Category: Sports News

The Ottawa Senators have signed goaltender Leevi Meriläinen to a one-year, one-way contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.05 million.

Meriläinen, 22, split the 2024–25 season between Ottawa and their AHL affiliate in Belleville. In 37 games with Belleville, he posted an 18-12-7 record along with a 2.37 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage.

He also saw action in 12 games for the Senators, putting up even better numbers than his AHL performance. It was especially impressive for such a young goaltender with limited NHL experience. The Oulu, Finland native went 8-3-1 with a 1.99 GAA, a .925 save percentage, and three shutouts. He even had a fourth shutout in the bag through regulation, but lost it in overtime against Washington.

To recap, that makes one-third of Merilainen's 12 games where the opponent couldn't score on him in regulation. His ability to hold the fort during such a bad run of injuries to the goalies ahead of him on the depth chart was a big reason Ottawa managed to clinch its first playoff spot in eight years.

Now that the Senators have three goaltenders—Meriläinen, Mads Søgaard, and Linus Ullmark—all on one-way contracts, this likely signals the end of Anton Forsberg’s time here after four and a half years with the club. Forsberg is officially a UFA as of tomorrow.

The question now becomes: Who will back up Ullmark this season? Will Meriläinen continue his rise and earn the job? Could Søgaard stay healthy, have a big camp and get the nod? Or might the club look to add a more experienced veteran via free agency or trade this summer, someone who's been around the block a little more?

It should be noted that both goalies spent time on the injury list last season. In Ottawa, who didn't? But Sogaard missed the most action, playing only 10 games all season, two of them in the NHL.

Will The Ottawa Senators Go Shopping To Fill Their Most Underrated Roster Spot?One of the most underrated positions for the Ottawa Senators this fall will be the backup goalie role.

Meriläinen was drafted 71st overall by the Senators in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft. He was the third-rounder they got in the Dylan DeMelo trade, so there's a chance he can still salvage what was then a pretty underwhelming return for what could have been an important player for them.

In all, the young Finn has appeared in 14 NHL games and 65 AHL contests to date. In those 65 AHL games, he holds a 31-21-8 record with a 2.53 GAA and a .912 save percentage.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News/Ottawa

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When the New York Islanders traded Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens, they gained some cap flexibility, and they wasted no time utilizing it. On Monday afternoon, Mathieu Darche made his first big signing, or at least the first he intended to keep, when he put pen to paper with former Hab Alexander Romanov.

The 25-year-old left-handed defenseman is on Long Island to stay; he has signed an eight-year contract extension with an annual average value of $ 6.25 million. Romanov was initially drafted by the Canadiens in the second round of the 2018 draft with the 38th pick overall. Back then, the pick was considered a reach, but the young Russian has gained a lot of respect around the league.

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At the 2022 draft, the Canadiens sent him to the Islanders for a first-round pick to flip the pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Kirby Dach trade. Since then, he has become a fixture on the Isles’ blueline.

In 64 games this season, he put up 20 points and picked up 20 penalty minutes while landing 147 hits. A rugged defenseman who doesn’t shy away from physical play, Romanov saw over 22 minutes of ice time on average this season and skated alongside Dobson on the Isles’ first pairing.

While Romanov must have been celebrating, the situation was much different for another former Canadiens’ defenseman. The Columbus Blue Jackets did not extend a qualifying offer to Jordan Harris and will therefore become an unrestricted free agent at noon on July 1st.

Harris was acquired from the Canadiens in exchange for sniper Patrik Laine and a 2026 second-round pick. This season, he appeared in only 33 games with the Ohio outfit, contributing five points while averaging just 11:23 of ice time. In his last season in Montreal, he was skating just under 17 minutes and 30 seconds a night.

Photo credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

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Brad Marchand reportedly won't be hitting NHL free agency after all.

The 37-year-old forward—a pending unrestricted free agent on July 1—appears to have signed a six-year extension with the Florida Panthers, per TSN and The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. The AAV of the deal is unknown, but Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports it could be a $32 million deal in total.

Marchand was set to be one of the more coveted players on the free-agent market, with Toronto reportedly being one of the frontrunners for the veteran forward. That doesn't happen now, though, with Marchand re-upping with the Stanley Cup-winning Panthers.

The Halifax, Nova Scotia native scored 10 goals and 10 assists in 23 playoff games with Florida after joining the club at the trade deadline via the Boston Bruins. Among the teams reportedly interested in his services in free agency were Toronto, Boston, Florida, and the Utah Mammoth.

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

With Marchand now locked in with the Panthers, Toronto needs to look elsewhere for a forward, potentially the trade market. Earlier Monday, the Maple Leafs acquired Matias Maccelli from Utah for a conditional third-round draft pick in 2027.

The pick could convert to a second-round draft pick in 2029, only if Maccelli records at least 51 points next season. The 24-year-old has one year left on his contract with an annual average value of $3.425 million.

The Maple Leafs have also reportedly traded Mitch Marner's negotiation rights to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Nic Roy, per Friedman. Marner reportedly signed an eight-year deal with the club at an AAV of $12 million.

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

Toronto also signed Steven Lorentz to a three-year extension on Monday. The AAV comes in at $1.35 million, totalling out at $4.05 million over three seasons.

(Top photo of Marchand: John E. Sokolowski / Imagn Images)

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. 

Reports Saturday that the Leafs and Golden Knights were in negotiations to trade Marner only confirmed the narrative that Marner wanted out of Toronto. Now, he’s getting an eight-year contract worth $12 million annually on the Golden Knights, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

But how did it come to this? 

From the time he was drafted fourth overall in 2015, Marner was seen as a very special player and a cornerstone component of the Leafs’ full rebuild. 

He initially responded to the pressure of playing in Toronto very well: in his first NHL season in 2016-17, Marner posted 42 assists and 61 points in 77 games, and in his third year, he had 68 assists and 94 points. He ended up recording at least 90 points in four seasons and averaged at least a point per game in seven of his nine campaigns. This past season, Marner had a career-best 75 assists and 102 points. 

Unfortunately, as Marner’s Leafs career unfolded, there was a bigger problem that overshadowed his regular-season dominance – namely, his inability to lead Toronto to deep playoff runs.

Without question, it was always unfair to Marner that he was scapegoated for the Maple Leafs’ slew of early playoff exits. He was never the kind of player who could put the team on his back and pound opponents into dust. 

Still, there was always a sense that Marner wasn’t built for playoff success. 

Leafs Nation watched him flail and wail as the Buds were conquered time and again in the post-season. While Marner was a point-per-game player in the post-season, he never could come up with game-changing moments when the Leafs needed them most. 

As a result, the spotlight eventually scorched Marner, as he grew increasingly uncomfortable making even run-of-the-mill media availabilities.

The longer Marner played in the past year without signing a contract extension, the more it became clear that he was not long for Toronto. Whenever he was asked about his future, Marner threw out cliches and evasive answers, but the proof was in the pudding when his signature never appeared on a new contract. And rumors at the trade deadline that the Leafs asked him to waive his no-trade clause to be moved to the Carolina Hurricanes – a request Marner rejected – added to the drama.

Now, it appears that Marner is headed for the bright lights of Vegas – and a Golden Knights team that knows elite talent when it sees one. 

Marner will happily be able to escape the day-to-day grind of Toronto, and he’ll be joining a Vegas squad that always seems to be ready, willing and able to go deep into the playoffs. He’ll start with a clean slate on Day 1 in Vegas, and that’s probably what he needs the most at this stage of his playing days.

Marner’s elite playmaking skills will be quite welcomed in Nevada, playing alongside Grade-A talents, such as center Jack Eichel and power forward Mark Stone. He isn’t going to be asked to be “The Man” for the Golden Knights, and that will likely allow him to relax for the first time in many years. Positive results will probably follow. 

But the first time Marner returns to Toronto, you’d better believe the boo birds are going to be out in force. Leafs fans understand full well that, if Marner knew he was leaving the Leafs at the end of the past season, he could’ve helped out the Buds by accepting a trade. Instead, he reportedly acted in his own best interests to shoot down a deal that could’ve brought star right winger Mikko Rantanen to the Leafs. 

While that decision was entirely within Marner’s rights as someone who negotiated a no-trade clause in good faith, Leafs fans might not see things that way. In the end, many will see the end of Marner’s career as a lost opportunity for the Leafs.

You could always see he desperately wanted things to work out, but for one reason or another, they never did. And now, at age 28, Marner will be starting a new chapter in his career. He’s getting a major raise on the $10.9 million he earned this past season, and he will likely have great success with the Golden Knights.

And now, after he’s played nine seasons with the only professional team he’s ever known, Marner is ending his Maple Leafs days moving out of the fishbowl toward the relative anonymity of the Vegas desert. The Leafs will start the post-Marner era as they search for the post-season success that Marner could never deliver.

More to come as trade details are finalized.

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The deadline to send qualifying offers to restricted free agents was Monday at 5 PM ET. 

The New York Islanders chose not to send QOs to defenseman Samuel Bolduc, Aidan Fulp and Scott Perunovich.

#Isles who did not receive qualifying offers:

D Samuel Bolduc
D Aidan Fulp
D Scott Perunovich

— Stefen Rosner (@stefen_rosner) June 30, 2025

Bolduc played 52 games at the NHL level for the Islanders, recording eight points (four goals, four assists) but quickly fell out of favor under head coach Patrick Roy. 

The 24-year-old former second round pick in 2019 recorded 35 points (nine goals, 26 games) in 69 games for Bridgeport. 

Fulp, 25, went undrafted before signing with the Islanders, playing a tad over two seasons for the AHL affiliate. He never got a chance to play at the NHL level and recorded six assists in 31 games for Bridgeport last season. 

Perunovich, whom the Islanders acquired from the St. Louis Blues for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft -- the conditions weren't met -- played 35 games for the Islanders with nine points (two goals, seven assists).

After a rough outing against the New York Rangers on Feb. 25, the 2020 Hobey Baker winner did not play until the final two games of the regular season.

All three players become unrestricted free agnets, with free agency beginning on Tuesday, July 1 at 12 PM ET. 

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

PHOTO: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Mitch Marner is on his way to Las Vegas.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs have traded Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights just one day before the star player was set to become an unrestricted free agent.

Friedman reports that Vegas signed Marner to an eight-year deal worth $12 million per season. Vegas needed to make a trade with Toronto by 11:59 p.m. ET in order to offer the eighth year. The trade ends much speculation about the player's future in Toronto. He had been linked in a potential trade to Vegas dating back to last season.

According to TSN's Bob McKenzie, forward Nic Roy is the only return in the deal, making it a 1-for-1 trade for Marner's rights. 

Roy was speculated as part of the reported talks between the two clubs when word broke on Saturday.

Report: Maple Leafs And Golden Knights Discussing Mitch Marner Sign And Trade, Could Include Nic RoyThe Mitch Marner sweepstakes could end before free agency begins.

Vegas' interest in the All-Star forward reportedly went back as far as last summer when Marner's future came into question. On July 1, 2024, the player was eligible to sign a contract extension with the Leafs but never engaged in those discussions. In recent days, word came that the Golden Knights, Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes had worked on a three-team trade that would have sent Marner to Toronto on a couple of occasions, but that the package never satisfied the Canes, thus ending that speculation.

Marner addressed his future on few occasions last season. When he reported to training camp he opened by saying he would not take questions or comment on his future. When word came to light of Carolina's attempt to land Marner ahead of the NHL trade deadline in a deal that would have seen forward Mikko Rantanen join Toronto. Marner declined the request and Rantanen was traded to the Dallas Stars and subsequently signed an eight-year deal worth $12 million per season.

The trade on Monday effectively ends the Marner era in Toronto. He leaves the Maple Leafs as the fifth-leading scorer in franchise history with 221 goals and 520 assists in 657 games. A local boy, Marner was drafted fourth overall in the 2015 NHL Draft and played nine seasons for his hometown club. But it ends on a bit of a sour note. The Leafs won just two playoff rounds during his tenure with the club. He was often scapegoated for the team's lack of postseason success.  In his final game as a Leaf, he was booed when he touched the puck in the last few shifts as they fell 6-1 in Game 7 of their second-round series against the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. It's a cautionary tale of a superstar that should have had more success beyond his individual accomplishments, which were plentiful, and should no doubt help a Vegas Club that has established success.

(Photo credit: IMAGN Images)

Report: Maple Leafs Trying To Re-Sign Steven Lorentz Before Free Agency OpensThe Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly attempting a last-minute effort to re-sign pending unrestricted free agent Steven Lorentz. Maple Leafs Trade for Matias Maccelli: Why Toronto Acquired Winger From Utah MammothThe 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. Maple Leafs Prospects Easton Cowan And Ben Danford Highlight 2025 Development Camp RosterThe Toronto Maple Leafs have announced their roster for this year's development camp.

Here are seven Hot Takes From The 2025 NHL Draft:

1. The Islanders were the overall winners for these reasons: A. They got the best player available; B. Matthew Schaefer could make the Isles varsity; C. GM Mathieu Darche was not suckered into sentimentality to take the Long Island prospect. 

2. The Sharks added to their extremely young core with forward Michael Misa. In a handful of years, San Jose will become a team to reckon with. 

3. The Rangers' choice of left winger, Malcolm Spence could have been a first-rounder. He'll prove to be a pleasant sleeper. 

4. Mason West, the Blackhawks 29th overall selection, is the most interesting pick of the draft. The 6’6”, 218 pound forward, is also a Division I recruited quarterback and committed to play hockey at Michigan State. 

5. Nashville’s fifth overall selection, Brady Martin surprised me. Nashville left a lot of talent on the board. That makes me wonder, did they fall in love with the person or the player? 

An Intensive Opinion On Rangers Drafting 2025Except for the first four or five "Automatic" Draft choices, opinions differ when the 2025 edition is examined.

6. The Canadiens took a chance on LJ Mooney, cousin of Utah’s Logan Cooley, and he won’t disappoint. Montreal has a thing for developing smaller players, and Mooney is next. 

7. Ethan Wyttenbach is an overlooked pick from the draft. The inaugural winner of The USHL’s Gaudreau Award, got drafted by the Flames. The same team that drafted Johnny, 14 years ago.

The Florida Panthers entered the off-season with another Stanley Cup championship and three big-name players on expiring contracts: Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand.

Bennett and Ekblad have been part of the Panthers' back-to-back Cup-winning core. Marchand joined in at the 2025 NHL trade deadline. Panthers GM Bill Zito has said they're discussing ways to keep all three of them, but there's little to no cap flexibility to make that happen.

Now, Bennett and Ekblad signed eight-year contract extensions, with the latter's coming to fruition the day before free agency at around a $6.1-million cap hit, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman and TSN's Pierre LeBrun. It wouldn't have been a surprise if Ekblad got a raise on his previous $7.5-million cap hit had he hit the UFA market. Instead, the 29-year-old took a pay cut of $1.4 million annually for a total of $11.2 million.

Bennett, 29, agreed on an eight-year contract worth $8 million per year. The Conn Smythe Trophy winner was one of the top pending UFA centers after recording 22 points in the playoffs and a career-high 51 points during the regular season.

That means the Panthers have about $4.9 million in projected cap space, according to PuckPedia. They acquired goaltender Daniil Tarasov from the Columbus Blue Jackets to fill in the backup role, but he's a pending RFA who also needs a new contract.

If the Panthers want Marchand to stay, they don't have much room to pull it off.

Marchand, 37, finished an eight-year contract with a $6.125-million cap hit. He had 20 points in Florida's Cup run and 51 points in 71 games between the Panthers and Boston Bruins during the regular season.

The Bruins' former captain is expected to get a raise, not a pay cut. TSN projects Marchand to make $8.1 million per year on his next contract, with Darren Dreger reporting the Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Utah Mammoth having strong interest in trying to sign him if he hits free agency. But Dreger also reported that the outside messaging expects Marchand to stay in Florida.

Since Marchand is over 34 years old, he could sign a one-year contract loaded with performance bonuses. The bonuses don't count toward the cap hit unless a team's potential bonuses exceed 7.5 percent of its total cap hit, according to PuckPedia. If the bonuses would have brought the team over the salary cap, that extra money would carry over to the following season, with the salary cap ceiling is expected to rise again.

Marchand could be the only Panthers player to carry performance bonuses if both parties agree on that structure. Another option includes deferred salary, which is expected to be banned in the next collective bargaining agreement.

Time will tell whether the Marchand and the Panthers stay together after a memorable run to the Stanley Cup. But one thing's for sure: if there's a will, there's a way.

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