Sturms' start to his Minnesota tenure is off to a rocky start after it was announced the 30-year-old would be off the ice for four or five days due to a back injury. After winning a cup with Florida in 2024-25, Sturm signed a two-year, $4 million contract with Minnesota in the offseason. He is coming off a seven-goal, 14-point campaign across 62 games with both San Jose and Florida in 2024-25.
Minnesota has locked up its 2024 5th round pick (142nd overall) after announcing it had signed Chase Wutzke to a two-year, entry-level contract on Monday. The 19-year-old is expected to return to Red Deer (WHL) for a fourth season in 2025-26 after posting a 17-25-5 record last season with a 3.38 GAA and .895 SV%.
Hunt will remain in Columbus's organization after the 23-year-old signed a one-year, two-way contract extension on Friday. The skilled defenseman was a key piece of the deal, which sent David Jiricek to Minnesota last November. He's appeared in 13 NHL games throughout his young career, picking up an assist and a -1 plus/minus. He is expected to start 2025-26 in Cleveland (AHL), where he had two goals and 14 points in 48 games last season.
After a succesful season in Manitoba (AHL) as an assistant captain, Mason Shaw will return to the Winnipeg organization as forward depth after signing a one-year, two-way contract extension on Thursday. The 26-year-old has 82 career NHL games played to his name (20 Pts) but spent the entire 2024-25 campaign in the minors with Manitoba, where he had 17 goals, 37 points and 114 PIMs in 72 games played.
The biggest KHL target of the offseason is off the board after New York announced Wednesday that they have come to a one-year, entry-level agreement with Maxim Shabanov. The 24-year-old Russian forward is coming off a sensational season with Traktor Chelyabinsk (KHL) where he had 23 goals and 67 points in 65 games played. He is expected to make an impact with the Islanders right away.
Minnesota added a veteran presence on Wednesday after signing 33-year-old forward Tyler Pitlick to a two-year, two-way contract. Pitlick last appeared in 34 games in the NHL with New York in 2023-24, but spent the entirety of the 2024-25 with Providence (AHL), where he had 21 goals, 46 points and 34 PIMs across 59 games played.
Minnesota added to its defensive depth on Day 2 of Free Agency by signing reigning Stanley Cup Champion Matt Kiersted to a one-year, two-way contract. The 27-year-old defenseman managed to appear in two games with Florida in 2024-25, but spent the majority of the season with Charlotte (AHL), where he had a goal and 29 points in 64 games played.
Sturm joined the Florida Panthers before the trade deadline last season and played eight games in the postseason en route to a Stanley Cup. The 29-year-old Sturm has 92 points (46G / 46A) in 331 career games and will return to the Minnesota Wild after playing four seasons with them to begin his career.
Bill Guerin announced Saturday that Jonas Brodin is expected to miss the start of the 2025-26 season after undergoing successful upper-body surgery. The 31-year-old defender missed 32 games in 2024-25 due to injury but still managed to put up an impressive four goals, 20 points, and +10 plus/minus in his 50 games played. His return date remains up in the air until we get closer to the 2025-26 regular season.
After missing the second half of the 2024-25 season due to a knee injury, Justin Kirkland has earned himself a one-year, $900,000 contract extension to remain in Calgary. The 28-year-old forward picked up his first career point in 2024-25 with the Flames and finished the campaign early with two goals, eight points and a +6 plus/minus in 21 games played. He is expected to take a bottom-six role in 2025-26.
Pickard was excellent in relief of Stuart Skinner in Game 4, entering the contest in the second period with a 3-0 deficit, saving 22 of 23 shots (.957 SV%) in an eventual 5-4 overtime victory over the Florida Panthers, evening the series at 2-2. Game 5 on Saturday will be Pickard's first start since the second round against the Vegas Golden Knights. The 33-year-old netminder has a 2.69 GAA and .896 SV% in nine appearances this postseason (7-0).
Sturm played in his first game in 19 days when he rejoined Florida's lineup for their Game 4 victory, but is expected to be the odd man out for Game 5 in Carolina as AJ Greer returns from an undisclosed injury. Sturm has only appeared in eight total playoff games this year and has yet to pick up a point while only having three SOG.
Pickard has not played since Game 3 of Edmonton's round-two series against the Vegas Golden Knights, but will return as the backup netminder on Tuesday for Game 4. Stuart Skinner has been great since replacing Pickard in net, going 4-1 with a 1.64 GAA, .936 SV% and three shutouts, so it would likely take an injury for Pickard to get the crease back.
Oilers' head coach Kris Knoblauch said that there's a "good possibility" that Pickard suits up as Stuart Skinner's backup in Game 4. Skinner has been great since replacing Pickard in net, going 4-2 with a 1.64 GAA, .936 SV% and three shutouts, so it would likely take an injury for Pickard to get the crease back.
Sturm has not played since Game 2 vs. the Maple Leafs, but he will replace A.J. Greer (day-to-day) in the lineup for Game 4 vs. Carolina. Sturm has just one assist in 22 combined regular season and playoff games since joining the Panthers.
Pickard is undefeated in the playoffs through 7 games played but has not played since Game 3 vs. Vegas due to an undisclosed injury. The 33-year-old netminder has been ruled out for the opening games of Edmonton's upcoming Western Conference Final but is hopeful to return in the middle of the series.
Yurov is Minnesota's 2022 1st round pick (24th overall) and has signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Friday. The 21-year-old Russian forward spent 2024-25 with Metallurg Magnitogorsk (KHL) and had 13 goals and 25 points in 46 games played.
Pickard was forced to miss Edmonton's Game 3 loss due to an undisclosed injury and will remain out for Game 4 as the Oilers host the Golden Knights on Monday. Stuart Skinner will handle the starter duties in his absence. Prior to his injury, the 33-year-old Pickard was a perfect 6-0-0, with a 2.84 and .888 SV%.
Pickard is 6-0 in the 2024-25 playoffs, but he will not play in Game 3 on Saturday. He is sidelined day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. The 33-year-old Pickard was shaken up late in the third period of Edmonton's Game 2 victory after Tomas Hertl of the Vegas Golden Knights awkwardly collided with him. It's unclear if that sequence is the culprit for Pickard's injury or if it's unrelated.
