The Oilers have traded Ryan McLeod and Tyler Tullio to the Sabres for Matt Savoie. McLeod looked good as a bottom-6 forward for the Oilers during the playoffs, but Savoie seems like a lot for the Sabres to give up for the return of McLeod and mid-level prospect Tullio. Savoie was the Sabres’ first-round pick (9e overall) in 2022, who was coming off a 71-point season in just 34 games in the WHL. That’s two points per game! According to the Prospects Report, only nine players have scored at least two points per game in the Dub over the past 25 years.
Perhaps the Sabres are thinking short-term and like the element McLeod adds to their lineup. Trades take time to play out, and we sometimes forget that prospect success is never guaranteed. But at this point, it’s hard not to think the Oilers won this deal. It’s been a tough offseason for Sabres fans, as their biggest acquisition has been Jason Zucker after he freed up a ton of cap space with the Jeff Skinner buyout. For more on Savoie, check out his Dobber Prospects profile.
The Sabres also extended Henri Jokiharju, giving him a one-year, $3.1 million contract. Jokiharju will play in 74 games in 2023-24 and record 20 points. He doesn’t carry much fantasy value from a scoring or multi-category perspective.
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The Kraken have re-signed RFA Eeli Tolvanen to a two-year extension with an AAV of $3.475 million. Tolvanen is starting to deliver on some of the promise that made him a late first-round pick in 2017, finishing 2023-24 with a career-high 41 points (16 G – 25 A) in 81 games. Tolvanen is also a factor in bangers leagues, as he finished second on the Kraken with 210 hits.
The Kraken also signed first-round pick Berkly Catton to a three-year, entry-level contract. Catton was the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft.
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First-round pick Zayne Parekh also signed a three-year contract with the Flames, as did Matvei Gridin and Etienne Morin.
Other players who secured their ELCs in the first round include Terik Parascak (Washington) and Beckett Sennecke (Anaheim).
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Here is the list of players who have filed for arbitration:
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This week – Monday, July 1st in particular – has been extremely busy with signings, trades and other news. You can read all the fantasy implications of the big trades on the Fantasy Take – Latest NHL Moves page.
The goalie market on July 1st wasn’t as significant compared to other positions. Generally, teams have a plan in net for the upcoming season. Jacob Markstrom and Linus Ullmark were the biggest names on the block, and both were traded before the playoffs ended. That doesn’t mean there were no goalie contracts, though. Many goalies signed contracts on July 1st and even the days after.
With the flood of signings that normally occur on July 1st, we simply didn’t have time to analyze goalie situations that day. I’ll be discussing a few goalies who traded teams, but not goalies who re-signed with their current team (e.g. Juuse Saros, Joseph Woll). I’ll also focus on goalies with the highest cap hit and/or goalies who will be shouldering the heaviest workload.
Ilya Samsonov to Vegas (1 year, $1.8 million cap hit)
Samsonov failed to cash in after signing a one-year “prove it” deal with the Leafs last summer. He’ll get another shot at a bigger, multi-year deal by signing a one-year deal with the Golden Knights. The Knights also acquired Akira Schmid while trading Logan Thompson. Schmid is expected to become the third goalie to start the season in the AHL.
Adin Hill is the much higher-paid goalie ($4.9 million cap hit) with the Stanley Cup ring, so he’s still likely the opening night starter. Hill has had his share of injuries and has never played more than 35 games in a season (that was in 2023-24), so Samsonov should get more than the odd start outside of back-to-backs. He could thrive in a less stressful environment than he encountered in Toronto. The question remains whether he’s the Samsonov of his first season in Toronto (2.33 GAA, .919 SV%, 17.66 GSAA) or his second season in Toronto (3.13 GAA, .890 SV%, -14.56 GSAA).
Laurent Brossoit to Chicago (2 years, $3.3 million salary cap)
Yes, you read that right about the cap hit. Lifetime backup Brossoit was signed to a contract with an AAV of $3.3 million. But it seems like he earned it. Brossoit has posted a .927 SV% in two consecutive seasons and had a 2.00 GAA as Connor Hellebuyck’s backup in Winnipeg last season. Brossoit also earned 16 quality starts with only two truly bad starts for the Jets.
The Blackhawks could have a decent goaltending setup this coming season. Petr Mrazek is likely still the starter after playing in 56 games and making 29 quality starts instead of seven really bad starts. Brossoit was likely signed so that Mrazek could rest more, as Arvid Soderblom was not up to the task last season (3.89 GAA, .880 SV%) and is likely headed to the AHL. Brossoit will likely lose value with the move to Chicago, but that should be partially offset by the increase in volume he would receive. Expect him to surpass his career high of 24 games.
Anthony Stolarz to Toronto (2 years, $2.5 million salary cap)
In this particular scenario, it’s worth noting that Woll just signed a three-year extension with a $3.66 million cap hit. This extension goes into effect next season, with Woll making $775,000 for the upcoming season.
By signing Woll to another four years, the Leafs have locked him in as their starter or a timeshare option. Injuries have been a problem for the 25-year-old Woll, as has a lack of track record at the NHL level. Woll has never played more than 25 games in a season.
Stolarz is older (30), but he himself has never played more than 28 games in a season as a career reserve until now. His numbers with Florida (2.03 GAA, .925 SV%) in 27 games were excellent, but questions remain about how he would handle a larger workload if Woll were injured or simply not up to the task.
I was also a little surprised to hear that the Leafs also gave Matt Murray a one-year, $875,000 contract. His injury problems are well-documented, as he sat out the NHL last season after undergoing hip surgery. He’s really an unknown quantity at this point, although the fact that he’s signed could indicate good health.
Cam Talbot to Detroit (2 years, $2.5 million salary cap)
Detroit’s goaltending situation is confusing and, dare I say, a mess to avoid unless more news comes along. In addition to signing Talbot, the Red Wings also have Ville Husso and Alex Lyon under contract for another season. Not only that, they also picked up recently acquired Jack Campbell (1 year, $775,000) from the scrap pile as a potential recapture project. Add to that Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine, who are solid prospects but don’t seem likely to make it anywhere near the NHL this season. Cossa in particular illustrates why even top goaltenders take a long time to materialize.
If I had to guess, I’d say Talbot is the opening night starter. Husso was sidelined for much of 2023-24 with a lower-body injury, and I’m not sure he’ll be fully healthy to start the season. Husso was also about as likely to be tagged with a really bad start than a good start when he was in the lineup. Lyon has shown flashes of brilliance in recent seasons, but his play has gone downhill late in the season. The Wings need to improve their goaltending, and Talbot seems like a solid choice when you factor in his experience and relatively affordable cap hit.
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Don’t forget the Fantasy Hockey Guide, which will be available on July 29. Everything you learned and loved about the guide is included again this season – it’s 19e year. Order yours today!
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