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Stars Confident Thomas Harley Will Re-Sign Soon

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The Dallas Stars are still mulling over contract details with defenseman Thomas Harley, the team’s final restricted free agent. Stars general manager Jim Nill isn’t fazed by negotiations carrying into August, sharing with Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News that he’s confident talks will ramp up soon and Harley will re-sign. Nill added, “We’re having healthy communication. We’re having talks… We’re going to get him signed. I’m not too concerned.”

Harley will be signing the first real contract of his NHL career, after doing more than enough to earn an NHL role on his three-year entry-level contract. Dallas selected Harley 18th overall in the 2019 NHL Draft and signed him to his first pro deal just three months later. He returned to the Mississauga Steelheads following the draft but found his way into an unexpected NHL debut during the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, after joining Dallas’ taxi squad following the end of Mississauga’s season. Harley went without a point in the debut but impressively kept up with a high-tempo Colorado Avalanche offense. He spent the next three seasons finding his footing, and then a top-line role, with the AHL’s Texas Stars – though a pair of extended recalls in 2022 allowed him to play out his rookie NHL season, marked by one goal and four points in 34 games.

The Stars were patient with Harley’s development, keeping him in the minor leagues through 131 games despite promising production to the tune of 70 points. But the long wait paid off, and Harley exploded in his first full NHL season this year. The 22-year-old defenseman managed 47 points in 79 games – just seven points back from Miro Heiskanen, who led the Stars defense in scoring. What’s more, Harley’s 15 goals were the most from a Stars defender since Trevor Daley in 2015. Harley managed the impressive scoring while averaging 21 minutes of ice time every night, serving as the haymaker behind Heiskanen in Dallas’ lineup.

That breakout performance is likely what makes Harley difficult to extend. He entered this season with just 40 NHL games, and six points, under his belt – then joined the heights of players like Noah Dobson, Zach Werenski, and Justin Faulk with his U23 scoring. Both Dobson and Faulk continued on bridge deals, with cap hits around $5MM, after their breakout years, though they both had longer stints in the NHL than Harley’s been afforded. The lack of NHL games played could hold Harley back from the $5MM mark, though a bridge deal would give him a chance to prove his worth next season.

It’s hard to deny that Harley is set for a long and fruitful career – especially granted his cushy role behind Heiskanen. Dallas will have to put a figure to their confidence in the young defender in the next few weeks. If, and presumably when, he finally re-signs – Harley will return to a Stars lineup that looks like it could be dangerous for years to come, on the back of incredibly talented young stars like himself.

Michael Vukojevic Signs In Finland

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After being non-tendered by the Devils earlier this summer, defenseman Michael Vukojevic has landed a one-year deal in Finland with Pelicans, per a team announcement. The contract comes with a second-year option.

Vukojevic was a third-round pick of the Devils in 2019 and turned pro early, beginning his career with the Devils’ AHL affiliate (then in Binghamton) in 2020-21 with the Ontario Hockey League pausing operations due to COVID-19. His pro career began in earnest when he signed his entry-level contract in March 2021, and he’s spent most of the past three seasons suiting up with New Jersey’s new affiliate in Utica. He never got an NHL call-up and didn’t establish himself as an AHL mainstay either, posting 10 points, 32 PIMs, and a -10 rating in 49 games last season.

The 6’3″, 216-lb left-shot defenseman now heads overseas, but at 23 years old, there’s still enough runway left in his development to attempt an NHL return somewhere down the line. He’s the second defender that Pelicans have plucked out of the AHL in the last two days, joining former Blackhawk Wyatt Kalynuk.

In 166 with the Devils’ affiliates in Binghamton and Utica over the last four seasons, Vukojevic totaled nine goals, 32 assists, 41 points, 116 PIMs, and a -10 rating. He also appeared in four games for the ECHL’s Adirondack Thunder, New Jersey’s low-level affiliate, in 2021-22.

Snapshots: Bourque, Ohgren, Hurlbert

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It’s becoming abundantly clear that Mavrik Bourque will be on the Stars’ opening night roster after being crowned the AHL’s Most Valuable Player last season.

The 22-year-old center is “ready for the NHL,” and it’s his “turn to start grabbing it,” Dallas general manager Jim Nill told NHL.com’s Tracey Myers. Bourque, a late first-round pick by Dallas in 2020, exploded to lead the AHL with 77 points (26 G, 51 A) in 71 games last season with the Texas Stars. It was just his second professional campaign after completing his final season of junior hockey with the QMJHL’s Shawinigan Cataractes in 2022, where he won a league championship and was crowned playoff MVP.

Bourque has just one regular-season NHL game under his belt, going without a point in 10:56 of ice time against the Blackhawks on April 6 last season. But he’ll likely get a crack in a top-nine role come opening night as the team attempts to replace veteran Joe Pavelski, who confirmed his retirement last month, by committee. The Stars hope Bourque will be the latest in a string of prospects that become impact players immediately upon landing NHL minutes, following Wyatt Johnston and the recent graduation of Logan Stankoven to a full-time role.

More notes from around the league:

  • Sticking in the Central, the Wild find themselves in a similar spot with recent first-round pick Liam Ohgren, who feels he’s ready to land a spot on the roster out of training camp. “I’m here to take a spot,” he said to NHL.com’s Jessi Pierce. “I want to play in the NHL next year. Not only that, I want to make an impact so we can go on and win a Stanley Cup. That’s my main goal.” Ohgren, the 19th overall selection of the 2022 draft, signed his entry-level contract a while back but only arrived from his native Sweden near the end of last season. He played four games for the Wild down the stretch, scoring a goal and an assist while averaging 14:31 per game. It’s important for the cap-strapped Wild to get value out of players on entry-level contracts, something they could do this season by sticking Ohgren in a top-nine role.
  • It’s already time to start looking at some top names for the 2026 NHL Draft. One of the early top targets is 16-year-old forward JP Hurlbert, who announced on his Instagram today that he’s committed to Michigan. Hurlbert will spend the next two seasons in the U.S. National Team Development Program before heading to the Wolverines as a freshman in 2026-27. The Allen, Texas native has lit up the youth ranks with the Stars’ youth club, recording 76 points (40 G, 36 A) in 45 games with their U-16 squad last season.

Avalanche Sign Matthew Phillips To Two-Way Deal

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 The Avalanche have signed forward Matthew Phillips to a one-year contract, the team announced. PuckPedia reports it’s a two-way deal worth $775K in the NHL and $287.5K in the AHL.

Phillips, a diminutive 5’8″ winger who spent his junior days with the Western Hockey League’s Victoria Royals, was a sixth-round pick of the Flames in 2016. He signed his entry-level contract and turned pro with their AHL affiliate in Stockton two years later, quickly becoming one of the minor league’s top offensive players. In parts of five seasons with the Flames’ affiliates in Stockton and Calgary, Phillips totaled 237 points (103 G, 134 A) in 265 games. He was named to the league’s First All-Star Team in 2022-23, his final year in the organization, after leading the team in scoring with 76 points (36 G, 40 A) in 66 games.

But despite that strong production, Phillips never got much of an NHL chance in Calgary. He made only three big-league appearances spread over the 2020-21 and 2022-23 seasons, going without a point and averaging 10:48 per game. As such, he departed the organization in the summer of 2023 as a Group VI UFA, signing a one-year, one-way deal with the Capitals.

Phillips made Washington’s opening night roster and got an extended chance to produce, but he wasn’t up to the task. He was placed on waivers mid-season and was claimed by the Penguins, but only lasted a few weeks in Pittsburgh before being waived again and re-claimed by Washington. Overall, he managed just one goal in five points in 31 games between the Caps and Pens last year.

He also wasn’t the same player he was with Calgary in his brief time suiting up for the Capitals’ AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Phillips did have six points in nine regular season games, but he went without a point and posted a -3 rating in six playoff games for this year’s Calder Cup champions. The 26-year-old became a Group VI UFA again this summer and wasn’t retained by Washington.

Phillips now looks to rediscover his offensive touch in Colorado, whether with the NHL club in Denver or the AHL club in Loveland. At worst, he’s a potential high-ceiling offensive option to stash in the minors with 34 games of NHL experience to use as a fourth-line call-up in a pinch.

Traded First-Round Picks For 2025 NHL Draft

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Last updated 8/26/24, 8:25 a.m.

The 2025 NHL Draft may still be nearly a year away, but multiple teams have already traded away their first-round picks, and even more will change hands before the March 6, 2025 trade deadline.

This article will be used to monitor each team’s 2025 first-round pick, updating it as necessary throughout the year.

We’ve listed all 32 teams here, so even if a team hasn’t traded its first-round pick, that will be noted. We’ll also provide details on the protections for each traded pick, including what happens to the pick in 2026 if it doesn’t change hands in 2025.

Here’s the full breakdown of the status of each 2025 first-round pick:

Atlantic

  • Boston Bruins: Own pick.
  • Buffalo Sabres: Own pick.
  • Detroit Red Wings: Own pick.
  • Florida Panthers: Traded to Flames or Canadiens (top-10 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Panthers would owe the Flames their 2026 first-round pick (unprotected). 
    • Flames/Panthers details are outlined below.
  • Montreal Canadiens: Own pick.
  • Ottawa Senators: Own pick.
  • Tampa Bay Lightning: Traded to Predators (top-10 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Lightning would owe the Predators their 2026 first-round pick (unprotected).
  • Toronto Maple Leafs: Traded to Blackhawks (top-10 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Maple Leafs would owe the Blackhawks their 2026 first-round pick (unprotected).

Metropolitan

  • Carolina Hurricanes: Own pick.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets: Own pick.
  • New Jersey Devils: Traded to Flames (top-10 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Devils would owe the Flames their 2026 first-round pick (unprotected).
  • New York Islanders: Own pick.
  • New York Rangers: Own pick.
  • Philadelphia Flyers: Own pick.
  • Pittsburgh Penguins: Own pick.
  • Washington Capitals: Own pick.

Central

  • Chicago Blackhawks: Own pick.
  • Colorado Avalanche: Traded to Flyers (top-10 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Avalanche would owe the Flyers their 2026 first-round pick (unprotected).
  • Dallas Stars: Own pick.
  • Minnesota Wild: Own pick.
  • Nashville Predators: Own pick.
  • St. Louis Blues: Own pick.
  • Utah Hockey Club: Own pick.
  • Winnipeg Jets: Own pick.

Pacific

  • Anaheim Ducks: Own pick.
  • Calgary Flames: Traded to Canadiens or own pick.
    • Flames/Canadiens details are outlined below.
  • Edmonton Oilers: Traded to Flyers (top-12 protected).
    • If this pick lands in its protected range, the Oilers would owe the Flyers their 2026 first-round pick (unprotected).
  • Los Angeles Kings: Own pick.
  • San Jose Sharks: Own pick or traded to Predators.
    • Details are outlined under the Golden Knights’ pick.
  • Seattle Kraken: Own pick.
  • Vancouver Canucks: Own pick.
  • Vegas Golden Knights: Traded to Predators or Sharks. (unprotected).
    • This pick was initially traded to the Sharks without protection. The Sharks later dealt this pick to the Predators, but San Jose can opt to retain Vegas’ pick and send their own 2025 first-rounder to Nashville if Vegas’ pick falls inside the top 10.

Details on Flames’ picks:

Remember all those complex conditions attached to the first-round pick the Flames sent to the Canadiens to take on the final season of Sean Monahan’s contract in 2022? Those will come back to bite draft-watchers this season. A full explanation of all the possible conditions can be found in this write-up from two years ago, but we’ll outline them briefly here.

In 2025, the Flames control three first-rounders:

  • Their own.
  • The Panthers’ first-round pick (top-10 protected).
  • The Devils’ first-round pick (top-10 protected).

Luckily for those trying to parse through the conditions of the trade, the Devils’ pick, which Calgary acquired in this offseason’s Jacob Markstrom trade, isn’t a factor here.

At the time of the Monahan deal, there were three possible scenarios to determine which first-round pick the Habs would receive. One of them can already be crossed off, as it involved the Canadiens opting to receive Calgary’s 2024 first-rounder if it fell between 20th and 32nd overall. It didn’t, so we moved on to the other scenarios.

With Calgary likely to be a bottom-feeder this season and Florida coming off a Stanley Cup championship, the most likely scenario is that the Flames’ first-rounder falls inside the top 10 and the Panthers’ does not. In that case, the Canadiens will receive Florida’s pick. The opposite would be true if the situation was reversed. If neither pick falls in the top 10, the Canadiens will receive the better of the two picks.

The write-up linked above details the third scenario, which involves both picks falling inside the top 10.

Information from PuckPedia was used in the creation of this post.

Blue Jackets Nearing Deal With Cole Sillinger

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The Blue Jackets are close to handling business with RFA forward Cole Sillinger. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports Columbus and Sillinger are within “striking distance” on a two-year contract.

Sillinger has been a staple on Columbus’ roster for the past three seasons after going 12th overall in the 2021 draft. The 6’1″ pivot’s 220 career appearances lead the class.

With his three-year entry-level contract going into effect immediately upon his post-draft season, this was the first summer that anyone selected in 2021 could have been eligible for restricted free agency. Other 2021 draft class RFAs this summer were Columbus’ Kent Johnson, who went seven picks ahead of Sillinger, and Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser. Kraken pivot Matthew Beniers, who went second overall, is also an RFA this summer and remains without a deal.

Last season, Sillinger seemed to get himself back on track after a major sophomore slump that saw him demoted to AHL Cleveland for a brief period. The 21-year-old set career-highs with 19 assists, 32 points and a -4 rating while averaging 16:07 across 77 games.

It was an important step to show that Sillinger likely still has a top-six ceiling, although his poor showing in the faceoff dot and middling possession metrics to date suggest he may be better served as a winger. Among Blue Jackets who took at least 100 faceoffs last season, Sillinger’s 46.3 FO% ranked fifth.

While he hasn’t established himself as a bonafide core piece for the Jackets yet, he is working his way into the conversation as a valuable role player at a young age. His 74 blocked shots tied captain Boone Jenner for the most among Columbus forwards in 2023-24, and his 119 hits ranked fourth on the team, as did his 157 shots on goal. His possession metrics trended in the right direction, too, yielding career-highs of 48.4 CF% and 46.6 xGF% at even strength.

Sillinger, who was born in Columbus while his father, Mike Sillinger, was playing for the Blue Jackets, would be an RFA upon expiry of a two-year contract. He’d only be 23 years old in the 2026 offseason and well-positioned to cash in on a long-term deal if he takes a significant step in his development.

The Canadian national will be part of a continued youth movement in Columbus this fall with a forward group that also includes the aforementioned Johnson, Yegor Chinakhov, Adam Fantilli, Kirill Marchenko, and Dmitri Voronkov.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Poll: What Will Crosby’s Next Contract Look Like?

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Although the Pittsburgh Penguins have experienced major disappointment over the last two years by failing to make the Stanley Cup playoffs, nobody is blaming Sidney Crosby. He has arguably been one of the more underrated players over the last couple of seasons by securing back-to-back 90+ point totals without having much of a supporting cast.

By nearly willing his team to the playoffs and being the organization’s lifeblood, one of the major talking points surrounding the Penguins is Crosby’s upcoming extension. There was some speculation that Crosby would sign yesterday on his birthday but ultimately that never came to fruition.

He’s surely set to increase his $8.7MM salary from the last 11 years but how much higher will he go? Will he look to get the money he has earned or take a hometown discount so that Pittsburgh has the flexibility to upgrade the players around him?

Evolving Hockey currently projects Crosby to land a three-year extension worth an AAV of $10.8MM. Given his inherent value to the organization, Crosby should easily be able to land a similar salary if not more. Given that his longevity in the league is becoming more and more apparent with each passing year, Crosby could reasonably ask for a five-year, $60MM contract from the only team he’s ever played for.

Nevertheless, regardless of what he has earned, the main question still stands. Will Crosby look for a high-salary deal to get the payday he has earned for so many years, or take another hometown discount so the Penguins are better set up for success?

What Will Crosby's Next Contract Look Like?
$8MM-$10MM 63.65% (653 votes)
$10MM-$12MM 30.21% (310 votes)
$12MM-$14MM 6.14% (63 votes)
Total Votes: 1,026

Winnipeg Hoping To Get More From Younger Players

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While at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in Edmonton, Alberta earlier today, the general manager of the Winnipeg Jets, Kevin Cheveldayoff spoke very candidly about the younger players on the roster (Article Link). According to TSN, Cheveldayoff said, “The ball’s in their court. If you’re a young player in our organization right now, it’s all in front of you, there for the taking“.

The only GM in team history wasn’t speaking generally either as he specifically called out Logan Stanley, Ville Heinola, Brad Lambert, Nikita Chibrikov, and Cole Perfetti. The quote is significant given that new head coach Scott Arniel is instituting a major change in philosophy to the Jets’ organization.

Winnipeg has long been known to slow-play prospects to the professional level. Most quality prospects in the organization spend several years in the minor or junior levels before finally being graduated to the NHL where they will sometimes sit in depth roles for much of the season.

Heinola, Lambert, and Chibrikov spent all of last year (besides one game a piece for the latter two) in the minor leagues. The Jets kept an impressively healthy blue line through the 2023-24 regular season which prohibited Heinola from receiving a call-up. With several key players leaving through buyouts and free agency this summer — a strong training camp performance could earn them a full-time role at the NHL level.

The quote from Cheveldayoff is a bit more interesting when considering the career trajectories of both Perfetti and Stanley. Perfetti has been a full-time member of the Jets for two years now and played in 71 games last year. It was his most productive season to date as he scored 19 goals and 38 points in total.

He was still tremendously underutilized in the forward group as he averaged 13:35 of ice time each night which ranked 12th on the team for forwards with 15 or more games played. Perfetti has arguably already worked his way into a top-six role in Winnipeg and it will be intriguing to see how Arniel utilizes him this season.

Stanley, on the other hand, could be a bit jealous of Perfetti’s situation with the team. The 6’7″ defenseman went from averaging 15:39 of ice time over 58 games in 2021-22 to averaging 13:46 of ice time over 25 games this past season. Stanley has already proven himself as an adequate shutdown defenseman and could play himself into the former role of Nate Schmidt.

This fate felt inevitable for the Jets. Arniel is now in charge of plugging the holes left by Schmidt, Sean Monahan, Tyler Toffoli, and potentially Nikolaj Ehlers. If Winnipeg hopes to compete in a rugged Central Division, they must give their young players more responsibility.

West Notes: Morrison, Gulyayev, Georgiev

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The Kraken’s AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds, have reached the Calder Cup Final in each of their first two seasons of existence. They’re loading up for a third run to the championship series, signing left winger Cam Morrison to a one-year deal, per the league.

Morrison, 25, was a second-round pick of the Avalanche in 2016 but never signed, instead opting to land with the Blackhawks as a free agent in 2020 coming out of Notre Dame. He played out his entry-level contract without an NHL call-up and has spent the past few seasons bouncing between various AHL and ECHL clubs, although he’s beginning to solidify himself as a quality depth piece at the second-highest level of play in North America.

The 6’3″, 209-lb forward spent last season in the Panthers organization on an AHL contract with the Charlotte Checkers, where he had five goals and six assists for 11 points with 10 PIMs and a +5 rating in 45 games. He also appeared in eight ECHL games for the Kelly Cup champion Florida Everblades, where he had five goals and an assist.

Morrison will head out West to a Coachella Valley team set to have a solid veteran presence up front, including captain Max McCormick, Brandon Biro, and Mitchell Stephens, all of whom are under contract with the Kraken on two-way deals and have NHL experience.

More updates from the Western Conference:

  • Don’t expect Avalanche prospect Mikhail Gulyayev to get his feet wet in the AHL before making his NHL debut. The defenseman told Sergey Demidov of Responsible Gambling that “my path to the NHL is to come and play right away.” Gulyayev, 19, was picked 31st overall in 2023 and remains under contract with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League through 2025-26. It’s likely he’ll play out the final two seasons of that deal before signing his entry-level contract with Colorado and making his NHL debut in the fall of 2026. An offensive powerhouse in the junior ranks, Gulyayev had four goals and eight assists for 12 points in 64 games for Avangard in his first full professional season last year.
  • The Avalanche also have a bit of a question mark in the crease with Alexandar Georgiev entering the final season of his contract. It seems likely the pending UFA will test the market next summer, opines Aarif Deen of Mile High Sports. Georgiev currently costs $3.4MM against the cap for the strapped Avs, and Deen believes a solid season from the netminder would likely price him out of Colorado’s goaltending budget, while an underwhelming season from the Bulgaria-born goalie would likely influence the Avs to walk away. Thus, 24-year-old Justus Annunen’s performance in his first season of full-time backup duties will be one of the bigger storylines in Denver in 2024-25.

Blue Jackets Hire Scott Ford, Mike Haviland As Assistant Coaches

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The Blue Jackets have hired Scott Ford and Mike Haviland to serve as assistant coaches under new bench boss Dean Evason this season, the team announced Thursday.

They replace the outgoing Josef Boumedienne and Mark Recchi, who Aaron Portzline of The Athletic previously reported would not be returning. The club’s other two assistants from last season, Jared Boll and Steve McCarthy, will be back in 2024-25 as expected.

Ford, 44, will jump behind an NHL bench for the first time. The British Columbia native had spent the last eight seasons in the Predators organization as an assistant coach with their AHL affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals.

Before transitioning to coaching, Ford played 522 AHL games across 10 seasons, 378 of which came with the Admirals. A burly right-shot defenseman in his playing days, Ford had played or coached for Milwaukee in parts of every season since 2008-09.

Ford also spent six seasons with Evason in Milwaukee as a player and coach. He played out the final three seasons of his career with the Admirals with Evason at the helm and began coaching as Evason’s assistant for three seasons before Evason departed in 2018 to take an assistant coaching role with the Wild.

Haviland, 57, brings considerably more coaching experience to the Columbus bench than his new colleague. He’s technically an internal promotion, having spent the last two seasons with their AHL affiliate in Cleveland as their associate coach.

Before that, the Middletown, New Jersey native was named the AHL’s Coach of the Year in 2007 with the Norfolk Admirals and later won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks as an assistant in 2010. Prior to joining Cleveland in 2022, Haviland spent seven years as the head coach of Colorado College.

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