As the dog days of the NHL off-season roll on, there might not be a lot of news to talk about.
But it’s never too early to begin discussing what could be a star-studded 2026 free-agent class.
On the latest edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said there could be a waiting game for to players thanks to the two most notable pending UFAs: Connor McDavid and Kirill Kaprizov.
“Once those players sign, I think you’ll see some of those other potential top UFAs next year say ‘OK, now the top of the market has been set. It’s easier for me to find the sweet spot or the comfortable place with the team to go, after those two guys are done.'”
Both McDavid and Kaprizov have been eligible to sign an extension since July 1, but there doesn’t appear to be a rush for either side to get a deal done, per Friedman.
Speaking with Bob Stauffer on CHED 880 Edmonton, Edmonton Oilers general manager Stan Bowman said he was hoping to have talks with McDavid’s representatives soon.
“(McDavid is) a huge part of everything we do here, and so I don’t have a timeline update, but I do expect to have some conversations with them soon and hopefully get that wrapped up,” Bowman said.
While the Oilers front office has been encouraged by how preliminary talks have gone, they want to let things progress naturally.
“I’ve had really good conversations with Judd Moldaver (McDavid’s agent) since the season ended, and I’ve tried to give Connor his space, and I think that it’s important,” Bowman said Tuesday. “You know, a lot of this is respecting the athlete and their timeline.
“So we haven’t had any of those types of detailed discussions yet, but we certainly will, and I think we’re very encouraged by all the conversations I’ve had to date. And when the time comes, the time comes.”
When it comes to Kaprizov, Friedman has made it clear that the Russian forward could see a sizeable deal.
“There are people in the league who believe this will end up being the NHL’s highest-paid player,” Friedman said during an episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast back in May. “That in this next wave of contracts, with the cap going up … Kaprizov is going to end up being No. 1 on the list.”
The Minnesota Wild can offer Kaprizov an eight-year term, and general manager BIll Guerin made it clear that extending his star forward was “priority No. 1” this summer, saying, “I’d like to get it done as soon as I can.”
Wild owner Craig Leipold said last summer that Kaprizov would be the main focus for his team and that it wouldn’t be restricted in offering top dollar for the star forward.
Other top free agents include Jack Eichel, Artemi Panarin, Kyle Connor, Martin Necas, Adrian Kempe, Alex Tuch and Rasmus Andersson.
Friedman said that the Jets’ focus now will be on keeping the rest of their core together.
Sniper Kyle Connor and captain Adam Lowry are both pending free agents — and while it could be challenging to bring them back, Friedman said he believes the Jets are in a good spot.
“This Jets group really believe in themselves. And not only do they really believe in themselves, but they really like each other as a group,” Friedman said. “The one thing the Jets have going for them right now is they have a group of players who really like each other and really like competing together.”
How does increasing cap impact Hutson’s next deal?
The Montreal Canadiens made a big move to bolster their blue line this off-season, acquiring Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders and signing him to an eight-year, $76-million contract extension.
He won’t be the only player with a big payday on the Canadiens blue line.
Entering the final year of his entry-level deal, Lane Hutson is eligible for a new contract and if the Canadiens want to get a deal done long-term, they will likely need to make a sizeable offer, Friedman said.
“I just think that with the cap going up, the market is getting reset. I like, I don’t see problems getting these guys signed, but I do see the sweet spot for both team and player being a challenge,” Friedman explained. “Lane Hutson, I’m sure initially, the Canadians probably wanted him to be under Nick Suzuki. And now you look at the deal Noah Dobson just signed. Well, if Hutson is going to sign for term, it’s probably going to be up closer to Noah Dobson.”
Why NHL teams pushed to keep draft decentralized
Despite league pressure and commissioner Gary Bettman not being a fan of the new NHL Draft format, it will remain a decentralized event — for now.
The deciding factor for teams around the league? Secrecy.
“I really thought, as you knew, because of how Bettman was openly ripping the GMs about this, I was actually surprised he gave them the vote,” Friedman said. “It’s obvious to me that these teams that voted to keep it the way it is, they value the secrecy. From what I understand, it was all about secrecy.
“Mark Yannetti, who runs the draft for the Kings, gave a quote, and I can’t remember where I saw it, but he gave a quote where he said, ‘I was able to look up injury reports and not worry about someone looking over my shoulder.’ I understand that was a big deal. People said I could talk at my table or I could have a conversation without worrying who was listening to me.
“One guy said to me, ‘I think people read lips,’ and I’m like, come on. And he goes, I think people do read lips. Everybody’s got a camera right now. I was worried about getting my lips read. And he was serious about it. They also feel that if you streamline the broadcast, it will be better. And I have no doubt that that is something they’re going to do for next season.”
Maple Leafs have work to do before season starts
With Nick Robertson’s arbitration situation behind them, the Toronto Maple Leafs still face a logjam up front.
“The Maple Leafs have to clear some bodies there. They’ve got a lot of them,” Friedman explained. “I had one Columbus fan ask me if (forward Yegor) Chinakhov for Robertson made sense. I don’t know. I think Toronto would have to do more to get that done.
“I definitely think that the Maple Leafs have work to do here, and I don’t know what their timeline is, but nobody expects them not to do things before puck drops, that’s for sure. They’re trying to move money around.”
One thought is whether Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas could target Robertson, whom he drafted in 2019 when he was with Toronto.
Other forwards that have been mentioned as trade possibilities are forwards David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok. Ryan Reaves was moved to the San Jose Sharks to help alleviate some of the logjam at forward, but the team still has 15 under contract.
32 Thoughts: The Podcast
Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.
Potential Penguins sale not close
There has been some chatter in Pittsburgh about a potential return to ownership by Mario Lemieux working alongside American businessman Ronald Burkle.
Friedman threw cold water on the possibility.
“I can understand why Penguins fans would be excited about the possibility of Lemieux. He’s a God there, and everything he touches turns to gold,” Friedman said. “But the only thing I’ve heard about that so far is that they’re just well below what (current owner) Fenway (Sports Group) would want to be.
“The Penguin sold for around $900 million (in 2021) and the Lightning sold for around $1.8 billion. I think that’s where the Penguins would want too. From what I understand, it is just not close to that at this point in time.”
Roslovic still sorting through options
As one of the top free agents left on the market, Jack Roslovic continues to weigh options in free agency.
Friedman reported it’s not for a lack of choice.
“I’ve heard there are still a few teams looking at him,” Friedman said. “He’s the best available player remaining and obviously he hasn’t found anything he 100 per cent likes. There’s definitely a few teams poking around there. I’ve heard five or six. So he has to get to something he’s comfortable with.”
He tied his career high of 22 goals while playing on a one-year, $2.8 million deal last season with the Carolina Hurricanes.
However, he struggled to find a consistent role in the Hurricanes’ playoff lineup, which hurt his stock heading into free agency.
The Leafs were one of the teams linked to Roslovic.
“It makes sense to me because he has a history with Auston Matthews,” Friedman said in July. “ They played together at the U.S. national development team, so I could see this connection. Roslovic is also a right-hand shot. You know he is a veteran. He’s been around a long time. Matthews obviously knows him. I’m curious to see if that happens.”