The Ottawa Senators are making a few quiet changes to the look of the roster this season, with three players set to switch numbers. Stephen Halliday is going back to 34, the number he wore regularly in Belleville, while Carter Yakemchuk will return to 26, the number he used in Belleville and with the Calgary Hitmen. Newly acquired Andre Burakovsky will wear 95, a number that may bring back good memories for him, even if it lands a little differently with Sens fans.
In Dallas, the Stars finally got Jason Robertson under contract after a long stretch of signing talk and trade rumors. Robertson agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal, keeping him in town for now while leaving the door open for a longer-term answer later. It also keeps the Stars from having to worry about him reaching unrestricted free agency right as the season opens.
Chicago, meanwhile, reached back into its past. The Blackhawks announced this morning that Patrick Kane is returning on a two-year, $16 million deal, presenting it as the moment fans had been waiting for. Whether that’s really what the fan base wanted is another question entirely, but the move is now official.
Jack Campbell’s path has taken him to a different place altogether. After the last few seasons saw his game slip and his recent work limited to the AHL, the 34-year-old goalie announced he is retiring and moving into coaching.
Philadelphia also got a deal done with one of its own after a July 5 arbitration date. Trevor Zegras signed a four-year contract with an average annual value of $9.125 million. The 25-year-old is coming off a career-best 67-point season and is expected to remain a central piece for the Flyers going forward.
The Columbus Blue Jackets locked up RFA goalie Jet Greaves on a three-year deal worth $5 million per year. His .908 save percentage from last season may not jump off the page, but in a higher-scoring league it carries more weight than it first appears. MoneyPuck also had Greaves 15th in Goals Saved Above Expected per 60, a number that helps explain why Columbus was comfortable with the price.
In Other News...
Belleville Suddenly Has Two Big Problems Ottawa Fans Will Notice
Bellevilles offseason reset has already made the Senators development team look a lot different heading toward 2026-27. After finishing last in the division, the roster has been turned over enough that Ottawa fans will recognize the ripple effects right away, especially with new forwards expected to carry more of the load and a handful of rookie defensemen pushing for jobs on the blue line.
The bigger concern is how thin the margin still looks in two key areas. The club has to replace its top scoring punch while also sorting out a goaltending picture that remains unsettled, and those are the kinds of issues that can shape whether Belleville is simply rebuilding again or finally taking a step forward. For an organization trying to develop NHL-ready depth, both questions matter a lot before the season even gets started. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Prospect Crunch Just Created Another Tough Reality Check
The Ducks prospect pipeline has reached the point where the next wave is no longer just a collection of promising names, but a group that is starting to force real organizational decisions. Tristan Luneau, Stian Solberg and Roger McQueen are among the young players closest to NHL readiness, which is exactly why the transition to the AHL matters so much now. For a team trying to turn a deep system into actual roster help, the margin for error gets smaller once the prospects are no longer far away.
San Diego is part of that pressure point, especially with Brad Buchberger back behind the AHL bench to help manage the development side of the equation. Around the league, other prospect and development stories keep underscoring how fluid this stage can be, with players moving into new roles, camps and tournaments as they try to take the next step. For Anaheim, the bigger question is not whether the talent is there. It is how quickly these young players can handle the grind well enough to make the organizations next call an easy one. [Read more 🡒]
Staios Is Asking Senators Fans To Trust A Risky Scoring Bet
Steve Staios spent part of the offseason trying to explain how the Senators plan to make up for the offense they lost up front, and the answer was less about one splashy fix than a collection of moving parts. The general manager pointed to William Eklund and Andre Burakovsky as the two biggest additions in that effort, while also stressing that Ottawa believes internal growth from players like Shane Pinto and Ridly Greig can help carry more of the load.
There is still a clear tension in the plan, though, because the Senators would love to add a pure finisher and are choosing to trust their current group instead. Staios also emphasized the coaching staffs role in getting more out of the roster, with multiple center-ice options giving Ottawa some flexibility, but the real question is whether that depth can translate into enough scoring when the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]