Artemi Panarin has spent parts of the past seven NHL seasons with the New York Rangers. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
Ric Tapia via Getty Images
Ahead of Wednesday's NHL Olympic roster freeze, the New York Rangers finally dealt forward Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a conditional 2026 third-round draft pick and prospect Liam Greentree.
Following the deal, Panarin and the Kings agreed to a two-year, $22 million extension, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan. The 34-year-old could have been an unrestricted free agent this summer and it had been reported that he sought to be moved to a team that would be interested in extending him.
The Rangers are also retaining 50% of Panarin's remaining salary for this season. The conditional third-round draft pick will turn into a 2026 second-rounder if the Kings win at least one playoff round. Should LA win two playoff rounds this spring, New York will also receive a 2028 fourth-round pick.
After months of speculation about Panarin's future in New York, once it became clear the two sides would be parting ways Panarin was held out of the lineup, missing the Rangers' past three games in a case of asset protection.
Panarin held a no-trade clause in his contract, giving him full control of his destination. A number of teams, including the Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes were interested, but Panarin reportedly only wanted to go to LA.
That same day Drury informed Panarin that the team would not be offering him an extension.
In the Western Conference, the Kings currently sit one point out of a wild-card spot and three points behind the Anaheim Ducks for third place in the Pacific Division. They have not won a playoff round since losing the Rangers in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final and have four consecutive first-round exits at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.
The 2026 Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins will be the NHL's 45th outdoor game since the 2003-04 season. (Photo by Mark LoMoglio/NHLI via Getty Images)
Mark LoMoglio via Getty Images
Sunday's NHL Stadium Series game at Raymond James Stadium between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins might feature the most unique design surrounding the rink.
Coinciding with Tampa's annual Gasparilla parade, which begins on Saturday, the NHL has gone all-in on the pirate fest and there will be a treasure map with hockey-themed landmarks as the focus of the field design.
The landmarks will feature specific references such as “Brayden's Point of No Return,” after Lightning forward Brayden Point, and "McDonagh's Marsh," after Tampa defenseman Ryan McDonagh. There will also be props such as barrels, boats, a shipwreck scene that will have the names and logos of both teams, and probably a few real pirates involved.
"We've got props everywhere," NHL president of content and events Steve Mayer said, via NHL.com. "There's 120 barrels coming. We've got boats coming. We've got a lot of pieces you'll see in the far side of the field, behind both benches. It's a shipwreck that will actually be the identifiers of both the Bruins and the Lightning. So we're really leaning into the pirate theme. And on Sunday, you may see a few live pirates as well as we open up the game and really lean into Gasparilla. This is what Tampa Bay is all about."
Pirates and treasure maps will be the theme at this year's #StadiumSeries. 🏴☠️
The famous 103-foot pirate ship replica in the north end zone will also be involved in the stadium presentation.
"We're going to take it over," Mayer said. "And make it very Stadium Series-centric."
To combat any potential weather issues affecting the ice, the entire rink was constructed inside of a 34-foot high, 125-foot wide, 240-foot long steel-framed air-conditioned structure to protect it.
The NHL has held 44 outdoor games since the 2003-04 season. They've played at historic venues such as Fenway Park, Notre Dame Stadium, Wrigley Field, Michigan Stadium, Dodger Stadium and Yankee Stadium, among many more. What they had never done before until this season was host such an event in the state of Florida.
Sunday's game will be the second outdoor game this season the NHL has held in the Sunshine State following the New York Rangers-Florida Panthers Winter Classic game held earlier this month at loanDepot Park in Miami, home of baseball's Marlins.
Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk, along with his brother Matthew, were named to the U.S. men's Olympic hockey roster on Friday. (Photo by Brian Babineau/4NFO/World Cup of Hockey via Getty Images)
Brian Babineau/4NFO via Getty Images
The U.S. men's Olympic hockey roster was revealed Friday morning during NBC's "Today" show with the 25-man team set to take part in the February tournament taking place in Milan, Italy.
Auston Matthews, Brady Tkachuk, Matthew Tkachuk, Jack Eichel, Quinn Hughes and Charlie McAvoy were the first six players named to the roster in June. They are now joined by the likes of Jack Hughes, Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski and Connor Hellebuyck, among others.
U.S. general manager Bill Guerin and his staff did not want to throw the best 20 Americans together to form an Olympic roster. They wanted certain players with specific skillsets to fill roles to make it less of an All-Star team and more of a complete team.
“I’m a firm believer in building a team,” Guerin told The Athletic's Michael Russo recently. “It’s not like we’re gonna go out and take a bunch of fourth liners. You know what I mean? These are all very good players. But you need players to play a role. You need your top players to be able to check. Just look at the 4 Nations. Matthews, Eichel, MacKinnon, McDavid, (Sidney) Crosby, the Tkachuks, they were all checking. It wasn’t like this wide-open pond hockey. They were all playing like that and I just don’t think it’s going to be much different. I really don’t.”
Here's a look at the U.S. men's hockey roster that will look to capture Olympic gold for the first time since 1980.
Forwards
Matt Boldy, Minnesota Wild Kyle Connor, Winnipeg Jets Jack Eichel, Vegas Golden Knights Jake Guentzel, Tampa Bay Lightning Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils Clayton Keller, Utah Mammoth Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs J.T. Miller, New York Rangers Brock Nelson, Colorado Avalanche Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres Brady Tkachuk, Ottawa Senators Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers Vincent Trocheck, New York Rangers
Defensemen
Brock Faber, Minnesota Wild Noah Hanifin, Vegas Golden Knights Quinn Hughes, Minnesota Wild Seth Jones, Florida Panthers Charlie McAvoy, Boston Bruins Jake Sanderson, Ottawa Senators Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes Zach Werenski, Columbus Blue Jackets
Goaltenders
Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins
The U.S. men will be led by New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan. He will be assisted by John Hynes of the Minnesota Wild, David Quinn of the Rangers, and John Tortorella.
Two players — Chris Kreider, Adam Fox — were on the U.S. team during last season's 4 Nations Face-off, but did not make the Olympic roster.
Fox will get the most attention among defensemen left off the roster, especially when you consider Sullivan is his head coach with the Rangers. Canadiens blueliner Lane Hutson, who is second among U.S.-born defensemen with 38 points, and John Carlson (8 goals, 29 points) of the Washington Capitals are also on the outside looking in.
There are other notable omissions, including forwards Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars and Cole Caufield of the Montreal Canadiens. As of Friday, Robertson is second in the NHL among American-born goal scorers with 24. Caufield is not far behind him with 20 through 40 games.
Other forwards missing out include Alex DeBrincat (21 goals, 41 points) of the Detroit Red Wings and Troy Terry (12 goals, 38 points) of the Anaheim Ducks.
All countries participating have a list of players who will be considered as replacements should injuries arise before the beginning of the tournament.
As part of a joint agreement between the NHL, NHL Players Association, the International Ice Hockey Federation and the International Olympic Committee announced last February, the league is returning to the Olympics for first time since 2014.
The 2030 Olympics in France will also see NHL players participate.
NHL players participated in five straight Winter Olympics from 1998 to 2014, but concerns about marketing, insurance, travel costs and player injuries prevented the league, the NHLPA, the IIHF and the IOC from finalizing an agreement to continue for 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The NHL and NHLPA had agreed to send players to the 2022 Beijing Olympics, but disruptions to the regular-season schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic caused the league to keep players home.
Finland and the Olympic Athletes from Russia won the two men's hockey gold medals in the competitions that didn't feature NHL players. Since the league allowed players to take part beginning in 1998, Canada has won three times.
There have been five Olympics in which NHL players have participated. The U.S. has claimed two silver medals (2002, 2010) and lost in the 2014 bronze medal game to Finland in Sochi, Russia.
USA Hockey men's Olympic schedule
Thurs., Feb. 12: Latvia - 3:10 p.m. ET Sat., Feb. 14: Denmark - 3:10 p.m. ET Sun., Feb. 15 : Germany - 3:10 p.m. ET Tues., Feb. 17: Playoff round Wed., Feb. 18: Quarterfinal Fri., Feb. 20: Semifinal Sat. Feb. 21: Bronze-medal game Sun., Feb. 22: Gold-medal game
The NHL's annual Winter Classic outdoor game will take place Friday night between the New York Rangers and Florida Panthers at loanDepot Park, home of MLB's Miami Marlins.
The event will mark the league's first outdoor game in the state of Florida and despite the typical warm temperatures, the forecast is calling for low 60s at puck drop. The NHL plans to open the stadium's retractable roof when the game begins at 8 p.m. ET
Ahead of Friday night's puck drop, here are some fun numbers about the 2026 NHL Winter Classic.
1 - There will be one more NHL outdoor game this season with the Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, on Feb. 1.
2 - Points separating the Panthers and Rangers in the Eastern Conference standings. Florida owns a 21-15-3 record and are in fifth in the Atlantic Division, six points behind the division-leading Detroit Red Wings. New York (19-18-5) is eight points behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division. Both teams currently reside outside of playoff spots.
8 - Number of current Panthers and Rangers players who have scored a goal in an outdoor game. A.J. Greer, Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, Will Borgen, J.T. Miller, Artemi Panarin, and Mika Zibanejad each have one career goal, while Vincent Trocheck has scored twice.
5 - Number of wins by the Rangers all-time in outdoor games. New York has yet to lose when playing outside having previous played at Citizens Bank Park, Yankee Stadium (twice), CitiField, and MetLife Stadium. No NHL team has more victories in outdoor games.
6 - Friday will be the Rangers' sixth regular-season outdoor game, tying the franchise with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers. The Chicago Blackhawks have played the most with seven.
8 - The Panthers are set to become the eighth reigning Stanley Cup champion to play in an outdoor game the following season. The Blackhawks are the only franchise to have done so twice.
A general view of atmosphere during the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic Rink Build Out at LoanDepot Park on December 31, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
Brian Babineau via Getty Images
14 - It's been a while since Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky last played outdoor. He in net for the 2012 Winter Classic against the Rangers while with the Flyers.
15 - Number of Panthers players who have played in at least one NHL outdoor game.
15 - Number of NHL regular-season outdoor games that have been played in baseball stadiums.
17 - Number of Rangers players who have played in at least one NHL outdoor game. Twelve current Rangers took part in the 2024 Stadium Series game at MetLife Stadium against the New York Islanders.
19 - Number of U.S. states to host a regular-season NHL outdoor game.
21 - Number of Florida-born NHL players in league history.
31 - Total number of NHL teams that have played in a regular-season outdoor game. The Utah Mammoth are the lone franchise yet to play outdoors.
65ºF/18ºC - The warmest outdoor game temperature, which was recorded during the 2016 Stadium Series at Coors Field between the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings. Friday's current forecast calls for a temperature of 61°F/16°C.
350 - Number of gallons of paint used to whiten the ice at loanDepot Park.
10,000 - NHL's estimate of the number of hot dogs that will be eaten inside loanDepot Park on Friday night.
2,240,068 - Total number of fans who have attended the NHL's 44 outdoor games.
Flyers radio play-by-play announced Tim Saunders will be eligible to return for the team's Dec. 23 game in Chicago. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images)
Len Redkoles via Getty Images
The Philadelphia Flyers have suspended radio play-by-play broadcaster Tim Saunders after he was heard making an inappropriate comment during Thursday's game against the Buffalo Sabres.
Thinking he had just thrown the broadcast to a commercial break, Saunders made a reference to oral sex before being alerted by his partner, former NHLer Todd Fedoruk, that they were still live on air.
"I think we’re still on the air, Tim," Fedoruk informed Saunders.
"No we're not, are we?" Saunders replied after chuckling.
The Flyers announced on Friday that Saunders has been suspended for two games.
"These remarks do not reflect the standards of conduct or values we expect from anyone associated with our organization," read the team's statement.
"During last night's game in Buffalo, I made an error in judgement with my comments that were made when I thought we were in a commercial break," Saunders wrote in a statement. "I recognize how offensive my remarks were, and the harm it has caused.
"I take full responsibility and sincerely apologize to the Flyers, 97.5 The Fanatic and all those affected by my remarks.
"To all Flyers fans and listeners of our broadcast, I promise that I will hold myself to a higher standard moving forward to ensure our broadcast is a safe and respectful place everyone can enjoy."
Saunders has called Flyers games for 29 seasons since joining the team in 1997.
He will miss the the Flyers upcoming games against the New York Rangers on Saturday and Monday against the Vancouver Canucks.
Saunders will be back in the broadcast booth for the Flyers' final game before the NHL holiday break on Dec. 23 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
New York Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri suffered a torn ACL during Friday night's 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. His final on-ice contribution for the season helped kickstart a comeback for his teammates.
Early in the second period, the Islanders found themselves down 3-0. Nearly four minutes after Trevor Zegras scored the Flyers' third goal, Palmieri chased down a puck deep in the Philadelphia defensive zone and collided with defenseman Jamie Drysdale, falling awkwardly to the ice.
As play continued, Palmieri eventually began to slowly make his way to the Islanders' bench. During his route off the ice, he swiped the puck from a back-skating, unsuspecting Emil Andrae and dropped it off to Jonathan Drouin, who then left it for Emil Heineman for New York's first goal.
Kyle Palmieri after getting hurt on the boards, stole the puck while heading to the bench, got the assist and then went to the dressing room 😭🚨 pic.twitter.com/EBg7ugtYwc
The Islanders confirmed on Saturday that Palmieri, who is signed through the 2026-27 NHL season, will undergo surgery to repair an ACL tear in his left knee. The 34-year-old veteran will miss the next 6-8 months.
The injury will also end Palmieri's ironman streak of 223 consecutive games played.
"What a gutsy effort for him on that," captain Anders Lee said after the game. "Going through a lot of pain, he's one of the toughest teammates that I know. Takes a lot for him to feel pain and get keeled over, but you can also see how strong he is to battle through and make a huge play."
The assist was Palmieri's 12th of the season through 25 games. He is currently tied with Matthew Schaefer and Mathew Barzal for second on the team with 18 points.
Schaefer and Lee scored to complete the second-period comeback and knot the game at three apiece. The Flyers prevailed, however, after a shootout with Zegras and Travis Konecny scoring.
(From left) Duncan Keith, Joe Thornton, Brianna Decker, Zdeno Chára, Jennifer Botterill, Danièle Sauvageau and Jack Parker attend a media event in the Great Hall at the Hockey Hall of Fame & Museum. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Bruce Bennett via Getty Images
Jennifer Botterill, Zdeno Chára, Brianna Decker, Duncan Keith, Alexander Mogilny, Jack Parker, Danièle Sauvageau, and Joe Thornton were officially inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday night in Toronto.
The eight-member class made up of players and coaches were elected by the 18-member selection committee in June after receiving at least 75 of the vote required for induction.
Let's take a look at each of the inductees:
Jennifer Botterill (player) — A three-time Olympic gold medalist, Botterill helped Canada win five IIHF World Championship gold medals while averaging over a point per game in her international career (62 goals and 164 points in 162 games). Before starring on the international level, Botterill was a standout player at Harvard and was a back-to-back winner of the Patty Kazmaier Award, which recognizes the top women’s collegiate player.
Zdeno Chára (player) — "Big Z" played for the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals over a 1,680-game NHL career that saw him score 209 goals and 680 points. An unmistakeable presence on the ice at 6-foot-9, Chara was one of the best defensemen of his era, winning the 2008-09 Norris Trophy as the league's top blue liner. He was also a three-time NHL first-team All-Star and was a part of the 2010-11 Stanley Cup winning Bruins squad. Chára also holds the hardest shot record with a 108.8 mph blast during one of his five Hardest Shot competition victories during NHL All-Star Weekend. Internationally, Chára won silver medals at the IIHF World Championship and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey representing Slovakia.
Remember in 2012 when @zdeno33 broke the NHL Hardest Shot record?
Brianna Decker (player) — Decker finished her decorated hockey career in 2017 with a mantle full of individual and team honors. While playing collegiately at Wisconsin, she won the 2011-12 Kazmaier Award. She began her international career while still in college and would go on to win six gold and two silver medals at the IIHF World Championships, along with one gold and two silvers at the Olympics. Decker also claimed two CWHL Clarkson Cups and the NWHL's Isobel Cup, where she was also two-time league MVP.
Duncan Keith (player) — Keith spent all but one season of his 17-year NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks where he helped the franchise win three Stanley Cups. During that time he also won two Norris Trophies, was named the 2015 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP and was twice voted a first team NHL All-Star. Over his career, he scored 106 goals and recorded 646 points. He was also a part of the 2010 and 2014 Canadian Olympic teams that claimed gold.
Alexander Mogilny (player) — Mogilny was the first Soviet player to defect west, and when he arrived in the NHL he quickly made his mark. His 76-goal season in 1992-93 tied him for the NHL’s goal scoring lead with Teemu Selänne. He would finish with 127 points that season. A year later, the Sabres named him the first European captain in league history. When it was all said and done, the six-time All-Star had scored 473 goals and recorded 1,032 points. He’s a member of the IIHF’s Triple Gold Club after winning the Stanley Cup, Olympics and IIHF World Championship. He also helped the Soviet Union to gold at the World Junior Championship.
I feel like the world has forgotten how amazing Alex Mogilny was.
Jack Parker (builder) — Parker coached Boston University for 40 years and helped the Terriers claim three NCAA national championships and six Hockey East tournament titles. He's a three-time Spencer Penrose Award winner as the top Division I men's coach and owns the record for most wins with one school, at 897, and the most NCAA tournament appearances, with 24.
Danièle Sauvageau (builder) — Sauvageau is the first woman to be elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builder category and earned the honor following a coaching career that saw her guide Canada's women's team to a silver medal at the 1998 Olympics and then gold four years later in Salt Lake City. She's been part of seven Olympics with Canada serving as head coach, general manager and consultant.
Joe Thornton (player) — Thornton's 24-year NHL career saw him suit up for the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NHL Draft. He fell short of Stanley Cup glory, but did win an Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer, a Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and was a first-team NHL All-Star. Thornton did find success on the international stage with Canada, winning gold at the 1997 World Junior Championships, 2010 Olympics, and two World Cups of Hockey. "Jumbo" finished with 430 goals and 1,539 points in 1,714 games. He is one of only 16 players in NHL history to have reached the 1,500-point mark.
Here's 2+ minutes of Joe Thornton picking opposing defenses apart with next level passing pic.twitter.com/O7RS5Sgpqk
The class of 2026 will be announced in June and there are a number of good options for when the selection committee meets to elect another impressive group.
Longtime Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, who is in his first year of eligibility, and former Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price are slam-dunk choices. Patrick Marleau, who holds the NHL record for career games played (1,779), and Keith Tkachuk, who is in his 14th year of eligibility, would also be solid choices.
As the Hall of Fame continues catching up on the women's side, any two of American stars Meghan Duggan and Julie Chu, as well as Canada's Meghan Agosta and Shannon Szabados, could easily find themselves giving speeches next year.
"Yeah, I figured I basically had an assist on the goal there, turning the puck over. [I] didn't think he'd mind sharing it," Binnington said, via The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford. "I had full intention to give it back to him."
When asked afterward, Ovechkin said he was aware that Binnington tried to hide the puck after the goal was scored.
"Yeah, I just saw it. I'm not going to comment," Ovechkin said.
Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington was pulled after allowing four goals on 15 shots during a 6-1 loss to the Capitals. He was in net when Alex Ovechkin scored his 900th career goal. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Patrick Smith via Getty Images
Binnington was later pulled from the game after allowing four goals on 15 shots. The goal ended up being the 138th game-winner of Ovechkin's career, another NHL record that he holds.
Ovechkin's 900th NHL goal was the fourth he's scored against Binnington in his career.
"Incredible play by him to catch that, spin around and get that on net from a bad angle. Obviously, he's such a legendary player. Seeing a play like that still happening at his age, it's next level. He continues to impress," Binnington said.
Alex Ovechkin became the first player in NHL history to reach 900 career goals scored when he scored Wednesday night against the St. Louis Blues.
With his Washington Capitals holding a 1-0 lead in the second period, Ovechkin coralled a rebound off a missed Jakob Chychrun slapshot at the right goal line. He then slipped the puck into the net past goaltender Jordan Binnington for a 2-0 Washington lead.
As the horn sounded, Capitals players poured off the bench to swarm Ovechkin at the glass to celebrate the latest milestone for hockey's greatest goal scorer. An appreciate home crowd in Washington joined in on the celebration from the stands.
The Capitals captain hit the milestone more than 20 years after he made his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2005, where he scored the first two of his 900 career goals.
Ovechkin began this season with 897 regular-season goals. He reached 900 in Washington's 13th game of the season.
In April, Ovechkin scored his 895th career goal to break Wayne Gretzky's long-standing NHL record. He finished with 44 goals last season with the Capitals, the 14th time he's scored at least 40 goals in a season.
On Saturday, he became the eighth player in NHL history to play 1,500 games with one franchise.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 NHL draft entered the league and immediately made an impact, scoring 52 goals during his first season and earning the 2005-06 Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. His ability to beat goaltenders on a regular basis has earned him nine Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophies as the top goal scorer.
Other accolades Ovechkin has earned includes three Hart Trophies as regular-season MVP, eight appearances as an NHL first-team All-Star, and a Stanley Cup title and playoff MVP in 2018.
The 40-year-old Ovechkin will see his contract expire following the 2025-26 NHL season, but he's yet to confirm his future plans.
"I'm just going to enjoy it," Ovechkin said before the season. "I'm going to enjoy the season, and we'll see what’s going to happen."
Kirill Kaprizov looks on during the first period of the NHL preseason game between the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild. (Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
On Tuesday, Kaprizov signed an eight-year, $136 million contract extension that will keep him in Minnesota through the 2033-24 season. The average annual value of $17 million and total contract dollars are the highest in NHL history, with the AAV surpassing that of previous record holder Leon Draisaitl's $14 million.
According to The Athletic's Michael Russo, Kaprizov will receive a $1 million salary per season, along with a July 1 signing bonus structure of $18.1 million from 2026-2029, then $16 million in 2030, $14.2 million in 2031, and $12.7 million in the final two years. The extension also features a full no-move clause.
Kaprizov's new deal will kick in with the 2026-27 NHL season. His current contract, a five-year, $45 million extension signed in Sept. 2021, will expire after this coming season.
The 28-year-old Kaprizov, a fifth-round pick by the Wild in the 2015 NHL draft, is entering his sixth season. Since coming into the league in 2020-21, he has scored 185 goals, including three 40-goal seasons, and recorded 386 points.
Negotiations between the two sides had been ongoing as training camp approached. But a week before players reported, Kaprizov reportedly rejected an eight-year, $128 million contract.
"You guys know I like Minny and everyone knows this," Kaprizov said after camp opened two weeks ago. "We have a lot of time [to sign]. It's just 2025 and it's one more year I have. I just want to play hockey and focus and win some games and go into [the Stanley Cup] playoffs and win there. Just focus on this now."
How the massive Kaprizov deal affects future NHL contracts will be intriguing. Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid can be an unrestricted free agent next summer and currently carries a $12.5 million salary cap hit on his eight-year, $100 million contract, which he signed in 2017.