July 2, 2025
The Carolina Hurricanes acquired defenseman K'Andre Miller from the New York Rangers on Tuesday. The team sent a 2026 first-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick, and defenseman Scott Morrow to the Rangers. Miller, a restricted free agent, signed an eight-year, $60 million contract as part of the deal. Although Miller has been mediocre offensively in recent seasons, he is expected to improve the already strong Hurricanes blue line. In 2024-25, Miller recorded 27 points (seven goals, 20 assists), 110 shots, 110 blocks, and 107 hits in 74 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 1, 2025
Forward Mikael Granlund will suit up for the Anaheim Ducks in 2025-26 after signing a three-year, $21 million contract with the team as a free agent on Tuesday. The 33-year-old has turned into a journeyman in recent seasons and split the 2024-25 campaign between the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars. Granlund recorded his second consecutive 60-point year, amassing 22 goals and 44 assists over 83 regular-season contests. This made him a very attractive piece for teams on the open market, and the Ducks must be thrilled to have secured Granlund's signature. He should continue to be a consistent scoring threat in a top-six role in Anaheim.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 1, 2025
New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen will remain with the team for the upcoming campaign after signing a five-year, $9 million contract on Tuesday. Following his first full season in New Jersey, he became an unrestricted free agent, but Allen has elected to stay with the team. The veteran netminder posted a losing record in 2024-25 with 13-16-1 but had a strong goals-against average of 2.66. Serving as the backup to Jacob Markstrom, Allen picked up four shutouts with a .908 save percentage. Markstrom's presence limits Allen's fantasy appeal in New Jersey, but he has produced solid numbers when called upon.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
July 1, 2025
Vancouver Canucks right wing Brock Boeser has opted to stay with the team by signing a seven-year, $50.75 million contract. He became an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday but quickly agreed to a new deal with the Canucks. Boeser has played his entire NHL career in Vancouver, earning 434 points (204 goals, 230 assists) in 554 games. He had a quieter season in 2024-25, with 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games. However, just a year earlier, Boeser scored 40 goals and totaled 73 points in 81 games. The Canucks are hoping for a bounce-back season from him in 2025-26.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
July 1, 2025
Vancouver Canucks right wing Conor Garland has agreed to a six-year, $36 million contract extension with the club. The new deal will kick in during the 2026-27 campaign. Last season, Garland reached the 50-point plateau for the second time in his career, posting 19 goals and 31 assists in 81 appearances. He has posted 122 goals and 291 points in 485 career games. Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin has described Garland as a "core member" of the team, and the long-term extension indicates that he is regarded as a key part of the offense for years to come.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
July 1, 2025
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko was signed to a three-year, $25.5 million contract extension by the team on Tuesday. The new deal will take effect with the 2026-27 campaign, increasing the average annual value of Demko's contract from $5 million to $8.5 million. Next season, Demko will have a point to prove after health issues limited him to only 23 outings in 2024-25. He finished with a 10-8-3 record, allowing 2.90 goals with a .889 save percentage. Demko boasts two 30-win campaigns over the past four years and has a good chance to reach the mark again in 2025-26 if he stays healthy.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
July 1, 2025
Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary signed a seven-year, $42 million contract extension on Tuesday. The extension will kick in next year and keep Fehervary with the team through the 2032-33 season. Fehervary has become a key part of the Capitals defense and scored a career-high 25 points (five goals, 20 assists) in 81 games in 2024-25. He was second on the team with 150 blocks and third with 139 hits. Although Fehervary has steadily improved his production through the years, he doesn't offer much fantasy value due to his offensive limitations.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 1, 2025
New York Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov has bypassed restricted free agency to sign an eight-year, $50 million contract extension. While Romanov has never managed more than 22 points in a season during his five-year NHL career, he is highly valued for his efforts on the defensive end. In 2024-25, Romanov racked up 165 blocks and 147 hits in 64 regular-season outings. The Russian rearguard contributed four goals and 16 assists on offense. Although limited offensively, Romanov logged over 22 minutes of ice time per game (22:18) and might have an even bigger role in 2025-26 after the Islanders traded Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 1, 2025
Los Angeles Kings winger Andrei Kuzmenko signed a new one-year contract with the team on Monday worth $4.3 million. The 29-year-old played for three different teams during the 2024-25 campaign, splitting time between the Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers before landing in L.A. in March. He enjoyed a good finish to the season, posting 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 22 contests with the Kings. Additionally, he was a point-per-game player in the playoffs. Following a turbulent time, Kuzmenko appears to have found himself a good fit and seems poised for a productive year in 2025-26 as a member of the Kings' top line.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
July 1, 2025
Boston Bruins forward Morgan Geekie has signed a six-year, $33 million contract extension with the team. He was heading toward restricted free agency before Boston managed to lock Geekie up with a long-term deal. The 26-year-old cashed in on a career year, having finished the 2024-25 campaign with 33 goals and 57 points in 77 appearances. Geekie scored in six straight games to end the season and recorded 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) over the final 14 games, setting high expectations for the upcoming season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
July 1, 2025
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov has secured a seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension. Provorov was set to be one of the most attractive free agents among defensemen on the open market. Instead, he has committed his long-term future to the Blue Jackets, who acquired Provorov a couple of years back from the Philadelphia Flyers. The Russian blue-liner has produced back-to-back 30-point campaigns in Columbus. In 2024-25, he notched seven goals and 26 assists in 82 games with 127 blocked shots. He is expected to remain a steady two-way contributor next season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 1, 2025
Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo is expected to sit out the 2025-26 season after announcing that he is stepping away from the team for health reasons. The 35-year-old veteran is dealing with hip problems. "The past few years have been very challenging on my physical well-being, and I am in a difficult position with my overall playing health," Pietrangelo said in a statement. "After exploring options with doctors as well as my family, it's been advised to remove the intensity of hockey to see if my body can improve so that I can return to a normal quality of life." Pietrangelo, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, posted 33 points (four goals, 29 assists) in 71 games this term. The Vegas blue line will get a new look next season, with Pietrangelo sidelined and Nicolas Hague traded to the Nashville Predators.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 1, 2025
Left wing Matias Maccelli was traded by the Utah Mammoth to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday in exchange for a conditional third-round draft pick. Maccelli showed good offensive upside during his first couple of years in the NHL, but his career trajectory took a downward trend in 2024-25. He spent a large portion of the final few months of the season as a healthy scratch, finishing with 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 55 games. Acquiring Maccelli could be a shrewd move for the Maple Leafs if he can return to the form that earned him a spot on the NHL All-Rookie Team in 2023.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
July 1, 2025
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard has landed a four-year, $42 million contract extension. With a cap hit of $10.5 million, he becomes one of the highest-paid defensemen in the NHL. Bouchard, who was a pending restricted free agent, has put together back-to-back impressive seasons with the Oilers. In 2024-25, he tallied 67 points (14 goals, 53 assists) in 82 games while blocking 108 shots. Since he is only 25 years old, Bouchard seems poised to remain among the top fantasy defensemen for many more seasons.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
July 1, 2025
The Minnesota Wild have acquired winger Vladimir Tarasenko from the Detroit Red Wings for future considerations. The former 40-goal scorer is set to play for a sixth team in four seasons. Tarasenko has started to bounce around in the league, despite being a point-per-game player as recently as the 2021-22 season. He joined the Red Wings on a two-year, $9.5 million deal as a free agent last offseason. It turned out to be a poor investment for Detroit, as Tarasenko only scored 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists) in 80 regular-season outings. Fantasy managers should not expect much from him in 2025-26.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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