NHL Notebook: Golden Knights trade Nicolas Hague to Predators

Hague was one of a few restricted free agents the Golden Knights had. That said, they’ve added just over $4 million in cap space with the trade, bringing their projected cap space to just over $750,000.

They’ll get some relief in-season, as it was reported Sunday morning that defenceman Alex Pietrangelo will likely miss the entirety of the 2025-26 season. It’s worth noting that the Golden Knights were speaking with the Toronto Maple Leafs about a sign-and-trade for Mitch Marner, with Nicolas Roy being discussed to go the other way. 

If that trade were to happen, Roy has a cap hit of $3 million. Add Pietrangelo’s contract to LTIR, and the Knights will have over $12 million in cap space.

Bruins re-sign Morgan Geekie

It was reported by TSN’s Chris Johnston that the Boston Bruins have signed Morgan Geekie to a six-year deal with a cap hit of $5.5 million.

Geekie was selected in the 2017 draft by the Carolina Hurricanes, but became a regular with the Seattle Kraken in 2021-22. That season, he scored seven goals and 22 points in 73 games. The centre followed that up with nine goals and 28 points in 69 games in 2022-23.

Playing for the Bruins in 2023-24, Geekie truly broke out, scoring a career-best 17 goals and 39 points in 76 games. His goal scoring exploded in 2024-25, as he potted 33 goals and 57 points in 77 games.

Leafs re-sign Matthew Knies

Another player who has progressively gotten better is Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies. On Sunday, the two parties agreed to a six-year deal with an annual cap hit of $7.75 million.

Drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft, Knies made his NHL debut in 2022-23, playing just three regular season games and seven post-season games. The left winger became a regular in 2023-24, scoring 15 goals and 25 points in 80 games.

Like Geekie, Knies took off in 2024-25, scoring 29 goals and 58 points in 78 games. He also added five goals and seven points in 13 post-season games as the Leafs fell in Game 7 to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers.

Senators re-sign Claude Giroux

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Claude Giroux’s production has steadily decreased over the past three seasons, albeit he’s still a productive player. Well, he signed a one-year deal worth $2 million with the Ottawa Senators, according to Bruce Garrioch.

Giroux has been in the league since 2007-08, mainly playing with the Philadelphia Flyers until he was traded to the Panthers before the 2022 trade deadline. Before the start of the 2022-23 season, he signed a three-year deal with the Senators, scoring 35 goals and 79 points in 82 games. His production dipped in 2023-24, as the right-shot centre scored 21 goals and 64 points in 82 games.

Last season with the Senators, Giroux scored just 15 goals and 50 points in 81 games, the fewest goals he’s scored since the 2016-17 season with the Flyers.

Glen Gulutzan is likely to become the Stars’ next coach

There’s some news related to the Flames, as their former head coach, Glen Gulutzan, has been offered the vacant Dallas Stars’ head coaching position.

It’s not the first time Gulutzan has been the head coach of the Stars, spending two seasons there in 2011-12 and 2012-13 before being let go after the lockout season. The Flames hired him in 2016-17, where he spent another two seasons.

Following his firing by the Flames, Gulutzan went up Highway 2 to become an assistant coach for the Oilers, a position he held from 2018-19 until 2024-25. He also was the assistant coach of the Vancouver Canucks from 2013-14 until 2015-16.

As a head coach, Gulutzan has a 146-125-23 record, making the post-season once.