Entwistle will return to Chicago for a fifth season after signing a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Blackhawks on Tuesday. The 24-year-old has yet to surpass 12+ points in any of his four NHL seasons but had five goals, 11 points, 47 PIMs and a -29 plus/minus in 67 games played in 2023-24.
Fitzgerald was a third-round pick of the Sabres in 2016 and was claimed off waivers by the Panthers in 2023 and played just four NHL games with the club. He spent all of last year in the AHL, collecting 21 points (4G / 17A) in 69 games. He'll almost certainly start 2025 in the AHL.
Pittsburgh added some grit on Monday by signing 27-year-old Bokondji Imama to a one-year, two-way contract. The 27-year-old appeared in six games with Ottawa in 2023-24, but failed to pick up a point while adding seven PIMs and averaging 5:25 TOI/GP.
Hathaway will stay in Philadelphia after a successful first season with the Flyers and has signed a two-year, $4.8 million ($2,400,000 AAV) contract extension on Monday. The 32-year-old veteran is entering his ninth NHL season and had seven goals, 17 points and 103 SOG in 82 games played in 2023-24.
Lafferty will join his fourth team in the last three years as he signed a two-year deal worth $4.0 million ($2.0M AAV). with the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. The 29-year-old centre spent one season in Vancouver in 2023-24, finishing with career highs in goals (13), points (24) PIMs (32) and games played (79).
Fresh off of helping Florida win its first Stanley Cup, 33-year-old Dmitry Kulikov has signed a four-year contract extension worth $4.6 million ($1.15M AAV). The veteran defensemen just completed his 15th NHL season and had a goal, 20 points, 63 PIMs and a +15 plus/minus in 76 games played.
Reinhart absolutely exploded in his contract year, scoring 57 goals, 24 more than his previous career high. He also added 37 assists, to give him 94 points, 12 more than his previous career high. Reinhart was also very strong during the Panthers run to the Stanley Cup, posting 16 points (10G / 6A) in 24 games and scored the Stanley Cup winning goal. Look for him to remain on a line with Aleksander Barkov for the foreseeable future.
Petrovic only appeared in one game for Dallas in 2023-24 but has earned himself a one-year, two-way contract extension to remain with the Stars next season. The 32-year-old spent his majority of 2023-24 with the Texas Stars (AHL) and had five goals and 22 points in 70 games played.
Lafferty just finished a two-year deal, which he originally signed with the Blackhawks before being traded to Toronto and then to Vancouver. He is a pending UFA, so the Blackhawks have a small window to try and get him under contract before he hits the open market. The 29-year-old centre had career-highs in goals (13) and points (24) during the 2023-24 season.
New Jersey made the first big splash of the offseason on Wednesday as they traded 23-year-old Kevin Bahl and their 2025 1st-round pick for goaltender Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames. Calgary will retain 31.25% of Markstrom's salary as an add-on in the deal, and a nice cherry on top for New Jersey. In 48 games played in 2023-24 with the Flames, Markstrom was 23-23-2 with a 2.78 GAA AND a .905 SV%.
Ottawa opened up its inaugural Spring Members Summit by announcing that they had signed 24-year-old Angus Crookshank to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775,000 on Wednesday. The left-winger was Ottawa's 2018 fifth-round pick and made his NHL debut in 2023-24, picking up two goals and three points across a short 13-game showing.
Barkov left Game 2 in the second period after a high hit from Leon Draisaitl and had some positive news and signs on Wednesday as he returned to Florida's practice in full. The 28-year-old centre has been the definition of lock-down this offseason and is producing on both ends with his six goals and 19 points in 19 games played. He is expected to be a full go for Game 3 on Thursday in Edmonton.
Barkov left Game 2 in the second period after a high hit from Leon Draisaitl and had some positive news from his head coach Paul Maurice on Tuesday. Maurice announced that the Panthers' captain was progressing and the team will be taking a day-to-day approach as they head into Game 3 on Thursday. A further update should be provided on Wednesday as the team partakes in their regular off-day practices.
