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William Dufour Signs With KHL’s Lada Togliatti

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After going non-tendered by the Avalanche, winger William Dufour has signed a contract with Russian club Lada Togliatti for 2025-26, the team announced.

Dufour, still just 23, was one of the Islanders’ better prospects not too long ago. The 6’3″, 212-lb winger was a fifth-round pick in 2020 but popped offensively in a big way in the junior ranks, leading the QMJHL in goals and being named the league’s MVP following a 2021-22 season with the Saint John Sea Dogs that saw him post a 56-60–116 scoring line in 66 games. He also led the Sea Dogs to that year’s Memorial Cup title as the host city and posted a point per game for Canada at the World Juniors en route to a gold medal.

He followed that up with a strong first professional season in 2022-23. He was among AHL Bridgeport’s leading scorers with 21 goals and 48 points in 69 games and even made his NHL debut, posting a minus-two rating in 6:48 of ice time in a loss to the Bruins on Jan. 18, 2023.

That stands as Dufour’s only NHL appearance. His offensive production has decreased sharply in the two years following that promising rookie showing, logging 25 points in 55 games with Bridgeport in 2023-24, before managing only eight goals and 18 points through his first 45 appearances of the following season. He was sent to Colorado in the deadline blockbuster that brought Brock Nelson to Denver as the Isles looked to gain some additional assets from the Avs and land Dufour a fresh start.

Instead, Dufour only had four points in 12 games with the Colorado Eagles to close out 2024-25. Despite his previous track record as an intriguing prospect, that was enough for the Avalanche to let him walk for nothing months after acquiring him.

The Quebec City native will now look for a different opportunity overseas. It’s rare to see a player so young take this route, but it does afford him enough development time to get his career back on track and legitimately eye an NHL return in the coming years.

He joins a Lada roster that lacks NHL pedigree outside of Bruins 2011 second-rounder Alexander Khokhlachev and Sharks undrafted free agent signing Danil Yurtaykin. The club’s 17-36-5-10 record last season was among the worst in the KHL.

Lightning Acquire Sam O’Reilly From Oilers For Isaac Howard

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In a late-night deal, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Edmonton Oilers are swapping recent first-round picks, as forward Sam O’Reilly is heading to the Lightning in exchange for forward Isaac Howard. Both teams have announced the deal. The Oilers also announced Howard has signed a three-year, entry-level contract beginning in 2025-26.

O’Reilly was selected 32nd overall by the Oilers in the 2024 NHL Draft and posted 28 goals, 71 points, and a plus-56 rating in 62 games for the OHL’s London Knights this past season. He added 22 points in 17 playoff games. In 135 career regular-season games with London, O’Reilly, 19, has scored 127 points to go along with 74 penalty minutes. A two-time OHL champion, the 6’1″, 190 center has added 34 playoff points through 33 games. More than just an offensive threat, O’Reilly has the potential, size, and physicality to also be a shutdown center.

Howard, selected 31st overall in the 2023 draft, spent the last two seasons at Michigan State University after transferring from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Howard, a 5’11”, 190-pound left wing, took his game to the next level during the 2024-25 season, posting 26 goals and 52 points in 37 games. On a team that featured eight other players either drafted or signed by NHL clubs, he led the Spartans in scoring by 21 points and went on to win the Hobey Baker Award. In two seasons with Michigan State, Howard has produced 88 points and a plus-22 rating.

While O’Reilly may have the higher ceiling as a two-way player, Howard, 21, is closer to being NHL-ready. When Howard does make the jump to professional hockey, his sharp shooting ability and quick skating could make him an immediate fit in the Oilers’ already dangerous top six. Insider Frank Seravalli notes that the Oilers plan to have Howard in their opening night lineup this October.

Avalanche Hire Dave Hakstol As Assistant Coach

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The Colorado Avalanche have added some additional experience to their coaching staff. According to a team announcement, the Avalanche have hired Dave Hakstol as an assistant coach for the 2025-26 NHL season.

It’s been almost two years since Hakstol has coached on an NHL bench. He was the first head coach in Seattle Kraken franchise history, leading them to their first postseason in his second year, where they defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche in the first round.

Unfortunately, the team failed to live up to renewed expectations the following season, leading the Kraken and Hakstol to go in separate directions. He finished his tenure in Seattle with a 107-112-27 record in 246 games.

Before being hired by the Kraken, Hakstol had a two-year stint as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Before joining the Original Six franchise, Hakstol had been the head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers.

His time in Philadelphia was mostly a mixed bag. He finished with a winning record through the regular season and coached the Flyers to the playoffs in two seasons, but they failed to move beyond the opening round. Ultimately, Hakstol finished with a 134-101-42 record in Philadelphia over 277 games, but was fired partway through the 2018-19 season after a disappointing start to the season.

The former long-time head coach of the University of North Dakota now joins his fourth NHL franchise of his career and his second job as an assistant coach.

Canucks Re-Sign Jett Woo, Nikita Tolopilo

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According to a team announcement, the Vancouver Canucks have re-signed defenseman Jett Woo to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 season. In a separate announcement, the team shared that they’ve also re-signed netminder Nikita Tolopilo to a two-year, two-way contract.

PuckPedia shared the contractual details for Woo and Tolopilo. The former will earn $775K in the NHL and $290K in the AHL, while the latter will earn $775K in the NHL each year, with an AHL salary of $230K in 2025-26 and $380K in 2026-27.

Woo has been a mainstay on the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks blue line for several years. Vancouver drafted Woo with the 37th overall pick of the 2018 NHL Draft, although he was projected to be a first-round talent a few years before.

Despite having optimism that Woo’s offensive capabilities could grow into a serviceable top-four option in a few years, he hasn’t panned out as such. Still, he’s been relatively productive at the AHL level, scoring 21 goals and 83 points in 267 games with a +32 rating.

Meanwhile, unlike Woo, Tolopilo earned a few games of NHL action last season. It wasn’t the greatest first impression as far as save percentage goes (.885), but Tolopilo earned his spot in the organization through his AHL performance.

In his last two years with Abbotsford, Tolopilo has achieved a record of 40 wins, 27 losses, and 3 overtime losses in 71 games, with a .903 SV% and a 2.74 GAA, including four shutouts. Thanks to the outstanding play of Arturs Silovs, Tolopilo only featured in one game for the AHL Canucks on their run to a Calder Cup championship a few weeks ago.

Washington Capitals Sign Sheldon Rempal

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The Washington Capitals are bringing Sheldon Rempal back to North America. According to a team announcement, the Capitals have signed Rempal to a one-year, two-way contract, paying him $775K at the NHL level and $450K in the AHL.

Rempal is one year removed from playing in the NHL. Last season, he suited up for the KHL’s Salavat Yulaev Ufa, scoring 31 goals and 61 points in 68 games with a +7 rating, finishing fourth in league scoring. He was equally impressive in the 2025 Gagarin Cup playoffs, scoring eight goals and 21 points in 19 contests.

Unfortunately, Rempal’s offensive skills are not widely recognized in NHL circles due to his limited playing time. He’s associated as being a Vegas Golden Knight, but has suited up in a few contests for the Los Angeles Kings, Carolina Hurricanes, and Vancouver Canucks.

Few people are aware of Rempal’s notable success in the AHL over six seasons, as he has not generated much attention at the top level of the game. Beginning in the 2018-19 season, he has been an impressive scorer in the AHL, tallying 108 goals and 252 points in 328 games before moving to Russia.

Given the two-way status on the contract, Rempal is likely expected to play for the Capitals’ AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears. Having sky-high expectations after winning back-to-back Calder Cup championships, the Bears’ offense wasn’t necessarily bad this season, but it was largely by committee. Now that Rempal is in the mix, Hershey could have a high-scoring player leading the pack.

Jesse Puljujärvi Signs With NL’s Genève-Servette HC

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For the second time since being drafted fourth overall in the 2016 NHL Draft, Jesse Puljujärvi is taking his professional career overseas. According to a team announcement from the NL’s Genève-Servette HC, Puljujärvi has signed a new two-year contract with the organization.

Puljujärvi’s career trajectory is well known at this point. After scoring 13 goals and 28 points in 50 games for the Finnish Liiga’s Kärpät in the 2015-16 campaign, the Edmonton Oilers drafted Puljujärvi, believing he’d be a premier power forward for years to come.

Despite a solid showing with Edmonton’s AHL affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors, he never gained much traction at the NHL level. Throughout his first three years playing for the Oilers, Puljujärvi scored 17 goals and 37 points in 139 games, averaging 12:28 of ice time with a -10 rating and 7.4% shooting percentage.

Knowing he needed a reset, Edmonton allowed Puljujärvi to return to his native Finland, again with Kärpät, to regain his confidence. After a few quality years with the only Liiga team he’s ever known, the Oilers quickly brought Puljujärvi back into the fold during the 2020-21 NHL season.

Although it still wasn’t up to his draft billing, there was reason for optimism in Puljujärvi’s game upon his return. In the two seasons following his return from Edmonton, Puljujärvi scored 29 goals and 61 points in 120 contests, averaging 15:44 of ice time with a +28 rating and 10.5% shooting percentage.

Unfortunately, Puljujärvi sank into his old ways during the 2022-23 campaign, and he was moved to the Carolina Hurricanes in a low-level trade. Since then, he’s had another two pit stops with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Florida Panthers.

Without knowing if he’ll make another return attempt, Puljujärvi will have last played professionally in North America for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. In the 2024-25 season, he scored five goals and 13 points in 22 games for the Checkers. Additionally, he contributed three goals and 11 points in 18 postseason contests, helping Charlotte reach the 2025 Calder Cup Final.

Capitals Sign Milton Gästrin To Entry-Level Deal

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July 7: The Capitals have officially loaned to MoDo for the 2025-26 season, the team announced Monday. It’s unclear if he’ll participate in training camp in the fall.

July 3: We have our first signing from last week’s 2025 NHL draft. The Capitals announced they’ve signed forward Milton Gästrin to his three-year, entry-level contract. It pays him a $877.5K base salary, $97.5K signing bonus, and $85K minors salary each season for a cap hit of $975K, per PuckPedia.

Gästrin will be loaned back to his home country and play for MoDo Hockey of Sweden’s second-tier league in 2025-26, the team said. The playmaking forward was the No. 37 overall selection last Saturday, taken with a pick Washington acquired from the Bruins in the 2023 deadline trade that sent Dmitry Orlov to Boston.

Fresh off his 18th birthday yesterday, Gästrin was the No. 3 European skater in the draft as ranked by NHL Central Scouting and was a consensus late first/early second-round pick in public rankings. The 6’1″, 194-lb center won medals with Sweden at both the Hlinka Gretzky Cup (bronze) and the under-18 World Juniors (silver) last season, racking up 11 goals and 32 points in 19 games in international competition for the U-18 squad.

In league play, Gästrin spent most of the season with MoDo’s U-20 squad in Sweden’s top junior league, the J20 Nationell. He served as an alternate captain and finished second on the team in scoring with 42 points in 40 games, tying for the team lead in goals with 18. He also made his professional debut, making eight pointless appearances for MoDo in the SHL. He’ll transition to a full-time professional role this fall, facing easier competition in the HockeyAllsvenskan after MoDo was relegated at the end of the 2024-25 season.

Because Gästrin will be loaned to MoDo and won’t see NHL action this season, his entry-level deal will slide to 2026-27 and won’t count against the 50-contract limit for Washington this year. He will still earn his $97.5K signing bonus for 2025-26, though, decreasing the cap hit of the contract when it goes into effect. He’s young enough that the contract is slide-eligible twice, so the deal won’t go into effect until 2027-28 if he also plays fewer than 10 NHL games in 2026-27.

Flyers Re-Sign Cam York To Five-Year Contract

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9:33 a.m.: The Flyers announced York’s contract and confirmed the financial terms as reported.

7:48 a.m.: The Flyers and restricted free agent defenseman Cameron York have agreed to terms on a five-year contract worth $25.75MM, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The deal carries a cap hit of $5.15MM and takes up two UFA years, meaning he can test the open market upon expiry in 2030. Those seasons do not include trade protection, according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic.

York, the No. 14 pick in the 2019 draft, is coming off his fifth season with Philadelphia, the last three of which have been spent as a full-time NHLer. Since beginning to play a regular role on the blue line in the 2022-23 season, York has scored 16 goals, 51 assists, and 67 points in 21:13 of ice time per night across 202 games, with a -22 rating and 369 blocks.

There was plenty of speculation during last season that York may be a trade candidate, primarily due to a rocky relationship with former head coach John Tortorella. The pair reportedly had a verbal altercation near the end of the year, which resulted in Tortorella’s dismissal and York sitting on the bench for the entirety of interim head coach Brad Shaw’s first game at the helm to close out the campaign.

It appeared all was forgiven when reports last month indicated the two sides were close on a deal, building on initial extension talks that took place last fall. With a new coach at the helm in Rick Tocchet, the Flyers land a long-term commitment from York at a marginal discount on his market value.

AFP Analytics projected a long-term extension for York to be a five-year deal at roughly $5.75MM per season. That’s shrewd work from general manager Daniel Brière to work quickly to remove an offer sheet threat while locking him in around 10% cheaper than expected.

The Flyers will technically be over the cap by roughly $580K with a full roster after registering York’s contract, although that shouldn’t be cause for concern. Retired defenseman Ryan Ellis’ $6.25MM cap hit will be placed on long-term injured reserve for the entirety of the season. At the same time, winger Tyson Foerster and his $3.75MM cap hit could also land on LTIR to begin the year while he recovers from an infection in his elbow. High-paid defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen also isn’t expected to be ready to begin the season. Philadelphia has time on their side to shed salary if need be – a move that could be as simple as waiving and reassigning third-string goaltender Ivan Fedotov, bringing his $3.275MM cap hit down to $2.125MM.

Next season, York will reprise his top-pairing role while fellow lefty Travis Sanheim mans the right side. He should be ticketed for a bump in ice time if Tocchet restores some of his power-play minutes. The 24-year-old didn’t see any deployment with the man advantage in 2024-25 – under 10 minutes in total – after playing a regular role there in 2023-24. That should help his offensive numbers to a career-high as well. He had 30 points in 82 games two years ago before posting 17 in 66 last season.

He and Sanheim will headline the Flyers’ defensive unit next season while being supported by veterans Ristolainen and Nick Seeler, some up-and-comers in Emil Andrae, Jamie Drysdale, and Egor Zamula, while also being complemented by depth free agent pickups Dennis Gilbert and Noah Juulsen.

Image courtesy of Eric Hartline-Imagn Images.

Blues Re-Sign Vadim Zherenko And Hunter Skinner

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July 7: The Blues confirmed Zherenko’s and Skinner’s contracts while also confirming a two-way deal for winger Matt Luff that was reported when the market opened last week.

July 6: After getting Joel Hofer signed to a new deal late last month, the Blues have re-signed their other restricted free agent netminder.  PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that St. Louis has re-signed Vadim Zherenko to a one-year, two-way contract.  PuckPedia is also reporting (Twitter link) that defenseman Hunter Skinner has inked a one-year, two-way agreement as well.  Both players will receive $775K in the NHL and $125K in the minors, meaning they took less than their qualifying offers to secure more guaranteed money.

Zherenko was a seventh-round pick by St. Louis back in 2019, going 208th overall and has had a bit of a journey thus far in professional hockey.  The 24-year-old was drafted out of Russia and spent one more year at home, splitting time between the VHL and the MHL before deciding to play in Finland in 2021-22 where he spent the bulk of the year with Ilves at the top Liiga level.  His performance there helped earn him an entry-level contract that spring.

Since then, Zherenko has spent his time with AHL Springfield, save for a brief stint in St. Louis on recall in his rookie year that didn’t yield any NHL playing time.  Last season, he posted a 12-17-5 record in 32 games with the Thunderbirds along with a 3.44 GAA and a .897 SV%.  He played behind starter Colten Ellis who is now waiver-eligible moving forward, leaving his future a little murkier as he’ll have to pass through unclaimed to return to Springfield.  Zherenko, meanwhile, remains waiver-exempt for one more year so it’s safe to say that he’ll be back with the Thunderbirds next season.

As for Skinner, he was a fourth-round pick of the Rangers back in 2019, going 112th overall.  He spent the following season with OHL London before turning pro in 2020-21.  He spent parts of three seasons in their farm system, primarily with AHL Hartford before being traded to St. Louis in 2023 as part of the deal that sent rental players Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola to New York to try to aid their playoff run.

Since then, Skinner has played with Springfield and is coming off his best season at the AHL level, one that saw him record eight goals and 14 assists in 69 games along with 98 penalty minutes.  That was enough to earn him a qualifying offer to get another opportunity but unless he becomes an NHL regular and plays in at least 80 games next season, Skinner will become eligible for Group Six unrestricted free agency next summer.

With the signings, the Blues are down to just one remaining restricted free agent to re-sign, forward Nikita Alexandrov.

Rangers Re-Sign Brendan Brisson

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July 7: The Rangers confirmed Brisson’s contract Monday morning.

July 6: The Rangers have taken care of one of their remaining restricted free agents.  PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that New York has signed forward Brendan Brisson to a one-year, two-way contract.  The deal will pay $775K in the NHL, $100K in the minors, and contains a guaranteed salary of $125K, meaning he took less than his qualifying offer to secure more guaranteed money.

The 23-year-old was a first-round pick by Vegas back in 2020, going 29th overall after a promising season with USHL Chicago.  Brisson continued to be a strong producer in college, averaging a point per game over two seasons at the University of Michigan before turning pro in 2022.

Unfortunately for Brisson and Vegas, his production slowed after that.  He picked up 37 points in 58 games in 2022-23 with AHL Henderson but wasn’t able to build off of that too much the following year with 38 in 52.  Brisson did, however, get into 15 games with the Golden Knights that season, notching two goals and six assists, providing some hope moving forward.

This season, things didn’t go as well.  Brisson was held off the scoresheet in seven games to open the season before being demoted back to the Silver Knights and didn’t notch a point in a two-game stint in January either.  In between, Brisson was limited to just five goals and 14 assists in 49 games in Henderson.  That was enough for Vegas to make him available at the trade deadline as they sent him and a third-round pick to the Rangers for Reilly Smith, a pending UFA at the time who ultimately re-signed last month.  Brisson didn’t get any looks with New York down the stretch but managed just two goals and four assists in 16 games with AHL Hartford.

Brisson is now waiver-eligible and while his 2024-25 performance wouldn’t be enough on its own to justify a potential claim, teams have been known to take flyers on fairly recent first-round picks in the hopes that a change of scenery could get them going.  With that in mind, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rangers take a long look at Brisson in training camp to see if he can land a spot on the fourth line or at least break camp as a reserve forward.

The Rangers now have two remaining restricted free agents to deal with this summer, goaltenders Dylan Garand and Talyn Boyko.

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