The Utah Mammoth made their position clear on Barrett Hayton: he’s staying put.
Utah officially matched the New Jersey Devils’ offer sheet for the 26-year-old center, locking him into a one-year contract worth $4.775 million. The move keeps a player who has settled into a steady role for the Mammoth, and it also prevents the club from losing a former top-five pick who has grown with the young core around him.
General manager Bill Armstrong pointed to Hayton’s value as a versatile, dependable presence at both ends of the ice. Last season, Hayton posted 25 points in 67 games, and the year before that he put together a career-best campaign.
The downside for Utah is baked into the deal. Because Hayton is on a one-year contract, the Mammoth can’t trade him for a full year.
If he reaches free agency at the end of the season, Utah won’t have the power to stop him. A player on a one-year deal can also extend after Jan.
Elsewhere in the rumor mill, the Carolina Hurricanes continue to draw attention for how aggressively they may use offer sheets. One name tied to that possibility is Detroit Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson, who is 23 and coming off his entry-level deal. Elliotte Friedman said Carolina has looked at creative ways to upgrade the roster, and offer sheets are part of that thinking.
The Hurricanes have the draft picks and cap room to make that kind of move, which is why they keep coming up in these conversations. Their own situation with Alexander Nikishin adds another layer, since his contract demands may be rising beyond what Carolina is comfortable with. That has led to speculation that Edvinsson could become an alternative target.
Colorado has also found itself in the middle of some unexpected chatter, this time involving Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Friedman said a couple of teams wondered whether the Avalanche had taken a shot at the star netminder.
“By the way, I had a couple of teams say to me they wondered if Colorado took a shot at Connor Hellebuyck,” Friedman said. “I don’t know how that could work, I don’t know what they would offer, and I’m not sure that Winnipeg would want to see that. But there were a couple of teams that were like, they kind of suspected that the Avalanche considered it.”
There’s nothing to suggest that talks got serious. Hellebuyck carries an $8.5 million cap hit, so any real pursuit would require Colorado to clear money out, and the Avalanche may not have the pieces needed to make Winnipeg listen.
In Detroit, the Dylan Larkin situation still hasn’t moved. His trade list remains limited to three teams - the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, and Florida Panthers - and the Red Wings are not lowering their asking price.
Steve Yzerman is believed to want NHL-ready talent back, not future assets, and none of the three teams on Larkin’s list has stepped forward with an offer that fits Detroit’s expectations. Financial hurdles and reluctance to move key players are complicating matters on the other side, which leaves the most likely outcome unchanged: Larkin starts the season in Detroit.
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The uncertainty around Kane also feeds into bigger questions about how Detroit wants to manage its roster from here. If he moves on, the conversation does not stop with one veteran scorer, because Alex DeBrincats place in the long-term picture could be affected as well, and the Red Wings are already trying to balance retention, depth and stability while building toward next season. For a team that needs answers, Kanes decision may end up shaping several of them. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Pressure Is Building As Edvinsson Wait Drags On
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Patrick Kane remains unsigned, Claude Giroux is reportedly staying in Ottawa, and the Flyers record offer sheet for Leo Carlsson has added another layer of noise to an already restless market. For Detroit, the Edvinsson situation is now part of a larger offseason picture that still feels unfinished, with the club waiting on several fronts before the roster starts to look settled. [Read more 🡒]