July 1 opens the door to the biggest contract conversations in hockey, and the names at the front of the line are exactly who you’d expect: stars, cornerstones, and in some cases, players who could reshape the top of the salary scale.
This isn’t the usual free-agency scramble for players whose deals have run out. It’s the other side of the calendar - the one where teams can lock up players who are still a year away from needing a new contract. And when those players are elite, the numbers can get serious fast.
Sidney Crosby is one of them. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain is already deep into the final chapter of a legendary career, but he’s not done yet.
In September 2024, Crosby signed a two-year extension at his symbolic $8.7 million per season. Now he’s eligible to add more years if he wants to keep going.
Even at 38, he produced 29 goals and 74 points in 68 games last season.
Macklin Celebrini is the youngest name on the list, and the San Jose Sharks would love to get ahead of the curve. Coming off an 115-point regular season in his sophomore year, the 20-year-old is only getting more dangerous.
He’s eligible for a contract extension this summer, though he remains an RFA as of July 1, which means San Jose still has control and the odds of him going anywhere are slim. His entry-level deal runs through 2027, and he can sign his first standard NHL contract this summer.
Nikita Kucherov is right there in the superstar tier, too. The Tampa Bay Lightning winger just won the Hart Trophy and is nearing the end of his eight-year deal that paid him $9.5 million per season.
At 33, he’s positioned to cash in after another monster year: 130 points, 44 goals, and his sixth 100-point season. A raise feels like the natural next step.
Then come the defensemen who can really change a franchise’s financial picture. Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild is one of the NHL’s most electric skaters, and his next deal is going to reflect that.
The 26-year-old is finishing a six-year contract that carried a $7.85 million cap hit, and if the Wild want to keep their momentum going after his arrival helped turn them into a Stanley Cup contender, GM Bill Guerin is going to have to pay up. Hughes can drive the game from the back end, lead the league in ice time, and still pile up 90 points.
At the top of the list is Cale Makar, the Colorado Avalanche defenseman who checks every box Hughes does - and then some. His six-year deal, worth $9 million against the cap, runs out after next season, and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that Makar could become the highest-paid player in the NHL, topping Minnesota’s Kirill Kaprizov and his $17-million average annual value. Makar’s 79-point season may have been labeled a down year, but his résumé still includes multiple 90-point campaigns, a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe Trophy and two Norris Trophies.
In Other News...
Rays May Be Eyeing The Kind Of Move Fans Have Waited For
With the Rays holding a firm division edge and another pivotal stretch in front of them, the conversation around this club has started to shift from simply staying ahead to wondering whether the front office might press for a bigger finish. ESPNs David Schoenfield floated Tampa Bay as a logical fit in a broader look at the trade market, and it is easy to see why. A frontline arm would deepen a rotation that has leaned heavily on Drew Rasmussen, Shane McClanahan and Nick Martinez, and it would give the Rays a more imposing look as the playoff chase tightens.
Tarik Skubal is the kind of name that changes the tone of those discussions, even before any actual deal is on the table. The question for Tampa Bay is whether it would be willing to part with the kind of prospect package such a move would demand, and whether Detroit would even make him available in the first place. For a fan base that has waited a long time to see the Rays chase a true splash, this is the sort of possibility that feels worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Making Room At The Trop For Evan Longoria Weekend
The Rays are turning Tropicana Field into a bigger stage for Evan Longorias Legacy Weekend, opening the upper deck for their July 10-12 series against the Mariners to handle the expected surge of fans. It will be the first time the upper level has been open since the 2023 AL Wild Card Series, a fitting sign of how much this weekend means to a fan base that watched Longoria become one of the defining players in franchise history.
Longorias Rays Hall of Fame induction is set for July 11, with his No. 3 jersey retirement coming before the July 12 game, and the club is layering in plenty of extras around the ceremonies. There will be special giveaways and branded baseballs throughout the weekend, all aimed at making the celebration feel less like a single pregame moment and more like a full-scale tribute to one of the organizations cornerstone names. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Stadium Fight Takes Another Turn As Tampa Pushes Back
Tampas long-running stadium debate picked up another wrinkle this week, with council member Bill Carlson reportedly working to trim the citys tax revenue role in the Rays project. The idea would cut Tampas contribution from $100 million to $80 million by moving responsibility for the Community Redevelopment Agency to Hillsborough County, a shift that would ease the citys bill while changing who helps steer some of the public side of the deal.
That adjustment matters because the stadium negotiations are still being finalized, and the money trail is tied to more than just bricks and mortar. If Tampa steps back, the community benefits side of the agreement could look different, with county-backed priorities taking a larger role as the city tries to reduce its exposure without derailing the project. [Read more 🡒]