NHL Hockey Player News

Nick Robertson's offseason saga gained a new story on Tuesday after the winger signed a one-year, $850,000 contract extension amidst rumours circulating all summer of him wanting a trade out of Toronto. The 22-year-old is still expected to be traded despite the newest contract according to Frank Seravalli. The Maple Leafs' 2019 2nd-round pick (53rd overall) appeared in a career-high 56 games with Toronto in 2023-24, with 14 goals, 27 points and 96 SOG while averaging just 11:23 TOI/GP.

Calgary added to its defensive depth on Tuesday by bringing in both Tyson Barrie (PTO) and Jarred Tinordi on a one-year, two-way contract worth $800,000. Tinordi is a towering 6'6" defenseman entering his 10th NHL season with his seventh different team. In 52 games with Chicago in 2023-24, the 32-year-old had no goals, nine points, 64 PIMs and a -27 plus/minus.

A Toronto Marlies (AHL) defensive staple is returning for two more seasons after the Maple Leafs signed Marshall Rifai to a two-year, $1.55 million contract extension on Thursday. The 26-year-old undrafted defenseman made his NHL debut in 2023-24, appearing in two games and failing to pick up any points. Since joining the Marlies (AHL) from Harvard (NCAA) in 2022-23, Rifai has six goals and 35 points in 126 games played.

Anaheim added to San Diego's goaltending depth on Thursday after they signed Oscar Dansk to a one-year, two-way contract. The 30-year-old netminder had spent the last two seasons with the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) and posted an 11-12-3 record with a .322 GAA and .897 SV% in 27 games played in 2023-24.

Edmonton locked up a massive piece of their future on Tuesday after the Oilers agreed to an eight-year, $112 million contract extension ($14,000,000 AAV) with Leon Draisaitl starting at the beginning of the 2025-26 season. The upcoming 2024-25 campaign will mark Draisaitl's 11th NHL season, having surpassed the 100+ point plateau in five of the last six years. He will look to build off last year's rare down(ish) campaign which saw him still pick up an impressive 41 goals and 106 points in 81 games played.

Bortuzzo failed to pick up a point in 27 games played between St.Louis and the New York Islanders in 2023-24 but earned himself a one-year, two-way contract with Utah on Saturday. The 35-year-old stay-at-home defenseman is entering his 14th NHL season and has 20 goals and 74 points in 560 career games played. He will provide Utah with some much-needed defensive depth.

Carolina and Jarvis may have changed the NHL free agent game forever on Friday after they signed an eight-year deal worth $63.2 million ($7.9M AAV) that is much lower than average annual salaries because Jarvis was willing to defer salary. The 22-year-old center was Carolina's 2020 1st-round pick (13th overall) and broke out in 2023-24 finishing second on the Hurricanes' in points with 33 goals, 67 points 176 SOG and a +23 plus/minus through 81 games played.

Fresh off his first career Stanley Cup victory, Nick Cousins has signed a one-year, $800,000 contract to go to the Ottawa Senators. The 31-year-old is impressively entering his 11th NHL season with his seventh different team. In 2023-24, he had seven goals, 15 points, 64 PIMs and 111 SOG in 69 games played with Florida.

Los Angeles added to its goaltending depth on Sunday after they signed 23-year-old goaltender Erik Portillo to a three-year, entry-level contract. The towering 6'6" netminder was Buffalo's 2019 3rd-round pick (67th overall) and spent 2023-24 dominating the AHL with Ontario, with his 24-11-3 record, 2.50 GAA and .918 SV%.

Nearly an hour after being acquired in a large trade with San Jose, Yaroslav Askarov has signed a two-year, $4 million contract ($2,000,000 AAV) that will kick in after the 2024-25 season once his $925,000 contract comes to an end. The 22-year-old goaltender was Nashville's 2020 1st-round pick (11th overall) and had a strong 30-13-1 record, 2.39 GAA and .911 SV% with Milwaukee (AHL) last season.

Hours after being acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in a one-for-one deal for Brayden Yager, Rutger McGroarty has signed a three-year entry-level contract with Pittsburgh. The 20-year-old was Winnipeg's 2022 1st-round pick (14th overall) and had excelled at the NCAA level, with 16 goals and 52 points in only 36 games played in 2023-24 with the Michigan Wolverines.

Toronto added to its forward depth on Wednesday as they signed 24-year-old undrafted forward Alex Steeves to a one-year, two-way contract extension. The 6'0" centre has appeared in seven NHL games for the Maple Leafs in the last three seasons but spent the vast majority of his time with the Toronto Marlies (AHL) since joining from Notre Dame (NCAA) in 2021-22. Steeves had an impressive AHL campaign in 2023-24 with 27 goals, 57 points and 26 PIMs in 65 games played.

Weeks after signing fellow 2021 1st-round pick (5th overall) Kent Johnson, Columbus has also agreed to signed Cole Sillinger to a two-year, $4.5 million contract extension ($2,250,000 AAV). The 21-year-old was drafted 12th overall by the Blue Jackets in 2021 and has faced his share of up-and downs since joining the NHL as an 18-year-old in 2021-22. In 77 games in 2023-24 he had 13 goals, 32 points, 46 PIMs and 157 SOG while averaging 16:07 TOI/GP.

Seattle has locked up 2022-23 Calder Trophy winner Matty Beniers to a seven-year, $49.98 million contract extension ($7,140,000 AAV) on Tuesday. The 21-year-old centre was Seattle's inaugural draft pick when he went 2nd overall in 2021 from the University of Michigan (NCAA). In 77 games in 2023-24, the 6'2" American had 15 goals, 37 points, 133 SOG and a -11 plus/minus.

The Edmonton Oilers will not match St. Louis' offer sheet to restricted free agent Philip Broberg which means the 23-year-old has signed a two-year, $9.16 million contract with the Blues. Due to the signing, Edmonton has been compensated a 2025 2nd-round pick. In 12 games with Edmonton in 2023-24, Broberg had two assists, six SOG, and a -3 plus/minus while averaging only 11:37 TOI/GP.

Alongside Philip Broberg, Edmonton has decided to not match the two-year, $4.58 million offer sheet St.Louis presented to Dylan Holloway and will therefore lose the 22-year-old forward for a 2025 3rd-round pick. Holloway was Edmonton's 2020 1st round pick (14th overall) and had six goals, nine points and 29 PIMs in 38 games played in 2023-24.

Dallas may have created some competition in camp for their backup goaltender position after they signed veteran Magnus Hellberg to a one-year, two-way contract on Tuesday. The 33-year-old Swedish netminder spent 2023-24 with Pittsburgh and appeared in three games, picking up a 1-1-0 record, 2.50 GAA and .922 SV%. The veteran has appeared in 26 career NHL games for a whopping five separate teams across his 10 years of being in the NHL.

The tallest forward in the NHL (6'8") has been signed by Calgary on Tuesday as they signed Adam Klapka to a one-year, two-way contract. The 23-year-old towering right-winger made his NHL debut with the Flames in 2023-24 and had a goal, 19 PIMs and a -1 plus/minus while averaging just 6:46 TOI/GP.

Calgary shored up its defensive depth on Tuesday as they signed Yan Kuznetsov to a one-year, two-way contract extension. The 22-year-old Russian defenseman was Calgary's 2020 2nd-round pick (50th overall) and made his NHL debut in 2023-24 but only appeared in one game. In 63 games played with the Calgary Wranglers (AHL) last season, he had five goals and 13 points.

New Jersey solidified their forward depth on Monday as they signed 23-year-old left-winger Nolan Foote to a one-year, two-way contract extension. The 6'3" winger was Tampa Bay's 2019 1st-round pick (27th overall) but has failed to ever truly crack the Devils roster as he has appeared in seven or fewer games in each of the Devils' last four seasons. In 2023-24, he had a goal and six SOG while averaging 10:06 TOI in four games and yet another short showing with New Jersey.