RADIO
Hunter Shepard Links Up With KHL Team
Goaltender Hunter Shepard has signed a one-year contract with the KHL's Barys Astana, according to AHL reporter Tony Androckitis. Hunter has starred in the minors but hasn't seen much action in the NHL. Last season, he appeared in one game for the Ottawa Senators, finishing the campaign as a member of the Montreal Canadiens organization. The 30-year-old Grand Rapids, Minnesota native has also played for the Washington Capitals, going 2-3-1 for his career. Shepard's short-term contract leaves the door open for a North American return next year, though his odds of landing an NHL spot are low.
Source: Tony Androckitis
Source: Tony Androckitis
Nils Aman Returns to Sweden on Three-Year Deal
Center Nils Aman has returned to his native Sweden, signing a three-year contract with Djurgardens IF. Aman was an unrestricted free agent after not receiving a qualifying offer from the Vancouver Canucks. In recent seasons, Aman has mostly seen AHL action and was used just twice by the Canucks in 2025-26. Overall, he appeared in 132 games with the team, totaling 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists). Given Aman's NHL struggles and the fact that he's now 26, a return to North America seems unlikely.
Source: Djurgardens IF
Source: Djurgardens IF
Nikita Grebenkin on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Philadelphia Flyers left wing Nikita Grebenkin (upper body) is expected to be ready for the start of training camp, Charlie O'Connor of PHLY Sports reports. Grebenkin, who is a restricted free agent, suffered an upper-body injury in late March and missed the end of the season. The 23-year-old Russian earned 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in 55 games during his rookie campaign. He was also a physical presence in the Flyers' lineup, finishing with 86 hits. Grebenkin did not require surgery, indicating that his injury was not very severe. He will compete for a bottom-six role in training camp.
Source: Charlie O'Connor
Source: Charlie O'Connor
Blue Jackets Sign Danton Heinen to Two-Way Deal
Winger Danton Heinen will return to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the new season on a one-year, two-way contract. He will earn $1 million in the NHL and $550,000 at the AHL level. Heinen moved to Columbus in December last year when he was traded by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had a poor campaign in 2025-26, picking up 12 points (six goals, six assists) in 46 outings. Heinen came close to a 40-point season in 2023-24, and while Columbus will hope he can replicate that form, it seems unlikely. Even if he sticks with the big club, Heinen will probably see limited ice time in a bottom-six role.
Source: Columbus Blue Jackets
Source: Columbus Blue Jackets
Jet Greaves Signs Three-Year, $15 Million Deal With Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves signed a three-year, $15 million contract on Thursday. The team announced the deal just before Greaves' scheduled salary arbitration hearing. Greaves received a significant pay bump from his previous two-year, $1.63 million deal. In 2025-26, he became only the fifth goaltender in franchise history to post a 25-win season. Greaves finished the campaign with a 26-19-9 record, allowing 2.60 goals with a .908 save percentage and two shutouts. His emergence has hurt Elvis Merzlikins' fantasy stock. The Latvian veteran was limited to 29 starts last season and appears poised to begin the new campaign in a backup role.
Source: Columbus Blue Jackets
Source: Columbus Blue Jackets
Patrick Kane Rejoins Blackhawks on Two-Year Deal
Right wing Patrick Kane has returned to his original NHL team, signing a two-year, $16 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. Kane spent his first 16 years with the Blackhawks before stints with the New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings. With 1,225 points, Kane is the Blackhawks' second all-time leading scorer and ranks third with 446 goals. He's one of only five players to win the Hart Trophy as the league MVP with the Blackhawks. In his prime, Kane was a scoring machine. In recent seasons, he has battled health issues. Still, the veteran star posted a respectable 57 points (16 goals, 41 assists) in 67 games last term. He is expected to play a major role for Chicago in the top six and on the power play.
Source: Sportsnet
Source: Sportsnet
Trevor Zegras Wants to Improve as Center
Philadelphia Flyers forward Trevor Zegras is determined to become a more effective player at the center position, Adam Kimelman of NHL.com reports. Zegras, who recently signed a four-year, $36.5 million contract extension, prefers to play at center but has also spent time on the left wing. Difficulty winning faceoffs has hindered his development. "I feel pretty comfortable in both spots, whether it's in the middle or on the wing, so wherever they need me to play, I'm more than comfortable in both spots," Zegras. "I thought playing center in the playoffs was definitely something that gave me a lot of confidence. So I think wherever they need me, I'm good to go." Last season, Zegras won only 34.1 percent of his faceoffs. He pushed the number to 44.0 percent in the playoffs. If Zegras becomes more reliable in the faceoff circle, he could see increased ice time and boost his fantasy value.
Source: Adam Kimelman
Source: Adam Kimelman
Jack Campbell Announces Retirement
Goaltender Jack Campbell has announced his retirement from the NHL. He played eight seasons in the league, appearing for four teams. Campbell's final appearances came in 2023-24 with the Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton signed him to a five-year, $25 million contract in 2022, but later bought out the final three years of the deal. Campbell hung up his mask after compiling a 93-52-18 record in 176 career games. He had his best campaign in 2021-22, going 31-9-6 with the Toronto Maple Leafs and becoming an All-Star. Campbell also announced that he will become an identity and performance coach.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Isac Lundestrom to Miss Start of Season
Columbus Blue Jackets center Isac Lundestrom (Achilles) won't be available for the start of the 2026-27 season, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports. He is recovering from offseason Achilles surgery and is expected to return in November. This means the Blue Jackets will be without a solid bottom-six contributor and penalty-killer early next season, though Lundestrom's absence won't affect fantasy hockey. The Swedish forward managed only four goals and eight assists in 68 outings last season. He's been limited to 15 or fewer points in four consecutive campaigns.
Source: Mark Scheig
Source: Mark Scheig
John Marino Signs Eight-Year Extension With Mammoth
Utah Mammoth defenseman John Marino will remain with the team after his contract expires next offseason. On Tuesday, he agreed to an eight-year, $54 million extension. The 29-year-old will complete a six-year, $26.4 million deal in 2026-27. Marino earned a long-term extension after a career year in 2025-26. He tallied 36 points (four goals, 32 assists) in 80 games and finished with an impressive plus-42 rating. Marino moved to Utah in 2024 and has been a great fit for the team. However, his modest defensive stats mean he provides limited value in fantasy hockey.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Jason Robertson Avoids Arbitration Hearing With One-Year, $12 Million Deal
Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson signed a one-year, $12 million contract with the team on Tuesday, avoiding a salary arbitration hearing. Robertson appeared headed for a move this offseason when his contract talks hit a snag, and Dallas even had a couple of trades in place to send him elsewhere. But he ended up staying for now. The Stars can sign him to a long-term extension on Jan. 1. Robertson has led his team in scoring in three of the past four seasons. In 2025-26, he tallied 96 points (45 goals, 51 assists) in 82 games. He'll be looking to prove his worth in the upcoming campaign, which should benefit fantasy managers.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Matej Blumel Returns to Czechia
Winger Matej Blumel has returned to his native Czechia, signing a four-year contract with HC Sparta Praha. In North America, Blumel had a productive AHL career, but his game didn't translate to the NHL. In four seasons with the Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins, he appeared in only 17 games, recording two goals and zero assists. Blumel, who celebrated his 26th birthday in May, left the Stars as a free agent last offseason, signing a one-year deal with the Bruins. He notched 52 points (21 goals, 31 assists) in 58 AHL games but went scoreless in four NHL outings.
Source: HC Sparta Praha
Source: HC Sparta Praha
Jaret Anderson-Dolan Heads to Sweden
Forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan has signed a two-year deal with Swedish club Brynas IF. The 26-year-old has paused his career in North America after spending the entire 2025-26 campaign in the AHL. Anderson-Dolan amassed 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists) in 72 games with the Manitoba Moose. He spent two seasons in the Winnipeg Jets organization. Anderson-Dolan began his career with the Los Angeles Kings and has also had a spell with the Nashville Predators, making 134 career appearances. He has earned 28 points (15 goals, 14 assists). While Anderson-Dolan's NHL career has been underwhelming, he boasts a gold medal from the 2021 World Championships with Team Canada. At his age, the Calgary native still has time to make an NHL comeback down the road.
Source: Brynas IF
Source: Brynas IF
Connor Bedard Signs Five-Year, $75 Million Extension With Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard (shoulder) has signed a five-year, $75 million contract extension, giving him the third-highest cap hit in the NHL next season. His average annual value of $15 million is surpassed only by Anaheim's Leo Carlsson ($18 million) and Minnesota's Kirill Kaprizov ($17 million). Bedard, who turned 21 on Friday, was a restricted free agent. Unfortunately, Bedard's season debut in 2026-27 will be delayed by shoulder surgery. On July 9, the Blackhawks announced that Bedard is expected to be out for approximately four months. Once he's back, he will set his sights on maintaining a point-per-game pace for a second consecutive year. Bedard finished last term with 75 points (30 goals, 45 assists) in 69 outings.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
Jamie Drysdale Signs Four-Year, $26 Million Contract With Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale will remain with the franchise on a four-year, $26 million contract. As a restricted free agent, the 24-year-old had a salary arbitration hearing scheduled for Monday. After struggling to stay healthy early in his NHL career, Drysdale has performed solidly for the Flyers. He matched his career high with 32 points (eight goals, 24 assists) in 78 games last term, adding 94 blocks. Flyers general manager Daniel Briere expressed confidence that Drysdale's best performances are still to come, so it wouldn't be surprising if he nears the 40-point mark in the next few seasons.
Source: NHL.com
Source: NHL.com
