NHL training camps begin in a little over a month, and while teams and players are gearing up, important business still needs to be handled by several teams.

Many of the teams with business left to deal with are clubs with RFAs without contracts. In the past, we've seen RFAs sign contracts just before training camp, during training camp and even on the eve of opening night. In other cases, like the infamous William Nylander and Toronto Maple Leafs holdout, we've seen players wait until the season has begun to sign a contract. 

No team wants this to happen, and players especially don't want it to happen, but at the end of the day, the NHL is a business, and the players and organization will do what they believe is best. 

There are a plethora of RFAs at the moment without a contract, and recently, news on many of these players' extensions is radio silent. 

Luke Hughes, New Jersey Devils

Luke Hughes feels like the least likely of any of the remaining RFAs to get traded, yet no deal between the club and player has formulated. Jack Hughes signed his eight-year, $8 million contract well before his entry-level contract ended, and although the situation is different for his brother, it's quite surprising that he signed. 

In his first 155 games, the 21-year-old has scored 17 goals and 93 points, while making improvements defensively and averaging over 21 minutes of ice time. Hughes, alongside Simon Nemec, project to be the catalysts of the Devils' blueline for the foreseeable future. According to Sportsnet's Luke Fox, Hughes isn't interested in a bridge deal, and he has discussed a long-term deal with the Devils, a contract the Devils are reportedly interested in. As of now, the only factor separating the two teams is the dollar amount. 

Mason McTavish, Anaheim Ducks

It's quite odd that the Ducks are willing to part ways with Mason McTavish, who is just 22 years old with 229 games of NHL experience under his belt. The former third overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft scored a career-high 22 goals and 52 points in 79 games this season, continuing to round out his game on the defensive side of the puck.

McTavish slots in perfectly in their top six, complementing Leo Carlsson, the Ducks' other young center. Cutter Gauthier looks to have transitioned into a winger in the NHL, and their top prospect, Beckett Sennecke, is also a winger. Outside of Roger McQueen, viewed as a project, there are no other young Ducks center's who play at the level McTavish does.

Either way, the Ducks' 6-foot-1, 219-pound center has garnered interest from a multitude of teams, including the Carolina Hurricanes, Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens, among many others. 

Marco Rossi, Minnesota Wild

Like McTavish, Marco Rossi's name repeatedly percolating in trade rumors is shocking. The 23-year-old scored 24 goals and 60 points this season, showcasing strong chemistry with Kirill Kaprizov and Matty Boldy when paired. Although he's a bit undersized, Rossi is a smart two-way player who could be sheltered against physical matchups with Joel Eriksson-Ek playing up the middle for the Wild as well. 

In an article by Laola,Rossi said he has already added 14 pounds to his frame. If the Wild aren't interested in keeping a young center with a strong work ethic, several teams are willing to take on that 'burden'.

Outside of these three big names, Luke Evangelista, Ryker Evans and Connor Zary remain without contracts, all of whom have been steady contributors to their teams. 

Evangelista looks to be a solid middle-six forward with a career-high of 16 goals and 39 points. Evans took a noticeable jump in his first full season with the Seattle Kraken, but after signing Ryan Lindgren to a four-year contract, his role in the top four looks non-existent. Zary is an immensely skilled winger whose season was shortened by a pair of major injuries. The 23-year-old possesses silky hands and could become a 20-goal and 50-60-point scorer in the NHL if he can stay healthy. 

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The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the best deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, but the organization’s developmental model has not yielded enough results. 

Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. All are 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals and have played less than 40 NHL games. 

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#36 - Ashton Schultz - Center (Chicago - USHL) 

 The Sabres continued their practice of selecting players with longer development windows, since they do not have to sign them within two years, as they do under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement with players selected out of the CHL. In the sixth round of the 2025 NHL Draft, Buffalo selected center Auston Schultz. 

The Victoria, MN native is a product of the vaunted Minnesota high school system and played 11 games in the USHL in 2023-24 before playing a full season for the Chicago Steel, where he scored 39 points (14 goals, 25 assists) in 57 games. The 18-year-old is slated to play at the University of North Dakota this fall. The 5’11”, 181 lb. center is described by Elite Prospects as “an intelligent two-way center with impressive details. Skill comes and goes, but he could fill a bottom-six role with added intensity and playmaking.” 

  

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NHL expansion fees have come a long way since the humble beginnings of the Ottawa Senators. When the Sens entered the league in the early '90s, the cost for an entire franchise was reported at the time as $50 million.

Today, Auston Matthews will make that over the next three and a half seasons.

Analyst John Shannon said this week he believes the NHL will soon become a 34-team league, with two more franchises added within the next five years. Sportico reported in late June that the new NHL expansion fee is expected to be a staggering $2 billion.

To put that in perspective, that’s 40 times more than the Senators paid in 1992. And it’s 1,000 times more than in 1967, when the modern NHL first expanded beyond the Original Six.

That 1967 expansion doubled the league’s size, adding six new teams: the California Seals, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and St. Louis Blues. The entry fee? Just $2 million per team.

In 1970, the NHL welcomed the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks, with their expansion fee jumping to $6 million each.

Two more teams joined in 1972–73: the New York Islanders and the Atlanta Flames. The fee stayed at $6 million, partly due to the NHL’s competition with the new rival league, the WHA. The Islanders, though, paid a little extra — $5 million — for stepping into Rangers territory.

In 1974–75, the Washington Capitals and Kansas City Scouts joined the league, again paying $6 million. The WHA was still around, and the NHL didn’t want to push its luck.

By 1979, the WHA stopped being a problem because, well, it stopped being a league. Four of its six remaining teams joined the NHL for $7.5 million each: the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and the original Winnipeg Jets.

The next true expansion wouldn’t happen until 1991–92, when the San Jose Sharks paid $45 million to join the league.

Enter our conquering heroes.

Five Ottawa Senators Who Wouldn't Look Out Of Place On The Ring of HonourThe Ottawa Senators' Ring of Honour was established to recognize players and team personnel who served the organization with distinction but don’t quite fit into the categories of team jersey retirement or the Hockey Hall of Fame.

A year later, the Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning got going. Ottawa’s expansion fee was $50 million (or $45 million depending on your source), which was money they didn’t have. Owner Bruce Firestone and his team smartly told the NHL everything it wanted to hear, then scrambled to raise the funds and build a rink after the fact.

The next season, the Florida Panthers and Mighty Ducks of Anaheim joined, each paying $50 million. The Nashville Predators joined in 1998–99, paying $80 million. The Atlanta Thrashers came next in 1999–2000, paying the same. Then came the Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild in 2000–01, also at $80 million apiece.

The league growth then remained inactive for a long period, but they made up for lost time in 2016, suddenly charging Vegas $500 million. In 2018, Seattle was awarded the 32nd franchise, set to begin play in 2021–22. The expansion fee? $650 million.

So there it is — your super brief, somewhat random history of NHL expansion in the modern era.

As for the next expansion team, Shannon thinks Atlanta might get another shot, despite the previous failures of the Flames and Thrashers. Both teams eventually moved to Canada — the Flames to Calgary, and the Thrashers to Winnipeg. Shannon also suggests Houston or Phoenix as possible destinations.

Unless you're a fan in one of those potential markets, most NHL fans aren’t clamouring for more teams. Expansion waters down the product, and tracking 32 teams is already exhausting for those who even try. That’s part of why no major pro sports league in North America has yet to go beyond that number. But it's coming.

Now, as we look back to Ottawa’s entry into the league, it’s worth remembering that the franchise was awarded in 1990, just as John Ziegler’s time as commissioner was winding down. Ziegler left in 1992, and it’s more than fair to wonder: would Ottawa have ever made it onto Gary Bettman’s NHL expansion radar once he took over in 1993? 

There have been eight expansion teams during his tenure, with apparently two more on the way, and Canada hasn't been part of any of it.  And now, with the reported franchise fee going from $650 million to $2 billion (USD), how many owners would now be lining up to put a team in Ottawa for $2.7 billion Canadian?

We didn't realize it at the time, but if the league had rejected Ottawa in 1990, there probably wasn't going to be a "next time" to fall back on. The Sens got in just under the wire.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa

This article originally appeared on The Hockey News website: Next NHL Expansion Fee May Be 40 Times More Than The Ottawa Senators Paid

More Sens Articles:

The Ottawa Senators' 2025-26 Lineup Is Probably Already Set
Should Batherson Have Been Considered For Team Canada's Orientation Camp?
Mark Stone Jokes That It Wasn't Always Easy Playing On Brady Tkachuk's Line
2018 World Junior Trial Ends: Former Senator Alex Formenton Found Not Guilty
Croatia's NHL Trailblazer: Meet Sens Prospect Bruno Idžan

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Start Your Engines - Feb. 22 2022 - Vol. 75 Issue 11 - Matt Larkin

“WHOOOAAAAA,” BOOMED THE crowd at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019. It sounded like a reaction to the slam-dunk competition at NBA all-star weekend. But fans were actually responding to a jaw-dropping draft pick.

The 2019 NHL draft attendees were justified in their mania. Moritz Seider wasn’t exactly an obscure nobody playing in the Turkish second division when the Detroit Red Wings picked him sixth overall, but every major prognosticator had ranked him outside the top 20. The pick was so “off the board” that Seider himself put his hands to his face when he heard his name called. He was that surprised.

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Making Seider the highest-drafted German defenseman in NHL history launched a new era in Hockeytown. The once powerful Red Wings’ engine had wheezed to a halt in 2016-17, ending a run of 25 consecutive playoff berths. That streak was the third-longest in NHL history. It had started as a source of pride for a franchise that captured four Stanley Cups between 1997 and 2008, but it gradually morphed into a rusty old anchor, dragging the team by its neck into deep, perennial mediocrity, with GM Ken Holland signing any decent veteran to a pricey long-term contract in hopes of keeping the streak alive. 

Divisional Focus: Red Wings Look to Snap Maple Leafs' Series Reign  The Red Wings aim to win four crucial divisional games over the Toronto Maple Leafs next season

By 2019, after three consecutive playoff misses, Holland stepped aside and proudly handed the keys to his friend, his former pupil and one of the top players in franchise history: Steve Yzerman.

Yzerman arrived from his GM job in Tampa ready to transform the Red Wings top to bottom, but doing so required patience. With so many bad contracts tethered to the team, he couldn’t make quick, wholesale changes, but he could let the boat sink to the ocean floor – by holding the team’s best young prospects off the NHL roster and letting a depleted Detroit squad bottom out for a couple seasons until he could throw some veterans overboard, buying out Justin Abdelkader and Frans Nielsen.

The tank job was epic enough to produce, in 2019-20, Yzerman’s first season as GM, the lowest points percentage by any NHL team since the expansion Atlanta Thrashers of 1999-2000.

But Yzerman’s initial brush stroke, before all that, was the first draft pick of his Wings tenure: Seider.

With that shocking selection, Yzerman sent the message he wasn’t confined to conventional thinking. Three years later, he has, in Seider, a future franchise pillar and Calder Trophy candidate. And Seider has company. Two of his teammates may wind up co-finalists for rookie of the year in the same season.

How did three freshman – Seider, right winger Lucas Raymond and goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic – become the new faces of a formerly floundering franchise seemingly overnight?

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In a recent interview following a paddle tournament, former New Jersey Devil Ilya Kovalchuk revealed that his official retirement announcement will “be official soon.”

Kovalchuk spoke with Russian news outlet Sports-Express on August 4, 2025, where he was asked about Bob Hartley’s return to the KHL and Spartak’s upcoming prospects.

The interview was pretty standard until Kovalchuk was asked about retirement.

When asked if an official retirement statement was coming and whether he still had the desire to play, Kovalchuk said:

“I think it will be official soon. I have said many times that I am not preparing for the season as seriously as before. I have more free time so I can play paddle.”

The winger’s career began in 2001 when he was selected first overall by the Atlanta Thrashers. He played there until 2009, when the New Jersey Devils acquired him.

On July 19, 2010, Kovalchuk signed one of the most significant contracts in NHL history, a 17-year, $102 million deal that shook the league. The NHL rejected the initial version, ruling it violated the salary cap structure. A revised 15-year, $100 million contract was eventually approved.

He played four seasons in Newark before shocking the hockey world by leaving the NHL to join SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, walking away from 12 years and $77 million remaining on his deal with New Jersey.

12 Years Ago Today: Ilya Kovalchuk Announced His Retirement from the NHL On this day in 2013, New Jersey Devils right winger Ilya Kovalchuk announced his retirement from the NHL. At the time, Kovalchuk still had 12 years and $77 million remaining on his contract.

Kovalchuk un-retired from the NHL in 2018 and bounced around several teams to close out his career. In total, he played 926 NHL games and recorded 876 points (443 goals, 433 assists).

Had he fulfilled the original Devils contract, Kovalchuk would just now be reaching the end of that deal.

Instead, his career has taken a winding path, from the KHL to the NHL and now, seemingly, toward retirement. At the paddle tournament, he confirmed that the announcement is coming soon.

Similar to players like Vasily Koshechkin, who held farewell matches when ending their careers, Kovalchuk was asked how he envisioned saying goodbye to the game. He admitted he wasn’t quite sure:

“I have said many times that I don’t yet have a clear idea of how it should look, so when I have some thoughts, I will definitely do something interesting.”

After signing the NHL’s largest contract at the time, abruptly leaving the Devils, and returning to the league years later, it finally sounds like the end of a whirlwind career for Ilya Kovalchuk.

Photo Credit: © Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

NHL.com ranked their top forwards under 25 entering this season, and it came as no surprise that Devils’ Jack Hughes landed second on the list.

Hughes is entering his seventh year with the Devils after being selected first overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

He’s been a staple for New Jersey both on and off the ice. At just 24 years old, Hughes has scored at least 26 goals in each of the past four seasons, though injuries have kept him from showcasing his full potential.

Hughes also happens to have one of the best, if not the best, contracts in the NHL. He’s entering year four of an eight-year, $64 million deal, with an average annual value of $8 million.

Jack Hughes Ranked No. 1 NHL Contract by The AthleticDom Luszczyszyn, NHL analyst for The Athletic (a New York Times publication), recently ranked the best contracts across the NHL. From Leon Draisaitl’s eight-year, $14 million AAV deal (ranked 6th) to Brandon Hagel’s seven-year, $6.5 million AAV contract (ranked 2nd), some of the league’s biggest stars made the list.

Given his performance, skill, and the overall value he brings to the team, this deal is a steal for New Jersey.

The only player ranked ahead of Hughes? Tim Stützle of the Ottawa Senators. Stützle is a year younger, but his impact in Ottawa mirrors what Hughes has done in New Jersey.

Stützle helped lead the Senators to their first Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance since 2017 and paced the team with 79 points in 82 games last season. He’s hit the 70-point mark in each of the last three seasons, which secured him the No. 1 spot in the rankings.

Right behind him is New Jersey’s very own.

Hughes has dealt with two major injuries in his career, the first in 2021 and again last season, when a shoulder injury required season-ending surgery.

Still, Hughes remains a centerpiece of the Devils’ lineup.

In 368 NHL games, he has tallied 141 goals and 210 assists. Before last season’s injury, he posted 70 points in just 62 games.

His impact on the Devils is immeasurable. He’s grown into the face of the franchise.

It’s no surprise that the slick Devils forward is ranked second on the list of best forwards under 25. Injured or not, he’s proven just how valuable he is.

In 2022-23, when fully healthy, Hughes recorded 99 points in 78 games. He’s one of only 11 NHL players to average at least 1.10 points per game over the last four seasons, despite the injuries.

The Devils made the right choice with their 2019 first-overall pick. And if Hughes can stay healthy, don’t be surprised if he claims the top spot soon.

Photo Credit: © Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Carolina Hurricanes may have finished with one of the best regular-season records and advanced all the way to the Eastern Conference Final this past season, but they went through a lot as a team.

In January, the Hurricanes completed a blockbuster trade acquiring superstar Mikko Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche in a deal that included Martin Necas. 

Rantanen played in just 13 games in Carolina before it became clear that he was not willing to sign a contract extension with the Hurricanes, which resulted in the team trading him to the Dallas Stars ahead of the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. 

While Carolina received young emerging forward Logan Stankoven in the trade with Dallas, losing both Necas and Rantanen had a big impact on the Hurricanes. 

The Hurricanes ultimately lost to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final, something goalie Pyotr Kochetkov partly feels is due to the loss of Necas and Rantanen. 

“Florida had a deeper bench, a stronger lineup,” Kochetkov said. “They managed the salary cap really well, while we lost some players. Yes, we added Stanky [Logan Stankoven], and I’m confident he’s going to be a big player—he already showed it in the playoffs. But we lost [Mikko] Rantanen and [Martin] Necas—it would be foolish to ignore that, because they’re key players, team leaders. Even though Rantanen didn’t become a leader with us, you saw yourself what he did in Dallas. 

“You could say he carried the team to the second round when they beat Colorado in Game 7. I think we lacked depth, and maybe a bit of that gritty play and the kind of guys who thrive in that kind of hockey,”

That’s all in the past now though, as the Hurricanes believe in Stankoven’s potential, so much so that they gave him an eight-year, $48 million contract extension this summer. 

The Hurricanes Reportedly Have Been ‘Keeping Tabs’ On Mason McTavishThe Carolina Hurricanes have had an eventful offseason, but they may not be done just yet. 

Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky went out and made big moves this offseason to bolster the roster, including signing Nikolaj Ehlers and trading for K’Andre Miller. 

Despite the whole Rantanen fiasco, the Hurricanes still are Stanley Cup contenders and have gotten even better over the summer. 

Now, we’ll have to see if the Hurricanes are ready to face their demons and power their way through the Eastern Conference en route to the Stanley Cup Final in June.

The Edmonton Oilers are waiting for Connor McDavid to decide what he wants to do in regards to a contract extension. The superstar has one year remaining on his current deal at $12.5 million, but speculation is everywhere about the kind of extension he'll sign. 

Even if the Oilers get what they want, which is an eight-year extension that locks McDavid in as the salary cap rises, the organization should give their captain an internal window to win. 

McDavid will dictate the terms of his extension and the Oilers will gladly oblige. If he wants two years, Edmonton will sign that extension. If he wants four, they'll do that too. If McDavid has no desire to leave his buddy Leon Draisaitl, and chooses to lock in long-term, the Oilers will say 'Thank you, how much would you like?'

That doesn't mean Edmonton should give McDavid carte blanche to control the narrative in Edmonton when it comes to winning and losing, roster construction, or trade conversations. 

Would Trading McDavid Be The End of the Oilers?

During a recent interview on the Empty Netters Podcast, former NHL defenseman James Wisniewski said, “Do you think Edmonton’s going to have a duplicate Wayne Gretzky? Let’s talk about this. I think it’s going to happen.”

Co-host of the show, Dan Powers added, “Edmonton would cease to exist.”

Oilers Full 2025-26 Regular Season ScheduleEDMONTON – Public service announcement time.

That's some serious hyperbole there, even if a McDavid trade were to hit the city nearly as hard as the fan base was emotionally stung by the Gretzky trade. Still, at some point, one has to ask, 'When is enough, enough?'

The Oilers Should Consider a McDavid Trade In Year Four

If McDavid signs a long-term deal, the Oilers should be open to the idea that trading McDavid might be the correct play. As hard as it would be to watch another generational talent move on, McDavid's job isn't just to be the best player in the world. The Oilers need him to lead them to another Stanley Cup. If he can't do that in the next four seasons, it will be time to try something else. 

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Granted, McDavid may ultimately beat the Oilers to the punch if the organization doesn't win it all. But, if he decides to end his NHL career in Edmonton, the Oilers can't get complacent. Playing with Draisaitl is all well and good, but like the "Core Four" in Toronto, if it doesn't work, there has be change and the Oilers can't be afraid to make it. 

McDavid is the best player in the NHL. There is undeniable faith he and the Oilers will get over the hump and win the Stanley Cup while he's in his prime. However, his trade value won't remain outrageously high forever. If the Oilers need to move on and get a Gretzky-like return, that won't happen in the fifth or sixth year of McDavid's extension. 

There should be an understanding by both sides, regardless of the length of his contract extension, that winning is of the utmost importance. If it doesn't happen, a sit-down about his future should take place. 

The hope in Edmonton is that it never comes to that. At the same time, GM Stan Bowman and the organization need to be pragmatic about their expectations.

The biggest contract in the NHL has to come with some responsibility. In other words, the Oilers should say, 'We'll give you want you want, for however long you want. But, you've got four years to lead us to a Cup. If that doesn't happen, let's both agree that we'll talk about your future and the direction of this team.'

What Is The Risk In Having This Conversation With McDavid?

Do the Oilers have the stones to tell McDavid that his new extension comes with strings attached? It seems risky to do so, given that he could wait if he doesn't like what's said and bolt as an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season. At the same time, McDavid seems to be the kind of player who is already putting that pressure on his shoulders. 

He said at the end of the season, “If I feel that there’s a good window to win here over and over again, then signing is no problem.” What he didn't mention was that he's arguably the biggest factor in the Oilers' ability to win. Yes, the team around him needs to be championship material. However, regardless of who is on the roster, everyone follows his lead. 

The Oilers go as McDavid goes. If he can't lead this team to where it needs to go in a reasonable amount of time, both sides can't be afraid to have that difficult conversation. 

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