Category: Sports News

Bruins acquire Viktor Arvidsson from Oilers in pre-free agency trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins made a trade with the Edmonton Oilers shortly before the NHL free agent market opened Tuesday.

The Oilers are sending forward Viktor Arvidsson to the Bruins in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round draft pick, the teams announced. Arvidsson waived his no-trade clause to allow the deal to go through, per TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.

Arvidsson is entering the final season of a two-year, $8 million contract ($4 million salary cap hit). The Bruins will have about $8.7 million in cap space after this trade.

The 32-year-old left wing provides some much-needed scoring depth to Boston’s lineup.

He had a bit of a down 2024-25 season with the Oilers, scoring 15 goals with 12 assists in 67 games. He scored 26 goals for the Los Angeles Kings during the 2022-23 campaign. He has scored 20-plus goals five times in his career.

Arviddson can be a dangerous player off the rush and isn’t afraid to fire pucks on net — two attributes the Bruins need to add.

There were 380 forwards last season who logged at least 500 even-strength minutes, per Natual Stat Trick, and Arvidsson ranked 19th with 9.56 shots per 60 minutes.

Arvidsson isn’t going to be a huge difference-maker for the Bruins, but he’s a solid buy-low addition.

New Bruins head coach Marco Sturm was an assistant during Arvidsson’s first season with the Kings in 2021-22, so he already has some familiarity with the Swedish forward.

Welcome to the NHL Free Agency Frenzy of 2025.

Catch up on the latest NHL free agency coverage and follow along as we track all the big deals from the beginning of the signing season.

Stay tuned to The Hockey News as free agency opens at 12 p.m. ET. We're tracking the big signings and trades while featuring our free agency coverage, including lists, rumor roundups, analysis, news and more.

Also tune into The Hockey News' Free Agency Frenzy Live, going live at noon ET on YouTube, X, Facebook and more.

Signings Tracker

Catch up on some of the notable re-signings in the week leading up to July 1.

Detroit Red Wings: Patrick Kane (UFA), 1 year, $3 million cap hit (up to $4 million in performance bonuses). Read more

Columbus Blue Jackets: Ivan Provorov (UFA), 7 years, $8.5 million AAV. Read more

Los Angeles Kings: Andrei Kuzmenko (UFA), 1 year, $4.3 million AAV.

Florida Panthers: Brad Marchand (UFA), 6 years, $5.25 million AAV, per reports. Read more

Vegas Golden Knights (in a sign-and-trade from Toronto): Mitch Marner, 8 years, $12 million AAV, per reports. Read more

Edmonton Oilers: Evan Bouchard (RFA), 4 years, $10.5 million AAV. Read more

Florida Panthers: Aaron Ekblad (UFA), 8 years, $6.1 million AAV. Read more

New York Islanders: Alexander Romanov (RFA), 8 years, $6.25 million AAV. Read more

Nashville Predators (after trade from Vegas): Nicolas Hague, 4 years, $5.5 million AAV. Read more

Boston Bruins: Morgan Geekie (RFA), 6 years, $5.5 million AAV. Read more

Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthew Knies (RFA), 6 years, $7.75 million AAV. Read more

Ottawa Senators: Claude Giroux (UFA), 1 year, $2 million cap hit (up to $2.75 million in performance bonuses). Read more

Columbus Blue Jackets: Dante Fabbro (UFA), 4 years, $4.125 million AAV. Read more

St. Louis Blues: Joel Hofer (RFA), 2 years, $3.4 million AAV. Read more

Calgary Flames: Kevin Bahl (RFA), 6 years, $5.35 million AAV. Read more

Florida Panthers: Sam Bennett (UFA), 8 years, $8 million AAV. Read more

Buffalo Sabres: Jack Quinn (RFA), 2 years, $3.375 million AAV. Read more

Montreal Canadiens (in a sign-and-trade from NY Islanders): Noah Dobson (RFA), 8 years, $9.5 million AAV. Read more

Toronto Maple Leafs: John Tavares (UFA), 4 years, $4.38 million AAV. Read more

Edmonton Oilers: Trent Frederic (UFA), 8 years, $3.85 million AAV. Read more

Dallas Stars: Jamie Benn (UFA), 1 year, $1 million cap hit (up to $3 million in performance bonuses). Read more

Utah Mammoth (after trade from Buffalo): JJ Peterka (RFA), $7.7 million AAV. Read more

Boston Bruins: Mason Lohrei (RFA), 2 years, $3.2 million AAV. Read more

Trade Tracker

Check back here for some of the notable recent trades during the off-season.

To Toronto: Matias Maccelli
To Utah: Conditional 2027 third-round pick (becomes 2029 second-rounder if Leafs make playoffs and Maccelli records at least 51 points in 2025-26)

To Minnesota: Vladimir Tarasenko
To Detroit: Future considerations

To Nashville: Nicolas Hague, conditional 2027 third-round pick
To Vegas: Colton Sissons, Jeremy Lauzon, 2027 third-round pick

To Detroit: John Gibson
To Anaheim: Petr Mrazek, 2026 fourth-round pick, 2027 second-rounder

To Ottawa: Jordan Spence
To Los Angeles: 2025 third-round pick, 2026 fourth-rounder

To Montreal: Noah Dobson
To NY Islanders: Two 2025 first-round picks, Emil Heineman

To Columbus: Charlie Coyle, Miles Wood
To Colorado: Gavin Brindley, 2025 third-round pick, conditional 2027 second-rounder

To Utah: JJ Peterka
To Buffalo: Michael Kesselring, Josh Doan

To Vancouver: Evander Kane
To Edmonton: 2025 fourth-round pick

To Philadelphia: Trevor Zegras
To Anaheim: Ryan Poehling, 2025 second-round pick, 2026 fourth-rounder

Top UFAs

Check out each UFA, their age and previous cap hit.

Centers

Mikael Granlund, 33, $5 million

Pius Suter, 29, $1.6 million

Jack Roslovic, 28, $2.8 million

Lars Eller, 36, $2.45 million

Adam Gaudette, 28, $775,000

Anthony Beauvillier, 28, $1.25 million

Pontus Holmberg, 26, $800,000

Nick Bjugstad, 32, $2.1 million

Luke Kunin, 27, $2.75 million

Mason Appleton, 29, $2,166,667

Wingers

Brock Boeser, 28, $6.65 million

Nikolaj Ehlers, 29, $6 million

Jonathan Drouin, 30, $2.5 million

Andrew Mangiapane, 29, $5.8 million

Gustav Nyquist, 35, $3.185 million

Victor Olofsson, 29, $1.075 million

Evgenii Dadonov, 36, $2.25 million

Connor Brown, 31, $1 million

Corey Perry, 40, $1.15 million

Jeff Skinner, 33, $3 million

Christian Dvorak, 29, $4.45 million

Philipp Kurashev, 25, $2.25 million

Max Pacioretty, 36, $873,770

James van Riemsdyk, 36, $900,000

Justin Brazeau, 27, $775,000

Defensemen

Vladislav Gavrikov, 29, $5.87 million

Brent Burns, 40, $8 million

Dmitry Orlov, 33, $7.75 million

Matt Grzelcyk, 31, $2.75 million

Ryan Lindgren, 27, $4.5 million

Brian Dumoulin, 33, $3.15 million

Cody Ceci, 31, $3.25 million

Tony DeAngelo, 29, $775,000

Nate Schmidt, 33, $800,000

Ryan Suter, 40, $775,000

Goaltenders

Jake Allen, 34, $3.85 million

Ilya Samsonov, 28, $1.8 million

Alex Lyon, 32, $900,000

Dan Vladar, 27, $2.2 million

Vitek Vanecek, 29, $3.4 million

David Rittich, 32, $1 million

Anton Forsberg, 32, $2.75 million

James Reimer, 37, $1 million

Alexandar Georgiev, 29, $3.4 million

Georgi Romanov, 25, $910,000

NHL Free Agency Coverage

Mitch Marner Leaves The Toronto Maple Leafs For Vegas, Per Report. How Did Nine Years Lead To This?In what has felt like an inevitability since the NHL’s 2024-25 Stanley Cup playoffs ended, star right winger Mitch Marner is leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs for the Vegas Golden Knights via a sign-and-trade deal. 

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- The Art Of Keeping Quinn: Nearing Demko Extension, Latest Move To Keep D-Man Hughes In Vancouver

- Double Play: Tavares, Knies Extensions Give Maple Leafs Financial Clarity

- With Gibson Off The Board, Oilers’ Goalie Hunt Gets Harder

- Patience Over Paydays: Why Waiting Until 2026 Free Agency May Be The Best Move For Some NHL GMs

- Four Tiers Of Players Who Can Sign Extensions On July 1

- Why A Bowen Byram Trade To The Canucks Could Save A Rebuild

- Jonathan Toews Agrees To Sign With His Hometown Winnipeg Jets In NHL Return

- Leafs' Mitch Marner Could Be The NHL's Biggest Free-Agent Signing Of The Past Decade

- The NHL's No-Tax Team Advantage Is Not A 'Ridiculous Issue,' But Bettman Has Won The Argument

- Vancouver Canucks' Conor Garland Is 'Really Excited' About New Coach Adam Foote

- With Cap Room To Burn, Hurricanes Could Aim To Fix Familiar Playoff Failures This Off-Season

- Marchand And Perry Could Shift UFA Market Amidst Strong NHL Playoff Runs

NHL Rumor Roundups

- Latest On Bowen Byram, Mike Matheson And K'Andre Miller

- Notable Trade Candidates Before The 2025 NHL Draft

- Latest On Brock Boeser And Jason Robertson

- Could Rasmus Andersson Hit The Trade Block?

- The Latest Round Of Rangers Speculation

The Philadelphia Flyers picked a bad time to need a goalie from the NHL free agent market.

Of the 12 unrestricted free agent goalies, two had a save percentage of .900 or higher, and none of the 12 recorded more than 16 wins this season.

The top option in free agency, Jake Allen, is still playing at a high level and will draw attention from Stanley Cup contenders, including his own team, the New Jersey Devils. The former Stanley Cup champion will receive offers more suitable from elsewhere around the NHL.

So what does that leave the Flyers with? An old friend and a bunch of redemption stories.

Leading the pack, and perhaps the most likely of the bunch if for no reason other than a feel-good story to carry us through what could very well be another long year, is Alex Lyon, who spent five years with the Flyers organization after going undrafted out of the USHL.

Lyon, 32, fell apart after a strong start to his pro career, but re-emerged with the Florida Panthers two seasons ago.

The former Flyers goalie has spent the last two seasons - his first and only two as a full-time NHLer - with the Detroit Red Wings, going 35-27-6 in 74 games to the tune of a 2.96 GAA, a .901 save percentage, and three shutouts.

Spectacular numbers? Certainly not, but the Flyers can do (and have done) worse at the position. Lyon is a veteran and has been through the grind of the AHL, which should help set a positive example for the younger goalies in the organization, like Aleksei Kolosov and Carson Bjarnason.

Among 45 goalies who played 30 or more games this season, Lyon's 2.4 goals saved above expected ranked 26th in the NHL, per MoneyPuck.

Flyers starter Sam Ersson ranked 45th out of 45 with -19.9.

Another name to watch - and there aren't many - is Ottawa Senators netminder Anton Forsberg.

Ex-Flyers Defenseman Ivan Provorov Signs Absurd Contract Ahead of NHL Free AgencyThe

The 32-year-old Swede has been with Ottawa since 2020-21 and has generally never played for great teams at the NHL level, aside from a three-game stint with Carolina in 2019-20.

Despite that, Forsberg owns a respectable .904 career save percentage. In Ottawa, Forsberg was 62-56-10 in 142 games, posting a 2.99 GAA, a .905 save percentage, and eight shutouts.

Again, like Lyon, not spectacular, but achieves the goal the Flyers are setting out for this summer.

It should be noted that Forsberg is coming off a three-year contract worth $2.75 million a year and could easily bargain for the same on this market.

That could prove to be a little rich for the Flyers' tastes, especially knowing that Lyon was pulling in a more modest $900k for his services.

In terms of goals saved above expected this season, Forsberg finished right behind Lyon, placing 27th with 2.2 goals saved above expected.

One last free agent goalie the Flyers should be considering is none other than former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov, who has seen his fair share of ups and downs after once being considered one of the most exciting goalie prospects in the world.

Flyers Reportedly Rejected Islanders Trade to Secure Porter MartoneThe

The 28-year-old has posted .890 and .891 save percentages in consecutive seasons, but also has two seasons under his belt with save percentages of .913 or higher.

If and when he leaves the Vegas Golden Knights, Samsonov will be on his third team in three years, so a one-year prove-it deal is in the cards if the Flyers make an offer.

By most metrics recorded by MoneyPuck, Samsonov performed about how he was expected to this season, even despite his underwhelming raw stats.

For instance, MoneyPuck has him at 0.6 goals saved above expected for the year, a save percentage 0.0004% above expected, and a GAA 0.02 above expected.

Basically, Samsonov was not actively crushing his team's chances of winning games, but also not providing any surplus value beyond that.

Interestingly, Samsonov's 0.825 high-danger save percentage was 0.135 above expected, which is considerable.

The talent has always been there for the Russian, but consistency has not. If the Flyers feel they can get any value out of a short-term stay, Samsonov is worth a dart throw in free agency this year.

On the eve of free agency, it was the deadline for teams to submit qualifying offers to their pending RFAs. For the Montreal Canadiens, that meant goaltenders Jakub Dobes and Cayden Primeau, forwards Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Sean Farrell, Xavier Simoneau, and defensemen Jayden Struble, William Trudeau, Gustav Lindstrom, and Noel Hoefenmayer.

In Lindstrom’s case, it matters very little since the right-shot 26-year-old blueliner has already signed a five-year deal with Djurgårdens in the SHL. Considering his age and the length of the agreement, it would be surprising to see him return this side of the pond.

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As for Rafael Harvey-Pinard, who had made the most of his opportunity when the Injury Ninja hit the Canadiens hard during the 2022-23 season when he recorded 20 points in 34 games with the Habs and turned that into a 2-year deal with a $1.1 M AAV, he did not receive a qualifying offer. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s done in Montreal; they could still sign him as a free agent, but it does mean the Canadiens weren’t ready to offer him $1,000,000, which was his qualifying offer.

Simoneau and Hoefenmayer didn’t receive an offer either. Simoneau is a 5-foot-7, 24-year-old left-shot center who had a rough season with the Laval Rocket this year. In 58 games, he could only muster 21 points, down from 38 in 2022-23 and 37 in 2023-24. He was a sixth-round pick by Montreal at the 2021 draft, and in nine playoff games this postseason, he notched three points.  

As for Hoefenmayer, he was obtained in a trade with the Oilers in December in which the Canadiens sent Jacob Perreault their way. The 26-year-old left-shot defenseman was a fourth-round pick by the Arizona Coyotes at the 2017 draft. In 32 games with the Rocket this season, he recorded 14 points in 32 games but was only dressed in six of the Laval outfit’s playoff games.

Photo credit: Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz is staying at home.

The 29-year-old forward was trekking the back nine of a golf course on Monday afternoon when he agreed to a three-year, $4.05 million contract with an annual average value of $1.35 million. Lorentz was creeping towards the open market, with less than 24 hours until free agency, though he knew he'd always remain in Toronto.

"There was no doubt in my mind that I'd be back in Toronto again. It definitely has been a process, and maybe it went a little bit longer than I'd hoped, but that's part of being unrestricted," Lorentz said Monday evening.

"In my heart, I knew I wanted to come back. I knew that I wanted to stay, I didn't want to go anywhere else, and I'm just so proud and happy to be able to get it done, and I'm already looking forward to next year."

Lorentz's story isn't different from many who grew up as Maple Leafs fans in the Greater Toronto Area, except for one aspect: he now plays for them. As a child, Lorentz watched Toronto push toward a Stanley Cup, hoping that they'd get across the finish line every year.

They won two rounds, in 1999 and 2002, but that's the closest they ever got.

Report: Maple Leafs Trade Mitch Marner To Vegas Golden Knights, Agrees To Eight-Year Deal Worth $12 Million AAVMitch Marner is on his way to Las Vegas.

After basking in being a Maple Leaf this past season, Lorentz will now have three more years to go into battle with Toronto in hopes of bringing the historic trophy back home.

"Honestly, that's what I wanted more than anything, was just the longevity. I would love to play my whole career here in Toronto. Last year was even better; it exceeded expectations," he said.

"Just being able to wear the Leaf with pride and being able to play at home, with friends and family, and trying to bring a cup to a city that's been longing for it for so long, and it deserves it...

"We still have that goal that we want to be the hardest-working team. We want to be the best team. We want to be the team that comes out on top in June. It was kind of a no-brainer, working out the contract details and stuff like that."

Report: Maple Leafs Lose Out On Brad Marchand Who Signing Six-Year Extension With PanthersBrad Marchand reportedly won't be hitting NHL free agency after all.

Bursting onto the scene with his puppy-like personality at training camp last September, Lorentz and the Maple Leafs agreed on a one-year, $775,000 contract after the preseason. He had just won a Stanley Cup a couple of months earlier with the Florida Panthers and wanted to return home so that he could do the same here.

"I've tried (to imagine winning the Stanley Cup in Toronto)," Lorentz said with a grin last September. "This is such a hockey city, and it's no secret it would just be mayhem if the Leafs were ever to do it."

Ultimately, after a 19-point season, which tied a career high, plus two assists in the playoffs, Toronto was ousted in the second round by the very same team that he won with the year prior. The year didn't finish how he and many others would've liked it to, but what it means to be a Maple Leaf isn't lost on Lorentz.

"I don't think I'll ever forget skating out for Game 1 of playoffs," he grinned.

"I remember looking at [Scott Laughton] on the bench, just a couple of local boys, and we're like, holy you know what, this is sick. I still remember the first 10 minutes and we came out flying. That's something I don't think I'll ever forget, so that's one that sticks out, but there was so many (memories).

"Little things on the ice, off the ice, in the community, at practice, it was a blur, but I don't think there was a bad day, minus the day we lost out. It was just so disappointing, but it was such a fun year, and like I said, it's such a great group there, and I wouldn't really want to go to war with anybody else."

Maple Leafs Trade for Matias Maccelli: Why Toronto Acquired Winger From Utah MammothThe Toronto Maple Leafs

Lorentz is already feet-first into his offseason work, skating with several players from the Kitchener-Waterloo area. There's one thing, though, left to tick off his summer bucket list: getting married to his fiancée, Erin. 

And after that, it's back to Maple Leafs land—with a three-year extension in his hands—to begin the quest of bringing hockey's ultimate prize back to Toronto for the first time since 1967.

"My head's kind of still buzzing right now," he smiled.

"It's been a crazy couple of weeks in just trying to get this thing done, but more than anything, I'm just excited, and like I said, it's such a great group that, it didn't take a lot of decision-making. I knew my heart was here."

(Top photo of Lorentz: Nick Turchiaro / Imagn Images)

The Chicago Blackhawks have officially reached July. The draft is in the rear-view mirror, and NHL teams only have free agency and trades left to improve their franchises. 

On Monday, the last day of June, Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times reported the news that the Blackhawks have extended qualifying offers to Wyatt Kaiser, Louis Crevier, and Arvid Soderblom. All of them remain restricted free agents.

Philipp Kurashev did not receive one and will become an unrestricted free agent. This will likely end his five-year tenure in Chicago, the team that drafted him. 

Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) on XBlackhawks have given qualifying offers to Wyatt Kaiser, Louis Crevier and Arvid Soderblom, per source. They all remain RFAs. Crevier and Soderblom have arbitration rights. Kaiser does not. Philipp Kurashev was not qualified and becomes a UFA.

Kaiser and Crevier are defensemen who will likely rotate in and out of Chicago’s lineup during the 2025-26 season. They are both solid and deserve playing time. Each of them may even get some games in the AHL to stay fresh. Chicago has a lot of serviceable defenders, which is a good problem to have. 

As for Soderblom, unless the Blackhawks make a move on an established veteran goalie, an extension would likely mean an opportunity to be Spencer Knight’s backup in 2025-26. 

Soderblom had an outstanding year in different roles for Chicago. Whether he was the number one, the backup, or splitting time at any point in the year, the Hawks knew that they had a reliable player between the pipes. 

As for Kurashev, he fell out of favor with the current folks in charge. After a strong 2023-24 season that saw him have 18 goals and 36 assists for 54 points in 75 games, he took a major step back with just 7 goals and 7 assists for 14 points in 51 games in 2024-25. He was mostly a healthy scratch down the stretch. 

Kurashev will find work elsewhere. Another team will give him a chance based on his good moments in the past. Kyle Davidson and his staff are much more focused on players that they brought into the organization. 

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