Hockey Wiretap

The Buffalo Sabres and Peyton Krebs have avoided arbitration, agreeing to a four-year contract worth $18 million total, or $4.5 million annually. Krebs, 25, joined Buffalo as part of the Jack Eichel trade and has now spent five seasons with the franchise.

Krebs is coming off his most productive NHL season, posting 12 goals and 27 assists while playing all 82 regular-season games. He added two goals and four assists across 13 playoff appearances.

Krebs began the season in a bottom-six role before finishing the year on a line with Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch. That trio opened the playoffs together before Sabres coach Lindy Ruff moved Krebs back down the lineup. His forechecking ability and versatility at both center and wing have made him a valuable piece up and down Buffalo's roster, with Ruff referring to him as the team's "Swiss Army knife."

Krebs expressed his desire to remain in Buffalo long term at the end of the season, citing personal ties to the city.

"This is definitely a home for my family and I, and I'd love to be a part of this team as long as I can," said Krebs. "Obviously, the group of guys here are unbelievable and a lot of fun to be around. I think that's the biggest thing: Is it a fun environment to come to the rink? And that it is, for sure. I got to know my neighbors really well, and all the people out in Clarence, where I live. It's definitely something I'm looking forward to, and I want to bring a Stanley Cup here."

The Sabres now carry 15 NHL forwards on their roster and hold $4.1 million in salary cap space, according to PuckPedia.

Krebs was the final internal contract Buffalo needed to resolve this offseason. After losing Tuch and Bowen Byram in free agency, the Sabres also retained forward Beck Malenstyn on a six-year deal worth just under $3 million annually.

The Anaheim Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet for center Leo Carlsson on Thursday, keeping the 21-year-old under contract on a five-year, $90 million deal that makes him the NHL's highest-paid player.

Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek had privately told peers he intended to match any offer sheet for Carlsson, though sources told ESPN that Anaheim was still caught off guard by the size of Philadelphia's proposal.

"Matching the offer sheet was an easy decision, as Pat has intelligently left enough cap space to give us the ability to retain Leo," said Ducks owners Henry and Susan Samueli in a statement. "We have extremely high expectations for Leo. We firmly believe he will continue his strong growth trajectory and become one of the truly elite centers in the league."

Carlsson's $18 million annual average value surpasses the previous high mark set by Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild, who signed a $17 million per season deal last year.

The contract structure leans heavily on signing bonuses, with just $4.7 million in total base salary over five years compared to roughly $85.3 million in bonus payments. Carlsson will receive nearly $20 million immediately in the contract's first year.

Anaheim selected Carlsson second overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. He scored 29 goals and posted 67 points across 70 games this season despite battling injury, helping the Ducks reach the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

Carlsson added four goals and 11 assists during a 12-game playoff run that ended with a second-round loss to the eventual Stanley Cup runner-up Vegas Golden Knights.

"We have viewed Leo as a franchise player since the moment we met him prior to the 2023 draft," said Verbeek. "He's a character person on and off the ice. Leo is viewed as a top player in this league, and it was always our intention to match any offer sheet."

Philadelphia would have sent four first-round picks as compensation had Anaheim declined to match the offer.

Chicago Blackhawks star center Connor Bedard is expected to miss the beginning of next season after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder Wednesday, the team announced.

Chicago said Bedard should make a full recovery within approximately four months, a timeline that would keep him out for at least the opening month of the 2026-27 campaign. This marks the league's first 84-game season under the NHL's new collective bargaining agreement, with play starting in late September.

Bedard, who turns 21 on July 17, was hurt during a training session with Kaivo Hockey in Vancouver. Footage from the workout showed him losing an edge and crashing into the boards before leaving the ice while favoring his shoulder.

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft and reigning Rookie of the Year from 2023-24, Bedard enters his fourth NHL season. He paced Chicago with 75 points and 30 goals across 69 games last season.

Bedard has totaled 203 points in 219 career games, though he has yet to reach the Stanley Cup playoffs with the rebuilding franchise. Chicago finished last season 29-39-14, an 11-point improvement from the prior year.

Bedard remains a restricted free agent after completing his entry-level deal. General manager Kyle Davidson has declined to publicly discuss contract talks.

Those negotiations could grow more complicated following a recent offer sheet signed by Anaheim's Leo Carlsson with the Philadelphia Flyers. Carlsson, picked one spot after Bedard in 2023, will earn an $18 million annual salary beginning next season, the highest in league history.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson filed for salary arbitration before Sunday's 5 p.m. ET deadline.

The filing means that Robertson is no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet from another NHL team. Unless he's signed before the hearing, an arbitrator will determine Robertson's 2026-27 contract that will walk him to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2027.

Robertson, who turns 27 on July 22, just finished a four-year, $31 million deal he got in 2022 and is a restricted free agent.

The Ottawa Senators have re-signed star forward Claude Giroux to a one-year contract worth $5 million, sources told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

In four seasons with Ottawa, Giroux missed just one regular-season game. He scored a career-high 35 goals in 2022-23, his first year with the Senators, and followed that up with 21 in Year 2. For his career, he has averaged 19:17 time on ice, and he will begin next season 21 goals shy of 400.

The Calgary Flames announced Monday that they signed defenseman Simon Nemec to a five-year contract worth $36.25 million, carrying a $7.25 million annual cap hit.

Calgary acquired the 22-year-old in a trade with the New Jersey Devils on June 23, shortly before he became a restricted free agent. Nemec posted 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games with New Jersey last season.

The Devils selected Nemec second overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. He recorded 16 goals and 49 points across 155 career games during three seasons in New Jersey.

Nemec has also competed internationally for Slovakia, earning an Olympic bronze medal in 2022. Forward Maxim Tsyplakov joined Nemec in the trade that sent him to Calgary.

The Flames expect Nemec to provide scoring depth on the back end as the franchise continues rebuilding. His 11 goals last season would have topped all Calgary defensemen, surpassing Rasmus Andersson's 10 goals before his trade to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Nemec is also expected to anchor Calgary's power play while mentoring top prospect Zayne Parekh on defense.

Calgary holds over $14 million in salary cap space this offseason, according to PuckPedia. The team has remained active in the trade market, recently sending winger Blake Coleman and defenseman Olli Maatta to the Minnesota Wild for Jake Middleton and draft selections.

The Philadelphia Flyers said Friday that they have tendered an offer sheet to Anaheim Ducks star center Leo Carlsson for a five-year deal that's worth $18 million annually.

Carlsson being a restricted free agent means that he's still under team control by the Ducks, who now have seven days to match the offer submitted by the Flyers, per the NHL and NHL Players Association collective bargaining agreement.

The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their active summer Saturday, agreeing to terms with defenseman Emil Andrae on a two-year contract carrying a $1.55 million cap hit.

Andrae, a restricted free agent, joined Toronto last month as part of a trade that sent Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers.

New general manager John Chayka viewed the 24-year-old as a valuable addition to a blue line filled with veterans over 30.

"Smart, competitive player," said Chayka, following the June trade. "Helps us break the puck more efficiently, a good puck-mover that can also help join the rush and support offence as well."

Philadelphia selected Andrae in the second round of the 2020 draft. He has appeared in 107 career NHL games, recording 13 points across 61 contests last season while averaging roughly 15 minutes of ice time nightly.

Andrae projects to fill a third-pairing role for Toronto next season. His ability to play both left and right side gives new head coach Jim Hiller added flexibility on the back end.

The signing adds to an already eventful week for Toronto. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky signed a three-year, $21 million deal July 1, alongside forward additions Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Jack Roslovic and Brandon Duhaime. The Maple Leafs also acquired forward Nick Paul from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Dennis Hildeby and draft compensation.

Toronto separately acquired defenseman Darren Raddysh from Tampa Bay last month, signing him to an eight-year contract. The team also hired Hiller as its new head coach this offseason.

The Nashville Predators signed center Mavrik Bourque to a six-year contract Saturday, just three days after acquiring him from the Dallas Stars.

The deal is worth $33 million, carrying a $5.5 million salary cap hit through the 2031-32 campaign. Bourque, 24, made $950,000 last season on a one-year contract with Dallas before hitting restricted free agency.

Nashville acquired the negotiating rights to Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin by sending a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-rounder, the latter obtained from the Vegas Golden Knights, to Dallas. The Stars were motivated to shed Lyubushkin's $3.25 million cap charge.

Bourque posted 20 goals and 21 assists across 82 games last season, his second full NHL campaign, while averaging 15 minutes, 29 seconds of ice time nightly. Dallas general manager Jim Nill, who drafted Bourque 30th overall in 2020, called the departure an unfortunate byproduct of salary cap constraints.

"You have to be cap compliant, and those decisions have to be made," said Nill. "He did a good job. His contract was coming up. He bet on himself last year.

"Where his contract was going, it was something that we wouldn't be able to fit in. You can't fit everybody in. It's just part of the business."

Bourque's cap hit now ties him with Jonathan Marchessault for the third-highest figure among Nashville forwards. The acquisition marks the most significant transaction so far for new Predators general manager Chris MacFarland, who arrived from the Colorado Avalanche to succeed Barry Trotz.

Gavin McKenna has officially signed his entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, formalizing his arrival after becoming the franchise's third No. 1 overall pick last month.

The 18-year-old forward received the maximum entry-level deal allowed under the 2025 memorandum of understanding, according to terms of the contract. McKenna is guaranteed $1,025,000, $1,075,000 and $1,125,000 in base salary over the next three seasons.

Beyond his guaranteed pay, McKenna can earn up to $3.5 million annually in performance bonuses. That total includes as much as $1 million through "Schedule A" incentives, which pay $250,000 for hitting individual marks like 20 goals, 35 assists, 60 points or a 0.73 points-per-game average.

McKenna also has a path to an additional $2.5 million per season tied to league-wide awards or finishing among the top 10 forwards in goals, assists, points or points per game.

The contract positions McKenna to make an immediate impact as a rookie and an early contender for the Calder Trophy. He projects to spend significant time alongside Auston Matthews, a pairing that could pay off quickly given McKenna's playmaking and Matthews' finishing ability.

If not skating with Matthews, McKenna could line up with John Tavares, another former No. 1 pick, and possibly William Nylander on the opposite wing.

McKenna's physical transition to the NHL as a teenager remains an open question, but his power-play potential looks immediate. Toronto's revamped top unit already includes Matthews, Tavares, Nylander and offseason addition Darren Raddysh, giving McKenna a clear setup role to grow into.