Young Stars on the Brink of Big Contracts | NHL News

0:00It's September 12th, from the locker room to your ears. This is NHL News Today, powered by AI, I'm Corey with the story. Alright, let's talk about some young guns in the NHL who are heading into the final year of their current contracts without an extension. We're talking about players who are about to hit the eyes for the 2026-2027 season with big money on the line. Teams are usually nervous about letting players get this far without a new deal, but with these restrictive free agents, it seems like they're letting. Then play it out, potentially setting themselves up for massive paydays. Keep an eye on Will Smith with the San Jose Sharks. After McLaren's celebration landed a huge deal, Smith, who was second on the team in points last year with 59, is looking at a significant raise. If he takes another step forward this season, the Sharks might be looking at paying two young guys over $15 million each on their next contracts. Meanwhile, in Columbus, Kiro Marchenko has been putting up serious numbers, but there are

1:01whispers he might not want to stay with the blue jackets. Long-term, every goal and assist he racks up this season not only as to his bank account, but also increases interest from other teams. Columbus says they won't trade him unless it makes them better, so a strong performance could really boost his value around the league. Then there's Madhavi Michkov with the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite some ups and downs in public criticism, he still managed to score 20 goals and 51 points last year. With a new coach and hopefully a better understanding, he could be on his way to becoming a point-of-game player in this crucial contract year. And we can't forget about Luke Evangelista, who was just traded to the New Jersey Devils. With their need for scoring, he's in a prime position to boost his offensive numbers. If he can improve on his 12 goals from last season and add more assists, there's a good chance he and the Devils will find common ground on a new deal.