ST. LOUIS -- Remember when Doug Armstrong spoke on locker clean out day, two days after the St. Louis Blues were eliminated by the Winnipeg Jets in Game 7 of the Western Conference First Round on May 4?

The Blues' general manager was asked about the team's potential plan for attracting new players to St. Louis, whether it be via trade or would there be some interest in signing free agents.

Armstrong indicated that there are players that could potentially be unrestricted free agents on July 1 that would be of interest to him.

A lot has been made of one particular potential UFA, who is a bit pre-ooccupied these days getting ready for the Stanley Cup Final in search of back-to-back titles, and for me, he would be at the top of my picks for Armstrong and Blues brass to target, and that's Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett.

But there's one caveat to it all.

There have been reports circulating that the 28-year-old (29 when next season starts), who had a regular-season career-high 26 assists and 51 points this past season, his 10th full one in the NHL, could receive offers -- should he hit the market -- upwards of $10 million per season on a new contract.

If that's the case, thanks but no thanks.

It's no secret the Blues need a No. 2/3 type of center, preferably a No. 2 behind Robert Thomas with Brayden Schenn, the warrior that he is, starting to get longer in the tooth and will be 34 when the 2025-26 season begins. Bennett could fit the bill of what the Blues could use: someone who has the skill set (has 20 or more goals in three of the past four seasons with the Panthers), is mean, strong, willing to play at the net front and physical (listed at 6-foot-1, 193 pounds).

Bennett's style of play seems to be more suited for the playoffs more so than the regular season, and with the Blues, he would certainly get more responsibilities to accentuate some of his finer points. But sorry, if I'm Armstrong, I'm not going anywhere near eight figures for Bennett if there's a bidding war. Not for someone who just reached 50-plus points in a season for the first time.

Bennett does have 16 points (10 goals, six assists) in 17 playoff games this season and 45 points (22 goals, 23 assists) the past three playoff seasons in 56 games shows he does come to play in the big games of the postseason.

Say what you will, and we will see should Bennett hits the market who will be interested and how much they're willing to pay, the Blues should definitely be among those, and I'm willing to give him Schenn's contract ($6.5 million average annual value) for seven years all day, any day, and I'd be willing to go as high as seven years, $49 million ($7 million AAV) with a full no trade clause if that's the sweetener needed and that's as high as I'd go.

If Bennett would be sold on St. Louis, and he has the right see the price go as high as can be, that would be my floor and ceiling. Our friends at capwages.com have a projected cap hit and term for Bennett at six years, $6,637,250 million AAV which is very comparable and fair; it falls into the window I think the Blues would be interested in and would mark a significant raise after Bennett finished a four-year, $4.425 million AAV he just finished with the Panthers.

The Blues have cap space to work with, and that's without potential interest in bringing back Radek Faksa and Ryan Suter, who can also be UFAs on July 1 and Joel Hofer can be a restricted free agent July 1, but for the right price, Bennett would fill a great void the Blues could use. It would give them a middle of Thomas, Bennett, Schenn and Oskar Sundqvist (or Faksa, if he re-signs), and of course Dalibor Dvorsky, the No. 10 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, could play a role in this as well. Pretty darn good and reliably experienced as the team moves into the next phase of what Armstrong called the "re-whatever."

The Blues have $15,515,293 in cap space at their disposal, according to capwages, which also includes Torey Krug's $6.5 million AAV on long-term injured reserve, but that doesn't mean they will be given the space to spend to the limit. Stay tuned.

Philadelphia Flyers prospects Denver Barkey and Oliver Bonk are your 2025 Memorial Cup champions, giving the WHL Medicine Hat Tigers the business in a 4-1 decision for the London Knights Sunday night.

Almost a year ago to the day, Barkey, Bonk, and the Knights were eliminated by the Saginaw Spirit in the 2024 Memorial Cup in a tightly contested 4-3 loss, but now that the Flyers duo has captured the elusive title, they'll begin their respective pro careers known as nothing but winners.

Barkey, for example, played in the playoffs in each of his four seasons with the Knights. He had 24 points in 20 games in 2022-23, 27 points in 18 games last year, and 20 points in 10 games this year.

In the Memorial Cup, the Flyers' former third-round pick was tied with Toronto Maple Leafs forward prospect Easton Cowan for the lead in scoring, with both players posting three goals, four assists, and seven points in five games.

Bonk, too, was impressive throughout his Knights career, especially when the stakes were elevated. Though he won't be much of a point-producer at the NHL level, Bonk had 11 assists in 21 playoff games in 2022-23, 16 points in 18 games last year, and 14 points in 17 games this year.

The second of the Flyers' two 2023 first-round picks finished with only two assists in this year's Memorial Cup run after having six points in four Cup games last year, but that's fine.

Bonk benefitted from a niche power play role that helped him elevate his scoring numbers on a strong London team. His role changed this season, and it'll help him in his adjustment to eventual NHL life with the Flyers.

This, combined with Barkey's high-flying scoring and tenacity, led the Knights to back-to-back OHL championships and the Memorial Cup that haunted them this time last year.

It's the perfect sendoff for two promising Flyers prospects who will officially enter the pros for the first time in a few months.

There’s no shortage of talent up for grabs at the NHL draft this year, and by the end of the month, the Montreal Canadiens could potentially add 12 new prospects to their already overflowing cupboard. Of course, they are likely to trade some of their 12 picks, maybe even their first-round pick or picks, but if they keep one of their first-round selection, Malcom Spence could be an enticing option.

While he hasn’t been a massive points producer with the Eerie Otters, his production has grown every year since he was drafted second overall at the OHL draft in 2022, behind exceptional status player Michael Misa. Playing under a coach who valued defensive play in Stan Butler, Spence became a complete player, one who can have an impact at both ends of the ice and in all facets of the game.

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Thanks to his late birthday, the 6-foot-1, 203-pound teenager has had the opportunity to complete three seasons before finally being eligible for the NHL draft. The big left winger is an adept of physical play and can create havoc on the forecheck, a quality Martin St-Louis has been known to like from his players.

In his rookie season in Erie, he scored 42 points, followed by 62 as a sophomore and 73 in his draft year, becoming a point-per-game player. Ten of his 32 goals were scored on special units, with five coming on the power-play and five when down a man, leaving him a 22-goal output at five-on-five.

Furthermore, the youngster possesses good leadership qualities; he has been an alternate captain with the Otters since his sophomore season and has proven himself up to the task. He also appears to enjoy the spotlight. At the 2023 Hlinka/Gretzky final, he scored the golden goal. Being able to perform under scrutiny is a must in a market like Montreal.

He’s currently ranked 17th on the North American Skaters Final ranking of the NHL Central Scouting, but his projected rank varies tremendously depending on which mock draft you look at. TSN’s Bob MacKenzie has him at 16, while Craig Button put him at 15. THN’s Ryan Kennedy places him the highest at eight, while he’s only 24th on Tony Ferrari’s list.

He could still be available when the Canadiens’ turn comes up, and he’s worth considering since he appears to be well on his way to becoming a very complete player.

Photo credit:  GREG WOHLFORD/ERIE TIMES-NEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK

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With no new signings or contracts announced on Sunday, the Philadelphia Flyers have officially lost the signing rights to three recently drafted defense prospects, including two of Matvei Michkov's draft classmates.

According to PuckPedia, the Flyers lost these three players on June 1 due for two reasons. Players who were drafted in 2023 and played major junior hockey through their age 20 and players who were drafted from European Leagues in 2021 before turning 20 saw their signing rights expire Monday.

So, that means that Flyers defense prospects Carter Sotheran, Brian Zanetti, and Matteo Mann are all free to sign with other NHL teams.

Zanetti, 22, is signed with HC Lugano of Switzerland through the 2027-28 season, so his career in North America is unlikely to resume anytime soon. The left-shot defenseman was drafted 110th overall by the Flyers in the 2021 NHL Draft.

Flyers Trade Rumors: Wild 'Not Dying' to Deal Marco Rossi AwayRecent reports have connected the Philadelphia Flyers to trade discussions with the Minnesota Wild regarding free agent center Marco Rossi, but there is no serious progress made by the Flyers, or any other NHL team, on that front... yet.

As for Sotheran, the 135th overall pick in 2023, and Mann, the 199th overall pick in 2023, both players will be 20 years old on Sept. 15 and are eligible to re-enter the NHL draft if they wish.

With Sotheran and Mann out of the picture, the only Flyers defense prospects 20 years old or younger under contract with the team are Oliver Bonk, also drafted in 2023, and 2024 second-round pick Spencer Gill.

Right-shot defenseman Austin Moline, 19, is the last remaining defenseman on the Flyers' reserve list.

By all accounts, after taking their center of choice with the No. 6 pick, the Flyers are going to have to heavily reinvest in their defense in the 2025 draft later this month.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are heading into the 2025-26 season with full intentions of having a youth movement on their NHL roster.

But, of course, a lot of that is dependent on who returns to the NHL roster next season.

As of now, there are four pending-unrestricted free agents - forwards Matt Nieto, Boko Imama, and Joona Koppanen as well as defenseman Matt Grzelcyk - and five pending-restricted free agents - forwards Connor Dewar, Philip Tomasino, and Vasily Ponomarev and defensemen P.O Joseph and Conor Timmins - who may or may not return.

But, barring any other moves in the trade market or free agency, here is a breakdown of which returning players remain under contract, how many roster spots - as things stand now - will be open for youth to fill, and which young players have the best shot at the NHL roster.

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Who is already under contract?

Here are the NHL players - and their contracts - who are currently set to return next season, according to PuckPedia data:

Forwards

- Sidney Crosby: $8.7 million (UFA 2027)
- Evgeni Malkin: $6.1 million (UFA 2026)
- Bryan Rust: $5.125 million (UFA 2028)
- Rickard Rakell: $5 million (UFA 2028)
- Kevin Hayes: $3.75 million (UFA 2026)
- Tommy Novak: $3.5 million (UFA 2027)
- Danton Heinen: $2.25 million (UFA 2026)
- Noel Acciari: $2 million (UFA 2026)
- Blake Lizotte: $1.85 million (UFA 2026)

Defensemen

- Erik Karlsson: $10 million (UFA 2027)
- Kris Letang: $6.1 million (UFA 2028)
- Ryan Graves: $4.5 million (UFA 2029)
- Ryan Shea: $900,000 (UFA 2026)
- Vladislav Kolyachonok: $775,000 (RFA 2026/UFA Group 6)

Goaltenders

- Tristan Jarry: $5.375 million (UFA 2028)
- Alex Nedeljkovic: $2.5 million (UFA 2026)

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Total number of contracts on the books for next season: 16

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How many spots will youth fill?

Well, if you're doing the math, if all 16 current returning contracts are accounted for at the start of the 2025-26 regular season - and if no pending-UFAs or RFAs return - the Penguins will have seven open roster spots.

But there's a good chance that, at least, a few pending-RFAs may return, and the team is likely to sign a few players in free agency. So, realistically, the Penguins should have anywhere between two and four spots for the taking. 

And - lucky for them - they have some youth talent who should be battling for those spots.

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Who will be in the mix for a spot on the NHL opening night roster?

If you ask whoever the next head coach of the Penguins - or POHO/GM Kyle Dubas - this question, they'll tell you something along the lines of, "everyone is in the mix."

While this does hold some weight - and, occasionally, veterans get waived or jettisoned in some form to make way for youth - the reality is that there, more than likely, will only be a few spots wide open.

Here are some players to look out for in training camp:

The frontrunners

- F Rutger McGroarty: McGroarty technically did break camp last season and spent three games with the NHL club before getting optioned back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) - Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate - but he really shined in his five-game stint at the end of the season on the top line alongside Crosby and Rust, recording a goal and three points in five games before a foot injury ended his season. He should have an inside track at making the team from the jump.

- F Ville Koivunen: Like McGroarty, Koivunen showed that he belonged at the NHL level at the end of the NHL regular season. He was nearly point-per-game with seven assists in eight games and split time between Malkin's and Crosby's lines - both of which he thrived on. He is, by all accounts, the heaviest favorite to land a forward spot on the opening night roster. And he's earned it.

- D Jack St. Ivany: Don't discount St. Ivany, who had a poor start to the 2024-25 season that led to a demotion in November. Unfortunately, he was out of action in WBS for nearly two months with an injury, but - upon return - he played quite well. With the right side being as thin as it is beyond Karlsson and Letang for the Penguins, St. Ivany has as good a shot as any in cracking the roster.

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- D Owen Pickering: Pickering, 21, earned a long look at the NHL level last season, registering a goal and three points in 25 games to go along with a minus-5. He saw some top-four minutes on a pairing with Letang, and - although his play fell off a bit before he was re-assigned to WBS - he showed he is more than capable of playing at the highest level.

 The dark horses

- F Avery Hayes: Forget about Hayes at your peril. The 22-year-old winger recently signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Penguins, and he put up 23 goals and 42 points in 60 AHL games last season. He's feisty, he's clutch, and he's getting better and better each year, so don't discount the possibility of an impressive training camp earning him a spot.  

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- F Filip Hallander: Now in his second stint with the Penguins' organization, Hallander, 24, is coming off of a breakout season for Timra IK of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL). He registered 26 goals and 53 points in 51 games and earned SHL Forward of the Year honors, and his strong two-way game shined as well. Hallander has the potential to be an NHL mainstay, especially if he has a strong training camp.

- F Tristan Broz: Unfortunately, a long battle with mononucleosis kept Broz, 22, out for two months during his first professional season. But he still recorded 19 goals and 37 points in 59 games, and the Penguins were impressed with his growth at the center position. His production slowed a bit post-recovery from mono, so - as long as he is healthy - he should have a shot at the NHL roster at some point next season, even if not straight out of camp.

- D Harrison Brunicke: Brunicke, 19, also missed a signficant portion of his junior season with the Kamloops Blazers due to a broken wrist. But he was the standout in training camp last season, and he impressed in a 10-game AHL stint at the end of the season for WBS, even working on the second pairing during the team's two playoff games over more seasoned veterans. If he has a training camp anything like last season - he was specifically named by Dubas as someone who could compete for a spot - he may just earn himself a nine-game NHL trial this time around.

The "long shots, but don't discount"

- F Sam Poulin: Realistically, players like Poulin and Valtteri Puustinen should have a leg-up on some of the younger guys because of production and prior NHL experience. Poulin had 19 goals and 43 points in 57 AHL games last season, but he was playing third-line minutes by season's end. Unless he is a standout at training camp, he's probably in the AHL. But he's still young enough at 24 that he could break out in a big way.

- F Mikhail Ilyin: Ilyin, 19, just signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Penguins on Saturday, and he was just the eighth teenager in KHL history to record at least 30 points in a season last year. There's a good chance that Ilyin will return on loan to the KHL's Severstal Cherepovets next season, but if he comes to North America, he will certainly be one to watch with his keen hockey sense, playmaking ability, and creativity. 

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- F Atley Calvert: Learn the name, because the 22-year-old undrafted Calvert was quite the buzz in the organization last season. He registered 13 goals and 36 points in 38 ECHL games with the Wheeling Nailers before his AHL call-up, after which he turned in nine goals and 14 points in 26 games. He can score some goals, and he's flying a bit under-the-radar. Don't count him out.

- G Joel Blomqvist: The only reason Blomqvist is in this spot is because there are two goaltenders on the NHL roster who are, essentially, blocking any real chance of Blomqvist making the opening night roster. By all means, Blomqvist should be starting NHL games next season, but that largely depends on what happens with Jarry and Nedeljkovic. An injury that kept him out for most of the end of the AHL season didn't help his case, either.

Will Joel Blomqvist Be On Penguins' Opening Night Roster?Between injuries and inconsistency, the 2024-25 season was one of ups and downs for Pittsburgh Penguins goaltending prospect Joel Blomqvist. 

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The San Jose Sharks are solely focused on the 2025-26 campaign after a lacklustre season saw them finish at the bottom of the standings. While they can look forward to a second-overall pick in the upcoming 2025 NHL Entry Draft, they should also consider bringing in a few new faces to bolster their roster for next season.

One forward they should look into bringing in is Nicholas Robertson, who is a pending restricted free agent (RFA), and all signs are pointing to him leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs and pursuing a fresh start elsewhere. If Robertson wants more playing time and an increased role, the Sharks could be a perfect fit for him. 

It’s possible the Maple Leafs give Robertson a qualifying offer and trade him, rather than let him walk for nothing, which would be okay, and should likely still give the Sharks a solid opportunity to bring him in. He is a solid two-way forward and could flourish in a new system, but may cost the Sharks a third-round pick to bring him in.

Realistically, it should be a no-brainer, and they should be willing to move that mid-round draft pick to acquire Robertson. He provides solid offensive production and, despite having dealt with injuries in the past, doesn’t play with fear at either end of the ice. He likely re-signs on a bridge deal, so he would be a cost-efficient addition, which should be exactly what the Sharks look for this summer. 

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