That howl you hear in the distance is the call of summer’s dog days. As we roll toward mid-July, the pivot away from rinks and toward cottages and cabins is in full swing, with the hockey world’s collective watch increasingly tuned to island time.
But that doesn’t mean there’s a tick beside every item on the to-do list.
While most of a team’s heavy lifting is done at the draft and around the start of free agency on July 1, there’s still business to be conducted throughout the summer months. So, with some hires, signings and — potentially — still a meaningful trade or two to come, let’s take a quick look at one lingering question for each NHL squad.
We’ll focus on the Eastern Conference today, then turn our attention to the West on Friday.
Boston Bruins: When will they sign Jeremy Swayman? The 25-year-old is the No. 1 in Boston after former batterymate Linus Ullmark was dealt to the Ottawa Senators. One year after Swayman and the Bruins went through an arbitration process the goalie has not spoken highly of, both parties declined the arbitration path this time around. Perhaps that’s a sign the negotiations are on the right track and Boston will have one of its most important players locked up soon.
Buffalo Sabres: Can they get a deal done with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen? The Sabres goalie — who was fantastic in the second half of this past season — opted for salary arbitration. It would set a positive tone for the upcoming season if the team avoided that process and came together on a long-term pact with a 25-year-old puckstopper, who will undoubtably need to be at his best if the Sabres are to end a 13-season playoff drought.
Carolina Hurricanes: Is there a Martin Necas deal coming? Deal has a double meaning here because while it’s entirely possible — maybe even likely — the Canes trade the RFA, we can’t completely close the door on the idea that the 25-year-old would ink a new contract to stay in Raleigh. It sure seemed as though Carolina was hoping Jake Guentzel would stick around on a new pact, so now that he’s a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, perhaps there’s some incentive to circle back and mend fences with Necas.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Who’s the next coach? It might still be former Los Angeles Kings bench boss Todd McLellan, but on Wednesday, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported that McLellan, Columbus and L.A. could not hammer out an agreement that worked for all parties as the long-time coach still has term left on his contract with the Kings. Given the fiasco that went down 12 months ago with Mike Babcock’s very brief tenure as Columbus coach, you have to believe the Jackets would love to — one way or another — settle on a new bench boss and move forward.
Detroit Red Wings: Can they get Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond locked up? Detroit’s best two young players — and two of its best players, full stop — are RFAs in need of new contracts. Wings GM Steve Yzerman is a tough negotiator, but you have to believe the Detroit faithful hope he and the players come together on deals that will keep Seider and Raymond in the Motor City through their 20s.
Florida Panthers: Are there more extensions coming for the champs? The Panthers had three key players — Sam Reinhart, Gus Forsling and Brandon Montour — on the roster this past season who were eligible to become UFAs on July 1. Montour wound up signing with Seattle, while Reinhart and Forsling remained with the Cats on deals that triggered all kinds of carping about the advantages of no-income-tax states. Now, it’s time to think about another trio of Panthers — Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad — who can become UFAs in 12 months and, as such, are eligible to ink extensions between now and then.
Montreal Canadiens: Will they add a top-six forward who fits the plan? Because the Habs traded for Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook in consecutive off-seasons, there was a sense Montreal might target a similar player — very young, untapped potential — again this summer. Alternatively, the Canadiens also sniffed around accomplished veterans — Patrick Kane, Jonathan Marchessault — who might be willing to join the club on shorter-term UFA deals. Nothing came to fruition, but that doesn’t mean the Habs — with a glut of young D-men in the system representing possible trade chips — won’t yet find a way to add to its forward crew.
New Jersey Devils: Can the season start tomorrow? The Devils are, at worst, co-winners of the off-season with the Nashville Predators, but no team in the league is expected to surge forward like Jersey. That’s because it’ll enter September with a new goalie duo of Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen — “J Crew”? — two perfect-fit new D-men in Brett Pesce and Brenden Dillon and a new voice at the top in coach Sheldon Keefe. The one meaningful item left on GM Tom Fitzgerald’s to-do list is figuring out a path forward with RFA winger Dawson Mercer.
New York Islanders: Can they get a deal done with Noah Dobson? What you see is pretty much what you get on Long Island, but stud defenceman Noah Dobson — who’s 24 years old and coming off a jump-forward 70-point season — is eligible to ink an extension that would eliminate him becoming an RFA next summer.
New York Rangers: Will they trade captain Jacob Trouba? This became a thing early in the off-season as Trouba’s trade protection switched from complete to partial, with a 15-team no-trade list now his only leverage to remain in New York. According to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, Trouba has already exercised his right to block a move. The Blueshirts captain is deeply uninterested in uprooting a family that includes a baby born in January. On the flip side, GM Chris Drury is surely looking at the fact Trouba counts for $8 million against the cap for the next two seasons and views that as something that could impede his ability to sign defenceman Braden Schneider (RFA), Alexis Lafreniere (RFA in 2025) and, most significantly, goalie Igor Shesterkin, who can become a UFA next July 1 and is due a big raise on the $5.7 million AAV he draws. One way or another, it feels like there’s an uncomfortable chapter still to come.
Ottawa Senators: Are they waiting for just the right moment to talk turkey with Linus Ullmark? Acquiring the 2023 Vezina winner was a coup for the Sens. The only hitch, of course, is he’s entering the final year of his contract and the Swede wasn’t about to rush into a long-term commitment with his new club. Maybe once he has a month or two in the organization, Ullmark and the Sens will enter into talks on a new deal.
Philadelphia Flyers: Will they trade Morgan Frost? The 25-year-old’s name was in trade rumours for a good chunk of the season. With much of the off-season dust settled, perhaps another club will circle back and see a 2017 first-rounder who needs a change of scenery to tease out a little more of his offensive potential.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Are they dotting I’s and crossing T’s with their captain? While we had a fun off-season Sidney Crosby sighting last week of him hitting the CANMNT’s locker room after its quarterfinal win over Venezuela at Copa America, we have yet to see Crosby officially put pen to paper on an extension with the Penguins. It could happen at any moment. Until it does, it’s the story of the off-season in Pittsburgh.
Tampa Bay Lightning: We all good here? There was significant upheaval in Tampa this off-season, with franchise face Steven Stamkos departing as a free agent and top-four defenceman Mikhail Sergachev being dealt to Utah. It feels like it’s just going to take a minute for everyone on the Bolts to wrap their head around the new reality and move forward.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Are we done talking about Mitch Marner? The speculation about Marner’s future has gone from five-alarm fire to candle flicker as the reality of the situation has set in around the squad. Marner has full control of his destiny thanks to a no-move clause and, in all likelihood, will be at training camp ready to start a walk year with the Leafs in September.
Washington Capitals: When will we get official word on the futures of Nick Backstrom and T.J. Oshie? Based on the salary Washington acquired this off-season in moves that landed Pierre-Luc Dubois, Matt Roy and Jakub Chychrun, it’s pretty clear the club expects Backstrom to remain on long-term injured reserve and Oshie to ultimately land there. Both have just one year remaining on their contracts and, combined, basically account for the roughly $14 million Washington exceeds the cap by.
