Hours after North Dakota was elimated from the Frozen Four, Abram Wiebe has signed a two-year, entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames. The 22-year-old defensemen was originally drafted by Vegas in the 7th round of the 2022 NHL draft (209th overall) but was traded to Calgary in the deal that saw Rasmus Andersson go the other way. In 40 games at the University of North Dakota (NCAA), he had five goals and 29 points.

Hurtig was a seventh-round pick of the Calgary Flames in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft that has just been rewarded with a three-year, entry-level contract. The 20-year-old defenseman scored 19 points (6G / 13A) this season in 64 games with the Calgary Hitmen (WHL).

The 70th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Castagna was acquired from the Mammoth earlier this season in the Mackenzie Weegar trade. Castagna recently finished his Junior season of NCAA hockey at Cornell University, where he tallied 15 goals and 19 assists in 34 games.

Gross is an undrafted forward that has been awarded with a professional contract after an impressive few seasons playing collegiate hockey. The 23-year-old scored 41 points (18G / 23A) in 36 games with St. Cloud State (NCHC) this season.

Cooley has unexpectedly been excellent in a supporting role in his first season as a full-time NHL backup and has been rewarded with a two-year contract extension. The 28-year-old California-born goalie has a solid 2.40 GAA and .914 SV% in 13 appearances (4-4-2).

Calgary's captain will return for an 18th season with the Flames after Mikael Backlund signed a two-year extension worth $3.25M AAV ($6.5 million total) on Wednesday. The 36-year-old remained a steady nightly presence in Calgary's lineup last season, with 15 goals, 32 points and 175 SOG in 76 games played while averaging 18:44 TOI/GP.

One of the biggest remaining RFAs of the offseason is off the board after Calgary signed Connor Zary to a three-year contract worth $3.775 million AAV ($11.325M total). The 23-year-old bruising forward was Calgary's 2020 1st round pick (24th overall) and has assimilated nicely to NHL hockey with 27 goals and 61 points in his first 117 NHL games across two seasons. He is expected to play a pivotal role in Calgary's offence for the 2025-26 season.

After two seasons in Charlotte (AHL), Michael Benning is expected to return to the Checkers after the 23-year-old signed a one-year, two-way contract extension with Florida on Thursday. The puck-moving defenseman has yet to make an NHL appearance but has excelled with the Checkers in his last two seasons, putting up an impressive nine goals, 32 points and 34 PIMs in 54 games played last season.

Pospisil still has one year left on his two-year contract worth $1 million AAV, but has signed an extension beyond this season for three-years, $7.5 million ($2.5 million AAV) with Calgary on Wednesday. The 25-year-old bruising ringer is entering his third NHL season after playing in nearly every game in 2024-25 (81), and picking up four goals, 25 points, and 84 PIMs. He is expected to fill another bottom-six role to start the season with Calgary.

New York and Maxim Tsyplakov avoided arbitration on Friday after they announced a two-year contract extension worth $4.5 million ($2.25 million AAV) for the Russian forward. The 26-year-old made his NHL debut last season after signing out of the KHL and succeeded in his first taste of the big leagues with 10 goals, 35 points, and 39 PIMs in 77 games played. He is expected to take on a bigger role in his second season with the Islanders in 2025-26.