The turning of the calendar to 2025 created a long list of players who are now eligible for extensions, a couple of which already have already done so. Those new deals aren’t in our key stories but some other recently-signed contracts are in our top stories from the last seven days.
Three For L’Heureux: Predators winger Zachary L’Heureux received a three-game suspension from the Department of Player Safety for his slew foot on Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon; the blueliner hasn’t played since then due to a leg injury. It’s the first NHL suspension of his career with the 21-year-old in his first taste of NHL action. However, L’Heureux has a long suspension history with two separate bans last season in the minors and nine more in the QMJHL. He has nine points and 106 hits in 33 games so far this season and will be eligible to return to the lineup on Saturday.
Three For Kastelic: Bruins center Mark Kastelic wasn’t the most prominent piece going to Boston in last offseason’s Linus Ullmark trade but he has made a positive impact for them. He was rewarded for his efforts with a three-year, $4.7MM contract extension. The deal gives Boston two extra years of club control and buys out his final year of arbitration. Kastelic has already equaled his career high in points with 11 and has set a new personal best in assists with seven in his first 40 games with the Bruins. He also leads the team in hits with 154 and is winning nearly 55% of his faceoffs.
Toews Not Ruling Out A Comeback: While Jonathan Toews hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season as he continues to battle through Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, he never officially announced his retirement. This past week, he indicated that he still has the desire to play in the NHL and is going to give it his best shot in terms of trying to make a comeback. The 36-year-old has played in 1,067 career NHL games over parts of 16 seasons, all with Chicago, becoming a premier two-way pivot along the way. If he decides to try to play this season, it stands to reason that it would be in a limited role given how long he has been off. Alternatively, he could look to catch on somewhere for 2025-26, giving himself a longer window to train and potentially a larger pool of suitors for his services.
Three For Vatrano: Frank Vatrano won’t be leaving the Ducks for a while now. The winger has signed a three-year, $18MM contract extension, one that further pushes the boundaries of…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Pro Hockey Rumors…