Signing - Hockey Wiretap

Connor Bedard has agreed to a five-year contract extension with the Chicago Blackhawks carrying an average annual value of $15 million, the team announced Saturday. The deal, signed a day after Bedard turned 21, keeps him under contract through the 2030-31 season.

The average annual value ranks third in the league, trailing only Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson at $18 million and Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov at $17 million. The extension buys out just one year of Bedard's unrestricted free agency.

Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson praised Bedard's development since entering the league.

"Connor has continuously defied our expectations since being drafted, and has quickly established himself as an elite player in the NHL," said Davidson. "He utilizes all aspects of his game to not only be a constant threat, but to make the players around him better every time he steps on the ice. Connor's strong work ethic and determination to always improve his game has set an extraordinary standard for our young core, and we're excited for the incredible impact he'll have in this next chapter of Blackhawks hockey."

Bedard's contract had been a major storyline since he was selected first overall in the 2023 draft. Speculation intensified after Leo Carlsson signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers, which Anaheim ultimately matched on July 9, raising questions about whether Bedard might pursue a similar path. A shoulder injury and subsequent surgery, which is expected to sideline him until early November, also factored into the uncertainty surrounding negotiations.

Bedard broke out significantly this past season, posting 19 goals and 25 assists in his first 31 games before the shoulder injury slowed his production to 11 goals and 20 assists over his final 38 games. He also took on a larger leadership role after Chicago traded veterans Nick Foligno, Connor Murphy and Jason Dickinson at the deadline, earning a promotion to alternate captain.

Bedard addressed the possibility of becoming full-time captain later this offseason.

"It'd be an honor," said Bedard. "It'd be extremely special. We have a lot of guys in this room who can lead and take on those kind of roles. If I'm the one who is chosen for that, I'd be extremely grateful, and that's not something anyone would take for granted."

Bedard reiterated his commitment to winning in Chicago at the end of last season.

"I talk about wanting to win, we all want to win. I want to win here for as long as I'm playing," said Bedard. "At the end of the day, I have so much faith in the management, the coaching and also our players. I can't be more confident that we are going to get to where we want to get to."

Chicago also recently signed defenseman Bowen Byram to a six-year deal worth $12.5 million annually, while prospects Frank Nazar, Artyom Levshunov and Anton Frondell continue developing within the organization's core.

Connor McMichael has signed a six-year, $40.5 million contract with the St. Louis Blues. The deal carries a $6.75 million salary cap hit through the 2031-32 season.

Alex Steen, who took over as general manager from Doug Armstrong on July 1, finalized the extension for McMichael, who joined St. Louis last month as part of a trade with the Washington Capitals. That deal sent Jordan Kyrou to Washington in exchange for McMichael, a first-round pick and prospect Milton Gastrin.

The contract more than triples McMichael's previous salary, having earned $2.1 million in each of the last two seasons. The 25-year-old forward is coming off a career-best 32 assists to go with 14 goals in 78 games with Washington last season.

McMichael has recorded 162 points across 333 regular-season and playoff games since debuting in 2021. St. Louis selected the framework for acquiring him after Washington took McMichael 25th overall in the 2019 draft.

The Winnipeg Jets and center Cole Perfetti have avoided salary arbitration, agreeing to a five-year, $30 million contract, an NHL source told ESPN. The deal carries a $6 million annual salary cap hit and runs through 2031, when Perfetti will become eligible for unrestricted free agency.

Perfetti, 24, was coming off a two-year bridge contract worth $3.25 million annually. He had filed for arbitration, with a hearing scheduled for Monday, July 20, before the new agreement was reached.

Winnipeg selected Perfetti 10th overall in the 2020 draft, and he has spent his entire five-year NHL career with the franchise. He posted 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points last season across 68 games, finishing at a minus-9 rating. For his career, Perfetti has totaled 59 goals and 98 assists for 157 points in 290 games.

The Jets missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2022. Winnipeg's offseason has also been shaped by trade speculation surrounding goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, the three-time Vezina Trophy winner and U.S. Olympic standout. The Buffalo Sabres are among the teams that have expressed interest in the 33-year-old netminder.

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.

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 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.