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Around the NHL: Crosby, Raymond re-sign, JVR lands in Columbus, Kessel wants to play
NHL superstars Mitch Marner and Sidney Crosby
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Shane Seney
Sep 17, 2024, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 17, 2024, 13:13 EDT
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After what felt like a very short offseason there’s NHL hockey being played this week.
Charity golf tournaments help kick off training camps, informal skates are quickly turning into formal skates, and the preseason schedule is set to open Sep.21. The likes of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and Winnipeg Jets will all be in action to open the exhibition schedule.
There’s still a number of restricted free agents without a contract for the 2024-25 season, there’s several unrestricted free agents who continue to look for work, meanwhile a couple of big names were recently extended. Here’s the very latest from around the NHL:

Pittsburgh Penguins extend Sidney Crosby for two years

In what felt like the worst kept secret in hockey, the Pittsburgh Penguins have finally announced a contract extension for captain Sidney Crosby. The Penguins and the Cole Harbour, NS native agreed on a two-year extension that runs through the 2026-27 season and fittingly Crosby will once again earn $8.7 million AAV.
The same AAV Crosby had on his last mega-contract as the legend continues to leave a ton of money on the table to try and give his team a chance to contend. Crosby continues to be extremely loyal to the organization which hasn’t gone unnoticed around the league.
The Penguins legend was in Vegas last week for the NHL’s North American Player Media Tour and gave everyone a giant hint the extension was coming. Meanwhile this week, Crosby is back in Pittsburgh and completing the yearly tradition the Penguins’ put on which includes having players, including their captain, go door-to-door to hand out ticket bundles to season-seat owners.
After dealing with some very intense contract negotiations in Toronto, Penguins GM Kyle Dubas was probably in shock to see a star player leave money on the table for the greater good of the team.

Lucas Raymond inks 8-year extension in Motown

The Detroit Red Wings announced they’ve come to terms with restricted free agent Lucas Raymond on an eight-year deal which will pay the Swedish winger $8.07-million AAV. Raymond appeared in all 82 games last season, scoring 31 goals and tallying 72 points, both career highs.
It’s a massive raise for Raymond on his new deal as he turns his entry-level $925,000 salary into a hefty pay day for the foreseeable future. With this new contract, the Red Wings lock him up until he’s 30 years old at 9.18% of the 2024-25 salary cap.
GM Steve Yzerman still has one more big order of business to attend to as defenseman Moritz Seider is also a restricted free agent and has yet to re-sign. Yzerman has $8.7 million available in cap space after the Raymond extension was announced, which could wind up being a scenario where we see two players sign identical extensions with the same club.
The 23-year-old Seider is a franchise cornerstone piece on the back end and is coming off another strong season with 42 points in 82 games, which also blocking a career-high 212 shots, while landing a career-high 211 hits. Seider has yet to miss a game throughout his three-year tenure in Motown.
Lastly, the Red Wings also announced they’ve come to terms with forward Jonatan Berggren on a one-year, $825,000 contract. Berggren recorded six points in 12 games with the Red Wings last season, meanwhile was over a point-a-game player in 53 games in the American Hockey League. There’s been some trade speculation brewing around Berggren for over a year now so this will certainly be a storyline to follow in Detroit this season.

Former Leaf James van Riemsdyk lands in Columbus

The Columbus Blue Jackets were in the market for some veteran scoring punch and have inked former Maple Leaf James van Riemsdyk to a one-year contract. The deal pays JVR $900,000 for the 2024-25 season after he appeared in 71 games for the Boston Bruins last year, chipping in with 38 points.
The veteran winger joins the Blue Jackets after we shared there was some mutual interest between he and the Maple Leafs regarding a reunion. This was before Max Pacioretty was formally introduced into the picture, and as expected, with Pacioretty in the mix, there isn’t room for JVR. The two veteran wingers play a very similar style and bring a lot of the same characteristics to the table.
As for the Blue Jackets, they’re not done. GM Don Waddell would like to add another forward for training camp.
One option? Another former Leaf, Phil Kessel. After sitting out last season without work, Kessel has been calling teams looking for at least an initiation to training camp. So far it’s been crickets but Columbus could make some sense for the NHL’s ironman as Waddell is familiar with Kessel via USA Hockey.

Training Camp Quick Hits:

  • Former Leaf Travis Dermott has signed a PTO with the Edmonton Oilers and will look to add yet another former Erie Otter to the Oilers’ dressing room.
  • Speaking of the Oilers, forward Evander Kane is set to undergo sports hernia surgery this week and is expected to miss a few months.
  • Winnipeg Jets and restricted free-agent forward Cole Perfetti have yet to settle on a contract for the 2024-25 season, meanwhile Perfetti has been representing the Jets at a number of different events and reiterates he’s happy in Winnipeg, despite the lack of contract progression.
  • Speaking of RFAs Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman predicts the New Jersey Devils and Dawson Mercer land on a bridge deal as their contract talks continue.
  • Boston Bruins and RFA goaltender Jeremy Swayman are still negotiating and it’s very likely a long-term deal is announced at some point this week.
  • Friedman also reports the Vancouver Canucks are still in contract talks with free-agent goaltender Kevin Lankinen, even after signing Dylan Ferguson to a PTO. There’s been some concern over the health of both Thatcher Demko and Arturs Silovs at different points of the offseason.
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