Seattle Kraken prospect Shane Wright hasn't met the lofty expectations bestowed on him, but he's confident his time in the AHL will pay off in the long run.
"Obviously there’s outside expectations, the outside pressures," Wright recently told TSN. "But at the end of the day I have my own expectations on myself and that’s really what I've focused on - just go about my business day to day.
"It's certainly been a process for me, I've had to learn what it's like to be a pro, to take that next step, to be able to have success and be an impact player at that level."
Wright was granted exceptional status to play in the OHL as a 15-year-old and was the consensus top pick for the 2022 draft after a prolific junior career. He fell to the Kraken at fourth overall.
Wright's managed seven points in 16 career NHL games. He's posted stronger numbers with the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds and has reached back-to-back Calder Cup Finals with Seattle's farm club.
It's unclear if Wright will make the Kraken out of camp this fall. Seattle named Dan Bylsma its new head coach over the offseason and spent lavishly in free agency by signing Chandler Stephenson and Brandon Montour to long-term deals.
The Kraken missed the playoffs in 2023-24 after qualifying for the first time the season prior.
The Pittsburgh Penguins hired Wes Clark as vice president of player personnel on Tuesday.
Clark will oversee Pittsburgh's amateur, professional, and free agent scouting departments. He previously worked under Kyle Dubas with the Toronto Maple Leafs and OHL's Soo Greyhounds.
"Having worked with Wes for many years, I have a deep trust in his ability to identify talent, lead staffs, advance our scouting process and methods, learn from mistakes to improve processes and to challenge my own thinking and planning on a near daily basis," Dubas said.
Dubas departed the Maple Leafs in 2023 to become Pittsburgh's general manager and president of hockey operations. Ex-Toronto player and executive Jason Spezza also joined the Penguins when Dubas did.
Clark worked in Toronto for six years and was a prominent figure in its draft process. He held various roles with the organization during his tenure, most notably director of player personnel and director of amateur scouting.
The Florida Panthers signed defenseman Adam Boqvist to a one-year contract Tuesday.
Terms of the deal weren't officially disclosed, but Cap Friendly indicates the pact is worth $775,000.
The Columbus Blue Jackets bought out Boqvist earlier this offseason after he went unclaimed on waivers. He had one year remaining on his previous deal at a $2.6-million cap hit.
The soon-to-be 24-year-old was drafted eighth overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2018 before being dealt to Columbus in 2021. Boqvist has struggled to stay healthy for much of his career and recorded 10 points in 35 games last season.
The Panthers lost Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Brandon Montour from their Cup-winning defensive corps this summer, and Boqvist can provide cheap depth on the blue line.
Florida also signed Boqvist's older brother, Jesper, this offseason.
The Washington Capitals named Chris Patrick their general manager Monday and announced that Brian MacLellan, who held the title last season, will remain the team's president of hockey operations.
Patrick joined the Capitals in 2008-09 in a player development role and was promoted to associate general manager last August.
"We are thrilled to announce Chris' promotion to general manager," owner Ted Leonsis said in a statement. "Chris is a dedicated and hard-working executive who is fully prepared for this next step in his career. His vision, extensive experience, hockey acumen, and player evaluation make him the perfect leader to drive our team forward. We are confident that he will thrive in this new role."
MacLellan became Washington's general manager in 2014 and added president of hockey operations to his title last season. He's been with the franchise in various roles for over 20 years.
The Capitals won a Stanley Cup and the Presidents' Trophy twice during MacLellan's tenure. Washington reached the playoffs in 2023-24 but got swept by the New York Rangers in the first round. The club has been one of the league's most active teams early this summer, acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois, Jakob Chychrun, and Andrew Mangiapane in separate trades, while signing Matt Roy to a big-ticket contract in free agency.
The deal's terms aren't known. Crosby has one season remaining on his existing contract, which has paid him $8.7 million annually since 2013-14.
Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas said earlier this offseason that he owes it to Crosby to keep negotiations as "quiet as possible."
Crosby, who turns 37 in August, just finished his 19th campaign with Pittsburgh since being drafted first overall in 2005. He led the Penguins with 94 points in 82 games in 2023-24 and moved into 10th spot on the NHL's all-time scoring list.
However, Pittsburgh fell short of qualifying for the playoffs for the second consecutive season, prompting speculation that Crosby may want to end his Hall of Fame career on a more competitive team.
The Penguins weren't overly active in free agency earlier in July and have approximately $3.5 million in cap space to seek improvements, according to Cap Friendly.
Without factoring in Crosby's new cap hit, Pittsburgh projects to have over $30 million in cap space in 2025-26 but only has 11 players signed.
The Philadelphia Flyers signed restricted free-agent defenseman Egor Zamula to a two-year contract worth $1.7 million annually, the team announced Sunday.
Zamula earned $775,000 on a one-year deal last season. He'll be an arbitration-eligible RFA when his new pact expires in 2026.
The 25-year-old set career highs in games (66) and points (21) in 2023-24 and averaged over 16 minutes per contest.
Zamula was the Flyers' last player without a contract for next season.
Sergachev, who played the first season of an eight-year extension with Tampa Bay in 2023-24, was dealt to Utah during draft weekend for J.J. Moser, Conor Geekie, and two draft picks.
After the initial shock wore off, Sergachev began to embrace the next chapter of his career.
"Talking to my agent, talking to some players, and talking to (Utah forward Clayton) Keller, everybody said great things about Utah and the new franchise," he said. "It's pretty amazing, honestly. The whole setup, the city. I'm very excited. It's a big opportunity for me to prove myself, being a leader. I’m looking forward to it."
Sergachev will likely be deployed on Utah's first defensive pairing while also being used on the power play and penalty kill. The 26-year-old was limited to only 34 games last year due to injury, but he's only one season removed from a career-best 64-point campaign.
The 2024 pool of unrestricted free agents dried up in a flash, and with hardly anything left to look forward to this offseason, it's time to start thinking about next year's crop of players. Spoiler: it's stacked.
Extensions between now and next July 1 will likely take most off these names off the board, but it's fun to dream of a free-agent frenzy with some of the league's biggest stars on the market.
Players listed in each position group by 2023-24 point totals
Forwards
Leon Draisaitl: The Oilers will do everything in their power to keep Draisaitl, but it will be a delicate process for whoever takes over Edmonton's GM chair. While Draisaitl deserves to be one of the league's richest players, Connor McDavid's negotiations are around the corner, too.
Mikko Rantanen: It's difficult to imagine the Avalanche letting their second-best forward walk. Nathan MacKinnon's $12.6-million cap hit likely represents Colorado's maximum offer, but if Rantanen wants to stay in Denver, a deal between the two sides should be easily accomplished.
Sidney Crosby: Sid the Kid hasn't penned a new deal since 2012, and he's still pushing 100-point seasons at 36 years old. As exciting as the Crosby sweepstakes would be, keeping the band together in Pittsburgh has been his strategy all along, and it would be stunning to see him in another sweater.
Mitch Marner: A trade from Toronto seems unlikely at this point, but another playoff failure could make Marner's future with the Maple Leafs untenable. There will be a long list of teams vying for the star winger's services next summer if he leaves his hometown club for nothing.
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Brock Boeser: Boeser's fresh off a resurgent 40-goal season and may need to produce similarly in 2024-25 to earn an extension with the Canucks. Another cap spike could help Vancouver out, but the club already has several long-term commitments.
Carter Verhaeghe: Verhaeghe was a massive part of Florida's back-to-back playoff runs and would be an attractive add for 31 teams. However, after seeing the team-friendly deals Bill Zito was able to swing for Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell, retaining Verhaeghe on the cheap could be a walk in the park for the Panthers.
Travis Konecny: Konecny seems to perfectly fit the mold of John Tortorella's identity for the Flyers, and Philadelphia needs veterans to help steer the rebuild. He's a goal-scoring pest who plays all situations and will cash in no matter where he signs.
Brad Marchand: Bruins captains always seem to re-sign for pennies. Zdeno Chara passed the tradition down to Patrice Bergeron, and it'd be a shock if the trend didn't continue with Marchand.
Claus Andersen / Getty Images Sport / Getty
John Tavares: Tavares' time as an $11-million player is set to come to an end soon, and it will be interesting to see if he stays in Toronto. The Maple Leafs are short on center depth, and their captain's decline in production would become more palatable at a lesser cost.
Claude Giroux: Giroux will be 37 next summer but has produced seasons of 79 and 64 points since joining the Senators. Will he look to join a contender to chase the first Stanley Cup of his long career, or stay in Ottawa to help the club return to the playoffs?
Nikolaj Ehlers: The Jets may trade Ehlers this summer, but he'll be an intriguing option on the open market if he makes it there. The 28-year-old can skate like the wind and has elite offensive instincts.
Other notables: Jamie Benn, Gustav Nyquist, Brock Nelson, Patrick Kane, Sam Bennett
Defense
Brent Burns: Burns refuses to age. He notched 43 points while averaging more than 20 minutes per contest for the 10th consecutive season. It's unclear if the 2017 Norris Trophy winner wants to keep playing beyond 2025, but he still has game.
G Fiume / Getty Images Sport / Getty
Shea Theodore: Theodore will be the cream of the crop among blue-liners if he becomes available, which is a real possibility due to Vegas' perennial cap crunch. The soon-to-be 29-year-old is a bona fide top-pair defenseman with Stanley Cup pedigree.
Jakub Chychrun: One wouldn't blame Chychrun for trying to find some long-term security next summer after being traded again. Perhaps he finds a fit he likes in Washington, but he'd be highly coveted in free agency. Chychrun is only 26 and is a premier defender when healthy.
Neal Pionk: Right-handed defensemen always draw plenty of attention, and Pionk will be no exception if he doesn't re-up with the Winnipeg Jets. He's been a minute-muncher his entire career and can be consistently relied upon to produce 30-to-40 points.
Ivan Provorov: Provorov's stock has fallen in recent years, but he'll only be 28 next summer. He could be a worthwhile reclamation project in the right environment.
Other notables: Jake McCabe, Esa Lindell, Dmitry Orlov, Vladislav Gavrikov, Adam Larsson
Goalies
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
Igor Shesterkin: The Rangers would be crazy to let their backbone test the market, but we'd be remiss to exclude Shesterkin from our list. He's far and away the best goalie "available" and may come close to doubling his current $5.66-million cap hit on his next pact.
Linus Ullmark: Ullmark will be put to the test in Ottawa this season, as the Senators' playoff hopes rely squarely on improved goaltending. The 2023 Vezina winner's new club doesn't defend like the Bruins - at least not yet - so he'll need to prove his worth in a massive platform year.
Adin Hill: Injuries derailed Hill's first year as Vegas' No. 1, and time is quickly running out on the two-year prove-it deal he signed after winning the Stanley Cup. The Golden Knights are never afraid of bold decisions, but unless Hill completely falls off in 2024-25, it's hard to see Vegas letting him go.
Alexandar Georgiev: Georgiev has consistently been able to rack up wins behind Colorado but has posted a sub-.900 save percentage in two of his last three seasons. He'll need to find some consistency to earn trust from the Avalanche - or any other team - next summer.
Frederik Andersen: Andersen will soon be 35 and might be getting phased out of Carolina's crease by Pyotr Kochetkov. It's unlikely Andersen gets another long-term deal at this stage of his career, but he could be an attractive depth option if he chooses to continue playing after his current contract expires.
The Winnipeg Jets announced Saturday they signed forward David Gustafsson and defenseman Logan Stanley to two-year contract extensions.
Both players were restricted free agents. Gustafsson's contract carries an average annual value of $835,000, while Stanley will earn $1.25 million per year on his new deal.
Gustafsson was a second-round pick of the Jets in 2018. He produced seven points in 39 games this past season.
Stanley had two points in 25 appearances. He's played 139 games with the franchise since being drafted 18th overall in 2016.
The Jets' remaining RFAs are Cole Perfetti and Dylan Coghlan, the latter of whom was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes via trade Saturday.
Tolvanen's previous contract, signed with the Nashville Predators in 2021, paid him $1.45 million per season.
The Kraken claimed Tolvanen off waivers in December 2022. The 25-year-old set career highs in goals (16), points (41), and average ice time (15:39) this past season.
Seattle's final RFA is 2023 Calder Trophy winner Matty Beniers.
