Current:Home > ScamsCan Panthers, Oilers keep their teams together? Plenty of contracts are expiring. -MarketLink
Can Panthers, Oilers keep their teams together? Plenty of contracts are expiring.
View
Date:2025-04-13 08:53:17
The Florida Panthers have won their first NHL championship in their third trip to the Stanley Cup Final.
The Edmonton Oilers hope the future is bright after reaching the championship round for the first time in the Connor McDavid era and pushing back from a 3-0 deficit to force Game 7.
Can they keep their teams together?
The recent champion Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche showed that's more difficult in the salary cap era. But this year's finalists will benefit from the salary cap rising from $83.5 million to $88 million.
Here are the decisions that await the Panthers and Oilers:
What's next for the Florida Panthers?
The big offseason questions will be unrestricted free agent forward Sam Reinhart and defenseman Brandon Montour.
Reinhart, 28, had a career year with 57 goals, had 10 more in the playoffs and works well with Aleksander Barkov. He's due a big raise from this season's $6.5 million but might need to take a slight hometown discount.
Montour, 30, had 73 points in 2022-23 but dropped to 33 after offseason shoulder surgery. He's a coveted right-shot defenseman, but Gustav Forsling appears to have supplanted him as the top blue liner and just got an extension.
Other pending unrestricted free agent defensemen are offseason signees Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Dmitry Kulikov. Aaron Ekblad is entering the final year of his contract.
Among the forwards, trade deadline acquisition Vladimir Tarasenko is on a one-year deal. He has a Florida home and has been a good fit on the third line. Kyle Okposo, also acquired at the deadline, won his first Cup at 36. There are other bottom six forwards on the UFA list.
Anton Lundell is a restricted free agent, and Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe have one year left.
Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky had two more years on his contract. Backup goalie Anthony Stolarz is unrestricted. Spencer Knight, who didn't play in the NHL this season, is in the system.
What's next for the Edmonton Oilers?
No. 2 scorer Leon Draisaitl is heading into his final season and is eligible for an extension. Connor McDavid has two years left on his deal and forwards Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Evander Kane are signed beyond next season.
Defenseman Evan Bouchard, who has emerged as the Oilers' top defenseman, is eligible for an extension. He'll be a restricted free agent at the end of next season. Philip Broberg, who took big strides in the playoffs, is restricted.
The Oilers have a long list of UFAs. including their impressive third line of Mattias Janmark, Connor Brown and Adam Henrique. Warren Foegele, who had a four-game point streak in the final, is unrestricted, and Dylan Holloway is restricted.
Goalie Stuart Skinner has two years left on his deal at an inexpensive $2.6 million cap hit. The Oilers need to make a decision on veteran goalie Jack Campbell, who spent most of the season in the American Hockey League. Calvin Pickard is unrestricted.
veryGood! (6741)
Related
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- On Super Bowl broadcast, ‘He Gets Us’ ads featuring Jesus stand out for change-of-pace message
- 'I Love You So Much It's Killing Us Both' is a rare, genuinely successful rock novel
- Uncle Eli has sage advice for Texas backup quarterback Arch Manning: Be patient
- Why we love Bear Pond Books, a ski town bookstore with a French bulldog 'Staff Pup'
- Shots can be scary and painful for kids. One doctor has a plan to end needle phobia
- Yes, Puffy Winter Face is a Thing: Here's How to Beat It & Achieve Your Dream Skin
- How Hollywood art directors are working to keep their sets out of the landfill
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Hiker stranded on boulder hoisted to safety by helicopter in California: Watch the video
Ranking
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Kate Winslet says her post-'Titanic' fame was 'horrible': 'My life was quite unpleasant'
- Winter storm targets Northeast — here's how much snow is in the forecast
- Dakota Johnson Bares All in Sheer Crystal Dress for Madame Web Premiere
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- Officials are looking into why an American Airlines jetliner ran off the end of a Texas runway
- Tom Brady Weighs In on Travis Kelce and Andy Reid’s Tense Super Bowl Moment
- Antisemitism and safety fears surge among US Jews, survey finds
Recommendation
'Squid Game' without subtitles? Duolingo, Netflix encourage fans to learn Korean
Daytona Speedweeks: What to know about the races and events leading up to 2024 Daytona 500
Will New York State Divest From Big Oil?
Across the world, migrating animal populations are dwindling. Here's why
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
Chiefs' exhilarating overtime win in Super Bowl 58 shatters all-time TV ratings record
Former NFL Player Tony Hutson Dead at 49
Sally Field says 'Steel Magnolias' director was 'very hard' on Julia Roberts: 'It was awful'