The NHL’s new contract landscape is already doing exactly what some around the league expected: pushing teams and players to get long-term business done before the rules tighten and the cap keeps climbing.
That backdrop helped drive a wave of extensions and new deals, including big commitments for Cutter Gauthier, Luke Evangelista, Jordan Staal, Justin Sourdif, and Alex Newhook, plus a one-year deal for Arber Xhekaj.
Anaheim got in first with Gauthier, signing the 22-year-old forward to a six-year contract carrying a $13.5 million salary cap hit. The deal buys out one year of unrestricted free agency, and in the final season Gauthier will have a 10-team no-trade clause. His contract is structured with heavy signing bonuses throughout, including $18.651 million in 2026-27 and $13.755 million in 2027-28.
New Jersey followed by locking up Evangelista on a five-year extension with a $7.25 million cap hit. His deal includes trade protection that ramps up over time: a seven-team no-trade clause in year three, a five-team clause in year four, and a three-team clause in the final year. The contract also comes with sizable bonuses, including $8.8 million in 2027-28 and $7.31 million in 2028-29.
Carolina took care of captain Jordan Staal with a one-year extension for the 2027-28 season at a $4.9 million cap hit. The 38-year-old will have a $900,000 salary, a $4 million signing bonus, and up to $5.1 million in performance bonuses.
Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal noted that Staal could make up to $10 million for the 2027-28 season, which would be his 21st in the NHL. Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky called him the anchor of the group in the team’s release: “Jordan is not only our captain, he’s the bedrock of the culture we’ve established in this organization,” Tulsky said.
“His leadership and on-ice performance throughout last season and especially in the playoffs was a primary factor in bringing the Stanley Cup back to Raleigh.” Carolina still has more than $8 million in cap space for this season and still needs to sign RFA defenseman Alexander Nikishin.
Washington made one of the biggest commitments of the day, signing Justin Sourdif to an eight-year extension with a $6.35 million cap hit. The 24-year-old forward will have a 15-team no-trade clause from years three through five, then a full no-trade clause for the final three seasons. His contract is loaded with bonuses early, including $7.3 million in each of the first two seasons and $6.2 million in 2029-30.
Sammi Silber highlighted Sourdif’s path and the role he now plays as an example for others, noting: “Justin Sourdif’s story is also inspiring. His Mom’s from Ghana, and he grew up watching the Caps and Black players like Joel Ward.
Just signed an 8-year deal and is now a role model himself.” Sourdif added, “It means a lot to know that (young players will) want to try to aspire to be like me.”
Montreal rounded out the flurry by extending Alex Newhook on a four-year deal with a $5.55 million cap hit and no trade protection. The Canadiens also signed Arber Xhekaj to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. He’ll be owed a $1.575 million qualifying offer and would then be one year away from unrestricted free agency.
In Other News...
Capitals Just Made Their Belief In Justin Sourdif Very Clear
Justin Sourdifs rise in Washington has been enough to convince the Capitals to move early and move big. The team locked up the right winger on a long-term extension, a clear sign that his development and versatility have made him more than just another young piece in the organizations depth chart. General manager Chris Patrick backed that up in an official statement, praising the way Sourdif has grown and the range he brings to the lineup.
The timing of the deal matters almost as much as the commitment itself, since it came together just before a new CBA deadline changed how long contracts could run. Washington now has one more major decision removed from its future puzzle, and Sourdif has the kind of security that usually comes only when a team sees a player as part of its core. For the Capitals, the message is plain enough: they did not want this one drifting any closer to the leagues new limits. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Just Made Their Belief In Justin Sourdif Crystal Clear
Justin Sourdifs first season in Washington gave the Capitals enough to make a long-term bet, and they did it in a big way. The club announced the forward has been re-signed after a promising rookie year in which he became one of the more intriguing young pieces on the roster, mixing production with the kind of flashes that can change how a team plans its future.
What stood out was not just the raw output, but how often Sourdif showed up in meaningful moments for a Capitals team looking to build around more than just its established core. He hit a hat trick, then added one of those nights that gets remembered in a market like Washington, tying a franchise rookie record for points in a game against Anaheim. For a player still early in his career, that kind of trajectory is usually what starts bigger conversations. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Locked In Cutter Gauthier Just Before A Crucial CBA Shift
The Capitals handled one of their own important contract matters before the leagues next labor shift changed the shape of those talks. Washington finalized a long-term extension with Justin Sourdif, adding some certainty around a player the organization wanted to keep in place as it looks ahead to the coming season and the broader roster build.
The timing mattered, because the new CBA rules would have altered how some deals are structured, especially the way money can be loaded through signing bonuses. In a week with contract updates around the league, from Quinn Hughes in Minnesota to extensions for Luke Evangelista and Jordan Staal, Washington made sure its side of the business was settled before those limits arrived. [Read more 🡒]