Just when it feels like summer signings have slowed down, we get two significant extensions for young players, both carrying fantasy implications for the present and well into the future. Not only that, but we also could be seeing a former Ranger on the move back east. Never a dull afternoon!

Fraser Minten (22, C/LW) signs a 7-year contract with the Boston Bruins at a $7.2M AAV ($50.4M total)

UFA in 2034 (Age 29)

I’ve tried to acquire Minten in my dynasty league multiple times before this signing, with no success. I’ve always been a fan of his game, and apparently the Bruins are too. There are arguments on both sides of this deal. Some will view it as a smart long-term bet on a young player with room to grow, while others may see it as a potential obstacle to roster flexibility during Boston’s current competitive window.

Minten has generated most of his offense at even strength, which is encouraging for a young player who took significant strides in his development last season. He’s a strong two-way forward, and it’s clear the Bruins are betting on him becoming either a first- or second-line center capable of producing 55 to 60 points annually. If he reaches that level, this contract could age very well.

The concern is that Boston is trying to compete right now. If Minten settles in closer to the 40-point range and ultimately profiles as a bottom-six center, the deal could limit some of the organization’s roster-building flexibility. Still, this is the direction the NHL is trending. We’ve seen teams such as the Canadiens lock up young talent early, often paying a premium in exchange for long-term cost certainty and keeping key players in-house.

I understand the skepticism surrounding a player who is currently well below a point-per-game pace earning more than $7 million annually. However, that’s increasingly becoming the reality of today’s NHL market. If Minten develops into a legitimate top six center, the cap hit will likely align with market value.

From a fantasy perspective, it’s important to remember that this extension does not begin until next season. The biggest area for improvement remains his power-play production. In 82 games last season, Minten recorded just three points with the man advantage. By contrast, his even-strength production has been quite encouraging for a player his age. His game benefited at times from playing alongside Morgan Geekie on the third line, and there were stretches where Boston’s depth allowed Minten and wingers such as Viktor Arvidsson to exploit favorable five-on-five matchups. If my DFS memory serves me correctly, that line became a useful value stack on several occasions during the middle portion of the season.

If you’re rostering Minten in a dynasty, now is the time to evaluate what his long-term fantasy ceiling could look like. There’s a realistic path for his fantasy stock to rise quickly based on the development we’ve already seen. The power-play growth still needs to come, but the even strength production suggests there’s plenty of upside.

Zeev Buium (20, D) signs an 8-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks at a $9.38M AAV ($70.04M total)

UFA in 2035 (Age 29)

Get to the cap floor? Check. Lock up your hopeful future No. 1 defenseman? Check. The Canucks accomplished both by signing Zeev Buium to what is essentially a Luke Hughes-style deal after a difficult season for the club. Almost immediately after news of the signing broke, Buium appeared on my league's trade block, which naturally drew a couple eyeball emojis from league mates. While I'm a big fan of his game, I do have some concerns when it comes to his fantasy value.

At $9.38 million on the blue line, this contract becomes difficult to manage once it kicks in, and that's where my hesitation starts. My concern is that Buium may be more of a long-term defensive project rather than a player who can immediately step into a No. 1 role and produce strong fantasy numbers, like Lane Hutson. My league chat includes plenty of Vancouver fans, so I'm not looking to sour the club heading into the season, but there's a real possibility that this year ends up looking a lot like the one that just finished. If that happens, Buium could find himself as a solid defenseman on a below-average team, and that typically doesn't translate into elite offensive fantasy production. Strong real-life value and strong fantasy value are not always the same thing.

If your dynasty team is currently rebuilding or retooling, much like the Canucks themselves, then holding onto Buium and his contract makes plenty of sense. On the other hand, if your championship window is firmly within the next two or three seasons, I'd be very cautious about carrying an AAV north of $9 million for a defenseman who may ultimately become a very good NHL player but not necessarily one whose production fully translates to fantasy success in the short-term.

It's tempting to treat this as a simple “wait and evaluate” situation before the contract takes effect in 2027. However, if Vancouver continues to struggle, accurately assessing Buium's fantasy value could become difficult, especially for managers who may need to move expensive contracts to remain competitive.


Chris Kreider (35, LW) on unconditional waivers – process of contract termination ($6.5M AAV) with the Anaheim Ducks

I certainly didn't have this on my offseason BINGO card. Chris Kreider and the Anaheim Ducks have agreed to a contract termination, with the intention of allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers over the next 24 hours.

Kreider's game is well known. He remains an excellent net-front presence on the power play and produced 22 goals and 50 points in 75 games for the Ducks last season. While I'd love to know exactly how the two sides arrived at this decision, it's hard not to view this as a significant win for Anaheim amid its ongoing contract negotiations with Cutter Gauthier.

I can't explain why Kreider is often talked about like a 35-year-old going on 57, considering that narrative has followed him since his Rangers days, but what we do know is that his preference appears to be signing with a team in the Eastern Conference. I'm not going to speculate on specific destinations, but patience can sometimes pay off. A contender with $2-4M in cap space could emerge as a realistic landing spot if he reaches free agency.

From a fantasy perspective, we can speculate point production but until we know whose jersey Kreider will be wearing a month from now, it may be just looking at his career averages for reference. That said, I'd expect his next contract to fall somewhere in the $2-4 million range if he clears waivers and officially becomes a UFA.

*Salary Cap data from PuckPedia.com  

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