Hello all, and happy July 1st!

Well, actually, it's September 16th, but with the number of NHL extensions flying in, it feels like July 1st. There's a lot to cover, enough that some extensions will spill into next week. Let's get into it.

Mark Stone (34, RW) signs a 2-year contract with the Vegas Golden Knights at a $9M AAV ($18M total)

UFA in 2029 (Age 36)

I like to think fall unofficially starts in Chicagoland around the third week of October. I worked at a golf course for years, and our greenskeepers would often say that's when frost reliably shows up. Summer? They'd say May 15th—usually no more frost warnings beyond that date. But the real unofficial start of spring? That would be when the Golden Knights place Mark Stone on LTIR, which is usually sometime in mid‑March. Side note: If you're wondering when winter starts in Illinois…nobody knows. Could be tomorrow, could be never. It's a mystery.

Jokes aside, this is a strong signing for Vegas, and in salary leagues Stone comes in at a slightly lower AAV. The back‑injury skepticism is understandable, but Vegas has one of the more conservative medical staffs in the league. They wouldn't have pursued Jack Eichel post‑surgery to repair a disc injury if they weren't confident, and I think the same logic applies here.

From a fantasy standpoint, Stone is the engine of Vegas. When healthy, he's elite at both even strength and on the power play. In just 60 games last season, he posted 73 points—27 on the man advantage. With what might be the best center depth in the NHL, I don't see a production dip coming this season.

Cutter Gauthier (22, LW/RW) signs a 6-year contract with the Anaheim Ducks at a $13.5M AAV ($81M total)

UFA in 2032 (Age 28)

Reading the offseason tea leaves, I half‑expected Gauthier to ask Anaheim for $25M. While the deal puts the Ducks in a tough spot cap‑wise, for fantasy he could be a home run.

From a salary‑league perspective, $13.5M is lower than many anticipated. If his offensive trajectory continues, this is a perennial 40‑goal scorer making under $15M. I genuinely believe he has Rocket Richard potential, as he put on display last year with his 41 tallies.

Anaheim rarely hands out big signing bonuses, but Gauthier got plenty—front‑loaded, with his only no‑move year coming in 2032. I expect a significantly larger role this season as the Ducks will likely have to lean heavily on their top lines.

Drake Batherson (28, RW) signs an 8-year contract with the Ottawa Senators at a $10.75M AAV ($86M total)

UFA in 2035 (Age 37)

Before getting into the numbers, one quick note: depending on your fantasy platform, Drake Batherson may be listed as LW/RW rather than just RW. If you're in active player bids, that dual‑eligibility is worth keeping in mind.

I like this signing for Ottawa, and from a fantasy standpoint I can see Batherson being a strong roster piece for most of the contract—right up until the late years when he's 37 and making over $10M. Even then, he's the type of player I wish I had in my dynasty league. He's hit at least 60 points in four straight seasons, and I can easily see him continuing to land in that range or pushing into the 70‑point territory annually.

Any fantasy player who reliably produces offense is someone I gravitate toward, whether it's dynasty, annual redraft, or DFS. Batherson plays good minutes, and even though Ottawa's playoff run was short, he still scored three of their five goals against Carolina.

From a bookkeeping standpoint, this contract is easier to absorb than the ELCs that have exploded into double‑digit AAVs this offseason. Those deals force you to gamble on future production; with Batherson, you're paying for production he's already demonstrated. He's a good roster piece across formats, and for those like me in Points Pools, I'm keeping an eye on Ottawa.

Noah Ostlund (22, C/LW) signs an 8-Year contract with the Buffalo Sabres at a $6.6M Cap Hit ($52.8M Total)

UFA 2031 (Age 31)

As someone in my fantasy league put it: "$6M is the new $3M." He might be right, as Östlund has signed on in Buffalo for an eight-year contract extension.

Good news for fantasy bookkeeping: the contract doesn't start until next season, giving managers some breathing room. There's risk, but Lindy Ruff consistently praised Östlund throughout last season and into the playoffs.

I don't expect a massive offensive leap yet, but I do see steady progression. He should work his way into a 2C role over time, and with second‑line centers now hovering around $6M, the deal aligns with league trends. He'll get more touches this season and has already shown strong play‑driving ability via his passing skills. While still on his ELC for this season, I could see him hitting the 30‑point mark this year and building from there.

*Salary Cap data from PuckPedia.com  

For continued fantasy news and notes, follow me on Twitter @ndySanz.