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West Notes: Kaprizov, Armia, Sharks
The future of Kirill Kaprizov with the Wild beyond this season has garnered plenty of attention with the winger now extension-eligible. But nearly two months into that eligibility, no agreement has come to fruition just yet. Speaking in a recent KFAN appearance (Twitter link), GM Bill Guerin seemed confident that a deal eventually will get done:
We’ve been talking all summer. Things are good. Things are in a good spot. I’m comfortable with where everything is. I’m confident. Kirill loves Minnesota. I know he loves Minnesota. I know he believes in the team. These things just take time.
When healthy, Kaprizov has been one of the top-scoring wingers in the NHL. He’s reached the 40-goal mark three times in his five-year career and was producing at a 50-goal pace last year before he ultimately missed half the season due to injuries. The Wild’s top priority this summer was trying to get a new deal in place for him, we’ll see soon enough if they’re able to get something across the finish line with training camps now just a few weeks away.
More from the Western Conference:
- As part of their July 1st spending spree, the Kings added winger Joel Armia on a two-year, $5MM contract. Zach Dooley of LA Kings Insider wonders if the 32-year-old might wind up as their best value signing. It’s expected that he’ll line up on the fourth line at even strength which means his playing time and production might drop from a year ago (14:18 and 29 points) but his ability to kill penalties should take some of the pressure off their top-line penalty killers from a year ago, freeing them up to focus a bit more on their offense.
- Earlier this month, the Sharks and the City of San Jose reached a tentative agreement on a plan that would see their arena undergo a seven-year upgrade with the team committing to stay through 2050-51, pending ratification from City Council. Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News relays that the approval was made official earlier this week, ensuring that the team won’t be going anywhere for a long time.
Nick Jensen Ahead Of Schedule In Recovery From Hip Surgery
When Senators defenseman Nick Jensen underwent hip surgery after Ottawa’s playoff appearance, it was unclear how long he’d be out for. While a firm timeline remains unknown, Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the blueliner’s recovery appears to be ahead of schedule.
Back in May when he had the procedure, GM Steve Staios stated his intent “to address the club’s defence after learning the extent of Jensen’s ailment.” That was a clear suggestion that the initial assessment would be that he’d miss some time at the start of the upcoming season. He indeed addressed the right side of their back end at the draft with the acquisition of right-shot blueliner Jordan Spence from Los Angeles, shoring up their depth on Jensen’s side of the ice.
Jensen’s first season with the Senators was solid despite the fact he played through the injury in the second half of the year as well as the playoffs. Acquired as part of the return for Jakob Chychrun last July, he got into 71 games during the regular season, picking up 21 points while logging over 20 minutes per contest for only the second time in his nine-year career. He was held off the scoresheet in their six playoff outings against Toronto while averaging a little less than 21 minutes per contest.
Suffice it to say, Jensen is a key part of Ottawa’s top four on the back end while the upcoming season is also notable for him as he’s in the final year of his contract that carries an AAV of $4.05MM. He’ll be wanting to demonstrate that he’s fully recovered and worthy of a new agreement that could push past the $5MM mark but as Garrioch notes, hip surgeries generally carry a recovery time of four to six months. If things went absolutely perfectly, he could be ready by the end of training camp but given Jensen’s importance to the team, erring on the side of caution and not rushing him back might make the most sense in the long run, even if he is ahead of schedule in his recovery.
Minor Transactions: 8/30/25
With international and junior leagues starting to get their preseasons underway, there have been a lot of minor moves in recent days. Here’s a rundown of those with some NHL ties.
- Capitals prospect Miroslav Satan has changed teams as OHL Saginaw recently announced that they’ve signed him for the upcoming season. The 19-year-old forward was a seventh-round pick by Washington in 2024, going 204th overall but struggled considerably at the USHL level last season in his first taste of playing in North America. In 45 games combined between Sioux Falls and Omaha, Satan managed just three goals and one assist while he also suited up in three games for the Slovaks at the World Juniors. Washington has until June 1st, 2028, to sign him so there’s still lots of time for Satan to turn things around; he’ll hope a different league will help make that happen.
- After spending the last decade in Tampa Bay’s organization (primarily in the minors), UFA winger/defenseman Daniel Walcott announced (Twitter link) that he will not be returning to Syracuse. The 31-year-old played in 494 games for the Crunch over 10 seasons while also getting into one game with the Lightning. The AHL has a restriction on how many veterans a team can dress and that is likely playing a role in Walcott not returning for an 11th year with the team.
- While the Sabres non-tendered forward Bennett MacArthur in June, he’ll technically remain affiliated with the organization as their ECHL affiliate in Jacksonville announced that they’ve signed him to a one-year deal. The 24-year-old split last season between the ECHL affiliates of Pittsburgh and Buffalo, notching 10 goals and 20 assists in 64 games.
- Meanwhile, another non-tendered Sabres UFA this summer has also secured a place to play for the upcoming year as Dynamo Moscow of the KHL announced that winger Alexander Kisakov’s tryout was successful and that he has been given a one-year deal. The 22-year-old was a second-round pick in 2021 but struggled in the AHL, notching just 25 points in 93 games over the course of his three-year, entry-level contract.
Zach Hyman Unsure He’ll Be Ready To Start The Season
Back in late May, Oilers winger Zach Hyman suffered a dislocated wrist in the Western Conference Final, resulting in surgery that kept him out for the rest of their playoff run. The veteran told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen that while his recovery is on track, he’s unsure if he’ll be cleared by the time the regular season gets underway in early October.
Unlike 2019, when he was working his way back from a knee issue, Hyman has been able to skate regularly but still needs a brace on his wrist. His ability to build up strength on that wrist will go a long way toward determining if he’ll be cleared for opening night. He has one more meeting scheduled with the surgeon as well.
In 2023-24, Hyman surprised many with a 54-goal season after reaching the 30-goal plateau for just the first time in his career the year before. That meant expectations for him were quite high heading into last season. However, he wasn’t able to produce anywhere near that level. In 73 games, he notched 27 goals (still tied for the third-best mark in his career) along with 17 assists and produced at a somewhat similar clip in the playoffs before the injury, tallying six goals and five helpers in 15 contests.
As things stand, Edmonton projects to have less than $226K of cap space heading into the season, per PuckPedia. That doesn’t give them much in the way of wiggle room for injury insurance if Hyman isn’t available to start the season; the minimum salary is $775K. Meanwhile, for Hyman to become LTIR-eligible (which would open up some short-term flexibility), he’d have to miss at least the first 10 games and 24 days of the season and at this point, there’s no guarantee he’d need to miss that much time if he’s not available on opening night. Accordingly, Hyman’s availability (or lack thereof) will be one of the key storylines heading into training camp next month for the Oilers.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Dallas Stars
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 Stars.
Dallas Stars
Current Cap Hit: $95,094,916 (below the $95.5MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
D Lian Bichsel (two years, $918K)
Potential Bonuses
Bichsel: $500K
Bichsel split time between Dallas and AHL Texas last season before being a regular for them in the playoffs, albeit with limited playing time. He should crack the roster on a full-time basis this year but still in a third-pairing role, which doesn’t bode well for reaching his bonuses. Given their longer-term cap situation which we’ll get into as we go along, it would be surprising if his next deal isn’t a short-term bridge contract, likely around the $2MM range.
Signed Through 2025-26, Non-Entry-Level
F Nathan Bastian ($775K, UFA)
F Jamie Benn ($1MM, UFA)
F Mavrik Bourque ($950K, RFA)
D Thomas Harley ($4MM, RFA)
D Nils Lundkvist ($1.25MM, UFA)
D Alexander Petrovic ($775K, UFA)
F Jason Robertson ($7.75MM, RFA)
Potential Bonuses
Benn: $3MM
Robertson’s situation has garnered plenty of attention with his name coming up in trade speculation. He’s averaging over a point per game for his career and has notched at least 79 points in four straight seasons. That’s top-line numbers and he’ll be looking for top-line money next summer which should push his cap charge well past the $10MM mark. Notably, his qualifying offer is $9.3MM with salary arbitration rights. Benn re-signed this bonus-laden deal to allow Dallas to keep cap-compliant this season, one that is team-friendly even with the bonuses. $2MM of that is games-played based while the other $1MM is based on team playoff success. If he wants to remain with the Stars beyond this season, it’s probably going to be on a similarly structured agreement.
Bourque was a speculative offer sheet candidate this summer but agreed to this deal before the draft to take that off the table. Had he tested restricted free agency, he’d have landed more than this but the one-year term sets him up for arbitration eligibility and a shot to triple this or more next summer if all goes well. Bastian was a recent signing from the Devils and has been a physical fourth liner throughout his career but his offensive production has largely been limited. That should keep him around the minimum salary barring a big jump in output.
While Robertson’s case has garnered the majority of the attention for next year’s free agency, Harley’s is arguably just as significant. He showed last season that his 2023-24 breakout effort was no fluke, taking on an even bigger role and being just as productive. He is now a legitimate top-pairing player. As a result, this could be a situation where his pay increase next summer is higher than what Robertson’s is going to be. Noah Dobson’s eight-year, $9.5MM AAV contract signed this summer looms large as a viable comparable while ticking past $10MM per season is a real possibility as well. Notably, he’s not UFA-eligible until 2029 so one option that could be considered is another two-year bridge deal more in the $7MM range which could allow their reported desire to work within an internal cap to happen. That would buy them a bit of short-term flexibility at a time when cap space is going to be tight so GM while Jim Nill likely doesn’t prefer to go that way, he might have to.
Lundkvist looked to be heading toward a non-tender to duck arbitration rights for the second straight year before signing this contract for the same amount he made last season. Between some struggles and injuries, 2024-25 was largely a write-off so he’s getting near the point of either needing to take that step forward or understanding that he might not be more than the depth player he currently is. Petrovic spent most of last season in the minors before playing in most of the playoffs in Dallas which should give him a leg up for a full-time spot to start this year. Even so, his track record has only been that of a depth defender thus far and at 33, that’s unlikely to change. He should stay around the minimum salary moving forward although a full year in the NHL could flip his next deal to a one-way pact.
Signed Through 2026-27
F Oskar Back ($825K, UFA)
F Colin Blackwell ($775K, UFA)
G Casey DeSmith ($1MM, UFA)
D Ilya Lyubushkin ($3.25MM, UFA)
F Tyler Seguin ($9.85MM, UFA)
F Sam Steel ($2.1MM, UFA)
A hip issue sidelined Seguin for most of last season although he was a little over a point per game in his limited action. However, he has generally been more in the 50-point range in recent years and this price tag for that type of production isn’t great. He’ll be 35 when his next deal starts and while a multi-year pact should still be doable then, it’s going to come with a multi-million-dollar drop in AAV. Steel inked this deal back before the trade deadline in the midst of his fourth straight season with at least 20 points. Between that and his ability to kill penalties, he should be able to provide decent value on this contract but unless his point production starts to go up, he might not be able to go too much higher than this.
Back had a decent rookie year, getting into 73 games while holding his own in a bottom-six role to secure this deal at a rate that will be below the minimum salary next season. Assuming he remains a regular in this type of role for them, this should work out just fine while Back should be able to push more into the $1.25MM range on his next deal. Blackwell fit in nicely in a depth role last season, earning this new contract along the way. While he had a couple of years in the past with a seven-figure salary, he’s someone who should be staying around the minimum salary on any future contracts.
Lyubushkin was brought in to bring some physicality to the back and stabilize the bottom pairing. He was able to do that for the most part although this contract is on the higher side for that type of role which led to some speculation about his future when they needed to open up cap space. It would be surprising to see him beat this by any significant amount two years from now but another contract in this price range might be doable.
DeSmith is certainly at the lower end of the salary scale for backup goalies as he opted for stability and a winning environment over trying to get the highest price tag. He certainly had a solid first year with numbers that should have him toward the higher end of the backup scale (more in the $3.5MM territory). He’ll be 36 when this deal expires so it’s unlikely that he’ll find a contract in that range but value-wise, he should double this if he looks for top dollar next time out.
Signed Through 2027-28
F Radek Faksa ($2MM, UFA)
Faksa returns after a one-year stint in St. Louis after Dallas needed to clear his contract last summer. While he showed some offensive upside early in his career, he has settled into more of a pure checking role in recent seasons. Between his penalty killing utility and his faceoff skills, he should be able to provide a good return on this contract, even with the points remaining hard to come by. But unless his production improves, he likely won’t command much more than this moving forward.
Kiefer Sherwood Changes Agents
After a breakout showing last season, Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood is one of the more intriguing under-the-radar potential 2026 unrestricted free agents. Whenever Vancouver talks about an extension with him, however, they’ll now be dealing with a new agent. Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Sherwood has changed agencies and is now represented by Wasserman after RSG Hockey handled the deal that landed him with the Canucks last summer.
After being more of a role player in Nashville in the first few seasons of his career, the 30-year-old became a regular for the first time in 2023-24 with the Predators. That season, he put up 10 goals, 17 assists, and 234 hits which made him an interesting target heading into free agency. As a result, he was able to land a two-year, $3MM contract Vancouver despite his limited track record.
But it turns out that he had another gear to get to. Last season, Sherwood beat those personal bests from the year before, tallying 19 goals, 21 assists, and a whopping 462 hits, the latter number representing an NHL record since the stat started officially being tracked in 2007-08. Notably, his playing time jumped to a little under 15 minutes per night. Instead of being the fourth liner he had been earlier, he was now regularly playing in Vancouver’s middle six.
That has Sherwood well-positioned to earn a fair-sized raise on his next contract. AFP Analytics projected a three-year deal worth around $2.75MM earlier this summer if he were to sign an extension now while another performance like this next season could push the asking price closer to the $4MM mark next summer.
It’s unknown if discussions have already started between the Canucks and Sherwood with this agent change being a move to try to get discussions rekindled or if it’s just planning ahead for talks later on. Either way, Sherwood is going to be heading for a nice raise between now and next summer with a new representative involved in those talks.
Wild Could Reach $16MM Per Year On Kirill Kaprizov Extension
All signs point towards Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid breaking the NHL’s record for richest contract when he signs his next contract. The Minnesota Wild will be the only team to give Edmonton a run for their money, as they entertain signing superstar winger Kirill Kaprizov to his own contract extension. In their effort to lock up a player capable of 50-goal and 60-assist seasons, Minnesota could end up paying as much as $16MM per season, per Michael Russo of The Athletic on his ‘Worst Seats In The House’ podcast. Russo and co-host Anthony LaPanta agreed that Kaprizov will likely get the contract, and bonus structure, of his choosing so long as the deal is at least five years long.
On the surface, Kaprizov’s stat line is hard to compare to the league’s top echelon. His career-high in scoring sits at 108 points – split between 47 goals and 61 assists in 81 games of the 2021-22 season. He has continued to rival more than 45 goals and 100-point scoring pace over the last three seasons, but has missed routine ice time to a string of injuries. His 2024-25 campaign was cut in half by a lower-body injury that required surgery in January. He finished the year with 25 goals and 56 points – marks that would have put him on pace for a career-high 50 goals and 112 points over a full year.
Had Kaprizov reached those scoring heights this season, he would have become just the 6th player since 2000 to record at least 50 goals and 60 assists in one season. That feat would have put him in company with elite peers, including McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Nathan MacKinnon – who have each held the title of highest-paid player at some point in their career. It’s that projection that Minnesota will lean on when negotiating with Kaprizov. There’s simply no arguing his prowess when at full health. Few NHL wingers command play on both ends of the ice quite like Kaprizov, and there’s no doubt that his presence alone is enough to swing Minnesota’s moneyline. Across his 319-game career, Kaprizov has averaged 48 goals and 99 points per 82 games played.
Even with an undeniable superstar ability, it will be tough for Minnesota to award Kaprizov a deal that takes him to age-35 or 36 after missing 63 games over the last three seasons combined – even if he has averaged 102-points per-82 games over those seasons. Minnesota will be stuck between wanting to pave way for their star to stick around, and not biting off more than they can chew. Minnesota will also need to negotiate a new deal with starting goaltender Filip Gustavsson before next summer. Gustavsson could reel in as much as $6.5MM, and has already expressed interest in signing an extension.
The culmination of multiple top contracts set to expire will make Wild general manager Bill Guerin one to watch closely over the next few months. Minnesota is in a stable spot under Guerin’s guide – with a roster that’s seemingly set to stick together for years to come. But the team hasn’t made it past the first round of the postseason since 2015. Kaprizov is a premier talent, and the Wild could face another wrinkle in negotiations should he speculate about the team’s long-term Stanley Cup odds. Young, high-upside forwards like Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi – and a season of good health for both Kaprizov and the Wild as a whole – could go far in convincing the Russian phenom to lock up a career in Minnesota.
Photo courtesy of Nick Wosika-Imagn Images.
Poll: Who Is The Early Favorite To Win The 2026 Calder Trophy?
The hockey world was treated to a true gift by the race for the 2025 Calder Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s top rookie. The class lived up to years of expectations, headlined by Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson tying Larry Murphy for the most assists by a rookie defender. He took home the Calder ahead of San Jose Sharks top center Macklin Celebrini and Calgary Flames starting goaltender Dustin Wolf – who both managed star-studded and historic performances of their own. The heap of talent left players who could have won the trophy outright in seemingly any other year – options like 26-goal-scorer Matvei Michkov. A rookie class so strong will be impossible to follow up, but the group in 2025-26 seem to have a great chance to come close.
Early predictions will have the Calder Trophy staying put through in 2026. The Canadiens are set to award star rookie Ivan Demidov with his first NHL season, after he led KHL super-club SKA St. Petersburg with in scoring with 49 points in 62 games last season. He was a sheer force at Russia’s top level, showing a pace, strength, and finesse that was unmatched by his competition. Demidov finished the year with five points in six Gagarin Cup Playoff matchups, before scoring four points in his first seven games with Montreal.
Demidov is now set to assume a key role in the Canadiens’ lineup. It’s hard to imagine he won’t play true top-line minutes. He offers the in-tight skill and low-zone grit to perfectly complement spot-shooter Cole Caufield and playmaking, two-way center Nick Suzuki. The stars will be Demidov’s ceiling if he gets a full year to such talented players. He nearly recorded a 20-30-50 season in the KHL – a league often lauded as near-equal to the NHL. That standing could set him up for 60, or even 70, points in his first year with Montreal.
It will be a tight race to catch up to, and overcome, Demidov. A slew of star collegiate players signed their entry-level contracts at the end of the season, and could easily be set for major minutes of their own. Sam Rinzel fills a need for right-shot defense for the Blackhawks and Oliver Moore seemed to bring his slick-passing to Chicago, Gabe Perreault looked like a strong utility player with the New York Rangers, and Ryan Leonard showed an ability to match the Washington Capitals’ pace.
And yet, all four could be outdone by Minnesota Wild defenseman Zeev Buium, who managed an impressive 98 points in 83 games at the University of Denver. He appeared in four Stanley Cup Playoff games, but only managed one assist. Also atop the defense charts is top KHL defender Alexander Nikishin, who ended a stalemate when he finally joined the Carolina Hurricanes for the playoffs. Nikishin ranked second on SKA St. Petersburg with 46 points in 61 games, and matched Buium’s postseason statline.
Even still, the OHL could emerge. Sam Dickinson served as the star of the 2025 Memorial Cup-winning London Knights, and seems well-primed for a big role with the desolate San Jose Sharks. He could be joined by the reigning ‘OHL Player of the Year’ Michael Misa, who managed an incredible 62 goals and 134 points in 65 OHL games last season. Misa was drafted second in this year’s class, with New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer the only selection before him. The smooth-moving, sharp-eyed Schaefer could be another Calder candidate, though he hasn’t played a season-game since sustaining a broken collarbone during the World Junior Championships last December.
It will be hard for any player to rival the record-breaking heights that Hutson reached last season, but the list of candidates looking to follow him up seems endless. Any one of the aforementioned players could find their way into a star role, or the award could go to someone entirely different – like 2025 Hobey Baker Award-winner and Edmonton Oilers winger Isaac Howard.
With so much talent on the board, who do you think will win the 2026 Calder Trophy? If you choose ‘Other’, comment your pick below!
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Islanders’ Daniil Prokhorov Signs In KHL
Much has been made this summer of the New York Islanders’ selections in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft, but one of their picks from the second round is on the move today. According to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, forward prospect Daniil Prokhorov has signed a two-year, two-way deal with the KHL’s Dynamo Moskva.
Prokhorov has spent the last two years playing for MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg in the MHL, which led to his selection with the 42nd overall pick in this summer’s draft. Over that time, he scored 27 goals and 43 points in 79 games, with most of his goals coming from being an impressive net-front presence.
Due to the structure of his new deal in Russia, Prokhorov will likely spend a significant amount of time in the VHL rather than the KHL, which is the top-affiliated league in Russia. He has the goal-scoring ability to make an impact in the KHL, though his 6’6″, 218lbs frame understandably limits his mobility on the ice, and his foot speed is not up to par with the nation’s top level.
Still, he was arguably one of the best-hitting forwards available in June’s draft. His playstyle has been described as “violent” by many scouts, and he uses his entire frame to level opposing players. The Islanders hope he will be ready to play in North America after his two-year deal expires following the 2026-27 KHL season, helping to develop him into one of the most physically imposing power forwards in the league.