Category: Sports News

The Los Angeles Kings have made some additions to their blue line after losing Vladislav Gavrikov this summer, but they have been linked to another defender as the offseason continues.

In a recent article from The Fourth Period, the Kings were connected to Calgary Flames' defender Rasmus Andersson.

Andersson, who is 28 years old, scored 11 goals and added 20 assists for 31 points through 81 games last season. Through 536 career games, he has scored 47 goals and added 184 assists for 231 points.

He is considered one of the strongest all-around defensemen in the NHL, and while there were rumblings the Kings had a strong trade on the table for Andersson, it doesn't sound like there is mutual interest from Andersson in playing for the Kings.

Time will tell if the Flames choose to trade Andersson, but until they do, the Kings seem likely to remain involved as a team with interest this offseason. 

Entering the off-season, the New Jersey Devils were expected to pursue additional scoring punch after their offense declined last season.

It was among the reasons why the Carolina Hurricanes eliminated them from the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in five games. 

It was assumed the Devils might draw from their defense corps for trade bait to land a scoring forward. In March, there was conjecture suggesting a promising blueliner, such as Simon Nemec or Seamus Casey, might be available after Johnathan Kovacevic signed a five-year contract extension. 

However, a more notable Devils defenseman could be available. During his season-ending episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast on Sunday, Elliotte Friedman wondered about Dougie Hamilton's future in New Jersey. 

Friedman said he'd heard that Hamilton's name was “out there” in the trade market, adding the Devils had spoken to a couple of teams about the 32-year-old puck-moving blueliner. He thinks there's a low percentage chance that Hamilton gets moved but pointed out his no-movement clause reverted to a 10-team trade list on July 1. The Devils also paid him his signing bonus on July 1. 

Hamilton carries an average annual value of $9 million through 2027-28. A skillful, mobile rearguard, he has reached or exceeded 40 points in eight of his 13 NHL seasons, but injuries have also plagued him in recent years.

The Hockey News’ Michael DeRosa said trading Hamilton would leave a hole in the team’s top four, and they don’t need to rush any potential move. That said, if Nemec and Casey are ready to take over on the right side, then DeRosa said Hamilton could be moved for the right offer.

Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, trade speculation continues to swirl around the rebuilding Penguins, especially after they shipped goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks on July 1. 

Most of the conjecture concerns veteran forwards Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. Both are signed through 2027-28 with Rust carrying a $5.125 million average annual value and Rakell $5 million. 

Rust frequently surfaced in the rumor mill after his no-movement clause expired on July 1. Meanwhile, Rakell carries an eight-team no-trade list for the remainder of his contract. 

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Rust is drawing plenty of interest, but he remains loyal to the Penguins. He also indicated that Rakell wants to stay in Pittsburgh.

Josh Yohe of The Athletic thinks both players will still be in the Penguins' lineup when the regular season begins in October. However, he wouldn't be surprised if at least one of them was gone by next year's trade deadline.

DeRosa wrote that with Rakell putting up a career-high 35 goals and 70 points this past season, his trade value is higher now.

Yohe considers Rust and Rakell as “valuable commodities who are in their 30s.” He expects they could each fetch a first-round pick.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

Yet another former Carolina Hurricanes netminder has found themselves with an NHL coaching gig.

Michael Leighton, who played for the Canes organization from 2007-2010, is joining the Detroit Red Wings as their new goaltending coach.

The journeyman netminder played 110 NHL games with four NHL franchises and 507 AHL games with 12 different teams. 

Leighton, who was also recently named an AHL Hall-of-Famer, holds the record for AHL shutouts with 50 and also for the most saves in a single game, stopping 98 in a five-overtime game in 2008.

Not only that, but the 44 year old tied the NHL record for shutouts in a single playoff series, with three in five games against the Montreal Canadiens in 2010. That same postseason, Leighton helped bring the Philadelphia Flyers to the Stanley Cup Final.

The former goalie joins the likes of Justin Peters (Ottawa) and Sean Burke (Vegas) as former Hurricanes netminders with NHL coaching gigs. There is also Mike Bales (Buffalo) served as Hurricanes goaltending coach from 2017-2019.

---

Recent Stories

• 'I'm Very Excited About The Team In Carolina': Nikolaj Ehlers On Signing In Carolina
• Hurricanes Target Positional Depth In Opening Days of Free Agency
• Top Pairing Defenseman and Beloved Teammate Brent Burns Finds New Home In Colorado
• Carolina Takes Big Swing On Talented New York Blueliner
• 'Our Goal Is To Keep Getting Better And Raising The Bar': Eric Tulsky On Opening Day Of Free Agency
• Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Development Camp Gets Underway
• Hurricanes Lock Up Standout Rookie On Max-Term Deal
• Carolina Hurricanes Extend Qualifying Offers To RFAs; Three To Become UFAs

---

Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.     

Finnish winger Jesse Puljujärvi, 27, has signed a two-year contract with Genève-Servette, the National League club announced on Tuesday.

“I’m really excited to be joining Genève-Servette!” Jesse Puljujärvi is quoted in the club’s press release. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about the organization and the league, and I’m looking forward to experiencing it all. We have a great group of players, and I’m going to give my all to help the team succeed. I’m also looking forward to visiting the city, which looks amazing, and meeting the fans.”

“We are very pleased with the arrival of Jesse, a player we have been following for some time now,” said club sports manager Marc Gautschi. “Thanks to his physique and speed, he can be absolutely dominant on the big Swiss ice rinks. We are convinced that with the help of our coaching staff, he will further develop his scoring skills and become an essential offensive leader for our team.”

News of Puljujärvi heading to Switzerland began two weeks ago while he was still playing in the Calder Cup finals for the Charlotte Checkers.

He joins a Genève-Servette team that won its first-ever national championship in Switzerland in 2023-24 and won the Champions Hockey League in 2024-25, but has missed the playoffs the last two National League seasons. 

In addition to Puljujärvi, Genève-Servette has under contract for 2025-26 former NHLers Markus Granlund, Josh Jooris, Marc-Antoine Pouliot, Taylor Beck and Tim Berni, whose NHL rights are still retained by the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

French Former Habs Prospect Swaps Bitter Rival Teams In Switzerland American-born French left winger Tim Bozon was rumored as far back as November to have already signed a four-year contract with Swiss National League club Genève-Servette. The problem was, the 30-year-old former Montreal Canadiens prospect currently plays for Lausanne HC – Geneva’s fiercest rival.

Born in Älvkarleby, Sweden, Puljujärvi grew up in Finland and is a product of the Kärpät club in northern Finland. It is with that Oulu-based club that he first turned pro at age 16 in 2014-15.

Puljujärvi was chosen fourth overall by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft. He has 128 points in 387 career NHL regular-season games with the Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers. He also has six points in 27 playoff games with Edmonton and Carolina.

During his career, Puljujärvi returned to play for Kärpät in 2019-20 and part of 2020-21, as pandemic-related restrictions delayed the NHL’s start to that season.

In June 2023, he underwent double hip surgery and missed half of the following season.

Jesse Puljujärvi: “It’s been a long process, I’m really happy to be here”The last couple of seasons have been an ordeal for Jesse Puljujärvi. He split a rather unproductive 2022-23 campaign between the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes, during which he played in constant pain. Then in June 2023, he underwent double hip surgery. He didn’t return to the ice until January and, after a half-season split between the AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and the NHL, he’s now playing in his second IIHF World Championship for Finland, and first since 2017.

When Puljujärvi was waived by Pittsburgh in February of this year to terminate his contract “by mutual agreement” ahead of the international transfer deadline, it was widely expected that he’d end up in Europe. Switzerland was one of his rumored destinations at that time, as was Kärpät. However, he surprisingly signed with Florida instead.

This past season, Puljujärvi had 10 pointss in 31 NHL games, split between Pittsburgh and Florida, and 16 points in 26 AHL games, split between Wilkes/Barre-Scranton and Charlotte. He also had 11 points in 18 playoff games for Charlotte, which included an overtime goal in Game 5 of the finals against the Abbotsford Canucks, which kept the Checkers alive for one more game.

Photo © Bob Frid-Imagn Images

More on Jesse Puljujärvi:

Puljujärvi goes from double hip surgery to Finland's World Championship roster

Jesse Puljujärvi: “It’s been a long process, I’m really happy to be here”

Jesse Puljujarvi Waived By Penguins – Headed Back To Finland?

RUMOR: Jesse Puljujärvi Headed To Switzerland After AHL Finals

Earlier this week, Montreal Canadiens and Laval Rocket player Joshua Roy was attending Jonathan Huberdeau’s golf tournament and spoke to RDS’ Eric Leblanc. The 21-year-old has wised up since last season, and he’s aware of how crucial the upcoming camp and season will be.

He had an underwhelming camp in 2024 and looked surprised to be sent down to the AHL, but things will be even more complicated this season. The Canadiens now have Ivan Demidov; they acquired Zack Bolduc in a trade and signed Samuel Blais. Oliver Kapanen, Owen Beck, Florian Xhekaj, Lucas Condotta, and Jared Davidson will also be hoping to graduate with the Habs.

Canadiens Interested In Kuznetsov, Could He Be The Next Big Move?
Canadiens Ink Promising Goaltender To New Contract
Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes Is Never Done

Roy was never going to challenge Demidov for the second-line role, especially considering he didn’t produce much in the 12 games he played in Montreal last season. This Summer, he intends to work on his physical form, which is sometimes lacking and prevents him from providing the same level of effort in each game, which is not something coaches like.

Roy explains that he didn’t need to be told what was wrong with his game; he says he’s smart enough to figure out the issues. Roy can talk the talk, but can he walk the walk? That remains to be seen.

The Rocket forward also commented on the Logan Mailloux vs. Bolduc trade, explaining that the defenseman was one of his good friends, a good person, and an outstanding player. He added that with Noah Dobson’s arrival and all the good defensemen in the organization, a defenseman was bound to be leaving soon. He’ll get a new start in St. Louis.

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

---

Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.  

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.

Join the discussion by signing up to the Canadiens' roundtable on The Hockey News.