COOLEY, MAMMOTH TAKING THINGS SLOW

TORONTO, ON — With plenty of attention placed on player contracts these days, it is no wonder why some clubs are trying to lock up some of their young rising stars to long-term deals.

We are less than one year away from eight-year contracts being a thing of the past and giving that extra year on a deal to maximize the overall guaranteed total – potential buyouts notwithstanding – is an incentive some teams are willing to dangle for the right player.

Not only do these eight-year deals apply to pending unrestricted free agents like Connor McDavid, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel, Adrian Kempe, Kyle Connor, Alex Tuch, and so on, it also may be quite appealing to the pending restricted free agents like Connor Bedard, Logan Cooley, Thomas Harley, Late Hutson, Jason Robertson and Co., as well.

Sixteen days ago, at the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour in Las Vegas, Bedard admitted he wasn’t too worried about his next deal, as negotiations between the Chicago Blackhawks and his camp are well underway.

“We’re both comfortable with where we’re at,” he said, as quoted by NHL.com. “They know I want to be there; I know they want me. So, it’s really not on my mind that much, and I just think when it happens, it’ll happen.”

Bedard will get his deal, as well others. Some, though, are not as eager to jump into a contract at this stage of the year.

Cooley, drafted third-overall in 2022, is in the third year of his three-year, entry-level contract and is willing to see how things play out before negotiating a new deal with Utah.

According to a league source, Mammoth GM Bill Armstrong and Cooley’s camp spoke a few times over the summer, but actual contract negotiations are being placed on the backburner to allow the 21-year-old to focus on the season.

That’s not to say either side can’t approach the other mid-season, but for the time being, that’s the mindset going into the 2025-26 campaign.

Cooley is an integral part of the Mammoth roster and their success moving forward. After potting 20 goals and 44 points in all 82 games in his rookie season in Arizona, he followed that performance up with a 25-goal, 65-point campaign in 75 games last season. His price tag is already climbing, and it may skyrocket if he continues to elevate his game and point totals this season.

And perhaps Bedard or someone else’s next contract comes in before Cooley gets to the table and helps set the tone for his negotiations.

HERE AND THERE

• Status quo between the Anaheim Ducks and current RFA Mason McTavish, as of Thursday morning. The gap remains, even with McTavish open to a long-term deal.

• Like Cooley, Dylan Holloway isn’t rushing towards a new contract, either. Holloway broke out last season, putting up 26 goals and 63 points in 77 games with the St. Louis Blues and the two sides are expected to see how the season plays out before discussing an extension. If he continues where he left off, the Blues may try to approach his camp midway through the year.

• With the Toronto Maple Leafs focused on getting goalie Anthony Stolarz locked up to a multi-year extension, talks have not yet begun with forward Bobby McMann, who is also in the final year of his current contract.

• Food for thought regarding the five Team Canada WJC players and their returns to the NHL: While they can agree to terms with a club as of Oct. 1, their contracts cannot be formally registered until Oct. 15, at the earliest. For teams in cap trouble, they could wait to register the contract until later in the season, as each of the five players are not eligible to play in an NHL game until Dec. 1.

• On that note: Vegas seems to be the frontrunner to sign free agent goalie Carter Hart. They have just over $1.16 million in salary cap space, taking into account Alex Pietrangelo’s placed on LTIR, so more juggling is expected – whenever the contract is filed.

• Kiefer Sherwood had career year last season with Vancouver, scoring 19 goals and tallying 40 points. He’s in the final year of his contract and while the Canucks like what he brings to the table for them, they haven’t jumped into negotiations just yet.