The Columbus Blue Jackets signed forward Sean Monahan to a five-year contract with a $5.5-million cap hit, the team confirmed Monday.
"Sean Monahan is a very talented player, and his addition strengthens our team down the middle and injects valuable experience, leadership and versatility to our lineup," general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. "He can score and create goals, is very good in the faceoff circle, and can play on the power play and kill penalties. We're very excited to have him join the Blue Jackets."
Monahan, 29, enjoyed a career resurgence last season with the Montreal Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets. He totaled 26 goals and 59 points in 83 games for his best campaign since 2018-19.
The signing reunites Monahan with former Calgary Flames teammate Johnny Gaudreau. The duo starred for the Flames from 2013-22.
Monahan has racked up 244 goals and 538 points in 764 career NHL games.
Toffoli, 32, tallied 33 goals and 55 points in 79 games last season with the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets. He's tallied over 30 goals in back-to-back campaigns.
San Jose's top goal-scorer was Fabian Zetterlund, who recorded 24 goals. He was the only Sharks player to exceed the 20-goal mark.
Toffoli accumulated 11.7 goals above replacement last season, per Evolving-Hockey. Forward Justin Bailey paced the Sharks with 8.8 GAR.
Toffoli had a $4.25-million cap hit last year. He inked a four-year, $17-million deal with the Montreal Canadiens in 2020.
The Sharks drafted Boston University star forward Macklin Celebrini with the first overall pick on Friday.
The Seattle Kraken signed defenseman Brandon Montour to a seven-year contract with a $7.14-million cap hit, the team announced Monday.
Montour, 30, recorded eight goals and 33 points in 66 games with the Florida Panthers last season. He added three markers and 11 points in 24 playoff contests en route to a Stanley Cup triumph.
Only Gustav Forsling played more than Montour's 22:40 per game in the postseason for the Panthers.
Montour exploded offensively in 2022-23 with 16 goals and 73 points in 80 games. He also had 107 penalty minutes and played over 24 minutes per contest that season.
The right-shot rearguard suited up for the Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres before emerging as a top-of-the-lineup defenseman with the Panthers.
Montour carried a $3.5-million cap hit last season.
The Kraken have $16 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.
The Edmonton Oilers re-signed forward Connor Brown to a one-year contract worth $1 million, the team announced Monday.
Brown, 30, tallied four goals and 12 points in 71 regular-season games. He found some of his past form in the postseason, recording two goals and six points in 19 playoff contests.
The Oilers inked Brown to a one-year contract last summer with a $775,000 cap hit. The deal had $3.225 million in performance bonuses, which Brown hit after playing 10 games.
Brown played only four games in 2022-23 after sustaining a torn ACL.
Edmonton had $13 million in cap space before the signing, according to CapFriendly.
Letourneau is among the biggest swings in the draft. The physical tools are tantalizing as a 6-foot-7 center with good puck skills and scoring prowess, but the lack of competition above the Ontario high school level is a concern. He heads to Boston College in the fall, where the Bruins will surely keep close tabs on him as a developmental project.
Pick
Player
Team
14
F Konsta Helenius
Jukurit (Finland)
42
D Adam Kleber
Lincoln (USHL)
71
F Brodie Ziemer
U.S. NTDP
108
D Luke Osburn
Youngstown (USHL)
123
D Simon-Pier Brunet
Drummondville (QMJHL)
172
D Patrick Geary
Michigan State (NCAA)
204
F Vasily Zelenov
RB Juniors (Austria-2)
219
G Ryerson Leenders
Mississauga (OHL)
Helenius is solid value at No. 14 considering how NHL-ready he is. Sure, he probably won't be a top-six offensive star, but the Finnish pivot plays a mature game that should complement the Sabres' array of exciting forwards already in the system.
Ultimately, the trade down from No. 11 significantly hurts the Sabres' grade. The Sharks gain a legitimate potential top-pairing defender in Sam Dickinson, while Buffalo ends up with a good prospect in Helenius and a fun fourth-liner in Beck Malenstyn. The value doesn't match.
Pick
Player
Team
15
F Michael Brandsegg-Nygard
Mora (SWE-2)
47
F Max Plante
U.S. NTDP
80
F Ondrej Becher
Prince George (WHL)
126
G Landon Miller
Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
144
D John Whipple
U.S. NTDP
176
F Charlie Forslund
Falu IF (SWE-3)
203
F Austin Baker
U.S. NTDP
208
D Fisher Scott
Dubuque (USHL)
Brandsegg-Nygard screamed Red Wing in the predraft process and Detroit's exactly where he ends up. The Norwegian's a power winger with a quality shot and is a monster on the forecheck.
A concern is the lack of high-end upside. Brandsegg-Nygard felt like a Detroit pick because the Wings have taken prospects in a similar mold in past years. Detroit lacks game-breakers and didn't add any prospects who have legitimate potential to become that.
Pick
Player
Team
58
F Linus Eriksson
Djurgarden (SWE-2)
97
D Matvei Shuravin
CSKA (Russia-Jr.)
129
F Simon Zether
Rogle (Sweden)
169
F Stepan Gorbunov
Chelyabinsk (Russia-Jr.)
193
F Hunter St. Martin
Medicine Hat (WHL)
201
G Denis Gabdrakhmanov
Tyumen (Russia-Jr.)
Trading next year's second-round pick to select Linus Eriksson was a bit odd, in that it removes a key 2025 trade-deadline asset for a prospect who doesn't have top-six upside. As for Zether, he played pro games in Sweden and destroyed the junior circuit when he was against his peers.
Pick
Player
Team
5
F Ivan Demidov
SKA St. Petersburg (Russia-Jr.)
21
F Michael Hage
Chicago (USHL)
70
F Aatos Koivu
TPS (Finland-Jr.)
78
F Logan Sawyer
Brooks (BCHL)
102
D Owen Protz
Brantford (OHL)
130
F Tyler Thorpe
Vancouver (WHL)
134
G Mikus Vecvanags
HS Riga (Latvia)
166
F Ben Merrill
St. Sebastians (High-MA)
210
F Makar Khanin
Dynamo St. Petersburg (Russia-Jr.)
224
D Rasmus Bergqvist
Skelleftea (Sweden-Jr.)
Habs fans were clamoring for Demidov and got their wish. There's no denying his immense skill and sky-high upside. The lack of games against pro competition in Russia is a concern, but that's part of the reason he was available at No. 5 in the first place. Demidov has legitimate superstar potential.
Hage was another great upside pick at No. 21. He was arguably the best USHL player in the second half after overcoming a major injury and a family tragedy the year prior.
Add in the Koivu pick, the son of former Canadiens captain Saku Koivu, and you have a splendid haul for Montreal.
Pick
Player
Team
7
D Carter Yakemchuk
Calgary (WHL)
42
D Gabriel Eliasson
HV71 (Sweden-Jr.)
104
F Lucas Ellinas
Kitchener (OHL)
112
F Javon Moore
Minnetonka (High-MN)
117
F Blake Montgomery
Lincoln (USHL)
136
D Eerik Wallenius
HPK (Finland-Jr.)
Yakemchuk is a risky pick at No. 7, but it's easy to see why the Senators covet his skill. The right-shot defenseman is a human highlight reel: he loves to dangle one-on-one and scored a ridiculous 30 goals from the back end. Whether his game will translate to the next level is the question.
In Eliasson, the Senators took a huge defender with no offense earlier than anticipated. Moore's a fun swing in a good athlete out of high school, and Montgomery's a budding, powerful winger.
Pick
Player
Team
118
D Jan Golicic
Gatineau (QMJHL)
128
F Hagen Burrows
Minnetonka (High-MN)
149
F Joona Saarelainen
KalPa (Finland-Jr.)
181
F Kaden Pitre
Flint (OHL)
195
F Joe Connor
Muskegon (USHL)
199
F Noah Steen
Mora (SWE-2)
206
G Harrison Meneghin
Lethbridge (WHL)
Golicic is a nice story as a rare Slovenian draftee, but he's a low-upside, low-likelihood NHLer. Burrows, on the other hand, is a better bet on potential with his 6-foot-3 frame and scoring talent. Steen had moments at the world juniors with Norway.
Pick
Player
Team
31
D Ben Danford
Oshawa (OHL)
120
D Victor Johansson
Leksand (Sweden-Jr.)
151
F Miroslav Holinka
Trinec (Czechia-Jr.)
152
F Alexander Plesovskikh
Khanty-Mansiysk (Russia-Jr.)
157
G Timofei Obvintsev
CSKA (Russia-Jr.)
200
D Matt Lahey
Nanaimo (BCHL)
216
F Sam McCue
Owen Sound (OHL)
225
D Nathan Mayes
Spokane (WHL)
Trading down from No. 23 made a lot of sense for a Maple Leafs team in need of additional draft capital. Toronto missed on a few intriguing talents as a result, but still get a steady, two-way defender in Danford who ticks a lot of boxes with respect to what the team covets in a prospect.
Dealing No. 58 for a 2025 second-rounder and 2024 seventh hurts the quality of this year's class, but gives Toronto much needed ammunition for the 2025 trade deadline.
The rest of the class features somewhat obscure projects. By no means a flashy draft from Toronto, but it snagged a right-shot defender with top-four upside in the first round to address its system's biggest need.
The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted defenseman Ben Danford with the 31st overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft on Friday.
Danford tallied 33 points in 64 games with the OHL's Oshawa Generals last season. He added 10 points in 21 playoff games as the Generals lost to Easton Cowan and the London Knights in the OHL Final.
The Madoc, Ontario, native is listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds.
"It's super special," Danford told Sportsnet's Jeff Marek. "Growing up, I've been a lifelong, die-hard Leafs fan, and to get drafted by them, it means that much more, so I can't wait to get started."
Danford described what Toronto fans can expect out of the team's newest prospect.
"I think the main thing is just a competitive guy," he told Marek. "A guy that does anything for the team to win: block shots, can play a two-way game, defense-first, and can contribute offensively as well."
The Maple Leafs traded down from No. 23 earlier in the night, adding the 58th overall pick from the Ducks.
NHL Central Scouting ranked Danford 35th among North American skaters.
Toronto hadn't drafted a defenseman in the first round since snagging Rasmus Sandin in 2018.
"Danford skates quite well," The Athletic's Corey Pronman wrote. "He's able to escape pressure with the puck and skate pucks up ice like a pro. Defensively, he closes on pucks quickly and competes well enough to win a lot of close races."
The Vancouver Canucks re-signed defenseman Tyler Myers to a three-year contract with a $3-million cap hit, the team announced Thursday.
Myers, 34, recorded 29 points and 77 penalty minutes in 77 games last season. He played 18:57 per contest, marking the first time in his 15-year NHL career that he averaged under 20 minutes.
The veteran blue-liner played in 12 of Vancouver's 13 playoff games and managed one assist.
Myers' new deal includes a no-move clause in the first two years and a 12-team no-trade clause in the final season, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.
Vancouver landed Myers as an unrestricted free agent in July 2019 on a five-year contract. He had a $6-million cap hit last season.
The Canucks re-signed forward Dakota Joshua on a four-year pact with a $3.25-million cap hit earlier Thursday. Ilya Mikheyev was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night, a move that cleared just over $4 million.
Vancouver has $14.5 million in cap space with Tucker Poolman on long-term injured reserve, according to CapFriendly.
Myers has accrued 371 points in 995 career games. He won the Calder Trophy with the Buffalo Sabres in 2009-2010.
The consensus No. 1 prospect in the class, Celebrini became the youngest player ever to win the Hobey Baker Award this season.
He's crushed whatever level he's played at for multiple years. Scouts rave about his well-rounded game. Sure, Celebrini doesn't have the generational offensive upside that Connor Bedard showed before last year's draft. But a player is doing something right when his most common player comparables are the likes of Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews.
Celebrini is no stranger to the Bay Area, either. He played for the under-14 Jr. Sharks in 2019-20 as his father, Rick, works for the NBA's Golden State Warriors. The Sharks are getting a franchise player with local ties - it doesn't get much better than that.
Artyom Levshunov
Michael Miller/ISI Photos / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Levshunov will make Belarusian hockey history on Friday night when he surpasses Ruslan Salei as the highest-drafted player in the nation's history.
Just two years ago, the right-handed defenseman was playing in the Belarusian junior league. That's what makes his ascent to an NCAA top-pairing rearguard as a freshman all the more remarkable.
The favorite to go No. 2 to the Chicago Blackhawks, Levshunov still has kinks to work out as he continues to adjust to a rapid increase in competition in a short span. An extra year at Michigan State, or even a campaign in the AHL, could benefit the defenseman.
Ivan Demidov
SOPA Images / LightRocket / Getty
The most electrifying player in the class. Demidov's pure skill is breathtaking and could very well make him the highest-scoring player to come out of the draft in a few years.
The issue is that Demidov almost exclusively played in the Russian junior league this season. He was far and away the best player in the league and wasn't tested against tougher competition.
The lack of a sample against pro teams in Russia will give teams pause at the top of the draft. However, a recent showcase held by his agent has helped quell some concerns.
Cayden Lindstrom
Jonathan Kozub / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Size, speed, and physicality. Lindstrom brings it all in a package that's tantalizing for any NHL general manager.
Lindstrom was superb in the first half of the season, putting himself firmly in the conversation to go in the top five, but he barely played after mid-December. A hand injury and a back ailment, later revealed to be a herniated disc, prevented Lindstrom from continuing to build on his early form.
Anton Silayev
SOPA Images / Getty Images
Silayev skyrocketed up rankings at the start of the season when he began playing regular minutes in the KHL.
As a 6-foot-7 defenseman with a massive reach and strong skating, Silayev screams shutdown defender. The question is whether he has the offensive upside, puck-moving ability, and decision-making to warrant a pick as high as No. 3.
Whoever lands Silayev is getting a player you can legitimately call a unicorn prospect with his size and skating combination.
Tij Iginla
Dale Preston / Getty Images Sport / Getty
The son of Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, Tij is one of the draft's biggest risers after a monster 47-goal campaign in the WHL. He's on the younger side of the class and is on a massive upward trajectory after scoring only 18 points in his WHL rookie campaign.
Will the Calgary Flames have a chance to snag a franchise icon's son, or will he already be off the board at No. 9?
The San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres completed a trade on the eve of the draft, the teams announced Thursday.
The Sharks moved up to No. 11, sending the 14th and 42nd overall picks to the Sabres.
Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams said the trade gives the club more ammunition to make a deal that helps the NHL roster, according to the Buffalo News' Lance Lysowski.
San Jose initially acquired the 14th pick from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Erik Karlsson trade and the 42nd selection from the New Jersey Devils in the Timo Meier deal.
The Sharks will also pick first overall in Friday's draft and are expected to take Boston University standout Macklin Celebrini.
Buffalo drafted forward Zach Benson with the No. 13 pick last year.
