Blake, selected in the fourth round of the 2021 draft, became a regular with the Hurricanes in 2024-25, scoring 17 goals and 34 points in 80 games. In the post-season, he added three goals and six assists, as the Hurricanes lost to the Florida Panthers in five games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

With this signing, the Hurricanes have secured their core for the future. None of Sebastian Aho, Nikolaj Ehlers, Andrei Svechnikov, Seth Jarvis, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s contracts expire until after the 2028-29 season. K’Andre Miller and Jaccob Slavin are both locked up long-term on the backend, with their contracts ending after the 2032-33 season.

Sabres sign Conor Timmins to two-year deal

On Sunday, the Buffalo Sabres announced that they’ve signed defenceman Conor Timmins to a two-year deal with an annual cap hit of $2.2 million.

During the draft, the Pittsburgh Penguins sent Timmins and Isaac Belliveau to the Sabres for Connor Clifton and a second-round pick. The right-shot defenceman has spent parts of the last six seasons in the National Hockey League, playing for the Avalanche, Arizona Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Penguins.

Last season, Timmins finished with a career-high three goals and 15 points in 66 games, splitting his season between the Leafs and the Penguins.

Conor Sheary signs PTO with Rangers

Sticking with players named Conor, the New York Rangers have signed two-time Stanley Cup winner Conor Sheary to a professional tryout.

Sheary broke into the league with the Penguins in 2015-16, scoring seven goals and 10 points in 44 games, along with four goals and 10 points in 23 post-season games en route to a Stanley Cup. The next season, he scored a career-high of 23 goals and 53 points in 61 regular season games, with two goals and seven points in 22 post-season games as the Penguins went back-to-back.

After another season in Pittsburgh, Sheary played two seasons with the Sabres before returning to the Penguins ahead of the 2020 trade deadline. After that, he played three seasons with the Washington Capitals before playing the last two seasons in the Tampa Bay Lightning organization.

Sheary played just five NHL games in 2024-25, as he spent the bulk of the season with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, scoring 20 goals and 61 points in 59 games.

Blackhawks re-sign Arvid Söderblom

The Chicago Blackhawks have avoided arbitration with netminder Arvid Söderblom, signing him to a two-year deal with an annual cap hit of $2.75 million.

For the past four seasons, Söderblom has played in the Blackhawks system, playing just 18 games in his first two seasons. In 2023-24, the right-handed goalie played 32 games, posting an .880 save percentage and 3.89 goals against average. Last season, the Swedish netminder finished with an .898 save percentage and 3.18 goals against average in 36 games.

Next season, Söderblom will battle with two other netminders, Spencer Knight and Laurent Brossoit, for playing time.