Five Minute Major

*Photo from NHL.com*     One thing that is important during a rebuild is to lock up your young talent. The Columbus Blue Jackets and right shot D Andrew Peeke have agreed to a 3 year, $8.25 million deal, according to an announcement by the team on Wednesday.    Prior to last season, Peeke had played in parts of two seasons. Last season was his big breakout, appearing in every game played by the Blue Jackets while setting multiple career highs in various stats. He led Blue Jackets defensemen with 191 hits, and his 169 blocked shots were good for a tie for 5th in the NHL.    This season will be the final year of a two year deal Peeke signed prior to last season, with a $787,500 AAV. His extension starts in 2023-2024 and is a significant pay raise. He'll make $2.75 million annually with no incentives, and will be a UFA when the deal expires at the end of the 2025-2026 season.    Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said that "Andrew is a smart, versatile...

*Photo from Local 10*     One of the young up and coming NHL goalies has been locked up for a few more years. The Florida Panthers and G Spencer Knight have agreed to a 3 year, $13.5 million extension, according to an announcement by the team.    The interesting wrinkle of this extension is that it coincides with the final years of Sergei Bobrovsky's 7 year contract with the Panthers. With Bobrovsky's already existing contract, paired with Knight's extension, the Panthers have $14.5 million in cap space dedicated to their top two goalies.    Knight will play this season on the final year of his entry level contract. He has a $92,500 signing bonus and $1.85 million in performance bonuses attached to his $832,500 cap hit this season. When his new deal kicks in, he will have a $4.5 million AAV all 3 years, with no incentives. He'll still be an RFA when the deal expires.    Panthers GM Bill Zito said that "Spencer is a phenomenal goaltender, as well a...

*Photo from Boston Hockey Now*     According to an announcement on Monday by the team, Vancouver Canucks RW Brock Boeser underwent hand surgery and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks.    While the Canucks were practicing at training camp on Saturday, Boeser sustained a hand injury while on a line with JT Miller and Tanner Pearson. Boeser then quickly had surgery on the hand, and is expected to be sidelined for roughly a month while the Canucks continue with training camp, and the start of the regular season.    This season is the first of a 3 year, $19.95 million deal Boeser signed with the Canucks this summer an an RFA. He has a $6.65 million AAV over all 3 years, and will be a UFA when the deal expires. Boeser experienced a surge in production when Bruce Boudreau took over as Canucks head coach.    Boeser played his 6th NHL season in 2021-2022. He ended the regular season with matching 23 goals and 23 assists, posting a -5 plus/minus rating while ave...

*Photo from Sportsnaut*     Lately, the Philadelphia Flyers just haven't gotten any breaks. Flyers right shot defenseman Ryan Ellis is unlikely to play this season due to a lingering back injury, according to Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher on Thursday.    Fletcher said in a press conference that "The rehab, there's been ebbs and flows. I think he made progress earlier in the summer. I would say the last two months there hasn't been any visible signs of progress. It's been a frustrating injury. Nobody's more frustrated than Ryan, nobody wants to play more than Ryan. But we're dealing with reality now and he's not skating, so clearly he is a long way away from playing."    The same injury that is hampering Ellis currently is the one that kept him sidelined for almost all of the 2021-2022 season, his first one in Philadelphia. He was limited to 4 games last season, scoring one goal and contributing 4 assists, enjoying a productive 4 games before missing the...

*Photo from Oilers Nation*     It's time for the second professional contract up in Alberta. The Edmonton Oilers and C Ryan McLeod have agreed to a one year, $798,000 deal, according to an announcement on Thursday by the Oilers.    Entering the offseason, McLeod was coming off his entry level deal, and was an RFA. His entry level deal had an AAV of $834,167. McLeod gets a slight dip in his salary, making $798,000 this season. The 23 year old center will be an RFA at the end of the season.    McLeod said of his new contract that "It took a while and there are a lot of other guys who needed to get signed and a lot of moving pieces with the cap not going up because of COVID, so it's tough to squeeze everyone in. But I'm happy with being back and it's a number that works for both myself and the team, so it's good to be back. We assumed it was going to be a one-year deal just with where the cap was at, so I didn't want to miss much time, especially because ...

*Photo from The Hockey Writers*    It's unfortunate that someone's season is over before it even began. Vegas Golden Knights C/RW Nolan Patrick will be out for the 2022-2023 season due to an upper body injury, according to an announcement by Vegas.    This season, Patrick is on the second year of a two year deal signed with the Golden Knights. He's on the hook for $1.2 million this season, and since he's out for the season, Vegas will surely put him on LTIR to save cap space, which they need every bit of. Patrick will be an RFA this offseason.    Last season in Vegas was his first, after being traded by the Philadelphia Flyers. Patrick ended the season with just two goals and 5 assists, posting a +1 plus/minus rating over an average 11:30 of ice time per game in just 25 regular season games.    Patrick will miss this season with the same upper body injury that limited him to just 25 games last season. Patrick, who is 24, has had his career defined...

*Photo from the Philadelphia Inquirer*     This might be the unofficial retirement phase of the offseason, as training camp begins. Free agent left shot defenseman Keith Yandle has announced his retirement after almost two decades in the league. Yandle broke the news on Tuesday.    In 16 seasons in the league, just over a decade and a half, Yandle has played for 4 different teams. He started his career with the Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes, before a trade in 2014-2015 to the New York Rangers. He stayed there until the 2016-2017 season began, when he found himself with the Florida Panthers. He played for the Philadelphia Flyers last season.    Last season in Philadelphia was Yandle's only year in Philadelphia. Yandle ended the regular season with one goal and 18 assists, averaging 13:59 of ice time per game while recording a -47 plus/minus rating in 77 games for the Flyers last season.    Yandle announced his retirement on the Spittin' Chiclets podcast,...

*Photo from Blueshirt Banter*     Another New York Rangers prospect wanted out of town, and he got his wish. The Dallas Stars have acquired D Nils Lundkvist from the Rangers in exchange for a conditional 2023 first round pick and a conditional 2025 4th round pick, according to both teams.    Here are the conditions concerning both draft picks. If the Stars first round pick is in the top 10, the Rangers will get Dallas's 2024 first round pick instead. If Lundkvist racks up at least 55 points over the next two seasons, the 4th round pick will become a 2025 3rd round choice.    Stars GM Jim Nill said of getting Lundkvist that "Nils is a skilled, right-handed shot defenseman that adjusted to the North American game this past season and has a high ceiling. We felt that adding a creative player like Nils to our defensive group was necessary, and he has a tremendous opportunity to establish himself as an everyday, impact defenseman at the NHL level."   ...

*Photo from All About the Jersey*     One of the more well known faces of the NHL is hanging it up. Free agent right shot defenseman PK Subban has announced his retirement from the NHL after 13 seasons in the league, according to Subban on Monday.    Subban retires after almost a decade and a half in the league, suiting up for the Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, and the New Jersey Devils. Subban broke into the league with the Canadiens, spending 6 full seasons in Montreal before a trade to the Predators, and then a trade to the Devils.    On his Twitter, Subban said that "I remember my dreams of playing in the NHL and winning Stanley Cup, similar to the guys on the 'Don Cherry's Rock'Em Sock'em' tapes at the end of every volume, with the black eyes, broken bones and tears of joy. To this day, I still dream about it. However, the end of this chapter is closing and after 13 years in the NHL, I have made the decision to retire."    Last...

*Photo from Front Office Sports*     One of the biggest stars in hockey today is now getting paid like it. The Colorado Avalanche and C Nathan MacKinnon have agreed to a 8 year, $100.08 million extension, according to Pierre Lebrun of TSN. The Avalanche have confirmed the deal.    Colorado GM Chris McFarland said of the extension that "Nathan is obviously one of the premier players in the NHL so a long-term extension was something we wanted to get done before the season started. He has that rare combination of speed and power with a high compete level that makes him a generational player. We are thrilled he will continue to be a member of this team and this community for many years to come."    The 2022-2023 season is the final season of a 7 year deal that MacKinnon signed, with a $6.3 million AAV and a full no movement clause. MacKinnon's deal kicks in next season, and when it does, he'll become the highest paid player in the NHL, surpassing Connor Mc...

*Photo from WMUR*     One of the longtime legends of hockey has decided to call it a career. UFA left shot defenseman Zdeno Chara has announced his retirement from the NHL after almost two and a half decades. Chara broke the news on his Instagram page Tuesday morning.    To formally retire from the league, Chara signed a one day contract with the Boston Bruins, who he spent 14 seasons with. Over his long and storied career, Chara captained the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup Title, and holds the record for most games played by a defenseman in the NHL.    In his 14 seasons with the Bruins, Chara led the team to the playoffs in 11 of those years. In 2009, Chara took home the Norris Trophy 3 years after being named captain of the Bruins. His 1,023 games with the Bruins are 6th in team history, and he's 3rd in team history in points by a defenseman.    The last game of Chara's career ultimately ended up being April 29 of this past year, when the New Yo...

*Photo from CBS Sports*     There's a tweak that's just been made to the Winnipeg Jets dressing room. Jets RW Blake Wheeler has been stripped of his captaincy, according to an announcement on Friday that was made by the Jets.    New Jets head coach Rick Bowness said that "We want the core group to grow a little bit, so it's not just one face coming out here talking to the media every day when things don't go well. Blake is still going to lead. He is. Whether you have a 'C' or an 'A' or you don't, he's still going to lead us. I've been around the League in some capacity for 47 years, some of the best leaders I've coached never had a 'C,' never had an 'A.'"    This season, the Jets will be led by a group of alternate captains. Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrisey were alternate captains last season alongside Wheeler as the captain, and figure to be prominent leaders once again. Wheeler had served as captain of the Jets...

*Photo from Sportsnet*     At long last, there is clarity on the grievance front. The San Jose Sharks and RW Evander Kane have reached a settlement agreement on the grievance Kane filed against the Sharks last season, according to an announcement made by the Sharks on Friday.    Last season, Kane was in hot water with the Sharks after gambling accusations, being placed on waivers. Kane played for the Sharks AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda. There, he violated AHL Covid-19 protocols in December of 2021, leading the Sharks to void Kane's contract.    The NHLPA then quickly filed a grievance on Kane's behalf, saying that the Sharks did not have enough cause to justify voiding the contract. Kane signed with the Oilers for the rest of that season, and enjoyed a successful end of the year. There was no hearing scheduled yet between an arbitrator and both sides of the grievance case.    At the time of the termination, Kane had 3 years and $19 millio...

*Photo from NHL.com*     Another legend is having his number hit the rafters this season. The Chicago Blackhawks will be retiring RW Marian Hossa's number 81 this season, according to an announcement by the Blackhawks recently.    Hossa talked about the honor, saying that "Today, I kind of sit and start enjoying the game. After the national anthem, I looked to the left and saw those names and still couldn't believe that my name next year is going to be up there. There's only a handful of names or jerseys hanging, and Chicago has a history of 100 years. To me, that's amazing. I'm losing words."    The Blackhawks announced that Hossa's number 81 will be raised to the rafters on November 20, when they play the Pittsburgh Penguins. Hossa's last NHL season was in the 2016-2017 season, and his playing career ended due to a skin condition.    In the 2016-2017 season, Hossa was on his 8th season with the Blackhawks. He ended the season with 26 g...

*Photo from Pro Hockey Rumors*     More veterans are finding deals as we get closer to training camp. The Ottawa Senators and LW/RW Tyler Motte have agreed to a one year, $1.35 million contract, according to an announcement by the Senators on Wednesday.    After making $1.225 million annually on a two year deal he signed with the Vancouver Canucks, Motte is off to the other side of Canada to join the Senators. He'll get a slight bump in pay with a $1.35 million salary this season, with no bonuses attached.    Last season, Motte split time with the Canucks and New York Rangers after a trade deadline move. At the end of the season, Motte had 7 goals and 8 assists, all with the Canucks, going pointless with the Rangers. He posted a +2 plus/minus rating over 14:01 of average ice time in 58 regular season games last year.    In his career, Motte has spent time with 4 different teams. In that time, Motte has 35 goals and 27 assists, averaging 12:56 of i...

*Photo from the Chicago Tribune*     Training camp hasn't even started yet, and players are already going down. Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Jake McCabe is expected to be sidelined for 10-12 weeks after undergoing surgery, according to the Blackhawks.    Chicago announced the news on Tuesday, and McCabe would take roughly 10-12 weeks to recover. 10 weeks from the announcement on Tuesday would be November 22, and the 12 week mark would be on December 6. He underwent cervical spine surgery.    The Blackhawks open training camp on Wednesday, September 21, and begin their regular season against the Colorado Avalanche on October 12. This season is McCabe's second year of a 4 year, 16 million deal he signed with the Blackhawks prior to last season. McCabe has a $4 million AAV and a modified no trade clause for all 4 seasons.    Last season with the Blackhawks was McCabe's first in the windy city. He ended the regular season with 4 goals and 18 assists,...

*Photo from the Hockey Writers*     There is more and more news coming out of Quebec as it pertains to hockey. The Montreal Canadiens  have named C/RW Nick Suzuki as their next team captain, according to an announcement on Monday by the team.    Shea Weber was the previous captain of the Canadiens, wearing the C for 4 seasons until last season, when he didn't play due to injury and is likely never to play again. Weber was traded this offseason to the Golden Knights in a cap dump for the Canadiens. Evgenii Dadonov joined Montreal in the trade.    Montreal executive vice president Jeff Gorton said of Suzuki that "The thing about Nick, sometimes you talk to a 23-year-old, he feels like he's 18, but Nick is the opposite. He's a very even-keeled guy. When I talk to him, I feel like he's 30 years old and I feel like he's been in the League a long time, even though he hasn't. I think Nick is a great fit for where we are and where we're going."   ...

*Photo from TSN*     It would appear as if the St. Louis Blues have done the extension thing again. The Blues and RW Jordan Kyrou have agreed to a 8 year, $65 million extension, according to an announcement on Tuesday by the Blues.    Asked about his new deal, Kyrou said that "It's pretty incredible. This is something you work your whole life for and to finally get done feels amazing. It's a very special moment for me and my family."    Drafted with the 35th overall pick by the Blues in the 2016 NHL Draft, Kyrou made his NHL debut during the 2018-2019 season. He had his breakout year in the 2021-2022 season, which also included a stellar all star week after being named to the Central Division all star team. Kyrou was set to be an RFA at the end of the 2022-2023 season.    Last season was Kyrou's 3rd full NHL season since debuting. He ended the year with a career high in goals and assists, getting 27 and 48 respectively. He had a career b...

*Photo from Pens Labyrinth*     It was surprising that it took this long, but it's over now. The Colorado Avalanche and C/RW Evan Rodrigues have agreed to a one year, $2 million deal, according to an announcement by the team on Monday morning.    With Nazem Kadri off to the Calgary Flames in free agency, the Avalanche began going after Rodrigues to try and replace the void down the middle that was left by Kadri. Rodrigues had a breakout season in 2021-2022, breaking the 30 point mark for the first time in his NHL career.    Among Pittsburgh Penguins skaters, Rodrigues was the only one to play all 82 regular season games in 2021-2022, a career best for Rodrigues. He finished tied for 5th on the team in goals, tied for 4th in power play goals, tied for 6th in assists, and 6th place in points. He led Penguins skaters in power play points in the playoffs, and was 3rd in playoff goals.    Colorado GM Chris McFarland said of Rodrigues that "We are excit...

*Photo from NHL.com*     The hits keep coming this offseason, much like in previous summers. Free agent C/LW Mathieu Perreault has retired from hockey after almost a decade and a half in the league.    News of Perreault's retirement broke in a release from Canada's TVA Sports. Perreault is joining TVA Sports on a show called "La Poche Bleue le midi" in an analyst role. The release said that Perreault was "newly retired from hockey."    Injuries came to bite Perreault in the final seasons of his career. Between a lower body injury that caused him to miss time early in the 2021-2022 season, and an eye injury that was discovered through double vision, Perreault's last season in the league was seemingly a lost one.    Last season for Perreault was spent with the Montreal Canadiens, his only year in Montreal. Perreault ended the season with just 4 goals and 5 assists, matching the point total from his rookie season in 2009-2010. He recorded a +2 plus/m...

*Photo from the Alberta Prime Times*     We have another RFA contract taken care of in the hockey world. The Montreal Canadiens and G Cayden Primeau have agreed to a 3 year, $2.67 million deal, according to an announcement by the Canadiens.    The 23 year old Primeau was an RFA this offseason, and was the last remaining Canadiens RFA. He's now under contract and will compete for the backup goalie job. He has an AAV of $890,000 in his new deal, with no bonuses attached. He will be an RFA once again when his deal expires at the end of the 2024-2025 season.    Primeau was originally selected by the Canadiens in the 7th round of the 2017 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in the 2019-2020 season, and has spent most of his professional days with the AHL Laval Rocket, helping them to the AHL Eastern Conference Finals in last year's playoffs.    Asked about his mindset entering training camp, Primeau said that "I think I'm just going into it with an open m...

*Photo from Faces Magazine*     The Ottawa Senators have had a very successful offseason, and even still, they found a way to make it better. The Senators and C/LW Tim Stutzle have agreed to a 8 year, $66.8 million extension, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. The Senators have confirmed the deal.    Senators GM Pierre Dorion said of Stutzle that "You look at every part of his game: He's competitive, he's dynamic, he's got speed, he's got skill, he's great hockey instincts. He's learned how to check. He's learned how to play center. This league can eat you up at times, and he did at times when he was 18 years old. Now, when he's out there, he's so dynamic that I think he can be a future superstar. He can be someone that as the center can be counted on pushing the play, generating offense, playing a two-way game and providing us with wins."    The Senators have not made the playoffs since the 2016-2017 season, but the hope is tha...

*Photo from the Chicago Sun Times*     One of the newest members of one of the original 6 teams is now locked in. The Montreal Canadiens and C/RW Kirby Dach have agreed to a 4 year, $13.45 million deal, according to an announcement by the Canadiens on Wednesday.    On the first night of the NHL Draft back in July, Dach was traded to the Canadiens by the Chicago Blackhawks as part of a 3 team trade with the New York Islanders. The Blackhawks got a first and second round pick from Montreal in exchange for Dach.    When asked about the trade back in July, Dach said that "I think it will be good for me to kind of have a fresh start, be the player I know I can be. I feel like I'm pretty offensive and smart with the puck and can make plays, but also a reliable, two-way centerman that's big and strong down the middle of the ice that skates well and can make plays."    The contract for Dach marks his second professional contract. After making $925,00...