The Dallas Stars got their captain back, and the wait didn’t drag on nearly as long as it seemed it might. Jamie Benn is returning on a one-year deal worth $850,000 after a brief stretch of uncertainty around his future when free agency opened. Dallas had made it clear it wanted him back, but the club also gave him room to step away and sort through things after another painful playoff exit.
Stars GM Jim Nill said the organization was willing to let Benn take his time, explaining, “…he just needs to sit down and be a good father and a good husband right now and just chill a little bit, and that’s what he wants to do. So I’m gonna give him some time.”
It took two days.
Now Benn is back in Dallas, though the question hanging over this return is obvious: could this be his last go-round? He’ll be 37 when the season begins.
The Edmonton Oilers’ Darnell Nurse situation also came with a twist. The eventual trade to the San Jose Sharks apparently wasn’t the only path on the table.
According to insider David Pagnotta, Edmonton had a deal lined up with the Boston Bruins before it fell apart. Bruins insider Jimmy Murphy later said Nikita Zadorov was part of that package.
That deal never got across the finish line because Zadorov did not waive his no-trade clause. Once that door closed, Edmonton moved fast and completed the San Jose deal instead.
The Bruins idea at least fit on paper, since Nurse and Zadorov both had four years left on their contracts. Zadorov’s cap hit was $4.25 million lower.
After that, the Oilers kept working. They added Ryan Shea, then brought in Mathieu Joseph and Frederik Andersen. Edmonton also signed Kasperi Kapanen and Max Jones to new deals.
In Chicago, the early offseason brought a scare involving Connor Bedard. He left an informal skate in Vancouver early after an awkward fall, and the visual immediately set off alarm bells. Bedard appeared to hurt his left shoulder.
There is some reason for relief, though. The shoulder involved is the opposite one from the dislocation he dealt with last season, so this does not appear to be a repeat of that problem.
Even so, the full extent of the injury is still unclear, and because the skate was not an official team event, updates may not come quickly. Bedard’s agent said more information should be available in the coming days.
The timing only adds to the attention around it, since Bedard is still working on a long-term extension with the Blackhawks.
Montreal, meanwhile, kept moving ahead with its own business by locking up Jakub Dobes on a three-year extension worth $5.4 million annually. The deal does not kick in until the 2027-28 season, but it gives the Canadiens control over two of Dobes’ unrestricted free agent years and secures part of his prime.
It’s a smart bet from GM Kent Hughes, especially with Dobes coming off a breakout season but still carrying some uncertainty as a full-time NHL starter. If he turns into a high-end goalie, Montreal gets cost certainty at a premium position. If he doesn’t, the commitment stays manageable.
Dobes clearly likes the direction the team is heading. Speaking about the Canadiens’ core, he said, “I feel like we have a good group and everyone wants to win, which is really important to get the deals done and keep the guys together,” and added, “I’m just excited that everyone is on the same page.
We want to do what’s best for us and for us as a group. I’m excited; I feel like we have a lot of potential to, in the next couple of years, get something exciting done.”
In Other News...
Canadiens New Defense Prospect Is Already Raising Eyebrows Inside The Organization
Timofei Runtso arrived in Montreal with the kind of profile that can make a draft room lean in a little closer. Taken 57th overall by the Canadiens, the defense prospect has already started settling into the organizations Russian pipeline, a useful early step for any young player trying to find his footing in a new market. He also comes with a clear sense of identity on the ice, with a style he wants to model after one of the more recognizable names to wear that position in recent years.
For Montreal, that matters because Runtso is not just another late-round flyer hoping to blend in and wait his turn. He has a background in the NAHL and has already shown he can adapt to a different level and a different environment, which is part of what makes him intriguing inside the organization. The next question is how quickly that comfort off the ice turns into traction on it, especially as he begins building relationships with teammates and carving out his place in a crowded development picture. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Anderson Honors Brendan Gallagher As Canadiens Lose A True Heartbeat
Brendan Gallaghers exit has left more than a roster spot behind in Montreal. Josh Anderson, whose own game has long been built on the same kind of straight-ahead competitiveness, made clear how much Gallagher meant to the Canadiens and to the city, praising the edge and persistence that defined his teammates time here. For a team that has leaned on veteran voices as much as on production, the loss of a player like Gallagher is felt in the room as much as on the ice.
Andersons comments also land at a moment when Montreal is sorting out its next layer of leadership. With Gallagher gone, the Canadiens may need to look within for another alternate captain alongside Nick Suzuki, and Anderson is at least part of that conversation by reputation and presence. He is one of the players who can speak to what Gallagher brought every night, which is why his tribute carried extra weight for a locker room trying to absorb a familiar heartbeat being taken away. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Linked To A Veteran Winger Fans Will Instantly Debate
A veteran winger is already popping up in early offseason chatter around Montreal, and the appeal is easy to understand. Marc-Olivier Beaudoin floated the idea of a low-risk addition for the 2026 summer, pointing to a player with size, proven scoring touch and enough experience to help stabilize a young forward group without forcing the Canadiens into a long commitment.
The discussion gets more interesting because of the potential fit with Ivan Demidov, a pairing that would give Montreal a mix of youth and polish on the wing. Beaudoin framed it as the kind of short-term move that could make sense if the price stays reasonable, but for now it remains nothing more than speculation, the sort of idea that will draw plenty of debate long before the Canadiens have to make any real decision. [Read more 🡒]