August is here, and the NHL calendar still has that strange, quiet stretch before the games start back up. Even so, there’s no shortage of movement around the league, with the Sharks and Penguins both locking in depth pieces for the long haul.
San Jose took care of one of its rising forwards by signing Collin Graf to a three-year, $12.75 million contract. Graf arrived as an undrafted free agent in 2024 after his college career at Quinnipiac ended, and he rewarded the Sharks with a breakout year. In 81 games last season, he put up 21 goals and 46 points.
Pittsburgh also made a commitment up front, agreeing to a three-year extension with Tommy Noval worth $13.95 million. His $4.64 million AAV won’t begin until the 2027-28 season.
Noval, 29, produced 16 goals and 42 points in his first full season with the Penguins. He was brought in from the Nashville Predators alongside Luke Schenn in a 2025 trade deadline deal that sent Michael Bunting the other way.
There was also a bit of goaltending news on the international side. Former NHL netminder Louis Dominque has signed with Italy’s HC Bolzano of the ICEHL.
Dominque, 34, was a fifth-round pick of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2010 and finished his NHL career with a 61-60-10 record, a .906 save percentage, a 3.01 goals-against average, and two shutouts. Over 10 NHL seasons, he appeared in 144 games for the Coyotes, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Penguins, and New York Rangers.
One of the more memorable details from his career still stands out: he’s best remembered for revealing that he ate spicy pork and broccoli between overtime periods when he came in to relieve an injured Casey DeSmith in a triple overtime playoff win over the Rangers.
For the Blackhawks, the date carries its own reminders. March 17, 1991, marked the infamous St.
Patrick’s Day Massacre in the heated rivalry with the St. Louis Blues, a night that took that feud to another level.
There’s also a look back to Aug. 1, 2020, when Chicago opened its Qualifying Round series against the Edmonton Oilers. That was the first game action after the NHL paused play on March 11, 2020, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Blackhawks absorbed an early Connor McDavid power-play goal, then flipped the game before the first intermission with four straight scores - two from Jonathan Toews, plus goals from Dylan Strome and Brandon Saad. Dominik Kubalik added two second-period goals after piling up three assists in the first, finishing his first career Stanley Cup Playoff game with five points.
Edmonton got two late goals, but Chicago held on for a 6-4 win.
And for the birthday roll call on Aug. 1: Harold Jackson, Enio Sclisizzi, Dan Vincelette, and Danny Richmond.
In Other News...
Connor Bedard Injury Leaves Blackhawks Facing An Early Season Problem
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The organization is expecting a full recovery, which offers some reassurance, but the immediate challenge is clear: Chicago has to find a way to hold the line until its franchise star is ready to go again. Bedards absence reshapes the early months of the season and puts extra pressure on the players around him to keep the Blackhawks in range until he can rejoin the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Patrick Kane's Return Has Blackhawks Fans Dreaming Bigger Again
Patrick Kane is back in Chicago, and for a fan base that has spent the last few seasons waiting for a true jolt of optimism, the reunion gives the rebuild a much different feel. After stops with the Rangers and Red Wings, Kane has signed a two-year deal to return to the Blackhawks, where the conversation immediately turns to how his presence can help shape the next phase around Connor Bedard and the teams young core.
The excitement has spread beyond the locker room, too, with Matthew and Brady Tkachuk both sounding encouraged by the possibility of Kane linking up with Bedard. It is easy to see why that idea has so much appeal: a veteran star who knows the pressures of Chicago, a franchise centerpiece still early in his career, and a roster trying to move from promising to dangerous. For the Blackhawks, Kanes return is about more than nostalgia, because it puts a real spotlight on what this group might become. [Read more 🡒]