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East Notes: Stolarz, Mateychuk, Ruutu

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Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz has made it known that he doesn’t want to work on a contract extension in-season, meaning the time to get a new deal in place is running out.  Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic reports (video link) that the netminder’s camp is looking at recent five-year deals for Kevin Lankinen ($4.5MM) and Karel Vejmelka ($4.75MM) as potential comparables while Toronto’s preference is to do something shorter term.  Stolarz is coming off a stellar season that saw him post a 2.14 GAA and a .926 SV% in 34 games but even though he’s 31, he has just 142 career NHL games under his belt and has never played more than those 34 games in a single season.  That makes finding legitimate comparable players a little trickier but regardless of that, he’s well on his way to a big raise on the $2.5MM he’ll make this season.

Elsewhere in the East:

  • Blue Jackets defenseman Denton Mateychuk has been dealing with a groin issue since the start of training camp and has yet to suit up in the preseason. However, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic relays (Twitter link) that the blueliner skated today and if all goes well, he could be cleared for contact on Monday.  Mateychuk got off to a strong start with AHL Cleveland last season and after being recalled, he was up the rest of the way, getting into 45 games where he had 13 points, earning a spot on the All-Rookie team.
  • The Sabres have hired former NHL winger Jarkko Ruutu in a still-to-be-defined capacity, notes Helsingin Sanomat’s Juuso Savilaakso. Ruutu had been working with Columbus in a variety of roles since 2015 but his contract expired this summer.  It’s likely that Buffalo’s new senior advisor Jarmo Kekalainen had a big role in this hiring, having been the one to originally hire Ruutu to begin his post-playing career a decade ago.

Sabres, Alex Tuch Not Close In Extension Talks

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Sabres winger Alex Tuch is one of the more prominent players in the potential 2026 UFA class.  That said, both he and the team have made it clear that a long-term contract extension is the end goal instead of him going to the open market in July.  However, as Pierre LeBrun reports in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link), the two sides are not in the same ballpark when it comes to getting a deal done.

The 29-year-old has become a much more consistent offensive threat following his trade to Buffalo as part of the Jack Eichel swap back in 2021.  His best three offensive seasons have come in the past three years, ranging from 59 points to 79; last season, he was basically in the middle of those numbers, tallying 36 goals and 31 assists in 82 games while logging over 19 minutes per night for the third straight year.

Basically, these are numbers approaching top-line territory or at the higher end output-wise, fully in top-line territory.  Given his size and defensive acumen, it seems pretty clear that there will be quite a few teams willing to ante up for his services if he remains unsigned in July, something his representation undoubtedly is keeping in mind as talks go on.

How much will that cost Buffalo?  The top winger contract given to an unrestricted free agent this summer went to Nikolaj Ehlers who signed a six-year, $51MM contract ($8.5MM AAV) with Carolina.  (Vegas acquired Mitch Marner for $12MM per season but that was in a sign-and-trade, not actual free agency.)  Ehlers’ price tag feels like it would be on the light side for Tuch’s services, especially as the salary cap continues to be earmarked for bigger jumps than we’ve seen in recent years.  A jump to a double-digit AAV doesn’t appear to be out of the question.

LeBrun speculates that the lack of contracts for some of the other top pending UFAs in contract talks could be playing a role in the minimal progress being made in these discussions as players and agents each wait for someone to be the market setter.  But regardless of who ultimately signs first to set potential new benchmarks, it looks like Tuch’s camp and the Sabres have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks and months to get a deal in place.

Five Key Stories: 9/15/25 – 9/21/25

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Training camps are up and running and the preseason is now underway.  Understandably, that led to plenty of news around the NHL, including the top-scoring blueliner in free agency having to settle for a PTO deal and a pair of Hall of Fame netminders passing away.  Here’s a rundown of the key stories from the past seven days.

Blackhawks Sign A Blueliner: The Blackhawks took care of their last restricted free agent, signing defenseman Wyatt Kaiser to a two-year, $3.4MM contract.  The 23-year-old got his biggest NHL look yet last season, getting into 57 games with Chicago where he had eight points and 93 blocked shots in over 18 minutes per night.  He also got into 17 games with AHL Rockford and it looked like Chicago was trying to highlight the fact that he wasn’t a full-time regular into their offer but ultimately relented with this contract.  His $1.7MM AAV will stand as his qualifying offer with arbitration rights in 2027.

Waiver-Bound: The 2025-26 waiver period still hasn’t opened up yet but we know of one veteran who will be hitting the wire as Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong revealed that they will be waiving goaltender Connor Ingram in the hopes of getting him a fresh start.  The 28-year-old took over the number one role in 2023-24 but struggled considerably last season before stepping away from the team to return to the Player Assistance Program.  Utah added veteran Vitek Vanecek this summer and it appears their plan is to have him back up Karel Vejmelka.  Ingram has one year left on his contract with a $1.9MM cap charge and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer.  With a goalie market that doesn’t have a lot of options left, there could be teams that consider taking a one-year flyer on him when he hits the wire.

Hanging Them Up: Thursday was an interesting day in Los Angeles when it came to their sports icons.  Long-time Dodgers star Clayton Kershaw announced that he’ll be retiring at the end of the season and hours later, long-time Kings fixture Anze Kopitar revealed that the upcoming season will be his last as well.  Drafted 11th overall by Los Angeles in 2005, Kopitar was the first Slovenian first-round pick and the first to reach the NHL, which he did in 2006.  Since then, he has been a high-end two-way pivot for the majority of his 19-year career, one that has seen him amass 1,278 points in 1,454 games, all with the Kings.  Kopitar has a pair of Stanley Cup titles to his name and is only 30 points away from being the highest-scoring player in franchise history.

Two More Years: One veteran who won’t be retiring after the season is Flames center Mikael Backlund.  Instead, he’ll stick around for at least the next three years as he signed a two-year, $6.25MM contract extension that runs through the 2027-28 campaign.  The captain is entering his 18th NHL campaign this season, all with Calgary after they drafted him 24th overall back in 2007.  Backlund has taken pay cuts on his two most recent contracts now, a reflection of his reduced offensive role moving forward but his defensive game remains strong, meaning that he should still be a contributor throughout this new deal.

Injury News: As is often the case as training camp gets underway, there was plenty of injury news around the league.  Lightning center Nick Paul underwent upper-body surgery that will cause him to miss at least the first month of the season.  He has been a key secondary scorer over the last couple of years, notching more than 20 goals and 40 points in each of those.  Penguins center Kevin Hayes suffered an upper-body injury early in camp and will also miss at least a month.  The veteran could be a trade chip for Pittsburgh later in the year while a delayed start won’t help his cause in free agency.

Meanwhile, the Oilers are hoping that winger Zach Hyman will be back at the start of November as he works his way back from a wrist fracture.  That timeline will make him LTIR-eligible although Edmonton’s LTIR pool will be capped at the average salary (around $3.82MM, not his $5.5MM cap charge) thanks to the new rules in place.  Lastly, Laurent Brossoit’s debut with Chicago will have to wait even longer.  After missing all of last season due to continued knee issues, it was revealed that the goaltender is out indefinitely after having hip surgery earlier in the offseason.  Suffice it to say, the two-year, $6.6MM contract they gave him last summer has not worked out well for the Blackhawks.

Photo courtesy of Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images.

Evening Notes: Evangelista, Kleven, Dumais, Hurricanes

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While it appears that the Predators and Luke Evangelista have agreed that the winger’s next contract will be for two years, things don’t appear to be going well in terms of discussing money.  TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that the two sides are still well apart on the financial side, so much so that the 23-year-old has left Nashville and is returning to Canada to train on his own while waiting for a contract to be hammered out.  Evangelista has two straight years of more than 30 points under his belt and is averaging exactly half a point per game in 172 career NHL appearances.  Despite that being a more concrete track record than many players have coming off their entry-level pacts, the two sides don’t appear to be close to an agreement just yet.

More from around the NHL:

  • Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven left today’s exhibition game against Toronto in the third period with an undisclosed injury after crashing into the boards. Postgame, head coach Travis Green told reporters including Sportsnet’s Alex Adams (Twitter link) that there was no immediate information available about the injury.  Kleven was a regular on Ottawa’s third pairing last season, putting up 10 points, 97 blocks, and 105 hits in 79 outings while also getting into all six playoff contests.
  • Blue Jackets prospect Jordan Dumais was injured in the final game of their rookie tournament last weekend and hasn’t been on the ice since. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic relays (subscription link) that the winger is listed as day-to-day with a hip flexor.  Dumais dealt with hip issues in 2024, undergoing surgery early that year and was limited to just 21 games with AHL Cleveland last season where he managed a respectable four goals and seven assists.
  • The Hurricanes may hold defensemen Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield out of all of their preseason games, relays team reporter Walt Ruff (Twitter link). Head coach Rod Brind’Amour relayed that this would be merely as a precaution but generally speaking, this would only be done if the player is nursing a minor injury.  Slavin is a well-established top-pairing player on Carolina’s back end while Chatfield quietly averaged nearly 19 minutes per game last season.

PHR Mailbag: CBA, Playoffs, Kaprizov, Camp Surprises, Hughes Brothers

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Topics in this edition of the PHR Mailbag include breaking down one of the new CBA rule changes, fitting the Hughes brothers on the same team, and more.  If your question doesn’t appear here, check back in next weekend’s column.

Gmm8811: I thought I saw somewhere that players that go on and clear waivers have to actually play at least one game with their AHL affiliate. Did I hear that correctly? Is that starting this year? Would you expand on that info, please? Do you foresee any drawbacks to that? Looking forward to the new season.

This isn’t actually a waiver-specific rule.  A player can clear waivers and not be sent down while remaining eligible to play for their team.  That doesn’t happen often but it does happen, especially around the trade deadline.

What the rule you’re mentioning speaks to is paper transactions.  Section 30 of the new CBA MOU adds a blurb to Section 13.12 of the CBA that basically says that a player who is sent to the minors needs to actually report to the minors and play in at least one game.  The exact rule is as follows:

A Player who has been Loaned to a minor league club, and was not credited with a day pursuant to (h) above for one (1) or more days since the Loan, must actually report to the club and play in one (1) or more games with such minor league club before he is eligible for Recall. Not withstanding the foregoing, a Goaltender on Loan who has played less than the required one (1) game may be Recalled if his NHL Club would otherwise have less than two Goaltenders available to dress in the Club’s next game.

This is one of the changes that the league and the NHLPA agreed would come into effect for the upcoming season.  As we saw in recent years, many teams would ‘paper’ a player to the minors on an off day, then recall him the following day to play in an NHL game.  The player never actually reported to the minors but didn’t receive his NHL salary for the day, giving the team a few thousand dollars extra in cap space.  This rule is designed to deter teams from doing this.  Now, if a team sends a player down to the minors (whether they cleared waivers or are waiver-exempt), they actually have to report to that team and play in a game before they can be brought back up.  Notably, there is a rewrite to another subsection in there that effectively says if an emergency recall situation presents itself (someone else gets hurt putting the team below the required minimum number of skaters), then the recently-assigned player can be recalled before actually playing in an AHL game.

I doubt this will actually change much, however.  Teams that need space are still going to churn their roster, it’s just going to involve multiple players now instead of one.  Player A gets sent down, Player B is recalled.  Player B gets sent down, Player A is recalled and so forth.  If waiver exemption is exhausted, then start with Player C and maybe Player D if needed (or re-waive Players A and B to give them another 30-day exemption window).  So now, the player who was getting papered will probably lose out on NHL money and ice time since the scheme, so to speak, will now require multiple players to pull off which will cause a different type of grumbling.  That’s the drawback that comes to mind.

It’ll stop Carolina from papering Jackson Blake down (something that probably happened 15 or more times last season despite the fact he played in 80 NHL games) but probably won’t change much else.

frozenaquatic: Hi! Thanks for doing these. Getting out the crystal ball: Are there any teams you think will underperform this year? Who is a shocking team that we could see having problems and dropping out of the playoffs?

For quick reference, I had a question last column about four teams missing and four teams making the playoffs, one set per division.  Rather than rehashing that out, you can read through my picks here.

Based on the four miss teams in there, the one that best fits this question would be Washington.  Montreal missing wouldn’t be too shocking, neither would Minnesota, and while Los Angeles would certainly be a surprise (and I don’t think they’re missing the playoffs), that wouldn’t be as shocking as a reigning Conference winner missing the postseason.

A lot went wrong for Washington in 2023-24 and just about everything went right last year.  They had several players have career years, the cheapest goalie tandem gave them above-average play, and some typical underachievers had some bounce-back efforts.  If some of those gains are lost, it’s plausible that they could be on the outside looking in.

In terms of an underperformer who still makes it, I’d pick Florida.  The way they struggled down the stretch without Matthew Tkachuk was telling and they’ll be without him for quite a while to start the year.  Between that and two long playoff runs, I could see them landing in a Wild Card spot which would be a bit of a disappointment for them.

Johnny Z: What would it take to get Kirill Kaprizov to be a Wing? Yes, I realize the Wings are not a contender, but getting KK would be a big step towards the prize.

Zakis: To piggyback off Johnny Z, what would realistic packages be for Kaprizov for any team in two scenarios: 1) Kaprizov doesn’t sign an extension.

2) He agrees to a sign and trade.

Notwithstanding the unlikelihood of Detroit happening, the situation of how this happens is important to actually answer this question.  Zakis provides two scenarios but I think it’s actually three.  Is it as a straight rental?  If not, Detroit one of the only teams he’d sign with (or one of the only teams offering the contract he wants)?  Or, is there a bidding war for his services in a sign-and-trade with eight to ten teams realistically in the mix?  All of those would yield different-looking returns.  Let’s try to hypothesize each one, using a Detroit-specific answer and a general one to cover Zakis’ follow-up query.

1) In a pure rental scenario, you’re probably looking at two key components.  One is a first-round pick, the other is a key youngster.  Now, this isn’t like the Brock Nelson trade where the young forward was a recent first-rounder (Calum Ritchie).  For someone at Kaprizov’s level and to win a bidding war as a rental (without an extension, more teams can get involved), that other piece is going to hurt.  My initial thought was Marco Kasper and if he’s a third center at the time of the trade, that still could be the case.  If Nate Danielson is having a big year and sees some NHL action, perhaps he’d fit as well.  Detroit shouldn’t need salary retention but if a different acquiring team does, add a second-round pick (or maybe a third, depending on when the deal happens) to the price.

2) If Kaprizov says there’s only one or two teams he’d sign an extension with, Detroit loses a lot of leverage.  They still could probably get the above with the extension balancing out the reduced leverage but there won’t be as much of an add as there should be.  Speculatively, the acquiring team would want to offset the money a bit.  For the Red Wings, that might be someone like J.T. Compher while in general, a top-six forward with a couple of years left fits.  Now, if you’re thinking that this feels really light, you’re right.  But history shows that if a player only has one destination in mind, it’s more of a fifty cents on the dollar type of return.  If you’re the acquiring team, this is the best-case scenario.

3) Now, if Kaprizov is willing to sign an extension with a bunch of teams, look out.  (This is Minnesota’s best-case scenario if they can’t re-sign him.)  Then, you’re looking at probably multiple core players, at least one first-rounder, and a top prospect.  Someone’s going to keep upping the ante and it’s going to hurt.  For the Red Wings, think along the lines of Lucas Raymond, Kasper, a first (or more), and someone like Trey Augustine.  Minnesota gets two core top-six players (Kasper should get there), cap flexibility as those two cost less than what Kaprizov will, and future assets to either keep or try to flip to add another replacement piece.

Now, having said all that, I still think Kaprizov eventually re-signs.  It might take slightly more than what they’ve offered or perhaps a shorter-term agreement compared to eight years but right now, I’d predict they get it done.

Schwa: Who’s an under-the-radar pick to surprise in camp and force their way onto a roster – PTO, long-time AHL, rookie??

PTO – I’ll go with Kevin Labanc here.  He’s coming off a season where he played pretty sparingly in Columbus and didn’t do a lot in limited minutes.  But he has shown top-six flashes in the past and the Hurricanes have had a knack for getting the most out of some of their back-of-roster pieces, even in limited roles.  There isn’t really a great spot for him (which would make him signing a bit of a surprise) but if he gets a deal, he might be able to contribute.

Long-Time AHL – I’m not sure how under the radar he is but Boston’s Matej Blumel is the first player I thought of when I saw this question.  He was a stellar performer in the minors the last three years with AHL Texas but barely got an NHL opportunity.  The Bruins gave him a one-way deal this summer, a sign they think he could do just that.  Alex Steeves, another Boston signing, could also fit the bill although he might have a bigger hill to climb.  I think he has more NHL upside than he got to show in several years with Toronto.

Rookie – Let’s go with Colorado’s Zakhar Bardakov.  A 2021 seventh-round pick in his third year of eligibility, he’s 24 and hasn’t seen the ice yet in North America.  However, he’s coming off his best performance with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL and plays with some grit.  The Avs have built a deeper roster but there’s still room for some rookies to grab hold of a spot and Bardakov could step in and do just that.

pawtucket: There’s a lot of talk about the Hughes brothers wanting to play together. How, then, does a team (Devils?) tightrope the salary cap while having a $12MM Quinn, $8MM Jack, and $5MM Luke all needing to be signed around the same time (Quinn expires in two years, Jack in five, Luke maybe in five)?

First, I think you need to reset your number for Luke Hughes.  A five-year, $25MM offer isn’t going to get it done.  While that might be his desired term, the cost would still probably eclipse $7MM and if it’s a longer-term pact, an AAV above Jack’s will be needed.  For Quinn Hughes, that number might wind up a little light as well based on the increasing cap but it’s fair enough to use here.  I’m going to put Luke at $7.5MM and sort of split the difference between the two ranges earlier, meaning the trio would cost $27.5MM.

Short-term, that wouldn’t be hard for New Jersey to manage.  A top-line center and top defense pairing already costs more than $20MM on most teams and by the time 2027-28 rolls around, that shouldn’t be overly costly.  Dougie Hamilton will be on an expiring deal by then so he’d probably be movable, even if not for a great return.

But if they time up their contracts to be up when Jack’s deal expires in 2030, that could be a different story.  At that point, Quinn is still probably in that $12MM range (maybe $13MM), Jack Hughes could very well be at $13MM himself, and Luke could be touching double-digits as well.  (It’s so early in his career that this number could be quite light before long.)  Now you’re talking somewhere between probably $36MM and $40MM for three players.  By then, the league-wide cost for those three spots might be up around $30MM to $32MM so the gap is a bit higher but probably manageable.  It would come down to a team having enough expiring deals to offset those salaries or moving out some pieces to cover the difference but I don’t think it would be overly problematic to fit them in.

Photo courtesy of Nick Wosika-Imagn Images.

Summer Synopsis: Ottawa Senators

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With training camps now almost upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team has accomplished this offseason.  Next up is a look at Ottawa.

After missing the playoffs for seven straight years in the midst of a long-term rebuild, the Senators finally got over the hump last season, making the postseason and finishing only one point behind Florida for the third seed in the Atlantic Division; the Panthers, of course, went on to win the Stanley Cup again last season.  GM Steve Staios opted to largely keep his core group intact, believing that continued growth from their top players will allow them to take another step forward in 2025-26.

Draft

1-23 – D Logan Hensler, Wisconsin (Big 10)
3-93 – F Blake Vanek, Stillwater (USHS-MN)
4-97 – G Lucas Beckman, Baie-Comeau (QMJHL)
5-149 – F Dmitri Isayev, Yekaterinburg (MHL)
6-181 – F Bruno Idzan, Lincoln (USHL)
7-213 – G Andrei Trofimov, Magnitogorsk (MHL)

The Senators didn’t make any big splashes at the 2025 draft, outside of trading down slightly in the first round in order to pick up the third-round pick they would send to Los Angeles for Spence. The club didn’t have a second-round pick as a result of the Zetterlund trade with San Jose, but nonetheless managed to put together a draft class that should produce an NHL player or two.

Hensler was widely regarded as a polished defenseman by scouts, one who capably handled the rigors of NCAA hockey as a freshman and grew more comfortable as the season progressed. While most public-facing scouts do not credit Hensler with a standout single tool, he’s widely seen as a likely long-term NHL player. The team at Elite Prospects recently ranked Hensler as the club’s number-two prospect behind 2024 top pick Carter Yakemchuk.

The Senators began the second day of the draft by adding Vanek, a Minnesota high school prospect who is the son of longtime NHLer Thomas Vanek. Vanek offers an intriguing package of physical tools and was ranked 18th in the team’s system.

In the later rounds, Beckman represented a solid bet as the club added one of the QMJHL’s more promising netminders. Isayev is an undersized Russian winger who was point-per-game in the MHL in his draft season, while Idzan dazzled fans of the USHL’s Lincoln Stars with his offensive skill last season. He became the first Croatian selected in the NHL Entry Draft and will play at the University of Wisconsin next season.

Trade Acquisitions

D Jordan Spence (from Los Angeles)

The Senators’ lone trade acquisition from the summer was Spence, a 24-year-old blueliner. Spence is an undersized blueliner who brings real offensive talent in his game, and had two quality, near point-per-game AHL seasons after turning pro in 2021-22. Spence already has 180 NHL games to his name, and is coming off of a season where he scored 28 points in 79 games. The arrival and emergence of 2021 top pick Brandt Clarke in a similar offensively-focused right-shot role appears to have pushed Spence out of Los Angeles, and the Senators look poised to benefit.

At the moment, Spence appears to sit third on the team’s right-shot defensive depth chart, behind established veterans Artyom Zub and Nick Jensen. He’ll have to compete with Nikolas Matinpalo for the team’s third-pairing right-side spot, but Spence is notably more experienced than Matinpalo and should be viewed as the favorite for that role.

If Spence can further establish himself as an NHL regular in Ottawa and perhaps find a way to get minutes on the power play (not the easiest task with Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot on the roster) Spence will likely provide a strong return for the Senators’ investment of a third-round pick.

Beyond adjusting to a new environment, it’s an important year for Spence due to his contract situation. His $1.6MM AAV contract is set to expire this summer, when he’ll in all likelihood receive a qualifying offer and become a restricted free agent. He already has an argument for a decent pay raise over the value of his last deal, but breaking into the 30-point range could strengthen his case even further.

UFA Signings

F Wyatt Bongiovanni (one year, $775K)*^
F Nick Cousins (one year, $825K)^
F Lars Eller (one year, $1.25MM plus $1MM in bonuses)
F Claude Giroux (one year, $2MM plus $2.75MM in bonuses)
F Hayden Hodgson (two years, $1.55MM)*^
F Arthur Kaliyev (one year, $775K)*
F Olle Lycksell (one year, $775K)*
G Hunter Shepard (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

The Senators didn’t do any major free agent shopping this past summer – the largest deal they signed was to re-sign veteran Claude Giroux for another campaign. Their most significant UFA addition from outside the organization was Eller, a veteran center signed to a one-year deal. Eller, now 36, has long been one of the NHL’s better third-line centers, though age is beginning to catch up to him. The 2018 Stanley Cup champion saw his offensive production decline from 15 goals, 31 points in 2023-24 to 10 goals, 22 points in 2024-25.

The Senators didn’t sign Eller for his offense, though. What they’re likely seeking is for Eller to serve as a quality fourth-line defensive center. With Tim Stutzle, Dylan Cozens, and Shane Pinto entrenched as the team’s three top centers moving forward, there isn’t a need for Eller to play as big a role in Ottawa as he did in during his peak years with the Washington Capitals. His contract from this past summer reflects that.

The Senators’ other UFA external additions were made more with an eye to depth and their AHL affiliate than anything else.

They picked up Kaliyev after his stint with the New York Rangers failed to generate momentum. He’s a player Senators management is familiar with from his days in the OHL: Senators president of hockey operations Steve Staios was Kaliyev’s GM back during Kaliyev’s successful stint with the then-Hamilton Bulldogs. One has to think this is a big year for the enigmatic 24-year-old winger to prove he has what it takes to be an NHL player.

Lycksell and Bongiovanni are quality AHL scorers, and Lycksell’s $450k AHL salary indicates he’ll likely be relied upon as one of the top offensive weapons in Belleville. Hodgson is a bigger winger with a more physical profile who could end up seeing an NHL recall should the Senators need a player to fill a fourth-line role for a short period. Shepard, a two-time Calder Cup champion, will likely play a big role for the AHL Senators after receiving a $400k AHL salary to sign in Ottawa.

RFA Re-Signings

F Xavier Bourgault (one year, $775K)*
D Cameron Crotty (two years, $1.625MM)*
F Jan Jenik (one year, $775K)*
D Tyler Kleven (two years, $3.2MM)
D Nikolas Matinpalo (two years, $1.75MM)
G Leevi Merilainen (one year, $1.05MM)
D Donovan Sebrango (one year, $775K)*
D Lassi Thomson (one year, $775K; returns from SHL)
D Fabian Zetterlund (three years, $12.825MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Senators’ most significant RFA re-signing was undoubtedly that of Zetterlund, their mid-season trade acquisition from the San Jose Sharks. They didn’t elect to sign the Swedish winger to a long-term extension, which is understandable after he struggled to produce in his 20-game run in Ottawa last season.

In San Jose, Zetterlund showed quite a bit of promise, and has now scored at least 40 points in back-to-back years. Zetterlund plays a unique style in that he has a power forward’s game despite being 5’11. Now earning a shade over $4MM, Zetterlund will have to build some chemistry with one of the team’s existing scorers in order to justify the club’s level of investment in him.

Kleven and Matinpalo are the other two major skaters in the club’s RFA cohort, both likely to be on the team’s NHL roster for 2025-26. Kleven is a rangy defensive defenseman likely to resume his role as the team’s third-pairing left-shot blueliner for this upcoming season – and his $1.6MM AAV reflects that role. Matinpalo, 26, impressed last season as he broke into the NHL and even earned a role on Finland’s Four Nations Faceoff team. He got into 41 games last season and the addition of Spence means he’ll have to really compete to earn a regular role on Ottawa’s defense. But at minimum, it looks like he’ll be the club’s seventh defenseman and be first to step in should any injuries strike.

Merilainen, the lone goalie in that grouping, played in 12 NHL games last season and will be Ottawa’s backup behind starter Linus Ullmark for the upcoming season, provided he can fend off a challenge from the big Mads Sogaard.

Bourgault, Crotty, Jenik, Sebrango, and Thomson are each long-shots to make the team’s NHL roster, but were nonetheless re-signed with an eye to AHL Belleville. It’s a big year for Bourgault in particular, as the 22-year-old forward is just one of a small handful of 2021 first-round picks who have yet to appear in an NHL game.

Departures

F Angus Crookshank (signed with New Jersey, two years, $1.55MM)*
F Philippe Daoust (non-tendered but signed AHL deal with Belleville)
D Jeremy Davies (signed with AHL Henderson)
G Anton Forsberg (signed with Los Angeles, two years, $4.5MM)
F Adam Gaudette (signed with San Jose, two years, $4MM)
D Dennis Gilbert (signed with Philadelphia, one year, $875K)
D Travis Hamonic (signed with Detroit, one year, $1MM)
F Matthew Highmore (signed with NY Islanders, one year, $775K)*
F Jamieson Rees (non-tendered but signed AHL deal with Belleville)
F Cole Reinhardt (signed with Vegas, two years, $1.625MM)
F Tristen Robins (signed in Czechia)
D Filip Roos (signed in Sweden)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Senators lost a few NHLers this offseason, but nobody who is likely to leave a big void in the club’s roster. Gaudette scored 19 goals last season and the Senators didn’t bring in anyone with that kind of goal-scoring record, but an improved year from Zetterlund could help cover for the loss of Gaudette. The Senators could very well have been skeptical that Gaudette, who shot 21.1% last season, would be able to repeat his performance, hence their decision not to re-sign him.

In the departure of Anton Forsberg, the Senators lost an experienced NHL backup – but if Merilainen’s 2024-25 performance is something he can build on, the Senators will be fine. Right-handed veteran Hamonic’s spot on the team’s defensive depth chart was filled by the addition of Spence, and while Reinhardt was a useful, scrappy depth winger, he’s not a departure that will make a major difference in the Senators’ fortunes.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Senators enter training camp with a little over $3.5MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.  However, the team is operating as a cash-over-cap team, something that owner Michael Andlauer acknowledged would likely mean they won’t spend right to the $95.5MM ceiling.  Between that, wanting to keep some flexibility open for injuries, and keeping some money available for the bonuses to Giroux and Eller, the actual amount of that cap room that’s available to be spent right now would appear to be quite limited.

Key Questions

Who Will Be Ottawa’s Backup Goalie?

Although the Senators have one of the NHL’s top veteran netminders in Ullmark, the 32-year-old Swede is not known for an ability to shoulder a heavy workload. Ullmark played in just 44 games in 2024-25, and even in his Vezina Trophy-winning season, he played in just 49 games. In other words – the backup goalie spot in Ottawa is more important than for other teams, because the club’s other netminders are in line to play a greater workload than backups see in other markets. Offseason RFA signing Merilainen looks like the front-runner to be the backup goalie after the departure of Forsberg, but he’ll be pushed by Sogaard, who has 29 games of NHL experience. The dark horse here would be Shepard, a veteran who struggled with the AHL’s Hershey Bears in 2024-25 but was downright elite in 2023-24.

Can the Senators Expect More From Their Stars?

The Senators are led by a talented core group of in-their-prime players, but that’s not to say each player played up to his potential in 2024-25. Franchise center Stutzle led the team in scoring, but he’s finished in the 70’s in terms of point production in back-to-back years. After scoring 90 points in his third NHL campaign, it would be fair to expect a little bit more from the highly talented German. The same can be said for captain Brady Tkachuk. Tkachuk is a highly coveted, unique talent, and so one would be forgiven for not realizing he had only 55 points last season. For the Senators to become the kind of dominant force they have the talent to be, they’ll need him to produce the way he did in 2022-23, when he put up 83 points to go alongside 35 goals. The Senators have a collection of players that, on paper, are more than good enough to claim a divisional playoff spot. But they’ll need a few big names to step up and play up to their potential in order to do so.

How Will Zetterlund Do In His First Full Senators Season?

The Senators’ roster is largely settled, with big names under contract and few existential roster questions. As the above question alluded to – the pieces are largely in place, the main element needed now is execution. The most notable still-unsettled piece of the Senators puzzle is Zetterlund. The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie indicated before training camp that the expectation would be for Zetterlund to begin the year on the team’s first line alongside Stutzle and Tkachuk, which would be a huge opportunity for Zetterlund to potentially set new career highs in production. Whether he’s able to actually do so – and justify the Senators’ investment in him – will be a key storyline to watch in Ottawa this season.

PHR’s Ethan Hetu also contributed to this column.

Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Training Camp Cuts: 9/20/25

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The preseason officially gets underway tonight and that will usually spur a round of training camp cuts around the league with players typically getting loaned back to their respective junior or international clubs.  We’ll keep tabs on today’s cuts here.  The remaining players can be found on our Training Camp Rosters page.

Anaheim Ducks (per team announcement)

F Emil Guite (to Chicoutimi, QMJHL)
F Maxim Masse (to Chicoutimi, QMJHL)
D Alexis Mathieu (to Baie-Comeau, QMJHL)
F Ethan Procyszyn (to North Bay, OHL)
F Noah Read (to London, OHL)
D Tarin Smith (to Everett, WHL)
F Brady Turko (to Brandon, WHL)
D Darels Uljanskis (to Flint, OHL)

Calgary Flames (per team announcement)

F Nathan Brisson (to Val-d’Or, QMJHL)
F Mael Lavigne (to Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)
F Kadon McCann (to Medicine Hat, WHL)

Detroit Red Wings (per team release)

D Nicklas Andrews (released from PTO to Toledo, ECHL)
F Kevin Bicker (to Frankfurt, DEL)
F Vincent Collard (released from ATO to Blainville-Boisbriand, QMJHL)
D Maxim Dirracolo (released from ATO to Kitchener, OHL)
D Wyatt Kennedy (released from ATO to Windsor, OHL)
F Liam Kilfoil (released from ATO to Halifax, QMJHL)
D Carl-Otto Magnusson (released from ATO to Moncton, QMJHL)
G Landon Miller (to Soo, OHL)
D Will Murphy (to Cape Breton, QMJHL)
G Michal Pradel (to Tri-City, USHL)
F Grayden Robertson-Palmer (to Moncton, QMJHL)

New York Rangers (per team release)

F Raoul Boilard (to Shawinigan, QMJHL)
D Artyom Gonchar (to Sudbury, OHL)
F Gavin Hain (to Hartford, AHL)
F Kyle Jackson (to Hartford, AHL)
F Zakary Karpa (to Hartford, AHL)
D Tim Lovell (released from PTO)
F Sullivan Mack (to Hartford, AHL)
D Chris Merisier-Ortiz (to Hartford, AHL)
D Cooper Moore (to Hartford, AHL)
G Hugo Ollas (to Hartford, AHL)
D Evan Passmore (to Barrie, OHL)
G Callum Tung (to Hartford, AHL)
D Corbin Vaughan (released from ATO)

Toronto Maple Leafs (per team announcement)

D Rylan Fellinger (to Flint, OHL)
F Matthew Hlacar (to Kitchener, OHL)
F Tyler Hopkins (to Kingston, OHL)
D Nathan Mayes (to Spokane, WHL)
F Sam McCue (to Brantford, OHL)
F Harry Nansi (to Owen Sound, OHL) 

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Utah Mammoth

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those who don’t often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2025-26 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We’re currently covering the Central Division, next up are the Mammoth.

Utah Mammoth

Current Cap Hit: $88,817,857 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Logan Cooley (one year, $950K)

Potential Bonuses
Cooley: $3.5MM

As expected, Cooley took a big step forward in his sophomore season while clearing all four of his ‘A’ bonuses ($1MM in total).  GM Bill Armstrong hasn’t hesitated in trying to sign some of his young core pieces to long-term deals and it makes sense he’ll try to do so here.  But with the cap projections that are available, the cost of that pact should break past the $8MM ceiling of many of his comparables and even jump ahead of the $9MM mark.

Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level

F Michael Carcone ($775K, UFA)
D Ian Cole ($2.8MM, UFA)
G Connor Ingram ($1.95MM, UFA)
F Barrett Hayton ($2.65MM, RFA)
F Alexander Kerfoot ($3MM, UFA)
F Nick Schmaltz ($5.85MM, UFA)
F Kevin Stenlund ($2MM, UFA)
D Juuso Valimaki ($2MM, UFA)
G Vitek Vanecek ($1.5MM, UFA)

Potential Bonuses
Cole: $200K

The backloaded nature of Schmaltz’s contract made him a speculative trade candidate before the team was sold and moved to Utah which took that idea off the table.  He has been quite consistent offensively in recent years, ranging between 58 and 63 points in each of the last four seasons, solid second-line production.  He hasn’t played center too frequently over that stretch but has spent enough time down the middle that teams on the open market will be willing to pay the premium to get a top-six center.  He’ll make $8.5MM this season between his salary and signing bonus and while matching that on his next contract could be difficult, landing in the $7.5MM area seems doable.

Kerfoot’s offensive production has been a little volatile over the past few years but he still has a floor of a third-line center who can play up and down the lineup when needed.  That profile should appeal to a lot of teams and another multi-year deal (three or four years) should be doable with a price tag pushing past the $4MM per season mark.  The second bridge deal given to Hayton has gone better than the first and this will be a big year.  If he can have another 40-plus-point campaign, that will be three years out of four, giving him a much better case in his final arbitration-eligible year.  If they work out a long-term deal, it could land past $6MM per season while if they opt for another shorter-term pact that buys just a couple of years of control, it might land more in the $5MM range.

Stenlund landed more than some expected last summer for a player who had only been a full-time player for one year but he wound up playing a bigger role than expected and won over 59% of his draws.  Another season like that could have him closer to $3MM while a step back could keep him around where he is now.  Carcone wasn’t planning on coming back to Utah after spending a lot of the year as a healthy scratch but after the market didn’t go his way, he accepted the minimum to return.  At this point, he’s likely to stay around the minimum moving forward.

Cole, who will max out his bonuses at 65 games played, is now on his fifth straight one-year contract.  He has logged a fourth or fifth role for the bulk of that time and at this point, barring a big drop in ice time or efficiency, it seems same to think he’ll stay around this price tag next summer, probably on another one-year pact when he’ll be 37.  Valimaki is coming off a tough year, one that saw him scratched at times before suffering a torn ACL which will cost him the first couple of months of this season as well.  At this point, he’ll be hard-pressed to match this price tag on his next deal and a one-year pact to try to rebuild some value might be the way to go.

Ingram took over the number one job in 2023-24 but wasn’t able to sustain that success last season and entered the Player Assistance Program in March but was cleared last month.  However, he won’t be returning to Utah, putting his short-term situation into question.  If he can stay in the NHL, another deal in this price range could be doable.  But if he winds up in the minors for a big chunk of next season, he could find himself closer to number three money, around half of his current AAV.  Vanecek was brought in as additional insurance this summer and is coming off a rough year, his second straight with numbers well below average.  Unless he turns that around, he’s unlikely to command any sort of significant raise next year.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Lawson Crouse ($4.3MM, UFA)
D John Marino ($4.4MM, UFA)
F Liam O’Brien ($1MM, UFA)

After a couple of 40-point seasons, it looked like Crouse was turning the corner and becoming a legitimate top-six piece.  But things went sideways last season as he only managed 18 points.  If last year was an aberration, then Utah should still get decent value over these final two years while Crouse will be in line for a small raise.  But if last season is the new sign of things to come, his value is going to take a big blow, putting his next deal closer to half of his current deal.  O’Brien was the NHL’s leader in penalty minutes in 2023-24 while playing a regular role but he was scratched more often than not last season.  Still, there remains enough of a market for enforcers that he could still best this contract two years from now.

Marino’s first season in Utah was injury-riddled as he only played in 35 games.  Still, in those outings, he showed that he can hold down a top-four role and kill penalties.  Add that to being a right-shot defender and you have the profile of a player who should be able to push past $5MM per season on his next contract on what’s likely to be another long-term deal.

Signed Through 2027-28

D Sean Durzi ($6MM, UFA)
F Clayton Keller ($7.15MM, UFA)
D Olli Maatta ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Nate Schmidt ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Brandon Tanev ($2.5MM, UFA)

Keller hasn’t always received a lot of fanfare but over the past four seasons, he has found that extra gear and has become a legitimate top-line producer, averaging just shy of 80 points per campaign over that stretch.  As the market value for top-line wingers is set to go up over the next couple of years, Keller should be in a spot to surpass $10MM per season on a long-term pact in 2028.  Tanev isn’t as impactful as he was a few years back but he can still add some grit and defensive acumen to the Mammoth.  He’ll be 37 when this deal ends so he’ll likely be going year-to-year from there and if his role resembles that of his time in Winnipeg down the stretch, he will be hard-pressed to make this on that next contract.

Durzi is an interesting case.  After showing some offensive promise in Los Angeles, his first year with this organization (back when it was in Arizona) saw him take another step forward, earning this contract and suggesting he can be a core piece for Utah.  But injuries limited him last season to just 30 games and with some of the defensive additions they made following the change in cities, his role wasn’t as substantial, particularly his power play time.  He’s likely to get similar usage moving forward.  If he can get back to being a 40-point player, his value on the open market could push more towards the $8MM range on a long-term pact while if he remains in the role he had last season, the goal might be more along the lines of matching this price tag.

Maatta fit in nicely after being acquired in an early-season trade to give them some help with their injuries.  Still, the decision to give him this contract as an early extension was a little odd, especially since his role when everyone is healthy is lower on the depth chart than where he played for a lot of last year.  This is a little on the high side for someone who is best served as a third-pairing piece but they have the cap space to afford that premium.  The same can be said for Schmidt who was more of a sixth option with Florida but still landed this contract back in July.  He’ll also be entering his age-37 year on his next contract, one that should be a one-year pact closer to half of this amount.

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East Injury Updates: Maple Leafs, Panarin, Jensen

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The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Simon Benoit is dealing with an upper-body injury while center Nicolas Roy has a lower-body injury.  Neither player took part in practice today while goaltender Joseph Woll was also absent due to illness.  Benoit was a regular on Toronto’s third pairing last season while Roy is likely to break camp as their third-line center after being acquired from Vegas just before free agency opened up.

Meanwhile, there is some good news on injury front for the Maple Leafs as well.  Head coach Craig Berube told reporters including Nick Barden of The Hockey News that forward Max Domi is expected to rejoin the team for practice on Sunday.  He has yet to take part in training camp due to a lower-body injury.  This could be a big camp for Domi with a spot on Toronto’s top line up for grabs following Mitch Marner’s departure and as their roster stands, he’s one of the players who could have a shot at that spot.

Other injury news from around the Eastern Conference:

  • After exiting practice early on Friday, it appears the Rangers have dodged a significant injury to Artemi Panarin. Newsday’s Colin Stephenson notes (Twitter link) that while the winger didn’t take part in practice today, he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.  It’s a contract year for the 33-year-old so he’ll be looking for a big year to help boost his market value.  Despite a 31-point drop in points to 89 last season, Panarin still led New York in scoring for the sixth straight year, comprising his entire tenure with the team.
  • Senators defenseman Nick Jensen took part in practice today but not the scrimmage game, relays Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). The veteran underwent hip surgery back in May with the belief that he is a little ahead of schedule although his availability for the start of the season next month remains in question.  Jensen was a big contributor on Ottawa’s back end in 2024-25, notching 21 points in 71 games while logging over 20 minutes a night.

Ryan Suter Not Actively Pursuing A Contract

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One of the more prominent unrestricted free agent defensemen still on the open market is veteran Ryan Suter.  However, as Pierre LeBrun points out in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link), Suter doesn’t appear to be actively pursuing a contract.  While he isn’t ready to say he has retired and would listen to an offer if it came in, he instructed his agent earlier this summer not to call teams to try to drum up a market for his services.

The 40-year-old has been an NHL regular for the past 20 years, suiting up in 1,526 regular season contests over that span, good for 19th all-time.  Even a partial campaign this year could put him in the top 15.  It’s also fair to say that he has logged some heavy minutes over that stretch with an average TOI at over 24 minutes per game, including two seasons with Minnesota where he averaged over 29 minutes a night.

In his prime, Suter was a steady offensive contributor from the back end as well.  He had a stretch of 13 straight seasons with at least 30 points with seven of those seeing him record at least 40.  The end result was 696 points, ranking him 33rd among all-time NHL rearguards.

Last season, Suter was a regular for the Blues after inking a one-year deal worth the league minimum of $775K plus $2.25MM in potential performance bonuses, many of which were simply tied to games played; the structure gave St. Louis some additional short-term cap flexibility.  While he only managed 15 points in 82 games, he still logged over 19 minutes a night while often playing on their top penalty kill pairing.  While he’s a year older now, his performance last season showed that he can still contribute at the NHL level.

At this point, Suter might be better served waiting into the season to sign to see if the right opportunity presents itself, either one with a contender or a chance to play close to home.  Going through the full rigors of an 82-game season may not be the best option so a spot where he can be in more of a depth or reserve role would make sense in theory.  But if that opportunity ultimately doesn’t present itself, it appears that Suter is content with calling it a career if it gets to that point.

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