat who can play in the top-six of Detroit's forward units along with a top-four defenseman is still at the top of the Red Wings' wish list, but with just about every impactful free agent no longer available, they will have to explore trade possibilities if they are to make either position need a reality. 

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Unfortunately, Yzerman said that he never had a chance to so much as speak to top free agents who were already either re-signed or traded by their respective teams. 

"We were were certainly open to it," Yzerman said. "The guys that we were hoping to talk to all signed before free agency with their clubs, or got traded. In the case of Mitch Marner, we didn't even get an opportunity to talk to these guys. There's not much you can do about that."

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad, whom the Red Wings were said to have interest in, ultimately re-signed with the team, as did both Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand. That was also the case with Ivan Provorov, who re-signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Nikolaj Ehlers, formerly of the Winnipeg Jets, signed with the Carolina Hurricanes, while Mason Marchment, formerly of the Dallas Stars, was traded to the Seattle Kraken. 

Additionally, defenseman Noah Dobson was traded from the New York Islanders to the Montreal Canadiens, while Vladislav Gavrikov signed with the New York Rangers. What's more, K'Andre Miller was traded from the Rangers to the Carolina Hurricanes, and subsequently signed to a an eight-year contract. 

The good news for the Red Wings, who still have around $12 million of available cap space, can still make a trade for an impact player that would significantly increase their favorability of ending their postseason drought.

Names like Jason Robertson, Bryan Rust, and Kyle Connor have all been discussed as potential targets for the Red Wings up front, while Rasmus Andersson and Erik Karlsson have been named potential possibilities for the blue line. 

While there are over two months between now and the start of Training Camp in mid-September, Yzerman made it clear that he's leaving the door open to the potential of a trade before then.

"We're going to wait and see if any opportunities arise," Yzerman said. "We'll certainly explore. I know there's a couple of teams that are looking to move some people for various reasons, depending on where they're at or what they need to do.

"I think there's a couple that have to do a few things in relation to the cap, but for the most part, everybody's still got a lot of cap space."

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The Pittsburgh Penguins weaponized their salary cap space this week. 

On Thursday, the Penguins acquired veteran defenseman Matt Dumba and a second-round draft pick in 2028 from the Dallas Stars in exchange for depth blueliner Vladislav Kolyachonok. 

The reality of the Stars’ cap situation necessitated this deal, as Dallas was over the cap with Dumba’s $3.75-million cap hit. But after dumping Dumba’s last year of his contract onto Pittsburgh, the Stars have $1.95 million in cap space – enough to eventually add another depth veteran or accrue space ahead of a bigger acquisition during the season.

On Pittsburgh’s end, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas still has about $13 million in cap space after acquiring Dumba. In theory, at least, the Penguins had a roster spot open for a defenseman after veteran Matt Grzelcyk hit the UFA market this summer. 

Dumba’s best days are behind him, as he posted only nine assists and 10 points in 63 regular-season games, and in the playoffs, Dumba was a healthy scratch.

Clearly, there was no future in Dallas for Dumba, just one year after signing a two-year contract last summer. Dubas recognized that fact and stepped in to offer cap relief at the cost of a second-rounder – not an insignificant pick by any means.

Given where the Penguins are in their competitive cycle, they could afford to take on Dumba’s contract and give their amateur scouts an additional swing at the plate three years from now. By that point, the Stars may have fallen in the standings, setting up the second-round pick to be relatively high.

Those are exactly the type of deals that other teams like the Penguins can make. 

For instance, the Chicago Blackhawks retained $2.5 million of defenseman Seth Jones’ contract in each of the next five seasons when they sent him to the Florida Panthers around the trade deadline. That deal might not have happened otherwise, and they got Spencer Knight and a first-round pick as a result. 

Chicago also traded Joe Veleno to the Seattle Kraken for Andre Burakovsky. His $5.5-million cap hit was more than double Veleno’s cap hit, but he scored 37 points this past season, compared to Veleno’s 17.

The Anaheim Ducks used some of their space to eat goaltender Petr Mrazek’s $4.25-million cap hit when sending John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings. That sweetened the pot in getting a deal done and giving the Ducks a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-rounder in 2026.

The Ducks could still weaponize their cap space in case other NHL teams have bloated contracts they want to clear. Anaheim still has about $28.9 million in cap space. Their Pacific Division rival, the San Jose Sharks, have $20.5 million in space after signing Jeff Skinner on Friday and trading for Ryan Reaves on Thursday. Their lineup has started to come into focus, but nothing should stop them from getting more assets by eating a contract as well.

This is how the NHL’s food chain operates in the cap era: different teams are at different points in their competitive trajectories, and not every team needs to spend to the cap ceiling – or anywhere close to it, for that matter. Teams like the Penguins, Ducks, Blackhawks and Sharks can justify absorbing bad contracts when it results in them being able to stockpile picks and prospects to address their long-term needs. 

Even as the cap ceiling rises this season and in the foreseeable future, there will always be NHL teams needing to clear space and other squads looking to capitalize on that. It’s the way the system pushes teams, and it’s not going to change anytime soon.

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On this day in 2013, New Jersey Devils right winger Ilya Kovalchuk announced his retirement from the NHL. At the time, Kovalchuk still had 12 years and $77 million remaining on his contract.

Kovalchuk was acquired by the Devils on February 4, 2010, and became a free agent that July. On July 19, 2010, the Devils signed him to a landmark 17-year, $102 million deal, the largest contract in NHL history at the time.

But the deal didn’t come without controversy. The NHL rejected the contract, ruling it violated the league’s salary cap structure. The league argued the deal was designed to circumvent the cap by extending well into Kovalchuk’s 40s at a lower salary to reduce the average annual value.

As a result, the Devils were penalized with a $3 million fine and the forfeiture of a first-round pick. Although the league later allowed the team to retain a first-round selection, ultimately awarding them the 30th overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft, the penalty marked a significant moment in NHL contract history.

Fans are comparing Kovalchuk's contract to Florida Panthers’ Brad Marchand, who just signed a six-year $31 million contract. Marchand’s contract was not rejected by the NHL, but raised similar concerns over his age. 

Following the NHLPA’s appeal, the original contract was voided. The Devils and Kovalchuk then agreed to a revised 15-year, $100 million deal, which was approved by the NHL in September 2010.

Twelve years later, the hockey world still reflects on what could have been. Had Kovalchuk honored the full length of his contract, it would still be active today, set to expire in a little under two months (as of July 11, 2025).

Instead, in a stunning move during the 2013 offseason, Kovalchuk announced his retirement from the NHL at just 30 years old. He then signed with SKA St. Petersburg of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), where he continued his career for several years.

In 2018, the 2001 first overall draft pick made his NHL return, playing four more seasons with the Kings, Canadiens, and Capitals before stepping away once again.

Today marks the 12th anniversary of Kovalchuk walking away from the Devils and one of the most ambitious contracts in league history. It’s wild to imagine a 42-year-old Kovalchuk skating alongside Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jake Allen in today’s lineup.

Since Kovalchuk’s departure in 2013, the Devils have posted a record of 414–410–121 and are 7–15 in playoff games. His early exit marked the end of a chapter in New Jersey Devils history.

Photo Credit: © Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas was busy on the trade market again on Thursday, sending defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok to the Dallas Stars in exchange for fellow defenseman Matt Dumba and a 2028 second-round pick. 

The Stars were over the salary cap at the time of the trade and had been looking for a team to take Dumba off their hands. He has one year left on his contract and will make $3.75 million this upcoming season. The Penguins easily absorbed that contract because they had over $15 million in cap space going into the trade. 

If the Penguins were still trying to win, this move would be a headscratcher, but that's not where they are right now. They are in transparent rebuild mode and have been since they traded Jake Guentzel to the Carolina Hurricanes before the 2024 NHL trade deadline. They've been stockpiling assets over the last year and a half and now have 29 picks over the subsequent three drafts, including 17 in the first three rounds. They may not even use that 2028 second-rounder that they got with Dumba and could package it for a young player when the time is right. 

All of their moves throughout this offseason so far indicate that they don't care that much about the 2025-26 season. They see how good the 2026 NHL Draft is and could be in line to get a high pick, especially if they trade at least two of Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell. They are asking for good returns on all three, and so far, no team has been willing to meet their price. Karlsson feels like the most likely to go right now since there's a bit of a logjam on the right side with him, Kris Letang, Connor Clifton, Dumba, and Harrison Brunicke waiting in the wings. 

Speaking of Dumba, he played in 63 games for the Stars during the 2024-25 season, finishing with one goal and 10 points. He was healthy for the playoffs but got scratched in all of their playoff games. That's telling, considering the Stars had Cody Ceci, Ilya Lyubushkin, and even Alex Petrovic logging big minutes on their blue line. 

Dumba is only 30, but the fall-off in his game has been drastic. Throughout his career, he has been a player who can drive offense and bring some snarl, but the offense has dried up over the last few seasons. The last time he finished with more than 25 points in a season was during the 2021-22 season when he compiled seven goals and 27 points in 57 games with the Minnesota Wild. Dumba has also been below 50% in shot attempts per 60 minutes in six of his last seven seasons and has an expected goal share below 50% in four consecutive seasons. 

He spent 10 seasons with the Wild before bouncing to the Arizona Coyotes (now Utah Mammoth), Tampa Bay Lightning, Dallas Stars, and now the Penguins. The Penguins will attempt to get him back on track a little so that they can try to flip him at the 2026 trade deadline. That means likely starting him on the third pairing and potentially moving him up to the second pairing to "showcase" him to other teams.

It's somewhat similar to when they signed defenseman Matt Grzelcyk to a one-year deal in free agency last year, aiming to "rehab" his game. Yes, he didn't get dealt to a contender at the deadline, but they still wanted to showcase him as much as possible in a top-four role at 5v5 and on the top power-play unit. The Penguins will likely rely on one of Karlsson (if he's not traded) or Letang to quarterback the top unit since Dumba only has a little over 65 power-play minutes over the last three seasons. He used to compile well over 100 PP minutes with the Wild before his game started to fade. Dumba may get a little bit of time on the second PP unit this season, but that's about it. 

The Penguins will "try" to get some of Dumba's 5v5 offense going a bit again to pair with the snarl and physicality that he has brought to the table throughout his career. They want to get a bit bigger, meaner, and tougher to play against after looking a little soft in front of their net last season. 

The Dumba deal isn't a trade that will "wow" anyone, but it provides the Penguins with another body for the right side of their defense and a good future asset that they don't necessarily have to retain. They are also set up to gain more future assets at next year's deadline, as Dumba is one of several players who don't have a contract beyond this season, including Connor Clifton, Kevin Hayes, Anthony Mantha, Blake Lizotte, Noel Acciari, Connor Dewar, and Danton Heinen. In other words, the rebuild is proceeding as planned. 

(Data via Natural Stat Trick). 

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Featured Image Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Hockey Show returned on Friday for the first episode of the offseason.

This week, hosts Roy Bellamy and David Dwork starting off by reviewing their Rescue Paws fundraising drive, which raised $300 over the course of the postseason.

Before getting into the meat of the show, the boys played a viral video of former NHL enforcer Nick Tarnasky begrudgingly getting into a fight with a drunk man on the golf course.

Joining The Hockey Show this week is Florida Panthers radio color commentator and NHL Network analyst Bill Lindsay.

He spoke about the difference between experiencing Florida’s first Stanley Cup win last season and then going through the run to their second straight title this year.

The boys also asked Billy about Panthers GM Bill Zito missing out again on the GM of the Year award, Florida’s moves in the offseason to re-sign all their big free agents and his favorite nicknames from during his playing days.

Additionally, this week’s wins and fails of the week included Roy re-upping on his hatred for the New York Islanders over their re-signing of defenseman Tony DeAngelo, some amazing audio from goaltender Alex Lyon after he signed with the Buffalo Sabres and Sam Bennett breaking out the Panthers goal song at his wedding earlier this month.

You can check out the full show in the video below:

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