The New York Islanders have Maxim Tsyplakov to a 1-year contract.
Tsyplakov, 25, will be a RFA following the expiry of his 1-year, entry-level contract. He is eligible to hit unrestricted free agency after the 2025-26 season.
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Kings re-sign David Rittich
The Los Angeles Kings have re-signed David Rittich to a 1-year contract.
It’s expected the Kings will make a move to bolster their netminding this offseason. They reportedly had a deal for Linus Ullmark at the trade deadline, but the deal was nixed by Ullmark. Rittich figures to offer depth in net for the Kings, and might be challenged by Erik Portillo–who had a great rookie season in the AHL– for the backup job.
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Maple Leafs fire Sheldon Keefe
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe.
Keefe had been the head coach of the Leafs since taking over for Mike Babcock mid-season in 2019-20. He led the Leafs to a 212-97-40 record over that period, but famously failed to reach the second round of the playoffs in all but one season.
Dave Pagnotta suggests that Craig Berube is high on the Leafs’ list for potential replacements.
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Blackhawks re-sign Lukas Reichel
The Chicago Blackhawks have re-signed Lukas Reichel to a 2-year contract.
Reichel, 21, had a somewhat disappointing season for the Blackhawks in 2023-24, putting up 5 goals and 11 assists in 65 games at the NHL level. He also had 1 goal and 7 assists in 10 games for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.
Reichel will still have 3 RFA seasons after the conclusion of this 2-year deal.
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Blues name Drew Bannister head coach
The St. Louis Blues have named Drew Bannister as their head coach.
Bannister took over for Craig Berube on an interim basis, after being a head coach in the AHL since 2018-19.
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Travis Green to be next Senators coach
Travis Green will be the next head coach of the Ottawa Senators, reports Darren Dreger.
Green was head coach of the Vancouver Canucks from 2017-18 to 2021-22, the team putting up a 133-147-34 record over that stretch. He was an associate coach with the New Jersey Devils in 2023-24, serving as interim head coach after Lindy Ruff was fired late in the season.
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Rick Bowness to retire
Rick Bowness will announce his retirement from coaching today, Darren Dreger reports.
With Bowness leaving, that adds another team to the list looking for a coach for next year. Jets associate coach Scott Arniel figures to be a prominent candidate, though the search will no doubt be wide.
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Brind’Amour future with Carolina unclear
Rod Brind’Amour may explore the open market after the Hurricanes have retracted their previous contract offer, reports Darren Dreger.
Carolina famously has their price ranges that they don’t deviate from, which lead to a drawn out process with Brind’Amour’s last contract 3 years ago, which reportedly was markedly under market rate.
Kevin Weekes tweeted recently about a coach getting more than $7 million this summer. If Brind’Amour indeed hits free agency, he would be the most likely candidate to garner a contract that high.