The Official 2025 Offseason Thread: No childhood photo, no deal

[Grand Moff Larkin]

The NHL: Where the stars align!

(I think I know who that is but I wouldn't put money on it)

[Grand Moff Larkin]

The NHL and NHL Players’ Association have agreed upon key elements of a new collective bargaining agreement, including an 84-game schedule starting in 2026-27, according to league sources.

Among the new contractual rules will be a one-year reduction on the maximum length of player contracts — down to seven years for players re-signing with their own teams prior to free agency and six for those signed in free agency. Deferred-salary contracts will also be eliminated.

The new CBA will additionally include the introduction of a new playoff salary cap system to close off the LTIR loophole as well as a new provision that allows teams to carry a full-time emergency backup goalie.

I don't understand the need to reduce max term. Also the regular season is too long already. The backup goalie thing is fine, the playoff salary cap thing should stop some grousing.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Thoughts on stuff:

I don't know if Utah was realistically in on Marner, but the Peterka deal, both in terms of cap space and allotment of average-sized wingers, puts an end to some podcast discussions I listened to last night.

Realistically I think 1. Vegas 2. Anaheim 3. Columbus 4. (ha) Detroit 5. Carolina. I don't trust that Carolina can convince anyone to actually go there. Columbus feels like a sneaky bet. There was some talk of a two-year deal with one of the legit contenders, but the pressure of that would be nuts: don't win in the first year, OK, you absolutely have to win the next year.

My gut is that Ekblad signs with Anaheim to reunite with Quenneville. Florida keeps both Bennett and Marchand on criminally cheap contracts. Anaheim drafts a forward at 10, unless Mrtka is still available, because they dumped Zegras for futures and have a lot of young defensemen right now.

The Kings have a bunch of cap space and conceivably could be in on Marner, but I see them as an Ehlers destination.

[Cacophony]

Just what everyone wants, more regular season games

[Grand Moff Larkin]

As the New York Islanders continue working through trade scenarios involving free-agent defenseman Noah Dobson, league sources said they are down to two potential suitors: the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets.

If the Habs manage to trade 16 + Mallioux + Dach or whatever their current "Ryder + Halak + 2nd" bundle is for Dobson, lord help me

[nick]

Granted I don't watch the Islanders, but isn't Dobson an offensive-first kinda Dman who plays point on a PP1? Where does he fit on the Habs who already have Hutson?

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Yeah ideally that's his role. Roy didn't trust him as much, which is why his point totals took a hit.

The Habs' top PP unit seems pretty locked in (Hutson, Suzuki, Slaf, Caufield, Demidov). I could see him being on their 2nd unit, but does that make sense if you're paying him 10 mill?

He makes sense in being slightly older than their bunch of young guys (Guhle, Hutson, Reinbacher, whoever else) but not too old to be misaligned with their core. I don't know.

Beej make a bit more sense, even if Werenski is similarly entrenched on the top unit.

[sutterfamily]

I don't get signing Frederic for 8 years. Why? The AAV is going to decrease in cap % quite a bit but still...

[sutterfamily]

If the Habs manage to trade 16 + Mallioux + Dach or whatever their current "Ryder + Halak + 2nd" bundle is for Dobson, lord help me

same, same

[Grand Moff Larkin]

I don't get signing Frederic for 8 years. Why? The AAV is going to decrease in cap % quite a bit but still...

The main thing I don’t get about it is that he wasn’t very good for them in the playoffs! He had four points!

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Pajamas photo strikes again

The Maple Leafs re-signed their former captain to a four-year contract with a $4.38 million annual average value on Friday, a league source said.

That’s a bonkers low AAV even if the term isn’t ideal.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Welp

The Montreal Canadiens have landed Noah Dobson in a sign-and-trade with the New York Islanders, locking up the 25-year-old defenseman through his prime as part of the blockbuster deal, according to league sources.

The return was not immediately available. As part of the transaction, Dobson signed an eight-year contract extension carrying a $9.5 million average annual value.

[Alexei Ca$hin]

Deal doesn't make sense to me either, for exactly these two reasons

The Habs' top PP unit seems pretty locked in (Hutson, Suzuki, Slaf, Caufield, Demidov). I could see him being on their 2nd unit, but does that make sense if you're paying him 10 mill?

He makes sense in being slightly older than their bunch of young guys (Guhle, Hutson, Reinbacher, whoever else) but not too old to be misaligned with their core. I don't know.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

16 + 17 and Emil Heineman?

[Alexei Ca$hin]

Two 1st and Emil Heineman is the return

[Grand Moff Larkin]

If you’re getting the 70 point Dobson from a few seasons ago, sure, 9.5 x 8 is fine. But Hutson’s going to get both PP1 time and the easiest zone deployment. Feels possible that Dobson becomes more of a 40 point a year guy and that cap hit looks bad.

I will say that if the Isles use those picks to get into the top six to draft Hagens, which is what Habs fans 100% fantasized about doing, it will be exceptionally funny.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired Charlie Coyle from the Colorado Avalanche, adding a veteran center — and a right-shot pivot — to their youthful and talented forward ranks, according to league sources.

Forward Miles Wood is also moving from Colorado to Columbus, though it was not immediately clear what the Avalanche were getting in return, beyond 20-year-old center Gavin Brindley and some draft picks.

That clears up some cap space for the Avs

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Brindley with 17 points in 52 AHL games last year, feels underwhelming.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Listening to an Athletic hockey podcast from a few days ago and both Frankie Corrado and Sean Gentille are strongly for Zetterberg deserving the HOF.

Meanwhile Sean McIndoe is against him. Fuck Sean McIndoe.

[Grand Moff Larkin]

Supposedly the Broons, SNES, and Wings are left on the Rasmus Anderson sweepstakes

I assume for Detroit it comes down to whether they’d move the 13th pick (eh I guess) or ASP (hell no). Danielson also would be of interested but moving his seems premature.