Canadiens: There's A Trophy In Nick Suzuki's Future
ST. LOUIS -- The 2005 NHL Draft was important for the St. Louis Blues.
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Forbes
an hour ago
- Forbes
7 NHL Restricted Free Agents Still Seeking New Contracts For 2025-26
They're on their way to long and successful careers. But because they have not yet accumulated enough professional experience, these seven NHL restricted free agents did not meet the threshold to file for salary arbitration this summer. That limits their negotiating power, so these players are still without contracts for the 2025-26 as the calendar gets set to flip to August. Last summer, it was August 13 when the St. Louis Blues sent shockwaves through the league by signing Edmonton Oilers RFAs Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway to offer sheets when they were in similar situations — and ultimately acquired both players. Could something similar happen with one of these players this year? Here's where they stand as of July 30. Marco Rossi - Minnesota Wild With 21 goals and 40 points in the 2023-24 season, Marco Rossi earned a spot on the NHL's all-rookie team. Last year, the ninth-overall pick from the 2020 draft improved to 60 points as his ice time climbed to a solid 18:15 per game while he cemented a spot in the Minnesota Wild's top six. The Wild have finally moved past the massive salary-cap penalties that they incurred with the 2021 buyouts of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. The charge drops to a more manageable $1.67 million in 2025-26, per PuckPedia, and Minnesota also has a bonus carryover of $1.1 million from last season. But while the Wild have a decent $10 million of available cap space that would easily cover a new deal for Rossi, GM Bill Guerin is also wisely keeping his eye on the future: superstar Kirill Kaprizov is eligible for a contract extension that could easily become the biggest deal in Wild franchise history, and starting goaltender Filip Gustvasson is also one year away from potential unrestricted free agency. Cost certainty on Kaprizov's next deal could help finalize terms on Rossi's contract, but the shifting salary landscape in the NHL amidst unprecedented salary-cap growth has most of the top unrestricted free agents for the class of 2026 playing the waiting game for now. AFP Analytics is projecting a cap hit of $7.4 million for Rossi over a seven-year term, or $4.5 million on a two-year deal. Rossi is eligible for an offer sheet, but Guerin indicated that the Wild would match in all cases. 'I think when you've seen (offer sheets) in the past that have been successful, maybe the teams weren't fully prepared for it,' Guerin said. 'But yeah, we're prepared for it.' Rossi's name has been swirling in trade rumors for months. For now, he remains property of the Wild. Will that still be the case when training camp opens in September? Mason McTavish - Anaheim Ducks Drafted third overall in 2021, Mason McTavish has also been on the rise with the improving Anaheim Ducks. Last season, he cracked 20 goals for the first time and improved to 52 points while playing nearly 17 minutes a night in the middle. The signing of Mikael Granlund could push McTavish down the Ducks' depth chart this fall, and his name has also come up in trade rumors. Like Rossi, McTavish is eligible to sign an offer sheet if he chooses. Anaheim's $21 million in available cap space would make it easy for them to match. Luke Hughes - New Jersey Devils Still just 21 years old, Luke Hughes is following in the footsteps of his brother Quinn as a prolific two-way defenseman. Selected right behind McTavish at No. 4 in 2021, Hughes has 93 points over 155 NHL games spanning two seasons plus two games in the spring of 2023. Because he did not play 10 games in his first NHL season, Hughes is not a traditional restricted free agent but rather, referred to as a 10.2(c) player. That means he doesn't have enough NHL experience to qualify for an offer sheet, and that lowers his bargaining power another notch compared to most of the other players on this list. Quinn Hughes was in the same situation when he completed his entry-level contract in 2021. He didn't sign his next deal until training camp was underway on Oct. 1, 2021 — a six-year pact at $7.85 million which represented 9.63 percent of the salary cap ceiling at the time. With the cap ceiling for 2025-26 set at $95.5 million, an equivalent contract today would be $9.2 million per season. AFP Analytics is projecting six years at $8.4 million for Luke Hughes on a longer deal, or three years at $5.8 million if the Devils prefer a bridge contract. The Devils are fortunate that Hughes isn't offer-sheet eligible, as they currently have just over $6 million in cap space on their books. They'll need to move out some money if they want to lock up Hughes for the long term. Alex Laferriere - Los Angeles Kings Drafted in the third round in 2020, Alex Laferriere played two years at Harvard before making the jump to the pros. The development path served him well as the New Jersey-born forward climbed into the Los Angeles Kings' top six by the end of last season, finishing with 19 goals and 42 points. Like Hughes, Laferriere is a 10.2(c) player, so he isn't eligible for an offer sheet. That's good news for the Kings, who are sitting on just $6.8 million in available cap space after bringing in Corey Perry, Cody Ceci and Brian Dumoulin in free agency. AFP Analytics believes that Laferriere will use up nearly all of that cap space if he signs a seven-year deal, projecting an average annual value of $6.57 million. If he goes shorter, a three-year bridge contract projects to a value of $3.8 million. Luke Evangelista - Nashville Predators It was a tough season all round for the Nashville Predators in 2024-25. The same is true for their second-round pick from 2020, Luke Evangelista. After reaching 39 points as the Predators streaked into the playoffs in 2023-24, Evangelista dropped to 10 goals and 32 points last season as coach Andrew Brunette tried to find the right forward mix to get his squad into the win column. Now 23, the right-shooting right-winger from Toronto is projected by AFP Analytics to settle for a bridge deal where he can prove his worth for a more significant followup contract. They've got him looking at a two-year term worth $2.5 million. Evangelista is offer-sheet eligible. The Predators are currently sitting on just over $10 million in available cap space, with more than $8.5 million allocated toward cap charges against the still-outstanding buyouts of the contracts of former Preds Matt Duchene and Kyle Turris. Connor Zary - Calgary Flames Drafted 24th overall in 2020, Connor Zary's attempt at building off a successful rookie campaign was impeded by injuries in 2024-25. When he was in the lineup, he spent more time at his natural center position and got some minutes on the power play. But two separate injuries and a two-game suspension limited Zary to 54 games and his overall point total dropped from 34 to 27. AFP Analytics is looking at a contract value of about $5.7 million for Zary on a six-year term, or $3.4 million on a three-year deal. Zary is offer-sheet eligible and plays the valuable center position but the Flames are in good shape cap-wise, with more than $15 million in available space. Ryker Evans - Seattle Kraken The second player ever drafted by the Seattle Kraken franchise, Ryker Evans has grown into a dependable young defenseman who does a bit of everything: hitting, blocking shots and chipping in a few points as well. After logging his first full year in the NHL in 2024-25, the Calgary native is now looking for a second contract. And he is eligible for an offer sheet, while the Kraken are holding just $6.6 million in cap space. That should be enough to get a deal done for one of this summer's NHL restricted free agents. AFP Analytics is projecting a contract value of just over $5 million for a six-year contract for Evans, or $2.9 million on a two-year pact.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Buffalo Sabres home arena to remain KeyBank Center after reaching 10-year naming rights extension
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres' home arena will continue being called the KeyBank Center after the two sides announced a 10-year naming rights extension on Wednesday. The new deal will kick in next year and run through 2035-36. The Cleveland-based bank has a large regional presence in Buffalo, and took over the downtown arena's naming rights after acquiring First Niagara Bank in 2016. As part of the extension, the bank's name will be featured on the Sabres' helmets for away games starting this season. The arena is undergoing a series of long-needed renovations since first opening in 1996. Last year, the Sabres replaced the roof and installed a new video scoreboard over center ice. The next series of renovations are expected to address upgrading the seats and fan amenities. The Sabres' control the building, which is also home to the three-time defending National Lacrosse League champion Bandits, and have placed an emphasis on adding more events since Pete Guelli took over as the team's chief operating officer last year. In November, the arena will host one of Paul McCartney's 20 North American tour stops, as well as host a pre-Olympic U.S. vs. Canada women's hockey Rivalry Series game. The Sabres, meanwhile, have been struggling on the ice with the team in the midst of an NHL-record 14-season playoff drought. ___ AP NHL: John Wawrow, The Associated Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
CONFIRMED: Nicklas Bäckström Is Back In Sweden
Swedish center Nicklas Bäckström, 37, has signed a contract to play for Brynäs, the SHL club announced at a press conference on Monday morning. The contract is for one year plus an option.
