Current:Home > ScamsCan Panthers, Oilers keep their teams together? Plenty of contracts are expiring. -TradeCircle
Can Panthers, Oilers keep their teams together? Plenty of contracts are expiring.
View
Date:2025-04-23 10:21:43
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! (14641)
Related
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- 131 World War II vets die each day, on average; here is how their stories are being preserved.
- Video shows man crashing car into Florida sheriff's deputies, injuring 2
- NFL midseason grades: Giants, Panthers both get an F
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Taylor Swift's full Eras Tour setlist in South America: All 45 songs
- 131 World War II vets die each day, on average; here is how their stories are being preserved.
- Taylor Swift's full Eras Tour setlist in South America: All 45 songs
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- 'The Killer' review: Michael Fassbender is a flawed hitman in David Fincher's fun Netflix film
Ranking
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- CBS News poll finds Republican voters want to hear about lowering inflation, not abortion or Trump
- Why Travis Kelce Was MIA From Taylor Swift’s First Eras Tour Stop in Argentina
- Man arrested in Nebraska in alleged assault of former US Sen. Martha McSally
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- The IRS just announced new tax brackets. Here's how to see yours.
- Live updates | Israeli strikes hit near Gaza City hospitals as more Palestinians flee south
- 'The Killer' review: Michael Fassbender is a flawed hitman in David Fincher's fun Netflix film
Recommendation
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
Mexico City prosecutors accused of asking for phone records of prominent politicians
We're Still Recovering From The Golden Bachelor's Shocking Exit—and So Is She
Former Arizona senator reports being molested while running in Iowa
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Chicago White Sox announcer Jason Benetti moving to Detroit for TV play-by-play
Historic: NWSL signs largest broadcast deal in women's sports, adds additional TV partners
This week on Sunday Morning (November 12)