The 2025 calendar will soon switch over to August. For many players around the NHL, it is a month that represents the final weeks with their friends and family before traveling to their respective hockey cities for the 2025-26 season. 

Currently, three former New Jersey Devils forwards are unemployed and seeking their next opportunity in professional hockey. 

Nathan Bastian 

Former Team: New Jersey Devils 

For the first time in his career, Bastian is experiencing free agency. The 27-year-old has appeared in 276 NHL games, and 264 were with the Devils. 

It was clear during his end-of-season media availability that his goal was to remain in New Jersey. 

"It is crazy how quick a place can feel like home, Bastian said. "Not that it's been a short time, but I think since the time I was drafted, I am the longest-standing Devil still here. Being here means a lot to me — the city, the rink, the staff, and you guys. It is something I want to be a part of."

On July 2, The Hockey News confirmed with Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald that the organization would not be interested in bringing back any further unrestricted free agents beyond Jake Allen and Dennis Cholowski. 

Kevin Rooney 

Former Team: Calgary Flames

Beginning his career with the Devils, Rooney additionally played for the New York Rangers and, most recently, the Calgary Flames. 

He is coming off a season where he played a single-season career high of 70 games in the NHL. The 32-year-old earned 10 points (five goals, five assists) with the Flames. 

Jimmy Vesey 

Former Team: Colorado Avalanche 

The 32-year-old began the 2024-25 season with the Rangers before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche with Ryan Lindgren and Hank Kempf for Calvin de Haan, Juuso Parssinen, and conditional second and fourth-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft. 

He did not appear in a postseason game for the Avalanche and hit free agency on July 1, after earning eight points in 43 games last season. Considered a bit of a journeyman, Vesey has played for six organizations since making his NHL Debut in 2016. 

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

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In a recent article for The Athletic, Dom Luszczyszyn ranked the 10 best contracts in the NHL. While no current Chicago Blackhawks player appears on the list, a notable former Blackhawk has made the cut. 

Former Blackhawks forward Brandon Hagel has the No. 2 spot on Luszczyszyn's list, with New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes being the only player ranked above him. 

Hagel is currently entering the second season of his eight-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he has a $6.5 million cap hit. With this, Hagel just completed the first year of his long-term deal, and there is no question that it could not have been better. 

In 82 games this past season with the Lightning, Hagel posted new career highs with 35 goals, 55 assists, and 90 points. This was after he had set then career-highs with 49 assists and 75 points in 82 games with the Bolts during the 2023-24 campaign. 

Since signing his contract extension during the 2023 NHL off-season, Hagel has only gotten better. Thus, it is easy to understand why Luszczyszyn has Hagel at the No. 2 spot on his list. Since being traded by the Blackhawks, Hagel has become a fantastic player for the Lightning and is easily a big part of their core because of it. 

In 108 games over three seasons with the Blackhawks, Hagel recorded 30 goals, 31 assists, and 61 points. His time with Chicago ended when he was traded to the Lightning during the 2021-22 season.

Blackhawks Big Defenseman Should Only Get BetterChicago Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic cemented himself a full-time spot on the Original Six club's NHL roster during the 2023-24 season. In 76 games with the Blackhawks that season, the 6-foot-6 blueliner recorded two goals, 14 assists, 16 points, and 56 hits. Overall, the 2019 second-round pick certainly demonstrated that he has the ability to be a solid defensive defenseman at the NHL level.

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Welcome back to  THN.com's Buffalo Sabres site. In recent days and weeks, we've been focusing on the teams the Sabres will square off against next season. And in today's file, we're turning our attention to a team Buffalo will be taking on in the latest battl(es) of New York (state) -- the New York Islanders.

After missing out on the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, the Islanders fired GM Lou Lamoriello and replaced him with former NHL player Mathieu Darche. And the Islanders were blessed by the hockey gods when they won this year's draft lottery and selected cornerstone defenseman Matthew Schaefer with the first-overall pick.

But that doesn't mean that there isn't pain ahead for the Isles as they chart a new course. As we'll explore below, the Islanders are in the early stages of a rebuild, and while they have many veterans who'll be pushing for a playoff berth this coming season, earning a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division will be a tall order indeed for the Islanders. And the Sabres need to beat the Isles to help their cause as a legitimate playoff team in 2025-26.

So for now let's explore Buffalo's recent history with the Islanders, and whether or not the Sabres will and should be beating the Isles next season.

BUFFALO SABRES VS. NEW YORK ISLANDERS

NEW ISLANDERS PLAYERS: Jonathan Drouin, LW; Emil Heineman, LW; Maxim Shabanov, LW; David Rittich, G

2024-25 SERIES: Sabres 1-2-0, Islanders 2-1-0

2025-26 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER:  December 20 at Buffalo; January 24 at Long Island; March 31 at Buffalo

CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM?  The Sabres and Islanders got all three of their games out of the way before Christmas time last season, with Buffalo dropping the first two games before blowing out the Isles 7-1 two days before Christmas. But this coming season, the first of their three games dosn't come until Dec. 20 -- and their final showdown will be the Sabres' eighth-to-last game of the season on March 31. At that point, the rosters of both Buffalo and the Isles could look significantly different, with the Islanders potentially being a seller at the trade deadline, and the Sabres potentially being a buyer.

New Isles GM Darche has already shown he's unafraid of taking a big swing in the trade department, sending star defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens in a blockbuster deal that sent a message -- the Islanders are open for business.

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Metropolitan Edition: Will Devils Remain Formidable Metro Team -- And Will New Jersey Once Again Beat Sabres In Season Series?The Buffalo Sabres are a team that needs to make a playoff appearance this coming season. But in a continuing series, we're examining each of Buffalo's Eastern Conference-rivals that could be in the way of the Sabres making it into the post-season. And in this file, we're examining the rivalry between the Sabres and New Jersey Devils.

That means many Isles veterans could be on the trade block this year -- including (but not limited to) captain Anders Lee, who is entering the final season of his contract; and center J-G Pageau, who also has only one year remaining on his deal. Still, there are Islanders veterans who are extremely unlikely to be dealt anywhere, including star forward Mathew Barzal, center Bo Horvat, winger Kyle Palmieri, newcomer Drouin, defensemen Alexander Romanov, Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech, and star goalie Ilya Sorokin. That doesn't mean any or many of them are guaranteed to not be dealt out of Long Island, but it would take quite the offer to get Darche to part ways with them.

Thus, while most prognosticators won't be picking the Islanders as a playoff team in the Metropolitan Division, there are more than enough veterans on the Isles' roster who won't be rolling over and playing dead because nobody had much faith in them. With coach Patrick Roy setting a high bar for his players, the Islanders are likely to stay competitive all year long, and that almost certainly means the Sabres are going to have to be at their best if they want to win at least two of the three games they'll play against the Isles.

If Buffalo is intent on beating the Islanders next year, they'll need to exploit the Isles' defense (which finished 20th in the league last season at 3.13 goals-against per game) while limiting the Islanders' offense (which finished 27th in the league averaging 2.71 goals-for per game). 

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Metropolitan Edition: Sabres Could Be Battling Up-And-Coming Blue Jackets For Wild Card BerthThe Buffalo Sabres are one of the teams most desperate to make the Stanley Cup playoffs next season. And one of the teams the Sabres could be battling for one of the two wild card berths next season is another team desperate to end a prolonged playoff drought -- the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Also important: shaking the confidence of Sorokin. The 29-year-old Russian was not at his best last season, as Sorokin's save percentage dropped for the third consecutive season, falling to a career-worst .907 SP in a whopping 61 appearances. Granted, Sorokin was playing behind a porous Islanders defense corps, but even if Schaefer comes in and thrives as a rookie defenseman, the rest of the Isles' defense isn't renowned for locking down opponents' offensive attack.

In any case, the games between the three teams from New York State always have that little extra edge to them. And that's not going to be any different in the 2025-26 campaign. The Sabres are absolutely desperate to end their 14-year playoff drought, while the Islanders look to be focused on retooling on the fly. So the three tilts between Buffalo and the Isles promise to be must-see TV.

The St. Louis Blues could use another winger in their top nine after trading Zack Bolduc to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for defenseman Logan Mailloux earlier this off-season. Due to this, one remaining unrestricted free agent (UFA) who they should consider targeting is forward Victor Olofsson. 

If the Blues signed Olofsson, he would offer them another solid option to consider for their third-line right wing spot, as the 30-year-old forward provides solid secondary scoring when playing at his best. Thus, he could be a good player for the Blues to bring in on an affordable one-year contract or even a professional tryout (PTO).

Olofsson is coming off a solid 2024-25 season, as he recorded 15 goals, 14 assists, 29 points, and a plus-17 rating in 56 games with the Vegas Golden Knights. He has also scored at least 20 goals and recorded at least 40 points three times during his career. Had he played all 82 games during the 2024-25 campaign, he would have been on pace to hit the 20-goal and 40-point marks for the fourth time in his career. Thus, there is no question that he is capable of making an impact offensively. 

With all of this, Olofsson could be an interesting player for the Blues to take a chance on. He would have the potential to give their third line and second power-play unit a bit of a boost, so it will be interesting to see if they target him from here. 

Former Blues Forward Still Looking For New HomeWith August just about here, plenty of this year's unrestricted free agents (UFAs) have been signed. However, a former St. Louis Blues forward is still looking for his new home, as Jakub Vrana remains without a contract and is a UFA. 

Photo Credit:  © Candice Ward-Imagn Images

The Hockey News’ NHL summer splash rankings roll on with Team No. 19, the Minnesota Wild. 

In our summer splash rankings, we’re examining each NHL team’s off-season from the teams that got worse to those that improved the most. We’re focusing on every team’s departures, additions and coaching and management hirings and firings.

We’ve fully settled into the point in the summer splash ratings where we’re looking at teams that more or less stayed the same this summer. You can find the teams that finished below Minnesota at the bottom, but we’re turning our attention to the state of the Wild.

Additions

Vladimir Tarasenko (LW), Nico Sturm (LW), Nicolas Aube-Kubel (RW), Cal Petersen (G)

The Breakdown: The Wild were a Stanley Cup playoff team last season, so Minnesota GM Bill Guerin felt no need to make widespread changes to his roster. 

The biggest name he acquired was former Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and St. Louis Blues right winger Tarasenko. The veteran posted only 11 goals and 33 points in 80 games this past year with Detroit, and Tarasenko is now 33. He projects to be a middle-six winger on the Wild, and time will tell how much he has left in the tank.

Meanwhile, Guerin’s other additions are fourth-line winger and former Florida Panther Sturm, rugged journeyman winger Aube-Kubel and third-string goaltender Cal Petersen. 

Up-and-coming blueliner Buium made his NHL debut in the playoffs but will also join the NHL full-time. Buium, star D-man Brock Faber and 21-year-old defenseman David Jiricek are a solid foundation for Minnesota’s back end.

For the most part, the Wild will be sending back the same lineup that got them to fourth place in the highly competitive Central Division. Guerin still has $10.1 million in cap space, so he can augment his roster. But he may wait until the season begins – and until next season’s trade deadline – to really bring in a big fish to help Minnesota battle the Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars for one of the top three positions in the Central.

Departures

Frederick Gaudreau (C), Gustav Nyquist (LW), Justin Brazeau (RW), Brendan Gaunce (C), Jon Merrill (D), Declan Chisholm (D), Travis Dermott (D), Marc-Andre Fleury (G)

The Breakdown: While the Wild didn’t make too many additions of note, the same goes for the players who’ve departed from the organization. 

Guerin traded bottom-six center Gaudreau, who netted 18 goals and 37 points in 82 games this past season, and 2025 trade deadline acquisitions Nyquist and Brazeau left the Wild as free agents.

Longtime NHL star Fleury headed into retirement after a Hockey Hall of Fame-worthy career. He’s a big name and personality to leave the team, but his playing time was reduced in his final season anyway.

You can’t look at the Wild’s departures and successfully argue Minnesota will take a major step backward in 2025-26. Guerin is clearly counting on his young players to develop into difference-makers at the NHL level, and allowing fringe players like Gaunce, Merrill, Chisholm and Dermott to move on is a direction the team is comfortable with. 

So long as the aforementioned youngsters reward Guerin for investing in them, and so long as Minnesota’s veterans play as they did last season, the Wild will once again be a playoff team. But that’s far from assured.

Could The Flames, Leafs, Oilers, Canadiens And Wild Still Make Moves This Summer?It may feel like many NHL franchises will be in airplane mode over the next few weeks, but don't rule out any action.

The Bottom Line

We’re not here to tell you the Wild are guaranteed to maintain their position in the Central – or to improve on it. 

Superstar left winger Kirill Kaprizov is a top-five player in the NHL, and veterans including center Joel Eriksson-Ek and winger Mats Zucarello are part of the core of this Minnesota team. Youngsters, including Faber, right winger Matt Boldy and the goaltending tandem of Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt will give the Wild a chance to win night in and night out. There’s a lot to like about this organization.

That said, the Central’s powerhouse teams are currently a level above Minnesota. If the playoffs were to start today, we don’t know of many NHL pundits who would pick the Wild to beat the Jets, Stars or Avalanche. That’s not a condemnation of the pieces that Guerin has put together. Rather, it’s a frank observation on where the Wild are in their competitive cycle.

The day may come down the line when Minnesota’s high-end young players can take that next competitive step and deliver the Wild into a top-three spot in the Central, but that day probably isn’t today. That’s why they’re in the middle part of our summer splash series.

That said, Guerin has pretty important business to care of to ensure his team doesn’t take a massive step back after next season. Kaprizov is entering the final season of a contract carrying a $9 million cap hit, and he’ll almost certainly get at least $11 million annually on his next deal. He scores at a wicked pace, with 25 goals and 56 points in 41 games this past season, and he drives the Wild’s offense. Getting his name on a contract extension this summer would be a huge win.

The Wild also must decide what to do with RFA center Marco Rossi. The 23-year-old recorded 60 points in his second full NHL season, and yet, his ice time tanked in the playoffs. A good chunk of the team’s cap space will go to re-signing him, unless they think Rossi is worth trading in exchange for an upgrade. 

If Kaprizov and Rossi are dealt with and there’s cap space left over, the Wild can accrue cap space and make a bigger splash at the trade deadline. But for now, Guerin’s relatively quiet summer is likely to lead to his team having a similar finish as in 2024-25. Although the Wild may overachieve and surprise some people next year, we’re going to be cautiously skeptical until we see it happening.

Summer Splash Rankings

19. Minnesota Wild

20. Seattle Kraken

21. Columbus Blue Jackets

22. Washington Capitals

23. Nashville Predators

24. New York Islanders

25. Tampa Bay Lightning

26. Toronto Maple Leafs

27. Dallas Stars

28. Calgary Flames

29. Los Angeles Kings

30. Winnipeg Jets

31. Chicago Blackhawks

32. Buffalo Sabres

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Earlier this off-season, the Montreal Canadiens acquired forward Zack Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for defenseman Logan Mailloux. This is easily one of the most intriguing trades of the summer, as Bolduc and Mailloux are both former first-round picks with very bright futures. Yet, with the Canadiens bringing in star right-shot defenseman Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders, it makes sense that they were willing to part ways with Mailloux to land a young forward like Bolduc. 

When looking at the season Bolduc just put together with the Blues, he should be a good addition to the Canadiens' roster. In 72 games this past season with the Blues, he recorded new career highs with 19 goals, 17 assists, 36 points, 108 hits, and a plus-20 rating. With numbers like these, he demonstrated that he has the ability to not only be a solid point producer at the NHL level but also provide a nice degree of grit to go along with it. 

Yet, when noting this was just Bolduc's second NHL season and he has only 97 career games on his resume, there is no question that he still could hit an even higher level. Thus, he is, without a doubt, a prime breakout candidate for the Canadiens heading into next season. 

Bolduc performed incredibly well for the Blues this past season, so it would not be surprising if he continued to trend in the right direction with the Canadiens. This is especially so when noting that he has the chance to have a more significant role in Montreal than he did in St. Louis.

Overall, it is hard not to feel optimistic about Bolduc heading into the 2025-26 season. The potential for him to emerge as a legitimate top-six forward for the Canadiens is there, and it will be intriguing to see what kind of season he has for the Original Six club from here. 

Canadiens: Laine In Top Form In LSHL MatchIt was over 30 degrees yesterday in Montreal. With humidity factored in, it felt closer to 40 degrees on an end-of-July day during the construction holidays. One would have thought that most people would have been out of town, and yet, the fourth week of the LSHL was sold out at Hockeyetcetera. An hour before the doors opened, die-hard fans were already queuing outside in the heat, patiently waiting for their hockey fix in the dog days of Summer.

Photo Credit:  © Jeff Curry-Imagn Images