<p><em class="text-lg italic">Welcome back to NHL Notebook — the series here at <a class="text-accent" href="https://canucksarmy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CanucksArmy</a> where we deliver you news and notes from around the National Hockey League — oftentimes through a <a class="text-accent" href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Vancouver Canucks</a>-tinted lens!</em></p>
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<p>Well, today has been a wild one. Teams are making blockbuster deals with massive names involved, the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-notebook-florida-panthers-win-stanley-cup-pittsburgh-penguins-not-planning-re-sign-evgeni-malkin">defending champs</a> did what nobody thought they could do and brought back their big three free agents. Some of these big moves came within 10 minutes of each other, while others have trickled in within the last 24 hours.</p>
<p>Teams know the chaos is supposed to start tomorrow, right?</p>
<p>Let&#8217;s get into the craziness.</p>
<h2>Maple Leafs trade Mitch Marner to Golden Knights</h2>
<p>What was first rumoured on Day 2 of the NHL Draft finally came to fruition the day before free agency.</p>
<p>The Toronto Maple Leafs traded Mitch Marner to the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vegas-golden-knights-trade-solution-vancouver-canucks-blueline-problems">Vegas Golden Knights</a> in exchange for Nic Roy. Marner&#8217;s move to Vegas came with an eight-year, $96 million extension, worth an average annual value (AAV) of $12 million.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">8 X $12M for Marner <a href="https://t.co/04I4Skg2Sg">https://t.co/04I4Skg2Sg</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) <a href="https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1939791403023745215?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>It became clear that Marner was going to be testing the free agent market shortly after the Leafs&#8217; second-round exit. The Toronto native wanted to spend his entire career in a Leafs uniform, but with the constant criticism in the market about not performing in the playoffs, and management asking him to waive his no-trade clause at the trade deadline to go to the Carolina Hurricanes, likely soured the relationship to the point where Marner was ready for a change.</p>
<p>Vegas, Los Angeles, Utah, and Anaheim were suitors for the playmaking winger, as he wanted to move out to the West Coast. So, instead of losing him for nothing, the Maple Leafs managed to recoup a little bit of value out of the asset by acquiring Nic Roy for Marner&#8217;s rights.</p>
<p>Toronto have been trying to search for a third-line centre for some time. And adding the versatile Roy, who can play up and down your lineup for an asset you were likely going to lose for nothing, is a smart move at the end of the day for Brad Treliving and Co.</p>
<p>Vegas just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Before the move, the Golden Knights had $2,186,429 of available cap space. Moving Roy&#8217;s $3 million cap hit gave them $5,186,429 of cap space, but Marner&#8217;s $12 million added to the books puts them $6,813,571 over the cap. However, Alex Pietrangelo is reportedly set to have multiple surgeries this offseason, which will jeopardize the entire 2025-2026 season and potentially his career. Moving his $8.8 million to LTIR will allow Vegas to fit Marner, with $1,986,429 to spend.</p>
<p>This was a massive domino to fall in the offseason, and Vegas got it done without having to compete with the open market on July 1.</p>
<h2>Panthers re-sign Aaron Ekblad AND Brad Marchand</h2>
<p>How did they do it?</p>
<p>After re-signing Sam Bennett last week, Panthers GM Bill Zito has extended both Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand to multi-year deals to keep them in Florida. Ekblad signed an eight-year, $48.8 million contract, worth $6.1 million per year. Marchand received a six-year, $32 million deal, worth $5.33 million annually.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sounds like this is going to be around 8 x $6.1M-ish <a href="https://t.co/js2BlZ0OHh">https://t.co/js2BlZ0OHh</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) <a href="https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1939767127545634819?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Ekblad has been in Sunrise since the Panthers selected him first overall in the 2014 NHL draft. In his 732-game career, Ekblad has recorded 118 goals and 262 assists for 380 points, which is impressive, considering he is better known for his defensive acumen.</p>
<p>Despite his longevity with the organization, he was considered the odd man out of the three in terms of re-signing. However, his willingness to take a much lower cap hit than the $8 million range he could have reportedly made on the open market goes to show how badly he wanted to stay in South Florida.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Hearing Brad Marchand is closing in on a six-year extension in Florida&#8230;just under $32M is the total.</p>
<p>The Panthers pulled it off. Verrrrrrrrrrry impressive</p>
<p>&mdash; Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) <a href="https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1939793506161050071?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Marchand was acquired at the past NHL trade deadline in exchange for a conditional second-round pick, which turned into a first-round pick after the Panthers&#8217; second-round victory, with Marchand playing over 50% of the playoff games. The former Bruins captain was the missing piece on the Panthers&#8217; third line with Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell.</p>
<p>It was rumoured that Marchand could secure a contract worth upwards of $8 million over four years on the open market. Ultimately, the $32 million he will earn on this deal is the same amount of money he would have earned on the open market, just extended over six years instead of four.</p>
<p>Signing a 37-year-old to a six-year deal seems ludicrous. However, we&#8217;ve seen other teams around the league doing the same thing: the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chris Tanev, as well as the Tampa Bay Lightning, did with Yanni Gourde. They extend older players to lengthy contracts, only expecting them to play out half of the deal, and then they retire, and the money comes off the books. The owner will still pay out the money owed on the contract, but they get to keep the AAV down and make the player more affordable.</p>
<p>The Panthers had $11 million in cap space before their pair of signings. With the moves, they are now $430,000 over the cap, and will need to make a move to dump some salary to become salary cap compliant.</p>
<h2>Oilers pay Evan Bouchard</h2>
<p>The Oilers get their biggest piece of business done this offseason by extending star offensive defenceman Evan Bouchard to a four-year, $42 million deal with a $10.5 million AAV.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: The Oilers have signed Evan Bouchard to a 4-year, $10.5M AAV contract extension, per <a href="https://twitter.com/reporterchris?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@reporterchris</a> <a href="https://t.co/PfYifIuDQ5">pic.twitter.com/PfYifIuDQ5</a></p>
<p>&mdash; TSN (@TSN_Sports) <a href="https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1939784562449817638?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Bouchard has been a perfect fit on the Oilers&#8217; blueline, becoming one of the most lethal power play quarterbacks in the league. He has scored 32 goals and 149 points over his last two seasons, earning him a massive raise off his $3.9 million AAV two-year bridge deal.</p>
<p>The Oilers had to shed some cap in order to extend their 25-year-old defenceman. They moved <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-trading-edmonton-oilers-forward-evander-kane">Evander Kane and his $5.125 million to the Canucks</a> early last week, but still have some work to do. Viktor Arvidsson is willing to help the Oilers make some room to facilitate a trade of him and his $4 million cap hit.</p>
<p>But there is more work to be done in Edmonton. They&#8217;ve expressed interest in retaining Corey Perry, but also need to upgrade their goaltending room. However, with just $550,834 remaining in cap space, more than just Arvidsson will have to move to make that happen.</p>
<h2>Other moves around the NHL</h2>
<ul>
<li>Columbus extends Ivan Provorov to an eight-year, $59.5 million extension ($8.5 million AAV)</li>
<li>Los Angeles extends Andrei Kuzmenko to a one-year $4.3 million extension</li>
<li>Toronto extends Matthew Knies to a six-year, $46.5 million extension ($7.75 million AAV)</li>
<li>Utah trades Mattias Maccelli to Toronto for a 2027 conditional third-round pick</li>
<li>Boston extends Morgan Geekie to a six-year, $33 million extension ($5.5 million AAV)</li>
<li>Vegas trades Nic Hague and a 2027 conditional third-round pick to Nashville for Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons; Hague signs a four-year $22 million extension with the Predators ($5.5 million AAV)</li>
<li>New York (I) extends Alexander Romanov to an eight-year $50 million extension ($6.25 million AAV)</li>
<li>Detroit trades Vladimir Tarasenko to Minnesota for future considerations</li>
</ul>
<p>What do you think, Canucks fans? What are your thoughts on all the trades and re-signings ahead of free agency? Let us know in the comments below!</p>
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<em class="text-lg italic">Welcome back to NHL Notebook — the series here at <a class="text-accent" href="https://canucksarmy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CanucksArmy</a> where we deliver you news and notes from around the National Hockey League — oftentimes through a <a class="text-accent" href="https://canucksarmy.com/combinations" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Vancouver Canucks</a>-tinted lens!</em>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2111" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="329"></div>
&nbsp;

Well, today has been a wild one. Teams are making blockbuster deals with massive names involved, the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/nhl-notebook-florida-panthers-win-stanley-cup-pittsburgh-penguins-not-planning-re-sign-evgeni-malkin">defending champs</a> did what nobody thought they could do and brought back their big three free agents. Some of these big moves came within 10 minutes of each other, while others have trickled in within the last 24 hours.

Teams know the chaos is supposed to start tomorrow, right?

Let's get into the craziness.
<h2>Maple Leafs trade Mitch Marner to Golden Knights</h2>
What was first rumoured on Day 2 of the NHL Draft finally came to fruition the day before free agency.

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded Mitch Marner to the <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vegas-golden-knights-trade-solution-vancouver-canucks-blueline-problems">Vegas Golden Knights</a> in exchange for Nic Roy. Marner's move to Vegas came with an eight-year, $96 million extension, worth an average annual value (AAV) of $12 million.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1939791403023745215

It became clear that Marner was going to be testing the free agent market shortly after the Leafs' second-round exit. The Toronto native wanted to spend his entire career in a Leafs uniform, but with the constant criticism in the market about not performing in the playoffs, and management asking him to waive his no-trade clause at the trade deadline to go to the Carolina Hurricanes, likely soured the relationship to the point where Marner was ready for a change.

Vegas, Los Angeles, Utah, and Anaheim were suitors for the playmaking winger, as he wanted to move out to the West Coast. So, instead of losing him for nothing, the Maple Leafs managed to recoup a little bit of value out of the asset by acquiring Nic Roy for Marner's rights.

Toronto have been trying to search for a third-line centre for some time. And adding the versatile Roy, who can play up and down your lineup for an asset you were likely going to lose for nothing, is a smart move at the end of the day for Brad Treliving and Co.

Vegas just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Before the move, the Golden Knights had $2,186,429 of available cap space. Moving Roy's $3 million cap hit gave them $5,186,429 of cap space, but Marner's $12 million added to the books puts them $6,813,571 over the cap. However, Alex Pietrangelo is reportedly set to have multiple surgeries this offseason, which will jeopardize the entire 2025-2026 season and potentially his career. Moving his $8.8 million to LTIR will allow Vegas to fit Marner, with $1,986,429 to spend.

This was a massive domino to fall in the offseason, and Vegas got it done without having to compete with the open market on July 1.
<h2>Panthers re-sign Aaron Ekblad AND Brad Marchand</h2>
How did they do it?

After re-signing Sam Bennett last week, Panthers GM Bill Zito has extended both Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand to multi-year deals to keep them in Florida. Ekblad signed an eight-year, $48.8 million contract, worth $6.1 million per year. Marchand received a six-year, $32 million deal, worth $5.33 million annually.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1939767127545634819

Ekblad has been in Sunrise since the Panthers selected him first overall in the 2014 NHL draft. In his 732-game career, Ekblad has recorded 118 goals and 262 assists for 380 points, which is impressive, considering he is better known for his defensive acumen.

Despite his longevity with the organization, he was considered the odd man out of the three in terms of re-signing. However, his willingness to take a much lower cap hit than the $8 million range he could have reportedly made on the open market goes to show how badly he wanted to stay in South Florida.

https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1939793506161050071

Marchand was acquired at the past NHL trade deadline in exchange for a conditional second-round pick, which turned into a first-round pick after the Panthers' second-round victory, with Marchand playing over 50% of the playoff games. The former Bruins captain was the missing piece on the Panthers' third line with Eetu Luostarinen and Anton Lundell.

It was rumoured that Marchand could secure a contract worth upwards of $8 million over four years on the open market. Ultimately, the $32 million he will earn on this deal is the same amount of money he would have earned on the open market, just extended over six years instead of four.

Signing a 37-year-old to a six-year deal seems ludicrous. However, we've seen other teams around the league doing the same thing: the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chris Tanev, as well as the Tampa Bay Lightning, did with Yanni Gourde. They extend older players to lengthy contracts, only expecting them to play out half of the deal, and then they retire, and the money comes off the books. The owner will still pay out the money owed on the contract, but they get to keep the AAV down and make the player more affordable.

The Panthers had $11 million in cap space before their pair of signings. With the moves, they are now $430,000 over the cap, and will need to make a move to dump some salary to become salary cap compliant.
<h2>Oilers pay Evan Bouchard</h2>
The Oilers get their biggest piece of business done this offseason by extending star offensive defenceman Evan Bouchard to a four-year, $42 million deal with a $10.5 million AAV.

https://twitter.com/TSN_Sports/status/1939784562449817638

Bouchard has been a perfect fit on the Oilers' blueline, becoming one of the most lethal power play quarterbacks in the league. He has scored 32 goals and 149 points over his last two seasons, earning him a massive raise off his $3.9 million AAV two-year bridge deal.

The Oilers had to shed some cap in order to extend their 25-year-old defenceman. They moved <a href="https://canucksarmy.com/news/vancouver-canucks-trading-edmonton-oilers-forward-evander-kane">Evander Kane and his $5.125 million to the Canucks</a> early last week, but still have some work to do. Viktor Arvidsson is willing to help the Oilers make some room to facilitate a trade of him and his $4 million cap hit.

But there is more work to be done in Edmonton. They've expressed interest in retaining Corey Perry, but also need to upgrade their goaltending room. However, with just $550,834 remaining in cap space, more than just Arvidsson will have to move to make that happen.
<h2>Other moves around the NHL</h2>
<ul>
 	<li>Columbus extends Ivan Provorov to an eight-year, $59.5 million extension ($8.5 million AAV)</li>
 	<li>Los Angeles extends Andrei Kuzmenko to a one-year $4.3 million extension</li>
 	<li>Toronto extends Matthew Knies to a six-year, $46.5 million extension ($7.75 million AAV)</li>
 	<li>Utah trades Mattias Maccelli to Toronto for a 2027 conditional third-round pick</li>
 	<li>Boston extends Morgan Geekie to a six-year, $33 million extension ($5.5 million AAV)</li>
 	<li>Vegas trades Nic Hague and a 2027 conditional third-round pick to Nashville for Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons; Hague signs a four-year $22 million extension with the Predators ($5.5 million AAV)</li>
 	<li>New York (I) extends Alexander Romanov to an eight-year $50 million extension ($6.25 million AAV)</li>
 	<li>Detroit trades Vladimir Tarasenko to Minnesota for future considerations</li>
</ul>
What do you think, Canucks fans? What are your thoughts on all the trades and re-signings ahead of free agency? Let us know in the comments below!

<strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong>
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