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The Calgary Flames have re-signed winger Dryden Hunt to a two-year two-way contract extension with an AAV of $825,000.

The 29-year-old played 33 games for Calgary in two seasons, scoring three goals and 11 points.

He has played 89 games for Calgary's AHL affiliate team, the Wranglers, scoring 28 goals and 86 points, but it was last season where he scored a-point-a-game in 49 games with 16 goals, prompting Calgary to sign him to a two-way extension.

The former undraftee has played a total of 235 NHL games, scoring 18 goals and 54 points. 

Twenty-three years ago today, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jose Theodore won the Hart Trophy. It was the 16th time a Hab player had won the MVP honor and only the second time a goaltender had managed it (Jacques Plante won it in 1961-62).

That season, Theodore played 67 games for the Canadiens, posting a 30-24-10 record while maintaining a 2.11 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. While Plante won 42 games in the year of his win, his numbers weren’t as high as the Laval native's; he had a 2.37 GAA and a .923 SV.

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That year, Theodore also won the Vezina Trophy and the Roger Crozier MBNA Saving Grace Award, in recognition of the goaltender with the best save percentage in the NHL. It was presented from the 1999-00 season through the 2006-07 season, and only seven goaltenders won it, including another Canadiens’ goaltender, Cristobal Huet.

It looked like the Canadiens were set in goal for a long time with Theodore, but things didn’t go as planned. His stats plummeted in 2005-06, when he posted 17 wins in 38 games with Montreal, but only maintained a 3.46 GAA and a .881 SV%. During that season, he also failed a random drug test because he was taking hair loss medication; he wasn’t sanctioned by the NHL but was banned from international play for two years. Outperformed by backup Cristobal Huet, Theodore was flipped to the Colorado Avalanche at the deadline for Swiss goaltender David Aebischer.

Theodore struggled to find his form back in Denver. He spent part of three seasons in Colorado, with his last being his best, boasting a 2.44 GAA, a .910 SV%, and a 28-21-3 record. Still, the Avs had seen enough, and he wasn’t offered another contract at the end of the 2007-08 season and joined the Washington Capitals on a two-year contract.

Theodore had hoped that joining Alexander Ovechkin’s side would be a path to a Stanley Cup win, but the Caps lost in the second round to eventual Cup champions Sidney Crosby and his Pittsburgh Penguins. Then, in 2009-2010, Theodore was a casualty of the Halak Spring when the Canadiens beat Washington in the first round of the playoffs. The former Hab started the first two games, but was replaced by Semyon Varlamov in the second one, and the Russian remained in the net for the rest of the series. That same year, Theodore won the Bill Masterton Trophy after playing through the trauma of the death of his two-month-old son, who had been born prematurely.

Theodore would go on to play three more seasons in the NHL, one with the Minnesota Wild and two with the Florida Panthers, but he retired without ever winning the Stanley Cup.

Photo credit: James Lang-Imagn Images

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A center with ‘really, really strong' upside could be first-round sleeper for Flyers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The 2025 NHL draft is a huge one for the Flyers’ rebuild.

Not only does Danny Briere have a lot of high-round picks at his disposal, but he also could be creative in how he uses them.

“There are all kinds of possibilities here,” the Flyers’ general manager said in April. “I think it’s really exciting going into it. It’s powerful to have so many picks like that. I think a lot of teams will be wanting to have discussions with us to make some things happen — teams that don’t have picks or teams that want to tweak things.”

So it’s a busy time for the Flyers leading up to the draft, which will be held June 27-28. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at noon ET.

“There are really good players in this draft,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said May 27 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Maybe people say it’s not a good draft; I’m not buying it. I think this draft has got lots of good players.”

The Flyers are slotted to make 11 picks, including three first-rounders and four second-rounders. Their first-round selections will come at No. 6 (own pick), No. 22 (Sean Walker trade) and No. 31 (Oilers trade).

Before the draft arrives, we’re breaking down first-round targets for the Flyers.

Next up:

Jack Nesbitt

Position: Center
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 186
Shoots: Left
Team: Windsor

Scouting report

Nesbitt has excellent length and smarts, which make him super effective on the forecheck and finishing in close.

With more opportunity down the stretch, the 18-year-old pivot stood out on a loaded 2024-25 Spitfires club. From February to the end of the regular season, he put up 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 18 games.

For a team that had 124-point Ilya Protas and 119-point Liam Greentree, Nesbitt recorded 64 points (25 goals, 39 assists) and a plus-12 rating in 65 games. Six of his goals came on the power play, two were at shorthanded and he won 51.4 percent of his faceoffs. He added 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 12 playoff games.

“He’s a player that, like, it’s unanimous with our group,” Dan Marr, the vice president of NHL Central Scouting, said June 11 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Nesbitt is the 15th-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting. When Marr worked for the Maple Leafs as an amateur scout, Toronto drafted Nesbitt’s head coach Greg Walters in 1990. Thanks to that connection, Marr had no problem letting Walters know about his displeasure with Nesbitt’s minutes earlier in the season.

“I was getting mad at him because I didn’t think he was playing him enough,” Marr, who worked in scouting and player development for over 20 years, said. “But I give the kid credit, the kid earned more and more ice time as the season went along, they had him out in more key situations.”

The knock on Nesbitt right now would be his lack of foot speed. His ability to separate and score will need work. But he brings intriguing size down the middle and a fluid skating stride.

“We think his upside is really, really strong,” Marr said. “I think teams will step up for him. It was consensus with our group and I think it’s consensus with a lot of NHL teams. Windsor was very well-scouted near the end of the year and in the playoffs just because he continued to elevate his game as the season went along. So I think this is a player that teams will step up for. He has got so much room to grow, so much room.”

EliteProspects.com has Nesbitt at No. 48 overall, while Button has him at 38th.

“This is a guy who can really move well, he has got good hands and he has got a decent touch around the net,” Marr said. “Just his hockey instincts, with and without the puck, they’re very, very impressive.”

Fit with Flyers

So much has been made of the Flyers potentially landing a center at No. 6. But if they were to snag Nesbitt with their second or third first-round pick, that would add some solid depth at a position of need.

His strengths are in the details of the game, so his floor at worst might be a third-line center. But his ceiling really seems to be high and he could be in for an offensive breakout as he becomes a go-to guy with the Spitfires.

The Flyers went the OHL route in the first round last summer when they took speedy center Jett Luchanko. Nesbitt would be another OHL center with some all-situation qualities.

More targets

• Hagens is ‘Matt Duchene type of player’ who could be on Flyers’ radar at No. 6

• Flyers would probably love if Barkov-like prospect is available at No. 6

• ‘Fascinating,’ 6-foot-5 center has tons of intrigue for Flyers at No. 6

• Younger brother of Flyers prospect is ‘complete’ center and option at No. 6

• ‘David Krejci-like’ center with plenty of upside would give Flyers good decision

• Could a 6-foot-6, ‘just blossoming’ defenseman be a fit for Flyers at No. 6?

• Will Flyers grab prospect with ‘really, really unique’ combination at No. 6?

• Reschny’s performance vs. 2024 top prospect should have Flyers’ eye in first round

• Flyers could have three shots at ‘dynamic, explosive skater’ on the wing

• Finding another Foerster? Flyers may have one if they draft Bear in first round

• Martone would offer Flyers ‘pretty complete package’ if he’s there at No. 6

• Flyers’ future power play QB? 6-foot-4 defenseman has ‘offensive punch’

• ‘That’s how tight it is’ — Eklund could interest Flyers among international prospects

ST. LOUIS -- Now that the 2024-25 season is behind and the Florida Panthers repeated as Stanley Cup champions, it's a quick turnaround for everyone looking ahead to 2025-26.

For the St. Louis Blues, the focus turns to the 2025 NHL Draft in Los Angeles on June 27-28, where they'll -- barring trade(s) -- have a first-, a fifth-, and a sixth-round pick and no rest for the weary because free agency then kicks off July 1st. 

There's also a development camp, which takes place June 30-July 3 and features some of the top prospects in the organization, but for the immediate needs, what will be the focus of the Blues to improve on their 44-30-8 record and entry into the playoffs for the first time in three years?

The center position seems to be a logical place, but since we last wrote on some prospective targets in the UFA market, even taking a stab at the RFA market should general manager Doug Armstrong go down that route, the center position has dwindled with the recent signings of Brock Nelson back to the Colorado Avalanche and Matt Duchene re-signing with the Dallas Stars, among others. 

What will happen with pending restricted free agent Joel Hofer, who could be in line for an offer sheet should the goalie and the Blues not come to an agreement by July 1?

Do the Blues look to alter the blue line, where it has already been confirmed that veteran Torey Krug's days in the NHL are likely over barring a miraculous recovery from an arthritic condition in his left ankle? Will veterans Justin Faulk and/or Nick Leddy be in play on the trade market?

The Blues have all sorts of options on the table and just north of $13 million in cap space at their disposal should they get the green light to use it or choose to use it. 

The NHL’s free-agency period is fast approaching, so it’s time to break down the key free agents who will soon be on the open market. 

We began the process by looking at the top seven looming UFA defensemen. And today, we’re turning our attention to the league’s top-six soon-to-be UFA wingers.

1. Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Far and away the most high-profile UFA, Marner is heavily rumoured not to be returning to the Maple Leafs, his hometown team and only employer in his nine-year NHL career. Marner set new personal bests on offense in 2024-25, including 75 assists and 102 points in 81 games. He’s going to get a significant raise on the $10.9 million he made last season, and the only question is which new team he’ll be playing for next year.

At 28 years old, Marner is in his prime, and he’s likely to choose a team close to winning a Stanley Cup. That could be the Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, Vegas Golden Knights or a different team. But regardless of where he goes, Marner is going to be earning north of $12 million, and there will be plenty of teams willing to pony up that amount for him.

2. Brad Marchand, LW, Florida Panthers

Few NHLers earned themselves more of a raise in the 2025 post-season than Marchand, who posted 10 goals and 20 points in 23 playoff games. Marchand was always likely to get some sort of raise heading into the playoffs, but his dominance when games matter most is what will be driving his asking price well beyond the $6.125 million he earned in 2024-25.

The 37-year-old Marchand may be looking at his final NHL contract, so contract length could be the difference between him choosing one team over another. But there’s no question teams including the Panthers, Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins will be highly motivated to add his championship pedigree and dogged-determination-to-win to the table. Marchand did all the right things this year, and his salary is going to get a giant boost because of it.

3. Brock Boeser, RW, Vancouver Canucks

In eight full NHL seasons, Boeser has posted six seasons in which he’s had at least 23 goals, and while the 2024-25 campaign was a down year for him, in 2023-24, he put up a career-best 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games. Staying healthy has been an issue for the 28-year-old, but that’s not going to stop many teams from offering Boeser much more than the $6.65 million he earned last season.

At the end of last year, Boeser talked like his days as a Canuck are over. And the Minnesota native may well want to play closer to home. But a number of teams will be jostling to employ him, and he ultimately may choose a team he sees as being closest to winning a Cup. Could that be the New York Rangers? Maybe the Bruins or Maple Leafs? Time will tell, but it’s clear Boeser will be one of the first UFAs snapped up once July 1 arrives.

4. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Winnipeg Jets

The 29-year-old Ehlers tied his career-high in assists (39) this season, and with 63 points in 69 games, he came within one point of matching his career best in points. It couldn’t have come at a better time for the lifelong Jet, and now, he’s assured of being the subject of a bidding war for his services.

Ehlers’ 2024-25 salary of $6 million will be dwarfed by his next contract, which is likely to be for seven or eight seasons in length. Winnipeg has done well when it comes to retaining its free agents, so there’s a chance Ehlers remains a Jet. But if his asking price gets too high, Winnipeg may part ways with him. And a team like the Detroit Red Wings or Chicago Blackhawks could turn out to be his new employer.

5. Patrick Kane, RW, Detroit Red Wings

When he left the Blackhawks in 2023, Kane had his longevity as an elite winger questioned by some. But since then, mostly as part of a young Wings team, Kane has shown he has lots left in his competitive tank, posting two years of at least 20 goals and 47 points.

Now, Kane has a different choice before him: sticking with Detroit and trying to get the Red Wings into the post-season for the first time since 2016, or going in another direction, and signing with a team like the Leafs, Rangers, Minnesota Wild or Kings. The 36-year-old is likely looking for a two or three-year contract, but so long as his average annual salary is in the area of $4 million, Kane will have his choice of several potential employers. 

6. Claude Giroux, RW, Ottawa Senators

When he went home to play for the Senators in 2022, Giroux was coming off a year in which he put up 21 goals and 65 points in a season split between the Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers. But after his first season in Ottawa, where he posted 35 goals and 79 points, Giroux’s productivity has fallen off in successive seasons, dropping to 15 goals and 50 points last season.

Thus, Giroux’s asking price for his next contract will probably be for a maximum of the $6.5 million he made in 2024-25. Surely, the Sens will be interested in bringing him back, but Giroux could choose to sign with a different team. Ottawa isn’t flush with cap space, so perhaps another team – say, the Montreal Canadiens – could swoop in and scoop him up.

In any case, teams that lose out on one of the aforementioned UFA wingers could make Giroux a priority, and that should keep his salary around the same number as it was last year. 

7. Jamie Benn, LW, Dallas Stars

Benn has spent the entirety of his 16-season NHL career with the Stars, and while Dallas GM Jim Nill is on record as saying he wants Benn to finish his career as a Star, the reality is the Stars have limited cap space after signing center Matt Duchene. Needless to say, while Benn was always going to have to sign for far less than the $9.5 million he earned in each of the past eight seasons, the Stars are going to have to move money around to even have a hope of retaining Benn’s services.

Another potential issue for Benn is that his offensive numbers took a serious hit in 2024-25, as he generated only 16 goals and 49 points in 80 regular-season games. And in 18 playoff games, Benn produced only one goal and three points.

Teams will value Benn’s experience and grit, but the 35-year-old may have a tough choice to make this summer: take the biggest payday he can find, regardless of where it is, or accept a gigantic pay cut to sign with a true Cup contender.

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