The Vegas Golden Knights signed free-agent goaltender Ilya Samsonov to a one-year deal Monday.

The contract is worth $1.8 million, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger.

Samsonov spent the last two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He struggled mightily to start the 2023-24 campaign and was placed on waivers in January after posting a 5-2-6 record, a .862 save percentage, and 3.94 goals against average.

The 27-year-old fared much better upon his return to the NHL, finishing the regular season on an 18-5-2 run to go along with a .904 save percentage and 2.70 goals against average.

Samsonov registered a .896 save percentage and 3.01 goals against average in five playoff games this spring as the Maple Leafs were bounced from the first round by the Boston Bruins.

He enjoyed a career year with Toronto in 2022-23, logging 27 wins, a .919 save percentage and a 2.33 goals against average.

The Capitals selected him 22nd overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, and Samsonov spent the first three years of his career there.

The Russian owns an all-time save percentage of .904 across 171 NHL games.

The Golden Knights may ride a tandem of starter Adin Hill and Samsonov after trading Logan Thompson to the Capitals. They also acquired Akira Schmid from the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, but they didn't tender him a qualifying offer.

Vegas also announced that it signed restricted free-agent forward Pavel Dorofeyev and defenseman Kaedan Korczak to two-year contracts.

Dorofeyev's deal carries a cap hit of $1.835 million, while Korczak's is worth $825,000 annually, per Granger.

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Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois knows there are more than a few unhappy people in Tampa Bay following the departure of longtime captain Steven Stamkos.

"I know that it is disappointing that I was unable to come to terms with Steven Stamkos on a contract to keep him within the organization," he said, according to Bally Sports' Gabby Shirley. "I know the fans are disappointed, I know Steven is disappointed, and I'm disappointed."

The Bolts cleared plenty of cap space during Day 2 of the NHL draft Saturday by trading defenseman Mikhail Sergachev ($8.5-million cap hit) and forward Tanner Jeannot ($2.665-million cap hit) to Utah and the Los Angeles Kings, respectively.

However, the bulk of that money went to adding prized free-agent winger Jake Guentzel on a seven-year pact with a $9-million cap hit. Stamkos went on to join the Nashville Predators on a four-year contract worth $8 million annually after spending the first 1,000-plus games of his NHL career with the Lightning.

"Like everyone, I wanted Stammer to stay in Tampa and finish his career with the Lightning but, like for every player, there were also limits," BriseBois said. "We had limits (in what) we could allocate in terms of cap space to him.

"Obviously, Stammer is sincere in all of his statements saying that he wanted to stay in Tampa. ... At the same time, it was clear throughout our process he also had financial expectations that he expected us to meet and, ultimately, I felt ... if I agreed to the terms that he wanted in order to get a deal done, I would not be putting ourselves in the best position to chase championships going forward."

Stamkos and the Lightning won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. He was eligible to sign a new extension with the Bolts one year ago, and he said Monday that the lack of talks last summer was "the start of the writing on the wall," according to NHL.com's Robby Stanley.

"You're trying to hang on to something that doesn't want to hang on to you," he said, per the Lightning Insider's Erik Erlendsson.

Now, the veteran is looking forward to a fresh start with the Predators.

"The thing I loved and was intrigued with from Day 1 was Nashville's interest," he said, according to Stanley. "They had a plan. They wanted to execute a plan. It feels great when you're one of those players."

The Predators also signed free agents Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei on Monday.

BriseBois, meanwhile, now has to get used to being the general manager who parted ways with Stamkos in Tampa Bay.

"It comes with the job," he said, per TSN's Chris Johnston.

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The Chicago Blackhawks added unrestricted free-agent defenseman TJ Brodie on a two-year deal with an average annual value of $3.75 million Monday.

Brodie spent the last four seasons with the Maple Leafs. He signed a four-year deal with a $5-million cap hit as a UFA in October 2020.

The 34-year-old potted one goal and 26 points in 78 contests in 2023-24 while averaging 21:43 minutes per game, good for the most playing time of his Toronto tenure.

Brodie spent the first 10 seasons of his NHL career in Calgary after being selected by the Flames in the fourth round of the 2008 NHL Draft.

He was Mark Giordano's primary defense partner in 2018-19 when the veteran won the Norris Trophy as the league's top rearguard. Brodie finished 18th in voting for the hardware back in 2015.

Brodie has racked up 348 points and 1,375 blocks in 908 career NHL games.

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The Edmonton Oilers landed forward Jeff Skinner on a one-year, $3-million deal, the team announced Monday.

The Sabres bought out the final three seasons of Skinner's deal Saturday. Buffalo signed him to an eight-year deal with a $9-million cap hit in June 2019.

Skinner totaled 24 goals and 46 points in 74 games this past campaign. He's one season removed from a career year that saw him register 82 points (35 goals, 47 assists) in 79 outings.

The 32-year-old was selected seventh overall by the Carolina Hurricanes during the 2010 NHL Draft.

Skinner has amassed 357 goals and 670 points in 1,006 career regular-season games, but he's never seen any playoff action.

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The Montreal Canadiens signed forward Juraj Slafkovsky to an eight-year extension worth $7.6 million annually on Monday.

His new deal will kick in during the 2025-26 campaign. He has one year remaining on his entry-level pact, which carries a cap hit of $950,000 plus an additional $3.5 million in performance bonuses.

The Habs selected Slafkovsky with the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

The 6-foot-3 winger enjoyed a strong sophomore season, chipping in with 20 goals and 50 points while appearing in all 82 games. He ranked third on the team with 152 hits and led all Canadiens forwards with 71 blocks.

Slafkovsky struggled in his rookie campaign, totaling four goals and 10 points in 39 games before a lower-body injury ended his season in January.

Before the 2023-24 season, Slafkovsky vowed to "play better" than in his freshman year, adding that he was prioritizing losing weight and increasing his lung capacity.

The 20-year-old spent the bulk of this past season on a line with sniper Cole Caufield and captain Nick Suzuki. The Canadiens controlled 51.7% of the expected goals and 52.6% of the shots while outscoring teams 40-34 with the trio on the ice at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.

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The Edmonton Oilers brought back veteran forward Corey Perry on a one-year, $1.4-million deal, the team announced Monday.

Perry's pact is worth $1.15 million plus an additional $250,000 in bonuses, according to TSN's Ryan Rishaug.

Edmonton signed Perry for the remainder of the 2023-24 campaign in January after the Chicago Blackhawks terminated his one-year, $4-million deal two months prior.

The 39-year-old went on to score eight goals and 13 points in 38 regular-season games as a member of the Oilers. He added three points in 19 playoff games during Edmonton's run to the Stanley Cup Final.

Perry has appeared in four of the last five finals, all with different teams: the Dallas Stars in 2020, Montreal Canadiens in 2021, Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022, and Oilers this spring.

Perry has amassed 429 tallies and 905 points in 1,311 career NHL games. Drafted 28th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2003, he won the Stanley Cup with the club in 2007.

The Peterborough native won the Hart Trophy and Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy in 2011 after potting 50 goals and 98 points in 82 games.

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The Philadelphia Flyers signed top forward prospect Matvei Michkov to a three-year, entry-level contract, the team announced Monday.

Flyers general manager Danny Briere said he expects Michkov to play in the NHL in the upcoming season.

"He's going to be given every chance to make the team, but at the same time, he's going to have to earn his ice time," he said, according to NHL.com's Adam Kimelman. "Just on the power play alone, we hope that he can help us there. As far as the rest of his game, he's going to be in control of that and how much he's committed to playing 200 feet for (head coach John Tortorella).

"To be honest, we don't have really anyone like him in the organization, as far as a player, as far as his skill level. He's got a lot to learn and he's not going to be put above anybody else."

Philadelphia ranked 27th in the league in goals per game (2.82) in 2023-24, and its power play's 12.2% success rate represented the NHL's worst.

The Flyers selected the Russian with the seventh overall pick at the 2023 NHL Draft. Though he was projected to go higher, he had three more seasons remaining on his contract with the KHL's SKA Saint Petersburg at the time, meaning he wouldn't be able to hit the NHL until the 2026-27 campaign at the earliest.

However, SKA released Michkov from his contract in late June, freeing him up to sign with the Flyers.

"Being in the NHL has been a dream for me since childhood," Michkov said in a statement. "I would like to say a huge thank you to the Flyers management for their trust. I will do everything possible to meet their expectations. I can't wait to join my teammates and start preparing for the new season together, and I would especially like to greet our fans.

"We have the same dream to win the Stanley Cup, and I promise that (I) will do my best to help this team and make that possible."

The 19-year-old potted 19 goals and 41 points in 47 outings this past season after being loaned to HC Sochi in September. He dazzled the last time he played on North American ice at the 2021 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, leading the tournament with 12 goals and 16 points in seven games while helping Russia win the silver medal. Michkov was named MVP of the event.

The Flyers missed the postseason for the fourth straight year after finishing four points outside the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They were in a fight for a playoff spot for the bulk of the campaign but were largely done in by an abysmal eight-game losing streak near the end of the season.

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The Dallas Stars signed free-agent defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to a three-year contract carrying an average annual value of $3.25 million on Monday.

"Ilya brings experience and toughness to our group," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "He's a big, physical right-shot defenseman who excels on the penalty kill. We're excited to have him under contract for the next three seasons."

Lyubushkin registered eight assists in 74 games while averaging 17 minutes of ice time this past season. The 30-year-old split his time between the Ducks and the Maple Leafs after Toronto acquired him from Anaheim prior to the trade deadline.

It was his second stint with the Leafs. He spent part of the 2021-22 season there after being traded from the Arizona Coyotes.

Lyubushkin has racked up five goals, 47 points, 550 blocks, and 866 hits in 353 career NHL games.

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The summer's top unrestricted free agent isn't going anywhere.

The Florida Panthers re-signed star forward Sam Reinhart to a maximum-term eight-year extension, the team announced Monday.

The contract carries an $8.625-million AAV, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Reinhart's new deal slots him as Florida's third-highest-paid player behind captain Aleksander Barkov ($10 million) and Matthew Tkachuk ($9.5 million).

Reinhart enjoyed a monster regular season in which he scored 57 goals - including a league-leading 27 tallies on the power play - and 94 points in 82 games. His production was helped along by his 24.5 shooting percentage, the highest in the NHL.

The 28-year-old placed fourth in Selke Trophy voting as one of the league's best defensive forwards. He finished the campaign tied for ninth among all forwards in defensive goals above replacement (6.3), and the Panthers controlled 63.6% of the goals and 59.7% of the expected goals at five-on-five with Reinhart on the ice, per Evolving-Hockey.

Reinhart went on to score the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in Game 7 to help the Panthers win their first championship in franchise history. His 16 playoff points (10 goals, six assists) in 24 contests were the fifth most on the team.

Florida pried Reinhart, then a restricted free agent, away from the Buffalo Sabres in July 2021 in exchange for goaltender Devon Levi and a 2022 first-round pick. The Panthers signed him to a three-year, $19.5-million pact soon after.

Reinhart's 121 goals in 242 games since arriving in the Sunshine State are the most on the team over that span, while his 243 points are second only to captain Aleksander Barkov.

The Sabres selected Reinhart with the second overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. He's totaled 255 goals and 538 points in 696 career NHL games.

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Maple Leafs pending unrestricted free agent Tyler Bertuzzi and pending restricted free agent Nick Robertson don't plan on re-signing with Toronto, reports TSN's Darren Dreger and Chris Johnston.

Bertuzzi had an up-and-down campaign in Toronto, amassing 21 goals and 43 points in 80 games.

He particularly struggled up until the All-Star break, registering just six goals and 20 points in 47 contests despite getting plenty of ice time with the Leafs' top forwards. The 29-year-old finished on a high note in the regular season, though, potting 15 tallies and 23 points in his last 33 games.

Bertuzzi put up four points in seven playoff games this spring as the Leafs were ousted from the first round by Boston. Last year, he pitched in with five goals and five helpers in seven postseason contests as a member of the Boston Bruins.

The Maple Leafs signed Bertuzzi to a one-year, $5.5-million contract as an unrestricted free agent last July. Dreger reports that he may land a four-year pact with a cap hit north of $5 million.

Toronto has around $12 million in cap space after signing Max Domi and Timothy Liljegren to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $3.75 million and a two-year pact with a $3-million cap hit, respectively. The Leafs also acquired veteran defenseman Chris Tanev's rights from the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

Robertson, meanwhile, has requested a trade, per Johnston.

The Leafs selected him in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft and he enjoyed a 55-goal campaign with the OHL's Peterborough Petes the following season.

The 22-year-old was once considered Toronto's top prospect, but his NHL tenure thus far has been marred by injuries. He's had to contend with an ailing knee, torn adductor, broken fibula, and an injured shoulder that required surgery.

As a result, he appeared in a combined 35 NHL games (including four playoff outings) and 51 AHL contests between the 2020-21 season and the 2022-23 campaign.

Robertson was largely healthy in 2023-24 and he appeared in 56 regular-season games with the Leafs, totaling 14 goals and 27 points. However, as the only other waivers exempt forward aside from Matthew Knies, he wasn't a permanent fixture in the lineup as Toronto maneuvered its way around the salary cap.

He expressed frustration after the Maple Leafs sent him down to the AHL's Toronto Marlies in March.

"I understand it, but I'm not going to sit here and say I'm happy," he said, per the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan. "I want to play, but I understand my contract situation. If it wasn't the way it was, maybe it would be a different situation, but it is what it is."

Robertson made his NHL debut in the 2020 playoff bubble against the Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring his first goal in Game 3.

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