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NHL Notebook: Sam Steel and Tim Washe sign four-year extensions

Photo credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

By Cynthia Ryley Delaney

Sep 22, 2026, 17:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 22, 2026, 14:35 EDT

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The 2026-27 National Hockey League season is here, well, at least pre-season is.

That doesn’t mean that teams have quit signing players to extensions. The latest of which was given out by the Dallas Stars, who signed Ardrossan, Alberta product Sam Steel to a four-year deal with an annual cap hit of $3.7 million.

Dallas Stars

@DallasStars

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Steeler is here to stay 🙌

4:30 PM · Sep 21, 2026

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Steel was selected 30th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in 2016. Appearing in 22 games during the 2018-19 season, the centre scored six goals and 11 points. That was followed by a career-high 22 points in 65 games the following season, before hitting the 20-point mark again in 2021-22.

He’s hit the 20+ point mark every season since then, scoring 10 goals and 28 points in 65 games with the Minnesota Wild in 2022-23, his lone season in the State of Hockey. Joining the Stars in 2023-24, he scored nine goals and 24 points in 77 games, then six goals and 25 points in 79 games in 2024-25. Last season, Steel set a career-high 12 goals and 33 points in 73 games, but was held off the scoresheet in the Stars’ six games.

Ducks sign Tim Washe to four-year deal

Steel wasn’t the only forward to sign a four-year extension in recent times, as his former team, the Ducks, signed Tim Washe to a four-year deal a few days ago. This contract carries an annual cap hit of $2.25 million.

Anaheim Ducks

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SIGNED: The Washe Machine is staying in Orange Country! Tim Washe has signed a four-year contract extension ✍️ Details ⬇️ nhl.com/ducks/news/duc…

8:52 PM · Sep 19, 2026

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Washe, 25, won the NCAA National Championship with Western Michigan in 2024-25, scoring 16 goals and 38 points in 42 games to help the university to capture it’s first title. That turned into a professional deal with the Ducks, playing two games to end the 2024-25 season.

Last season, Washe split his time between the NHL and American Hockey League, scoring just two goals and five points in 39 NHL games. However, he was far more productive in the AHL, potting 14 goals and 27 points in 36 games.

What really earned Washe this extension was his performance in the playoffs. Though he only picked up one helper in 12 playoff games, he went head-to-head against Connor McDavid and held him to just two even-strength points in the six games.

Kevin Hayes announces retirement

On Monday, veteran forward Kevin Hayes announced his retirement, ending a 12-year NHL career.

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@khl_eng

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After 861 games in NHL and 5 games in KHL, Kevin Hayes 🇺🇸 announced his retirement. "I have decided to end my hockey career. I can no longer play at the level I am capable of because my body does not allow me to perform at my best. And I cannot accept not being in top form."

10:19 AM · Sep 21, 2026

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Hayes was selected 24th overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, but elected not to sign with them. Instead, he signed with fellow Original Six team, the New York Rangers. Over five seasons with the Rangers, Hayes scored 87 goals and 216 points in 361 games, including a career-best 25 goals in 2017-18.

Before the 2019 trade deadline, Hayes was traded to the Winnipeg Jets, where he scored five goals and 13 points in 20 games. That off-season, he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers, scoring 63 goals and 157 points in 253 games with the franchise. Hayes’ best season in terms of points came in Pennsylvania, picking up 54 points in 81 games during the 2022-23 season, the lone time he was an All-Star.

During the 2023 off-season, Hayes was traded to the St. Louis Blues, scoring 13 goals and 29 points with the 2019 Stanley Cup champions. He was traded again the following off-season, this time to the Pittsburgh Penguins where he scored 13 goals and 23 points in 64 games in 2024-25. Hayes played just 28 NHL games with the Penguins in 2025-26, scoring four goals and eight points.

Earlier this off-season, Hayes signed with the Kontinental Hockey League’s Kazan Ak-Bars, but was held pointless in his five games before announcing his retirement.

Cynthia Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFO Calgary, DFO Edmonton, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @CynthiaRDelaney.

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