Jonathan Toews Agrees to a Deal with the Winnipeg Jets As a Busy Offseason Gets Started
the NHL off season is underway where do the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers go from here we’ve got the latest signings and trades plus the NHL buyout period begins who may be headed elsewhere all this and more on today’s Locked On NHL podcast [Music] you’re Locked on NHL your daily podcast on the National Hockey League part of the Locked On podcast network your team every day welcome everybody to the Friday edition of the Locked On NHL podcast part of the Locked On Podcast Network your team every day i want to thank everyone who makes Locked on NHL your first listen every day don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss an episode today’s episode is brought to you by Game Time download the Game Time app create an account and use code locked on NHL for $20 off your first purchase i’m Gil Martin from Locked On Islanders i’m here every Friday with Rachel Donner of Locked On Flyers and uh Rachel happy Friday to you happy Friday to you too man it’s still like a little bit weird in this like aftermath of the Stanley Cup final but the draft is a week away so we’re slowly turning the corner to the off season here yeah it’s it it is an exciting time the next two three weeks going to be very busy in the hockey world and uh already here we are like just a few days after the Stanley Cup is awarded and lots of news concerning the defending Stanley Cup champions yeah so in a post Stanley Cup celebration Sam Bennett announced that he will be back with the Florida Panthers for eight years as of this recording we don’t have a dollar value on that contract but it’s expected to be in the seven and a half to 8 million range which well-earned to be honest yeah and I think that uh you know that’s I think almost double his current salary so you know that’s certainly going to eat up a significant chunk of the Panthers salary cap and you know in normal circumstances you would worry about that but they just be were back-to-back champions so you know I think Bill Zto has an idea of what he’s doing at the moment yeah one would think that Bill Zo has uh figured this out but you know the other thing that makes me worry about it a little bit less is that the cap is scheduled to go up significantly in each of the next few seasons yeah that will certainly help them you know I I think that assuming that is the salary range for Sam Bennett obviously may or maybe not obviously but you would think the next person on the list is Aaron Ecklad and figuring out what to do with his deal because you know I think that you really can only spend maybe another six to seven on Aaron Ecklad if you want to keep any of the other trade deadline acquisitions that help them win that second Stanley Cup yeah and then you’re sort of walking that line because you want to keep some of these guys but at the same time is it almost easier from a Panthers perspective to try to just acquire new guys at next year’s trade deadline if you’re missing one particular role player or ingredient into the mix uh although it is hard to make Lightning strike twice sometimes yeah or Panthers strike twice like the other team in Florida here but you know I think it is an interesting challenge for Bill Zo for sure i think that uh looking at the contribution that Brad Marshon made to this team in winning that second Stanley Cup they’re certainly not going to want to let him walk i mean I understand he’s getting older and older each year but we just saw what he did in this playoff run and I I would think he’s eager to do that again and you know keep keep it going with Florida i mean I I guess the question I would have is is he the kind of guy at this stage of his career who would stay healthy over the course of the season i don’t know but I think it’s certainly worth a gamble for sure for Florida because again just a huge contributor to the their playoff run this year and I think he provided a spark that the team needed late in the season certainly helped them be on the right footing and be kind of at their peak heading into the playoffs this year as well given that you know when he was traded he was injured right right and so he he comes back like a little bit later and just is this huge contributor i I mean I I don’t know that they are going to worry about that to be honest because I think he helps on or off the ice no question and and look let’s face it Brad Marshon is built his style of hockey is built for the playoffs he is the exact kind of player you want to add in the postseason to make your team more difficult to play against exactly and I do also wonder what they’re going to do about Nate Schmidt who was also a big part of the playoff run um you know is there room for all these guys yeah somebody I I don’t think they can keep them all so they have to figure out you know who they’re going to move on from because uh you know even with the cap going up you still got to fit everybody on it or under it initially and there’s only so many dollars to go around yeah it’s true it is true and I think that to repeat seems almost impossible but I don’t like with this team i’m not going to say that i just absolutely refuse to say that but I I do have faith in Bill Zto to be able to do what he has to do to put them in the best position to do that and then it’s up to the players and the coaches to execute yeah and and look there’s always a certain amount of good fortune whether it’s avoiding injuries or or the like but yeah I think ZTO has proven that he can position this team to maximize their chances of success and it’ll be interesting to see how he handles this off season now while the Panthers are figuring out some of their moves like Sam Bennett the Edmonton Oilers getting some word about Conor McDavid and his future are you surprised by McDavid saying he’s in no rush to deal with an extension right now not at all not at all i think like he has some soularching to do first off I think he has to look at his own performance in the Stanley Cup final and say “Was this me was this the mix of people around me like what do I have to do to win a Stanley Cup that I haven’t already done?” And I I think that it it sounds crazy to say this about ostensibly the best player in the game but there was something missing from his game in the Stanley Cup final and so if he’s trying to decide what his future looks like and where his greatest chance is of winning a Stanley Cup I think he has to have conversations with management and and say “You got to get me a goalie that’s going to be able to withstand the pressures of this level of competition because I I think that should be number one on his list.” and that in order for McDavid to resign with Edmonton like certain things have to take place besides that first in order for him to do it and and how willing do you think Oilers management will be to I mean obviously they’re going to want to keep Conor McDavid for multiple reasons on and off the ice sure but are they almost willing to make him like an assistant GM in the sense of you got to get me a goalie i mean that’s that’s a lot of power for a player to have listen and you know it’s it’s going to be a a a definite battle of wits I would say because you know the Oilers could in theory say well we’ve got ourselves a Leon Dryidle and we can build around him so like I don’t I it’s hard to think about the weather’s playing hard ball with Conor McDavid because that just seems it just seems ludicrous on its face but also like how demanding is McDavid going to be behind the scenes and you know what if he decides that his best chance of winning a cup is not staying in Edmonton is he going to be motivated by the cup money uh the desire to you know stay with this organization and win a cup with this organization even if it’s more challenging how does he approach all of this well I mean not to use another team’s name again in a metaphor but it’s it’s the devil you know versus right the devil you don’t know right so he could look at another team and say the grass is greener over there but you don’t know until you’re in it and he knows what the situation is in Edmonton and so I I think the known entity factor is going to weigh pretty heavily in his decision but I I do think he’s smart for what it’s worth to just take a beat and figure out what he wants to do with his next steps because he is absolutely in the driver’s seat here yeah no no need for him to make a decision today you know he has time on his side and uh I I get the feeling that they will work out something with Edmonton and and and McDavid but uh you never know and uh Oiler fans have to be a little bit concerned uh with this kind of uncertainty yeah I I think it’s absolutely fascinating and the pressure cooker of Edmonton next season is I think going to be escalated even more because of two losses in a row to the same team yeah yeah and uh you know that window doesn’t stay open forever especially in the age of free agency and the salary cap so how many cracks does this core have at trying to get over that last barrier to winning a Stanley Cup we shall see yeah not to mention the whole drama with Evander Kane and the loophole and what are they going to do there so lots of questions in Edmonton for the off season yeah lots of questions eventually we will get those answers lot of movement now that the season is over some trades some signings we’re going to break all of that down coming up next on today’s Locked on NHL podcast the Stanley Cup playoffs may be over but we’re now into peak summer sports season with soccer baseball the WNBA and so much more there’s never been a better time to see sports live and Game Time makes getting in the building fast and affordable game time gives you a lastminute ticket deal zone deals panoramic seat views and all-in pricing with no hidden fees plus ticket prices often drop the closer you get to the start of any particular game so you can score big without 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the game and obviously him being from the Winnipeg area it was I think most likely if he was going to return it would be to Winnipeg but there were some other teams in the mix i think the avalanche rumors were out there a little bit as well but I I just like it is it is crazy I I think to have him back in the game of course you know he has not played uh for quite some time and you know he has not I I I don’t know that he has acknowledged it specifically as long co but it is long co that he has been dealing with and so he hasn’t really been able to do what you need to do to be in the right condition to play hockey but seems like he has gotten to that point I don’t think an NHL team would officially sign him if he wasn’t there and they had done or due diligence but yeah it does make sense that it would be Winnipeg for sure it does and I guess the big question is a 37year-old player who has missed a lot of time how much can he give you but at the same time here’s a guy who has won Stanley Cups who provides leadership uh this could be an ingredient that Winnipeg needs to get over that postseason hump that they just seem to have been unable to get over so far where do they where do the Jets put him in their lineup is a big question is he at now a third liner probably i mean probably right he’s your 3C here i I just don’t see any other position for him on that team so I think they’re going to have to definitely manage his minutes very carefully to start off with because two years away like it’s going to take time i don’t care what kind of shape you’re in but it’s going to take time to get back used to the rigors of and the grind of it including the travel including everything so I think it’s going to be fascinating to see how this plays out for Winnipeg and if it’s a good gamble to take i I can’t imagine that it’s a huge financial uh deal no so it’s probably a lowrisk kind of a move by the Jets and I love the intangibles that Taves could bring yeah I I agree i I think there is a lot to that um I I do think are the intangibles still there two two years out of the game is a question i think you know he has all that experience but a lot has changed in the NHL in the last couple of years and especially since he’s been relevant to be honest and the Blackhawks were not relevant in his last year there that he did play so you know I I think he’s going to have to make a lot of adjustments in order to figure out what his place in in the game is and on this Jets team he will and uh I I’m fairly confident if his health allows that he will be able to do that just based on the player that he’s been over the years but uh interesting situation and I think a smart move by the Winnipeg Jets all things considered meanwhile the Seattle Kraken acquiring Mason Marchment from Dallas dallas gets a fourthround pick in this year’s draft and a third round pick in the 2026 draft mason Marchment 30 years old 22 goals 47 points in 62 games what do you think he gives the Seattle Kraken well the blue line has been a huge you know point of pain I think for the Kraken and I I think that anything they could do to improve it is a good thing and I think Marchman is a good start i think this is going to have to be a combination of guys like him who can shore things up while they’re building and drafting and developing from within i I think it’s a good move for them because something has got to change on that team for sure in in terms of having a a strong enough blue line yeah I I I think that would definitely be a step in the right direction for them he He’s not a star but he’s steady and he’s strong and you know we’ll see how much he can contribute to a Seattle Kraken team that is trying to get back to the playoffs uh a move by the Dallas Stars signing Matt Duchain to a four-year deal with an AAV of $4.5 million your thoughts yeah I think that’s a good deal i think it’s a good deal for the team i think it’s a good deal for Duchine i think you know Dallas is in a very precarious position right now making kind of several attempts to punch through and haven’t quite figured out how to get there but I think Duchain is the kind of guy you do want to keep around to keep trying uh I think that he is pretty steady and pretty consistent and you know has earned the right to make another run at it with this team if that’s what he wanted and that’s clearly what he decided how about the Ottawa Senators uh Fabian Zetterland signing a three-year extension good move bad move or just there no I think it’s a great move i think the Zetterland acquisition at the deadline was one of the best moves at the deadline overall considering where Ottawa is in their kind of rebuild slash growth potential here as a team you know I think that Ottawa is on on the way up and getting Zetterland like help them at the end of the season and I think you know if they’re looking to make an actual playoff run moving forward I think he could be a huge piece to to keep that momentum going yeah I think he definitely could help and and help that team take that next step uh which has been so long in coming over in Ottawa how about the Blackhawks ryan Donado staying a four-year extension $4 million a year yeah I think it’s interesting for Donado i think for him he’s kind of betting on the Blackhawks here to do the other work right because I I don’t think he needed to stay with that team but he could be a big fish in a small pond so to speak in the interim while that team is continuing to build around Connor Baddard and you know we’ll see what they do in the draft this year but I I think that there is a lot of potential on this Blackhawks team and if he wants to be a part of building it to reap the rewards in two to three years I I think that’s a good move for Donado i think so too and I I think that move can be a win-win for player and for team uh the key of course is that the Blackhawks continue to make progress feeling they’re at the point where they’re not going to be accumulating picks and prospects anymore they’re going to start to want players who can get them to that next step yeah i think after this year’s draft they’ve got to kind of turn that corner yep and it’s it’s kind of unfortunate in a bunch of ways given that next year’s draft is a little bit stronger overall and the opportunities at at number one with McKenna are huge but that being said like you’ve got Conor Bard like he is a franchise player you can build around and they’re going to have to start doing that a little bit better and develop the other prospects that they’ve already got and start giving them more opportunities yeah it’s time to take that next step if you’re the Chicago Blackhawks whether or not they’ll be able to do it remains to be seen but uh going to be an interesting year in the Windy City for the Blackhawks well more to come on today’s locked on NHL the buyout period begins today who are the most possible you know likely candidates to be bought out we’ll talk about that coming up next on today’s Lockdown NHL podcast so the NHL buyout period starts what 48 hours after the Stanley Cup is officially awarded a number of players out there with buyout possibilities let’s talk about Matt Dumba of Dallas as being a possible candidate in large part because the stars are in a bad cap situation right now yeah I think that’s you know unfortunate for them i you know we’ve talked about the you know signing of Matt Duchain already taking up some of that cap space and they will have to make some of those tough choices so you know I would think they’re going to end up buying him out but we’ll see what they ultimately decide to do and who they prioritize one player who I know a lot of Islander fans would like to see bought out but who new general manager Matthew Dar has said most likely will not be pierre Angvall uh here’s a fourthline player with a $3 million a year cap hit and a no trade clause and he has five years left on his deal uh I would buy him out if I couldn’t find a trade partner the alternative I guess is to send him to the AHL and save cap money that way but uh what do you think about Pierre Envall well I think finding a trade partner for him is going to be next to impossible given his performance this past year uh just did not make an impact on the game at all for the Islanders at least from an outside perspective obviously you’re more of an expert on that but I I think that buying him out is the only way to kind of save face here other than keeping him because you want to save face in a different kind of way right right well Lamar the man who signed him to that deal no longer the GM so that would lessen that a little bit but uh like I said Dar indicated he doesn’t anticipate using a buyout which I think may very well be a mistake how about the Toronto Maple Leafs uh David Kemp uh a possible candidate he has a $2.4 million cap hit uh but does he have like a spot in this lineup i don’t know i mean the Leafs have so many questions and obviously it feels like they’ve moved on from Marner in a lot of ways like and you know that cycle has kind of run its course we just don’t know where Marner is going to end up here but you know I I think that they are going to have to make some significant changes to this team in order to take a different kind of run at it because they’ve run it back a couple of times now to no success so what what is the alternative here except to make some additional changes and and I think that buyout could be a big part of it out in Seattle Philip Grubower making $5.9 million a year but things have not exactly gone swimmingly for him with the Kraken do you think they buy him out or can they find a trade partner not at 5.9 I wouldn’t think no they would have to retain that’s the thing and so they have to look at what they could negotiate in a salary retention versus the buyout cap hit and decide what makes sense for them i I do think the relationship is soured enough that there’s no way that he’s going to stick with the Kraken next year it’s just how the Kraken could handle it i do think Grubau is a goalie and like as we know goalies are weird right and they change from year to year you know they have challenges but they can get out of them and change of scenery can sometimes help that so I do think trading him is going to be possible but with that salary retention and so I think that a buyout is more likely given the initial cap hit but the year 2 cap hit in a buyout for the Kraken would be above 3 million and to have that kind of dead cap space allocated to a goalie is a really tough pill to swallow so if they can average it out over the next couple of years in a good trade deal where they’re retaining two that may be appealing to them even though that’s slightly higher than the buyout cap hit for like year one year two or year 1 year three and year four yeah going to be interesting to see how they handle that out in Seattle how about the Edmonton Oilers we know that Evan Bousard’s deal is going to take up a lot of cap space where does that leave Victor Arvdson is he a buyout candidate he’s absolutely a buyout candidate and I think with Victor Arvdson he is a guy that could get a job elsewhere i think pretty easily so you know I think it’s worth it for the Oilers to buy him out in order to say to keep Buchard uh and pay Buchard whatever he wants now of course we’re going to have behind the scenes GM Conor McDavid calling some of those shots I would think but I do think Victor Arbitson um could have an opportunity to play elsewhere and get you know double dip on the salary side of things so I I think it makes sense i I think it does too and the St louis Blues Matthew Joseph uh possible buyout candidate certainly did not deliver what was expected of him in his first year in St louis do you think that they keep him or is it time to cut ties yeah I think they can buy him out easily if they decide there’s no future for him there i mean again they could try and trade him and see what they get in return there but I think barring that the cap hit for the buyout is so low in the grand scheme of things you might as well just buy him out and then over in Detroit Justin Hull a possible buyout candidate i is he no longer part of the plan listen I don’t even know what the Iser plan is at this point to be honest i think there needs to be some adjustments to the Iser plan and maybe buying out hole is is a part of that but again very small cap hit uh for Detroit i I don’t think that you know they’ve made a ton of mistakes so they could probably bury this mistake in the pile so to speak and it wouldn’t be that bad it’s only a two-year cabinet for them i think they can handle it but again try and trade them if they can’t buy them out all right well we will see how all of these play out you know buyouts are a little tricky uh they’re better off as a last resort but at the same time they are at times helpful and necessary uh that’s going to do it for us today uh Rachel I know you and Erica Elala will be here tomorrow with the women’s hockey spotlight i will be back on Monday with three of our local hosts covering the biggest stories from around the NHL and uh the draft as you mentioned earlier is one week away so this is going to be a very busy time in the National Hockey League have a great weekend everybody stay safe and thanks for listening to and watching the Locked On NHL podcast
The Stanley Cup has been awarded but the offseason moves and drama is just starting to heat up. The Winnipeg Jets have reached an agreement with veteran forward Jonathan Toews on a one-year contract. Plus Sam Bennett has agreed to a new deal with the Florida Panthers and Connor McDavid is in no hurry to sign an extension with the Edmonton Oilers. We have the latest signings and trades going on around the NHL since the playoffs came to a close.
Plus, the the NHL buyout window begins Friday, we analyze some leading candidates and why they may or may not be bought out by their teams.
All this and more on today’s Locked On NHL Podcast with Rachel Donner and Gil Martin.
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