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Big deals in the modern NHL are becoming the norm. That will force some key players into even more crucial decisions. Should they prioritize earnings as they lock into massive extensions or winning?

Not every star is driven by the same motivation. Players like Alex Ovechkin and Kirill Kaprizov have set precedents of signing monster deals that heavily favor individual wealth, while Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid seem happy to settle for slightly lower average annual values (AAVs) to prolong their teams' championship windows. 

In 2008, Ovechkin negotiated his 13-year, $124 million contract extension —the largest NHL contract at the time —without an agent. His deal was less about a negotiation and more about him walking into the office of the Capitals and putting a number on the table. They gave it to him. 

It was a monster deal that worked out for both sides, but it took the Capitals a decade to finally win a Stanley Cup. 

Ovechkin had already become a Washington Capitals legend, and the team wasn’t about to let him walk away knowing he was the sole reason fans bought tickets. He was invaluable to their market, even if there was a chance the team would be less competitive because it would be harder to build around him.

Ovechkin understandably knew to chase high numbers. His value in that market was undeniable. But anyone who argues he was thinking team first is probably fooling themselves. 

Fast forward to this summer, where Kirill Kaprizov's new eight-year, $136-million contract with the Minnesota Wild guarantees he will earn the most money ever handed out in the NHL. This is a good player, but he’s likely not as good as Ovechkin was in his prime. Like the Capitals’ great, Kaprizov understands how important he is to the Minnesota market. He played that hand, leveraging another $1 million per season after reportedly turning down $16 million per year.  The challenge for Wild GM Bill Guerin is how to build around a $17 million winger. 

Which Pending NHL UFAs Will Kaprizov's Major Contract Extension Affect?Minnesota Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov reset the market this week, signing an eight-year, $136 million extension that carries a $17 million average annual value. 

Contrast that to Crosby and McDavid. 

Both have already established their legacies to some degree — Crosby with three Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh, McDavid as Edmonton's face man and a perennial MVP candidate — but their contract decisions suggest an even greater commitment to putting the team in a position to win.

Crosby infamously signed extensions below the maximum amount he could have negotiated, insisting that he wanted the Penguins to be able to retain other star players and remain competitive.

McDavid, who is reportedly negotiating his next contract and has expressed a desire to sign a deal that allows the Oilers to build around him and become legitimate contenders for the next several seasons (which includes adding more impact players), could theoretically take less than Kaprizov. 

Both have been and appear willing to forfeit prime earnings in exchange for the possibility of contending for the Cup in his prime years.

Why Connor McDavid Shouldn't Consider An Oilers Discount After Kaprizov SigningNews that Minnesota Wild superstar left winger Kirill Kaprizov signed an eight-year contract extension Tuesday sent ripple effects throughout the NHL – most notably, in Edmonton, where Oilers dynamo Connor McDavid is in need of a contract extension.

Which Is The Right Direction For a Player To Take?

This is not to suggest that the different mindset among top players means there’s a right and a wrong. Financial security is essential for any athlete. There’s no knowing how long a career will last, and if the money is available, the popular move might be to take it.

For Ovechkin and Kaprizov, they knew their value and each took the money the team was willing to pay. They left it in the hands of their respective GMs to figure out the rest. In Ovechkin’s case, it eventually worked. 

The mentality of franchise pillars like Crosby and McDavid might actually be rarer. The new McDavid deal hasn’t been announced, and there is a chance it's higher than people expect; however, insiders believe he’ll sign a lower AAV that will surprise most fans. Perhaps following Crosby’s lead, many players wouldn’t go this route, even if it’s ultimately best for the team. 

These two stars have asked their teams to build competitive rosters with the money left on the table. That doesn’t always work either. In McDavid’s case, his rumored shorter-term deal might be a way for him to continue applying pressure on the Edmonton Oilers to get it right. 

Ultimately, the NHL's stars are motivated by money and championships. The question becomes, which takes priority?

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Mike Sullivan made a big decision regarding the makeup of the New York Rangers’ opening-night roster by sending Gabe Perreault and Scott Morrow down to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League. 

The play of Perreault and Morrow was a constant storyline throughout training camp for the Rangers. 

Despite showing out throughout the course of training camp, Sullivan ultimately decided it was best for these two young players to start the season in the AHL.

“They are two young players that we are extremely excited about,” Sullivan said of Perreault and Morrow. “These guys are in our opinion NHL players in the making. Our job is to try and create a pathway to help them grow and develop to become what we hope will be the impact players that we think they are capable of being. 

“We are really excited about both of those guys. We think they had terrific training camps, certainly made an impression on everybody. These guys have the potential to leave a lasting impact on the Rangers. We are trying to make the best decisions we can to try and help that process and get these guys as close to pushing their way to the roster as they can.”

There was some hope that Perreault could have cracked the Rangers’ opening-night roster after he played five NHL games last season.

The 20-year-old came into training camp more prepared and confident than he was last year, and it translated to his play on the ice. 

Sullivan gave Perreault a chance both to play with some of the Rangers’ top established veteran players and serve a role on the power play. 

Over the past few weeks, Perreault has demonstrated his lethal offensive threat, showcasing his potential at the highest level of competition. 

Rangers Intend To ‘Err On The Side Of Caution’ Regarding J.T. Miller And Artemi Panarin Injuries The New York Rangers are not planning on taking any risks with J.T. Miller and Artemi Panarin as training camp comes to a close. 

When the Rangers completed a sign-and-trade with the Carolina Hurricanes involving K’Andre Miller, the team specifically sought out to acquire Morrow.

Morrow’s skating and puck-handling abilities were on full display during training camp in the preseason, specifically on the power play, in which Morrow quarterbacked the second unit. 

The 22-year-old defenseman is arguably the best skater the Rangers have in their defensive pipeline, as the proof is in the putting from training camp. 

Both Perreault and Morrow should play critical roles for the Wolf Pack and may very well make their way up to the NHL at some point this season.

The talk of the town in Pittsburgh right now might be 11th overall pick Ben Kindel, as he appears primed to make the final cut on the Penguins' NHL roster.

But there is another Penguins' 2025 first-round pick who is garnering some attention early on in his season as well.

Center Will Horcoff - selected 24th overall by the Penguins in this year's draft - got off to a roaring start for the University of Michigan Friday night. Horcoff recorded a natural hat trick during an 11-1 win against Mercyhurst, and he did it in style.

Natural hatty for Horcoff pic.twitter.com/InkrYeOeBu

— Michigan Hockey (@umichhockey) October 4, 2025

The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Horcoff, 19, is playing in his first full season with Michigan. He joined the team mid-season last year and was the youngest player in the NCAA, compiling four goals and 10 points in 18 games. 

The big centerman is expected to take a step forward with the Wolverines this season playing on the team's first line alongside TJ Hughes and Jayden Perron. Other notable players suiting up for Michigan this season include Malcolm Spence - selected 43rd by the New York Rangers in 2025 - and Michael Hage, who was selected in the first round (21st overall) by the Montreal Canadiens in 2024.

Horcoff - the son of NHL alumni Shawn Horcoff - was one of three first-round selections by the Penguins this season, with the others being Kindel and forward Bill Zonnon (22nd overall). 

'We’re Thrilled With The Players That We Have': 3 Takeaways From Penguins' Day One DraftDay One of the 2025 NHL Draft is officially wrapped, and the Pittsburgh Penguins were certainly one of the more active teams in the first round.

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Entering training camp, there weren't many spots available on the New Jersey Devils roster. When healthy, the group was expected to look something like this, with defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic out for an extended time with a knee injury. 

Evgenii Dadonov - Jack Hughes - Jesper Bratt

Timo Meier - Nico Hischier -Stefan Noesen 

Ondrej Palat - Dawson Mercer - Connor Brown 

Paul Cotter - Cody Glass - Arseny Gritsyuk

Jonas Siegenthaler - Dougie Hamilton 

Luke Hughes - Brett Pesce 

Brenden Dillon - Simon Nemec 

Jacob Markstrom

Jake Allen 

In the early days of camp, the Devils announced that Noesen would miss time with a groin injury. That news forced head coach Sheldon Keefe to move Mercer to Hischier's wing and Glass to the third-line center position. In doing that, players like Luke Glendening, Kevin Rooney, and Juho Lammikko had the opportunity to fight for fourth-line center. 

For the forwards who spent the majority of the 2024-25 season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Utica Comets, it was a steep hill to climb to crack the Devils' opening night roster. 

For Nathan Légaré, he has a pragmatic approach to camp that accompanies his goal of transitioning his game to become a full-time NHL player. 

"Everybody wants to make the New Jersey Devils, but at the same time, I think you have to be realistic," he told The Hockey News in August. "It is not the end of the world if you go back to Utica. You work hard, and you never know what can happen."

Over the last couple of weeks in New Jersey, Légaré has stayed true to his identity and embraced his role, catching the eye of the Devils' coaching staff. 

"He is a guy we are talking about daily because of the work that he has done, and this goes back to the games he played for us last season," Keefe said. "I have been really happy with him." 

In four preseason games, Légaré has two points (one goal, one assist), two fights, and 10 penalty minutes. In his final appearance, he had a team-leading nine hits. 

NHL Goal Videos (@NHLGoalVideos) on XNathan Legare - New Jersey Devils (1)*

"There is no doubt that he has played to his strengths," Keefe said. "You talk about understanding who you are, understanding what your role is or might be, and then owning and being a star in that role, I think he has done that. 

"Now he (plays) a game that is hard working, gritty, competitive, and is up and down the ice," Keefe continued. "It is a little bit easier, quite frankly, to be that in this type of setting, where you are just working and skating. If you are a goal scorer and a playmaker, it is a little bit harder in a smaller sample to really make yourself known. You have got to keep that in perspective a little bit when you are assessing other players."

Légaré is coming off a season in which he earned a career high of 25 points in the AHL over 69 games. He made his NHL debut at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 2, 2024, playing three games with the Devils. 

"There is more confidence about my game now," the versatile forward explained. "Especially, now that I have played a couple of games in the NHL. That is a check mark, but the next one is to stay in the NHL and be a full-time NHLer."

The likelihood of the 24-year-old making New Jersey's roster out of camp appears slim, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see him at some point, considering the trust Keefe has in him. 

"Whether he starts here with us or not, we are confident he can play games for us." 

Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.

The Mental Side of the Game: Devils Players & Mental Skills Coach Andy Swärd Take You Behind the Scenes

Hischier's Manager Patrick Fischer: 'He's Driven to Succeed, but Not Easily Satisfied'

After a grueling training camp that included a successful 5-1-1 pre-season, the Pittsburgh Penguins' roster appears to be set for the 2025-26 season.

And it will more than likely include two of their top prospects.

Defenseman Harrison Brunicke, 19, and center Ben Kindel, 18, remain on the 23-man roster as of Saturday. With final rosters due Monday at 5:00 p.m., it's safe to say that both players have likely earned at least a nine-game trial at the NHL level. 

Brunicke - selected 44th overall by the Penguins in 2024 - turned heads last pre-season with his smooth skating, high hockey-IQ, and great instincts. He stayed through the end of training camp as one of the final two prospects - the other being Rutger McGroarty - but the Penguins opted to keep McGroarty and elected for 14 forwards on their roster. 

He managed to do the same in this pre-season, registering a goal and two points in four games and showcasing a more refined game. 

The 6-foot-3, 202-pound defenseman will be just the second South African-born player to play in the NHL, with the other being former NHL goaltender Olaf Kolzig. In 51 games split between the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) Penguins of the AHL last season, Brunicke registered five goals and 32 points - and he also put up a goal and two points in the AHL playoffs. 

Kindel, 18, was the surprise of training camp this season, as most didn't expect the 11th overall pick in this year's draft to make as much noise as he did. Kindel played in a team-high six pre-season games, recording a goal and three points - and he did not look out of place in the slightest.

Penguins' Pre-Season: Pens Storm Back Again, Take Down Sabres In OT To Cap Off Solid Pre-SeasonIf you're a Pittsburgh Penguins' fan, it's probably hard to come away from this pre-season disappointed.

The 5-foot-11, 181-pound center proved he could keep up with - and, at times, outplay - NHL competition, and his hockey smarts were on full display at both ends of the ice. In 65 WHL games with the Calgary Hitmen last season, Kindel put up 35 goals and 99 points. He was the first of three first-round selections by the Penguins in the 2025 NHL Draft.

"It's really cool," Kindel said. "Really grateful to still be here and have this opportunity to continue being in this environment, so I'm just grateful for every day."

Head coach Dan Muse was impressed with both youngsters throughout camp, and he thought they kept showing more and more as the pre-season went on.

"We didn't go into this camp - by any means - having things etched in stone," Muse said. "Or, even putting guys up on a board and saying, 'This is what it's going to look like' on day one. There's still things that we're going to factor. We still have another practice, we still have time even before there's rosters being submitted. But, there wasn't any of that. 

"As we went through this process, they had opportunities. We were looking for things, and they continued to check boxes that we were looking for. And they've continued based on their play and their actions in both practices and games to tell us, 'You're gonna need to put us in another game. And you're gonna need to see us again. And you're gonna need to continue to consider us.' And they've done that on a consistent basis. So, we get to today, and this is where we're at. They checked those boxes, and they moved on to be at this point."

BRUNICKE GOES SHORT SIDE HIGH! 🎯

Elite move, elite shot to bring the @penguins within one 👀 pic.twitter.com/BGfcjGox5r

— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) October 4, 2025

In addition to Kindel and Brunicke, Ville Koivunen and Filip Hallander appear to have secured NHL roster spots. Koivunen, 22, put up seven points in an eight-game sample at the end of the 2024-25 season, and he was a standout in camp. He has worked alongside Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell for the past several practices as well as in the Penguins' 5-4 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres in their final pre-season game on Friday.

Hallander, 25, got his second chance with the organization after a standout campaign in the SHL, where he recorded 26 goals and 53 points in 51 games with Timra HK last season. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward felt good about his camp and is glad he was able to refine his game in Sweden.

"It feels good," Hallander said. "Obviously, when I went back to Sweden last time, it was always the goal to come back. And it worked out good going back there. I got what I wanted to, and I feel like a better player coming back and feel more mature off the ice, too. So, everything worked out good going back, and looking forward to the season starting here."

Penguins Forward Takes Big Step In Recovery On FridayPittsburgh Penguins forward Rutger McGroarty has missed all of training camp and the preseason with an upper-body injury. 

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Beyond Brunicke and Kindel, however, there were some surprises as far as roster cuts and the waiver wire. 

Forward prospects Tristan Broz and Avery Hayes - both of whom put together solid camps - were among the names of players being re-assigned to WBS's AHL camp. Another name on that list was left defensive prospect Owen Pickering, who many assumed had a path to the NHL roster because of the Penguins' dire situation on left defense.

But the biggest name omitted from the NHL roster was defenseman Ryan Graves, who was signed to a six-year, $27 million contract ahead of the 2023-24 season. The 30-year-old defenseman has had a hard time finding his footing in Pittsburgh, and he was in and out of the lineup during the 2024-25 season. In 61 games last season, Graves registered one goal and four points and posted a minus-15.

In addition to Graves and the others, forward Robby Fabbri was released from his paid tryout (PTO) contract.

The following players have been assigned to @WBSPenguins (AHL) training camp:
- Tristan Broz
- Avery Hayes
- Sergei Murashov
- Owen Pickering
Alexander Alexeyev, Ryan Graves, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Boko Imama and Sam Poulin will be placed on waivers at 2:00 PM and will be assigned…

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 4, 2025

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Here is the full list of roster cuts and players placed on waivers Saturday:

Assigned to WBS's training camp:
- F Tristan Broz
- F Avery Hayes
- D Owen Pickering
- G Sergei Murashov

Placed on waivers:
- F Rafael Harvey-Pinard
- F Boko Imama
- F Sam Poulin
- D Alexander Alexeyev
- D Ryan Graves

Opinion: If Penguins Don't Go Young With Roster, They're Doing It WrongJust prior to the onset of training camp, Pittsburgh Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas took to the podium and made a declaration of sorts. 

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Once those players either clear waivers or are claimed, the 23 players remaining on the Penguins' roster will be:

Forwards (13)
Sidney Crosby
Ville Koivunen
Rickard Rakell
Justin Brazeau
Evgeni Malkin
Anthony Mantha
Tommy Novak
Ben Kindel
Philip Tomasino
Connor Dewar
Blake Lizotte
Noel Acciari
Filip Hallander

Defensemen (8)
Erik Karlsson
Kris Letang
Parker Wotherspoon
Matt Dumba
Connor Clifton
Harrison Brunicke
Caleb Jones
Ryan Shea

Goaltenders (2)
Tristan Jarry
Arturs Silovs

NHL Waivers: Leafs' Kampf Clears As Graves And 16 Others Hit The Wire On Oct. 4The Toronto Maple Leafs and the six other teams that placed players on the waiver wire can now assign them to their AHL affiliates, as all 12 players have cleared waivers.

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The Penguins will have a day off Sunday before practicing Monday ahead of the 5:00 p.m. NHL roster deadline. They open the season Oct. 7 against former head coach Mike Sullivan and the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

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Defenseman Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens is the latest young star to win a Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year. He became the seventh Canadiens player ever to win the award, and the first to win it since goaltender Ken Dryden in 1972.

With that, more history could be coming to Montreal involving the Calder Trophy. According to sportsbook BetMGM, Canadiens right winger Ivan Demidov is the favorite to win the Calder at 2.75 odds (+175). Closest to Demidov is Minnesota Wild D-man Zeev Buium at 14.00 (+1300).

The odds suggest that the Canadiens could see their players win back-to-back Calder Trophies, something that hasn’t been accomplished in quite some time.

The last time a team owned two consecutive Calder Trophy titles was the 1967 and 1968 Boston Bruins. In 1967, legendary defenseman Bobby Orr won the Calder, followed by center Derek Sanderson in 1968.

The Bruins duo went on to win two Stanley Cups together. In fact, Sanderson and Orr combined on the famous 1970 Cup-clinching overtime-winner against the St. Louis Blues, which saw Orr catch air time after scoring past goaltender Glen Hall.

To this day, Orr is one of the best defensemen of all time, with his name gracing the Hockey Hall of Fame since he was inducted in 1979. As for Sanderson, he went on to play almost 600 career regular-season games, mostly for Boston.

It’s way too early, and a long shot, to say that Hutson and Demidov will turn out to be like that old Bruins pair.

However, Hutson has shown signs of brilliance on the blueline as a real offensive threat from the back end, like Orr was. With 66 points in 82 games, he led all rookies in scoring last season and tied Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedam with the sixth-most points among all blueliners.

As for Demidov, he made his NHL debut with the Habs late last season, playing the final two games of the 2024-25 regular season. He recorded a goal and an assist in his first game against the Chicago Blackhawks, while going point-less in the following outing against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Later in the post-season, Montreal took on the Washington Capitals in the first round, and Demidov recorded two assists in five games.

The 19-year-old has shown bright spots in his play that could hint at him being a star in this league. Ultimately, the chances that Montreal will claim back-to-back Calder Trophies are high.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs and the six other teams that placed players on the waiver wire can now assign them to their AHL affiliates, as all 12 players have cleared waivers.

The Maple Leafs took the biggest risk, sending veteran center David Kampf and his $2.4 million cap hit to their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. The Boston Bruins accounted for five of the 12 players on waivers, sending Victor Soderstrom, Michael Callahan, Riley Tufte, Geogrii Merkulov and Patrick Brown to the Providence Bruins.

PuckPedia reported the news.

Seven NHL teams also placed a combined 17 players on waivers, according to PuckPedia. Here's that list.

• Dallas: Cameron Hughes, Vladislav Kolyachonok
• Florida: Tobias Bjornfot, Brandon Bussi
• New Jersey: Thomas Bordeleau, Angus Crookshank, Brian Halonen, Zack MacEwen, Colton White
• Philadelphia: Dennis Gilbert
• Pittsburgh: Alexander Alexeyev, Ryan Graves, Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Bokondji Imama, Samuel Poulin
• San Jose: Colin White
• Utah: Cameron Hebig

Graves hits the waiver wire on year three of a six-year contract carrying a $4.5 million cap hit. The 30-year-old has struggled in his time with the Peguins, recording just one goal and four points in 61 games last season. Once a prominent figure on the bluelines of the Colorado Avalanche and the New Jersey Devils could be on his way to the AHL.

Bordeleau, 23, was a second-round pick of the San Jose Sharks in 2020 but has struggled to break through into the NHL. In the off-season, the Sharks sent Bordeleau to the Devils in exchange for Shane Bowers. 

MacEwen, another Devils player to hit the waiver wire, was involved in a trade just yesterday, as he was moved from the Ottawa Senators to the Devils in exchange for Curtis MacDermid. The 29-year-old enforcer played 21 games with the Senators last year.

Bjornfot was a first-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2019 but has yet to lock down a role on an NHL club. He's with his third franchise and will likely spend the season in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers, the Florida Panthers' AHL affiliate. The 24-year-old has 134 games in his NHL career.

For each player, the 31 other NHL teams can submit a claim for them by 2 p.m. ET on Saturday. Otherwise, their teams can assign them to the minors. And if any of the squads that did claim a player places them back on waivers, their initial team can still claim them.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.