Once upon a time, July 1st deserved to be billed the free agent frenzy with deals coming fast and furious at noon as pundits were struggling to keep up on the various live shows, but it won’t be like that this time around. On the eve of the NHL’s annual collective madness day, GMs made a final push to sign their existing talent, and most of them were successful.

Much like in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Florida Panthers GM Bill Zito came out on top. After inking the most sought-after center expected to hit the market, Sam Bennett, to an eight-year contract on June 29, Zito worked his magic again, putting pen to paper with franchise cornerstone Aaron Ekblad and trade deadline acquisition Brad Marchand.

Amazingly, Ekblad’s eight-year contract extension comes with an AAV of $6.1 million, less than the contract signed earlier in the day by Alexander Romanov with the New York Islanders. There’s absolutely no doubt that Ekblad left some money on the table. Still, as Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes explained after the draft, some players become addicted to winning and are open to taking a pay cut if it gives them a better chance to win. That’s precisely what happened with Bennet and Ekblad. They’ve won the Cup twice in a row in Florida, and they are loving it. Why would they entertain playing for more money on a team with which they won’t be as successful?

While Zito retained his core, Mitch Marner also opted not to hit the agent market, signing a new eight-year deal with a $12 M AAV with the Toronto Maple Leafs to facilitate a trade to the Vegas Golden Knights. Other big names like Patrick Kane, Ivan Provorov, and Evan Bouchard (who was a pending RFA) all elected to stay put.

The list of players set to hit the market has been decimated, and the top options according to Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin are now as follows: Nikolaj Ehlers, Vladislav Gavrikov, Brock Boeser, Mikael Granlund, Dimitry Orlov, Jonathan Drouin, Jake Allen, Pius Suter, Jack Roslovich, and Corey Perry. The fact that former Hab Drouin is now the sixth top option speaks volumes about what’s left on the market. All due respect to the left winger who has a lot of talent, he’s been successful in Colorado, but top players surrounded that.

Mikael Granlund’s 2nd goal last night looked eerily similar to his 4 Nations OT-winner against Sweden (plus, watch who Granlund hugs first 🇫🇮) pic.twitter.com/QJ1n44d7Nf

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 14, 2025

Granlund and Suter, who I believe might have been of interest for the Canadiens who are seeking a second-line center, have just rocketed up that list and may well command unreasonable money as a result. With pickings that slim, a bidding war shouldn’t be excluded, and I don’t see Hughes getting involved in one of those. There are always GMs ready to overpay on free agency day. Still, given the slow and steady wins the race approach taken by Hughes and Jeff Gorton to this Canadiens’ rebuild, it wouldn’t make any sense for them to blow the bank before their team is truly ready to contend.

Another sign of how few options are left on the market was seeing TSN insider Pierre LeBrun posting that he wouldn’t be surprised if the Maple Leafs were among the teams interested in Michael Pezzetta when the market opens. Again, with all due respect to the gritty forward, he’s hardly the kind of name that gets any media attention in the run-up to free agency.

As much as the Canadiens need to bolster their top six, the lack of options on the market and the fact that so many teams are hoping to take a step forward this coming season might price Montreal right out of the market.

This doesn’t mean Hughes will stand idly by; he has demonstrated his ability to be very creative on the trading front in the past. With Noah Dobson’s acquisition, he may well be tempted to use Mike Matheson as bait on the trade market. The 31-year-old veteran could command an interesting return in the right package. He’s a proven puck-moving defenseman whose production suffered from losing his spot on the first power play unit last season because of Lane Hutson’s arrival and impact.

Of course, an offer sheet to a quality RFA remains an option, but given the rise in salary cap, you’ll need to overpay to pry a player away that way. 25-year-old pivot Gabe Vilardi has become a mainstay on the Winnipeg Jets’ top six and has put up 61 points in 71 games. Add to that the fact that he was part of the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade return, and I believe Kevin Cheveldayoff will make a point of retaining him. Vilardi is also 6-foot-3 and 216 pounds; he would help address the Canadiens’ size issue as well.

Mason McTavish would also be a great option, but the Anaheim Ducks have plenty of cap space and have no reason whatsoever to let him walk away. He’s just 22 years old and coming off his ELC contract. Last season, he posted 52 points in 76 games, and he has yet to reach his ceiling. It would be an absolute shocker if the Ducks were to let their first-round pick and third overall selection at the 2021 draft slip through their fingers.

Besides, as I’ve said already in the past, I don’t see Hughes as an offer sheet kind of guy, even though he could pull that move safely since Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov will both be ineligible to receive offer sheets in 2026 and 2027. To be eligible for an offer sheet, an RFA must have three professional seasons under their belt, and for a season to count, the player must have played at least 10 games. Hutson and Demidov both joined the Canadiens late in their first season, only playing two NHL games in their first year. Speaking of Hutson, he's now eligible to sign a contract extension and given that Hughes has a fair comparable in Dobson, it could speed up the matter. I wouldn't be surprised if Montreal announced an extension. 

The official (almost) final Lane Hutson player card pic.twitter.com/8Ea8xIVv7E

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) April 17, 2025

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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The Islanders are retaining a key piece on their blueline. 

New York is re-signing defenseman Tony DeAngelo to a one-year, $1.75 million extension. 

DeAngelo spent the early part of last season playing in the KHL, but after he and the team mutually agreed to terminate his contract he landed back in the pros with an Islanders team decimated by injuries.  

With Noah Dobson and Mike Reilly out long-term, New York turned to the former first-round pick to provide an offensive spark, and he did just that -- producing a goal and five assists over his first 10 games. 

DeAngelo ended up sticking on a league-minimum deal for the remainder of the season.

He was able to continue his strong play down the stretch as the Isles battled towards a potential playoff spot before ultimately falling short -- finishing with a total of 19 points across 35 games. 

At seasons end, DeAngelo said he hoped to work something out this summer. 

"I loved it here," he said. "It worked out great. I wasn’t nervous when I made the choice to sign here. I made some poor choices as far as things went in my career on when to leave a team and go to a different team -- so you never know what's gonna happen, but this one has been a home run."

With Dobson traded to the Canadiens ahead of the draft, DeAngelo figures to slot into a prominent role next season, and he could potentially find himself quarterbacking the Isles’ top power-play unit. 

An addition between the pipes

The Isles are also adding another piece to their goalie rotation, bringing in David Rittich on a one-year deal.

First-year GM Mathieu Darche recently indicated that they could look to make a move between the pipes in free agency with veteran backup Semyon Varlamov still working his way back from injury.

Rittich comes to the Island having played in parts of nine pro seasons with the Kings, Winnipeg Jets, Nashville Predators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Calgary Flames.

He appeared in 31 games last season with Los Angeles -- posting a .886 save percentage and 2.84 GAA.

Swedish forward Rasmus Asplund, 27, has signed a two-year contract with HC Davos, the National League club announced on Tuesday.

“Rasmus is a classic two-way center who can handle all game situations," said Davos sports director Jan Alston. “He’s very intelligent, reads the game excellently, and brings a lot of speed.”

Asplund was a product of the Färjestad BK club in Karlstad, Sweden, eventually turning pro with the club and remaining until he was 20. He was drafted in the second round, 33rd overall, by the Buffalo Sabres in 2016.

Between 2019 and 2025, Asplund played 189 NHL games with the Sabres, Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers, recording 49 points and 22 penalty minutes. His only full NHL season was 2021-22, when he recorded 27 points in 80 games with Buffalo. That spring, he was chosen to play for Sweden at the IIHF World Championship in Finland.

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In 2024-25, Asplund was held pointless in six NHL games with Florida and had 52 points in 81 AHL regular-season and playoff games as the Charlotte Checkers advanced to the Calder Cup finals.

Davos, which hosts the annual Spengler Cup tournament, is coming off a season in which it finished fifth in the National League standings and lost in the semifinals. Other than Asplund, the team has under contract for 2025-26 ex-NHLers Brendan Lemieux, Joakim Nordström, Filip Zadina and Klas Dahlbeck.

Photo © Matt Blewett-Imagn Images: Rasmus Asplund playing for the Buffalo Sabres in the 2022-23 season.

Confirmed: Brendan Lemieux Signs Multi-Year Deal With HC DavosEven before he cleared waivers, it was already heavily rumored that this would be his next stop, and now it’s been confirmed. Canadian left winger Brendan Lemieux, 28, has signed with HC Davos, the Swiss National League club announced on Monday.

As is often the case with Russian players, RG.org published an exclusive interview with the Montreal Canadiens’ first pick at the last draft, Alexander Zharovsky. As we’ve already reported, the 18-year-old is a childhood friend of Habs rookie Ivan Demidov, and he won’t be attending development camp. Still, it’s never too early to learn a little bit more about a Canadiens' prospect.

In the interview with RG’s Tuboltseva, the youngster gave some details about the whirlwind that was his last few days. He returned to Russia on Sunday after spending time in Florida, where he participated in the Gold Star showcase. This is an event put on by his agency that showcases its players. The youngsters trained and played scrimmages while scouts and executives observed. In the afternoon, they had the opportunity to speak with the team’s representative.

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Zharovsky met with the Canadiens at the showcase, but it wasn’t the only time he spoke to them. He had multiple interviews, and after the meeting at the showcase, they called again to ask more in-depth questions, which is when he thought things were getting serious.

The youngster was frank; he had hoped to be picked in the first round, but he’s happy he was picked early in the second round, and by a team as storied as the Canadiens. His last season was a great success in the MHL, where he was named Rookie of the Year following a 50-point (including 24 goals) output in 45 games. He was happy to make his KHL debut under former NHLer and current coach Viktor Kozlov.

The 6-foot-1 and 163-pound right winger knows what he needs to focus on this Summer; he plans on getting bigger, stronger, and faster. His debut in the KHL likely contributed to that realization, as he described the highest league in Russia as faster and more challenging than the junior league in which he spent his last season.

After being drafted by the Canadiens, he received a call from Nick Bobrov, Montreal’s co-director of scouting, who told him the team believes in him and his counting on him. Don’t expect Zharovsky to come over to North America soon though, he has a valid contract with his Russian team until the end of the 2026-2027 season, meaning Canadiens fans might have to wait two whole seasons before he makes his debut in the Habs organization, but judging by the highlights, he will be worth the wait. If you thought you were done chasing KHL highlights now that Demidov has a contract with the Habs, think again; you’ll want to see what Zharovsky is up to.

Photo credit: MHL Website

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The Vancouver Canucks have officially locked up a big part of their core. With his current deal expiring at the end of the 2025–26, the Canucks agreed to a three-year, $8.5M AAV contract extension with goaltender Thatcher Demko. This move comes only a couple of months after the team signed newcomer Kevin Lankinen to a long-term, five-year deal. With both Demko and Lankinen in their ranks, Vancouver’s goaltending comes out to under $15M per year. 

Demko was drafted 36th overall by the Canucks in 2014. Often referred to as the “goaltender of the future” in Canucks land throughout his time as a prospect, Demko spent nearly two full seasons with Vancouver’s AHL affiliate at the time, the Utica Comets, before making his NHL debut on March 31, 2018. He spent a little more time with the Comets before starting his first full NHL season as a backup to Jacob Markström in 2019–20. 

The Bubble Playoffs were where Demko made himself known as a force to be reckoned with. After posting a pre-COVID-19 regular season record of 13–10–2, Demko was called to action during the second round of the 2020 Bubble Playoffs. An injury to Markström pushed Demko into the spotlight, where he backstopped his team to a Game 7 effort with a .985 SV%. 

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Since 2021, Demko has taken the role of starting goaltender for the Canucks, save for the 2024–25 season in which he dealt with injuries. He has been named to two NHL All-Star Games (2022 and 2024) and finished second in Vezina Trophy voting in 2023–24 after winning 35 of his 51 starts and posting five shutouts. 

With Demko now extended, the Canucks’ goaltending department looks to be getting more and more crowded. This also comes as a result of Artūrs Šilovs’ phenomenal play during the 2025 Calder Cup Playoffs, in which the prospect won 16 of the team's 24 games and registered five shutouts. Only time will tell what the Canucks decide to do with their three great goaltenders. 

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 Florida Panthers are doing their best to run it back after winning a second straight Stanley Cup.

An offseason that has included extending Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand now includes another re-signing of a key forward.

Just a few hours ahead of NHL Free Agency officially opening at noon on Tuesday, the Panthers inked Tomas Nosek to a new deal.

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, it’s a one-year deal worth $775,000.

Nosek deal is done with Florida, one year, $775k https://t.co/u03hxIZyC8

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 1, 2025

That’s the same amount he signed with Florida for last summer, when he initially joined the Panthers.

Last season, Nosek played 59 games with Florida last season and another 16 during the playoffs. He was a primary member of the team’s penalty kill and centered a fourth line that Panthers Head Coach Paul Maurice counted on nightly.

Maurice credited the re-insertion of Nosek’s line during Florida’s second-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs as the thing that turned the series around in the Panthers favor.

Following the Nosek deal, Florida is now $1.1 million over the salary cap.

During the offseason, teams can go up to 10% over the cap and have until Opening Night to become cap compliant.

The Panthers are likely not done making moves. We’ll see how the coming hours and days play out.

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Photo caption: Feb 25, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Panthers left wing Tomas Nosek (92) awaits the face-off against the Nashville Predators during the second period at Bridgestone Arena. (Steve Roberts-Imagn Images)

Just a few days after the Minnesota Wild traded defenseman Declan Chisholm, the Washington Capitals signed Chisholm to a two-year contract at $1.6 million average annual salary. 

Chisholm, 25, recorded two goals and 12 points in 66 games for the Wild during the 2024-25 season. He was a restricted free agent but the Capitals signed him before he entered free agency. 

NEWS | The Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Declan Chisholm to a two-year, $3.2 million contract. Chisholm’s contract will carry an average annual value of $1.6 million. #ALLCAPS | @Shift4

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 30, 2025

In 95 career NHL games with the Wild, Chisholm recorded five goals, 15 assists, and 20 points. Three of his five goals came on the power play. He was a waiver claim by the Wild during the 2023-24 season. 

Other Wild News

Minnesota Wild Acquire Vladimir Tarasenko From Detroit For Future ConsiderationsST. PAUL, Minn - In October before the 2024-25 season, Minnesota Wild owner said July 1st would be Christmas. With a lot of fireworks. It will be the first time the Wild will enter free agency without the huge buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.  How Newly Acquired Vladimir Tarasenko Fits On The Minnesota WildST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild made a trade on Monday for veteran goal-scorer Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for future considerations.  Minnesota Wild Trade Defenseman Declan Chisholm To Washington The Minnesota Wild announced on Saturday a trade with the Washington Capitals. The Wild have traded defenseman Declan Chisholm to the Capitals along with the 180th pick in the 2025 NHL Draft for defenseman Chase Priskie and the 123rd pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.