With the signings of forwards Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson, as well as d-man Pavel Mintyukov, arguably Anaheim has done the best job this off-season in locking up its core group of young players (also, Mintukov’s 5-year deal comes on the heels of fellow elite d-man Jackson LaComb’s 8-year extension this past October). That trend continued with this past weekend’s signing of top face-off pivot Tim Washe, who will continue to receive his entry-level contract salary of $812,500 prior to his 4-year, $2.5 million AAV deal starting in 2027-28. Although Washe recorded just one assist in twelve playoff games for the Ducks last season, he was lauded for completely shutting down Connor McDavid & company in helping lead Anaheim to a first-round defeat of Edmonton in last year’s post-season.
In spite of the Ducks’ stellar signings, Montreal may have a legitimate beef that its off-season has been even more productive in securing the services of its cornerstone pieces. Not only did the Habs recently extend exceptional playoff performers Alex Newhook and Zack Bolduc to 4-year contracts (Newhook’s contract begins next season, Bolduc’s this year), earlier this summer it inked forward Ivan Demidov and goaltender Jakub Dobes to eight-year and three-year deals, respectively. With d-man Lane Hutson also under contract through the 2033-34 season, Montreal is going to be a tough team to beat for the foreseeable future.
Below is a link to my fully updated post reflecting this recent activity.
https://thehockeyprospectreport.com/2026/04/19/__trashed-5/
