Fantasy Hockey

Novak agreed to terms on a three-year, $13.95 million contract extension with Pittsburgh on Friday.

With his extension, Novak will be locked up with the Penguins through the 2029-30 season while carrying an annual cap hit of just $4.65 million. The 29-year-old winger was a little hot and cold last year, racking up 31 points in the first 56 games, but struggled after the Olympic break, managing just 13 points in the final 32 contests, including the playoffs. Additionally, Novak ended the year having scored just once in 22 outings during that stretch. Still, Novak is set to step into the second-line center role for the Penguins ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, though youngster Ben Kindel figures to be knocking on the door for a spot in the top six.

White agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract with New Jersey on Thursday.

White failed to get into an NHL game last season, playing exclusively for AHL San Jose while logging 46 regular-season games and tallying 21 goals and 27 helpers. If the 2015 first-round pick can show that kind of offensive upside again in 2026-27, he should find himself on the short list of potential call-ups for the Devils this year.

Celebrini signed a five-year, $94 million contract extension with the Sharks on Wednesday.

Celebrini's $18.8 million cap hit is projected to be the highest in the NHL, surpassing even Leo Carlsson's $18 million, which itself set a new standard for what young stars can expect to get paid when it was agreed upon July 3. However, Celebrini has one year remaining on his entry-level contract, so his new massive contract won't begin until the 2027-28 campaign. That leaves the door open for someone else to become the league's highest-paid player before Celebrini's deal takes effect. Regardless, the 20-year-old's upcoming paycheck is well deserved. After impressing with his 63 points as a rookie during the 2024-25 regular season, he broke out as a sophomore with 45 goals and 115 points in 82 regular-season appearances with the Sharks. Taken with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, his time among the NHL's elite is just getting started.

Sillinger signed a three-year, $13.875 million contract with the Blue Jackets on Friday, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.

Sillinger and Columbus were headed toward an arbitration hearing, but that's no longer necessary. The 23-year-old Sillinger had eight goals, 33 points, 37 PIM and 112 hits in 81 regular-season appearances with the Blue Jackets in 2025-26. He's finished with 31-33 points in four of his first five regular seasons in the NHL. He has some untapped offensive upside, so perhaps he'll be able to surpass his career high of 33 points in 2026-27.

Aman agreed to terms on a three-year contract with Djurgardens IF of the SHL on Tuesday.

Aman saw action in just two NHL games with Vancouver last season, failing to register a point while producing one shot, two hits and one block. Given the length of his contract with the Swedish club, it seems unlikely the 26-year-old center will make a return to the NHL. If that is the case, he'll eventually hang up his skates having appeared in 132 regular-season tilts in which he recorded eight goals and 21 assists.

Merkulov signed a one-year contract with Colorado on Monday.

It's a two-way deal, per PuckPedia. Merkulov had 24 goals and 61 points over 70 regular-season games for AHL Providence in 2025-26. The 25-year-old forward has one assist, 10 shots on goal, 11 blocked shots and four hits in 11 career NHL appearances. He will compete for a depth role with the Avalanche during training camp, but it wouldn't be surprising if he started the 2026-27 campaign in the minors.

Nosek signed a contract with HC Dynamo Pardubice of the Czech Extraliga on Friday.

Nosek came up through Pardubice's system during his developmental years. That led to him playing in 514 career NHL regular-season games, earning 47 goals and 73 assists, as well as 17 points in 68 playoff contests. Nosek was a Stanley Cup champion in 2025 with the Panthers. While he'll continue playing in his native Czechia, the 33-year-old is unlikely to make his way back to the NHL in the future.

Graf signed a three-year, $12.75 million contract extension with the Sharks on Friday.

Graf was a restricted free agent after completing his entry-level contract. He reached an agreement with the Sharks two days after linemate Macklin Celebrini signed a long-term extension. Graf made a career-high 81 regular-season appearances with San Jose in 2025-26, logging 21 goals, 25 assists, 88 hits, 48 blocked shots and 12 PIM while averaging 16:27 of ice time per game.

Mangiapane (lower body) is expected to be ready for training camp ahead of the 2026-27 season, per TSN on Friday.

Mangiapane sat out the final two games of the 2025-26 regular season due to injury. Before finishing the year on the shelf, he had eight goals, 16 points, 58 shots on net and 65 hits across 62 appearances between Chicago and Edmonton. Mangiapane will compete for a bottom-six role with the Blackhawks during camp.

Grebenkin (upper body) is expected to be fine for the start of training camp, per Charlie O'Connor of PHLY Sports on Thursday.

Grebenkin didn't end up needing surgery to address his upper-body issue. He missed the final 13 games of the 2025-26 regular season and Philadelphia's entire playoff run due to the injury. The 23-year-old isn't a guarantee to be a mainstay in the Flyers' lineup in 2026-27, but he will compete for a bottom-six spot after recording four goals, 14 points, 46 PIM and 86 hits across 55 regular-season appearances last campaign.

Legare put pen to paper on a one-year contract with KHL club HC Traktor on Thursday, Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News reports.

Legare saw action in just one regular-season game for the Devils last season in which he failed to register a point while producing two hits and one block. At this point, Legare faces an uphill climb to return to the NHL. If that's the case, he'll have logged four games without seeing his name in the points column.

Kane agreed to terms on a two-year, $16 million contract with the Blackhawks on Thursday.

Kane was selected by the Hawks with the first overall pick in the 2007 NHL Draft, spending 16 years with the club before being traded to the Rangers in February of 2023. During that time, the veteran winger saw action in 1,161 regular-season games, racking up 446 goals and 779 assists while also winning three Stanley Cup championships. With his return, Kane figures to slot into a top-six role and should see plenty of time with the man advantage.

Pesce (lower body) is healthy and has been able to undergo his usual offseason training, Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News reports Thursday.

Pesce is participating in the Shoulder Check Showcase, which further proves he's feeling healthy. The defenseman was limited to a career-low 37 games in 2025-26, posting just seven points with 45 shots on net and 80 blocked shots over 37 appearances. Pesce should fill a shutdown role in the Devils' top four to begin 2026-27, but he's now missed the 20-point mark in three straight years, so he doesn't carry much offensive upside.

Vilen inked a one-year, two-way contract with New Jersey on Wednesday.

Vilen appeared in two regular-season games last year in which he posted one block and a plus-1 rating while averaging 15:28 of ice time. Even with a new contract in hand, the 23-year-old blueliner will be hard-pressed to break into the NHL full time next year. As such, he figures to be a relative non-factor in fantasy contests.

Seeley agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract with Carolina on Thursday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Seeley made his NHL debut last season, appearing in the regular-season finale against the Islanders. The 23-year-old defenseman logged 15:12 of ice time in that game while producing two blocks. While Seeley could see a little more action this year, he's unlikely to be a mainstay on the Canes' blue line, making him a relative non-factor in fantasy contests.

Psenicka signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Utah on Thursday.

Psenicka spent the bulk of 2025-26 playing in the WHL with the Portland Winterhawks, logging eight goals and 22 assists in 53 regular-season contests. The 19-year-old blueliner eventually featured in two games with AHL Tucson and could be the organization's under-20 designated player for the upcoming AHL season.

Hovorka signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Panthers on Tuesday, per PuckPedia.

Hovorka just completed his entry-level deal in 2025-26. He logged 18 points in 57 regular-season outings for AHL Charlotte last year, as well as one assist in four games with the Panthers. He will likely spend most of 2026-27 in the AHL.

Marino signed an eight-year, $54 million contract extension with the Mammoth on Tuesday, per PuckPedia.

Marino's new deal will begin in 2027-28. The 2015 sixth-round pick set new career highs in 2025-26 with 32 assists, 36 points and a plus-42 rating over 80 regular-season games. While he's certainly more of a shutdown defenseman, if Marino can even somewhat replicate his production from last season, he will be a solid depth option for fantasy managers in deeper formats. However, his lack of all-around contributions caps his ceiling in smaller leagues.

Hutchinson announced his retirement from the NHL on Monday.

After 11 seasons as a backstop across six different NHL organizations, Hutchinson has decided to hang up his goalie pads. The 36-year-old netminder compiled a 57-62-18 record, a 2.94 GAA, a .903 save percentage and six shutouts across 154 career appearances. The Barrie, Ontario native's best season came one province west in Manitoba with the Jets during the 2014-15 campaign, when he posted a 21-10-5 record, a 2.39 GAA and a .914 save percentage across 38 regular-season outings as a rookie. Hutchinson played a large role in the Jets reaching the playoffs that season, and Winnipeg fans will have the opportunity to watch him in the organization's alumni game in October.

Buteyets signed a two-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk of the KHL on Friday and was subsequently loaned to the Shanghai Dragons, Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune reports.

Buteyets will opt to continue his development in the KHL rather than battle for minutes with AHL San Diego. The Ducks retain his rights as an unsigned restricted free agent, but it's unclear if he'll ever prove himself enough to be a backup option at the NHL level.

Schmid signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Panthers on Friday, per Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

Schmid and Florida managed to avoid an arbitration hearing by agreeing to this deal. The 26-year-old netminder had a 16-10-6 record, 2.59 GAA and .893 save percentage in 34 regular-season appearances with Vegas in 2025-26. Florida acquired him from the Golden Knights on June 29 in exchange for a 2028 third-round pick. Schmid is likely to serve as the Panthers' No. 2 netminder behind Jacob Markstrom (undisclosed).

Shepard signed a one-year contract with KHL club AK Barys on Thursday, AHL Insider Tony Androckitis reports.

Shepard played in just one regular-season game with the Senators last year in which he gave up two goals on 12 shots in a loss to the Red Wings. With the move, the 30-year-old backstop has likely closed the door on his NHL career, which includes six NHL outings for the Capitals and Senators.

Greaves secured a three-year, $15 million contract with Columbus on Thursday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Greaves and the Jackets will avoid salary arbitration by agreeing to this new deal that represents a significant upgrade from his previous two-year, $1.63 million contract. Looking ahead to the 2026-27 campaign, the 25-year-old backstop will likely enter training camp as the presumptive No. 1 option, despite Elvis Merzlikins still being under contract.

Campbell announced his retirement from professional hockey Monday, David Alter of The Hockey News reports.

Campbell made NHL appearances in nine seasons between the Stars, Kings, Maple Leafs and Oilers. He appeared in 176 games, going 93-52-18 with a 2.76 GAA, .909 save percentage and 10 shutouts, with most of his success coming in Toronto between the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns.