If you look closely, you can start to see signs of hockey on the horizon. But with training camps still about a month away, there are plenty of unanswered off-season questions. June’s trade requests have become mid-August musings; extension-eligible players are nearing the start of their contract years; unsigned RFAs have fanbases getting a little antsy.
And we’ve got a few questions about all the above. The answers will significantly shape the season to come.
Will Hellebuyck trade talks heat up again?
Nearly two months ago, it felt like a Connor Hellebuyck trade was imminent. And yet, it’s mid-August and the three-time Vezina Trophy winning-goaltender is still a member of the Winnipeg Jets.
As Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman described during an appearance on NHL Tonight earlier this month, all is quiet on the trade-talk front. But that doesn’t mean it’ll remain that way.
Friedman suggested it “could be one of those things that picks up closer to training camp,” but for now, we wait.
Hellebuyck, 33, will enter the third season of the seven-year pact he signed back in October 2023. The 2024-25 MVP carries an $8.5-million AAV.
Asked about the summer-long speculation surrounding Hellebuyck's future in Winnipeg, Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey told The Athletic's Murat Ates that he hopes the star netminder remains with the club.
“You can’t believe everything you might see or hear out there,” Morrissey said. “At the end of the day, I hope Helle is back playing for us. He’s the best goalie in the world. But what happens, doesn’t happen, whatever, that’s with him and his agent and the organization. It’s something that’s part of the game and part of the business.”
What is Gauthier worth (and how long will this contract stalemate last)?
Even before the Flyers lobbed a $90-million curveball into the Ducks’ summer plans, there was plenty of intrigue around the value of Cutter Gauthier’s next deal. At 22, Gauthier led the Ducks in goals (41) and points (69) and was a point-per-game player in the rebuilt Ducks’ first trip to the post-season with this new young core.
With Anaheim paying Leo Carlsson an eye-catching AAV, talks with Gauthier are considerably more complicated — when your No. 1 centreman is making $18 million a year, what’s his high-scoring winger worth? Add in the fact they’ll be having similar conversations with Beckett Sennecke a year from now, and you’ve got a fascinating salary cap puzzle for a team that’s about to be reminded of the costs of contending. (You know what they say about a rising tide.)
Anaheim is no stranger to RFA standoffs that bleed into camp. There’s still plenty of time to get Gauthier under contract, but how and when that happens remains a question mark.
The same can be said about Adam Fantilli in Columbus — the 21-year-old centreman didn’t have as prolific a season as Gauthier on the stat sheet, but is no doubt about to land a lucrative deal as a key part of Columbus’ core. Surely, he’s watching closely. There are plenty of eyes on Carolina, too, where unsigned RFA Alexander Nikishin continues to garner trade speculation.
Is the Robertson saga really resolved?
On the surface, the answer is yes. A one-year, $12-million deal for Jason Robertson ensured the Dallas Stars will have their leading scorer back for 2026-27, renewing their status as top contenders in the west.
But beyond that? This doesn’t feel like much of a win. Maybe it’s a case of the team and player wanting to wait for another salary cap bump before backing up the Brink’s truck. Maybe Robertson wanted to bet on himself to have an even better season than the 45-goal campaign he just posted. Maybe he knows his time in Dallas is coming to an end, and wants full control of where he goes next summer.
And maybe we won’t know until next summer — or, perhaps January, when Robertson would be eligible to sign an extension — what the future holds between the two sides. But as the off-season winds down and players start to return to the rink, it’ll remain a talking point as we look to determine if either side tips their hand.
Where do things stand in Detroit?
Earlier this summer, when Dylan Larkin added his name to the list of Team USA stars looking to (forcibly) take their talents elsewhere, it felt like the Red Wings would be in for a big off-season of change.
And it has been — Steve Yzerman is no longer at the helm as general manager, and the franchise has been conducting a search for his successor since. And yet, the club’s captain remains with the Red Wings. It seems unlikely he’ll be dealt before a new GM is in place, so the waiting game continues.
Larkin’s reported interest in Minnesota makes a lot of sense, but there’s a waiting game happening there, too, as star defenceman Quinn Hughes remains without an extension as he nears his all-important contract year. Surely, the Wild would be thrilled to land Larkin as their long-coveted centre with a desirable AAV and five more years of team control, but all things hinge on Hughes first.
Can Colorado give Makar the max?
Hughes isn’t the only blue-chip blue-liner barreling towards unrestricted free agency. The question of Cale Makar’s future earnings is front-of-mind in Colorado. The more urgent subject, though, is the term attached to his next contract. While mid-range term seems to be trending among elite players — Hughes is rumoured to want three years with the Wild, for example; young stars Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini each signed for five, to name a few — Makar might be an interesting case.
Colorado has been a top contender for Makar’s entire career and, like Nathan MacKinnon, they seem intent on making the rearguard a lifelong member of the Avalanche.
“Cale is going to finish his career here," Sakic said earlier this summer, via NHL.com. "We're already talking to his agent, so we're confident that something's going to get worked out at some point. I mean, he's got another year, but this summer we expect to have him signed.”
The team would undoubtedly like to lock him up for eight more years (and probably more beyond that, too), but the deadline to do so is approaching.
As part of the new CBA, contract terms are shortening by a year. After Sept. 15, eight-year pacts will be a thing of the past. Maximum term for players re-signing with their clubs will be capped at seven years, while those who hit free agency will get a maximum of six. Will we see a flurry of long-term pacts ahead of that date?
And will Makar be one of them?
