NHL Rumor Roundup: The Latest On Igor Shesterkin, Mitch Marner And Mikko Rantanen.
Sidney Crosby signing a two-year contract extension on Monday with the Pittsburgh Penguins removes another notable name from the NHL’s UFA class of 2025. Last month, the Edmonton Oilers signed Leon Drasaitl to an eight-year deal with a league-leading average annual value of $14 million starting on July 1, 2025. Several noteworthy NHL players remain slated to become UFAs next summer. They include New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin, Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner and Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen. Shesterkin, 28, is in the final season of a four-year contract with an average annual value of about $5.67 million. ESPN’s
Casey Ditzel reported on Sept. 11 the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner seeks a $12-million cap hit. That would make him the NHL’s highest-paid goaltender, eclipsing Montreal’s Carey Price ($10.5 million). On Tuesday, The Hockey News’ Remy Mastey cited Rangers GM Chris Drury telling reporters he remains hopeful of keeping Shesterkin and winger Alexis Lafreniere around for a long time. However, he didn’t elaborate on the status of contract talks with those two. Marner, meanwhile, was the subject of trade speculation following the Leafs’ early exit from last spring’s playoffs. That chatter died away as it became apparent the 27-year-old winger wouldn’t be moved,
in part because of his full no-movement clause in his contract. His $10.9-million cap hit is another sticking point if the Leafs attempted to trade him. The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel wondered what mood Marner would be in when he showed up for training camp this week following a summer of speculation and scrutiny over his future. Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Starbelieves the Leafs must re-sign Marner or “craft the perfect trade for a player who doesn’t want to leave and doesn’t appreciate not being appreciated.” As for Rantanen, The Denver Post’s Corey Masisak put the 27-year-old right winger’s contract status atop his list of 10 questions facing the Avalanche as training camp begins. He wonders if the two sides will get a deal done before training camp or if discussions
will continue during the season. Rantanen carries a $9.25-million cap hit this season as he enters the final season of his six-year contract. Masisak believes re-signing the talented Finnish forward is a must if the Avalanche are to keep their Stanley Cup window open. Like Shesterkin and Marner, he’s in line for a substantial raise on his next contract.
