Holmstrom is coming off a breakout season in which he tallied 15 goals and 10 assists in 75 games. He was notably a threat on the penalty kill, notching five goals while down a man - one back of the league lead.
He recorded nine points over 50 games in his rookie campaign in 2022-23.
The Islanders drafted the Swede 23rd overall in 2019.
Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz knows his team has an edge over the majority of NHL clubs.
Being situated in Tennessee - one of the U.S.' nine states that doesn't levy a state income tax - Predators players are able to keep more of their money.
In a league with a hard salary cap where every dollar is crucial, Trotz is fully aware of the advantage the team's geographical location provides.
"It is an advantage because your dollar goes a little bit farther," Trotz said on TSN's "Overdrive" on Wednesday. "There's no question."
While the absence of state income tax may have played a part in recruiting the high-profile UFAs, Trotz believes it's not as significant a factor for high-end players.
"When you talk to Stamkos or Marchessault or players that are serial winners, guys that have gone deep, have had good careers, and made a lot of money, it doesn't go that far," Trotz continued. "But it does help the middle group a little bit. For the elite players, the top players, they're just looking for a place that's serious about winning, wants to win, fits in their window."
The Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, and Seattle Kraken all share the same advantage.
Several of the NHL's top unrestricted free agents this offseason took their talents to teams without state income tax. In addition to the Predators' spending spree, Sam Reinhart re-signed in Florida, Jake Guentzel went to Tampa Bay, and Brandon Montour signed with Seattle.
Four of the last five Stanley Cup Champions play in tax-free states: the Panthers (2024), Golden Knights (2023), and Lightning (2021, 2020).
The NHL instituted a hard salary cap before the 2005-06 season. All 32 teams deal with the same cap ceiling, regardless of their state/province's income tax situation.
Jay Woodcroft and Dean Evason are among the finalists for the Columbus Blue Jackets' head coaching vacancy, reports The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.
Both candidates have attended several interviews with president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell and other members of Columbus' front office.
Woodcroft coached the Edmonton Oilers for parts of three seasons - his only NHL head coaching job - before he was fired after a 3-9-1 start to the 2023-24 campaign. He led the Oilers to the 2022 Western Conference Final. His .643 points percentage is the eighth-best mark all time among coaches with at least 100 games.
Evason's only stint as an NHL bench boss came with the Minnesota Wild, whom he guided for parts of five campaigns before he was let go following a 5-10-4 start in 2023-24. He led the Wild to four postseason appearances but never won a round. His .639 points percentage is 12th-best all time among qualified coaches.
Former San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings bench boss Todd McLellan was reportedly Waddell's first choice for the job but is no longer in the running after contract negotiations fell apart. Because McLellan still had another year left on his contract before the Kings fired him last season, the two teams need to negotiate how much of his contract Columbus would pay.
However, the Blue Jackets could circle back to McLellan, a source told Portzline.
Pascal Vincent coached the Blue Jackets to a disappointing 27-43-12 record in 2023-24 before he was fired in June. Columbus hired Vincent late in training camp last year to replace Mike Babcock, who resigned before coaching a single game with the club following allegations of player mistreatment.
The Carolina Hurricanes lost several key players to unrestricted free agency this offseason, including both members of their shutdown defense pair of Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce, prized trade deadline pickup Jake Guentzel, longtime winger Teuvo Teravainen, and depth forward Stefan Noesen.
Head coach Rod Brind'Amour admitted the process hasn't been easy.
"You get attached to the guys, especially when we've had them (for a long time)," Brind'Amour said Wednesday. "It was hard, I'll be honest. It was hard to watch guys walk out of here. I understand it. It's a business. They've got to do what they've got to do. But it's also exciting because you get a whole new group of guys coming in, and maybe some of these young guys will crack the lineup and you get to watch them grow. It's just the evolution of it."
But to further the offseason of change, Brind'Amour has a new boss. Don Waddell, Carolina's former president and general manager, resigned from his post this offseason and joined the Columbus Blue Jackets. Eric Tulsky replaced Waddell as the club's GM.
There also rumors of a Martin Necas trade, though nothing has materialized yet.
"There's a learning curve on any team," Brind'Amour said. "There is familiarity with 'Ghost.' With Walker coming in, he's excited to play the way we play. Most players like the way we play, and they want to do it. We are up-tempo, and it's a fun way to play. At the end of the day, these guys are good hockey players. If they have a willingness to get it, they will get it."
Carolina has about $11.6 million left in projected cap space, but it still has multiple unsigned restricted free agents, including Necas, Seth Jarvis, and Jack Drury.
Brind'Amour is set to enter his seventh season as the Hurricanes' head coach. The Canes have made the playoffs every year under his watch, and Brind'Amour won the Jack Adams Award in 2021.
The St. Louis Blues signed free-agent defenseman Ryan Suter to a one-year pact, the team announced Wednesday.
The contract includes a base salary of $775,000, but Suter can earn an additional $2.225 million in performance bonuses.
Suter will receive paychecks from three of the Central Division's eight teams this coming season. The Dallas Stars bought out the final year of his contract earlier this offseason, and he'll remain on the Minnesota Wild's books for four more seasons from the 2021 buyout. He's the second player in NHL history to be bought out twice.
The 39-year-old recorded two goals and 15 assists in 82 games while averaging 18:56 of ice time in 2023-24. He added four points in 19 postseason appearances.
His best ability at this point in his career is arguably his availability. Suter has played 453 straight contests - the second-longest ironman streak among active players - and hasn't missed more than five games in a single campaign since 2010-11.
While the offense has mostly deteriorated, Suter still managed to post strong defensive metrics in primarily a third-pairing role with the Stars last season.
Ryan Suter, signed 1x$0.8M by STL, is a veteran defenceman. Despite maddening fans with his slow skating, increasingly frequent turnovers, and tendency to move up the lineup, his results have been decent enough. #STLBluespic.twitter.com/8glsqgzm9o
It's safe to say Matt Savoie, who grew up about 30 minutes from Rogers Place, can't wait to get going with his hometown Edmonton Oilers.
"It's every young player's dream to come into an opportunity like this and play with really good players and get good opportunities," Savoie said Monday. "So, I'm just really determined, motivated, and ready to get after it here."
The Oilers - who came within one victory of winning the 2024 Stanley Cup - acquired the St. Albert, Alberta, native from the Buffalo Sabres on Friday in exchange for center Ryan McLeod and minor-league winger Tyler Tullio.
Savoie, who was picked No. 9 in 2022 by the Sabres, recorded 71 points in 34 games in the WHL last season. He added 10 goals and 14 assists in 19 playoff contests, helping the Moose Jaw Warriors reach the Memorial Cup.
"I feel like throughout my junior career and every team I've been on, we've had a chance to go all the way and make some really deep runs," he said. "It's a lot of fun. That's when you want to be playing is late in the year and fighting for championships, so there's no better spot I could've gone to compete for a championship."
Savoie, a dynamic 5-foot-10 forward, instantly becomes Edmonton's top prospect. He projects to start the season in the AHL but could push for an NHL job at some point in 2024-25.
The Utah Hockey Club re-signed restricted free-agent center Barrett Hayton to a two-year contract carrying an average annual value of $2.65 million, the team announced Monday.
Hayton is coming off a down season riddled with injuries, recording just three goals and seven assists in 33 games. He enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2022-23, notching 19 goals and 24 helpers in 82 contests.
"We are very pleased to sign Barrett to an extension," Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said. "Barrett is a reliable two-way center who is strong in the faceoff circle and is a great complement down the middle to our high-skilled forwards. We look forward to having him back with our organization."
Hayton projects to compete for a top-six center role for Utah's inaugural campaign.
The Arizona Coyotes drafted Hayton fifth overall in 2018.
The Sabres and Oilers pulled off a shocking trade Friday, with Buffalo sending prized prospect Matt Savoie to Edmonton for center Ryan McLeod and minor-leaguer Tyler Tullio.
Below, we break down what the trade means for both sides.
Oilers
Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The Oilers have a surplus of centers in a perennially center-needy league - even after dealing McLeod. In addition to Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton still has Adam Henrique, Dylan Holloway, and Derek Ryan capable of playing down the middle.
Clearing McLeod's $2.1-million salary off the books also gets the Oilers closer to cap compliance. They still have to shed a bit more money in order to re-sign restricted free agents Holloway and Philip Broberg.
It's hard to imagine Edmonton would've been shopping the 24-year-old, defensively sound McLeod - especially without a permanent general manager in place following Ken Holland's departure - but it's easy to understand why the front office was willing to move him once Buffalo put Savoie in play.
The 2022 No. 9 pick and St. Albert, Alberta, native, Savoie comes with loads of upside. He's a highly dynamic forward who tallied 256 points in 161 games in the WHL over the last three seasons. He's incredibly shifty with great hands and vision.
Though he spent most of his junior career playing center, Savoie might be a winger in his NHL future, in part due to his small frame (5-foot-10, 179 pounds). Still, he possesses both the skill and brain that could one day allow him to be a legitimate running mate in the top six for McDavid or Draisaitl.
Savoie will likely begin the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, but he could push for an NHL job by midseason if he's lighting up the minors. The 20-year-old has three years left on his entry-level deal and could become a crucial piece of Edmonton's future.
There are very few sure things when it comes to prospects. Savoie could very well join the long list of undersized forwards who tore up junior but could never quite hack it in the NHL but, given his game-breaking upside, this is a swing worth taking for the Oilers. Especially because they already have internal replacements for McLeod.
Grade: A
Sabres
Bruce Bennett / Getty Images Sport / Getty
It's easy to understand Buffalo's rationale in this trade - even if Savoie's ceiling is higher than McLeod's.
Like the Oilers, the Sabres also dealt from a position of strength. Despite trading Savoie, Buffalo's farm system remains loaded with high-end forward prospects who were selected in the first round, such as Jiri Kulich, Noah Ostlund, Isak Rosen, and Konsta Helenius. There's also young talent on the wings in the NHL with Zach Benson, JJ Peterka, and Jack Quinn.
Before this trade, Buffalo didn't have a third-line center it could trust in a shutdown role against dangerous offensive opponents. McLeod has the speed and checking ability to fill that role, as evidenced by his elite defensive metrics over the last three campaigns. He's also a penalty-killing ace and won 50.8% of his faceoffs a year ago - a mark that should continue to rise as the 6-foot-2, 207-pounder gets older and stronger.
Ryan McLeod (traded to the Buffalo Sabres) is a young, solid middle six forward pic.twitter.com/4f5LEZZhmQ
McLeod isn't a black hole offensively, either - he made a sizeable step in his ability to drive play offensively last season. It may not have resulted in gaudy point totals, but 12 goals and 18 assists is nothing to scoff at for a 24-year-old center who didn't get power-play time and who most commonly played with Warren Foegele and Corey Perry at five-on-five.
The Sabres are also trying to end a 13-year playoff drought - the longest active streak in the league. This move immediately makes them a better team, and McLeod, who turns 25 in September, is young enough to grow in line with Buffalo's current core. He also can't become an unrestricted free agent until 2027.
If the Sabres become a perennial contender with McLeod playing a key role, this trade will likely be viewed as a success - regardless of what kind of player Savoie turns into. But if Buffalo fails to escape mediocrity and Savoie becomes a star in Edmonton, this has the potential to be disastrous.
In summary, McLeod is a great fit for the Sabres, but the price to acquire him was a bit too steep.
The Edmonton Oilers traded speedy center Ryan McLeod and minor-league winger Tyler Tullio to the Buffalo Sabres for prized forward prospect Matt Savoie, the teams announced Friday.
McLeod recorded a career-high 12 goals and 18 assists in 81 games with the Oilers in 2023-24, primarily serving as their third-line center. He turns 25 in September and carries a $2.1-million cap hit before becoming a restricted free agent in 2025.
He's posted superb defensive metrics over the last three years.
Ryan McLeod, acquired by BUF, is a two-way centre and penalty killer. Offensive upside is unclear but he produces fairly efficiently for his minutes. In line with the Sabres' other moves this summer, he's one of the fastest skaters in the NHL. #LetsGoBuffalopic.twitter.com/5SkLVgSSpf
McLeod is coming off a difficult postseason in which he managed only four goals and zero assists in 24 games. His ice time dropped from 14:15 in the regular season to 13:12 in the playoffs. He was also healthy scratched for one game.
The trade helps create some much-needed cap space for the Oilers. By carrying the minimum 20-player roster, they'd currently have $433,000 in cap space. Edmonton still needs more room with restricted free agents Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg lacking new deals, though.
McLeod figures to assume the third-line center role in Buffalo behind Tage Thompson and Dylan Cozens. He'll also become a key piece of its penalty kill.
The Sabres drafted Savoie with the No. 9 pick in 2022. He tallied 95 points in 53 games - regular season and playoffs combined - in the WHL in 2023-24, leading the Moose Jaw Warriors to a berth in the Memorial Cup. He also represented Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championship, recording one assist in four games before suffering an injury.
Savoie also added five points in six games in the AHL. The 20-year-old made his NHL debut in November but didn't appear in another game with the Sabres.
A native of St. Albert, Alberta, Savoie is listed at just 5-foot-10 and 179 pounds but is considered a dynamic offensive forward. Although he's a natural center, it's possible his NHL future will be on the wing. He immediately becomes Edmonton's top prospect and could challenge for an NHL job as early as 2024-25.
Virtually every high-profile unrestricted free agent signed during the July 1 frenzy. Vladimir Tarasenko was the biggest name left after Day 1, but he joined the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.
However, there are still a handful of potential hidden gems available. Rather than choosing veterans who can only play depth roles at this point in their careers, we tried to steer our focus to younger UFAs who could still have their best hockey ahead of them.
Below, we choose the best fit for the most intriguing players remaining on the open market.
Daniel Sprong
Gregory Shamus / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Age: 27 Position: RW/LW Best fit 🧩: Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche are dealing with a high degree of uncertainty regarding two key top-six forwards. Valeri Nichushkin will remain suspended to start the season after entering stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in May, and there's no guarantee he'll return at all. And captain Gabriel Landeskog said he hopes to play at some point in 2024-25, but there's still no timeline for his return. Even if he does come back, it's unclear how effective he might be after undergoing three knee surgeries since his last NHL appearance in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.
Enter Sprong, who's easily the most established UFA available and still in the prime of his career. The Dutch-born winger scored 21 goals in 66 games in 2022-23 with the Seattle Kraken before posting 18 goals in 76 games with the Detroit Red Wings in 2023-24. Sprong averaged only 11:44 of ice time per contest over the two seasons, ranking ninth in the NHL in five-on-five goals per 60 minutes among skaters who logged at least 1,000 minutes.
There's a reason Sprong hasn't carved out more ice time despite his goal-scoring efficiency: he has notable defensive warts. However, there's 30-goal potential in his stick if he can gain Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar's trust, especially if he gels with Colorado's second-line playmaking center Casey Mittelstadt.
Sprong's last contract carried a cap hit of $2 million on a one-year deal. It's unlikely he'd cost much more than that - if at all - considering he's still without a job five days into free agency. That's a low-risk bet worth taking for the Avs.
Alex Nylander
Ben Jackson / National Hockey League / Getty
Age: 26 Position: RW/LW Best fit 🧩: Toronto Maple Leafs
It was mildly surprising that the Columbus Blue Jackets chose not to tender an $814,000 qualifying offer to retain Nylander's services with the way he caught fire down the stretch of the 2023-24 campaign. He tallied 11 goals and four assists in 23 games with the Jackets after being acquired in a midseason trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins. That's a 39-goal pace over 82 games, albeit with a robust 17.7 shooting percentage.
Nylander, the 2016 No. 8 pick by the Buffalo Sabres, failed to establish himself early in his career. Just when he seemed to be trending in the right direction after playing a career-high 65 games with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2019-20, he tore his meniscus in the playoffs that year, causing him to miss the entire 2020-21 campaign.
Nylander will likely only garner a one-year deal for under $1 million. That's great news for the Maple Leafs, who are nearly capped out but could use further competition for a middle-six winger spot. The potential to play on a line with his brother, William, is intriguing for all parties involved.
At best, Nylander catches fire in a potential once-in-a-lifetime opportunity alongside his older brother and becomes a cheap source of depth offense for Toronto. At worst, he fails to earn an opening day spot on the Maple Leafs and is either claimed off waivers or becomes an experienced depth option in the AHL.
Adam Boqvist
Ben Jackson / National Hockey League / Getty
Age: 23 Position: RD Best fit 🧩: Florida Panthers
The Panthers have a tremendous track record with reclamation projects under general manager Bill Zito. Carter Verhaeghe, Gustav Forsling, Brandon Montour, Sam Bennett, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson are all prime examples of players who were either plucked off the scrap heap or viewed as declining assets before joining Florida and flourishing.
Given his age, draft pedigree, and position, Boqvist is the most intriguing player available. The Blue Jackets surprisingly non-tendered him partly due to a logjam on the right side of their blue line. The 2018 No. 8 pick by the Blackhawks has battled some injuries in his five-year NHL career but has averaged an impressive 34 points per 82 games.
Luring Boqvist to Sunrise on a cheap, one-year deal should be an easy sell for Zito, and not just because of the GM's history with such players and the obvious advantages of playing in Florida. The Panthers have a gaping hole on the right side of the second pair of their defense, which was previously occupied by Montour. Boqvist, a true offensive defenseman, isn't totally unlike Montour. He'd be a nice fit next to the rugged Niko Mikkola and could effectively quarterback the team's power play. A bonus: the Panthers signed Boqvist's older brother, Jesper, on July 1.
Oliver Kylington
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
Age: 27 Position: LD Best fit 🧩: Dallas Stars
Kylington enjoyed a breakout 31-point season with the Calgary Flames in 2021-22, but he missed all of the 2022-23 campaign and the first half of 2023-24 to focus on his mental health. Despite showing flashes of his old self, Kylington was understandably rusty in his return.
The Stars - who boast a strong organizational culture and leadership under GM Jim Nill, head coach Peter DeBoer, and captain Jamie Benn - have a need for a puck-moving defenseman to play on the left side of the third pair along with either Ilya Lyubushkin or Matt Dumba. A highly explosive skater, Kylington would be a nice fit beside one of those immobile, rugged veterans.
Kylington would ideally go to a place where he could play more minutes, but there aren't a lot of potential top-four openings available. However, if he performs well on a one-year deal in sheltered minutes for a Cup contender, it could lead to more opportunity - and a bigger payday - as a UFA again in 2025.
Kevin Lankinen
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Age: 29 Position: G Best fit 🧩: Tampa Bay Lightning
It's somewhat surprising that Lankinen is still available after a successful two-year stint as Juuse Saros' backup with the Nashville Predators, during which he posted a .912 save percentage and 13.9 goals saved above expected in 43 games.
Lankinen would be a sizeable upgrade over Jonas Johansson as Andrei Vasilevskiy's backup. Johansson registered a .890 save percentage and minus-7.2 goals saved above expected in 26 contests with the Bolts this past season.
Vasilevskiy, one of the position's true workhorses, started to show some wear and tear in 2023-24, enduring his worst NHL season after having back surgery in September. He's looked worn out in the last two postseasons, with the Lightning eliminated in Round 1 both times.
Getting a legitimate backup like Lankinen, who can play 30-plus games, would go a long way in preserving Vasilevskiy for the playoffs. Lankinen played a career-high 37 contests as a rookie with the Blackhawks in 2020-21, recording a respectable .909 save percentage for a team amid a teardown.
Martin Jones
Michael Chisholm / National Hockey League / Getty
Age: 34 Position: G Best fit 🧩: Vancouver Canucks
Arturs Silovs endeared himself to Canucks fans with some magical moments in the postseason. However, Vancouver could still stand to add depth in the crease behind Thatcher Demko.
Enter Martin Jones, the lone elder statesman on this list and a native of North Vancouver, British Columbia.
At one point in 2023-24, Jones was Toronto's savior between the pipes. He ended up posting a decent .902 save percentage and 4.2 goals saved above expected in 22 appearances with the Maple Leafs.
Silovs has only 19 career NHL games under his belt between the regular season and playoffs. The 23-year-old is also waiver-exempt, and further seasoning in the AHL would do no harm.
Jones would likely come with a sub-$1-million cap hit, especially to play for his hometown team. He could also be placed on waivers if he struggles out of the gate. There would be no downside to bringing him in.
(Analytics sources: Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey)
