The ongoing speculation over whether Connor McDavid will sign an extension with the Edmonton Oilers before the start of training camp continues to dominate headlines.

Meanwhile, the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild could be getting closer to signing their two pending UFA superstar forwards.

We noted last week that there was little to report on the status of Jack Eichel's contract extension negotiations with the Golden Knights. However, Bleacher Report's Frank Seravalli believes the 28-year-old center will sign a new deal before the start of the regular season.

Seravalli also thinks left winger Kirill Kaprizov will re-sign with the Wild before the regular season begins. However, he feels that Eichel will sign first, predicting the Golden Knights center will receive an average annual value in the $13 million to $13.5 million range.

Kaprizov has more leverage with the Wild because they rely so heavily on his scoring. That has Seravalli forecasting an average annual value of $15 million for the 28-year-old.

That's lower than what Wild beat writer Michael Russo of The Athletic recently predicted for Kaprizov. He stated last week that he thinks they'll pay him an average annual value in the range of $16 million.

That would give Kaprizov the league's highest annual cap hit for 2026-27, but McDavid's will likely be much higher than that, regardless of where and when he signs. Nevertheless, Wild owner Craig Leipold told The Athletic's Joe Smith that Kaprizov's new contract will be “a huge deal, likely the biggest in the NHL ever.”

Meanwhile, the top player remaining in this summer's depleted UFA market remains linked to the Toronto Maple Leafs. We mentioned last month that there was conjecture indicating they were among several teams tied to former Carolina Hurricanes center Jack Roslovic.

The Vancouver Canucks were also believed among Roslovic's suitors. However, we noted last week that this was no longer the case, possibly due to his inconsistent play.

On Aug. 26, Seravalli said he'd heard the Leafs were still in contention for Roslovic. He indicated that there isn't a deal in place between the two sides, but the Leafs are keeping tabs on the versatile 28-year-old forward.

The Leafs have $1.919 million in cap space. It was reported earlier this summer that they might have to clear some salary to sign Roslovic. Trade candidates could include David Kampf ($2.4 million) or Calle Jarnkrok ($2.1 million).

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