NHL Player News

Bourgault reached an arbitration settlement on a one-year contract with the Senators on Thursday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.

Bourgault's new deal will pay him $850,000 at the NHL level or $265,000 at the AHL level. He made his NHL debut last year by making two regular-season appearances for Ottawa, but he spent most of his time in the minors, racking up 25 goals, 32 assists and 34 PIM across 70 regular-season appearances with AHL Belleville.

Carlsson secured a five-year, $90 million contract with Anaheim on Thursday.

Carlsson will become the NHL's highest-paid player with his $18 million AAV, surpassing the $17 million AAV deal for Minnesota's Kirill Kaprizov. The 21-year-old Carlsson will no doubt be expected to continue stepping up his production after recording 29 goals and 38 assists in 70 regular-season games last year. It's possible, with Carlsson capable of reaching the 40-goal threshold if he can play a full 84-game schedule.

Duran signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with the Bruins on Thursday.

Duran has spent the last two seasons in the organization, and he got a brief taste of NHL action during the 2024-25 campaign by making a pair of regular-season appearances for Boston. Across 72 regular-season games with AHL Providence last year, he recorded seven goals, 12 assists and 22 PIM. While he'll have flexibility to move between Providence and Boston on his two-way deal, it wouldn't be surprising to see him spend most of his time in the minors during the 2026-27 season.

Villeneuve signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Maple Leafs on Wednesday, per PuckPedia.

Villeneuve had 30 points in 61 regular-season outings for AHL Toronto in 2025-26. He also logged three appearances with the Maple Leafs late in the campaign. The 24-year-old defenseman will likely spend most of 2026-27 in the AHL again, though he could push for a depth role during training camp.

Bedard will be sidelined for four months following shoulder surgery, the Blackhawks announced Wednesday.

Based on his recovery timeline, Bedard figures to miss the first month or two of the regular season. The 20-year-old center was limited to just 69 regular-season games last year, but he still managed to set new personal bests in goals (30) and points (75). While he could certainly aim even higher with a full season, Bedard should still offer plenty of fantasy upside even with his absence.

Hayton (upper body) signed a one-year, $4.775 million contract with Utah on Wednesday.

Hayton had previously agreed to an offer sheet with the Devils, but the Mammoth agreed to match the deal to retain the forward's services. In 67 regular-season games last year, the Ontario native notched 10 goals and 15 assists, including six power-play points. If Hayton can stay healthy, he should be capable of getting back to being a 20-goal, 40-point producer for Utah in 2026-27.

Gushchin signed a two-year contract with the KHL's Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey reports Wednesday.

Gushchin was an unrestricted free agent after the Avalanche declined to present him with a qualifying offer. He had 18 goals and 32 points in 49 regular-season appearances with AHL Colorado in 2025-26. The 24-year-old has 18 games of NHL experience, all with the Sharks.

Schmidt signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Wild on Tuesday, per PuckPedia.

Schmidt split last season between three AHL clubs, totaling just three assists over 49 regular-season contests. He had two assists in 19 games for AHL Iowa, and clearly the organization saw enough to keep him around for another year. Expect the blueliner to spend most or all of 2026-27 in the minors again.

Hinds signed a two-year, $1.8 million contract with Anaheim on Tuesday, per PuckPedia.

Hinds appeared in six regular-season games with the Ducks in 2025-26, including his NHL debut against Calgary on April 4. During that six-game span, he registered nine shots on goal, 10 blocked shots and six hits, but he didn't earn a point. However, he had one assist, one shot on net, five blocked shots and 17 hits in nine playoff outings. Hinds will probably be a regular in the Anaheim lineup during the 2026-27 campaign.

Giroux inked a one-year, $2 million contract with the Senators on Tuesday, per PuckPedia.

While Giroux's base salary is $2 million, he can earn an additional $3 million in performance bonuses. The right-shot forward might move around the lineup a bit in 2026-27, but he will probably play mostly in a middle-six role. The 2006 No. 22 overall pick supplied 14 goals, 49 points (13 on the power play), 138 shots and a plus-20 rating over 82 regular-season games in 2025-26, so he's proven to be a reliable contributor even at 38 years old, due in large part to his hockey sense.