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The Vancouver Canucks have re-signed one of their top scorers, inking right-winger Brock Boeser to a seven-year, $50.75-million US deal.
The team announced the new contract about half an hour after the NHL’s free agency period opened on Tuesday and the 28-year-old from Burnsville, Minn., became an unrestricted free agent.
Boeser had 25 goals and 25 assists for Vancouver last season, well below the career highs he posted in goals (40) and points (73) during the 2023-24 campaign.
There was ample speculation in March that the 28-year-old right-winger would be moved ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline, but Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said the offers simply weren’t enticing enough.
Originally selected 23rd overall by the Canucks in the 2015 draft, Boeser has played all 554 of his career NHL games for Vancouver, amassing 204 goals and 230 assists in regular-season play. He added another 11 goals and 12 assists over 29 post-season appearances.
The six-foot-one, 208-pound forward from Burnsville, Minn., became a fan favourite not only for his scoring prowess, but how he handled adversity off the ice, including the death of his father, Duke, in May 2022.
The support from Vancouver hockey fans always meant a lot to Boeser.
“I can’t say enough about the fan base and the city. Everyone’s so kind to me, if I’m just out and about,” he said at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. “Everyone’s always had my back and supported me. And that’s something that I really appreciate “
Canucks extend Demko, Garland
Earlier on Tuesday, the Canucks announced extensions for all-star goalie Thatcher Demko and winger Conor Garland.
Demko inked a three-year, $25.5-million deal, while Garland signed a six-year, $36-million contract.
Both players are heading into the final season of five-year contracts and were set to become unrestricted free agents next summer.
Demko, 29, is coming off an injury-plagued 2024-25 campaign where he posted a 10-8-3 record with a .889 save percentage, a 2.90 goals-against average and one shutout.
The six-foot-four, 192-pound goalie from San Diego, Calif., was named a finalist for last year’s Vezina Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s top goaltender, after going 35-14-2 with a .918 save percentage and a 2.45 GAA during the 2023-204 campaign.
The performance helped Vancouver clinch first place in the Pacific Division and earn a spot in the playoffs.
Demko suffered an injury to the popliteus muscle in his left knee during Game 1 of the team’s first-round series against the Nashville Predators. He did not play again until Dec. 10.
Garland put up 50 points (19 goals, 31 assists) for the Canucks this past season and won gold with the U.S. at the men’s world hockey championship in May.
The 29-year-old winger from Scituate, Mass., has played the last four years in Vancouver after being acquired from the Arizona Coyotes alongside defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in July 2021.
Oilers lose Perry, Brown
The Edmonton Oilers’ potent offence lost some firepower in free agency Tuesday as forwards Corey Perry and Connor Brown signed with other teams.
Perry, 40, joined the L.A. Kings on a one-year, $2-million deal that includes up to $2 million in additional performance bonuses.
Brown, 31, went to the New Jersey Devils on a four-year, $12-million contract.
The duo were key performers for Edmonton as the Oilers ground their way through the playoffs last season before losing Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final to the Florida Panthers.
After contributing 30 points (19 goals, 11 assists) across 81 regular-season contests in the 2024-25 campaign, Perry added 10 goals and four assists in 22 post-season games.
Brown also had 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) during the regular season, then contributed five goals and four assists in 20 playoff outings.
Edmonton deals Arvidsson to Bruins
Edmonton also parted ways with forward Viktor Arvidsson on Tuesday, dealing him to the Boston Bruins for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 draft.
Arvidsson, 32, had 15 goals and 12 assists in 67 regular-season games for Edmonton last season, and added another seven points (two goals, five assists) in 15 playoff appearances.
The move gave the Oilers some much-needed cap space after Edmonton inked star defenceman Evan Bouchard to a new four-year, $42-million deal on Monday, one day before the 25-year-old blueliner from Oakville, Ont., was set to become a restricted free agent.
Edmonton also needs room to sign superstar captain Connor McDavid to an extension, something he is eligible for as of Tuesday.
Carrying an average annual value of $10.5 million, Bouchard’s new contract is a substantial raise on his previous $3.9-million cap hit.
Senators sign Eller, Cousins to 1-year contracts
The Ottawa Senators signed forwards Lars Eller and Nick Cousins to one-year contracts.
Eller joins the Senators on a $1.25-million deal after producing six goals and nine assists in 63 games with the Washington Capitals last season.
The 36-year-old centre from Denmark will play for his sixth franchise after previous stints in St. Louis, Montreal, Colorado and Pittsburgh.
Cousins re-signed on a $825,000 contract after recording 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in 50 regular-season games for Ottawa in 2024-25.
He also suited up in five of six games during the team’s first-round appearance against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Senators did not retain goalie Anton Forsberg and defenceman Dennis Gilbert.
Forsberg signed a two-year, $4.5-million contract with the Los Angeles Kings a day after Ottawa inked 22-year-old goalie Leevi Merilainen to a one-year extension. Merilainen will backup Linus Ullmark next season.
Gilbert, who joined the Senators from the Buffalo Sabres in the Dylan Cozens-Josh Norris swap at last season’s deadline, put pen to paper on a one-year, $875,000 deal with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Flames ink Hanley to extension
The Calgary Flames have extended defenceman Joel Hanley’s contract by two years, while the club’s backup goalie Dan Vladar departed to sign with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Hanley’s deal announced Tuesday by the Flames carries an average annual value of $1.75 million.
The 34-year-old from Keswick, Ont., played a career-high 53 games for Calgary last season.
Hanley contributed two goals and seven assists and was a career-best plus-12 while averaging 18 and a half minutes of ice time per game.
Vladar agreed to a two-year contract worth $3.35 million annually, the Flyers announced in a post on X.
The 27-year-old Czech spent the past four seasons and started 95 games in Calgary. Vladar started a career-high 29 games this past season behind Dustin Wolf, who won the starter’s job in his rookie year.
Vladar went 12-11-6 with a goals-against average of 2.80 and a save percentage of .898 in 2024-25.
Habs trade Mailloux to Blues; Dvorak joins Flyers
The Montreal Canadiens traded defenceman Logan Mailloux to the St. Louis Blues for forward Zack Bolduc on Tuesday before NHL free agency opened.
Mailloux, of Windsor, Ont., produced 12 goals and 21 assists in 63 games with the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket last season. He was an AHL all-star in 2024 and 2025.
The 22-year-old right-shot blue-liner added two goals and two assists in seven games with the Canadiens in the NHL.
Bolduc had 19 goals and 17 assists in 72 games with the Blues last season. The 22-year-old from Trois-Rivieres, Que., added one assist in seven playoff games.
Both players are entering the final season of their entry-level contracts.
In other news, centre Christian Dvorak is leaving the Canadiens and joining the Philadelphia Flyers on a one-year, $5.4-million contract via free agency.
Dvorak, 29, had 12 goals and 21 assists in 82 games last season.
The six-foot, 187-pound Bolduc was drafted 17th overall by the Blues in 2021.
Via free agency, the Canadiens also added goalie Kaapo Kahkonen and forward Samuel Blais on one-year contracts Tuesday. The value of each deal was not announced.
In other signings Tuesday:
- Mikael Granlund signed with the Anaheim Ducks on a three-year, $21-million deal.
- The Hurricanes signed K’Andre Miller, a restricted free agent, to an eight-year, $60-million contract.
- The Winnipeg Jets have signed forwards Cole Koepke and Tanner Pearson to one-year contracts worth $1 million apiece.
- The Hurricanes signed forward Logan Stankoven to an eight-year, $48-million contract extension that kicks in for the 2026-27 season.
- The Mammoth reportedly inked former Winnipeg Jets forward Brandon Tanev to a three-year, $7.5-million agreement.
- The Bruins reportedly signed bruising winger Tanner Jeannot to a five-year, $17-million deal.
- The Devils kept backup netminder Jake Allen on a five-year contract for a total of $9 million.
- The Rangers inked defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov to a reported seven-year, $49-million deal.