What happened: Jakub Malek has signed a two-year, two-way contract. The agreement is worth $850,000 at the NHL level and $175,000 in the AHL for the upcoming 2026-27 season. In the 2027-28 campaign, his NHL salary increases to $900,000 with a $275,000 minor-league payout.
Why it matters: The structure of the deal provides organizational depth in net while maintaining salary cap flexibility. A two-way contract ensures lower financial risk if the prospect spends significant time developing in the AHL. Resolving this restricted free agency case stabilizes the organizational depth chart ahead of training camp.
By the numbers: The second year of the agreement includes a $300,000 overall salary guarantee.
What to watch: Training camp performances will determine the opening night roster configuration. Evaluators will closely monitor preseason deployment to establish the organizational goaltending hierarchy.