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Goaltender Ilya Samsonov will not return to the Vegas Golden Knights and will test the free agency waters, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox. 

The Golden Knights signed Samsonov to a one-year-, $1.8M contract last offseason after a disappointing season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Golden Knights were hoping for a bounce-back season from the Russian netminder, but his struggles were much of the same.

In his lone season with the Golden Knights, Samsonov posted a .891 SP and a 2.82 GAA in 29 games, losing his job as the backup netminder by the playoffs.  

The market for unrestricted free-agent goaltenders is very thin this season, and it's understandable why Samsonov would like to test free agency to see what he can earn on the open market. At 28 years old, there could be several teams that believe Samsonov can turn his career around and form a tandem with another goalie. 

Even if Samsonov had an interest in returning to Vegas, the Golden Knights may likely have wanted to move on anyway. The Golden Knights appear to be gearing up for a pursuit of a top free agent, with all signs pointing to Mitch Marner. If they can work out a deal, they'll need to save every dollar they can, which is why they could be looking at a goalie tandem of Adin Hill and Akira Schmid next season. 

“To me, it was a missed opportunity because I felt our team was good enough to win,” McCrimmon told reporters upon elimination. “We’ve got Tanner Pearson, Victor Olofsson, Reilly Smith, Brandon Saad, and Ilya Samsonov with expiring contracts on June 30.

“There’s a really good case to be made for a lot of those players. I think they played well here for us. So, we’ll make those decisions. And then depending on how that goes, that can dictate to some extent what you do on July 1 with free agency. But we’re going to do everything we can to make our team better.”

Including Samsonov, Reilly Smith, Tanner Pearson, Victor Olofsson, and Brandon Saad wrap up the Golden Knights' UFA list this offseason. 

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The NHL’s free-agency period is almost here, and it’s time to look at the key pivots who could be UFAs on July 1. 

TheHockeyNews.com has already looked at the top eight UFA defensemen and the top seven wingers. As for the centers, this is a rather thin class, but there’s no doubt which center will be paid the most as a UFA this summer.

1. Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers

Bennett was arguably the biggest impact player of the 2025 playoffs, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP. 

Bennett posted an amazing 15 goals and 22 points in 23 playoff games. No other player had more than 11 goals, making Bennett’s scoring prowess all the more remarkable. 

The 29-year-old will get a massive raise on the $4.425 million he earned for the past four years. The Panthers aren’t devoid of salary cap space, with $19 million in room. However, they might prioritize re-signing UFA winger Brad Marchand and defenseman Aaron Ekblad, cutting ties with Bennett and sending him to the open market looking for a bigger payday than Florida can afford. 

There will be a slew of teams – including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and many more – who will happily bring Bennett on board with a salary north of $8 million. It’s all up to Bennett to choose where he plays next, but he can rest assured he’ll be one of the most targeted assets in free agency.

2. John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs

At 34 years old, Tavares is entering the final stage of his tremendous NHL career. But he hasn’t let up in terms of offensive production, putting up 38 goals – his best total since 2018-19 – and 74 points in 75 games. There are few players more consistent as a point-per-game producer than Tavares, but he’ll be taking a huge pay cut as he does his best to remain with his hometown Maple Leafs.

Thus, Tavares will be earning far less than the $11 million he earned for the past seven years. Rumored projections have him in the $4-million to $5-million range over a four- or five-year contract term. That should make Leafs fans very happy. Tavares can be part of the solution in Toronto by accepting a massive pay cut and allow the Buds to put together a deeper, stronger roster.

3. Mikael Granlund, Dallas Stars

Very quietly, Granlund put together an excellent season, generating 44 assists and 66 points in 83 games split between the Stars and San Jose Sharks. In the playoffs, Granlund amassed another five goals and 10 points in 18 games with Dallas. He was a terrific acquisition, and he guaranteed himself a strong market for his services this summer.

Granlund earned $5 million annually for the past six years, but at 33 years old, his next contract will likely be for three or four years. He’ll probably want to sign on a bona fide Cup contender, but a developing team might offer him more money to come in and provide leadership and offensive consistency to their lineup. Regardless, once Bennett and Tavares come off the board, Granlund will quickly garner major attention and sign very soon on July 1.

4. Pius Suter, Vancouver Canucks

For the first four years of his NHL career, Suter posted either 14 or 15 goals. But in 2024-25, he had a career-high 25 goals and 46 points in 81 games. The 29-year-old’s agent had to be ecstatic with the timeliness of Suter’s offensive outburst, because he’s going to be the focus of teams that lose out on Bennett, Tavares and Granlund.

Suter was a serious bargain this year in particular, earning just $1.6 million. He’ll easily double that amount this summer, as many teams – including the Canucks, which have the cap space to bring him back to Vancouver – will be jockeying for Suter’s attention. We’ll see who winds up with him, but there’s no question he’ll be in high demand.

NHL Free Agency: Top Seven Pending UFA WingersThe 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. 

5. Christian Dvorak, Montreal Canadiens

Dvorak has had trouble staying healthy, as he appeared in 82 games this past season for the first time in his nine-year NHL career. But as a third-line center option, he’s going to be intriguing.

Dvorak posted 12 goals and 33 points last season – numbers that don’t knock your socks off but aren’t anything to sneer at, either. He won’t match or better his 2024-25 salary of $4.45 million, but on a playoff-bound team, he could be a nifty little acquisition who is hungry and determined to be part of a winning organization.

6. Adam Gaudette, Ottawa Senators

In parts of seven NHL seasons, the 28-year-old Gaudette has had to scratch and claw for opportunities in hockey’s best league. Before this past season, his career high in games played was 59, back in 2019-20. But in ’24-25, the Senators took a chance on him for just $775,000, and in return, Gaudette put up 19 goals and 26 points. 

So, once the other players on this list have signed a new contract, Gaudette is bound to get multiple offers for his services. The Sens aren’t swimming in cap space, so Gaudette could be moving on to a different team next year. But as a third- or fourth-line option, he could fit in very well with a team intent on being a playoff contender.

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Now that the playoffs are over and the Stanley Cup has been awarded, NHL general managers are planning for the next season and preparing for both the draft and free agency. Some are rushing to sign their pending UFA and RFA before they hit the market or can be signed to offer sheets. So far, Montreal Canadiens' GM Kent Hughes has signed prospect Vinzenz Rohrer to an entry-level contract (ELC), but he has not put pen to paper with any of his pending free agents.

Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak are set to hit the market. Armia has already said he’d like to return, while Dvorak preferred not to touch on the subject at his exit interview, but Montreal appears to be set to give the kids a chance. Still, could the Canadiens be active come July 1? If there are, a couple of Quebecers who would like to receive a call.

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La Presse’s Guillaume Lefrancois attended the Beauchemin-Fleury-Beauvillier-Aube-Kubel golf classic on Friday, and according to his article in the Quebec newspaper, both Anthony Beauvillier and Nicholas Aube-Kubel would like to wear the Bleu, Blanc, Rouge.

Beauvillier knows Hughes from his agent days, as he is a Quartexx client, and he has a lot of respect for the Canadiens’ GM, calling him a great hockey mind who sees things differently. He adds that he has always believed in what he’s doing and the deals he has been making.

The 28-year-old was a first-round pick for the New York Islanders at the 2015 draft and spent seven seasons on Long Island before being part of the package that brought Bo Horvat to town. Since then, he has played for the Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals.

Beauvillier is coming off a one-year deal he signed with the Penguins, which had a $1.25 million cap hit. He felt the Capitals might want to bring him back in his exit interview, but there hasn’t been any discussion since. The 5-foot-11 and 180-pound left winger has never put up more than 40 points in a season, a feat he achieved once when he split his time between New York and Vancouver in 2022-23. This past season, he picked up 25 points in 81 games and landed 139 hits, which would have ranked fifth on the Canadiens.

If Hughes were to make an offer to Beauvillier, he would certainly listen, but it would be for little more than a depth forward, and it would be surprising given his frame. The Habs want to get bigger, and the needs they have to address up front are more in the top-six than the bottom-six. I would be surprised if such an offer were to be made, but you never know.

As for Aube-Kubel, he was born in Alberta but moved to Sorel-Tracy, Quebec, when he was just two years old, and would also like to join the Tricolore. A 6-foot and 213-pound right winger, he has spent most of his season in the AHL.

He started the year in Buffalo with the Sabres, but suffered a knee injury. He was put on waivers in January and remained unclaimed, leading to his eventual assignment to the Rochester Americans. He was traded to the New York Rangers in March, and he played three games with the big club and three with its AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack.

It was a challenging year for him, and in 22 NHL games, he could only muster two points and 19 penalty minutes. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Hughes would be tempted to add the right winger to his NHL roster, as he would be nothing more than a depth player, perhaps the kind of player who could replace Michael Pezzetta, who is, in all likelihood, done in Montreal.

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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It’s no secret that Aaron Ekblad wants to remain with the Florida Panthers.

The former first overall pick has spent his entire NHL career with the team that drafted him.

Now he’s helped Florida win back-to-back Stanley Cups after reaching the championship series in three straight seasons.

If there was ever a great time to be a member of the Panthers, this is it.

“It's an elite program, it's the best organization in the league,” Ekblad said during Florida’s exit meetings. “We do everything the best, and we're still on an upward trajectory after winning two Stanley Cups in a row and (appearing in) three Stanley Cup Finals in a row, so it's incredible. I'm so proud of that, because I've been here for it.”

When July 1 arrives, Ekblad will be an unrestricted free agent.

He’s not the only Panthers player considered integral to the team’s success who will be hitting the open market.

Forwards Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand are also UFAs.

Now, it’s certainly worth noting that all three have made it very clear that they would like to remain with the Panthers.

But if all three decide they want to cash in with the highest contract this summer, odds are they won’t be getting that kind of money from Florida.

Over the past several years, Panthers General Manager Bill Zito has been able to sign several of the team’s key players – Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling are just some – to team friendly term deals that allow more financial flexibility for signing additional players that keep the team's depth as such a strength. 

It’s arguable that each of those aforementioned players could have gotten more money by signing elsewhere.

The same would likely be true for Ekblad, if he chooses to test the open market, but the question will ultimately be whether he is willing to take less dollars to stay where he wants to be, or cash in on what could be the 29-year-old’s last big contract.

“It’s part of who I am at this point,” Ekblad said of being a member of the Panthers. “I've spent 11 years here, and that's more than I've spent in any home or city in my life, so it's home, and I expect it to be home.”

How that plays out for Ekblad and the Panthers remains to be seen, but it shouldn’t be too long until we find out how everything plays out.

Discussions between the two sides are ongoing.

One thing is certain at this point, and that’s how happy Ekblad will be if he ends up staying with Florida.

Is that happiness worth more than the almighty dollar? We shall see.

“Conversations have been had, you know, obviously nothing material yet, but they'll be working on it,” he said. “Things like to seem to come down to the last minute here.”

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Photo caption: May 20, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad (5) celebrates scoring against the Carolina Hurricanes during the first period in game one of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)

Big winger with ‘really good top-end speed' might be around Flyers at No. 22 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:

Lynden Lakovic

Position: Winger
Height: 6-foot-4
Weight: 200
Shoots: Left
Team: Moose Jaw

Scouting report

An excellent skater for a big body, Lakovic offers a dangerous package in transition. He’s imposing off the rush because he can separate and score with a smooth stride and plus shot.

Despite missing over a quarter of the 2024-25 campaign with a lower-body injury, the 18-year-old still led the Warriors in goals (27), points (58) and shots (183). Those numbers came in 47 games — 21 fewer than some of his teammates — on a rebuilding team.

“He has got that size,” Dan Marr, the vice president of NHL Central Scouting, said June 11 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “And he’s really appealing because he can skate, he has got really good top-end speed, a good pull-away gear. Teams like that appeal about him because when he uses that speed to pull away and get the opportunity, he has got a good touch around the net, where he can finish.”

Lakovic is the 14th-ranked North American skater by NHL Central Scouting. He’ll need to round out his game as he develops and prove he can grind for his offense, as well.

“He’s just one of the big guys that needs a little more time, but he could end up being, out of this draft class, better than some of the players that get taken ahead of him,” Marr, who worked in scouting and player development for over 20 years, said. “I don’t know that he realizes what his top end is.”

EliteProspects.com has Lakovic pegged as the 14th-best player in the draft, while Button has him at No. 23.

“This is what our opinion is, that he has a pretty high ceiling,” Marr said. “Down the road, he may be one of these guys that when you do a re-draft, he could go a little higher.”

Fit with Flyers

Lakovic could intrigue the Flyers if he’s within their reach at No. 22. Not many 6-foot-4 wingers can move like him and there’s scoring potential to go along with it.

If the Flyers were to draft him, they’d add to a good mix of left winger prospects that includes Alex Bump, Nikita Grebenkin and Denver Barkey.

While it’s very difficult to read how wingers with size and finesse will translate to the pro level, Lakovic seems to have middle-six upside.

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

• A center with ‘really, really strong’ upside could be first-round sleeper for Flyers

Every year, good prospects go undrafted, and they have two choices: feel sorry for themselves or prove people wrong and force a team to call their names next NHL draft.

While not every player has the latter mindset, the players here embraced it ahead of the 2025 NHL draft in Los Angeles.

Petteri Rimpinen, G, 19, Kiekko-Espoo (Fin.)

An incredible performance at the WJC, helping the Finns to an unexpected silver medal, put Rimpinen on the radar for the 2025 draft. He played 40 Liiga games and posted the league’s second-best save percentage.

Jamiro Reber, C, 18, HV71 (Swe.)

After flashing bits of skill last year, Reber was solid in the Swedish League this season. His speed and motor meshed perfectly with some slick playmaking and a nose for the net.

Topias Hynninen, C, 19, Jukurit (Fin.)

Hynninen was Jukurit’s second-highest regular-season scorer and then went off for 10 points in five games in the relegation playoffs, carrying a massive load offensively. He’s a solid two-way forward who brings more offensive creation than he’s given credit for.

Draft Preview 2025 | The Hockey News ArchiveThe Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions abo...

Julius Sumpf, C, 20, Moncton (QMJHL)

Sumpf is a tactician who is better than the sum of his parts. The QMJHLer constantly moves around when he doesn’t have the puck to find space and generate scoring chances. He connects plays well and doesn’t try to overcomplicate the game with the puck on his stick.

Charlie Cerrato, LW, 20, Penn State (Big Ten)

In his freshman year, Cerrato was a top-20 scorer in college hockey, and he was a driving force on one of the NCAA’s most impressive teams. Cerrato possesses excellent speed and rush-attacking abilities.

Luke Mistelbacher, RW, 19, Swift Current (WHL)

With a great shot and an understanding of how to get open in the offensive zone, Mistelbacher exploded offensively this year. He needs to clean up his skating, but his finishing and offensive skills are tantalizing. He signed a tryout deal with AHL Iowa for a taste of the pros after his WHL season ended.

Tomas Galvas, D, 19, Liberec (Cze.)

With a supremely skilled offensive game, Galvas is a player who was quite highly regarded last year but was passed over due to concerns with his own-zone play. His defensive game has improved somewhat, but it remains a work in progress. His offense, however, outweighs the worry.

Daniil Ustinkov, D, 18, Kusnacht (Sui.2)

Ustinkov plays an understated game as a defensive blueliner with solid passing on the breakout. His skating is his foundation, and he leverages it to defend in all situations.

Daniel Nieminen, D, 19 Pelicans (Fin.)

Nieminen uses his skating all over the ice and has played well against men in the Liiga. He defends with his feet, evades pressure and is comfortable carrying the puck up ice. His passing is an asset in the offensive zone.

Cole Davis, LW, 19, Windsor (OHL)

There is a lot for NHL coaches to like about Davis’ game in the OHL. He brings physicality, invites contact, crashes the net, disrupts play on the forecheck and can get under an opponent’s skin.

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This article appeared in our 2025 Draft Preview issue. Our cover story focuses on the Erie Otters' star defenseman and top draft prospect Matthew Schaefer, who has excelled despite the personal losses of his past. We also include features on other top prospects, including Michael Misa and more. In addition, we give our list of the top-100 prospects heading into the 2025 NHL draft.

You can get it in print for free when you subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/Free today. All subscriptions include complete access to more than 76 years of articles at The Hockey News Archive.