NHL Issues Tampering Memo Amid Ilya Mikheyev Speculation
In recent years, teams have been more open about the idea of allowing players under contract to talk to other teams. Sometimes, it’s to facilitate trades while this season, it eventually yielded some mutual contract terminations as well, allowing players to move for a better opportunity while the former teams received cap relief.
It appears as if the Blackhawks were hoping that they could take a similar approach with pending UFA winger Ilya Mikheyev. Unable to come to terms on a new contract, it was reported earlier this month that his rights were available for trade. At the time, there was a belief that they would permit his camp to speak to other teams and if there wasn’t the type of contract out there that he was looking for, then perhaps he’d circle back and rekindle talks with Chicago.
However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that the NHL sent all 32 teams a reminder about tampering rules at this time of year. It specifically indicated that no contact between pending free agents and teams is permitted without a rights trade first. Failure to comply could result in a fine of up to $5MM and/or the potential loss of draft picks.
There used to be a pre-July interview window, or a legal tampering period. It allowed potential free agents to speak to teams with the idea of giving players more time to assess their possible options. Some pending free agents even flew into other cities for a more formal discussion while getting a better sense of the area. But that was eventually taken out of the CBA and while it appears the league would like to have it back, the NHLPA isn’t as keen to do so.
At any rate, the Blackhawks aren’t going to be able to execute their desired plan with Mikheyev as clearly, they can’t allow Mikheyev to speak to other teams about a new deal first. Instead, they’ll have to swing a rights trade if another team thinks they can get a contract done and wants to jump the market. There aren’t as many of those deals now as there once were so unless Mikheyev has a change of heart about his perceived value, there’s a high chance he heads to the open market without Chicago getting any type of compensation.
Offseason Checklist: Washington Capitals
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those who have already been eliminated. Accordingly, it’s now time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Washington.
Having gone from reaching the second round last season to narrowly missing the playoffs this season, it would be fair to view 2025-26 as a disappointment. On the other hand, this group was the only team in the salary cap era to have a +23-goal differential or better and miss the playoffs with a point total (95) that is usually enough to get into the postseason. Most years, they’d have comfortably made the playoffs with a season like they had. With that in mind, GM Chris Patrick might opt for a safer summer than another drastic overhaul like 2024. Their checklist has been drafted with that assumption in mind.
Wait For Ovechkin’s Decision
Admittedly, it feels weird making the first item on here something that’s entirely out of their control. Long-time captain Alex Ovechkin’s contract is up and the NHL’s all-time goal leader hasn’t decided if he wants to return for a 22nd season. It’s safe to say that the Capitals want him back and they’ve indicated to Ovechkin’s camp that they’re willing to be patient although they prefer that he decides by next month’s draft.
What the decision is will ultimately influence a chunk of how the team plans to proceed this summer. If Ovechkin stays, he fills a top-six spot on the wing, though not the top-line one he had for most of his career. And if he opts to move on, then they have a big hole to fill on the wing. Notably, despite his age (40), only one pending UFA forward (Alex Tuch) had more points than Ovechkin’s 64. Accordingly, they’d likely have to turn to the trade market to try to fill that vacancy.
Considering his age, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising if Ovechkin’s next contract is a one-year deal, should he decide to stay. If that’s the case, he’s eligible to sign one with performance bonuses in the deal, something that could be done to give Washington more cap flexibility. With over $31MM in room at the moment, per PuckPedia, they may not necessarily need that flexibility but if Patrick has big plans, maybe they will. Ovechkin’s now-expiring deal carried a $9.5MM AAV; it wouldn’t be entirely shocking if his next contract (including bonuses, if any) was in that price range as well.
Re-Sign McMichael
Two years ago, Washington opted to sign forward Connor McMichael to a bridge deal. That kept more money free for their shopping spree and considering he had just become a full-time player the year before, there was lots of logic to the decision. McMichael, meanwhile, went and had two pretty strong seasons on his two-year, $4.2MM pact. He notched 57 points in 2024-25 and followed that up with 46 in 78 outings this season while transitioning toward playing down the middle on more of a regular basis.
All things considered, that’s a pair of solid seasons to bolster his arbitration case as he reaches eligibility for that for the first time. McMichael is two years away from being able to test the open market so while they could kick the can down the road and try to do a one-year pact, the more probable outcome is a longer-term agreement. The Capitals could opt to take him to a hearing but that would allow his camp to ask for a two-year contract that walks him right to unrestricted free agency so it would be surprising to see the team go down that road. Conversely, if McMichael files, Washington gets to pick the term and would almost certainly choose a one-year agreement.
AFP Analytics pegs McMichael at a five-year pact worth a shade under $6.5MM per season while getting three extra years of club control. In this marketplace, that might even be a little light while adding more seasons to the agreement could push the price tag more toward the $8MM mark. By the time they re-sign him and re-sign or replace Ovechkin, more than half of that cap space will already be gone but getting McMichael locked up on a longer-term deal should be a big priority this summer.
Add Right-Shot Defender
With Jakob Chychrun, Martin Fehervary, Rasmus Sandin, Cole Hutson, and Declan Chisholm, the Capitals are more than well-set on that side of their back end. If anything, their depth there could allow Patrick to shop someone to try to fill another hole elsewhere.
However, things aren’t as great on the other side. Their right-shot options are Matt Roy, Timothy Liljegren, and Dylan McIlrath. Roy has been solid in his first two years in Washington but is ideally a second-pairing player. Liljegren, who just re-signed, hasn’t progressed beyond being a third-pairing option for most of his career, while McIlrath is more of a veteran journeyman who shouldn’t be counted on to play too much.
In other words, they need to try to replace John Carlson, who was moved to Anaheim a little before the trade deadline. Interestingly enough, one of the players they could plausibly look at is Carlson himself, as the sides explored extension talks before the trigger was pulled on a swap. Other impactful right-shot rearguards set to reach unrestricted free agency are Darren Raddysh, Rasmus Andersson, and Jacob Trouba, although it should be expected that at least one of those players will ultimately re-sign.
With Sandin being able to shift to his off-side, this isn’t a must-add for the Capitals this summer. Chychrun is a top-pairing piece and Hutson showed plenty of potential late in the year; those two anchoring the back end with above-average depth could work. But in a very tight Eastern Conference, augmenting the group with another impact right-shot option would even be better.
Work On Leonard Extension
When Ryan Leonard joined the Capitals for the stretch run last season, they were hoping that he’d be able to add some key secondary scoring. Instead, his entrance to the NHL was a little quieter as he managed just two points in 17 games (regular season and playoffs combined) with his role shrinking as the postseason went on.
But those struggles ultimately helped Leonard prepare for his first full NHL season which certainly was an improvement. He finished fifth in rookie scoring with 20 goals and 25 assists, doing so despite averaging a little over 14 minutes per game, or basically third-line ice time. That earned him an eighth-place finish in Calder Trophy voting for Rookie of the Year. Considering Washington drafted Leonard eighth overall in 2023, it’s safe to say that they envision him being able to take on a bigger role.
Because they burned the first season of his entry-level pact for the 2025 stretch run, Leonard will be entering the final year of that contract this summer, making him extension-eligible. And with this being the last offseason that a team can do an eight-year contract, it would make sense for Washington to explore what the parameters of an agreement like that would be.
There would be a lot of forecasting being done on both sides in terms of trying to determine what Leonard’s long-term offensive upside is to try to find a number that would work. AFP Analytics’ extension projections suggest a seven-year agreement would be worth a little under $8.5MM per year. To get that eighth season, the AAV might have to land closer to the $9MM mark. That might seem like a lot for a player with 46 career regular season points but if they want to get something done early, there’s going to be some shared risk on both sides.
This isn’t necessarily a must-accomplish item on the checklist this summer. It’s possible that one or both sides would prefer the extra year of data before committing. But having some certainty for what Leonard’s next deal will cost would help the Capitals in their long-term planning this offseason so expect Patrick to approach Leonard’s camp to see what this could cost.
Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports.
Maple Leafs Notes: Coaching Search, Nylander, Cowan
While it remains unclear which external head coaching candidates Maple Leafs GM John Chayka has spoken with so far, it appears there are a pair of internal options for the position as well. In a recent appearance on The FAN Hockey Show (video link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Derek Lalonde has been interviewed for the job while he believes that Mike Van Ryn has also been interviewed. Lalonde spent parts of three seasons running the bench in Detroit from 2022-23 through 2024-25, leading the team to an 89-86-23 record. On the other hand, Van Ryn’s head coaching experience is rather limited, just 2015-16 with OHL Kitchener and 2017-18 with AHL Tucson, making him a less likely candidate for the role. There remains no timeline in place for when Toronto might hire their next bench boss but they’d likely want the hire in place before next month’s draft.
More from the Maple Leafs:
- At a time when there has been plenty of speculation of how Toronto could shake up its roster, winger William Nylander made it clear in a video on his YouTube channel earlier this week that he has no desire to leave. The 30-year-old has spent 11 seasons with the Maple Leafs already and has six years left on his contract, one that carries an AAV of $11.5MM and has full trade protection. Nylander is coming off a career year in terms of points per game as his mark of 1.22 was a personal best, although he missed 17 games due to injury. Barring the team embarking on a longer-term rebuild, it’s hard to see a scenario where Nylander is asked to consider waiving his trade protection but the veteran has made his intentions clear preemptively.
- Winger Easton Cowan wasn’t in the lineup on Friday as the Marlies continue their playoff run in the minors. Speaking postgame, head coach Jon Gruden indicated to reporters including Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun that the rookie is dealing with an upper-body injury. It’s more of a maintenance thing but his status for Monday’s game is uncertain. Cowan sits ninth in AHL playoff scoring with five goals and four assists in 14 contests.
Theo Rochette Generating NHL Interest
This is the time of year when we start to see a lot of activity on the international front as players move during the transfer window. One of those could be Swiss forward Theo Rochette, as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported earlier this week in a 32 Thoughts podcast (audio link) that a few NHL teams appear to be taking a look at Rochette.
The 24-year-old was a prolific producer in the QMJHL. Over five seasons between Chicoutimi and Quebec, Rochette posted 115 goals and 202 assists in 271 regular season games while staying above the point-per-game mark in the playoffs as well. While he went undrafted, he seemed like a realistic candidate to sign an entry-level deal and start off at the AHL level.
But Rochette had other plans. He instead signed a two-year deal with HC Lausanne in 2023, then inked a five-year extension after that, keeping him signed through 2030-31. In three seasons with the club, he has notched at least 30 points in each of them and had his best showing in 2025-26, tallying 22 goals and 21 assists in 46 games. That earned Rochette a spot on Switzerland’s entry for the World Championship where he has been productive in a depth role, recording five points in eight games heading into today’s semi-final action.
Clearly, there is an NHL out clause in his current contract that will give Rochette an opportunity to take a shot at playing in North America. Considering the security he has in his current contract, it seems reasonable to think that if Rochette opts to sign, he’ll be going somewhere where he has a chance to play regularly in the NHL. If not, staying and playing at home would make more sense so it wouldn’t be shocking if Rochette is particularly selective when considering offers from interested teams.
Minor Transactions: Berezkin, Guskov, Hasley
It turns out that Oilers prospect Maxim Berezkin won’t be coming to North America for next season after all. Instead, the KHL announced that the 24-year-old has signed a two-year extension with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. A fifth-round pick back in 2020, Berezkin had a breakout year in 2024-25 when he posted 15 goals and 27 assists in 66 games, leading to the belief that he could come over and potentially contribute in a bottom-six role in Edmonton. Things didn’t go as well this season, however, as his output dropped to seven goals and 25 helpers in 64 contests. Edmonton will continue to hold Berezkin’s rights but at this point, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll make the jump to North America down the road.
Other minor moves with an NHL connection:
- Wild forward prospect Matvei Guskov has inked a one-year extension with HK Sochi, per a KHL announcement. The 25-year-old was a fifth-round pick in 2019 and played his junior hockey with OHL London but returned home one year later. Guskov had his best showing by far this season, collecting 32 points in 50 games but won’t be coming back to North America at this time. With no transfer agreement in place between the NHL and Russia’s federation, Minnesota will continue to hold Guskov’s rights.
- The Sharks have added some minor-league depth. Their AHL affiliate announced that they’ve signed goaltender Connor Hasley to a one-year deal. The 25-year-old wrapped up his college career with Arizona State, posting a 3.12 GAA and a .907 SV% in 24 games. He then joined ECHL Wichita for four contests to wrap up the season. San Jose liked what they saw in those outings and will now keep Hasley around for a full year.
Free Agent Focus: Carolina Hurricanes
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 continue our look around the NHL with an overview of the free agent situation for the Hurricanes.
Key Restricted Free Agents
D Alexander Nikishin – Nikishin may not have lit up the NHL like he did the KHL in recent years but he still had a very strong rookie season. He finished second in rookie scoring for a defenseman after potting 11 goals and 22 assists in 81 games while averaging over 18 minutes per night of playing time. That performance earned him a seventh-place spot in Calder Trophy voting. On a deep back end, the Hurricanes were able to ease him in a bit which could impact contract talks. If Nikishin’s camp feels he has another level to get to over the next couple of years, they may prefer to work on a bridge contract and position the blueliner to cash in later. That deal could fall in the $4MM range. If both sides are content to do a longer-term pact that buys out some UFA eligibility, the market value could be closer to $7MM.
G Cayden Primeau – The word ‘key’ probably doesn’t apply here but Primeau has seen NHL action now in seven straight years, although he spent most of this season with AHL Chicago. He’s no longer viewed as a potential full-time NHL backup but the market for third-stringers with NHL experience who can come up and play a few games in a pinch has gone up lately. He should at least be able to land another one-way pact but it may have to come from elsewhere. Because Primeau has played in 58 NHL games but is more of an AHL player at this point, he’s a strong non-tender candidate to avoid giving him the chance to test salary arbitration.
F Justin Robidas – Another one who doesn’t really fit the ‘key’ descriptor (Carolina’s RFA list is pretty thin), Robidas is one of Carolina’s more intriguing youngsters. He hasn’t seen much NHL action so far (just four games) but he has been quite productive with AHL Chicago over the past two seasons, tallying 115 points in 128 games. The 23-year-old will no longer be waiver-exempt in 2026-27 and his minor-league production could make him a candidate to be claimed. It will be interesting to see if he’s able to land a one-way deal as a result.
Other RFAs: F Skyler Brind’Amour, D Domenick Fensore, F Noel Gunler, D Aleksi Heimosalmi, D Kyle Masters, F Viktor Neuchev, G Nikita Quapp, D Ronan Seeley
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
G Frederik Andersen – There may not be a player in the playoffs who has flipped the script as much as Andersen has. After a below-average regular season, he has been stellar in the postseason to the point of being a viable Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of his team in the playoffs. In doing so, he has certainly bolstered his marketability. He’ll be 37 in early October but it’s not unfathomable that Andersen could land a two-year contract around the $3.25MM he made this season (including performance bonuses). Alternatively, another one-year pact that makes him eligible for performance incentives is the other option. He should be able to at least match his current deal if he goes that route.
F Nicolas Deslauriers – Deslauriers is no longer the every-game tough guy he was in the first half of his contract a few years ago. Now, the 35-year-old profiles as more of a 13th forward who can step in against more physical teams. The market for more enforcer-type players isn’t what it used to be so while he should be able to land more than $850K minimum salary, it’s doubtful that he’ll be able to land the $1.75MM he has made in each of the last four years. Something closer to the middle is more realistic.
F Noah Philp – Philp passed through waivers and finished up the year with the Wolves but he won over 56% of his faceoffs between Edmonton and Carolina when he was in the NHL this season. The 27-year-old profiles as a minimum-salaried player this summer but he might be able to secure a one-way deal and could make a push to stick at the back of a roster in training camp.
D Mike Reilly – After missing most of 2024-25 after undergoing heart surgery, Reilly stayed healthy this season which was good to see. However, he had a fairly limited role overall, getting into just over half of Carolina’s games while logging just under 15 minutes per night of ice time and in the playoffs, he has suited up just twice so far. Profiling as more of a seventh option moving forward, Reilly is likely going to land another deal around his current $1.1MM price tag and it wouldn’t be surprising to see his streak of one-year contracts continue for a fourth consecutive season.
Other UFAs: G Amir Miftakhov, F Josiah Slavin, F Givani Smith, F Ryan Suzuki, D Juuso Valimaki
Projected Cap Space
There aren’t many teams with less cap space than the Hurricanes, who will enter the summer with a little under $12MM in room. They have room to re-sign Nikishin and Andersen (if they want to carry three goalies full-time next season) and enough space to replace Reilly as a depth defender. They might not be able to do too much beyond that, but they also don’t have a lot of holes to fill, as evidenced by a roster that’s a win away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.
Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire (Nikishin) and Eric Hartline (Andersen) – Imagn Images. Contract information courtesy of PuckPedia.
Offseason Checklist: Columbus Blue Jackets
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those who have already been eliminated. Accordingly, it’s now time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at Columbus.
It was an eventful year for the Blue Jackets. After narrowly missing the playoffs last season, they added Charlie Coyle over the summer and hoped that they’d be able to squeak in this time. Instead, they got off to a mediocre start, resulting in Rick Bowness being brought in as head coach. They went on a run early but faltered down the stretch, ultimately coming up just short again. Now, GM Don Waddell has some more work to do to try to get his team over the proverbial hump.
Culture Change
With Bowness only signing a deal for the rest of the season when he was first hired, he didn’t know his immediate future when, after the final game of the year, he let his team have it:
I don’t know if I’m back, but if I’m back, I’m changing this culture. These guys, they don’t care – losing is not important enough to them. It doesn’t bother them. Like, how can you go out and play like that?
Well, now he knows that he’s back as he signed a one-year extension not even 48 hours after the season ended. So, Bowness is going to get a chance to really reshape the culture but it’s not going to just be on him. This summer, it’s largely going to be on Waddell to make the types of changes that Bowness is likely seeking and model the roster to better suit that style.
One big decision that needs to be made (and frankly, might already have been made) is the fate of captain Boone Jenner. The 32-year-old has been with the Blue Jackets for 13 seasons, captaining them for the last five. When healthy, he has a quality power forward and defensive anchor. But he has dealt with a significant injury pretty much annually and his scoring touch has dipped a bit as of late. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent who has changed agents while Bowness has already signed Coyle to a six-year extension, potentially pushing Jenner more towards being out the door.
How aggressive of an overhaul Waddell will look to make is the big question here. Bowness is 71 and on an expiring contract already; he’s not the long-term voice behind the bench. But with the public vote of confidence in the form of that one-year extension, Waddell seemingly has to make meaningful changes beyond a player or two. We’ll find out just how big of a culture change they’ll be looking to make soon enough.
Re-Sign Key RFAs
While Waddell has already taken care of one of his key pending free agents, he has a few important restricted free agents to re-sign over the coming months.
The most prominent one is center Adam Fantilli. The third overall pick in 2023, his entry-level deal will officially expire at the end of next month. With the market for impact young centers jumping up considerably in recent years plus the projected increases to the Upper Limit, it’s fair to say Fantilli’s market value is going to jump considerably. If they want to sign him to a max-term eight-year contract (still legal through mid-September), they may have to go higher than Zach Werenski’s current price tag of $9.58MM. AFP Analytics pegs an eight-year pact at just over $10MM per season despite the fact he has yet to reach 60 points in a season. But to get him to give up four years of UFA eligibility, it’s going to be a hefty price tag. If they’re not willing to go that high yet, a bridge contract could still land in the $6MM-$7MM range.
Goaltender Jet Greaves also happens to be up for a new deal. While he wasn’t going to come close to sustaining his late-season hot streak in 2024-25 over a full season, he locked down the starting job. He played the seventh-most minutes in the NHL while posting the 12th-best SV and 13th-best GAA on a non-playoff team. Traditional stats are still dominant in arbitration filings and the 25-year-old is arbitration-eligible for the first time. However, the small sample size makes this one a little harder to peg. The comparables here would be players like Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen ($4.75MM) and $5MM but the financial market is a little different now. The comparable now would be four or five years around the $5.75MM range. But if one or both sides want to see one more year before making that commitment, they can get away with it as he’s two seasons away from UFA eligibility. The price tag would be more in the $4.25MM territory in that scenario.
The other RFA of note is Cole Sillinger. His bridge deal has now come to an end and if nothing else, he has been consistent. Over the past three seasons, his lowest point total is 32 and his highest is 33. He has two years of club control left and is arbitration-eligible as well. It’s doubtful either side would want to do a long-term agreement so the options are more likely a one-year deal that allows for a bit more evaluation, or a three-or-four-year pact that buys up a bit of UFA eligibility. The former would be in the $3.5MM range and the latter more likely around double his current $2.25MM price tag.
Add Offensive Forward
One of the challenges this season for Columbus was primary scoring. They only had two players surpass the 60-point mark and one of those was Werenski, who led the team in points once again. The other was Kirill Marchenko, with 67. Fantilli and Coyle were just shy of 60 which doesn’t sound too bad. However, they’re also the only four players to reach 40 points on the campaign.
The silver lining is that their secondary scoring was fine. Eight additional players had between 30 and 40 points, including Mason Marchment, who had 32 in just 39 games after being acquired. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent and is set for a big payday on the open market. The Blue Jackets would undoubtedly want to keep him around but even if so, that’s only maintaining the status quo, not improving the roster.
While there is a young nucleus of players that they’re hoping for continued development from (with a bounce-back from Kent Johnson being first in that regard), it’s also quite evident that the Blue Jackets have a win-now mindset. While contention might not be realistic just yet, getting to the postseason should be the next step for this group.
That makes it more important for them to add an impact scorer to deepen the attack and take some pressure off the younger players (which might ultimately help them offensively). Of course, this is not a particularly deep UFA class – Marchment is one of the top forwards available – so this is something Waddell may have to accomplish on the trade front. But if Columbus wants to take that next step forward, more primary firepower will be needed.
Add A Shutdown Defender
With Werenski anchoring the back end, the emergence of Denton Mateychuk, and Ivan Provorov showing flashes of above-average offensive ability at times, the Blue Jackets quietly have one of the more talented back ends in the East from an offensive perspective. But their other regulars – Damon Severson and Dante Fabbro – aren’t known necessarily for being shutdown players. They can certainly contribute but aren’t necessarily defensive anchors.
One of their top-used defensemen shorthanded this season was Erik Gudbranson, at least when healthy. However, he’s also a pending unrestricted free agent and at this point, it would be somewhat surprising to see him return. That’s a spot in the lineup that needs to be filled. Ideally, that one isn’t filled internally, either by Jake Christiansen or a prospect like Corson Ceulemans. Again, if the goal is getting to the playoffs, they need to aim higher.
In a perfect world, the goal would be to get someone capable of playing on the top two pairings, logging over 20 minutes per game with primary penalty kill time. That player would also be matched up against top lines from other teams. It’s the type of player that a lot of teams could use although, again, there aren’t many unrestricted free agents who fit the bill. This is another spot they may have to try to acquire in a trade instead.
But this one is of particular importance from a culture standpoint as well. As Bowness wants to reshape things there, getting that gritty defender willing to go the extra mile to contain top players from other teams would be an anchor of that reshaped culture. A lot of good teams have a true shutdown piece on the back end and if they want to take the next step, the Blue Jackets need to get one too.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry-Imagn Images.
Evan Bouchard Out For Remainder Of World Championship
While Canada will continue on at the World Championship following a quarterfinal victory over the United States today, they’ll be doing so without a key blueliner. In an appearance on Oilers Now (audio link), Oilers GM Stan Bowman confirmed that defenseman Evan Bouchard is out for the rest of the tournament due to injury.
That injury was sustained in today’s contest. In the first period, he received a hit to the head from blueliner Ryan Lindgren and appeared to briefly lose consciousness. He was eventually helped off the ice and did not return while Lindgren received a match penalty for the infraction.
Bouchard was believed to be playing through concussion-like symptoms during their opening-round series against Anaheim and if that’s the case, it’s safe to say that Edmonton’s preference, regardless of the severity of the hit, would be to shut him down. Bowman indicated that while Bouchard is injured, it’s not as bad as it initially looked and he should be fine for the start of training camp.
Bouchard found a new gear offensively this season in Edmonton, blasting past his previously career highs by tallying 21 goals and 74 assists in 82 games. Despite playing at less than full strength in the postseason, he still chipped in with a goal and six helpers in their six-game loss. Meanwhile, points were a little harder to come by in this tournament although Bouchard is tied for the team lead in points (with Oilers teammate Darnell Nurse) with six points in eight outings although he won’t be adding to that number now.
If Canada can find a replacement player, they are eligible to remove Bouchard from their active roster and put the new player on it. Given that they kept an open spot until just today (when Sam Dickinson was added to the roster), it seems unlikely that they’ll be able to do so. Instead, Dickinson will likely make his tournament debut in the semifinal on Saturday against Finland.
Five Key Stories: 5/18/26 – 5/24/26
With the Conference Finals well underway, most teams are in offseason mode with as many coaching searches going on as there are teams still playing. Understandably, some of the notable news from the past seven days comes from behind the bench.
Offer Sheet Thresholds Set: With more teams having cap flexibility thanks to a big jump to the Upper Limit and a thinned-out UFA market, teams will have to get more creative to try to upgrade their rosters. That makes this summer’s offer sheet thresholds a little more intriguing. While it’s unlikely a team would go to the top tier (around $11.94MM, costing four first-round picks) but notably, a player could cost $4.77MM and only require a second-round pick in compensation if an offer sheet wasn’t matched. Meanwhile, third-round compensation would be between $1.575MM and $2.387MM. We haven’t seen that tactic used much in recent years (though the three latest ones were all successful) but it wouldn’t be shocking if more teams started sniffing around this option, assuming there are players willing to sign them.
Ruff’s Sticking Around: When Lindy Ruff returned behind the Buffalo bench in 2024, he only signed a two-year deal and it was expected that he’d make a decision after that about staying behind the bench, moving into an advisory role, or something else altogether. With how things went this season, it’s not surprising that he’s going to stay as their head coach after he signed a two-year extension. The Sabres ended a 14-year playoff drought after winning the Atlantic Division and fared pretty well in the playoffs, only falling in overtime in Game 7 in the second round. With that decision now done, GM Jarmo Kekalainen gets set for his first summer at the helm of the team.
Surgery For Gustavsson: Heading into the offseason, it looked as if one of Minnesota’s trade chips would come from between the pipes. With veteran Filip Gustavsson and youngster Jesper Wallstedt, one could presumably be moved. Instead, those plans are on hold after an announcement that Gustavsson will be undergoing hip surgery. At this point, it’s unknown if he will be available for training camp with a determination on that front to be made once the extent of the repairs is known after the procedure. Gustavsson is set to begin a new five-year, $34MM contract next season and teams will want definitive proof that he’s fully healthy before considering trading for that deal. Accordingly, the Wild’s tandem might remain intact after all heading into 2026-27.
Canucks Make A Change: With their new front office now in place, the Canucks have quickly made changes behind the bench. The team has fired head coach Adam Foote after just one season in that role, while three assistants were let go as well. Foote was promoted to the role last offseason after the team couldn’t reach a new contract with Rick Tocchet. But things went off the rails with the team finishing dead last and ultimately moving their top player, Quinn Hughes, to Minnesota. Now, GM Ryan Johnson will get to conduct a search if he wants although it wouldn’t be surprising if AHL Abbotsford head coach Manny Malhotra gets the nod. At least for now, Vancouver joins Toronto, Los Angeles, and Edmonton as teams looking for a new bench boss.
Two For Liljegren: When the Capitals acquired Timothy Liljegren at the trade deadline, it was a bit of a surprise that a non-playoff team would bring in a pending UFA. However, the team liked what it saw in limited action from him down the stretch and they rewarded him with a two-year, $6.5MM extension. The $3.25MM AAV is a small increase on the $3MM he made on his most recent deal. While the 27-year-old hasn’t exactly lived up to his first-round draft billing, he has been a serviceable bottom-pairing defender over the last five years. With Liljegren now signed, it looks more likely that pending UFA rearguard Trevor van Riemsdyk will not return for next season as Washington now has eight blueliners signed for next season.
Photo courtesy of Matt Blewett-Imagn Images.
Offseason Checklist: New York Islanders
The offseason has arrived for half of the league’s teams that aren’t taking part in the playoffs plus those who have already been eliminated. Accordingly, it’s now time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months. Next up is a look at the Islanders.
It has been a busy first year for GM Mathieu Darche. He traded away his top defenseman at the time on draft day and added a new franchise defender that same night. He made some in-season trades to try to help his team make a second-half push for the playoffs. Then, he made a big late-season coaching change in a last-ditch effort to help them get in with Peter DeBoer taking over for Patrick Roy. The start to his second year shouldn’t be as busy but he has some work to do roster-wise over the offseason.
Add Goaltending Insurance
While the Islanders were hoping that Semyon Varlamov would be able to return at some point during the season after undergoing a pair of replacement knee surgeries, they knew they’d need some insurance. With that in mind, they brought in David Rittich who wound up as a full-timer on New York’s roster. Varlamov, meanwhile, was able to return after the season, getting into two games on an LTIR conditioning loan with AHL Bridgeport.
At this point, the hope is that Varlamov will be ready to be Ilya Sorokin’s backup next season. Now healthy, he should be able to get a full offseason of training in and, while he’ll certainly be rusty, he should be available at the start of training camp.
But hope alone isn’t a viable or prudent strategy. Varlamov has played a total of 12 games combined over the past two seasons and hasn’t played in an NHL game since November 2024. They can hope that Varlamov returns to form and gives them 25 or so starts but there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to do so. Meanwhile, they don’t have a trusted third goalie in their system at the moment. The only other goalie signed for next season is recent college free agent signing Josh Kotai, and he’s not NHL-ready by any stretch.
At a minimum, adding another Rittich-like goaltender who could be a third-string option in a perfect world but a capable backup if called upon. If they’re worried about waivers, they may have to carry three netminders for a while. Depending on what happens there, they may need a veteran starter for AHL Hamilton as well, one who could be called up in a pinch. Sorokin gives them a great foundation between the pipes but the supporting cast needs to be added to in the coming weeks.
Determine Lee’s Future
Back in 2019, captain Anders Lee was slated to hit the open market. It looked like he was ultimately going to go to free agency but former GM Lou Lamoriello signed him on the opening day of free agency to a seven-year, $49MM deal. While his role now is certainly different compared to back then, the winger now finds himself a little more than a month away from being eligible to test free agency once again.
The 35-year-old has never been a high-end point producer, with his personal best being 62, set back in the 2017-18 campaign. However, he has been a steady scorer, notching at least 20 goals in eight of the last ten seasons. This season was one of the exceptions but he still managed 19, suggesting the big falloff in production hasn’t happened yet.
Although Lee is more of a middle-six forward than a top liner at this stage of his career, he’s set to benefit from a thin UFA class. While he certainly won’t come close to another seven-year deal at this stage of his career, it wouldn’t be entirely shocking if his AAV came in fairly close to this now-expiring contract. For example, AFP Analytics projects that a three-year deal for Lee would check in at a little over $6.6MM per season. That would certainly carry some risk for a player coming off a 42-point campaign but there’s also a wide expectation of some sticker shock on UFA contracts this summer. Alternatively, Lee could sign a one-year deal that makes him eligible for performance bonuses, giving the signing team a bit more cap flexibility.
Will the Islanders be that signing team? Darche would likely prefer to keep his captain around but he also needs to make some changes to a group that missed the playoffs and also try to get a bit more speed up front. But if he can keep Lee in the fold and shake the team up elsewhere, that might be his Plan A. We’ll see in the next five weeks or so if that plan works out.
Open Up Cap Space
To try to give his team some boosts, Darche added a pair of pricey contracts up front. First, they brought in Ondrej Palat from the Devils to help try to backfill Kyle Palmieri’s season-ending injury. Then, at the trade deadline, they paid a high price to add Brayden Schenn from St. Louis. In doing so, they took on an extra $12.5MM in spending for next season. They also went deep into LTIR to do so, meaning that the $3.5MM in bonuses Matthew Schaefer earned will all count against the books in 2026-27.
As a result, the Isles enter the summer with around $12.5MM in cap room, per PuckPedia. If they want to re-sign Lee, bring in goalie insurance, and likely a depth defender or two with Carson Soucy and Adam Boqvist set to hit the open market, they’ll basically be out of money at that point. While Pierre Engvall could wind up staying on LTIR, that’s not enough to move the needle in terms of giving them flexibility. And if he is cleared to return, waiving and sending him to the minors would only create $1.225MM in room.
There are some potential change-of-scenery candidates, especially up front. Anthony Duclair simply hasn’t fit in over his first two seasons but now that there are only two years left on his deal (at a $3.5MM price tag), they might be able to offload that contract for cap flexibility. With Palat not faring particularly well following the swap, moving the final year of his deal would require paying down part (if not the maximum of 50%) of it, he’s a potentially viable candidate. Max Shabanov, a pending RFA, could potentially be flipped with an eye on replacing his back-end roster spot with someone making closer to the minimum salary.
Simply making one of these moves wouldn’t be enough to bring in anyone of consequence, assuming that Lee ultimately re-signs. But if they can move out a couple of their higher-paid surplus depth pieces, they might be able to try to make an addition of consequence.
Add More Scoring
That addition of consequence, if they’re able to afford one, needs to come up front. This is a team that has had trouble scoring for a while now. The last time they were above-average in the goals scored department was back in 2017-18, when they finished seventh overall. Five players from that team are still with the Isles, one of them being Lee (a pending UFA) and three more being defensemen. Since then, they have been outside the top 20 in the goals scored department.
They upped their 2024-25 total by seven goals this season, bringing them to 229, or 2.79 per game, good for 25th in the league. Another incremental gain would certainly help but if they want to become more than just a bubble Wild Card team, they’re going to need to aim higher.
New York had two forwards surpass the 50-point mark this season, Mathew Barzal (the other 2017-18 holdover) and Bo Horvat. Lee was next at 42 and he may or may not be back. It’s fair to say that there’s a definitive need for a top-six forward (or two, or three, potentially). Of course, they’re probably not going to be able to afford to add multiple top-six forwards but even one would be a big addition.
In terms of trying to shore up their depth scoring, they could look internally. Victor Eklund made his NHL debut at the end of the season and might not be too far away from being ready for an extended audition. If he could be even a secondary contributor while Darche finds a way to add another decent scoring threat, that could go a long way toward getting them back into the top 20 in the goals department, bolstering their playoff hopes in the process.
Photo courtesy of Brad Penner-Imagn Images.