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Lightning Sign Yanni Gourde To Six-Year Contract

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have committed to their core, signing center Yanni Gourde to a lofty six-year, $13.98MM contract extension. The deal will carry Gourde through his age-39 season and carries an annual average value (AAV) of $2.33MM.

Gourde will take a substantial pay cut for the benefit of term on his new deal. He concluded a six-year, $31MM contract – with an annual salary of $5.17MM – this season. The deal was originally signed with the Lightning in 2019, though he was claimed by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. He wound up spending four years of his last deal in Seattle, before a trade at the 2025 Trade Deadline returned him to Tampa Bay alongside winger Oliver Bjorkstrand.

Now, Gourde will lock up his foreseeable future in Tampa Bay. He’s already won two Stanley Cups with the club; serving as a pivotal piece of the club’s back-to-back wins in 2020 and 2021. Gourde defined his dominant two-way style in playoff games with Tampa Bay, and added to it 14 points in 25 games of the 2020 run and seven points in 23 games of the 2021 run. All the while, he served a key role as the defensive backing to high-offense centers like Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos.

It’s that two-way, middle-six role that Gourde will continue in moving forward. He scored a modest seven goals and 31 points in 57 games this season, including 14 points in 21 games after returning to Tampa Bay. That scoring total put Gourde on pace for 45 points across the full season; a mark that would fall closely in-line with his typical scoring pace. He has routinely rivaled 40 points in his healthy seasons, and even managed back-to-back 48-point seasons with Seattle in 2021-22 and 2022-23.

Gourde’s career continues to stand as a testament to what a relentless mindset can earn. He was left undrafted through the 2010, 2011, and 2012 classes – and made his pro debut in 2012 on a minor-league contract. He earned a demotion to the ECHL for parts of the 2012-13 and 2013-14 season, but found unique ways to play through contact and make his 5-foot-9, 175-pound frame stick out. Gourde earned his way back into the AHL where he continued through the 2016-17 season.

Then, he broke out in a dazzling way. Even through Cup wins and a defined lineup role, Gourde’s first full season in the NHL in 2017-18 continues to stand as his career-year. He managed career-highs across the board, netting 25 goals, 39 assists, and 64 points while appearing in all 82 games of Tampa Bay’s season. The marks landed Gourde fourth on the team in total scoring at the end of the regular season, behind three players likely headed for the Hall of Fame in Nikita Kucherov, Stamkos, and Point.

Gourde caught lightning with his smooth-faced season in Tampa Bay – and has since found a way to turn it into 602 games and a decade-long career in the NHL. This new deal will carry him through the bulk of the next decade, and surely the entirety of his remaining career. No matter how Tampa Bay ebbs and flows over the next six years, Gourde’s growth from ECHL scorer to NHL lock will undoubtedly go down as a tremendous triumph against all odds.

Wild Sign Marcus Johansson To One-Year Contract

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The Minnesota Wild have signed veteran forward Marcus Johansson to a one-year, $800K contract for the 2025-26 season. The deal was first reported by Michael Russo of The Athletic. Johansson was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, after concluding a two-year, $4MM contract signed with Minnesota in 2023.

Johansson maintained his modest scoring through his last two years in Minnesota. He posted 11 goals, 34 points, and a minus-seven in 72 games this season – all a slight improvement over the 11 goals, 30 points, and minus-15 he posted in 78 games last year. Johansson also contributed two assists in five postseason games this year, marking his third-consecutive postseason appearance with two points – though he’s alternated appearances in and out of the playoffs.

Johansson will continue onto his 16th NHL season with this deal. He’ll also be set up to reach his 1,000th career game in Minnesota – currently sat just 17 games back from the milestone. Reaching that mark will put a pin on what’s been a tremendous career for the versatile Johansson. He was originally drafted 24th-overall in the 2009 NHL Draft, and has carried his slick skating and role-filling talents through tenures with six different clubs.

His career-year stands as the 2016-17 season, when Johansson posted 24 goals and 58 points while appearing in all 82 games of the Capitals’ season. It’s the only season he has played in every game. Johansson moved out of Washington in the following summer, and has stayed on a steady but manageable decline ever since. He’s routinely rivaled 10 goals and 30 points through each of the last eight seasons, fighting through injury and shifting lineup roles. His only return to scoring prowess came back in Washington in 2022-23. After joining the team partway through the prior season, Johansson was able to pot 28 points in 60 games before another mid-season move – but then rounded out his year with 18 points in 20 games with Minnesota, good for 46 combined points on the year.

Johansson isn’t likely to challenge those scoring heights in what could be his final season in the NHL. Instead, he’ll likely return to a middling role on the Wild’s third-line, where he’ll offer a veteran presence and shifty backup in the case of injuries.

Aleksander Barkov Wins Frank J. Selke Trophy, King Clancy Memorial Trophy

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The NHL has announced that Florida Panthers centerman Aleksander Barkov is the winner of the 2024-25 Frank J. Selke Trophy and King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The Selke Trophy is awarded annually to the forward who exhibits the best defensive acumen. The King Clancy Memorial Trophy is awarded to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off of the ice. This is the third time that Barkov has won the Selke, and the first time he has won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

Full voting results can be found here, courtesy of The Athletic’s Chris Johnston.

Barkov joins prestigious company with his third Selke win. He now sits alongside NHL stars Pavel Datsyuk, Guy Carbonneau, and Jere Lehtinen as the only players to have won the award three different times. Only two players rank above the quartet – legendary Bruins centerman Patrice Bergeron with six wins, and former Montreal Canadiens captain Bob Gainey with four wins..

Barkov’s place among greats is certainly fitting. He has built a strong reputation as a tireless worker – with the pace to win puck battles; the strength to win physical battles; and the tenacity to force opportune turnovers. Barkov posted the fourth-best xGA/60 (expected goals-against per 60-minutes) among all forwards with at least 850 minutes of ice time this season, per Evolving Hockey. Of note, no players ahead of him filled such a prominent top-end role for their club. In fact, Barkov’s 1.93 xGA/60 this season was far-and-away a career-best – trumping his previous best-mark of 1.97 set in the 2014-15 season.

It’s Barkov’s tenacity, drive, and ability to shutdown opponents that earned him both the Selke Trophy and the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. He embodied a lead-by-example style and has carried Florida to new heights as a result. The team has developed into a true modern-day dynasty, slated to appear in their third-consecutive Stanley Cup Final beginning this week. Florida lost in their first appearance, but managed to defeat the Edmonton Oilers to win the first Cup in franchise history last season. The Conn Smythe Trophy for 2024 playoff MVP controversially went to Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, though Barkov was the second-place vote on 15 of the 17 ballots.

Interestingly, the 2024-25 season will also mark the first time in Selke Trophy history that teammates will finish as the top two finalists, with winger Sam Reinhart ranking second behind Barkov. Reinhart was one of the only players to post a better xGA/60 than Barkov this season, though their marks are only separated by 0.01. Reinhart finished fourth in Selke voting last season. The pair of Panthers finish ahead of Florida compatriot and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli.

Senators Sign Tyler Kleven To Two-Year Extension

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The Ottawa Senators have signed defenseman Tyler Kleven to a two-year, $3.2MM contract extension per Chris Johnston of The Athletic. Kleven was set to become a restricted free agent this summer. The team has made the deal official.

Kleven played through his rookie season in the NHL this year. He operated from Ottawa’s third pair and managed 10 points, 27 penalty minutes, and a minus-11 through 79 games. It was a quiet year across the board, but Kleven stepped it up when the games mattered most. He recorded two assists and eight blocked shots – good for third on the team in blocks – through six playoff games. He played physical and instinctive throughout Ottawa’s First Round matchup against the Maple Leafs, and even earned a career-high 23 minutes of ice time in the Senators’ overtime win in Game 4.

The late-season flash seemed to reaffirm Kleven’s upside. Just one year into his career, he’s clearly still learning to keep up with the pace of NHL forwards. But at his best, Kleven is an effective shutdown defender who uses his stick and body to separate opponents from the puck. He’s a strong option to return to Ottawa’s third pairing next year, and could find his way up the depth chart with a hardier season. This new contract will carry Kleven through his age-25 season, and gives him a chance to earn a deal that could carry him through the bulk of his career on the other side.

Five Key Stories – 5/26/25 – 6/1/25

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The calendar has flipped to June with just two teams now having a shot at the Stanley Cup.  One of those saw a key player get injured this week which is one of the highlights in our key stories.

Islanders Re-Sign Two: Before the Islanders moved on from Lou Lamoriello as GM, he was working on signing a pair of players to extensions before their contracts were set to expire in July.  Those deals have now been finalized under new GM Mathieu Darche.  The team re-signed winger Kyle Palmieri to a two-year, $9.5MM deal and blueliner Adam Boqvist to a two-year, $1.7MM pact.  Palmieri has stayed healthy the last two seasons, chipping in with 54 goals along the way but still wound up taking a small cut in pay from the $5MM per year he had on his last deal.  As for Boqvist, he fit in well after being claimed off waivers from Florida.  Just 24, he would have been arbitration-eligible as a restricted free agent but a lock to be non-tendered with more than 240 NHL games under his belt so the two sides had to get something done in advance.

Going Under The Knife: While the Oilers are moving on to their second straight Stanley Cup Final, one key winger won’t be as Zach Hyman is out for the final round after undergoing wrist surgery.  After a breakout 54-goal effort last season, he managed just half of that total this year in 73 games but had a solid 11 points in 15 playoff outings as a key secondary scorer.  Meanwhile, the Jets won’t have their captain available to them when the 2025-26 season gets underway in October after Adam Lowry underwent hip surgery which carries a recovery period of five to six months.  Lowry had a career-high 16 goals this season before chipping in with four more in the first two rounds of the playoffs despite the injury.

New Coach In Seattle: After a long coaching search, the Kraken have found their new head coach, naming Lane Lambert to the position.  He will take the place of Dan Bylsma who only lasted one season in the role with a disappointing 76-point effort that saw them finish seventh in the Pacific Division.  This will be Lambert’s second stint running an NHL bench after coaching the Islanders for 127 games before being replaced by Patrick Roy in 2024 but he is highly experienced, working at the top level since 2011 in either an assistant or associate coaching role.  This season, he held the latter title with Toronto.  Lambert is the third coach in Seattle’s young franchise history after Dave Hakstol was in charge for the first three years.

Bridge For Foerster: The Flyers have mostly gone with bridge deals in recent years, the opposite of the general league-wide trend of signing young players to long-term pacts quickly.  They continued their strategy with their latest contract, a two-year, $7.5MM deal given to winger Tyson Foerster.  The 23-year-old has been a regular in Philadelphia for the last two seasons and had a solid sophomore year, scoring 25 goals along with 18 assists in 81 games while logging nearly 17 minutes a night of ice time.  His 43 points were good for a tie for fifth in team scoring.  While it’s clear that Foerster is viewed as a long-term puzzle piece in Philadelphia, he’ll have to wait a couple more years now before having a shot at a long-term contract.

Sabres Hire Kekalainen: It has been well known that the Sabres were looking to add some experience to their front office.  They’ve done just that after announcing the hiring of Jarmo Kekalainen as a senior advisor.  Kekalainen was the GM in Columbus for more than a decade before being let go a little more than 15 months ago.  He also has an extensive scouting background going back to his time with Ottawa and St. Louis.  The 58-year-old has held some sort of title with an NHL team for almost every year since 1995 and certainly will bring a lot of experience to a front office that doesn’t have a lot of it.

Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports.

Offseason Checklist: Montreal Canadiens

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The offseason has arrived for all but two teams now with the playoffs nearing an end.  Accordingly, it’s time to examine what they will need to accomplish over the coming months.  Next up is a look at Montreal.

After three straight seasons of being near the basement in the standings, the expectation was that the Canadiens would take a step forward in 2024-25.  Instead, they may have taken more of a jump than expected as they ultimately secured the final playoff spot in the East before losing in five to Washington in the first round.  Now, GM Kent Hughes has some work to do this summer to help his young group take another step forward next season or at least to keep them in the middle of the pack once more.

Move Price’s Contract

While it might seem odd to start this piece with a discussion of a player who hasn’t played since 2022, Carey Price has been making an impact on this group since then and his contract hasn’t helped things.  He has been on LTIR for the last three years with a knee injury that he won’t be able to return from.  The Canadiens have had to dip into using LTIR every season since then.

When the team wasn’t too worried about wins and losses as they went through the tougher early stages of their rebuild, this wasn’t too big of a deal.  They had enough flexibility to recall players when needed and although there were bonus overage penalties, it didn’t matter much.  But now they enter next season with the second-highest carryover penalty in the league at over $1.75MM per PuckPedia and it’s a number that could go higher for 2025-26 depending on bonuses reached.

If Montreal can offload Price’s contract to a team looking to just get over the spending floor as has happened in the past with long-term LTIR players, the Canadiens could go back to banking in-season cap space and eliminate the potential for a carryover penalty.  It would also increase their regular spending room from around $8MM to $18MM, giving Hughes the ability to try to add a piece or two without having to worry about triggering going into LTIR once more.

But this is one of those files that needs to be figured out early and dealt with later.  Price has a $5.5MM signing bonus due that teams are going to want the Canadiens to pay.  But unlike most bonuses which are paid on July 1st, his is owed on September 1st.  After that, he has a $2MM base salary that insurance will cover the bulk of, making a trade much more palatable at that time.

That said, in order to add when most of the free agent signings and trades are made, Montreal would need to know by then if they have a deal in place to help shape their player movement.  Basically, they’ll be looking to reach an agreement on a deal in principle and then shelve it for at least two months.  If a move is agreed on, that would make it one of the first things they do this offseason and likely their last at the same time.

Work On Hutson Extension

Last summer, Montreal worked quickly to get contract extensions done with two of its core players, signing winger Juraj Slafkovsky (eight years, $7.6MM AAV) and defenseman Kaiden Guhle (six years, $5.55MM AAV).  In doing so, they kept their internal cap intact with both players signing for less than team captain Nick Suzuki ($7.875MM AAV).  Accomplishing that with their extension-eligible core piece this summer will be trickier with defenseman Lane Hutson eligible for a new contract as of July 1st.

Hutson’s first full NHL season was certainly a strong one.  He played in all 82 games and recorded six goals and 60 assists while logging a little under 23 minutes a night of ice time.  With 66 points, he finished tied with Winnipeg’s Josh Morrissey for sixth in that category among blueliners league-wide.  In assists, he was tied with Quinn Hughes for second, only behind Cale Makar.  These are some of the top offensive blueliners in the league, players who received pretty substantial second contracts.  Meanwhile, he also led all NHL rookies in points, three ahead of Matvei Michkov and Macklin Celebrini.

There are some recent comparables to work with here.  Brock Faber (eight years, $8.5MM) and Owen Power (seven years, $8.35MM) come to mind while the second contracts to Makar (six years, $9MM) and Hughes (seven years, $7.85MM), while older, are probably worth noting as well.  The cap hit percentage of those deals ranges from 8.9% to 11%.  Knowing that the projected Upper Limit of the Salary Cap for 2026-27 is $104MM, that would approximate Hutson’s price tag between $9.256MM and $11.44MM.

Is that a price Montreal is willing to pay right now?  Would they be better waiting and seeing how things go next season?  It’s worth noting he won’t be eligible for an offer sheet which at least mitigates a bit of the risk of waiting.  Or, is Hughes able to find a lower-cost price tag that both sides are comfortable with now?

Add Second Center

Finding a reliable second-line center has been an issue for Montreal for several years now, dating back to before the current management regime.  And while Hughes has made a few attempts to solve that issue, none have managed to stick just yet.

First, Kirby Dach was brought in from Chicago with the hopes that a change of scenery could help him live up to his high draft billing.  Instead, he has dealt with significant injuries in all three years, missing more games than he has played in.  Alex Newhook was also acquired but he hasn’t been able to lock down a full-time spot down the middle yet and hasn’t produced enough to be a full-timer in the top six.  They also had Sean Monahan for a stretch but used him as a trade chip, acquiring a first-round pick to take him on and then dealt him for a first-round pick the following season.  While that was a tidy piece of business, it means that second pivot is still needed.

Internally, Jake Evans is more of a checker while prospects Oliver Kapanen and Owen Beck aren’t going to be ready to play in a top-six role next season, at least at the NHL level.  And while they have hopes that Dach can bounce back, depending on a healthy and productive season shouldn’t be their preferred option at this point; they’d be wise to try to address this externally.

The free agent market has several veterans that could fill a short-term stopgap type of role, including Matt Duchene, Mikael Granlund, John Tavares, and Claude Giroux if he doesn’t re-sign with Ottawa.  They’d undoubtedly inquire on Sam Bennett if he makes it to free agency as well.  Failing that, Hughes will have to turn to trying to fill that spot via the trade route once again.

Add Veteran Right-Shot Defenseman

David Savard wasted little time ending any speculation about his future plans when he announced before the playoffs that he’d be retiring.  That opens up one spot on Montreal’s back end to fill.  Notably, his departure means that midseason acquisition Alexandre Carrier is the only right-shot defender on their roster at the moment.  While teams can get away with having two instead of three, only having one is a little more difficult to navigate.

It’s worth noting that Montreal’s top two defensive prospects, David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux, are both right-shot players.  Mailloux saw a handful of NHL games this season while Reinbacher was injured for most of it but is playing a big role with AHL Laval in the playoffs.  It’s possible that management envisions one of them filling in Savard’s role and leaving it at that.

However, that would mean going with just two defensemen above the age of 25 to start next season.  That’s fine when you’re rebuilding but a lot riskier when you’re trying to push for a playoff spot.  Accordingly, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to find a short-term veteran who could fill a similar role to Savard while also hedging against Mailloux and Reinbacher needing more development time.  Ideally, that player would be a strong penalty killer as Savard logged more than three minutes per game shorthanded this season.

It’s not a great UFA class for right-shot, low-term veterans so this is also something they may want to look at the trade market for if they think one of Mailloux or Reinbacher will be ready soon.  Alternatively, they can go for someone on a two-year or a three-year deal and shuffle things around if and when the youngsters are ready.  Regardless of what route they take, adding at least a short-term stopgap on the right side of the back end is something they should be looking to do.

Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.

Kraken Sign Kaden Hammell To Entry-Level Contract

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With today being the signing deadline for several prospects across the NHL, the Kraken got in a signing just before the 4 PM CT deadline.  Seattle has signed defenseman Kaden Hammell to a three-year, entry-level contract, relays Curtis Crabtree of Fox 13 Seattle (Twitter link).

The 20-year-old was drafted in the fifth round back in 2023, going 148th overall.  Hammell was not a big point producer throughout the bulk of his WHL career but he saved his best performance for last.  He played in 59 regular season games with Everett this season, notching 10 goals and 28 assists before following that up with 13 points in as many outings in the playoffs which might have been enough to get this contract.

Hammell is eligible to return to junior for an overage season where he’d likely play a top role with the Silvertips.  Alternatively, Seattle could elect to start him in the minors, either with AHL Coachella Valley or ECHL Kansas City, allowing him to get a start on his professional career.  With the Kraken signing Andrei Loshko back in April, they didn’t lose the rights to any prospects at today’s deadline.

Penguins Sign Mikhail Ilyin To Entry-Level Contract

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The Penguins have reached an agreement with one of their prospects, announcing on Saturday that they signed Mikhail Ilyin to a three-year, entry-level contract.  PuckPedia reports that the agreement will carry a cap hit of $851,667.

The 20-year-old winger was a fifth-round pick by Pittsburgh in 2023, being selected 142nd overall.  At the time, he had primarily played at Russia’s MHL level but in 2023-24, that changed as he put up 12 goals and 17 assists in 64 games with KHL Severstal Cherepovets with his only MHL playing time coming in the playoffs.

This year, it was more of the same.  Ilyin played in 65 games with Severstal and while his goal total dipped to seven, he improved in the assist department as he collected 23 of those.  He played just twice in the MHL, notching four helpers.

It would be surprising if Ilyin was in the plans to play regularly in Pittsburgh in 2025-26.  It’s not often that Russian players play regularly in the AHL either at this stage of their career so it wouldn’t be surprising to see Ilyin loaned back to Cherepovets for next season.

Prospect Jackson Smith Set To Commit To Penn State

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Defensive prospect Jackson Smith, one of the top prospects heading into the NHL draft, is set to commit to Penn State, per Scott Wheeler of The Athletic. While Wheeler notes that the signing isn’t “done done,” he added that Jackson is set to visit the Nittany Lions following the draft combine, which starts this week.

Wheeler also confirmed that Smith, 18, had visited other schools before choosing the WHL route this past season, and noted that this year’s recruitment process has taken place through virtual meetings. While Smith feels Penn State could be a good fit, he may return to the WHL next season before joining Penn State in 2026-27, Wheeler adds.

With the WHL’s Tri-City Americans, Smith posted 11 goals and 54 points in games this season, showcasing his offensive upside. He added five points in seven games at the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship this spring, helping Canada to a gold medal. While Matthew Schaefer may be the consensus number one defender available in the draft, Smith may slot right behind him, with the University of Wisconsin’s Logan Hensler and fellow WHLer Radim Mrtka also in the mix. What may set Smith apart from his peers is his ability to make an impact at both ends of the ice, according to Max Bultman of The Athletic.

As Bultman notes, Smith has the size (six-foot-three, 190 pounds), skating ability, and two-way potential to make him a top-10 pick later this month. Smith’s former coach, ex-NHLer Stu Barnes, compares his style of play to that of Dallas Stars standout Thomas Harley. Said Barnes, “You try to, with these young guys, give them maybe somebody that they can look to at the next level and see what could be, and I think Thomas Harley’s a great comparison.” Barnes himself was a former lottery pick, going fourth overall in the 1989 draft to the Winnipeg Jets.

LA Kings Sign Defenseman Kirill Kirsanov To Entry-Level Deal

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The Los Angeles Kings have signed 22-year-old defenseman Kirill Kirsanov to a two-year entry-level deal, the team announced today. Kirsanov, the team’s third-round selection in the 2021 draft, spent last season split between the Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL and the Torpedo-Gorky NN in the VHL (Russia’s top developmental league). His contract will run through the 2026-27 season.

At 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, Kirsanov already has the physical traits NHL teams covet and profiles more as a prototypical defensive-minded blueliner than an offensive one. In 34 games in the KHL last season, he posted three goals and seven points to go along with eight penalty minutes and a plus-five rating. He scored seven points in 28 VHL regular season games and added five points in 19 playoff games for Torpedo-Gorky NN, who would go on to win their first VHL Championship in club history.

The Kings appear to have most of their defensive spots locked up for next season with Drew Doughty, Mikey Anderson, Joel Edmundson, Jordan Spence, and Brandt Clarke all set to return, and Kyle Burroughs and Jacob Moverare also in the mix. While Kirsanov will more than likely begin his North American career in the AHL, his development will be crucial for a team facing several question marks on the blue line in the not-too-distant future. Spence and Clarke both have one year remaining on their current contracts and are due for significant raises, while Moverare and Burroughs are also entering the final year of their deals. If Kirsanov can put all the pieces together, he could push for an NHL spot sooner rather than later.

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