The Florida Panthers are re-signing defenseman Dmitry Kulikov to a four-year contract worth $1.15 million per season, reports TSN's Bob McKenzie.

Kulikov, who was drafted 14th overall by Florida in 2009, joined the Panthers for a second tour of duty last summer on a one-year agreement.

The 33-year-old recorded 20 points in 76 games and helped Florida capture the Stanley Cup in a shutdown, penalty-killing role on the blue line.

Kulikov has suited up for eight different teams over a 15-year career.

The Panthers also re-signed star forward Sam Reinhart on Monday.

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Free-agent forward Tyler Bertuzzi is expected to sign with the Chicago Blackhawks on a four-year contract with an average annual value of $5.5 million, sources told The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, who signed Bertuzzi to a one-year deal last summer, attempted to retain the 29-year-old, but he opted to walk.

Bertuzzi appeared in 80 games for the Maple Leafs in 2023-24 and managed 21 goals and 22 assists in a top-six role. He averaged just over 16 minutes per contest and added four points in seven postseason games as Toronto fell short against the Boston Bruins in Round 1.

The Blackhawks are one of the league's most flexible teams this signing period, entering the day with nearly $29 million in cap space, according to CapFriendly.

Chicago is seeking reinforcements to help accelerate its rebuild. The club finished 31st in the league standings last season after drafting phenom Connor Bedard first overall in 2023.

Bertuzzi's tallied 261 points in 406 career games split between the Detroit Red Wings, Bruins, and Leafs. He was a second-round pick of Detroit in 2013.

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The Carolina Hurricanes are set to sign defensive stalwart Jaccob Slavin to an eight-year contract extension, according to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

The deal carries an average annual value of $6.43 million and will be officially announced at noon, Seravalli notes.

Monday is the first day Slavin is eligible to sign a new deal. The fresh contract kicks in for the 2025-26 season and is a raise from the $5.3 million he's earned annually since 2018.

Recently promoted general manager Eric Tulsky made Slavin a priority shortly after taking the position, as the two sides reportedly began working on a long-term extension in June.

Jalen Chatfield and Scott Morrow were the only blue-liners Carolina had signed for 2025-26 before Slavin's new deal.

Slavin was a fourth-round draft pick of the Hurricanes in 2012, and he's developed into one of the NHL's premier shutdown defenders since breaking into the league in 2015-16. He produced 37 points in 81 games this past season and has earned down-ballot Norris Trophy votes in seven of the past eight campaigns.

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Warning: Videos contain coarse language

The party was on in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, as the Florida Panthers held their Stanley Cup parade on the eve of free agency.

Thousands of loyal Cats fans took to the street to brave rainy weather and celebrate their team's first title, and as always, there was no shortage of viral clips to hit the internet.

Here are some of the best:

Ryan Lomberg gave a lucky fan a beer shower:

Some fans were smart enough to pack umbrellas, but a bit of wet weather couldn't dampen a good chant:

Head coach Paul Maurice is still soaking up the first championship of his long career:

The Panthers will follow Aleksander Barkov no matter what, even if he's doing a shoey:

Matthew Tkachuk continued trolling Edmonton:

Roberto Luongo delivered on the drums before Game 7 and did it again Sunday:

Aaron Ekblad got the last laugh on LIV star and Panthers fan Brooks Koepka after their small feud last season:

Ekblad also showed off some new ink with his dad:

Then, Tkachuk and a group fans got sick of celebrating on land and took the party to the ocean:

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The Edmonton Oilers placed goaltender Jack Campbell on unconditional waivers for the purpose of a buyout, the team announced Sunday.

Campbell signed a five-year, $25-million contract with the Oilers as a free agent in 2022. He was assigned to the AHL in November after starting the season 1-4 with a .873 save percentage and didn't make another appearance for Edmonton.

Here's a breakdown of what the buyout will cost the Oilers, according to Cap Friendly.

Campbell also struggled in his debut season in Edmonton, posting an .888 save percentage in 36 appearances in 2022-23.

The Oilers' tandem in goal next season will be Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard, who combined to help Edmonton reach Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final this postseason.

Edmonton has approximately $12.9 million to spend this offseason and only has 14 players signed for 2024-25. The Oilers are also in search of a new general manager after the club and Ken Holland agreed to part ways.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning signed forward Jake Guentzel to a seven-year contract with an average annual value of $9 million on Monday.

The Bolts traded a 2025 third-round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes to acquire his rights on Sunday. Guentzel and Carolina were reportedly negotiating an eight-year, $64-million pact before the trade.

Guentzel is now the third-highest-paid player on Tampa Bay's books behind Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, who each make $9.5 million annually.

News broke that Tampa Bay was setting its sights on the prized winger after creating cap space by trading Mikhail Sergachev and Tanner Jeannot on Saturday.

Carolina acquired Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a pre-deadline blockbuster. He notched 25 points in 17 games with the Hurricanes, adding nine more in the playoffs as the club bowed out in the second round at the hands of the New York Rangers.

Guentzel is a two-time 40-goal-scorer, and he won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2017. The 29-year-old could be a replacement for captain Steven Stamkos, who's testing the market Monday after 16 years with the Lightning.

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New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba is shocked to see his name in trade rumors this offseason, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Rangers general manager Chris Drury reportedly asked Trouba earlier this week to submit the 15 teams on his no-trade list. Trouba's full no-move clause turns into a modified clause Monday, but the rugged defenseman may not be inclined to help a trade materialize, sources told The Athletic's Peter Baugh.

Reports over draft weekend indicated the Detroit Red Wings are interested in acquiring Trouba, a Michigan native.

Trouba has two seasons remaining on his contract at a cap hit of $8 million. He signed a seven-year deal with the Rangers in 2019 after asking to be traded from the Winnipeg Jets.

New York named him captain in August 2022.

Trouba is one of the league's most physically imposing blue-liners and chipped in 22 points in 69 games this past season. However, his defensive metrics and discipline are an issue, as he posted minus-2.3 defensive goals above replacement in 2023-24, per Evolving-Hockey, and led the Rangers with 22 penalty minutes in the playoffs.

Drury has set out to clear cap space early this summer, already waiving veteran Barclay Goodrow. The Rangers have $12.8 million in financial flexibility, according to Cap Friendly. Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider are New York's most prominent restricted free agents, while Igor Shesterkin, Alexis Lafreniere, and K'Andre Miller are eligible to sign extensions as of July 1.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are prioritizing Jake Guentzel in free agency after creating ample cap space with a pair of trades Saturday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The Bolts dealt Mikhail Sergachev to Utah and Tanner Jeannot to Los Angeles during the second day of the draft and now have $16.5 million in financial flexibility, per Cap Friendly.

The newfound money could also be used on retaining captain and unrestricted free agent Steven Stamkos. Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said Friday he's unsure the two sides will be able to come to an agreement before the market opens July 1.

Guentzel is expected to be among the most pursued players this signing period. The Carolina Hurricanes, who acquired the winger prior to March's trade deadline, have been negotiating an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $8 million with Guentzel, Friedman notes.

The Hurricanes are the only team who can sign Guentzel to an eighth year.

Guentzel registered 30 goals and 77 points in 67 games split with Carolina and Pittsburgh this past season. He's a two-time 40-goal-scorer and an established playoff performer. Guentzel won the Stanley Cup in 2017 with the Penguins and has 67 points in 69 career postseason contests.

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The St. Louis Blues traded veteran forward Kevin Hayes and a 2025 second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for future considerations, the teams announced Saturday.

Hayes has two seasons remaining on his contract at a $3.571-million cap hit after the Philadelphia Flyers retained 50% of his salary in the 2023 trade that sent him to St. Louis.

The 32-year-old made 79 appearances for the Blues this season, registering 29 points while averaging 14 minutes per night. Hayes will likely slot in as Pittsburgh's third-line center behind Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

The Penguins will be Hayes' fifth team in his 10-year NHL career.

Pittsburgh has approximately $7.1 million in remaining cap space after the trade, according to Cap Friendly.

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The San Jose Sharks drafted forward Igor Chernyshov 33rd overall Saturday to kick off the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

Chernyshov had 28 points in 22 games in the Russian junior league this past season while also making 34 appearances with the KHL's Dynamo Moscow.

The 18-year-old winger entered the draft as Central Scouting's ninth-ranked international skater and slotted fifth among forwards. Chernyshov is listed at 6-foot-3, 204 pounds.

The Sharks had two first-round picks Friday, choosing Macklin Celebrini first overall and Sam Dickinson at 11th. San Jose has six additional selections to make over the weekend after taking Chernyshov.

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