July 1 always brings a rush of NHL free agency noise, but the real money moves can start before anyone hits the open market. That’s the date players with one year left on their deals become eligible for extensions, and this summer’s class is loaded with names that can reshape the league’s salary picture.
At the top of the board is Cale Makar. The Colorado Avalanche defenseman is coming off what the source calls a “down year,” yet he still finished with 79 points and remains one of the most dangerous blueliners in hockey.
His six-year deal, which carried a $9 million cap hit, is nearing its end, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic has reported that Makar could wind up as the highest-paid player in the NHL, topping Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov and his $17-million average annual value. That’s the kind of number reserved for a player who already owns a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and two Norris Trophies.
Quinn Hughes belongs in that same financial neighborhood. The Minnesota Wild defenseman is described as one of the most talented and dynamic skaters in the league, and his arrival pushed the Wild into Stanley Cup contender territory.
To keep that window open, GM Bill Guerin is going to have to pay up. Hughes is finishing a six-year contract with a $7.85 million cap hit, and the expectation is that his next deal will put him among the NHL’s highest-paid players, especially for a defenseman who can log massive ice time and still pile up 90 points from the back end.
The star power doesn’t stop there. Nikita Kucherov, fresh off a Hart Trophy season as the NHL’s MVP, is also extension-eligible.
The Tampa Bay Lightning winger is nearing the end of an eight-year contract that paid him $9.5 million per season, and at 33, he’s positioned for a raise. He just posted his sixth 100-point season, finishing with 130 points and matching his career high with 44 goals.
Then there’s Sidney Crosby, still one of the biggest names in the sport and still producing at a high level. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain signed a two-year extension in September 2024 at his symbolic $8.7 million per season, and now he can add more years if he wants. Crosby played 68 games this past season and put up 29 goals and 74 points at age 38.
Macklin Celebrini rounds out the group, and while he may not have the same contractual urgency as the others, he’s already in the conversation because of how quickly his star has risen. The San Jose Sharks center is coming off a 115-point regular season in his sophomore campaign, and the source says it would be no surprise if he becomes the best player in the NHL next season.
He’ll be an RFA as of July 1, so San Jose still has control, which is why he lands fifth here. His entry-level deal runs through 2027, and he can sign his first standard NHL contract this summer if the Sharks choose to move early.
In Other News...
Wild Just Dropped An Unexpected Winger Into Devils' Conversation
The Devils have already spent part of the offseason sorting their own restricted free-agent business, choosing not to tender qualifying offers to Paul Cotter, Calen Addison, Tyler Brennan and Dylan Wendt while keeping control of names such as Arseny Gritsyuk and Nico Daws. Those roster decisions helped clarify where New Jersey stands heading into the next phase of the summer, with the club still balancing depth moves against the need to preserve flexibility for bigger additions.
Now another name has entered the broader conversation, and it is one that should register for a Devils team still looking at ways to add scoring help without overcommitting. Bobby Brink was a surprising omission from Minnesotas qualifying-offer list, and the winger is expected to chase a deal above the amount he would have received, which could make him an interesting fit for teams hunting value on the market. Whether New Jersey treats that as a real opportunity or simply another name to monitor will become clearer as the market opens up. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Just Made A Goalie Move That Changes Everything
The Panthers are moving quickly in goal, and Jacob Markstrom is back in the middle of it. Florida is reportedly close to bringing in the Devils netminder after recently adding Akira Schmid, a sequence that underscores how aggressively the organization is trying to reshape its crease before the market tightens. For New Jersey, the deal would open up another important roster decision, while Florida would be betting on a veteran goalie with a familiar connection to the franchise.
Markstrom also comes with the kind of contract detail that matters in a deal like this, since no salary retention is involved. That makes the move cleaner for Florida on the books and signals just how serious the Panthers are about committing to this reset in net. The ripple effects could still reach well beyond the trade itself, especially with the goaltending market moving fast and other dominoes expected to follow. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Development Camp Is Underway With One Prospect Drawing Attention
Development camp is underway at RWJBarnabas Health Hockey House, and the Devils are using the late-June session to give a fresh group of prospects a first taste of the organizations day-to-day standards. The annual program runs through July 1 at Prudential Center, with on-ice sessions set for June 30 and July 1, and this weeks work has centered on conditioning, skills and tempo drills for draft picks from the 2025 and 2026 classes.
Among the most watched names is first-rounder Alexander Command, who is taking part in off-ice work while the rest of the group goes through the ice portion of camp. The early focus is less about headlines than habits, but the Devils also built in a community stop after the workouts, sending the prospects to a local hospital as part of the clubs outreach around camp. [Read more 🡒]