The Blue Jackets have signed Dmitri Voronkov to a two-year extension worth $8.35 million ($4.175 million AAV). Voronkov, who was an RFA, has signed a bridge deal instead of a long-term extension. However, Voronkov will still be an RFA when the contract expires, as his UFA year isn't until 2028.

In his second NHL season, Voronkov hit career highs in both goals (22) and assists (24), reaching a 52-point 82-game pace while playing on a scoring line with Kirill Marchenko and either Sean Monahan or Adam Fantilli. Also playing on Columbus' top power play, Voronkov led the team with eight power-play goals. At age 24, Voronkov will try to build on what he has accomplished in the Blue Jackets' top 6.

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The Kraken have signed Tye Kartye to a two-year extension worth $2.5 million ($1.25 million AAV). Kartye finished his second full NHL season with just 13 points in 63 games, averaging under 10 minutes a game on the fourth line. Kartye doesn't bring huge scoring upside, but he has found a spot in the Seattle lineup with his physical play. Kartye has registered at least 175 hits in each of his two seasons, and he is consistently averaging nearly three hits per game.

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The Capitals have signed Hendrix Lapierre to a one-year, $850,000 contract. Lapierre played 27 games for the Capitals in 2024-25, registering eight assists. However, the 2020 first-round pick (22^nd overall) picked up 32 points in 32 games for Hershey of the AHL. He will attempt to crack the Capitals' roster on a full-time basis this coming season.

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The following players have filed for salary arbitration:

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Hearings could run between July 20 and August 4, although a contract can still be reached before then.

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One of the ways you can try to gain an edge in fantasy hockey using advanced stats is by looking for players with higher-than-normal or lower-than-normal primary assist percentages. A high primary assist percentage means that a player is more involved in the play, whereas a high secondary assist percentage can be a bit more random.

Let's start with three players who had high primary assist percentages in 2024-25.

Mark Stone

We all know Stone is a major injury risk, as he has not played 70 games in a season since 2018-19. When he is in the lineup, however, he is still a major threat to score. Stone finished the 2024-25 season at a point-per-game level (19 G, 48 A, 67 PTS in 66 GP), which included a primary assist total (34) that was tied for ninth in the league despite a reduced number of games played. Stone's secondary assist percentage of 29% was his lowest since he was a rookie in 2013-14, so scoring at a point-per-game rate again is not a tall order. We just don't know the total, since we don't know how many games he'll be in the lineup.

Mika Zibanejad

Zibanejad and the Rangers had a season to forget in 2024-25. The Rangers veteran saw both his goal and assist total fall, and his plus/minus was a team-worst minus-22. There is some reason for optimism for at least a slight bounce back, though. Only 11 of Zibanejad's 42 assists were secondary for a very low 26.2%. Zibanejad's secondary assist percentage has ranged between 30-40% over the last few seasons, so he has the opportunity to pick up his assist total a bit in 2025-26. For what it's worth, Zibanejad was also stronger in the second half (35 PTS in 40 GP) compared to the first half (27 PTS in 42 GP).

Phillip Danault

Danault has been incredibly consistent in his four seasons in Los Angeles, ranging between 40 and 55 points while averaging only two games missed per season. However, his 2024-25 total of 43 points was his lowest in four seasons. In his case, improvement can occur in both goals (6.6 SH%) and assists (20% Sec. Asst. %). Danault's secondary assist percentage has been all over the map, but usually it is in the range of 30-45%. On top of that, his low total of eight goals was due to a very low shooting percentage, so expect at least a slight increase there as well.

Next, here are three forwards who had a high secondary assist percentage in 2024-25. Having a high secondary assist total can be an indication of being less involved in the play, which can be an indicator of a lower upcoming assist total.

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Jack Eichel

Eichel's 66 assists was sixth in the NHL in 2024-25, but he was also the secondary assist leader with 39. That total far surpassed his primary assist total of 27. His 94 points represented a career high, but ultimately that was padded by a secondary assist total that had only reached 23 in prior seasons. Eichel's injury history had played a role in that, as he had only played at least 70 games in a season once prior to 2024-25. However, Eichel's secondary assist percentage had typically ranged between 40% and 50%, except for two seasons where it had reached 54.8% and 68.8%. Expect Eichel's assist total to dip slightly, if not because of secondary assists but also because of injuries.

Clayton Keller

Keller was second among forwards in 2024-25 with 35 secondary assists. That was good for 58.3% of his assists (60 total). Throughout his career, Keller has typically been a 10-20 secondary assist player, so this is a sharp increase. Keller's previous career high in assists was 49, set two seasons ago. It's possible that with Utah being a team on the rise and the young core now a year older could benefit Keller overall. However, expect Keller's assist total to take a hit in 2025-26, which would likely reduce his overall point total from the career high of 90 set this past season.

Dylan Strome

I recently accepted a trade where I decided to part with Strome in a salary cap league. His secondary assist total factored into my decision, as his career highs in assists (53) and points (82) were boosted by 26 secondary assists, which accounted for 49% of his assist total. Prior to 2024-25, Strome had never recorded more than 18 secondary assists in a season, with a percentage that ranged between 22% and 53%. Another factor could be Alex Ovechkin taking his foot off the gas a bit now that he has broken the goal record. Any Ovechkin regression would be directly felt by Strome.

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