The Vancouver Canucks have made another free-agent signing, inking defenceman Pierre-Olivier Joseph to a one-year contract worth $775K. Joseph has previously spent most of his NHL playing time with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team that both Canucks General Manager Patrik Allvin and President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford have worked with in the past. 

“Pierre-Olivier has good speed and mobility and will add to our depth on the back end,” said Allvin in a statement released earlier today. “His addition gives us a player with some solid NHL and pro hockey experience, he is comfortable playing both sides, and he won a world championship with Tyler Myers in 2023. We look forward to getting him here to start working with our group.”

Joseph is a former first-round draft pick, selected 23rd overall in 2017 by the Arizona Coyotes. He never ended up playing a game for the Coyotes, however, instead making his NHL debut for the Penguins after being traded there. He skated in his first NHL game on January 22, 2021, adding an assist and three shots on goal. 

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In 194 NHL games spread over five NHL seasons, Joseph has scored eight goals and 32 assists. Most recently, he had two assists in 23 games for the St. Louis Blues, and one assist in 24 games for the Penguins, as he played for both teams in the 2024-25 season. In St. Louis, he had the opportunity to play with his older brother, Mathieu, who won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021. 

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He never won a scoring championship or a Hart Trophy. He was never named a first-team all-star. And he never garnered huge headlines.

But make no mistake, Alex Delvecchio was a great player, one of the NHL's all-time greats. In fact. Not only did Delvecchio, who died at the age of 93 on Tuesday, center one of the NHL's all-time greatest lines, but he also represented the epitome of integrity, selflessness and enduring durability.

Unlike his famous linemates Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay on 'The Production Line', Delvecchio played his entire career with the Red Wings and was captain of the team for longer than both Howe and Lindsay combined. Only Steve Yzerman was captain of the franchise for longer.

Delvecchio also won three Lady Byng Trophies as the league's most gentlemanly player to match the number of Stanley Cups he won. And all the while, he managed to be remarkably consistent, missing only 43 games during his 23-year career.

Watch today's video column for more, and share your thoughts.

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As the NHL draft concluded on June 28th, 27 of our league’s own officially began their new careers as NHL rookies. Vaclav Nestrasil and Ryker Lee from Muskegon and Madison respectively lead their USHL peers as the 25th and 26th pick in the first round.

Below is a list of every NHL rookie drafted from the USHL this year.

Round 1

Vaclav Nestrasil – RW, drafted 25th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks from the Muskegon Lumberjacks

At 6’6”, this Prague native is a fantastic young enforcer that never gives up on the play. Excellent while playing off-puck, Nestrasil brings a level of unselfishness to the Blackhawks that will bring a multitude of goals for the team.

Ryker Lee – RW, drafted 26th overall by the Nashville Predators from the Madison Capitols

In 58 games with the Capitols, Lee managed to lead his team with 68 points. The elusive shoot-first winger closed his season doing it all by collected a team-high of 37 assists with a team high of 31 goals to go along with them. If utilized well, Ryker Lee could pose a great threat to the NHL.

Round 2

Jacob Rombach – D, drafted 3rd in the 2nd round by the Nashville Predators from the Lincoln Stars

Ivan Ryabkin – C, drafted 30th in the 2nd round by Carolina Hurricanes from the Muskegon Lumberjacks

Ben Kevan – RW, drafted 31st in the 2nd round by the New Jersey Devils from the Des Moines Buccaneers

Round 3

Sean Barnhill – D, drafted 6th in the 3rd round by the New York Rangers from the Dubuque Fighting Saints

Michael Pradel – G, drafted 11th in the 3rd round by the Detroit Red Wings from the Tri-City Storm

Mason Moe – C, drafted 26th in the 3rd round by the New Jersey Devils from the Madison Capitols

Brady Peddle – D, drafted 27th in the 3rd round by the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Waterloo Black Hawks

Teddy Multryn – C, drafted 31st in the 3rd round by the San Jose Sharks from the Chicago Steel

Round 4

Adam Benak – C, drafted 6th in the 4th round by the Minnesota Wild from the Youngstown Phantoms

Caeden Herrington – D, drafted 24th in the 4th round by the Los Angeles Kings from the Lincoln Stars

Round 5

Sam Laurila – D, drafted 10th in the 5th round by the New York Islanders from the Fargo Force

Ethan Wyttenbach – LW, drafted 16th in the 5th round by the Calgary Flames from the Sioux Falls Stampede

Jackson Crowder – C, drafted 27th in the 5th round by the Washington Capitals from the Chicago Steel

Round 6

Ashton Schultz – C, drafted 7th in the 6th round by the Buffalo Sabres from the Chicago Steel

Anthony Allain-Samake – D, drafted 8th in the 6th round by the Anaheim Ducks from the Sioux City Musketeers

Carter Sanderson – LW, drafted 9th in the 6th round by the Pittsburgh Penguins from the Muskegon Lumberjacks

Bruno Idzan – LW, drafted 21st in the 6th round by the Ottawa Senators from the Lincoln Stars

Edison Engle – D, drafted 28th in the 6th round by the Winnipeg Jets from the Dubuque Fighting Saints

Round 7

Caleb Heil – G, drafted 1st in the last round by the Tampa Bay Lightning from the Madison Capitols

Brendan McMorrow – C, drafted 4th in the last round by the Los Angeles Kings from the Waterloo Black Hawks

Matthew Lansing – C, drafted 15th in the last round by the Vancouver Canucks from the Fargo Force

Maxon Vig – D, drafted 17th in the last round by the Montreal Canadiens from the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

Nolan Roed – C, drafted 22nd in the last round by the Colorado Avalanche from the Tri-City Storm

Ryan Rucinski – C, drafted 27th in the last round by the Buffalo Sabres from the Youngstown Phantoms

Aidan Park – C, drafted 31st in the last by the Edmonton Oilers from the Green Bay Gamblers

ST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild announced the signing of goaltender Cal Petersen to a one-year, one-way contract worth $775,000. 

The Wild were in search of a depth goaltender with experience in the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL). Petersen fits the bill. 

Petersen, 30, went 13-15-3 with a 3.14 goals-against average (GAA) and .885 save percentage (SV%) in 31 games last season with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. 

The native of Iowa, has played in 106 NHL games where he has gone 46-44-10 with a 2.96 GAA, .903 SV% and four shutouts.

The 6-foot-1 goaltender has played in parts of six NHL seasons with the Los Angeles Kings (2018-23) and Philadelphia Flyers (2023-24).

He was once signed to a three-year contract at $15 million ($5M AAV) with the Kings. He has struggled since then and has found himself in the AHL the last two years. 

This signing provides the Wild with some goaltending depth in case Filip Gustavsson or Jesper Wallstedt get hurt during the season. 

Other Wild News

Minnesota Wild Sign Forward Tyler Pitlick To A Two-Year, Two-Way ContractST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild will announce some American Hockey League (AHL) depth signings pretty soon. They started things off with the signing of forward Tyler Pitlick. 

Minnesota Wild Sign Forward Nico Sturm To A Two-Year DealST. PAUL, Minn - As previously written, Nico Sturm would be

Wild Issue Qualifying Offers To Marco Rossi, Michael Milne & Part Ways With Four PlayersST. PAUL, Minn - The Minnesota Wild announced qualifying offers for forwards

For once, the Toronto Maple Leafs have something that they haven’t had in about a decade: salary cap space.

There’s just one big problem: there’s no one left to spend it on.

Fresh off winning a Stanley Cup, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad all decided to re-sign with the Florida Panthers. Brock Boeser re-signed with Vancouver. Patrick Kane re-signed with Detroit. And pretty much everyone from Mikael Granlund and Brandon Tanev to Corey Perry and Vladislav Gavrikov were quickly taken off board once the free agency period began.

And so, instead of going on a guilt-free shopping spree on July 1, the Leafs took their $12 million in savings and went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of cheaper items.

They got third-line center Nicolas Roy from Vegas for the rights to Marner. They traded a conditional third-round draft pick to Utah for left winger Matias Maccelli. And they signed Michael Pezzetta, Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Travis Boyd each for less than $1 million each.

Maybe there's more to come. But anyone who tells you this lineup is not significantly worse today than the one that was booed off the ice after losing in Game 7 to the Florida Panthers is lying.

It’s worse. It’s much, much worse.

And it looks like it’s not getting any better.

Leafs GM Brad Treliving said don’t judge the team on July 1, because the season doesn't start on July 2. But what’s going to magically happen between now and the actual start of the season in October? Barring a trade, who is left?

But, but, but who’s left? https://t.co/iELXg3oeo0

— Michael Traikos (@Michael_Traikos) July 2, 2025

As of July 2, Nikolaj Ehlers was suddenly the top name on the board. However, if you didn't like how Marner performed in the playoffs, chances are you're not going to be happy with Ehlers, who has nine playoff goals in his 10-year NHL career. Worse, the Leafs won't be the only one bidding on his services.

"If you're looking for a top-six forward there wasn't a long list of them," Treliving told reporters on July 1. "If you're one of those teams that has a top six forward and you're not going to sign your own guy, you're looking at the same list. So, it really steers you to a point where the anticipation was a lot of those guys were going to sign back with their teams, which ended up happening.”

So what happens next? What happens if this is it?

Say what you want about Marner’s lack of post-season success, but he was a 100-point right winger last season. The Leafs replaced him with Roy and Maccelli, who combined for 23 goals and 49 points. No one thought you’d be able to find another player who could match Marner’s production. After all, there are few in the NHL who can do what he does, whether it’s from a playmaking or a penalty-killing perspective.

NHL Free Agency Frenzy 2025: Live Tracker And AnalysisWelcome to the NHL Free Agency Frenzy of 2025.

Still, there was a sense the Leafs would improve their DNA by signing a combination of players who could provide the team with some level of grit, size and other intangibles.

That really hasn’t happened. And if it doesn’t, there is a real sense that the Leafs could take a step backward next season.

Maybe they aren’t in danger of missing the playoffs. But in a division where Florida retained all their core pieces, Tampa Bay didn’t lose anyone of significance and Ottawa, Montreal and Detroit all got better, Toronto is no longer a lock to finish first again.

By the looks of it, they might not be a top-three team — much less a Stanley Cup contender (not that they every really were).

Not unless Treliving can end up with Ehlers or swing a significant trade and end up with some pieces that will make fans forget about losing Marner.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have added another depth player via NHL free agency.

The Maple Leafs have signed Vinni Lettieri to a one-year, $775,000 contract. The 30-year-old right-shot forward spent all of last season in the Boston Bruins organization. Lettieri appeared in 26 games with the Bruins, scoring three goals and two assists, and 47 games with the AHL's Providence Bruins, where he put up 21 goals and 29 assists for 50 points in 47 games.

As an undrafted forward out of the University of Minnesota, Lettieri signed an entry-level contract with the New York Rangers in 2017. After three years in the organization, the Excelsior, Minnesota native played two seasons in the Anaheim Ducks' system (2020-2022).

He signed a one-year contract with the Bruins in 2022, spent most of the season in Providence, and joined the Minnesota Wild on a one-year contract in 2023. Lettieri played a career-high 46 NHL games with the Wild and scored nine points (five goals and four assists).

Why the Maple Leafs Are Expected to Target Top-Six Forward Help Through Trades, Not Free AgencyThe Toronto Maple Leafs have a Mitch Marner-sized hole in their lineup opted for a sign and trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. But when the clock struck noon for the opening of free agency, the Leafs were quiet.

In 155 NHL games, Lettieri has 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points, plus 287 points (141 goals and 146 assists) in 324 career AHL games.

This is the fifth depth signing Toronto has made over the last 24 hours after losing the likes of Pontus Holmberg, Alex Steeves, Alex Nylander, and Nick Abruzzese to free agency. The Maple Leafs signed Michael Pezzetta and Benoit-Olivier Groulx, along with defenseman Dakota Mermis, to two-year deals with an annual average value of $812,500.

Toronto also added former Maple Leaf Travis Boyd on a one-year, $775,000 contract.

'We Wanted To Get Through The First Part Of Free Agency': Maple Leafs Not Closing The Door On Max Pacioretty ReturnEven after a quiet free agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs aren't closing the door on bringing Max Pacioretty back.

According to PuckPedia, on a 23-man roster, the Maple Leafs now have just shy of $5 million to play with for the remainder of the offseason.

(Top photo of Lettieri: Timothy T. Ludwig / Imagn Images)

The Detroit Red Wings announced a two-year extension with depth forward Elmer Söderblom.

The Red Wings announced on Wednesday, the extension of winger Elmer Söderblom to a new two-year deal with an annual cap hit at $1.125 million per season. 

After recording 17 points through 38 AHL games in Grand Rapids this past season, Söderblom could be given a extended look at a main roster spot. 

A former sixth-round pick in 2019, Söderblom has posted respectable numbers with a 0.45 point-per-game pace in the AHL and 0.40 in the NHL. Production that might be giving Steve Yzerman and Detroit’s front office something to think about as they assess potential bottom-six options, where roster spots could be up for grabs.

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At 6-foot-8 and roughly 250 pounds, the 23-year-old Swedish winger can look to borrow from the likes of Brian Boyle. The former longtime bottom-six centre carved out a meaningful role for himself as he would record 20-35 points while also working as a great physical tone setter. 

Boyle's role made him an impact through 124 playoff games in which he went to two straight Stanley Cup Finals in 2014 and 2015 with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

This role could be more than attainable for Söderblom as he's shown slightly higher upside in terms of scoring and could learn how to use his large body to leave to lasting impact on opponents. 

The entire NHL has been put on notice by the Florida Panthers as physical, gritty hockey is what wins championships now and a role player like Söderblom could be a step in the right direction for the Red Wings.

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While the Pittsburgh Penguins have been making plenty of smaller moves at the NHL level since the start of unrestricted free agency on Tuesday, they've also been shoring up depth at the developmental levels of the organization.

On Wednesday, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - re-signed goaltender Taylor Gauthier and signed forward Aidan McDonough, both to one-year AHL contracts.

Gauthier, 24, has been excellent over parts of the past three seasons within the Penguins' organization. At the ECHL level, he won ECHL Goaltender of the Year honors in 2023-24, when he posted a .923 save percentage and 2.23 goals-against average to go along with four shutouts and a 24-16-2 record.

He was also excellent in split duties with fellow goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov this past season in Wheeling - even improving his numbers from the year prior - as he bolstered a .928 save percentage and a 2.06 goals-against average. Gauthier figures to, potentially, tandem with Murashov again next season, but this time, at the AHL level. 

At the AHL level so far, Gauthier is 10-5-7 with a .908 save percentage and 2.77 goals against average. He will, likely, battle for a role with the WBS Penguins, along with Murashov and Filip Larsson, who is under contract through the end of the 2025-26 season.

Penguins Sign Anthony Mantha To One-Year DealThe

McDonough, 25, captained the Northeastern University Huskies from 2019-23 and recorded 66 goals and 124 points in 124 games. A former seventh-round pick (195th overall) of the Vancouver Canucks in 2019, the 6-foot-2, 201-pound forward appeared in six NHL games for the Canucks in 2022-23, registering one point.

He spent the last two seasons in the AHL, first with the Abbotsford Canucks and next with the Charlotte Checkers. Last season for the Checkers, he recorded 10 goals and 16 points in just 16 games, as a broken leg resulting from a fight kept him out for most of the season. 

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Feature image credit: Bob Frid - Imagn Images