The Edmonton Oilers and star blue-liner Evan Bouchard are unlikely to begin discussions on a contract extension this offseason, according to The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman.

Bouchard became eligible to sign a new deal July 1 but is under contract for 2024-25 at a $3.9-million cap hit and can reach restricted free agency after the season.

The Oilers, currently without a general manager, are focused on extensions for Leon Draisaitl (2025 UFA) and Connor McDavid (2026 UFA), Nugent-Bowman reports.

Edmonton's two superstar forwards have strong cases to become the league's highest-paid players, but Bouchard is owed a significant raise as well. The 24-year-old ranked fourth among defensemen with 81 points last season and added 32 in the playoffs as the Oilers fell one win shy of the Stanley Cup.

Bouchard averaged 23 minutes per contest in 2023-24 and quarterbacks Edmonton's lethal power play.

The Oilers drafted Bouchard 10th overall in 2018.

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The Pittsburgh Penguins traded forward Reilly Smith to the New York Rangers for a second-round pick in 2027 and a conditional fifth-rounder in 2025, the teams announced.

Pittsburgh will receive the lower of New York's two fifth-round selections. The Rangers landed an additional pick by trading Ryan Reaves to the Minnesota Wild in 2022.

The Penguins are retaining 25% of Smith's salary in the deal, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Smith will count for $3.75 million against New York's cap before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Smith landed in Pittsburgh last summer via trade from the Vegas Golden Knights. He's now been dealt five times since 2013.

The 33-year-old produced 40 points in 76 games last season while averaging 16 minutes per night. Smith has five 20-goal seasons under his belt and won the Stanley Cup with Vegas in 2023.

The Rangers still have approximately $8 million in cap space to work with after the trade, according to CapFriendly.

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The Dallas Stars signed defenseman Matt Dumba to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.75 million.

The Stars needed bodies on defense after buying out Ryan Suter and losing Chris Tanev in free agency. Dallas also signed blue-liner Brendan Smith to a one-year, $1-million contract on Monday.

Dumba split last season between the Arizona Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning. He put up 12 points in 76 games with the two clubs and averaged nearly 20 minutes per contest.

The soon-to-be 30-year-old played the first 10 seasons of his career with the Minnesota Wild, who drafted him seventh overall in 2012.

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The Seattle Kraken signed forward Chandler Stephenson to a seven-year contract worth $6.25 million per season, the team announced Monday.

Stephenson became a free agent Monday after five seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights. His deal with Seattle is a major raise over the $2.75 million he's earned annually since 2020.

The Kraken handed out a pair of max-term contracts Monday, also signing blue-liner Brandon Montour to a lucrative seven-year contract.

Stephenson is a dependable middle-six center and produced 51 points this past season after back-to-back 60-plus-point campaigns. He averaged 18:29 per contest in 2023-24 and won 52.6% of his faceoffs.

The 30-year-old has won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals and Golden Knights during his nine-year career.

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The Nashville Predators are making a splash in free agency.

Nashville is signing forward Jonathan Marchessault to a five-year pact worth $5.5 million per season, the club announced Monday.

The Predators are also adding defenseman Brady Skjei on a seven-year pact with a $7-million cap hit.

In addition, Nashville re-upped defenseman Alexandre Carrier on a three-year deal at $3.75 million annually.

The moves come in addition to the signing of star forward Steven Stamkos.

Marchessault joins the Preds after spending six seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights. The veteran winger was vocal about wanting to return to Sin City, but the two sides were unable to come to an agreement.

"The tough part is there wasn't really a decent offer on the table," Marchessault said on TSN, according to The Athletic's Jesse Granger. "I don't think they tried their best to keep me, but that's part of the business, and they probably have other plans. That's the business we're in, so you move on."

Vegas landed Marchessault from the Florida Panthers when it entered the league, and he instantly became a core player. Marchessault leaves the Golden Knights as the organization's all-time leader in games played (514), goals (192), and points (417).

He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2023 when Vegas won the Stanley Cup.

Marchessault racked up a career-high 42 goals this past season while averaging nearly 18 minutes per night.

Carrier posted 20 points, including 16 assists, while blocking 137 shots over 73 games with the Predators this past season. The steady blue-liner authored a favorable expected goals for percentage of 51.14, per Natural Stat Trick.

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The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Jake DeBrusk to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $5.5 million and defenseman Vincent Desharnais to a two-year pact with a $2 million cap hit, the team announced.

DeBrusk became an unrestricted free agent Monday after a seven-year tenure with the Boston Bruins. His new deal with the Canucks is a notable raise from the $4 million he's earned annually for the past two seasons.

Desharnais, 28, had 11 points and 135 hits with the Edmonton Oilers last season while on a two-way contract.

The Canucks also inked forward Danton Heinen to a two-year deal at $2.25 million per campaign, forward Kiefer Sherwood to a two-year pact at $1.5 million annually, and defenseman Derek Forbort for one year and $1.5 million, the club announced.

Vancouver was widely believed to be pursuing a top-six winger to complement Elias Pettersson this offseason, and DeBrusk should fill that role on the left side of the Canucks' depth chart.

DeBrusk registered 19 goals and 40 points in 2023-24 but has eclipsed 25 tallies in three different seasons. The 27-year-old also has 47 points in 86 career playoff games.

The Bruins drafted DeBrusk 14th overall in 2015.

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The Nashville Predators signed longtime Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos to a four-year contract worth $8 million per season.

"When I became (general manager) of the Predators, I said many times that I was looking to add 'serial winners' to our franchise, and there is perhaps no one who fits that mold more than Steven Stamkos," executive Barry Trotz said in a statement.

"We're incredibly excited to sign a Hall of Fame player and person on what is now a massive day for the future of our organization. ... Steven is a proven winner and leader who will make us a better team on the ice with his production and in the locker room as someone for our younger players to learn from."

Stamkos spent 16 years with the Lightning after they drafted him first overall in 2008. He's the franchise's all-time leader in games played (1,082), goals (555), and points (1,137).

He hit the open market Monday after failing to reach an agreement with the Bolts. Tampa Bay cleared a ton of cap space at the draft over the weekend and wound up signing prized unrestricted free agent Jake Guentzel to a seven-year, $63-million deal with its newfound flexibility.

Stamkos posted a brief goodbye to Tampa Bay on X before his new deal was officially announced.

Stamkos captained the Lightning to a pair of Stanley Cups and won two Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies as the league's top goal-scorer during his tenure in Tampa Bay. His 50 goals in 128 playoff games are the second-most in the organization's history, while his 101 points rank third.

The 34-year-old is still one of the league's premier snipers and bagged 40 goals and 81 points in 79 games in 2023-24.

The Predators reached the playoffs this past season but fell short in the first round against the Vancouver Canucks.

Nashville spent big Monday, also landing 2023 Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Brady Skjei.

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The Ottawa Senators traded defenseman Jakob Chychrun to the Washington Capitals for blue-liner Nick Jensen and a third-round pick in 2026, the teams announced Monday.

Chychrun matched a career high with 41 points, including 14 goals, while playing all 82 games this past season. The 26-year-old ranked 10th in the league in goals among defensemen. He also averaged 22:23 of ice time, topping the 20-minute mark for the seventh time in his eight-year career.

The American spent one full season and 12 games of the 2022-23 campaign with the Senators, who acquired him from the Arizona Coyotes for a first-round pick and two second-rounders in March 2023. The Coyotes drafted Chychrun 16th overall in 2016.

Jensen spent parts of six seasons with the Capitals after playing parts of three with the Detroit Red Wings to start his career. He collected 14 points over 78 games while averaging 19:38 of ice time in 2023-24.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are set to sign free-agent forward Teuvo Teravainen, reports TSN's Chris Johnston.

It's a three-year contract that carries an average annual value of $5.4 million, according to PuckPedia.

The Blackhawks drafted Teravainen 18th overall in 2012. He played three seasons with the franchise, winning the Stanley Cup in 2015.

Teravainen was dealt to the Carolina Hurricanes after the championship, and he racked up 415 points in 555 games after the trade. Teravainen produced 53 points in 76 contests while averaging over 16 minutes per night this past season.

The Blackhawks are also signing free-agent forward Tyler Bertuzzi to help bolster their forward corps.

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The New Jersey Devils are set to sign free-agent defenseman Brett Pesce to a six-year contract that carries an average annual value in the $5.5-million range, according to The Athletic's Chris Johnston.

New Jersey is also inking blue-liner Brenden Dillon on a three-year agreement worth around $4 million annually, reports Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

Pesce was one of the most coveted blue-liners on the open market this summer. The 29-year-old is known for a sturdy defensive game and gives the Devils a dependable top-four option on the right side.

Dillon suited up for the Winnipeg Jets the last three seasons and registered 20 points in 77 games in 2023-24. He also played for the Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars, and San Jose Sharks across a 13-year career.

The Devils have reworked their blue line early in the offseason, dealing John Marino to Utah while acquiring Johnathan Kovacevic from the Montreal Canadiens.

New Jersey also acquired goaltender Jacob Markstrom in June and hired Sheldon Keefe as its new head coach.

The Devils entered the signing period with approximately $19 million available to spend, per CapFriendly.

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