There’s no shortage of contract chatter hanging over the NHL right now, and September 4, 2026 brought a little of everything: Vancouver making a long-view bet on a young blue liner, Ottawa cooling on a proven scorer in free agency, and a trade framework that would send Jonathan Huberdeau to Edmonton if both teams were willing to stare straight at the numbers.
Vancouver’s move with Zeev Buium is the clearest statement of the bunch. The Canucks handed the defenceman an eight-year deal worth $9.38 million per season, and the logic is pretty straightforward: if you’re a rebuilding team, this is the kind of swing you’re supposed to take.
Buium was the centerpiece in the Quinn Hughes trade, so Vancouver needed more than a useful piece. They needed a player who could grow into a foundation.
By the time this contract expires, he’ll still be just 29, which means the Canucks are buying straight through his prime years.
The price tag lines up with the upside, too. Buium was a top-12 pick, posted strong college numbers, and showed some encouraging flashes on a Vancouver roster that struggled last season.
That’s enough to justify paying for the possibility that he develops into a top-pair defenceman. And the way Vancouver is set up right now, the deal doesn’t carry the kind of immediate pressure that can turn a long-term bet into a trap.
The team has cap space, doesn’t need him to arrive fully formed, and gets several years to let him become what they’re paying for.
Ottawa, meanwhile, appears to have stepped back from Patrik Laine. He’s still a proven 20-goal scorer, but according to Bruce Garrioch, the Senators’ interest has gone quiet enough that their chances of landing him have basically disappeared. Steve Staios did speak with Laine’s camp about a contract, but Ottawa seems to be leaning toward Andre Burakovsky finding his game again rather than adding a bonus-heavy deal for Laine.
The market around Laine has also narrowed for a different reason. Toronto is no longer in play after reaching 50 contracts with the signing of Brendan Brisson.
That leaves Florida, Tampa and Dallas as the teams reportedly still involved, with the possibility of a late surprise entrant still hanging out there. Edmonton’s GM has even suggested that a PTO signing might not be the worst route given how many decent names remain unsigned.
Laine isn’t the only one still on the board, either. Michael Bunting and Vladimir Tarasenko are also sitting in free agency as training camps get closer, which makes for a crowded and increasingly impatient market.
Then there’s the Huberdeau idea, which sounds wild until you start looking at the salary structure. Jonathan Huberdeau has been a mess in Calgary since the Tkachuk trade, but there’s a version of a deal that could actually work for both sides.
The proposal has Edmonton taking him at 50% retained salary, which would knock his cap hit down to about $5.25 million from $10.5 million. At that number, a winger who has produced at a 50-point level becomes a much easier fit on a second line behind McDavid, Draisaitl and Hyman, especially for a team that has been thin in that next layer of scoring.
The suggested return sends Trent Frederic, prospect Beau Akey and a third-round pick to Calgary, with Huberdeau and a 2028 second-rounder heading to Edmonton. For the Flames, it would mean clearing a bad contract, saving money and creating room for younger players.
For the Oilers, it would be a swing on offense in a window where they can’t really afford to be timid. It’s the kind of trade that would make both fan bases wince before they started calculating what it could mean.
In Other News...
Senators Fans Are Split On This Canadian Tire Centre Change
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For some Senators fans, the idea fits the modern arena experience, especially if it creates a better place to meet, move around and actually enjoy the building beyond the seat itself. For others, any change that takes away seating invites a tougher conversation about what should matter most at a hockey game, especially when longtime supporters are already attached to the way the arena has felt for years. The project is moving quickly, and with the home opener on the horizon, the real test will be whether the new space feels like a welcome upgrade or just another reminder that the Senators are still trying to balance atmosphere, access and tradition. [Read more 🡒]
Ottawa 67's Need These Two Prospects To Set The Tone
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Both prospects matter for more than just their own development, because the 67s are looking for players who can set an example before the regular season begins in September. With the preseason schedule wrapping up this weekend, the next step is seeing whether Bowes can keep building on his early momentum and whether Bedkowski can translate his added strength and leadership role into the sort of steadying influence a young roster tends to need. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Are Making A Fresh Pitch To Win Ottawa Back
The Ottawa Senators used a media event this week to put a fresh face on their latest offseason push, introducing a new campaign built around a slogan meant to capture the kind of identity the franchise wants to project heading into the 2026-27 season. The club also used the setting to spotlight the improvements made since its latest playoff elimination, part of a broader effort to reconnect with a fan base that has watched plenty of turnover in recent years.
Behind the scenes, the marketing department framed the message as more than a tagline, tying it to the teams larger effort to make supporters feel part of what comes next. There is also a sign the pitch may be landing, with season ticket sales sitting above where they were a year ago, even as the real test remains whether the roster changes and the new branding can translate into something sturdier when the games count again. [Read more 🡒]