Belarus Reinstated For IIHF Tournaments
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) has announced that Belarus will be reinstated for competition beginning next season per Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff. The announcement came during the organization’s annual congress held in Zurich, Switzerland this week. Belarus has been barred from international competition since 2021 due to their involvement in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In a statement, the IIHF said:
This decision was not taken lightly. The safety and well-being of players, officials, fans, volunteers, and all participants remains our highest priority. Based on the assessments conducted and ongoing consultations with relevant stakeholders, we believe this can be done in a safe, responsible, and controlled manner.
No update was provided on Russia’s eligibility for IIHF tournaments. In a statement, the Russian Hockey Federation acknowledged their partnership with the IIHF to work back towards tournament eligibility while also noting that their ban remains in place.
Belarus’ last participation in an IIHF tournament was at the 2022 World Junior Championship Division-1A tournament. They won the tournament with a 5-0-0 record and 26-to-eight goal differential. Their roster was laden with NHL talent. Top draft pick Artyom Levshunov led a group that also featured forwards Vitali Pinchuk and Yegor Sidorov, defensemen Dmitri Kuzmin and Daniil Karpovich, and goaltender Aleksei Kolosov. Belarus was suspended from IIHF competition following this tournament and Latvia – the Silver Medal winners – were promoted in their place.
Belarus appears set to join the top division of the World U18 Championship, but the second division of the World Championship, ahead of the IIHF’s 2027 tournaments. The country will bring a high-powered roster to the men’s tournament, while also boasting a chance to showcase their top draft-eligible prospects next season.
Canada Registers Sam Dickinson, Jack Ivankovic At World Championship
Team Canada will finish off the World Championship with the help of two top prospects. San Jose Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson and Nashville Predators goalie prospect Jack Ivankovic have been registered for the remainder of the tournament per Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff. Neither player is expected to suit up for Thursday’s quarterfinal matchup against Team USA, which could be Canada’s last of the tournament.
Both Dickinson and Ivankovic have been with the Canadian side through the extent of the World Championships – but are only now lineup-eligible, after being registered. Circumstance may keep the duo from debuting with Canada’s men’s team but the chance to spend time with NHL greats like Sidney Crosby, Evan Bouchard, and Ryan O’Reilly will nonetheless be invaluable.
Dickinson wrapped up his rookie season in the NHL with quiet totals. After notching historic scoring during his three-year career in the OHL, the puck-moving defender only scored one goal and 14 points in the first 72 NHL games of his career. He struggled to bring his dominant offense to the pro flight – but still showed flashes of the heads-up playmaking that earned him 91 points in 55 OHL games just last season. Dickinson will be leaned on as a core, offensive-defenseman behind San Jose’s young forwards for years to come. The chance to join his future-captain, Macklin Celebrini, at the 2026 World Championships will be another chance to find his comfort at the top level.
Ivankovic played through his freshman season at the University of Michigan after being drafted in the 2025 second round. He was called upon right away by the Wolverines and quickly stood out as one of the team’s biggest difference-makers. Ivankovic stuck around a .920 save percentage for much of the year, until his season was derailed by a scary-looking, lower-body injury sustained in a January matchup against rival Notre Dame. The injury was believed to be long-term – but Ivankovic was only out of the lineup for one month before returning to full-time, starting duties. He finished the year with a .921 save percentage and 25-8-1 record while backstopping the school that spent much of the year ranked #1. He also followed an NHL teammate – O’Reilly – to this tournament but lost his chances to start thanks to Jet Greaves‘ .926 save percentage through five wins.
While both prospects may continue to watch the tournament from the press box, their addition to the roster will stand as a bode of confidence from Hockey Canada. Both players will almost certainly be major parts of Canada’s World Championship, and other international, rosters in the years to come.
Corey Perry Intends To Continue Playing Career
Recently turned 41-year-old Corey Perry is looking to extend his career into a 22nd season, confirmed by Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic earlier today.
Playing in unusual colors back in 2019 as a Dallas Star at age 34, it already looked like Perry hardly had much left in the tank, with just five goals in 57 regular season games. Nobody back then would have expected that the 6’3” winger would be a notable member of the 2026 free agent class, but sure enough, it looks like that’ll be the case.
By now everyone knows about Perry’s five losses in the Stanley Cup Final, but the power forward impressively keeps humming along, notching 17 goals in 72 games this season, six of them in just 22 games after being traded back to the Lightning at the deadline. Fetching his short-term club in Los Angeles a 2028 second-round pick, it goes to show how high Perry remains valued today.
Lebrun speculates that a return to the Bolts won’t be happening, and assuming Perry is picked up by a hypothetical eighth club (barring a return to any of his previous seven) he’d have major milestones in store. The Ontario native needs just 36 regular season appearances to become the 26th player in league history to reach 1,500 games. Only Alex Ovechkin and Brent Burns are in that club as fellow active players.
As long as Tampa Bay can be crossed off the list, Perry should have several other suitors to choose from on July 1. A deal right in line with last summer’s one year, $2MM contract, that one offered by the Kings, would be in order. With practically an entire portfolio of recent one year contracts to draw upon as examples, the possibility also exists of one like his 2023 agreement with Chicago, a higher rate to join a younger squad, with the idea of later choosing his favored destination at the trade deadline. Of course, at this point it’s not so much about the money as it is about the fit, ideally one which would lead Perry to his ever-elusive second Stanley Cup ring one way or another.
While the veteran was making the rounds on various teams and going on deep playoff runs, his original club in Anaheim built a formidable roster which is ready to contend. A Ducks return would be a storybook ending for Perry, who broke into the NHL in 2005 as a “Mighty Duck”, donning the eggplant alongside franchise legends Teemu Selänne and Scott Niedermayer. Back to the present day, it’s worth mentioning that their forward corps already feature Alex Killorn and Chris Kreider as aging veterans offering similar on-ice traits to Perry. Still, the 2011 Hart Trophy winner would be a great model for 20-year-old Beckett Sennecke.
Tack on Perry’s 244 playoff games to his total resume, and it has been an incredible career for the 28th overall selection in 2003. Somewhat hard to believe, just he and Burns are the only remaining active players from the draft 23 years ago which has gone down as arguably the best in NHL history. At least for one more year, its impact will continue to be felt, all while more rising young stars emerge who were born years after Perry’s name was called at the draft.
Can The Sabres Afford To Retain Alex Tuch?
The Buffalo Sabres broke a 14-year playoff drought this season in spectacular fashion and were within a shot of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals when Alex Newhook of the Montreal Canadiens broke their hearts in overtime. That one shot has no doubt haunted Sabres fans since the loss, and it was a frustrating defeat for a team whose top players went cold when the team needed them most. One of those players was forward Alex Tuch, who failed to score in the second round, when Montreal’s margin of victory was about as small as it could be. Despite Tuch’s lack of production, the pending UFA isn’t likely to see his stock fall too far as he approaches the open market on July 1, and that is a problem for the Sabres, who are facing a cap crunch and may not have the room to keep Tuch and his potential $10MM-$11MM cap hit.
Tuch is an interesting player, as he was the centerpiece of the return for Jack Eichel when the Sabres shipped him out to the Vegas Golden Knights. He is also a local, hailing from Syracuse, New York, and he has been one of the best deals in the NHL, collecting just $4.75MM annually while putting up 139 goals and 170 assists in 360 games as a member of the Sabres. It’s been a mutually beneficial relationship thus far, but it’s hard to say whether that will continue, especially if Tuch’s play starts to fall off in his 30s while he’s making north of $10MM annually.
According to PuckPedia, the Sabres currently have just shy of $12MM in available cap space with 22 players signed. At first glance, it seems straightforward that they could fit Tuch under the cap, but that’s where the problems start to emerge. Aside from Tuch being unsigned, the other two unsigned forwards are Zach Benson and Peyton Krebs, both of whom are due for large raises. Using AFP Analytics projections, Benson would be looking at a short-term deal around $4.2MM per season, while Krebs should fall in the $3.5MM range. That’s a $7.7MM expenditure if the Sabres go short-term on Benson, but if they go long-term, it might be closer to $7MM annually just for Benson. Couple those numbers with a potential $10MM cap hit for Tuch, and the Sabres would blow past the salary cap pretty quickly. That is without factoring in defenseman Michael Kesselring’s contract, which will also likely top $4MM annually. Nor does it consider the future contracts that will need to be signed with Noah Ostlund, Jiri Kulich and Konsta Helenius.
The Sabres have substantial maneuvering to do if they want to welcome Tuch back into the fold. But do they want to trade away foundational young players just to accommodate a veteran forward on the wrong side of 30 whose best days will soon be behind him? It’s a potential $70MM-$80MM question the Sabres will need to answer, and one that could dictate how the next 5-10 years play out in Buffalo.
The Sabres have to consider Bowen Byram’s future as well, since he is just 13 months away from becoming a UFA and will command a healthy payday on his next deal. But even moving the 24-year-old likely wouldn’t get the Sabres back under the cap if they sign Tuch and the other aforementioned players, meaning moving Byram alone would be the first of multiple moves. The Sabres already have Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power on the left side of their defense and may not need to keep Byram in the fold. So far, reports say Byram likes Buffalo, and they plan to meet this summer to discuss an extension.
So, what can the Sabres do to retain the talent they want to keep and stay under the salary cap? Probably the easiest move in the short term is to trade forward Jason Zucker and his $4.75MM cap hit. Zucker has been a good pro for a long time, but with one year left on his deal and a limited no-trade clause, he is a straightforward move to stockpile a future asset and clear part of the books. But he can’t be the only move Buffalo makes to shed salary, and the move beyond Zucker will likely need to be a hard one, sending away an important player. That’s not to minimize Zucker’s contributions, as he is one of the few veterans on the Sabres, but at 34 years old, he doesn’t have many years left in the NHL, and Buffalo might have to trade a younger asset to clear space if they want to sign Tuch.
That brings us back to the question at the outset of the article: Can the Sabres afford to keep Tuch? On paper, it’s possible. With cap maneuvering, such as trading Zucker and Byram, it’s very possible. But for the long-term health of the Sabres, they might need to let Tuch walk and be happy that he had a run in Buffalo that ended with them snapping a long playoff drought. Players rarely get better in their 30s, and it’s a guessing game when the decline begins. The NHL is littered with cautionary tales of teams signing players in their 30s to expensive contracts in unrestricted free agency, and the Sabres would be wise to sit out the Tuch negotiations and let another NHL club sign a contract that could one day end in a buyout.
Sharks Sign Jimmy Huntington To One-Year Extension
The San Jose Sharks shared earlier today that forward Jimmy Huntington has been re-signed on a one-year, two-way contract. Financial terms have not yet been reported, but as a two-way pact it automatically carries at least a league minimum $850k at the NHL level.
A veteran of the AHL, the 27-year-old joined the San Jose Barracuda this past season and put together his best campaign yet, recording 48 points in 71 games. The center was third in team scoring, producing alongside several skilled youngsters such as Filip Bystedt and Quentin Musty.
Undrafted out of the QMJHL, Huntington feasted alongside Alexis Lafrenière with the Rimouski Oceanic in 2018-19. Catching on with the Lightning organization after a 92-point season, he went on to make a two-year stop with the Milwaukee Admirals. The Laval, Quebec native moved on to the Hershey Bears for 2023-24, helping lead the Capitals affiliates to a Calder Cup title, with 14 points in 20 games during the run.
Since finding himself out west, Huntington’s efforts this season in San Jose helped the Barracuda rank 13th in the AHL, although they were sent home by the Henderson Silver Knights in the opening round. Still seeking his NHL debut, the 6’0″ lefty will aim to build off a strong season, continuing to bring a well-rounded two-way game to the Sharks organization.
Evening Notes: Woodcroft, Lee, Jenner
The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to interview Jay Woodcroft for their head coaching position, reported by Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. He added that Woodcroft spoke with the Kings last week as well, and based on such interest, the 49-year-old looks well on track to be back in charge of an NHL bench in 2026-27.
Depending on how things go with the Leafs or Kings from here, it’s thought that Woodcroft is among the top candidates for the club in Toronto’s search. A native of the city, he started as a video coach with the prime 2000s Red Wings, winning a Stanley Cup in that role before moving on to San Jose as an assistant on Todd McLellan’s staff, also following him along to Edmonton afterward. Six years later he found himself leading the Oilers. Let go after a rough start to the 2023-24 campaign, Woodcroft served as an assistant with Anaheim this season, a part of their resurrection.
A modern mind with keen emphasis on analytics in a fast-paced offensive attack, Woodcroft has a career record of 79-41-13, all with Edmonton. He’s exactly .500 across 28 playoff games.
Elsewhere across the league:
- New York Islanders captain Anders Lee wants to add to his 14 seasons with the franchise as he approaches free agency. Still, general manager Mathieu Darche is motivated to open up cap space to more comfortably fit the contract in, as written by Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. It’s not difficult to single out trade candidates, as Anthony Duclair was shopped around during trade deadline season with clearing his $3.5MM cap hit a priority. The winger who has struggled in New York has a full no-trade clause, making the situation more difficult to navigate. Pierre Engvall is next in line, his $3MM AAV running through 2029-30, but already having cleared waivers in the past, it’s obvious Darche would have to add enhancements to shed salary. The 29-year-old carries a high cost to be effectively a fourth liner at this point. Back to Lee, the veteran who turns 36 in July is no longer a top scorer, but he’s tremendously durable, missing just one regular season game in the past four years. As long as that pace continues through next year, he’ll reach the 1,000 game mark. AFP Analytics projects that Lee is due for a three year extension worth $6.60MM per season, not far from his current $7 million annual salary.
- Previously reported as possibly being squeezed out, Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner’s future remains up in the air at this point, as outlined by Pierre Lebrun of The Athletic. The Columbus captain, whose 808 regular season appearances mark the longest tenured player on the team, was far apart on term in the first round of discussions as he seeks stability at age 32. Teammate Charlie Coyle, 34 no less, was given six years on his contract extension, so it’s curious to know what general manager Don Waddell has in mind with Jenner. Lebrun referenced his tendency to sometimes let negotiations run to the finish line, and with more than a month away from the open market, there’s plenty of time to work something out.
Daxon Rudolph Close To NCAA Commitment
According to Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects, a top prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft, Daxon Rudolph, might have narrowed down his choice of NCAA schools to three top-tier programs.
Rudolph reportedly is between Denver, Michigan State, and Boston College as his preferred destinations, with a visit to Denver expected to come later this week, per Robinson. A right-handed defenseman, he has a consolidated ranking of ninth among the major outlets that cover prospects eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft.
In his second season with Prince Albert, he scored 28 goals, tying Josh Morrissey for the club’s record in scoring by a defenseman, for 78 points in 68 WHL games. The 18-year-old added 27 points in 19 playoff games for the Raiders, losing in the Western league final to the Everett Silvertips. That capped off a career with 119 points and a +45 rating in his two seasons there.
The Lacombe, Alberta native notably competed in two separate tournaments before the WHL playoffs. As an assistant captain for Canada’s U18 team at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he scored four points in five games and notched two assists in three games for the CHL team at this past Prospects Challenge.
The 6-foot-2 defenseman is known as a prospect who can string together offense. His passing and puckhandling are key attributes when he makes flashy plays, but also help him in his transition game and complement the steady offensive reads he visualizes. Defensively, his stick is active and precise in its ability to clog passing lanes and disrupt the flow of a puck carrier, which rounds him out with what many scouts project as a solid-floor for a blue-liner.
Any three of these schools would be a mutually beneficial partnership between program and player. Among his potential NHL draftees, Rudolph could join a few notable names, depending on the school he decides to attend.
Starting with the defending national champions in Denver, Rudolph could join an elite right side that already has fellow top prospect Ryan Lin, who recently announced his commitment to the Pioneers, and Blake Fiddler (2025-SEA-2nd). David Carle’s program has not only dominated in his tenure but has seen a few defenders in recent memory carry on their talents to the NHL past the NCAA, like former Hobey Baker winner Will Butcher, Scott Mayfield of the Islanders, and most notably, Zeev Buium.
Michigan State would also see Rudolph connect with a 2026 eligible right-shot defenseman. Chase Reid, a projected lottery selection, is likely to lead the charge in terms of blue line minutes after a great season with the Soo Greyhounds in the OHL, which has him slotted to be off the board early. Along with Reid, Tommy Bleyl is sure to add some competitiveness for ice time as another top prospect out of the QMJHL. So on the Spartans’ right side, Rudolph would join a hefty group with a potential commitment to East Lansing. Adam Nightingale already has a shiny resume, a great class of recruits, and is backed by a history of Spartans who’ve fared well in the NHL; Duncan Keith, Torey Krug, and Jeff Petry are a few to name, with former second overall pick Artyom Levshunov as a recent graduate.
Boston College would be the most intriguing option if Rudolph were to make a decision best for his ice time. Going off of College Hockey News, sophomore Luka Radivojevic, who scored 16 points in 34 games of his freshman season, is the Eagles’ best righty as of their roster projection. Nolan Joyce rounds out that side entering his senior season, but it would be a huge boost for Greg Brown‘s program if he were able to bring Daxon Rudolph to ‘The Heights’. Outside of forward Oscar Hemming, the Eagles don’t have a major first-round pick from the 2026 draft to boast on their team next season. Rudolph could certainly be that player.
Draft Situations The Rangers Should Monitor Closely
The last time the New York Rangers made the playoffs, they had 55 regular-season wins and needed two more to advance to the Stanley Cup final.
Two years later, they have fallen far from that mountain top. Since recording a near .700 points percentage, the Blueshirts have finished fifth, followed by this seasons eigthth seed placement in the Metropolitan Division. But maybe a power swing at the plate can get them back on track towards that climb back up. According to The Athletic’s Vincent Z, Mercogliano, New York is monitoring quite a few situations that are slowly unfolding around the league, and pouncing on one of these situations could be a step towards that quick turnaround that Rangers GM Chris Drury wants to implement.
Although the Rangers are poking around, things don’t always go sideways. Look for Drury to reach out, but the focus on the turnaround should begin with the NHL draft. While yes, New York boasts around $50MM in cap space this summer, they have an opportunity to insert a breath of fresh air into a lineup that could use it. Provided are three ways they can take advantage of the upcoming draft.
Snagging Second from the Sharks?
The San Jose Sharks once again have a top-five draft pick in their arsenal to utilize in taking a major top prospect in their future. They’ve been selected in the top ten in four of the last five drafts. Sharks GM Mike Grier has another one in place at second overall in the 2026 NHL Draft. After moving up seven spots in the lottery, they have the luxury of selecting a top prospect in wingers Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, depending on the direction the Maple Leafs decide to go in at first overall.
San Jose would likely go for defensemen, and with this draft boasting an abundance of high-upside blue-liners, there are a few ways the Rangers could provide the Sharks with a need while also supplementing their own. One route could be through exchanging the second overall pick for New York’s first-round pick, which is just a few spots back at fifth overall, where it would be more comfortable to take a defenseman around where they should be on the board.
While the Sharks could utilize the pick to bolster their forward group in the likely event they keep the pick, that would force many of their notable, talented prospects like Filip Bystedt, Igor Chernyshov, and Quentin Musty down the pipeline. Maybe San Jose could deal a young prospect to the Big Apple that could add to New York’s youth.
Keep the pick, wait for a Defenseman?
The fifth overall pick grants New York a chance that a major top prospect can fall to them, depending on how the first four teams play out their picks.
Despite Caleb Malhotra‘s consolidated ranking of 12th by major draft outlets, he’s exploded recently in the OHL playoffs with 26 points in 15 games with Brantford. Considering the connection with Caleb’s father as the coach of the third overall selecting Vancouver AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, it seems like there’s a likely chance there for him to put on a Canucks jersey if the perceived hypothetical of McKenna and Stenberg go first and second.
If New York wanted to, they could go for an available defenseman of whoever falls in their lap. Based on the trend of Malhotra rising, one of Chase Reid, Keaton Verhoeff, Daxon Rudolph, Carson Carels, or Alberts Smits will be on the board for the Rangers to add a youthful jolt to its blue line. If Carels and Smits are among those names, it would benefit New York to gain a lefty, barring any moves in the D-corps.
How to approach the late first round?
New York also has a buffer within the top-32 after its lottery selection at fifth. Remember the K’Andre Miller trade? The Rangers received a 2026 first-round pick from Carolina, and the conditions of the pick, which banked on either Dallas or the Hurricanes ending their season first, were resolved quickly, via the Dallas Stars first round exit to Minnesota.
In the late first, among the consolidated rankings, New York has some forwards that may be left over based on how the first round plays out. Around 26th overall, they could go for a Center, which hasn’t been a picked position for them in this range since 2017, when the team took Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson.
Names like Tynan Lawrence (7th) or Oliver Suvanto (17th) might be taken in the middle of the round, but look out for NCAA commits in Penn State’s Yegor Shilov (24th) and Michigan State’s Jack Hextall (31st), Niagara’s 6-foot-4 Ryan Roobroeck (26th), or even NTDP standout Wyatt Cullen (29th) to be available.
Free Agent Focus: Calgary Flames
Free agency is just over a month away, and teams are looking ahead to when it opens. Even with the UFA crop being thinned out in recent months, there will be some quality veterans set to hit the open market in July, while many teams also have key restricted free agents to re-sign. We start our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Flames.
Key Restricted Free Agents
John Beecher – The Flames don’t have any key NHL players set to become restricted free agents, in part thanks to the $7.5MM AAV extension they signed with No. 1 goalie Dustin Wolf. That deal kicks in on July 1. As a result, Beecher is the Flames RFA with the most NHL experience, though it’d be difficult to call him a key player by any means.
The Flames claimed Beecher, 25, off of waivers from the Boston Bruins in the middle of November. The speedy forward looked to have established himself in the NHL in 2024-25, playing in a career-high 78 games. But the Bruins team Beecher played those games for that season was an uncharacteristically weak one, and this past campaign, he lost his role as a lineup regular under new head coach Marco Sturm.
Calgary was likely intrigued by the traits in Beecher’s game that made him a first-round pick by the Bruins: he possesses a coveted combination of size (6’3″ 220 pounds) and speed, while also being able to play the center position.
That speed has allowed Beecher to carve out a spot in both Boston and Calgary’s penalty-kill rotations, but he hasn’t been able to make a more well-rounded impact on either team he’s played for.
He was not a top scorer in the AHL for the Providence Bruins, nor in college for the Michigan Wolverines, and has produced just 28 points in 165 career NHL games.
Despite the pace in his game, it’s unlikely Beecher will ever be much of a point producer. The key question is whether he’ll be able to leverage his skating and size to carve out a lengthy career as a fourth-line player with valuable penalty-kill utility. He has shown some flashes of potential to become that kind of player, but hasn’t been able to do so with much consistency.
The Flames could bring Beecher back at a relatively affordable price. He cost $900K this past season, and would need to receive a one-way deal for next year. The main complicating factor at play here is Beecher’s right to pursue arbitration, which could give the Flames some pause if they’re not certain Beecher is a part of their plans for next season’s team.
Brennan Othmann – Like Beecher, Othmann is a first-round pick by an original six franchise who thus far hasn’t been able to carve out a meaningful long-term role in an NHL lineup. Othmann is a few years younger than Beecher and therefore doesn’t have as much NHL experience, though he is a considerably more advanced player at the AHL level. The 23-year-old scored 21 goals and 49 points as an AHL rookie with the 2023-24 Hartford Wolf Pack, and has maintained a solid scoring clip at the AHL level, even as he’s struggled in call-ups to the NHL.
A skilled winger who has some valuable pest-like elements to his game, Othmann hasn’t been able to translate any of his scoring from the AHL and OHL to the NHL level. He was traded to Calgary at the deadline for 2024 second-rounder Jacob Battaglia, but managed just seven points in 14 AHL games after the trade. He did score a goal and an assist in two games for the Flames after the deal, but that is just two games.
With his entry-level deal now concluded, it’ll be interesting to see how the Flames value Othmann. It’s not unreasonable by any stretch to believe he still has NHL potential, but his star as a prospect has faded. A one-year, two-way deal likely makes the most sense here, one with the kind of solid AHL salary merited by the level of production Othmann has put forward in his minor-league career so far.
Rory Kerins – Kerins, 24, has been a real developmental success story for the Flames as a 2020 sixth-round pick. The 5’10”, 175-pound center was one of the OHL’s best players in 2021-22, scoring 43 goals and 118 points in 67 games. That raised expectations for what he might be able to do as a professional, but he ended up spending his debut pro campaign in the ECHL with the Rapid City Rush, scoring 37 points in 38 games.
In 2023-24, after that one year in the ECHL, Kerins quickly became an impactful AHLer. He scored 16 goals and 32 points that year, but the real breakout was to come a year later. In 2024-25, Kerins scored 33 goals and 61 points in 63 games, production that made him an AHL All-Star. This past season, Kerins showed that year wasn’t any fluke, scoring 22 goals and 57 points in 56 games.
The question for Kerins is whether he’ll top out as a high-end AHL scorer, or if he has something to give at the NHL level. His most recent contract was a one-year, two-way deal containing a guarantee of $125K. Without question, he’s earned a raise off that number for next season in the AHL.
Other RFAs: F Carter King, F Parker Bell, F Lucas Ciona, F Sam Morton, D Gavin White, D Artem Grushnikov, G Owen Say
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
Ryan Lomberg – After winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers in 2024, Lomberg cashed in on his status as a fan-favorite agitator playing on the league’s best team. He signed a two-year, $2MM AAV deal with the Flames, a solid contract for a player with a career-high of just 20 points. 
With the Flames, Lomberg has been as advertised: a low-scoring fourth-line winger who punches above his weight, plays with energy and physicality, and tries his best to get under the skin of opponents.
A player of Lomberg’s skillset is often held as most valuable in the playoffs, meaning Lomberg’s talents didn’t feel quite as meaningful playing on a rebuilding Flames team.
With that said, the experience Lomberg was able to provide to a young team full of developing prospects still held real value, even if he wasn’t able to produce nearly as much as the 12 goals and 20 points he put forward in 2022-23. He’d be an in-demand bottom-sixer on the open market.
Back in February, Lomberg made his desire to remain in Calgary very clear. He told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis:
This is where I want to be. I’ve been pretty vocal on how much I love the city, and the people, and the organization. I want to win here. My family and I love it here, and we’re extremely proud to be part of the organization and a big part of the community. I signed here with the intention of helping this team win, and being part of the solution. So that’s definitely how I would like it to stay.
The Flames certainly have the financial bandwidth to match any bid for Lomberg, but the question will be whether the team has interest in retaining the 31-year-old or if they’re eager to turn over the role he occupies to a younger player.
Victor Olofsson – Cast off by the Colorado Avalanche as part of the Nazem Kadri trade deadline deal, Olofsson has only played in 18 games for the Flames, and his time in Calgary could very well end there. Olofsson has always been something of an enigmatic player, a clearly talented sniper whose inconsistency has kept him from holding down a permanent role on any NHL team.
A two-time 20-goal scorer during his days with the Buffalo Sabres, Olofsson scored 13 goals and 31 points in 78 games across stints with Calgary and Colorado in 2025-26. The year before, he scored 15 goals and 29 points in 56 games for the Vegas Golden Knights.
While there is likely still a place for Olofsson in the NHL, it may not be in Calgary. Making the most of Olofsson on an NHL roster means giving him an offensive role with at least second-unit power play time. As the Flames look to develop as much long-term value as possible on their roster, there may be more to gain by giving a young player the opportunity to play that role, rather than reserving it for Olofsson.
Daniil Miromanov – In the immediate aftermath of when the Flames acquired Miromanov from the Golden Knights as part of the Noah Hanifin trade, there was some optimism that he could end up becoming a real steal for Calgary. He seemed to instantly elevate his game. He played in only four contests in Vegas, but got time in the NHL with the Flames down the stretch in 2024. In 20 games for the Flames, he averaged 21:15 time on ice per game, including 2:05 per game on the power play. He managed a solid seven points in 20 games, and signed a two-year, $1.25MM AAV extension.
That performance, and contract, earned Miromanov an NHL spot for the next season. But Miromanov wasn’t able to resume his role from late the season before, instead serving as a frequent healthy scratch. He only got into 44 games in 2024-25, and averaged 17:40 time on ice per game, almost entirely at even strength.
This past season, Miromanov’s decline in terms of role has only hastened. Despite Calgary’s decisions to trade away veteran talent from its defense, Miromanov wasn’t able to seize on the minutes vacated by MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson. Instead, he spent almost all of 2025-26 in the AHL, playing in just a single game at the NHL level. While nothing has been set in stone, there is every indication that Miromanov has already played his final game in Calgary.
Jake Bean – Bean, 27, has had a disappointing two-year stint with the Flames. In his first season in Calgary, he averaged just 15:05 time on ice per game, and scored just seven points in 64 contests. He wasn’t able to take a step forward in the NHL despite looking like a future top-four defenseman earlier in his career.
This past season, Bean was limited to just 16 games. He underwent surgery in December as the result of an undisclosed injury. A fresh start could be what is best for both Bean and the Flames.
Other UFAs: F Justin Kirkland, F Clark Bishop, D Nick Cicek, G Ivan Prosvetov
Projected Cap Space
The Flames enter next season with a little over $18MM in projected cap space. While that may seem surprisingly low for a team in the midst of a full-on rebuild, that’s simply because greater financial freedom is just on the horizon. The Flames project to have over $51.5MM in cap space for 2027-28, and $83.5MM for 2028-29. But even that $18MM figure should be more than enough for the team to be able to not only comfortably retain all of their pending free agents, but also have some spending money for free agency if that’s a route they want to take.
They’ll also have the flexibility to be able to take on sub-optimal contracts in exchange for draft picks, though the market for those kinds of deals is sure to be less robust than it was during the days of the flat salary cap. In any case, Calgary will have significant financial flexibility in the year to come, especially on their back-end. Calgary’s highest-paid defenseman is Kevin Bahl at $5.35MM, and no other Flames blueliner even reaches $4MM in cap hit.
Photos courtesy of Sergei Belski-Imagn Images, Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Minor Transactions: Stevens, Newkirk, Fontaine, Jandric
John Stevens, a veteran of nearly 400 career AHL games, will depart Liiga’s Kiekko-Espoo after one season there, according to a team announcement on social media. Stevens signed with the club last summer, a move that appeared to end – or at the very least suspend – an AHL career spanning back to the 2016-17 season. Stevens won the Calder Cup with the Abbotsford Canucks in 2024-25, but didn’t get to play in their playoff run.
A former captain at the NCAA level for the Northeastern Huskies, Stevens developed into an impactful AHL scorer in Abbotsford. He was more of a bottom-six piece during the early portion of his AHL career in the New York Islanders organization with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, but a mid-season trade to the Canucks organization in 2020 helped spark a greater level of contributions. Stevens scored a career-high 19 goals and 43 points in 2021-22, and had a solid 35 points in 68 games as recently as 2023-24. For AHLers who have exceeded their status as “development players,” finding a way to stick in the league can be a challenge. Stevens’ 2024-25 season saw his production decline by 20 points, which appears to have spelled the end of his time in North America’s second-best league. His debut season overseas saw him score 10 goals and 23 points and wear an “A” for a Kiekko-Espoo side that reached the Liiga postseason.
Other minor transactions from across the hockey world:
- Another former Islanders prospect, Reece Newkirk, has elected to swap the North American minor leagues for Finland’s top division. Newkirk, 25, has signed a one-year contract with JYP Jyväskylä for the 2026-27 season. A 2019 fifth-rounder by the Islanders, Newkirk spent three seasons in their minor-league system serving as an AHL/ECHL bubble player. He developed into a point-per-game ECHL player for the Worcester Railers while serving in a depth capacity for Bridgeport. Newkirk exited the Islanders’ farm system in 2024 and has bounced around a bit, most recently settling with the Syracuse Crunch and their ECHL affiliate, the Orlando Solar Bears. Newkirk ranked No. 2 on the Solar Bears in scoring this past season with 51 points in 52 games, while also dressing in 15 games for the Crunch.
- Former New York Rangers prospect Gabriel Fontaine has signed a two-year contract with reigning German champions Eisbären Berlin, reports Jörg Lubrich of German outlet Bild. The 29-year-old was a 2016 sixth-round pick of the Rangers and spent a half-decade in the AHL (2017-2022) before heading overseas. Fontaine’s European career began in Liiga with Lukko Rauma, but he struggled in 2023-24 scoring just 13 points in 36 games. He transferred to Germany that summer, and ended up finding a home in Berlin, where he scored 19 goals and 40 points en route to a DEL title. He signed with Red Bull Munich last summer, but wasn’t able to repeat the success he had in Berlin, scoring just 21 points in 37 games. Now, Fontaine will return to Berlin and look to help their title defense.
- The Nürnberg Ice Tigers of the DEL announced the signing of ECHL champion Chris Jandric to a one-year contract. Jandric, 27, crossed the Atlantic and signed with the DEL’s ERC Ingolstadt last summer, and he ended up playing in just 28 games during the team’s regular season. Previously, Jandric had spent the entirety of his professional career split between the AHL and ECHL. A former top NCAA defenseman with North Dakota, Jandric developed into a legitimate No. 1 defenseman at the ECHL level, with his 50 points in 54 games helping lead Trois-Rivières Lions to a Kelly Cup title in 2025. He wasn’t able to bring that level of play over to the DEL with Ingolstadt, but he will hope that can change in Nürnberg.