NHL Metropolitan

The Vegas Golden Knights are trading veteran forward Max Pacioretty and defenseman Dylan Coghlan to the Carolina Hurricanes, The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun reported Wednesday.

Vegas will receive future considerations in exchange for both players.

Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff noted the move was a "pure salary dump" for the Golden Knights, who cleared $7.7 million in cap space.

Before the trade, Vegas was projected to be over the salary cap by more than $2.6 million, according to CapFriendly. Now that the team has cap space, it can look to re-sign restricted free agents Keegan Kolesar and Nicolas Roy and add a backup goaltender.

Pacioretty has a $7 million cap hit for 2022-23 before becoming an unrestricted free agent.

The 33-year-old has spent the last four seasons of his career in Vegas, tallying 97 goals and 97 assists for 194 points in 224 games. He only appeared in 39 games last season, notching 19 goals and 18 assists for 37 points.

Pacioretty began his career with the Montreal Canadiens, which selected him in the first round of the 2007 NHL draft. In 626 games across 10 seasons with the franchise, he tallied 226 goals and 222 assists for 448 points.

Coghlan, meanwhile, has spent the first two seasons of his career in Vegas. The 24-year-old notched six goals and 13 assists for 19 points in 88 games. Before playing for the Golden Knights, he spent two seasons with the AHL's Chicago Wolves.

Adding Pacioretty was a solid move for the Hurricanes. He will likely play on the team's top line alongside Sebastian Aho, or the second line alongside Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

As for Coghlan, it's likely he spends time in the AHL as the Canes already have a solid defensive unit that includes Jaccob Slavin, Brent Burns, Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce and Ethan Bear.

Carolina was searching for upgrades after being eliminated by the New York Rangers in the second round of the playoffs last season. With the additions of Pacioretty and Burns on Wednesday, the undoubtedly got better and should be a team to watch in 2022-23.

The Philadelphia Flyers are out of the Johnny Gaudreau sweepstakes, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun (h/t Rob Taub of News 12 New York).

However, the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils are in the mix for the veteran forward. The Columbus Blue Jackets are also a potential destination, with general manager Jarmo Kekalainen having "made a major play" for him on Wednesday, according to The Athletic's Aaron Portzline.

Gaudreau opted to part ways with the Calgary Flames on Tuesday night, letting the club know of his plans to enter the free-agent market on Wednesday.

Calgary offered Gaudreau a deal worth more than $10 million annually over eight years in an effort to retain him, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, but the veteran still opted to move on.

Flames general manager Brad Treliving confirmed the news while speaking with reporters, saying that he believes Gaudreau was making a "family decision, and I respect that fully."

The Flyers were Gaudreau's top choice, according to ESPN's Emily Kaplan. However, Philadelphia was unable to clear the necessary cap space to sign him. According to CapFriendly, the team is currently projected to be over the cap by more than $48,000.

The franchise attempted to trade James van Riemsdyk and his $7 million salary for the 2022-23 season to clear space, but no deal has come to fruition.

The Islanders were among the teams reported to heavily pursue Gaudreau this summer. Former Islanders VP of communications Chris Botta reported earlier this week that the franchise was expected to offer him a seven-year deal worth $9 million annually.

The Isles are projected to have nearly $11.2 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. They have enough space to sign Gaudreau, but they still need to come to terms on contracts for restricted free agents Noah Dobson, Kieffer Bellows and Alexander Romanov.

The Blue Jackets also have enough space to sign Gaudreau as they are projected to have almost $13 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. However, it's unclear if Gaudreau is interested in Columbus, which also needs to re-sign RFA Patrik Laine this summer.

The Devils seem like a real possibility for Gaudreau, who grew up in New Jersey. The franchise is projected to have $23.5 million in cap space, per CapFriendly, which is more than enough room to sign Gaudreau and also add some pieces around him.

The 28-year-old spent the first nine seasons of his career in Calgary, which selected him in the fourth round of the 2011 draft out of Boston College. In 602 regular-season games, Gaudreau notched 210 goals and 399 assists for 609 points.

The left wing broke out in 2021-22, tallying 40 goals and 75 assists for 115 points—all career highs—in 82 games. Whichever team lands him in free agency will be very lucky.

The Washington Capitals announced Wednesday they signed Darcy Kuemper to a five-year, $26.25 million contract.

TSN's Pierre LeBrun provided the annual breakdown:

Kuemper had a .921 save percentage, a 2.54 goals-against average and five shutouts in 57 starts for the Colorado Avalanche in 2021-22.

"Darcy is an established starting netminder who proved that he can win on the game's biggest stage, and we are excited to welcome him to Washington," general manager Brian MacLellan said. "We feel this signing will provide our team confidence and stability in net."

The Avs telegraphed Kuemper's departure when they acquired restricted free agent Alexandar Georgiev and handed him a three-year extension with a $3.4 million AAV.

The Capitals were 12th in goals-against average (2.95) but 23rd in save percentage (.898) this past season. Change between the pipes wasn't totally unexpected in the nation's capital.

This wasn't a great offseason to go shopping for a new goaltender, though. The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn ranked Kuemper as the best free agent at the position, while ESPN's Greg Wyshynski listed him in the boom-or-bust category:

"Kuemper is a difficult one to predict. There are those in the hockey analytics community who feel he's been living off the reputation he forged as the best thing on some bad Coyotes teams. The second half of his season was extraordinary -- .934 save percentage and a 2.16 GAA at even strength -- but not all that far off from what Pavel Francouz did metrically in the same span. Again, he's a solid starter and an improvement in goal for 80% of the league. But 'buyer beware,' as the playoffs have indicated."

The 32-year-old played well for Colorado, and the team's Stanley Cup triumph bolstered his leverage at the negotiating table. Washington wasn't afraid to pay up in order to upgrade at goalie.

This deal nevertheless presents a level of risk. A $5.25 million AAV is a steep price to pay, and five years is a longer term for a netminder as old as Kuemper.

One thing is clear: Losing in the first round for four straight seasons isn't enough for MacLellan to consider a rebuild. Washington is looking to not only remain competitive but raise its postseason ceiling.

The Penguins and veteran forward Evgeni Malkin have agreed to a four-year, $24.4 million deal that will keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2025-26 season, the team announced Tuesday.

"Evgeni is a generational talent who will be remembered as one of the greatest players in NHL history," said general manager Ron Hextall. "His hockey resume and individual accomplishments speak volumes about him as a player, and we are thrilled to watch him continue his remarkable legacy in Pittsburgh."

The deal comes as no surprise as Malkin offered to take a pay cut of $20 million over three years to remain in Pittsburgh, according to Mark Madden of TribLive. His eight-year, $76 million deal expired after the 2021-22 campaign, and he was set to enter free agency on Wednesday had he not reached a deal with the Pens.

That said, there was some doubt the veteran would remain in Pittsburgh after his close friends and teammates told The Athletic's Rob Rossi that he was "devastated" by the lack of progress on an extension last week.

"He wants to play only in Pittsburgh," one of Malkin's friends told Rossi at the time. "He doesn't understand how it's at this point with him not being signed. He's said, 'They don't think I'm a good player—why?'"

ESPN's Greg Wyshynski also reported that Malkin was set to test free agency after he and the Penguins remained at an impasse in contract negotiations.

The 35-year-old has spent his entire 16-year career with the Penguins, which selected him second overall in the 2004 NHL draft. He has racked up 444 goals and 702 assists for 1,146 points in 981 regular-season games.

Malkin is a three-time All-Star, two-time Art Ross winner, the 2011-12 Hart Trophy winner and 2011-12 Pearson Award winner. He has also been a significant playoff performer for the Pens, tallying 67 goals and 113 assists for 180 points in 177 games.

While Malkin missed time because of injury during the 2021-22 campaign, the Russian still tallied 20 goals and 22 assists for 42 points in 41 games. It was an improvement from the season prior in which he tallied just eight goals and 20 assists in 33 games.

Malkin is still a serviceable forward, and it's no surprise Pittsburgh re-signed him for another four seasons. He has helped the Penguins win three Stanley Cups and been instrumental to their success over the years.

The New York Rangers are reportedly not expected to retain center Andrew Copp ahead of the start of NHL free agency on Wednesday.

Arthur Staple of The Athletic reported Tuesday the Rangers are "out on" Copp after nothing materialized from contract talks over the weekend. Staple noted the Rangers are now expected to look elsewhere for a No. 2 center behind Mika Zibanejad.

The Rangers acquired Copp in a trade with the Winnipeg Jets last season, and he played a sizable role in helping the Blueshirts reach the Eastern Conference Final.

Prior to the trade, the 28-year-old Copp was playing well in Winnipeg, recording 13 goals and 22 assists for 35 points in 56 games, but he raised his level of play significantly in the Big Apple.

In 16 regular-season games as a member of the Rangers, Copp had eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points, giving him a total of 21 goals and 32 assists for 53 points on the year, all of which were career highs.

Copp produced during the playoffs as well, with six goals and eight assists for 14 points in 20 games.

The former University of Michigan standout played in games across eight seasons in Winnipeg, mostly as a bottom-six player who would contribute around 10 goals and 25 points.

Things took a turn during the 2020-21 season, though, when Copp set what were then career highs with 15 goals and 24 assists for 39 points in 55 games.

That left fans and observers to wonder what he could do in close to a full slate of games, and he answered those questions last season with career highs across the board once again.

Another underrated part of Copp's game that teams will undoubtedly covet in free agency is his faceoff ability. He has won better than 50 percent of his draws in each of the past five seasons, including 53.2 percent last season, winning a career-high 377 faceoffs.

With Copp hitting free agency, the Rangers are light on centers who are under contract, especially those who can play in the top six. Aside from Zibanejad, the only players on the Rangers roster who played center regularly in the NHL last season are Filip Chytil and Barclay Goodrow.

Along with Copp, forwards Ryan Strome, Tyler Motte, Frank Vatrano, Greg McKegg and Kevin Rooney are all set to become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday.

If re-signing Copp isn't in the cards, other free-agent centers the Rangers could consider include Evgeni Malkin, Claude Giroux, Patrice Bergeron, Max Domi, Vincent Trocheck and Nazem Kadri, among others.

Defenseman Tony DeAngelo insisted Saturday that he is not racist after getting traded to the Philadelphia Flyers from the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday.

DeAngelo made the declaration during an interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia, while also explaining some of his past actions:

Questions regarding DeAngelo potentially being racist date back to his time in junior hockey when he was suspended twice for using "homophobic, racist, and sexist language" and abuse of officials, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

DeAngelo admitted to using a slur toward a former teammate but noted that he took sports psychology counseling classes after the fact and said he is "still friends" with the former teammate.

Philly sent Carolina a 2022 fourth-round draft pick, 2023 third-round pick and 2024 second-round pick in exchange for DeAngelo and a 2022 seventh-round pick, and it was later reported by Sportsnet that DeAngelo signed a two-year, $10 million contract with the Flyers.

Despite concerns, DeAngelo was the No. 19 overall pick in the 2014 NHL draft to the Tampa Bay Lighting, although he never played for the Bolts before getting traded to the Arizona Coyotes.

The 26-year-old DeAngelo has bounced around often during his career, going from Arizona to the New York Rangers to the Hurricanes and now the Flyers.

His inability to stick in one place has had more to do with his antics than his play, as he is one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL when focused.

DeAngelo got suspended during his one season in Arizona for shoving a referee, and his tenure with the Rangers essentially ended after he got into a locker room altercation with teammate Alexandar Georgiev.

In 2019-20, DeAngelo had a breakout season with the Rangers, racking up 15 goals and 38 assists for 53 points, as well as a plus-12 rating, all of which were career bests at the time.

DeAngelo's altercation with Georgiev limited him to six games the following season, but he signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Carolina before the 2021-22 season and delivered in a big way.

He finished with 10 goals and 41 assists for 51 points, to go along with a plus-30 rating for a Hurricanes team that reached the playoffs.

DeAngelo brings a much-needed puck-mover and power-play quarterback to the Flyers' blueline, but the question remains whether he can stay on the right track from a behavioral perspective.

Prior to the start of Day 2 of the 2022 NHL draft on Friday, the Carolina Hurricanes reportedly agreed to trade defenseman Tony DeAngelo to the Philadelphia Flyers for multiple draft picks.

According to TSN's Pierre LeBrun, the Flyers will receive DeAngelo and a seventh-round pick in exchange for second-, third- and fourth-round picks that are spread out over the next three years.

LeBrun added that DeAngelo agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract extension with the Flyers after the trade as well.

The 26-year-old is a six-year veteran who has played for the Arizona Coyotes, New York Rangers and Hurricanes.

DeAngelo was the No. 19 pick in the 2014 draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, but before ever appearing in a game for the team, he was traded to the Coyotes in 2016.

He was traded again one year later to the Rangers, and it was in New York where he fully hit his stride as a dynamic offensive defenseman.

His breakout year occurred in 2019-20 when he set career highs with 15 goals and 53 points while also posting a plus-12 rating.

After appearing in just six games for the Rangers in the 2020-21 campaign, DeAngelo was waived in the wake of getting into a locker-room altercation with goalie Alexandar Georgiev.

The Canes signed DeAngelo to a one-year, $1 million prove-it contract last summer, and it turned out to be a quality move, as the right-shot D-man bounced back with a career-high 41 assists to go with 10 goals in addition to posting a career-best plus-30 rating.

While DeAngelo has had some behavioral issues over the years, he is among the best puck-moving blueliners in the NHL, and the Flyers addressed a huge need by acquiring him.

Ivan Provorov, Rasmus Ristolainen and Travis Sanheim are two-way defensemen with perhaps a greater focus on defense, meaning DeAngelo will add some variety to the defense corps.

In the New Jersey native, the Flyers have a power-play quarterback and someone who can lead the rush at even strength, making him a significant addition for a team that went a disappointing 25-46-11 last season.

Defenseman Kris Letang and the Pittsburgh Penguins have agreed to terms on a new contract.

The Penguins announced on Thursday they have agreed to a six-year, $36.6 million deal with Letang.

The 35-year-old has played his entire 16-year NHL career with Pittsburgh, appearing in six All-Star Games and winning three Stanley Cups. He's amassed 144 goals, 506 assists and 650 points for his career.

Letang signed an eight-year, $58 million contract extension in 2013 that expired following the 2021-22 season.

It appeared his Penguins future could be in jeopardy in March, when Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported the two sides were far apart on trade talks:

"There are big gaps to bridge in the City of Bridges – particularly with Letang," he wrote.

"The two sides are far apart on terms. Sources say the ask from the Letang camp was for a five-year deal with an AAV that starts with a $7 (million). The Penguins, we’re told, are simply not willing to entertain Letang on a deal of that length."

However, negotiation obviously improved significantly, and now the Montreal native will stay in Pittsburgh with a strong chance to remain a Penguin for life.

There could have been a move by Pittsburgh's front office to retool the roster after the team's first-round playoff loss to the New York Rangers.

Instead, the Penguins' long-term commitment to Letang suggests they are more than comfortable running things back with the nucleus they had last year. It's a good group that finished third in the Metropolitan Division with 103 points.

Letang is one of just four Penguins to have played at least 16 seasons with the team, along with Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are hoping to retain unrestricted free agents Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin this summer, and it appears the franchise is inching closer to a deal for at least one of them.

Penguins general manager Ron Hextall told reporters Wednesday that he hopes a contract will be finalized soon with Letang but that he was "still working" on a deal with Malkin.

It's unclear what type of deal each player is seeking. However, The Athletic's Rob Rossi reported on 93.7 The Fan in May (via The Fan's Andrew Fillipponi) that the Penguins offered Letang and Malkin separate three-year, $15 million pacts, which did not please captain Sidney Crosby.

That said, Malkin told reporters then that he wanted to finish his career with Pittsburgh.

"I love this city and I love these fans so much," Malkin said. "If this team wants new blood and young guys and they say to me to move on, we will see. ... I believe in my agent and I trust him. I want to stay here. I want to play in the NHL. ... I hope I stay here. I hope I retire here."

Hextall echoed those remarks a week later, expressing a desire to lock up both players.

"We have had discussions very recently and will continue those. We would like to sign both players," Hextall said, "We'd like to keep Geno as a Pittsburgh Penguin for the rest of his career; Tanger is the same."

The Penguins have $21.4 million in salary-cap space, per CapFriendly, which should be enough to re-sign both players. However, they also need to re-sign restricted free agents Danton Heinen and Kasperi Kapanen in addition to unrestricted free agents Rickard Rakell and Evan Rodrigues, among others.

Malkin has spent his career with the Penguins after being selected second overall in the 2004 draft. He made his debut in 2006 and has been a staple in the lineup ever since, tallying 444 goals and 702 assists for 1,146 points in 981 games across 16 seasons.

The center has helped the Penguins win three Stanley Cups and has also won a number of individual honors, including the Ted Lindsay Award, Art Ross Trophy (twice) and Hart Memorial Trophy.

Letang has also spent his career with Pittsburgh after the franchise selected him in the third round of the 2005 draft. He made his debut in 2006 and has 144 goals and 506 assists in 941 games across 16 seasons.

The 35-year-old was also a member of Pittsburgh's championship teams and has been named an All-Star twice. He reiterated his desire to stay with the Penguins in May as well.

"I certainly [tried] to help build something good here and obviously want to keep it going," Letang told reporters.

Free agency begins at noon ET July 13. Before that, teams will be focused on the draft, which is slated to begin Thursday with the first round.

The agent for Philadelphia Flyers prospect Ivan Fedotov confirmed to the Associated Press he has been transported to a Russian military base in the northern region of the country.

Per multiple reports in Russia, Fedotov was taken into custody in St. Petersburg for allegedly evading military service, an allegation his attorney denied.

Flyers president of hockey operations Chuck Fletcher addressed the situation in a statement to CNN: "We’re aware of the reports and are investigating the situation. We have no further comment at this time."

Alexei Ponomaryev, who's representing Fedotov, said the veteran netminder began experiencing gastritis following his arrest and was moved to a hospital.

"At this moment, we can’t say exactly how things are," Ponomarev said to Russian outlet Match.TV (via CNN). "He was in the hospital, at least in fact, but for some reason he was not listed as the other patients."

Fedotov has played a starring role at the national and club levels. He helped the Russian Olympic Committee team earn a silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics and was a key contributor for CSKA Moscow as it claimed a KHL title this season. He boasted a .919 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average in the regular season.

The Flyers selected Fedotov with the 188th overall pick in the 2015 draft. In May, Philadelphia signed him to a one-year, entry-level contract to pave the way for his NHL debut.

Amid his country's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order in March to conscript 134,500 citizens into the military. The AP noted high-level athletes such as Fedotov can be afforded a special status that allows them to continue competing while they fulfill their military obligations.