The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have signed forwards Travis Boyd, Michael Pezzetta, and Benoit-Olivier Groulx and re-signed defenseman Dakota Mermis. 

Mermis signed a two-year contract that is worth $812,000 annually. The veteran will likely be a key member of the Toronto Marlies blueline next season. 

The 31-year-old played three games for the Maple Leafs and one game for Utah HC last season, he also had seven points in 32 games for the Marlies. After an injury in training camp he was placed on waivers, claimed by Utah, and later re-claimed by Toronto. 

The Alton, Ill., native has 146 points in 463 career AHL games and 13 points in 78 career NHL games. He won the 2022 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award as AHL's Man of the Year for Community Service. 

Boyd signed a one-year, $775,000 contract. He will likely serve in an offensive and leadership role with the Marlies. 

The 31-year-old recorded 22 goals and 53 points in 63 games with the Iowa Wild last season and went pointless in three games with the Minnesota Wild. He has 225 points in 284 career AHL games and was named to the AHL Second All-Star Team in 2017. 

He had eight points in 20 games for the Maple Leafs in the 2020-21 season.

We’ve signed forwards Travis Boyd, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Michael Pezzetta, and re-signed defenceman Dakota Mermis pic.twitter.com/kq4A38VAfQ

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) July 1, 2025

Groulx signed a two-year contract that pays him $812,000 annually. 

The 25-year-old recorded 37 points in 47 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack last season. 

A second round selection of the Anaheim Ducks in 2018, he has five points in 65 career NHL games and 127 points in 192 career AHL games. 

Pezzetta also signed a two-year contract that pays him $812,000 annually. He last appeared in the AHL in 2021. 

The 27-year-old had no points in 25 games with the Montreal Canadiens last season. 

The Toronto, Ont., native has 25 points and 186 penalty minutes in 115 career AHL games and 38 points in 200 NHL games. 

Groulx, Boyd and Pezzetta appear to be replacements on the Marlies for the recently departed Alex Steeves and Nick Abruzzese. 

Check out The Hockey News' Toronto Maple Leafs team site for more updates. 

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Photo Credit: © Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens have signed forward Sammy Blais to a one-year contract worth $775,000, per TSN's Chris Johnston. 

Blais recorded 40 points in 51 regular season games with the Abbotsford Canucks before a tremendous playoff performance where he had 19 points and 77 penalty minutes in 23 games to help the Canucks win the Calder Cup. 

The 29-year-old last played in the NHL in 2023-24 and notched seven points in 53 games with the St. Louis Blues. 

The Montmagny, Que., native has 71 points in 257 career NHL games and 145 points in 199 career AHL games. He will fight for a bottom-six role with the Canadiens and can be relied upon to produce offense with Laval if he ends up in the AHL next season. 

Sammy Blais is heading to Montreal on a one-year contract, per @reporterchris. pic.twitter.com/RBm4y9uLW1

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 1, 2025

Blais has a winning track record, he was a member of the 2019 Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues. He also recorded eight points in 10 games, including two goals in the gold medal game, to help Canada win the gold at the 2023 World Championship. 

Check out The Hockey News' Montreal Canadiens team site for more updates. 

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Photo Credit: © Bob Frid-Imagn Images

2024-25 AHL league leading goal scorer Matej Blumel has signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Boston Bruins, the contract is worth $875,000. 

Blumel captured the Willie Marshall Award as the league's goal leader after recording 39 goals and 72 points in 67 games. 

The 25-year-old has 70 goals over the last two season, he was an AHL All-Star in 2024 and was named to the AHL First All-Star Team in 2025. 

The Tabor, Cze., native has two goals in 13 career NHL games, all with the Dallas Stars. He has 89 goals and 178 points in 197 career regular season AHL games and 26 points in 27 AHL playoff games. 

Matej Blumel signs a one-year deal with the Boston Bruins, per @DarrenDreger. pic.twitter.com/6IkU9RA80Q

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) July 1, 2025

Blumel also captured a bronze medal with Czechia at 2022 World Championship. 

This is a low-risk, high upside play for Boston and Blumel has earned a chance for more NHL ice time after his last two AHL seasons. 

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Photo Credit: © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The New York Islanders announced they have re-signed forwards Liam Foudy and Julien Gauthier to one-year, two-way contracts for the 2025-26 season. 

Foudy recorded 20 goals and 45 points in 70 games with the Bridgeport Islanders last season and went pointless in two NHL games with the New York Islanders. 

The 25-year-old has 96 points in 139 career AHL games and 22 points in 104 career NHL games. 

Originally a first round selection of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2018, Foudy is one of the best skaters around and will enter his second season in the organization.

Gauthier went pointless in one NHL game with the Islanders and had eight points in nine games with Bridgeport before suffering an injury in November that forced him to miss the remainder of the season. 

Welcome back, boys! 🤩 https://t.co/VgpnfKEuQD

— Bridgeport Islanders (@AHLIslanders) June 29, 2025

A first round selection of the Carolina Hurricanes in 2016, Gauthier has 123 points in 214 career AHL games and 41 points in 181 career NHL games. 

The 27-year-old won the 2019 Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers. 

After a historically bad 2024-25 season the Islanders hired Rocky Thompson as the team's new head coach and seem poised to improve their AHL team in 2025-26. Both Foudy and Gauthier will have to clear waivers when the season begins but seem likely to serve as the offensive drivers for Bridgeport while providing depth for New York. 

Check out The Hockey News' New York Islanders team site for more updates. 

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Photo Credit: © Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Providence Bruins defenseman Daniil Misyul has signed a one-year deal in Russia with Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, it was announced earlier this week. 

A 2019 third round pick of the New Jersey Devils, Misyul split time this season between the Bruins, Utica Comets and the Devils. Over a combined 58 AHL games, he scored one goal and added eight assists for nine points while going pointless in one NHL appearance. 

Since coming over to North America for the 2023-24 season, Misyul has only gotten in one NHL game but has accumulated 23 points over 102 career AHL regular season games. Prior to making the trek, Misyul spent parts of five seasons playing in the KHL with Lokomotiv. 

As Misyul heads back to Russia, the chances of him coming back stateside are likely pretty slim. He seems to have a good relationship with Lokomotiv, and the chance to continue playing in the organization he's spent a lot of time with in the past will likely keep him in Russia for the foreseeable future. 

The Washington Capitals announced they have traded defenseman Chase Priskie and the 123rd pick in the NHL draft to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Declan Chisholm and the 180th pick in the draft. 

Priskie recorded 35 points in 61 game with the Hershey Bears in the regular season before adding five points in eight games in the Calder Cup Playoffs. 

The 29-year-old notched 14 points in 20 games while helping the Bears win back-to-back Calder Cups last season, he played big minutes and powerplay time during the run. 

A native of Pembroke Pines, Fla., Priskie has no points in four career NHL games with the Florida Panthers and 164 points in 314 career AHL games. He also has 20 points in 35 career AHL playoff games. 

It will be interesting to see if Priskie sees any time with Minnesota or if he will anchor the Iowa Wild blueline. 

NEWS | The Washington Capitals have acquired defenseman Declan Chisholm and the 180th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft from the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Chase Priskie and their 123rd overall selection.#CapsDraft | @Shift4pic.twitter.com/tW7utPaZYn

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 28, 2025

Chisholm put up 12 points in 66 games with Minnesota this season, he had five points in six AHL games with the Manitoba Moose last season. 

The 25-year-old has 21 points in 99 career NHL games and 91 points in 146 career AHL games. He has 11 points in 10 career AHL playoff games. 

He represented the Central Division at the AHL All-Star Game while a member of the Moose in 2023. 

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Photo Credit: © Travis Boyd/Special to the Daily News / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Rockford IceHogs have signed forward Brett Seney to a two-year deal, it was announced Monday. 

Seney, a 2015 sixth-round pick of the New Jersey Devils, spent the entire 2024-25 season with Rockford, putting up 10 goals and 29 assists for 39 points in 58 regular season games. With the IceHogs having made the playoffs, Seney got into seven games with the team and accumulated three points. 

Having turned pro at the end of the 2017-18 season, Seney has gotten into 66 career NHL regular season games with the Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks. In that span, he has scored six goals and added eight assists for 14 points. 

Having served as the captain of Rockford this past season, the organization clearly values Seney as someone who can help guide the younger players coming through the system while also still being an important contributor himself. Although it remains to be seen whether Seney will see another NHL game, he seems content in his role with the IceHogs and that is a good thing. 

The Bridgeport Islanders announced they have hired Rocky Thompson as the team's new head coach. 

Thompson spent the last three seasons as an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers. Prior to that he spent parts of two season as an associate coach with the San Jose Sharks, one of those seasons was under now Islanders assistant coach Bob Boughner. 

The 47-year-old won a Memorial Cup as head coach of the Windsor Spitfires in 2017 and the 2022 Memorial Cup as a consultant with the Saint John's Sea Dogs. 

The Calgary, Alta., native was head coach of the AHL's Chicago Wolves from 2017-2020, leading the team to the Calder Cup Finals in 2019. In those three seasons Thompson amassed a record of 113-79-21.

The Islanders finished dead last in the AHL last season with a 15-50-4-3 record and a lowly 37 points. They won the fewest home games in a season in AHL history. 

His resume also includes time as an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers in 2014-15, and four seasons as an assistant with the AHL's Oklahoma City Barons from 2010-2014.

The @NYIslanders announced today that Rocky Thompson has been named Head Coach of the Bridgeport Islanders. He becomes the 10th Head Coach in team history.

➡️ https://t.co/LtallBmuWopic.twitter.com/ccyUuwRlri

— Bridgeport Islanders (@AHLIslanders) June 23, 2025

In his playing career Thompson recorded 69 points in 566 career AHL games over 11 seasons and zero points and 117 penalty minutes in 25 career NHL games over parts of four seasons.  

Check out The Hockey News' New York Islanders team site for more updates. 

Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.    

Photo Credit: © Robert Edwards-Imagn Images