Pontus Holmberg is moving on from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Holmberg agreed to a two-year contract with the Lightning worth $3.1 million. The annual average value of the deal would be $1.55 million. Holmberg exits the Maple Leafs organization after three seasons with the club.

The 26-year-old, who was a restricted free agent at the end of this season, wasn't qualified by the Maple Leafs. After a year which saw him score seven goals and 12 assists in 68 games, Toronto chose not to qualify Holmberg because he had arbitration rights.

"Well, once he gets into the market, he becomes open to everybody. And really, it wasn't necessarily a situation we didn't like the player, we did. He had arb rights," Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said on Tuesday afternoon.

"I think when you see players go free, sometimes people don't understand the rights that are associated with certain players. Up until 5 o'clock yesterday, if we were to qualify him, he then kicks into arbitration mode or he's attached to an arbitration filing, and that elevates the number. So we weren't able to, between us and Pontus's side, find a number that we felt fit for us.

"Now, once you get into the UFA, a lot of times that number will come down because you're not attached to the arbitration. So we like Pontus. We've had discussions and talked to each other prior to us not qualifying him, but I think it's probably a fair bet to say that he has hit the market and we'll see where it goes."

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And Treliving was right. Four hours after Holmberg hit the open market, the Lightning snatched up the forward.

Holmberg's time with the Maple Leafs ended after being drafted by Toronto in the sixth round of the 2018 NHL Draft. At the time, it was unknown what the forward would become, but as the years progressed, Holmberg played his way into a bottom-six role with Toronto.

In 159 games with the Maple Leafs, Holmberg scored 19 goals and 30 assists for 49 points.

The Lightning also signed former Toronto forward Nick Abruzzese to a one-year, two-way contract. Toronto's former fourth-round pick only played 11 NHL games with the Maple Leafs, scoring one goal and two assists in that span.

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After losing Holmberg, Abruzzese, and Alex Steeves to free agency, the Maple Leafs have re-signed Dakota Mermis and signed Michael Pezzetta and Benoit-Olivier Groulx to two-year deals with an $812,500 AAV. They also added Travis Boyd on a one-year, $775,000 contract.

(Top photo of Holmberg: Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)

The New York Rangers have signed forward Justin Dowling to a two-year contract. 

It’s a one-way deal the first year, two-way the second year. During the first season, Dowling will earn $775,000 while he’ll make $775,000 during the second season when at the NHL level and a minimum of $450,000. 

Dowling has played seven seasons in the NHL for the Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, and New Jersey Devils.

In 152 career games, the 34-year-old center has recorded nine goals, 17 assists, and 26 points while averaging 10:37 minutes. 

Dowling is coming off a season where he played 52 games for the Devils, the most throughout his NHL career.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are signing center Isac Lundeström to a two-year contract. The contract will be worth $1.3 million per season. 

Lundeström has 337 NHL games under his belt, all for the Anaheim Ducks. He's scored 35 goals and totaled 84 points in his career. 

One scouting report said of Lundeström, "Powerful skater... ability to carry the puck deep using good puck protection on both sides to then put dangerous pucks in front from down low."

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Blue Jackets Lose Justin DanforthBob McKenzie has reported that forward Justin Danforth has signed with the Buffalo Sabres on a two-year deal with an AAV of $1.8 million.

Columbus Brings Back Owen Sillinger On A One-Year DealColumbus has brought back Owen Sillinger, signing him today to a one-year, two-wat contract.

Connor Bedard is the most important figure in the Chicago Blackhawks organization. He is one of the NHL's brightest young stars with the potential to be a superstar in the league. 

As of July 1st, he is eligible to extend his contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. This is a deal that will come with a big raise, but a well-earned one for an incredibly productive teenager. 

By the middle of Bedard's first non-entry-level contract, it may be seen as a bargain based on his production. General Manager Kyle Davidson may overpay him a little bit at first to get some of his prime locked up at a fair number.

Through 150 career NHL games, Bedard has 45 goals and 83 assists for 129 points. That is one of the most productive starts to a career for a teenager in recent NHL history. The fact that he hasn't even come close to reaching his potential as a player speaks volumes.

If he can develop the intensity and 200-foot game that comes with being a top-line center, the Blackhawks will have hit a home run with the 2023 first overall pick. 

On Tuesday, after Day 2 of Development Camp wrapped up, Davidson spoke to the media, and Bedard's next contract was a topic of conversation. He talked about extensions with not only Bedard, but also other players who are a year away from being a restricted free agent. 

"We have had some conversations with a couple of those players," Davidson said. "Nothing imminent. I think the new salary cap marketplace is going to stall some of that. It is going to make some of these a little more drawn out than maybe they would have been in the past on a more flat cap." 

Part of developing good young players is having to pay them when their time comes. Bedard and his teammates are no exception. 

When talking about Bedard specifically, Davidson confirmed that he is in contact with the player and his camp. 

"We are talking," Davidson said. "I think that's an indicator of an openness to discuss. I think he made his thoughts very clear at the end of the season and then subsequently in interviews about (how) he's committed to Chicago and wants to be here long term. We obviously want him long term, so there is mutual agreement there."

If the Blackhawks are going to take a step in the rebuild at any point in the next handful of years, it will have to be with Connor Bedard leading the way. The coaches know that, management knows that, and the rest of the league knows that. 

"If we're able to get something done, that would be fantastic," Davidson said. "If we don't, I think it's probably more so out of the uncertainty around how the league and the system is going to be growing or impacted moving forward than anything player/team related."

It isn't a contract that is going to get done quickly, but the early stages of it are underway. 

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