Free Agent Frenzy: Which Unexpected Moves by Knies, Giroux, and Others Will Shake Up the Season?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a bold commitment to one of their rising stars, Matthew Knies, locking him in with a hefty six-year deal carrying a $7.75 million cap hit. This move, as insiders like Chris Johnston revealed, wasn’t just about securing talent—it was about signaling confidence in Knies’ trajectory. What’s fascinating here is how quickly this contract came together, thanks in part to the prior Peterka extension smoothing the way, a point highlighted by analyst Nick Alberga, who called it not just fair but “well deserved.” Meanwhile, savvy capologists are already buzzing over the financial savvy of this signing, with Matt Larkin pointing out that Knies’ cap hit will look like a steal once the salary cap hits $113 million in year three of the deal. Knies’ 2024-25 microstats back up the hype — relentless net drives, gritty forechecking, and solid scoring — making this long-term commitment a savvy bet for Toronto’s future . Curious for the full lowdown? LEARN MORE.

The Toronto Maple Leafs extend Matthew Knies

Chris Johnston: The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed pending RFA forward Matthew Knies to a six-year contract with a $7.75 million.

Nick Alberga: “As mentioned the other day, the Peterka extension paved the way for this deal to get done in short order. Fair contract. Well deserved.”

Matt Larkin: “By year 3 of this deal, cap will be $113 million, and Knies’ $7.75 million AAV will be the equivalent of $6.04 million this past season. Steal.”

Here are Knies’ microstats from the 2024-25 season. Gets to the net, forechecks, hits, scores. Even if his scoring regresses from the 19% he shot this year (which would be no surprise) he should still be plenty useful and this deal doesn’t break the bank. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/MbQQVWX111

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 29, 2025

The Columbus Blue Jackets re-sign Dante Fabbro

Puck Pedia: The Columbus Blue Jackets have re-signed defenseman Dante Fabbro to a four-year contract extension with a $4.12 million cap hit.

2025-26: $4.125 million salary, a $1 million signing bonus, and a full no-trade clause
2026-27: $4.125 million, and a 10-Team NTC
2027-28: $3.625 million, and a 10-Team NTC
2028-29: $3.625 million, and a 5-Team NTC

Claude Giroux finally gets his deal done

Puck Pedia: The Ottawa Senators and Claude Giroux agreed on a one-year contract extension with a $2 million cap hit and an AAV of $4.75 million.

He’ll get a $2 million base salary and up to $2.75 million in bonuses.

• $250,000 each for 20/30/60 Games
• $250,000 playoffs & 50GP
• $500,000 win Round 1, $250,000 win Round 2, $500,000 win Round 3, $500,000 win Cup (min 50% GP)

Julian McKenzie: Giroux gets a full no-movement clause.

The Boston Bruins re-sign two

NHL Network: The Boston Bruins re-signed forward Marat Khusnutdinov to a two-year contract extension (with a $925,000 AAV).

Boston Bruins: The Bruins signed defenseman Michael Callahan to a one-year, two-way contract with a $775,000 cap hit.

The Anaheim Ducks re-sign Ville Husso

Puck Pedia: The Anaheim Ducks have re-signed goaltender Ville Husso to a two-year contract with a $2.2 million cap hit.

Kevin Bahl gets a six-year extension with the Calgary Flames

Puck Pedia: Kevin Bahl signed a six-year contract extension with the Calgary Flames on Saturday with a cap hit of $5.35 million.

2025-26: $2.35 million salary, and a $3 million signing bonus
2026-27: $5.35 million salary
2027-28: $5.35 million salary
2028-29: $5.35 million salary
2029-30: $5.35 million salary
2030-31: $5.35 million salary

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