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New York Times
11-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Why these 4 NHL teams could lose good players because of salary cap crunches
With the NHL's salary cap ceiling climbing from $88 million to $95.5 million, there won't be as many teams navigating stressful cap situations this offseason compared to years past. However, that doesn't mean all clubs are clear of obstacles. Earlier this season, the Colorado Avalanche pulled the trigger on a jaw-dropping, salary cap-motivated trade that sent superstar winger Mikko Rantanen to the Carolina Hurricanes. It's extremely unlikely we'll see any cap casualties of that magnitude this summer, but there are still some franchises with difficult decisions to make this offseason. Here are five teams with cap crunches worth monitoring. Projected cap space: $5 million Notable UFAs: Matt Duchene, Jamie Benn, Mikael Granlund, Evgenii Dadonov, Cody Ceci, Colin Blackwell Notable RFAs: Mavrik Bourque, Nils Lundkvist GM Jim Nill's acquisition of Rantanen was a slam dunk. Prime-aged star players rarely become available and without Rantanen's heroics, the Stars probably would have bowed out in the first round to Colorado. Advertisement However, to fit Rantanen's $12 million contract — plus Jake Oettinger and Wyatt Johnston's big-money contracts that kick in next season — the Stars will need to cut significant salary elsewhere. Dallas has just under $5 million in cap space, with only 16 players signed for the 2025-26 season (eight forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders). The Stars have several key pending unrestricted free agents, including second-line center Matt Duchene (who led the club with 82 points in the regular season), franchise icon Jamie Benn and productive rental Mikael Granlund. Duchene ($7.1 million), Benn ($4.8 million), and Granlund ($4.98 million) are projected to cost $16.9 million against the cap on their next contracts, according to AFP Analytics. It's possible the Stars can convince some of those three to sign bargain contracts cheaper than that — Benn's only ever played for the Stars and has already made over $100 million in his career, and Duchene signed a cheap one-year extension last summer — but there's no realistic way all three can come back unless Dallas moves out several other big-name players. Granlund is probably the most likely of these three players to leave in free agency. There's also up-and-coming center Mavrik Bourque, who could be a tempting offer-sheet target for teams as an RFA. Nill also has to be mindful of the 2026 offseason, when Jason Robertson and Thomas Harley's bridge deals expire. Robertson, who is currently on a $7.75 million AAV, will have considerable leverage as an arbitration-eligible RFA and will be eligible for unrestricted free agency in 2027. Harley will be in line for an even bigger raise since he's only on a $4 million cap hit right now. Offloading the final year of Matt Dumba's $3.75 million AAV is a must, even if it requires a sweetener. Mason Marchment is also likely to be a cap casualty on top of that; he's a solid second-line winger with one year left at $4.5 million. Advertisement The problem is that even if the Stars trade Dumba and Marchment's contracts, they will only have $13.25 million in cap space with just 14 players signed. Even if you assume Benn re-signs at a massively discounted $1 million base salary (he's eligible for a performance bonus-laden deal because he's 35) and Duchene returns at a very team-friendly $5 million cap hit, Dallas would only have $7.25 million in cap space remaining with seven depth roster spots left to fill for a complete 23-player roster. Perhaps there's a long-shot scenario where the Stars would consider trade offers on Robertson if they fear the cost of his extension next summer, but that would likely be a huge mistake. Moving Tyler Seguin's $9.85 million cap hit would solve a lot of problems, but he has a full no-movement clause. Overall, Dallas has by far the most challenging cap puzzle of any NHL team to solve this summer. Projected cap space: $11.9 million Notable UFAs: Connor Brown, Trent Frederic, Corey Perry, John Klingberg, Jeff Skinner, Kasperi Kapanen Notable RFAs: Evan Bouchard Evan Bouchard's next contract is going to single-handedly eat up nearly all of the Oilers' cap space this summer. Bouchard has scored the third-most points of all NHL defensemen over the last two years, behind only Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes. His defensive play can be up-and-down at times, but elite offensive numbers will always get a player paid a huge ransom. Both Evolving-Hockey and AFP Analytics' projections have Bouchard's next deal clocking in around the $10.6-10.9 million range for eight years. Edmonton would only have $1-1.5 million left over after signing a Bouchard extension in that neighborhood. That isn't a terrible spot for the Oilers to be in — they would have a nearly full roster with 11 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders signed at that point — but they'd be at risk of losing some impactful depth players to free agency. Advertisement Connor Brown, for example, could look to cash in on his bounce-back season and price himself out. Trent Frederic's playoff impact hasn't been anything special, but he won't be cheap to re-sign considering his size, versatility and previous scoring profile. John Klingberg has been a revelation on the Oilers' second pair with his puck-moving prowess. Edmonton would probably love to keep him, but we'll see what this playoff run does to his market value. Dumping the final year of Viktor Arvidsson's $4 million AAV contract would open up valuable space, but he has a full no-movement clause. The Oilers' cap situation isn't nearly as dire as the Stars', but they are likely to lose a quality depth contributor or two this summer. Projected cap space: $1.2 million Notable UFAs: Jonathan Drouin, Ryan Lindgren Notable RFAs: Sam Malinski The Avs' situation isn't overly concerning at first glance — they have $1.2 million of cap space even after Brock Nelson's extension and 19 players already signed (12 forwards, five defensemen, two goalies). It would have been a much tighter cap crunch if Rantanen's contract was on the books instead of Martin Necas' $6.5 million AAV. Colorado will avoid a mass exodus of talent this summer, but GM Chris MacFarland will still likely lose at least one decent player, and will be somewhat limited in his ability to upgrade the roster. Nelson's three-year, $7.5 million AAV extension ate up the overwhelming majority of Colorado's cap space, leaving virtually no room to retain Jonathan Drouin or Ryan Lindgren unless other players are shipped out. Could Miles Wood, who has four years left at a $2.5 million cap hit, be moved to create a little bit more cap flexibility? Wood struggled with just eight points in 37 games this season, and his contract carries risk, but perhaps there would be a taker for him given his rare combination of size and speed. Alternatively, could center Ross Colton become expendable? Moving Colton would open up $4 million that could be reallocated to either re-signing Lindgren or finding a comparable defenseman to round out the blue line. Projected cap space: $19 million Notable UFAs: Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand, Nate Schmidt, Tomas Nosek, Nico Sturm, Vitek Vanecek Notable RFAs: Mackie Samoskevich The Panthers will need significant player discounts and additional cap-clearing moves to afford bringing back all of Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand. Advertisement Bennett will have a bidding war waiting for him on July 1 as the top center in a weak free-agent class. He has the nasty, hard-nosed playing style, clutch playoff resume and top-six scoring profile that teams salivate over. If Bennett is simply chasing the biggest contract he can get, he'll likely price himself out of Florida. However, just for hypothetical sake, let's assume he's willing to take a discount to re-sign in Florida, and pencil him in for a $7 million AAV extension. After that, the Panthers would have $12 million remaining. Ekblad spoke very passionately about his loyalty to the Panthers on Tuesday — he's probably the most likely to take a deal below market value. The 29-year-old right-shot defender is currently on a $7.5 million cap hit and could probably command a similar figure in free agency this summer. But let's say he re-signs with the Panthers at a $6 million AAV. That would leave the Panthers with $6 million to spend, with 11 forwards, six defensemen and one goaltender under contract. That almost certainly wouldn't be enough to re-sign Marchand, extend RFA Mackie Samoskevich, find a backup goalie, sign a fourth-line center and add another depth defenseman for Nate Schmidt's role. To afford Marchand (after Bennett and Ekblad's hypothetical extensions), the Panthers would likely need to trade Evan Rodrigues' $3 million cap hit and hope Marchand is willing to take a team-friendly AAV on top of that. Marchand was significantly underpaid on his last contract in Boston at $6.125 million annually, so he could be motivated to chase the bag. It is technically possible for the Panthers to keep all three of Bennett, Ekblad, and Marchand if everything breaks right, but the most likely scenario is they'll only be able to afford to keep two of the three. All salary cap data courtesy PuckPedia. (Top photo of Mikko Rantanen and Jason Robertson:)
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Mikko Rantanen challenges the Dallas Stars to rise after a crushing loss to the Edmonton Oilers
Image Via Getty This is a very dangerous moment for the Dallas Stars after faltering once again against the Edmonton Oilers. As things now remain barely sticking for the veterans, Mikko Rantanen has taken up the mantle and not only contributed on the ice but also by being outspoken in the locker room. Dallas must mentally and physically regroup to avoid elimination because of a string of losses, culminating with the 4-1 battering in Game 4. Mikko Rantanen urges Stars to reset as series nears breaking point The pressure continues mounting against the Dallas Stars, and Mikko Rantanen is not letting it pass. Marking the third straight loss to the Edmonton Oilers, Rantanen issued this rallying cry to his teammates: reset and fight back. This was said with urgency as the Stars are now trailing 3-1 in the best-of-seven series with little to no margin for error going back home. The Oilers set the tone in Game 4 on Tuesday, never letting up from the opening whistle. Leon Draisaitl onto the power play in the first period with a perfect one-timer to put Edmonton on the board early, a fitting way to start the seventh straight game in which Edmonton has scored first this postseason. Gaining that early advantage remounted the momentum once again towards the Oilers. Reader disappointed! For a time, Jason Robertson had made a glimmer of hope for Dallas: a power-play goal nicked the game in the second period. Edmonton had no time in regaining control. Corey Perry came away with the finish from a sharp cross-ice pass to restore the Oilers' lead. Down the stretch, Dallas faced offensive smothering, having managed to look at the goal a mere four times. Edmonton then stamped its seal early on the affair with two empty-net goals—the first by Kasperi Kapanen and the second by Adam Henrique. The Game 5 challenge was suddenly not just tactical but psychological. Dallas needed to gain enough mental strength to push back against the tide; Rantanen urged the team to let the frustration go and focus forward. Also Read: Did Mikko Rantanen just end Josh Morrissey's season? NHL faces heat over possible suspension call For the Dallas Stars to carry their run to further levels, the team must clutch Mikko Rantanen's yell cry. The season of signing for Game 5 at Dallas will define them, not just for the Cup aspirations but for the spirit of the team. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
NBC Sports
27-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Stars need more production from their stars to avoid elimination against the Oilers
Mikko Rantanen and Mikael Granlund scored seven of the Dallas Stars' 13 goals in the second round to move on to the Western Conference final against the Edmonton Oilers, yet that lopsided production also was a red flag. Three-time Stanley Cup champion Ken Daneyko before the series started figured that needed to change. 'They do have more of a game-breaker with Mikko Rantanen,' Daneyko said. 'But the Johnstons and Dadonovs and the Duchenes and Seguin and Benn — whoever — these guys are going to have score some big goals or make a few big plays to beat the Oilers and the depth they have.' While Tyler Seguin has scored twice, Wyatt Johnston, Evgenii Dadonov, Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn have one goal between them, and now the Stars find themselves down two games to one in the best-of-seven series. They went nearly 100 minutes without scoring on Edmonton's Stuart Skinner from Games 1 through 3 and went another 24 minutes without a goal on the way to a 6-1 loss. With the status of injured center Roope Hintz uncertain after getting slashed in the left foot/ankle by Darnell Nurse in Game 2 badly enough that he was out in Game 3 and with Rantanen's playoff-opening magic seemingly wearing off, Dallas needs more offense from its top players to avoid getting pushed to the brink of elimination. 'Five on five we've got to find a way to finish our chances a little bit more,' Rantanen told reporters in Edmonton. 'Obviously Skinner is making good saves, but we've got to make life harder for him.' Skinner has stopped 80 of the 86 shots he has faced, but he's not the only netminder to stymie the Stars away from home this postseason. Connor Hellebuyck blanked them in Game 5 last round in Winnipeg, and their scoreless streak on the road lasted a franchise-worst 178:57 before Jason Robertson scored their lone goal. The impatience is building. 'It's something that's tough when you get so many chances,' said Rantanen, who's tied for the playoff lead in goals with nine but none so far against the Oilers. 'It's frustrating, and it's something that it's hard to not let the frustration come, but we've got to do our best to not let it come to our minds.' Coach Peter DeBoer, in the West final for a sixth time in seven years and aiming to reach the Cup final with a third different NHL team, does not sound frustrated. 'There's good signs in our game,' DeBoer said in his post-Game 5 news conference. 'If we can keep bringing that game to the rink, I like our chances of coming back in this series.' Robertson scoring his first goal of the playoffs is one of the reasons for optimism. He missed the entire first round against Colorado with injury and is only now starting to look like his regular-season point-a-game self. DeBoer called Game 5 Robertson's best since returning. 'There's no doubt he's been a step behind since he came back in,' DeBoer said. 'We need him. We need that scoring out of him. We haven't had it.' Even without depth scoring, Dallas is right there in the series thanks to a barrage of three power-play goals in 5 1/2 minutes in the third period of Game 1. The Oilers have been the better team at 5 on 5 for long stretches, but the Stars have not wilted under pressure. 'A great trait to have: they can be outplayed, but they're opportunistic,' said Daneyko, now an NHL Network analyst. 'They win games when they're outplayed. You have to be able to do that in the playoffs.' And sometimes win away from home, too, which is easier said than done given the crazed crowd in Edmonton. 'We still have an opportunity to try to at least get one on the road,' Robertson said. 'We know what we have to do. A lot of veterans in this locker room, and they're going to be up to the challenge.' Hintz could return after taking part in an optional practice, with DeBoer saying the 28-year-old Finn will take warmups to determine if he can play.
Fox Sports
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Stars need more production from their stars to avoid elimination against the Oilers
Associated Press Mikko Rantanen and Mikael Granlund scored seven of the Dallas Stars' 13 goals in the second round to move on to the Western Conference final against the Edmonton Oilers, yet that lopsided production was also a red flag. Three-time Stanley Cup champion Ken Daneyko before the series started figured that needed to change. "They do have more of a game-breaker with Mikko Rantanen," Daneyko said. 'But the Johnstons and Dadonovs and the Duchenes and Seguin and Benn — whoever — these guys are going to have score some big goals or make a few big plays to beat the Oilers and the depth they have.' While Tyler Seguin has scored twice, Wyatt Johnston, Evgenii Dadonov, Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn have one goal between them, and now the Stars find themselves down two games to one in the best-of-seven series. They went nearly 100 minutes without scoring on Edmonton's Stuart Skinner from Games 1 through 3 and went another 24 minutes without a goal on the way to a 6-1 loss Sunday. With the status of injured center Roope Hintz uncertain after getting slashed in the left foot/ankle by Darnell Nurse in Game 2 badly enough that he was out Sunday and with Rantanen's playoff-opening magic seemingly wearing off, Dallas needs more offense from its top players to avoid getting pushed to the brink of elimination. 'Five on five we've got to find a way to finish our chances a little bit more,' Rantanen told reporters in Edmonton. 'Obviously Skinner is making good saves, but we've got to make life harder for him.' Skinner has stopped 80 of the 86 shots he has faced, but he's not the only netminder to stymie the Stars away from home this postseason. Connor Hellebuyck blanked them in Game 5 last round in Winnipeg, and their scoreless streak on the road lasted a franchise-worst 178:57 before Jason Robertson scored their lone goal Sunday. The impatience is building. 'It's something that's tough when you get so many chances,' said Rantanen, who's tied for the playoff lead in goals with nine but none so far against the Oilers. 'It's frustrating, and it's something that it's hard to not let the frustration come, but we've got to do our best to not let it come to our minds.' Coach Peter DeBoer, in the West final for a sixth time in seven years and aiming to reach the Cup final with a third different NHL team, does not sound frustrated. "There's good signs in our game," DeBoer said in his post-Game 5 news conference. 'If we can keep bringing that game to the rink, I like our chances of coming back in this series.' Robertson scoring his first goal of the playoffs is one of the reasons for optimism. He missed the entire first round against Colorado with injury and is only now starting to look like his regular-season point-a-game self. DeBoer called Game 5 Robertson's best since returning. "There's no doubt he's been a step behind since he came back in," DeBoer said. 'We need him. We need that scoring out of him. We haven't had it.' Even without depth scoring, Dallas is right there in the series thanks to a barrage of three power-play goals in 5 1/2 minutes in the third period of Game 1. The Oilers have been the better team at 5 on 5 for long stretches, but the Stars have not wilted under pressure. 'A great trait to have: they can be outplayed, but they're opportunistic,' said Daneyko, now an NHL Network analyst. 'They win games when they're outplayed. You have to be able to do that in the playoffs.' And sometimes win away from home, too, which is easier said than done given the crazed crowd in Edmonton. 'We still have an opportunity to try to at least get one on the road,' Robertson said. 'We know what we have to do. A lot of veterans in this locker room, and they're going to be up to the challenge on Tuesday.' Hintz could return after taking part in an optional practice Monday, with DeBoer saying the 28-year-old Finn will take warmups to determine if he can play. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and recommended
NBC Sports
23-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Finns Up! NHL playoffs include 13 players from Finland on the 4 teams in conference finals
DALLAS — Dallas Stars coach Peter DeBoer jokingly has referred to himself as being Finnish during these NHL playoffs. After all, he has five of the 13 players from Finland who are on the rosters of the four teams still chasing the Stanley Cup. The Stars' top line is a trio of Finns, with top-scoring forward Mikko Rantanen alongside Roope Hintz and Mikael Granlund. They also have veteran defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell, who both scored in the third period of a comeback win over Edmonton in the West semifinal opener. 'They're phenomenal,' Stars forward Tyler Seguin said of his teammates playing more than 5,000 miles from their home country. 'I'd say we're a Finnish-first team probably now.' In the East final, the Florida Panthers have four Finnish players who were also part of last year's Stanley Cup title: captain Aleksander Barkov, Eetu Luostarinen, Niko Mikkola and Anton Lundell. Carolina, which had Rantanen for a 13-game stretch this season before trading him to Dallas, has Sebastian Aho, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Juha Jaaska. Luostarinen, who in 2017 was a second-round draft pick by the Hurricanes, had four points in Florida's series clincher over Tampa Bay in Round 1. He added three more in Game 7 of the second round against Toronto. 'It's nice to see so many Finns getting so far, and I think playing key roles on their teams, playing high minutes,' Luostarinen said. 'I think it's just the work they put in in Finland, from juniors all the way to the top level. It's top notch.' All 12 of the Finns who have played this postseason have scored goals, and half have at least 10 points. Rantanen, first traded from Colorado to Carolina and then six weeks later to the Stars, leads all players with nine goals and 20 points. Kasperi Kapanen is the lone Finnish player for the Oilers, and his only point so far this postseason was a huge one: an overtime goal to wrap up the second round series against Vegas. From Finland to the NHL The Dallas and Miami metropolitan areas each has more residents than Finland, but the nation of 5.6 million is a growing hockey power. There were 53 Finns on NHL rosters this season among 268 all-time, according to Divide the number of NHL players into a country's population, and Finland sends about as many players to the league per capita as Canada or Sweden. 'They've done a great job of developing players over in Finland,' Stars general manager Jim Nill said. 'We know they're good players, but they're just really good human beings. ... When you talk about the Finnish players, they play the game the right way. They're well-coached, they understand both ends of the ice.' Dallas and Florida played two regular-season games in Finland in November, the 10th and 11th the NHL has played there. The Panthers won both games in Barkov's hometown of Tampere while the seven Finnish players combined for 11 points, led by his four. Team Finland won the gold medal in the 2022 Olympics, when the NHL's decision not to send players to Beijing kept Aho, Barkov and Rantanen from participating. They were among nine of the still-playing Finns who represented their country in this year's 4 Nations Face-Off, and likely will be part of the 2026 Olympics. 'On my end with those guys, this is the golden age of Finnish hockey,' said DeBoer, an assistant for Team Canada in the 4 Nations. 'If you look at the last decade, those guys have won a lot of tournaments, under-18, world juniors, world championships. They know how to win. They have those winning habits and that's what makes them easy to coach, easy to play.' Jere Lehtinen, who played all 14 of his NHL seasons with the Stars and was part of their 1999 Stanley Cup championship, is the GM of the Finnish national team. Impact players In Carolina, Aho is the top-line center and the team's top-paid player, a 27-year-old locked up long term after signing an extension paying $9.75 million per year through the 2031-32 season. The team's second-round pick from 2015 has been a core piece of Carolina being the only NHL team with an active streak of winning at least one postseason series for seven straight years. When the Stars acquired Rantanen from the Hurricanes, that trade deadline deal was contingent on the 28-year-old forward signing an eight-year, $96 million contract extension. He had 101 points (34 goals, 67 assists) in 81 playoff games for the Colorado the past seven years, including the Avalanche's 2022 Cup run, before his 12 points against them in the first round this postseason that included his hat trick in Game 7. Rantanen had another hat trick in the second period of Game 1 in the second round against top-seeded Winnipeg. Speaking Finnish Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling, who is from neighboring Sweden, still sometimes doesn't understand Mikkola. 'He's very funny. He's got the Finnish accent, which is hilarious — sometimes I don't know what he's saying,' Forsling said. 'But he always comes back to the bench saying something, and it's hilarious.' Heiskanen, who was 19 when he made his Stars debut in 2018, said it's great to have Finnish teammates as he has throughout his NHL career. 'It's fun off the ice, too,' Heiskanen said when asked about the additions of Rantanen and Granlund, who at 33 is the oldest of the playoff Finns. 'Can speak Finnish and do stuff together.' Seguin said he has learned a few swear words in Finnish, along with some simple phrases. But there are times when he and team captain Jamie Benn wonder what is being said, and 'have the Google translator out trying to figure it out.' The only word that really matters right now is 'voittaa,' which generally translates as 'to win.'
