July 28, 2025
Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jayden Struble signed a two-year, $2.825 million contract on Monday. The 23-year-old restricted free agent had a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for Aug. 3 before reaching a new deal with the Canadiens, who selected him in the second round of the 2019 draft. Struble has just finished his second NHL campaign, registering 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) and 124 hits in 56 appearances. While the American blue-liner brings physicality to the Canadiens lineup, he needs to improve in other areas to lock down a regular spot in the lineup.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
July 28, 2025
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Conor Timmins has agreed to a two-year, $4.4 million deal with his new team. The 26-year-old was a restricted free agent and scheduled for salary arbitration. Timmins is a fresh face in Buffalo after the Sabres picked him up in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins during the draft. Last season, Timmins made 68 appearances between the Penguins and Toronto Maple Leafs, recording 15 points (three goals, 12 assists), 69 shots, and 90 blocks with a plus-11 rating. He's been an effective player for teams but doesn't have enough in his game to make a difference in fantasy hockey.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 27, 2025
Minnesota Wild defenseman Zeev Buium wants to be a significant contributor on the team next season. "I do think that there is an opportunity for me to step in and be a player on the team," Buium told NHL.com. "And for me, I don't just want to be a guy who's out there -- [I want to] help this team win. So yeah, I'm going to do whatever I can to do that." The 19-year-old made his NHL debut last season, skating in four postseason games. While playing for the University of Denver, he was named the NCHC Player of the Year and the NCHC Offensive Defenseman of the Year. Buium was a scoring machine with Denver over two seasons, notching 98 points (14 goals, 74 assists) in 83 games. It might take some time before Buium can produce consistent offense at the NHL level, but he certainly has all the tools to become a major asset for the Wild.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
July 27, 2025
Winger Conor Sheary has signed a professional tryout contract with the New York Rangers. He hopes to earn a new NHL deal in training camp after mutually terminating his contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Sheary was two years into a three-year, $6 million pact, but he clearly wasn't happy with his situation in the organization, having spent most of last season in the minors. The 33-year-old notched 20 goals and 61 points in 59 AHL outings with the Syracuse Crunch. In the NHL, Sheary went scoreless in five appearances. Early in his career, Sheary became a two-time Stanley Cup champion in Pittsburgh under Mike Sullivan, and the two will now work together again in New York. This could give Sheary a new lease of life.
--Taavi PailkSource: Mollie Walker
July 27, 2025
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom has signed a two-year, $5.5 million extension, avoiding salary arbitration. He came off a two-year, $1.925 million deal this summer. Soderblom has become a regular in the Blackhawks crease over the last couple of years, finishing with a 10-18-7 record in 33 starts last term. It was a tough campaign for the 25-year-old Swede on a struggling team, as Soderblom recorded a 3.18 goals-against average with a .898 save percentage and went the entire season without a shutout. Next season, Soderblom will compete with Spencer Knight for playing time, and the Blackhawks are expected to face another difficult year.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 25, 2025
New York Rangers winger Brett Berard revealed that he played most of last season with a shoulder injury. The 22-year-old tore his labrum in November during his fourth career game. Berard finished the season with 10 points (six goals, four assists) in 35 games. Additionally, he scored 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) in 30 AHL contests. However, due to the injury, Berard was unable to represent Team USA at the World Championship. Next season, the Rangers might give Berard a more prominent role, and he expects to be at 100 percent when training camp starts.
--Taavi PailkSource: Mollie Walker
July 25, 2025
New York Islanders left wing Maxim Tsyplakov has avoided salary arbitration by signing a new two-year deal worth $4.5 million. The Islanders picked up Tsyplakov last offseason as a free agent on a one-year, entry-level contract worth $950,000. Tsyplakov adapted well to his new environment, scoring 35 points (10 goals, 25 assists) in 77 games, which ranked ninth among first-year players. The 26-year-old Russian also brought physicality to the Islanders' lineup, finishing the campaign with 140 hits. Fantasy managers can expect similar production from Tsyplakov next season, as he's no longer a very young player and probably doesn't have much upside left.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
July 25, 2025
Carolina Hurricanes right wing Jackson Blake has signed an eight-year, $45 million contract extension. The deal will come into effect in 2026-27. Blake, a former fourth-round draft pick, broke into the NHL during the 2024-25 campaign, ranking 10th among first-year players with 34 points (17 goals, 17 assists) in 80 contests. The team expects a lot more from him going forward. "Jackson had an outstanding rookie season, and we think he is just scratching the surface of the player he can be," Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement. "His tenaciousness on the puck and competitiveness match our team's culture, and we're excited about his future with our club." Next season, Blake should continue to see regular top-six minutes and power-play time.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 23, 2025
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer is desperate to secure a spot on the roster for the start of the season. "I want to be in that opening-night roster and there's still some things I got to work on in the gym, on the ice," said Schaefer on TSN Radio 1050. "I think just getting stronger is the thing for me." The top draft picks usually make their NHL debut the following season, but there is a recent example of a player not jumping straight into action with Buffalo's Owen Power. Schaefer will turn 18 just before the start of training camp in September. He's very raw and inexperienced and may initially struggle to find his footing in the NHL. However, the opportunity is there for him to carve out a significant role on the Islanders' blue line after Noah Dobson was traded to the Montreal Canadiens.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
July 23, 2025
Right wing Daniel Sprong has signed a one-year contract with CSKA Moscow of the KHL. The Dutch native will head to Russia after playing nine seasons in the NHL. Over 374 career regular-season outings, Sprong has recorded 87 goals and 166 points. He's had some decent campaigns, but Sprong bounced around three teams in 2024-25, suiting up for only 30 games and notching seven points (two goals, five assists). A successful season abroad could help Sprong find a path back to North America. Goaltender Spencer Martin has also left the NHL for CSKA this offseason.
--Taavi PailkSource: CSKA Moscow
July 23, 2025
Seattle Kraken right wing Kaapo Kakko has signed a three-year, $13.575 million contract to avoid arbitration. Kakko was dumped by the New York Rangers last season, but he had a solid stint with the Kraken, who traded for him in December. Across 49 regular-season appearances for Seattle, Kakko produced 10 goals and 30 points. Kraken general manager Jason Botterill called Kakko's extension a "top priority" for the team this summer, and now it's finally done. The Finnish winger is highly rated by the organization and could make a big leap in 2025-26 as a top-six regular with the Kraken.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 20, 2025
Edmonton Oilers forward Matthew Savoie played in only a handful of games in 2024-25 but is expected to become a regular in the lineup next season. "There is some growth from within," Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said. "I think Matt Savoie is probably poised to take a big step next year." Savoie notched one assist in four NHL outings last season while going for 54 points (19 goals, 35 assists) in 66 AHL games for the Bakersfield Condors. The 21-year-old is an exciting talent, and Edmonton seems ready to give him every chance to become an important part of the team. However, fantasy managers shouldn't expect too much too soon from Savoie.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
July 20, 2025
Right wing Blake Wheeler announced his retirement from the NHL on Saturday. He will hang up his skates after missing the entire 2024-25 season. Wheeler, who will be 39 next month, played in 1,172 regular-season games, mostly with the Winnipeg Jets. He captained the Jets for six years and became the franchise's all-time leader in games (897), assists (550), and points (812). The speedy forward was a two-time All-Star and notched 943 career points (321 goals, 622 assists). Only 13 American-born players have registered more points in the NHL.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
July 19, 2025
Goaltender Jaroslav Halak hasn't played in the NHL since the 2022-23 season, but he has only now made his retirement official. Halak began his career with the Montreal Canadiens in 2006-07 and played for seven teams over 17 seasons. He made 581 regular-season appearances, posting a 295-189-69 record, along with a 2.50 goals-against average, a .915 save percentage, and 53 shutouts. In 2014-15, Halak was an All-Star and set a New York Islanders franchise record with 38 wins. He is a two-time winner of the William M. Jennings Trophy, which is awarded to the best goaltending duo in a single season.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 19, 2025
Anaheim Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson has landed a two-year, $2.2 million contract extension. The 24-year-old completed his entry-level contract with the 2024-25 campaign and was a restricted free agent who had filed for salary arbitration. Through his first 59 career games, Helleson has recorded 14 points (five goals, nine assists), 67 shots, 76 blocks, and 101 hits with a plus-six rating. Last season, Helleson led all rookie defensemen in shorthanded time on ice (54:32) and was second to Lane Hutson in both points and assists among first-year rearguards. Helleson has upside in his games but currently doesn't have much fantasy value because he's limited to third-pairing minutes in the Anaheim defense.
--Taavi PailkSource: TSN
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