The Manitoba Moose, AHL affiliates of the Winnipeg Jets, signed veteran defenseman Dysin Mayo to a two-year AHL contract. As is customary for AHL contracts, the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. This is the first time in Mayo’s professional career, which spans over a decade, that he has not played on an NHL contract. Mayo’s previous contract, signed July 16, 2025, was a one-year, two-way pact containing a $350K guarantee. After a strong season that saw him earn his first NHL call-up in two years and score 29 points in 59 games, it’s unlikely he has taken much of a pay cut from his salary last season.

In fact, it’s entirely possible that Mayo has received a pay raise from the $350K guarantee he earned last season, as Mayo’s willingness to sign an AHL contract (and therefore not occupy an NHL contract slot) has some inherent value. Mayo will join a Moose blueline that was one of the AHL’s better units in 2025-26. Across the club’s 72-game regular-season schedule, they surrendered just 216 goals, which ranked top-10 in the league. Mayo brings nearly 500 games of AHL experience to the table alongside 85 career games played in the NHL. His signing is likely to boost the team’s efforts to repeat such a performance next season.

Other player movement from around the hockey world:

The Tucson Roadrunners, AHL affiliates of the Utah Mammoth, have re-signed forward Sammy Walker to a one-year AHL contract. Walker has been with Tucson since a February 2025 trade sent him there from the Minnesota Wild. A former NCAA star from his days captaining the Minnesota Golden Gophers, Walker has been a strong AHL scorer who has not been able to translate his productivity from the minor leagues and collegiate level to the NHL. Walker is a former AHL All-Star with career-highs of 27 goals and 48 points, but has just two points in 13 career NHL games. With a new contract in hand, Walker will look to build on his performance from his first full campaign in Arizona, one where he scored 12 goals and 28 points in 57 games.
Despite reaching an agreement on a one-year contract extension in late May, Barys Astana of the KHL and defenseman Reilly Walsh have agreed on a contract termination at the player’s request. The agreement makes Walsh a free agent, opening the door to a potential return to the North American pro ranks. The 27-year-old defenseman was a productive offensive defenseman in the AHL, with 159 points in 304 career games played. That is a 38-point 72-game scoring pace. While there has been no firm indication that Walsh is set to return to North America, it should be noted that due to the nature of Walsh’s release, Astana has retained his KHL rights. That means Walsh is headed for another league – and while others in Europe are possibilities, he does have a strong enough resume to suggest an AHL return is possible. Walsh helped his case with his one year in the KHL, ranking fourth in league scoring by a defenseman with 46 points in 68 games.