Five Key Stories: 8/31/26 – 9/6/26
September is now upon us which usually results in some player movement before training camps get underway. This past week was no exception with some of that movement making it into the week’s key stories.
Evangelista To Devils: The Predators have added several players this summer so few were expecting them to turn around and then move one of their top point-getters. However, they did exactly that, trading winger Luke Evangelista to New Jersey for Colorado’s 2028 first-round pick (with some top-ten protection) and a 2028 second-rounder. The 24-year-old had a breakout year last season, notching 56 points in 81 games, though only a dozen of those were goals. Evangelista has one year left on his bridge deal with a $3MM price tag and should slot into a top-six role with the Devils, a team that has added a few pieces up front now this summer.
Tolvanen To Rangers: Eeli Tolvanen was one of the top remaining unrestricted free agents and was somewhat surprisingly unsigned given his track record. That’s no longer the case now as he inked a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Rangers. The 27-year-old has notched at least 35 points in three straight years now while averaging over two hits per game. Compared to some of the other contracts given to bottom-six players this summer, New York is getting a bit of a bargain, albeit just for one year. Tolvanen will return to the UFA market next July hoping to come off a bounce-back year that will give him enough leverage for a longer-term agreement.
Eight For Buium: With September 15th being the last day for players to sign eight-year contracts, we may see a push to get some of these deals done in the coming days. That’s what happened in Vancouver as they signed defenseman Zeev Buium to an eight-year, $75.04MM contract extension that begins in 2027-28. The $9.38MM AAV will make Buium Vancouver’s highest-paid defender when the deal comes into effect. The 20-year-old was the centerpiece of the return for Quinn Hughes last season, with the Canucks believing that he has a chance to be a high-impact defender. They’ve given him a big vote of confidence with the deal coming off a 26-point showing in his rookie campaign.
Jarnkrok Heads Home: Unable to secure an NHL contract for the upcoming season, veteran winger Calle Jarnkrok has decided to head home. The veteran has signed a three-year deal with SHL Brynas, the organization he played in before coming to North America back in 2013. Jarnkrok spent the last four seasons with Toronto but played a limited role last season, being limited to just eight points in 56 games in a career-low 11:50 per night of playing time. In his prime, he was a capable secondary scorer and a strong defensive player while his positional versatility made him a valuable role player for multiple teams. His NHL tenure wraps up with 143 goals and 173 assists in 774 games over parts of 13 seasons.
Three For Melanson: The Kraken took care of their final remaining restricted free agent this week, re-signing winger Jacob Melanson to a three-year, $4.35MM deal. The 23-year-old spent most of the first half of last season in the minors with Coachella Valley but showed some promise in the second half. In 36 games with Seattle, Melanson had five points and a whopping 188 hits, an average of over 5.2 per game to lead the league in hits per 60 minutes. He’ll now get a chance to land a full-time role on the Kraken’s fourth line in training camp.
Photo courtesy of Bob Frid-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect.
