East Notes: Chinakhov, Peeke, Bear
While Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov has already returned to Columbus in advance of training camp, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic notes (subscription link) that his trade request hasn’t been rescinded. The 24-year-old started strong with 14 points in 21 games but then suffered a back injury that kept him out for several months while undergoing a treatment back in Russia that the team didn’t approve of. Then, upon returning, his ice time was more limited while also being a healthy scratch multiple times, resulting in just one assist in his final nine appearances. Chinakhov has one year left on his bridge contract worth $2.1MM and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a team looking to make a change-of-scenery type of trade showing interest in Chinakhov in the coming weeks.
Elsewhere in the East:
- Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke played a fairly big role in the second half of last season, logging nearly 21 minutes a night when their back end dealt with some major injuries. While he fared relatively well in those extra minutes, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that the team hasn’t initiated contract extension talks yet and could wait until later in the season when they have a better sense of where they stand. Peeke was brought in at the 2024 trade deadline from Columbus and has largely been a fourth or fifth defender in Boston. He has one year left on his contract with a $2.75MM cap charge and should be able to get a bump up on that on his next deal.
- The Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that prospect Carter Bear will not take part in their rookie games but is expected to be ready for training camp. Detroit picked the forward 13th overall back in June following a strong season with WHL Everett that saw him score 40 goals and add 42 assists in just 56 games. However, he sustained a torn Achilles tendon in early March and it appears that Detroit isn’t going to chance it with the injury and will hold him out this weekend as a precaution.
Carter Hart Expected To Receive Interest From Multiple Teams
Earlier this week, the NHL announced that the five Hockey Canada players who were found not guilty of sexual assault earlier this summer would be suspended to December 1st but would be eligible to sign an NHL contract as of October 15th. It appears that goaltender Carter Hart will get an opportunity to continue his career; Chris Johnston reports in his latest piece for The Athletic (subscription link) that Hart is expected to receive interest from multiple teams and should have a handshake deal in place by the start of next month.
Hart last played near the midway point of the 2023-24 season before taking a leave from the team when charges were about to be laid. Then, when his contract expired, the Flyers didn’t issue a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.
The 27-year-old has played in 227 career NHL contests, all with the Flyers who drafted him in the second round back in 2016. Hart started off quite strong with Philadelphia before his performance started to dip, coinciding with their struggles in the standings. Overall, he has a 2.94 GAA along with a .906 SV% and six shutouts over his six-season career.
While there has been some speculation that the Flyers could look to bring him back, Johnston suggests that’s unlikely to be the case as Hart is believed to be looking for a fresh start. Meanwhile, Philadelphia already has Samuel Ersson and newcomer Daniel Vladar in the fold while prospect Aleksei Kolosov will also be in camp with the team, as will Ivan Fedotov who looks like a waiver candidate as things stand.
Johnston added that Hart is almost certainly going to sign with a U.S.-based team which would take the long-speculated possibility of the netminder signing with his hometown team in Edmonton. There were no teams specified as likely landing spots but his priorities are finding a team with a chance to win but also provides him a chance at meaningful playing time.
Despite the long layoff, Johnston expects that Hart will get a multi-year contract from whoever he signs with. That said, it would be surprising if he received more than the $3.979MM he was making with the Flyers on his last contract so it might be in Hart’s best interest to look for a shorter-term pact if he is able to be an impact performer with his next team.
Even if an agreement is reached by the start of next month, he’ll have to wait a couple of weeks to officially sign it. From there, Hart would be able to practice with the team for a month to work on conditioning before being granted a conditioning stint in mid-November where he will see his first taste of AHL action since 2019.
Pacific Notes: Eichel, Lund, Jarventie
Jack Eichel and the Golden Knights haven’t hidden their mutual desire to get a long-term extension in place although a deal hasn’t gotten along the finish line just yet. It appears they’re in agreement on the term side of things at least as Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic recently reported (video link) that both sides are happy with a maximum-term agreement of eight years. Meanwhile, Johnston adds that the likely range of an extension should fall between $13MM and $14MM per season, representing a fairly significant raise on the $10MM he’s receiving on his current deal. Eichel has averaged more than a point per game since joining Vegas four seasons ago (both in the regular season and playoffs) and is coming off a career year that saw him put up 28 goals and 66 assists in 77 games.
More from the Pacific:
- Sharks winger Cameron Lund left Friday’s rookie tournament game in the third period after taking a hit to the head, notes Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest. The 21-year-old signed with San Jose late in the season after his college campaign came to an end and fit in relatively, picking up two goals and an assist in 11 appearances in 11:30 per night of action. While Lund probably wasn’t going to be in serious contention to break camp with the big club, this injury could take any chance of that happening off the table.
- Although he plausibly could have been at Edmonton’s rookie camp, the Oilers elected to not have Roby Jarventie participate as a precaution, relays Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal. The winger was limited to just two games last season due to a knee injury and briefly signed in Finland for this year before having a change of heart and re-upping with Edmonton. Rookie tournament games tend to be a little more erratic than preseason ones so it isn’t surprising to see them not taking any chances. Jarventie has seven NHL games under his belt from his time with Ottawa and could be in the mix for ice time with the Oilers this season if he’s able to stay healthy.
Blackhawks Sign Spencer Knight To Three-Year Extension
When the Blackhawks acquired Spencer Knight from Florida as part of the Seth Jones deal prior to the trade deadline, they picked up who they feel can be their goalie of the future in the swap. They’ve now made sure he’ll be in the fold for a while longer as the team announced that they’ve inked the netminder to a three-year extension worth $17.5MM, or $5.833MM per season. GM Kyle Davidson released the following statement:
After joining the team in March, Spencer quickly cemented himself as a crucial piece of our future. A talented, young goaltender, he brings athleticism, sound positioning and a calm demeanor to his game, and we’re excited to watch Spencer continue to flourish in Chicago over the next four seasons.
Knight was a first-round pick by Florida back in 2019, going 13th overall. He quickly made the jump to the pros in 2020 and was the full-time backup for the Panthers in 2021-22. Soon after, Florida saw fit to give him a fairly significant bridge deal for a netminder with limited experience, signing him to a three-year, $13.5MM pact, the last season of which comes in 2025-26 with the extension running through 2028-29.
Florida didn’t get a great return on that deal at the beginning. Knight stepped away from the team in February 2023 to enter the Player Assistance Program to treat his Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. The following year (the first of the new contract) was spent entirely at the AHL level with the Panthers prioritizing getting Knight as much playing time as possible while Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz comprised Florida’s tandem. He played relatively well with AHL Charlotte, posting a 2.41 GAA along with a .905 SV% in 45 games that season.
Stolarz moved on to Toronto last season, paving the way for Knight (now waiver-eligible) to return to the Panthers. He played in 23 games with Florida in 2024-25, putting up a 2.40 GAA and a .907 SV%, both better than the NHL average. That was good enough to make him the centerpiece of the return for Jones and Chicago gave Knight plenty of playing time down the stretch. The 24-year-old suited up in 15 contests for the Blackhawks following the swap where he had a 3.18 GAA and a .893 SV% on a group that was prioritizing giving some of their prospects plenty of playing time late in the year.
This deal buys Chicago only one extra year of team control as he still had two RFA-eligible years remaining after this one. PuckPedia relays (Twitter link) that the contract is front-loaded, paying $7.25MM in 2026-27, $5.75MM in 2027-28, and $4.5MM in 2028-29; he’ll also have a 15-team no-trade clause that year.
Knight will enter the season at the head of a goaltending trio that has quietly become one of the more expensive groups in the league. Arvid Soderblom begins the first year of his new two-year, $5.5MM pact and will likely be the backup while veteran Laurent Brossoit, who didn’t play last season due to injury, has one year left on his agreement at $3.3MM.
But while this contract cements Knight as the starter for a little while longer, it stops short of handing him the job for the long haul. That should prove appealing for their prospects as Drew Commesso and Adam Gajan were both second-round picks that Chicago hopes can be part of the future plans as well. Commesso had a solid year with AHL Rockford in 2024-25 while making his NHL debut while Gajan struggled in his first taste of college action and is probably a couple of years away from turning pro. If one of them breaks through and seriously pushes for the starting job, Chicago can still pivot and go in that direction while if not, they’ll get the next few years to see if Knight is the right fit for the job for the long haul.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report that Chicago was signing Knight to an extension. Bleacher Report’s Frank Seravalli was the first to report the terms.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Mackenzie Blackwood And Samuel Girard Dealing With Injuries
The Avalanche knew that they wouldn’t have their full roster available to start the season with winger Logan O’Connor still working his way back from hip surgery. It appears he’s not the only one dealing with injury concerns though. Brennan Vogt of Hockey Mountain High reports that goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood and defenseman Samuel Girard are also banged up heading into training camp.
Blackwood didn’t skate with the team during captain’s skates all week and on Friday, worked with goalie coach Jussi Parkilla but voiced some pain when pushing off his right leg during one of the drills. Notably, he wasn’t taking shots either; combined, those suggest he’s not fully healthy heading into camp. Blackwood is beginning a five-year, $26.25MM contract signed soon after being acquired in an early-season trade from San Jose. Scott Wedgewood enters camp as the backup and could be in line for a bit more work early on. If Blackwood were to miss time to start the season, Trent Miner would likely break camp as the interim backup.
As for Girard, Vogt relays that the blueliner didn’t take part in any of the optional skates since August 17th until yesterday and was skating gingerly in a non-contact sweater, suggesting he could be dealing with a lower-body issue. The 27-year-old has had some injury trouble for several consecutive seasons now but when healthy, has been a capable top-four blueliner while also being only one of two left-hand shots in their projected top-six.
Colorado currently has around $1.325MM in cap space as things stand, per PuckPedia, meaning that they don’t have to place O’Connor on LTIR. However, if Blackwood and Girard’s injuries drag into the regular season, operating below the cap ceiling without needing LTIR could become a little trickier, a small subplot to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.
Adrian Kempe Discusses Contract Talks
Kings forward Adrian Kempe is currently slated to be one of the top unrestricted free agents next summer if the two sides can’t reach a deal on an extension before then. Speaking in a recent interview with Sirius XM (transcribed by Mayor’s Manor), the 28-year-old made it clear that he’d like to get something done sooner rather than later:
I would like to get it done as soon as possible, but I’m still not in a rush. I don’t want to rush anything. But I also don’t want to come around after Christmas, with the trade deadline starting to come up, and then I’m sitting there not knowing where we’re at or we’re not [close] on the terms of a contract. That, I wouldn’t be looking forward to. So, before Christmas would be great. Before camp would be great.
Kempe is coming off his second straight season of amassing at least 70 points, picking up 35 goals and 38 assists in 81 games. After being more of a checker in the first few years of his career, he has become one of the more consistent scoring threats in the NHL, averaging 35 goals over the last four seasons.
That has him well-positioned to land a significant raise from the $5.5MM he will make in the final year of his deal, one that started back in 2022-23 and has become one of the better team-friendly contracts around the NHL. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period was the latest to suggest that Kempe’s camp was seeking a max-term eight-year extension worth $10MM per season with Los Angeles coming in at $9MM per year. Meanwhile, AFP Analytics projected a seven-year, $64.225MM deal for Kempe earlier in the offseason, one that would carry an AAV of $9.175MM.
If that gap can’t be bridged within the first few months of the season, Kempe acknowledged that he wouldn’t exactly be comfortable heading into the trade deadline unsigned:
For me and the team, I don’t think it would be a good thing to do that. For me, I feel like, if I haven’t signed before the deadline, then you don’t know what’s going to happen.
Considering both Kempe and the Kings under new GM Ken Holland have publicly stated a willingness to get something done and Kempe’s discomfort with pushing talks deep into the season, this is a situation that should get resolved well before he gets close to testing the market. And if he does somehow reach free agency, Kempe could very well wind up with a higher price tag than he’s asking for now, especially if few top names actually get there as is typically the case.
Prospect Notes: Frondell, Kraken, Pickford
The Blackhawks were originally hoping to have Anton Frondell with them for rookie camp as well as main training camp this month, relays Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription link). However, when the center indicated that he felt his development would be best served by staying in Sweden with SHL Djurgarden instead of an early-season interruption, they agreed to that plan instead. Frondell was the third-overall pick back in June on the heels of an impressive showing with Djurgarden in the second-tier Allsvenskan when he had 25 points in 29 games. That team earned a promotion to the SHL this season, which will give Frondell tougher competition to play against. GM Kyle Davidson noted that the expectation is that no matter what, this will be Frondell’s final year in Sweden.
More prospect news from around the NHL:
- The Kraken are without a pair of prospects as their rookie camp begins. The team announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Alexis Bernier is out as he continues to recover from ACL surgery while center Julius Miettinen is dealing with an upper-body injury sustained in training camp with WHL Everett. Bernier had a strong post-draft season with QMJHL Baie-Comeau, collecting 14 goals and 32 assists in 59 games but isn’t eligible to play in the minors this season. As for Miettinen, he notched 39 points in 36 games with the Silvertips and briefly spent time as a reserve with AHL Coachella Valley in the playoffs. However, he also isn’t eligible to play in the minors this season.
- The Canadiens announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Bryce Pickford is dealing with a lower-body injury and didn’t take part in practice today. The 19-year-old wasn’t drafted in his first year of eligibility last year but went in the third round back in June, going 81st overall. Pickford had a breakout year offensively in 2024-25, notching 20 goals and 27 assists in 48 regular season games with WHL Medicine Hat before adding 24 more points in 18 postseason contests.
Atlantic Notes: Matheson, Robertson, Bruins
Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson is in the final year of his contract and is eligible to sign a contract extension. His agent Philippe Lecavalier told Richard Labbe of La Presse that the 31-year-old is hoping to re-sign. Matheson had a breakout showing in 2023-24 when he put up 62 points, putting him ninth among all NHL blueliners in that category. However, the emergence of Lane Hutson saw Matheson’s offensive minutes drop and the end result was a drop to 31 points. Noah Dobson is now in the fold which could similarly cut into his offensive chances even more. That could complicate things on a new contract as a blueliner who logs 25 minutes a night should be eyeing a raise from the $4.875MM he’s set to make this season but with Hutson and Dobson around, the Canadiens may not be inclined to pay market value for someone who probably won’t come close to that career high offensively again with them.
More from the Atlantic:
- In an interview with Jonas Siegel of The Athletic earlier this week (subscription link), Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube declined to speak about winger Nicholas Robertson’s situation, merely noting that there will be a lot of competition at training camp. In a follow-up column to that interview (subscription link), Siegel suggests that might not be an encouraging sign for the soon-to-be-24-year-old. Robertson notched 15 goals and seven assists in 69 games last season, earning him a $1.8MM contract to avoid salary arbitration but his fit in Toronto’s lineup remains uncertain at best. He remains a player to keep an eye on when it comes to a trade over the coming weeks, especially if it looks like he’ll be on the outside looking in at a lineup spot in early October.
- Speaking with reporters at their charity golf tournament (video link), Bruins GM Don Sweeney indicated that the team will begin the upcoming season without a captain. While veterans David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy are the presumptive favorites and could plausibly be appointed now without much issue, Sweeney wants the captaincy progress to come more organically over simply appointing someone to the role now, even though one of those two could very well end up with the role down the road.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Nashville Predators
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 Predators.
Nashville Predators
Current Cap Hit: $86,158,961 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Zachary L’Heureux (one year, $863.3K)
F Fedor Svechkov (one year, $925K)
F Matthew Wood (two years, $950K)
Potential Bonuses
Svechkov: $212.5K
Wood: $500K
Total: $712.5K
Wood signed late last season after finishing up his college campaign and held his own in limited action. Assuming he remains in his bottom-six role to start this year, it seems unlikely he’ll hit either of his ‘A’ bonuses and that would have him safely on the path to a bridge deal. Svechkov came up in late November and never looked back although his production was rather limited. It seems likely he’ll get a bigger opportunity this season which could give him an outside chance at his ‘A’ bonus. But barring a huge uptick in production, he’s also likely heading for a bridge deal, one that should push past the $2MM mark if he remains a regular this season.
L’Heureux spent most of the season with the Predators where he brought plenty of physicality but not a ton of production to the table, understandable given his limited role. Like the others, the offense simply isn’t there to justify a long-term deal so he’s also heading for a bridge deal, one that again should come in around $2MM if this season is a repeat of last.
Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level
G Justus Annunen ($837.5K, RFA)
D Justin Barron ($1.15MM, RFA)
D Nick Blankenburg ($775K, UFA)
F Michael Bunting ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Andreas Englund ($775K, UFA)
F Erik Haula ($3.15MM, UFA)
F Michael McCarron ($900K, UFA)
D Jordan Oesterle ($775K, UFA)
F Cole Smith ($1MM, UFA)
D Spencer Stastney ($825K, RFA)
Bunting was brought in near the trade deadline with GM Barry Trotz opting for a player-for-player swap instead of being a straight seller. He hasn’t had the same type of success offensively since leaving Toronto and will need to push that point total more toward the mid-40s if he wants any sort of notable raise. Otherwise, another contract in this range seems likely. Haula came over from New Jersey this summer following a tough year although he’s averaged 40 points over the previous three seasons. If he gets back to that range, he should be able to get a raise and another multi-year pact, even at 35, which he’ll be in March. If this winds up being a repeat of last season, he might still be able to get two years but it’d be surprising to see him match let alone beat this price tag.
Smith saw his point total drop by nearly half last season despite nearly identical playing time. Still, he’s a big part of their penalty kill and throws the body around. A late-bloomer (he wasn’t a regular until 27), Smith has enough of a track record now that he could conceivably double his current price tag even with the limited output. McCarron hasn’t lived up to his draft billing but has settled in as a serviceable bottom-six checking center who is above-average at the faceoff dot and plays with an edge. Those elements will be appealing which could plausibly allow him to push past $2MM next summer.
Barron was acquired from Montreal midseason in another player-for-player swap, this time with veteran Alexandre Carrier going the other way. While the change of scenery allowed Barron to play a much bigger role, he didn’t do a whole lot with it. Still, he’s likely to push past the 200-game mark this coming season and will have arbitration eligibility this time around with a $1.2MM qualifying offer. Doubling that might be tough but he could come close.
The other four blueliners are all in a similar boat. They’ve been fringe third-pairing defenders in recent years while also seeing time in the minors. Two or three will make the team and if one stands out, he could push past $1MM next summer. The rest will likely stay at the league minimum salary which jumps to $850K in 2026-27. Notably, Stastney will need to play in at least 29 NHL games this season to retain his RFA rights. Otherwise, he’ll become a Group Six unrestricted free agent.
Annunen played a little better after coming over in an early-season trade from Colorado but his numbers were still below average. Just 25 with a fairly limited track record at the top level, it’s not a situation where Nashville should be looking to give up on him but he hasn’t shown enough to earn a long-term pact either. He has one RFA-eligible year left after this and the prudent move for both sides might be another two-year deal, one that would push the price to around $1.5MM, giving him a bit of stability while allowing the team a bit more time to evaluate his longer-term fit as the second-string option. If he bounces back with more of an NHL-average year, the cost could come closer to $2MM on that deal.
Signed Through 2026-27
D Nicklaus Perbix ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Ryan O’Reilly ($4.5MM, UFA)
As was the case with most of their veterans last season, O’Reilly underachieved offensively but he was still a two-way contributor. Between that and his contract, he was highly sought after at the trade deadline but nothing materialized. Even with the drop in production, this is a more than acceptable price tag for O’Reilly for now but at 34 with a lot of miles on him, that could change. Assuming he stays in this range a little longer, he could still beat this on a short-term deal two years from now.
Perbix comes over from Tampa Bay where he saw his playing time drop by more than two minutes a game last season. However, he has shown himself to be a capable third-pairing option, with some underlying numbers suggesting he could be capable of more. This contract suggested teams weren’t willing to bank on that just yet but if he can latch on to a bigger role, his next deal could land closer to the $3.75MM mark. If not, this is a reasonable floor for a third-pairing right-shot piece.
Signed Through 2027-28
D Roman Josi ($9.059MM, UFA)
F Steven Stamkos ($8MM, UFA)
Stamkos leaving the Lightning last summer was quite a surprise for many but his performance last season suggests Tampa Bay was wise to hold firm to their number which was lower than what Stamkos wanted. While 53 points is still respectable, that’s not worthy of an $8MM price tag and at 35, there is some concern that the decline will continue. If so, this could be a troublesome contract before long while a rebound would only delay those concerns a little longer.
When healthy, Josi remains a legitimate all-situations number one defenseman. And this price tag for that type of role is a team-friendly one. However, Josi missed a big chunk of last season with what was eventually labelled as Postural Tachycardia Syndrome and while the team announced that he is recovering well and should be ready to start this season, it’s something that doesn’t have a cure, only treatments. Now 35, a decline in performance should be coming at some point soon and there could be some lingering concern from his diagnosis. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the team try to manage Josi’s minutes a bit more moving forward, perhaps not having him in that high-end number one role.
Snapshots: Denisenko, World Cup, Perreault, Robins
Although he decided to return home and play in the KHL this season, winger Grigori Denisenko hasn’t given up on playing in North America just yet. In an interview with Championat’s Lev Lukin, the 25-year-old indicated his dream is still to get back to the NHL. He hasn’t spent much time there lately, however, getting into just seven NHL games over the past two seasons with Vegas. He spent most of last season in the minors with Henderson and Milwaukee, collecting 17 goals and 21 assists in 65 games and rather than accepting a two-way deal as a Group Six unrestricted free agent and likely starting in the minors again, he’ll try to work his way back with a big season with Ak Bars Kazan.
Elsewhere around the hockey world:
- Speaking to reporters including NHL.com’s Dan Rosen at the media tour earlier this week, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly provided an update on the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. They have whittled through expressions of interest from both North American and European cities and are about to begin the bidding process. The belief is that there will be round-robin games on both continents before moving to North America only for the medal round. Daly added that while they hope to have a qualifying round down the road, that won’t be in place for this particular event.
- UFA winger Jacob Perreault has a team for the upcoming season as the Bruins’ AHL team in Providence announced that they’ve signed him to a one-year deal. The 23-year-old was a first-round pick by Anaheim in 2020, going 27th overall but he has struggled considerably in the pros. Last season, he spent time with Montreal and Edmonton’s farm teams, collecting just three goals and 11 assists in 44 games, leading to a non-tender in late June. Perreault has made one NHL appearance, that coming back in 2021-22.
- After being non-tendered by Ottawa this summer, unrestricted free agent winger Tristen Robins has reportedly found a place to play. Inside AHL Hockey’s Tony Androckitis reports (Twitter link) that the 23-year-old is set to sign in Czechia with Kladno. Robins was a 2020 second-round pick by San Jose and was moved to the Sens as part of the Fabian Zetterlund trade at the deadline. Robins played in 56 AHL games last year, picking up eight goals and 16 assists. He has three career NHL games under his belt back in the 2022-23 season.