Kaprizov turned down 16 million a year, 16.8% of the cap, signaling a push toward 17M+ as the cap climbs. The 20% ceiling would yield about 19M next season, 20.9M after that, and roughly 22.6M in the following year. Eichel and McDavid sit in similar stratospheres with targets around 13-14M and 17M, respectively, underscoring a high-stakes market for elite forwards.

Hart drew interest from Flyers, Hurricanes, and Penguins as a short-term option; Maple Leafs goalie Stolarz is in extension talks, per Weekes, while Robertson remains Dallas's long-term priority. It’s a cap-smart, term-driven summer shaping rosters across the league.

Reading Royals sign 24-year-old forward Ben Raymond for the 2025-26 season, adding a Colgate graduate who spent last year with the Iowa Heartlanders in the Flyers' development system. Raymond posted 9 goals and 18 points in 36 games during his final college season and totaled 43 points in 130 NCAA contests, with a BCHL stint at Powell River on his resume, signaling a versatile, offense-minded projection for the Royals’ pipeline.

The move underscores the Flyers’ ongoing strategy of layering their ladder system from BCHL through college to pro, aiming to steadily push talent toward Lehigh Valley and potentially Philadelphia. Raymond’s background—Colgate production, brief pro exposure, and junior experience—gives him a clear path to contribute in the ECHL and perhaps climb toward AHL opportunities if development stays on track.

Five Team Canada players cleared of charges become eligible to sign in October, with Dec. 1 readiness on the line. Alex Formenton has already headed overseas; Cal Foote, Dillon Dube, Michael McLeod and Carter Hart are eyeing their next steps, Hart attracting the most attention as a possible Edmonton Oilers addition. Edmonton must balance a potential goaltending boost from Hart against fan backlash, plus a two-year layoff that complicates immediate contribution behind Skinner and Pickard.