Current:Home > reviewsCan Panthers, Oilers keep their teams together? Plenty of contracts are expiring. -Wealth Momentum Network
Can Panthers, Oilers keep their teams together? Plenty of contracts are expiring.
View
Date:2025-04-14 11:36:32
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! (22)
Related
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Illinois House speaker’s staff sues to unionize
- Romance Writers of America falls into bankruptcy amid allegations of racism
- Marian Robinson, the mother of Michelle Obama who lived in the White House, dies at 86
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Horoscopes Today, May 31, 2024
- USWNT transformation under Emma Hayes begins. Don't expect overnight changes
- World War II veterans take off for France for 80th anniversary of D-Day
- NHL in ASL returns, delivering American Sign Language analysis for Deaf community at Winter Classic
- Oregon defendants without a lawyer must be released from jail, US appeals court says
Ranking
- The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
- Watch Live: Explosive Iceland volcano eruption shoots lava across roads and sends pollution toward the capital
- Florida sheriff’s office fires deputy who fatally shot Black airman at home
- Summer Nail Trends for 2024: Shop the Best Nail Polish Colors to Pack for Vacation
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- Summer Nail Trends for 2024: Shop the Best Nail Polish Colors to Pack for Vacation
- At least 50 deaths blamed on India heat wave in just a week as record temperatures scorch the country
- Pregnant Hailey Bieber Gives Shoutout to Baby Daddy Justin Bieber
Recommendation
Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
What is the keto diet? Experts break down the popular weight loss diet.
Detroit Pistons to part ways with general manager Troy Weaver after four seasons
Is Trump still under a gag order after his conviction? He thinks so, but the answer isn’t clear
New Zealand official reverses visa refusal for US conservative influencer Candace Owens
How to watch Rangers vs. Panthers Game 6: Will Florida return to Stanley Cup Final?
US gymnastics championships highlights: Simone Biles cruising toward another national title
Google admits its AI Overviews can generate some odd, inaccurate results