NHL Metropolitan

Ilya Sorokin is staying on Long Island for years to come.

The New York Islanders announced Saturday that they have signed the star goaltender to an eight-year extension that will begin during the 2024-25 season. It is worth $8.25 million annually, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

The Islanders selected Sorokin in the third round of the 2014 draft and he has emerged as one of the best goaltenders in the NHL since making his debut during the 2020-21 campaign.

During his 2020-21 rookie season, Sorokin posted a 13-6-3 record, .918 save percentage, 2.17 goals-against average and three shutouts in 22 games.

The 27-year-old emerged as New York's starter during the 2021-22 season and he posted an impressive 26-18-8 record, .925 save percentage, 2.40 goals-against average and seven shutouts in 52 games.

Sorokin put together a Vezina Trophy-worthy 2022-23 season, posting a 31-22-7 record, .924 save percentage, 2.34 goals-against average and six shutouts. However, he finished second in Vezina voting behind Boston's Linus Ullmark.

The Islanders finished the 2022-23 campaign fourth in the Metropolitan Division with a 42-31-9 record before falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Sorokin will be among the NHL's highest-paid goaltenders when his contract kicks in during the 2024-25 season, joining Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9.5 million), Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky ($10 million) and Montreal's Carey Price ($10.5 million).

While Sorokin is locked up for the foreseeable future, the Islanders must make some upgrades in other areas this summer if they hope to contend for a title in 2023-24. They'll have $3.8 million in projected cap space to do so, according to CapFriendly.

Tristan Jarry will man the crease in Pittsburgh for the foreseeable future.

The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Saturday that they have signed the veteran goaltender to a five-year contract worth $5.375 million annually. The deal will keep him in the Steel City through the 2027-28 campaign.

The Penguins selected Jarry in the second round of the 2013 draft and he made his NHL debut during the 2016-17 campaign.

However, his career didn't begin to blossom until the 2019-20 season when he posted a 20-12-1 record, .921 save percentage, 2.43 goals-against average and three shutouts in 33 games (31 starts).

The 28-year-old had a career-year in 2021-22, posting a 34-18-6 record, .919 save percentage, 2.42 goals-against average and four shutouts in 58 games (56 starts). He finished seventh in Vezina Trophy voting and was named a Metropolitan Division All-Star for the second time in his career.

Jarry is coming off an inconsistent 2022-23 season that contributed to the Penguins missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign.

The British Columbia native posted a 24-13-7 record, .909 save percentage, 2.90 goals-against average and two shutouts in 47 games, all starts. The struggles were likely due to the fact he was playing through multiple injuries, which he revealed after the season ended.

Jarry will continue to serve as Pittsburgh's starting goaltender in 2023-24 with Casey DeSmith expected to be his backup. The Penguins also signed goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic to a one-year deal on Saturday, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

Pittsburgh is projected to have $933,158 in cap space, according to CapFriendly.

Veteran defenseman Dmitry Orlov is reportedly on the move this offseason.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Orlov has signed with the Carolina Hurricanes on a two-year, $15.5 million contract. Orlov finished last season with the Boston Bruins after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Washington Capitals, with whom he had played 10-plus seasons.

Boston had a historic regular season, breaking the NHL record for wins at 65-12-5 and points with 135. However, Orlov and the Bruins were disappointingly bounced from the playoffs in the first round by the Florida Panthers in seven games.

Orlov has developed a reputation for being able to produce offense while playing as a defenseman. He had seven goals and 29 assists between Washington and Boston for a career-high 36 points. Over the course of his career, he has 64 goals and 209 assists for 273 points in 709 games.

Friedman noted that prior to being traded, Orlov had been seeking a long-term commitment from the Capitals, but general manager Brian MacLellan "only wanted to go three or four years."

ESPN's Greg Wyshynski pointed out that "the two-year term is likely a function of the NHL's salary cap, which remained essentially flat this season at $83.5 million." When Orlov hits the open market again in 2025, "the NHL salary cap is expected to be well north of $90 million."

The 31-year-old Russian joins a Hurricanes team that finished first in the Metropolitan Division with a 52-21-9 record but lost to the Panthers in a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick and the New York Rangers have reportedly agreed to a one-year, $825,000 million contract, according to Mollie Walker of the New York Post.

He'll serve as Igor Shesterkin's backup, which likely means the end of Jaroslav Halak's time in New York. Halak is also a free agent.

Quick spent the 2022-23 campaign split between the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights.

The Kings traded the 37-year-old to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a deal that included Vladislav Gavrikov and Joonas Korpisalo. Columbus then flipped him to the Golden Knights in exchange for goaltender Michael Hutchinson and a 2025 seventh-round pick.

In 41 games split between the Kings and Golden Knights in 2022-23, Quick posted a 16-15-6 record with a 3.41 goals-against average, .882 save percentage and two shutouts in 41 games (36 starts).

He had spent his entire career with the Kings before being traded to the Golden Knights, appearing in 743 games across 15-and-a-half seasons.

During his tenure with the Kings, he led L.A. to three Western Conference Finals and two Stanley Cup titles. He posted a 370-275-82 record, 2.46 goals-against average and .911 save percentage during his tenure with the franchise.

Quick is widely regarded as one of the best goaltenders in NHL history, and his number is expected to be retired by the Kings once he hangs up the skates. However, he has been on the decline over the last several seasons and will be a backup in New York.

Playing for the Rangers is somewhat of a homecoming for Quick, who grew up in Connecticut and played college hockey at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

While it'll likely be a dream come true for the veteran, it's hard to imagine he'll see much ice time with 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner Shesterkin expected to command the majority of starts in the crease.

Still, this is a solid signing for the Blueshirts and one that could pay off down the line given his championship pedigree.

Blake Wheeler found a new home in free agency rather quickly.

Following his buyout by the Winnipeg Jets, the veteran winger has signed a one-year deal with the New York Rangers, per multiple reports. It's reportedly worth $800,000 with up to $300,000 in bonus money.

Wheeler, 36, had another solid season in the 2022-23 campaign, putting up 16 goals and 39 assists. While he's no longer the player that posted 91 points in consecutive seasons between 2017-18 and 2018-19, he's a safe bet to accumulate around 50 points and add depth to the forward position for New York.

He's also posted 30 or more assists in every season since the 2013-14 campaign. While he isn't a dynamic goal-scorer—his career high is 28 goals, and he hasn't hit the 20-goal threshold in the past three seasons—his ability to set the plate for his teammates is valuable.

He also brings leadership to New York, having served as a team captain for the Jets between 2016-22.

"We are incredibly grateful for the contributions that he has made during his 12 seasons with the franchise," Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said in a statement after Wheeler was placed on unconditional waivers and had his contract bought out. "Most notably, the seven years when he served as the captain of the Jets and helped lead the team to the 2018 Western Conference Final."

"From the first conversations Blake and I had when I became general manager, I saw his determination to make our club a success," he added. "In our time together, I always saw his drive to make himself and his teammates the best they could be through his work on and off the ice."

It's the latest veteran addition for the Rangers as they retool for another Stanley Cup pursuit. The team also reportedly signed veteran goalie Jonathan Quick to serve as Igor Shesterkin's backup.

The New Jersey Devils could use an upgrade in the crease heading into the 2023-24 season, and the franchise is interested in acquiring Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

LeBrun wrote:

"They know what he would mean to them as far as an upgrade. But I don't believe they're interested in paying a big price for him because they're also comfortable just running it back in goal (minus MacKenzie Blackwood, who was traded to San Jose on Tuesday). I'm not convinced Winnipeg has a lot of traction yet on the Hellebuyck trade front, even though we're talking about a Vezina Trophy finalist again this year."

The Devils enter the 2023-24 campaign with Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid as their top two goaltenders. Jonathan Bernier will become a free agent this summer and Nico Daws will return to the American Hockey League.

Vanecek, who was acquired by the Devils in a trade with the Washington Capitals last summer, had a solid 2022-23 season, posting a 33-11-4 record, 2.45 goals-against average, .911 save percentage and three shutouts in 52 games (48 starts).

However, he had an unsettling postseason, going 1-3 in seven appearances with an .825 save percentage.

Schmid, meanwhile, appeared in 18 games (14 starts) for the Devils last season, posting a 9-5-2 record, 2.13 goals-against average, .922 save percentage and one shutout. The 23-year-old ended up starting more postseason games than Vanecek, going 4-4 with a .921 save percentage and two shutouts in nine appearances.

Led by Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, the Devils finished the 2022-23 campaign second in the Metropolitan Division with a 52-22-8 record and 112 points before falling to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It marked their best finish to a season since the 2011-12 campaign, when they finished fourth in the Atlantic Division before falling to the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup Finals.

If New Jersey hopes to make a deeper run in 2023-24, bringing in another goaltender this summer should be a priority.

Hellebuyck, the 2019-20 Vezina Trophy winner, is coming off a solid 2022-23 campaign in which he posted a 37-25-2 record, 2.49 goals-against average, .920 save percentage and four shutouts in 64 games (all starts).

The 30-year-old is entering the final year of his contract worth $6.2 million and it remains to be seen if he would be interested in signing an extension with Winnipeg. He's reportedly interested in a long-term deal with the Devils, but the price tag could end up being too high as he's believed to want around $9.5 million per year on his next contract.

After being traded to the New Jersey Devils in February, veteran right winger Timo Meier is reportedly set to remain with the team long-term.

According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, Meier and the Devils have agreed to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $8.8 million.

LeBrun previously reported the two sides had made "serious progress" in negotiations.

Meier was set to become a restricted free agent when NHL free agency opens on July 1 after the four-year, $24 million contract he signed with the San Jose Sharks came to an end this season. The Devils traded four players and two draft picks to acquire the Swiss star along with two players, two prospects and a draft pick from the Sharks.

Earlier this month, Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said he planned to open discussions with Meier and his agent Claude Lemieux for a potential multiyear extension.

"We would love nothing better to tie him up long term," Fitzgerald told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger at the NHL Scouting Combine. "That's our goal. That's what Claude and I will go through. I want them to understand what New Jersey is, what the organization is, the living--I think New Jersey is a diamond in the rough--the travel, all the positive things. Give him a chance to settle in and go: 'OK, I hope you want to be here.' Those are some of the things we'll go through."

A seven-year veteran who was drafted ninth overall by the Sharks in 2015, Meier had 52 points (31 goals, 21 assists) in 57 games with San Jose and 14 points (nine goals, five assists) in 21 games with the Devils during the regular season. His production dropped off in the playoffs with just two goals and two assists, but the organization remains confident in the 26-year-old.

With the Devils signing Meier to a long-term deal, the team continued to build around a core that includes Jack Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, Jesper Bratt and Erik Haula.

Kevin Hayes is off to St. Louis.

The Philadelphia Flyers are trading Hayes to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round draft pick, the team announced Tuesday.

The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported the Flyers will retain 50 percent of Hayes' salary in the deal.

Hayes is under contract through the 2025-26 season worth $7.1 million annually.

The Flyers were initially reported to be sending Hayes, with salary retained, and defenseman Travis Sanheim to St. Louis in exchange for a first-round pick and an unnamed Blues defenseman, per The Athletic's Charlie O'Connor and Jeremy Rutherford.

However, the Blues defenseman was reportedly unwilling to waive his no-trade clause in the deal, so it appears Philadelphia had to pivot and accept what it could get for Hayes, who had been included in various trade rumors since last season.

The Flyers are currently in the midst of a major rebuild and Hayes is the second major casualty of the team's teardown after it traded defenseman Ivan Provorov to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a three-team deal on June 6.

Hayes spent the last four seasons of his career with the Flyers and was a major role player on offense, tallying 63 goals and 94 assists for 157 points in 253 games. His best season came in 2022-23 when he notched 18 goals and 36 assists for 54 points in 81 games.

Prior to joining the Flyers, Hayes began his career with the New York Rangers in 2014 and he also spent half a season with the Winnipeg Jets during the 2018-19 campaign. He was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round of the 2010 draft but never played a game for the franchise.

In 634 games across nine seasons, Hayes has tallied 155 goals and 231 assists for 386 points.

After trading Ryan O'Reilly to the Toronto Maple Leafs last season, the Blues needed to bring in another veteran center this summer in an attempt to fill the void, and Hayes figures to play a key role in the team's offense alongside Jordan Kyrou, Brayden Schenn, Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich.

After finishing the 2022-23 season with a 37-38-7 record and missing the postseason, the Blues are bringing in Hayes with the hope that he can help the franchise better contend fro a playoff spot over the next several seasons.

As for the Flyers, new general manager Daniel Brière is expected to continue offloading assets this summer with eyes toward the future.

Sanheim, Scott Laughton and Tony DeAngelo have been mentioned as players that could be traded ahead of the 2023-24 season, according to Andy Strickland of Bally Sports. Goaltender Carter Hart has also been floated as a trade candidate.

The Tony DeAngelo-Carolina Hurricanes reunion is on the rocks because of a clause in the NHL's collective bargaining agreement.

The team is looking to reacquire the defenseman with a history of disciplinary issues whom it traded away nearly a year ago, but a salary-cap complication is the driving force behind the inability to complete the deal, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

The agreed-upon transaction had the Hurricanes sending a prospect to the Philadelphia Flyers for DeAngelo, with Philadelphia retaining 50 percent of his salary-cap hit. That means that DeAngelo, who has one year and $5 million remaining on his contract, would only count for $2.5 million against the Hurricanes' salary cap.

However, Rule 50.5 of the NHL CBA prohibits a team from trading a player and then reacquiring the player shortly after at a reduced cap hit because the previous franchise retained salary. The official wording of the rule is "under no circumstances may a Club reacquire, as part of a Retained Salary Transaction, the contract of a player who was on that Club's Reserve List within the past calendar year."

DeAngelo made $4.8 million when he played for Carolina in 2021-22.

If the Flyers were to not retain any of DeAngelo contract, the deal would be permissible. However, the Hurricanes have numerous players approaching a new contract, including star center Sebastian Aho who is set to be an unrestricted free agent after the 2023-24 season.

The team also has decisions to make at goaltender, as Pyotr Kochetkov is the only netminder currently under contract for next season.

DeAngelo scored 11 goals and had 42 points for the Flyers in 2022-23, but the team sputtered to a 31-38-13 record and missed the playoffs for third consecutive season and the fourth time in five years. New general manager Daniel Briere and President of Hockey Operations Keith Jones appear to be taking a rebuilding approach, so moving DeAngelo for a prospect is a value add.

The Hurricanes won the Metropolitan Division in 22-23 with 52-21-9 record and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals where they lost to the Florida Panthers in a sweep.

The Carolina Hurricanes and captain Jordan Staal have come to terms on a new contract.

The team and the veteran were reportedly at an impasse in negotiations, but it now appears that the two have come to terms on a four-year deal with a $2.7 million average annual value.

Staal has been with the team since being traded to the team in 2012. He previously signed a 10-year, $60 million deal with the team after the trade, which expired at the end of the 2022-23 season. The 34-year-old will now be under contract until the 2026-27 season.

Staal, the 2006 2nd overall pick, spent the first six seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning a cup with the team in 2009, before being dealt to Carolina. He joined his brother Eric with the Hurricanes, but has outlasted him and is the team's longest tenured player.

He has scored 275 goals and has 645 points in 1,173 career games, but his biggest value comes in the defensive zone. He is a consistent presence in the race for the Selke Trophy and helped lead the Hurricanes to the second-ranked defense in the NHL in 22-23.

He had 17 goals and 17 assists in 22-23, suiting up in 81 games, and led Carolina to a Metropolitan Division title and a berth in the Eastern Conference Final. He scored eight points in 15 playoff games on the run and had a +4 rating.

His return to the team in 2023-24 guarantees that a Staal brother will be on the Hurricanes roster dating back to the 2003-04 season.