The PuckPedia Hockey Show

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Bringing NHL contract conversations to the forefront with Keith Kavanaugh and PuckPedia Founder Hart Levine.

Keith today has Carolina Hurricanes Assistant GM Tyler Dellow to talk through his path from law school to a hockey analytics pioneer, building the New Jersey Devils’ analytics department, Carolina’s creative contracts like Taylor Hall’s no-move clause and their deferred salary deals, the Mikko Rantanen trade, and where hockey analytics is headed next.

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For Episode 29 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine break down the biggest cap stories of the week. They start with the teams already using LTIR and how they set their captures, then get into Alex DeBrincat’s seven-year, $91 million extension with the Red Wings and the ongoing Simon Edvinsson standoff in Detroit. Plus, the Maple Leafs landing Aatu Räty from the Canucks after he cleared waivers, and the latest on Connor Hellebuyck’s team-imposed suspension and trade request in Winnipeg.

As always, reply on X or get in the YouTube chat to submit your...

Bringing NHL contract conversations to the forefront with Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine.

Keith today has 1993 Stanley Cup champion Mathieu Schneider, now an NHLPA certified agent and Director of Men’s Hockey at 3G Sports, to talk through his 1,289-game NHL career, holding out as a restricted free agent, his 13 years at the NHLPA, and his new career on the agent side.

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On this episode of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine break down the latest NHL contract and trade news, including the Kirill Marchenko trade, Simon Edvinsson’s holdout, and Tristan Luneau’s extension. The guys dive into the salary cap implications, contract details, and what these moves mean for the teams involved.

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Keith today has Brian and Scott Bartlett of Bartlett Hockey to talk through the Cale Makar record breaking contract, Alex Tuch’s sign and trade, Mackie Samoskevich’s trade and extension, and the new landscape of NHL contracts.

Episode Chapters

0:00 Intro

3:00 NHL Agency Start

7:00 Makar

13:00 Tuch

18:00 Vlasic

23:00 Samoskevich

28:00 Contract Landscape

34:00 Hart Joins

37:00 Ask the Capologist

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For Episode 27 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They kick things off with Jason Robertson, who signed a one-year, $12 million deal with the Dallas Stars after a failed attempt at a long-term extension, setting himself up for unrestricted free agency next summer.

Then they get into Connor Bedard, who signed a five-year, $75 million extension with the Chicago Blackhawks at $15 million AAV through the 2030-31 season.

Then the biggest news of the day: Patrick Kane is heading back to Chicago...

Episode 49 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special guest, Darren Ferris, Managing Director of Quartexx Management and NHLPA certified agent with over thirty years in the business.

We start by getting into Darren's background: how he got his start coaching junior hockey, was encouraged to pivot to agenting, walked away from early partnerships because he wasn't comfortable with how the business was being done, spent eighteen years helping build the hockey practice at what is now Quartexx alongside Bobby Orr, and ultimately merged his own practice into Quartexx in 2019 (1:00). His first NHL draft client was...

Episode 48 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special guest, Dimitri Filipovic, host of The Hockey PDOcast and contributor at Sportsnet. Dimitri has been one of the most influential voices in hockey analytics for over a decade, and Keith has been a longtime listener of The Hockey PDOcast.

We start by getting into Dimitri's background: how he got his start writing for Canucks Army at the Nation Network around 2010-2011, inspired by the Vancouver Canucks' cutting-edge approach under Mike Gillis and Lawrence Gilman, who were using sleep doctors, biometric data, and zone start manipulation before any...

For Episode 26 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They kick things off with offer sheets, diving deep into the Leo Carlsson situation: the Philadelphia Flyers submitted an offer sheet for the Anaheim Ducks center, and Anaheim made the decision to match today, keeping Carlsson in Anaheim Orange.

Then they get into the broader free agency fallout and break down the biggest moves from July 1st and what they mean around the league from a cap standpoint.

Then they dig...

Episode 47 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special recurring guest, Jeff Marek, one of hockey's most respected voices, joining just about a week into the NHL free agency period with the NHL Draft now behind us.

We lead off with the biggest story of the offseason: the Philadelphia Flyers' offer sheet to Leo Carlsson at $18M AAV, which would make him the highest paid player in the NHL (1:00). Jeff breaks down why this wasn't just a shot at Ducks GM Pat Verbeek, but a direct challenge to Ducks Owner Henry Samueli, drawing comparisons to the 2019...

For Episode 25 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the craziness of yesterday’s free agency frenzy. They go over the biggest moves that happened yesterday and the most active teams. The San Jose Sharks added a lot of money to their books with the signings of Jacob Trouba and Mason Marchment, and the trade for Darnell Nurse. The Edmonton Oilers totally revamped their goaltending position, trading for Devon Levi and then signing Freddy Andersen. The New York Rangers were also very active yesterday. Following their acquisition of Pavel Dorofeyev, they followed up with signing Ol...

Episode 46 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special recurring guest, ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. Emily is joined by PuckPedia’s founder Hart Levine and host Keith Kavanaugh. Emily was on the broadcast for the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo this past weekend, so we get her insight on how she thinks the Draft went as the NHL is in year 2 of de-centralization (2:00).

Then we talk through how she manages breaking NHL trade news while being on TV at the same time, and what she thought about a couple of the big trades that happened during the Draf...

For Episode 24 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They kick things off by setting the scene for a chaotic NHL Draft Week in Buffalo, with trades coming in from every direction.

Then they break down the trades involving Brady Tkachuk, Simon Nemec, William Eklund, Jordan Kyrou, and Bowen Byram, and what each move means from a cap perspective.

Then they get into the Oilers signings and how Edmonton is building out their roster heading into next season.

...

Episode 45 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special recurring guest, Jason Bukala of the Pro Hockey Group, back for his fourth appearance on the show and joining just days before the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo. Jason will be on Sportsnet for Day 1 and NHL Network for Day 2 of draft coverage, and his full scouting reports are available on PuckPedia Plus along with the new video vault feature.

We dive right in with the big debate at the top of the draft: Gavin McKenna versus Ivar Stenberg at number one overall (1:30). Jason breaks down the key...

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Episode 44 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special guest, Dan Milstein, NHLPA certified agent and CEO of Gold Star Hockey.

We start with Dan's extraordinary background: born in the Soviet Union, living 78 miles from Chernobyl when it happened, and arriving in the United States at sixteen years old with one suitcase and seventeen cents as a political refugee (1:00). From working at McDonald's before school every morning to becoming the youngest general manager in his bank's history before age twenty-one, to starting Gold Star Mortgage with $3,500 in savings and growing it into one of the largest...

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Episode 43 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special guest, Alexis Downie, host and content producer for the Anaheim Ducks, covering everything from DuckStream to the TV pregame show to in-arena reporting on the jumbotron.

We start by diving into Alexis's background: growing up in Youngstown, Ohio as a Pittsburgh Penguins fan, attending Michigan State where she worked with the hockey team all four years, interning with USA Hockey, and spending a pivotal summer at NBC Sports Washington during the year the Capitals won the Stanley Cup (3:00). From there she moved to Chicago, built an NHL...

For Episode 21 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They kick things off with the PuckPedia and Nation Network partnership announcement and touch on the Stanley Cup Playoffs with Vegas leading the Final (1:30).

Then they get into Anton Silayev's entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils and break down how ELC structures and performance bonuses work under the new CBA (7:00).

They move on to performance bonus candidates for the upcoming season, covering the three categories of eligible players and some...

Episode 42 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special guest, Allain Roy, president and CEO of Roy Sports Group, joining from the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo.

We start by honoring the passing of Claude Lemieux, who transitioned from his legendary playing career into the agency world with 4Sports Hockey (2:00). Allain shares his thoughts on what his loss means to the hockey and agency community and the importance of mental health awareness across all levels of the game.

Then we get into Allain's background: growing up in French-speaking New Brunswick, leaving home at sixteen...

Episode 41 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special recurring guest, Steve Werier, former assistant general manager of the Florida Panthers and a friend of the program.

We kick things off with a quick look at the playoff picture (0:00). Steve breaks down what Carolina has built from top to bottom and why it shouldn't surprise anyone, while Colorado's struggles against Vegas are dissected with injuries and the Olympic break both playing a role.

Then we pivot to the coaching and management carousel that has dominated the offseason conversation (6:00). Steve gives his perspective on what...

For Episode 20 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They start with the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the Conference Finals (2:00). The East features the Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes. The West has the Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights.

Then they get into the Bruce Cassidy situation and what to make of his contract situation and if he will have the ability to coach another team next season (6:00).

They talk about the Timothy Liljegren extension with the Washington Capitals...

Episode 40 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special guest, Rachel Herzog, host and analyst for the New Jersey Devils on MSG Network, and as it turns out, Keith's neighbor!

We start by hearing Rachel's background: how she grew up in Minnesota playing Division I hockey at St. Cloud State, originally planned to become a doctor before pivoting to sports media, and powered through her first on-camera experiences despite being terrified (2:00). We talk about how a college friend pointed her toward sports broadcasting, how she spent six years at St. Cloud State building every skill she...

For Episode 19 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They start with the Stanley Cup Playoffs (3:00) and how the Colorado Avalanche came back from 3-0 down to beat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 in overtime and advance to the Western Conference Final, where they await the winner of the Vegas Golden Knights and the Anaheim Ducks.

Then the Carolina Hurricanes swept the Philadelphia Flyers and await the winner of the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens. They also talked about the coaching changes with...

Episode 39 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special guest, Shane Malloy: the host of Hockey Prospect Radio, co-host of the Hockey Data Show on SiriusXM with Timo Seppa, and a contributor with the Pro Hockey Group.

We start by diving into Shane's background and how he got his start in hockey media completely by accident (1:00), writing for free on hockey websites in the early 2000s, cold-emailing NHL contacts using a media guide his Finnish neighbor gave him, and landing a job at Fox Sports, building out prospect coverage before anyone in mainstream media cared about...

For Episode 18 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They start the episode talking about the NHL Draft Lottery, where the Toronto Maple Leafs won the 1st overall pick, despite having the 4th best odds of 8.5% (3:00). The San Jose Sharks won the 2nd draft lottery and will be picking 2nd overall, despite only a 5% chance of winning that lottery. The Vancouver Canucks dropped from best odds to picking 3rd overall.

Then they talk about the conditions on the Leafs 1st round picks...

Episode 38 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features two very special guests: Guy and Jane Gaudreau, the parents of John and Matt Gaudreau, as well as their daughters Katie and Kristen.

We dive right into the Gaudreau family story with Guy, a Hall of Famer at Norwich University in both soccer and hockey, talking about introducing the boys to sports as young as 18-19 months old, and how John and Matt ultimately chose hockey over everything else (0:30). John even turned down a varsity soccer coach who promised him a Division 1 full ride because he was committed to hockey.<...

Episode 37 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special guest: Jonny Lazarus, hockey insider and co-host of Morning Cuppa Hockey. Keith just got back from a trip to Cabo for his college friend's wedding and missed a chunk of the first round of the playoffs, so he brings Jonny on to break it all down.

We start with the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins series, diving deep into Game 5 and what a potential Vladař injury could mean for Philly going forward (2:00). The Flyers haven't scored a first-period goal in the entire series yet, which raises serious q...

Episode 36 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show features a very special guest, Adam Wodon, the founder of College Hockey News. Adam has been embedded in college hockey for over 35 years as a broadcaster, writer, and editor, and runs the go-to destination for everything NCAA hockey at CollegeHockeyNews.com.

We start the episode by discussing Adam's background and how he got into college hockey (2:00). He attended Ithaca College, a school that has produced five current NHL broadcasters, and covered Cornell hockey as a student media contributor. He then worked on broadcasts for Princeton and Cornell, had a brief stint...

For Episode 17 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They start the episode talking about playoff matchups as the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs start this weekend (2:00). Then they dive into the salary cap bonus overages teams incurred this season that will be on the books for next season (4:00). Eight teams will have bonus overages, potentially as many as 10.

Then they talk about the new feature on PuckPedia’s website that shows the playoff salary cap and how it is calculated (8:00). Then they di...

Episode 35 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show has a very special guest on, Colby Cohen from ESPN and Daily Faceoff.

We get into it right away as Colby gives us insight into how Colby met John Buccigross and how their relationship evolved and he got into his current role doing the Frozen Four each year (2:00). We touch on Jonathan Quick’s career as he just played his last game on Monday and how the Rangers celebrated his career (5:00).

Then we dive into Colby’s hockey career, how he got drafted in the NHL by the Colorado Aval...

For Episode 16 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They talk about what’s going on in the NHL (2:00), with the coaching change for the New York Islanders and the GM change for the New Jersey Devils, as well as the Eastern and Western Conference playoff races.

Then they dive into the new playoff salary cap this year (8:00), how it works and how each team will work to be cap compliant.

Then they talk about players signing their ELC’s and...

Episode 34 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show has a very special guest on, John Matisz from theScore. John is the Senior NHL Writer.

We talked about his background and how he got into journalism and writing about hockey (2:00). We talk about his experience getting stories in the locker room and the evolution of journalism in this social media and short attention span era (8:00).

We talked about a funny story where he went up to Ray Ferraro who was behind the glass during a game, and gave John a weird look because he was spilling popcorn everywhere (13:30).<...

For Episode 15 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They recap the Hockey Analytics and League Operations (HALO) Conference in Colorado hosted by the Avalanche that Hart and Keith attended (2:00). There was representation from 31 NHL teams, as well as prominent media members, and the Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar and GM Chris MacFarland.

Then they dive into the pressing topics around the league (6:00). Porter Martone officially inked his ELC with the Philadelphia Flyers and was inserted into the lineup on Tuesday.

For Episode 14 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Keith Kavanaugh and Hart Levine dive into the pressing topics of the NHL salary cap world.

They talk about James Hagens new ATO with the Boston Bruins organization (4:00). Keith had Hagens’ agent on The PuckPedia Hockey Show on Wednesday to get all the juicy details. This move gives the team and the player flexibility and the ability to continue playing hockey for their AHL team in Providence while they assess the possibility of signing his ELC.

Then they get into the Toronto Maple Leafs complicated situation with their draft pi...

Episode 33 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show has a very special guest on, NHLPA-certified agent John Kofi Osei-Tutu from the OT Sports Group.

John represents newly signed top prospect James Hagens, so we discuss how that negotiation went down (14:30). We talk about John’s background and how he got into hockey (2:30). Growing up on Long Island, John always knew he wanted to be involved in the game.

After getting his law degree he knew immediately starting his first real job that he wanted to open up a hockey agency. We talk about his partnership with Bobby Ga...

Episode 32 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show has a very special guest on, co-host of Sportsnet’s The FAN Hockey Show Matt Marchese.

Matty tells us how he got into his role at Sportsnet (2:30), starting first as a producer on a few shows including Hockey Central and The Jeff Marek Show. Then he tells us how when Marek left he personally recommended Marchese to get the co-host role alongside former Los Angeles Kings executive Mike Futa (4:30).

We talk about the instant chemistry between Marchese and Futa (8:00), their relationship going back 10+ years, and how they have built up...

For Episode 13 of PuckPedia Cap Central, Hart Levine and Keith Kavanaugh recap the NHL Trade Deadline.

They talk about some of the big moves like Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche and John Carlson to the Anaheim Ducks. They also get into some under the radar moves like Conor Garland to Columbus and Bobby McMann to Seattle.

Then they talk about Nick Schmaltz new 8-year, $64M contract extension with the Utah Mammoth. Schmaltz is having a career year and locked down long-term security in Utah.

Then they dive into the No Trade Clauses...

Episode 31 of The PuckPedia Hockey Show has a very special guest on, producer of Spittin’ Chiclets Mike Grinnell. Grinnelli gives us a rundown of his early career, when he realized he wasn’t going pro in hockey and how he got his start in sports media (2:30).

His confidence allowed him to get a really good opportunity to do a national show with ESPN New Hampshire. Then as the station was getting acquired and his job was up in the air, he just heard the first episode of Spittin’ Chiclets. So he sent Rear Admiral (RA) an email and th...