NHL Free Agency Articles - Page 19

The Carolina Hurricanes may be facing a worse cap crunch than any other team in the NHL, entering the offseason. The team’s list of players in need of a new deal includes Jake Guentzel, Brady Skjei, Martin Necas, and others. Without enough available cap space to keep everyone in the fold, we can expect some […]

Although the Stanley Cup Final has yet to commence, 30 NHL teams are gearing up for a fast-approaching offseason that is sure to bring out some fireworks. NHL free agency begins in less than a month and one of the top names potentially hitting the open market is Carolina Hurricanes forward Jake Guentzel. It’s not […]

Elias Lindholm entered the 2023-24 NHL season as one of the top trade candidates on the market. The Calgary Flames were struggling to remain in the Stanley Cup Playoffs race. And with the veteran forward set to hit NHL Free Agency, a trade seemed inevitable. Eventually, the Vancouver Canucks came calling. At first, it seemed […]

Matt Duchene surprisingly hit NHL Free Agency in 2023. The veteran center was bought out by the Nashville Predators following the 2022-23 season. To an extent, it’s understandable why the Predators valued the extra cap space. However, Duchene certainly proved that he can still produce at a high level. The Ontario native scored 25 goals […]

Jonathan Marchessault was cast aside from the Florida Panthers in 2017. He was selected by Vegas Golden Knights during the NHL Expansion Draft that year. This was in spite of a promising 2016-17 season where he scored 51 points. But Marchessault made the best of the opportunity and was rewarded last season. Marchessault won the […]

The relationship between the Boston Bruins and forward Jake DeBrusk hasn’t exactly been smooth over the last few years. In fact, DeBrusk once requested a trade. He did rescind that request, but that didn’t stop Bruins rumors involving him from swirling. Now, as he enters NHL Free Agency, DeBrusk’s days with Boston seem to be […]

Patrick Kane bet on himself last summer. He decided against signing a contract in NHL Free Agency and waited until the season began. Multiple teams came in for the future Hall of Famer as he recovered from hip resurfacing surgery. However, the team that won the race was the Detroit Red Wings. Kane in a […]

The Pittsburgh Penguins missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2023 for the first time in 16 years. This is in spite of incredible performances from aging stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. With both players still playing at elite levels, it was hard for the team to envision the need for a rebuild. So, they […]

The Buffalo Sabres had high expectations heading into the 2023-24 NHL season. Buffalo missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs by just one point in 2023. They had a wealth of promising talent on their roster who figured to take a step forward this season. And their goalie of the future, Devon Levi, would play his first […]

Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl is attempting to get his team in the Western Conference Final. No matter the outcome of his Game 6 clash with the Vancouver Canucks, though, his time in Edmonton may be limited. The German star hits NHL Free Agency in 2025. And according to recent rumors, he could be heading […]

The Detroit Red Wings came close to making the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. Unfortunately, they fell just short. And they have missed the playoffs for a franchise record eight straight seasons. Now, general manager Steve Yzerman is preparing for a crucial NHL Free Agency this summer. Detroit fans saw a lot to be hopeful […]

The Washington Capitals have had a middling start to the 2023-24 campaign, as their 39 points are good for just fifth place in the Metropolitan Division currently. However, they have gotten a long-awaited reinforcement in defenseman Ethan Bear, who has officially signed with the team after weeks of speculation. Bear hasn’t played in the NHL […]

As Patrick Kane inches closer to a return after offseason hip surgery, his next team still remains a question. While there are several suitors who will be gunning for Kane’s signature his former team the Chicago Blackhawks appear to be one of the few out of the running. With the Blackhawks in the midst of […]

Patrick Kane at 34 years old is still one of the top prospects in NHL Free Agency. The Chicago Blackhawks legend turned New York Rangers player still has not decided on his future. Instead, he has been focusing on rehabilitating his injured hip to get ready for the upcoming season. This did not stop teams […]

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to add depth to their blue line with another signing of a defenseman. The Maple Leafs inked Simon Benoit to a one-year contract on Monday, according to NHL.com. Benoit spent the first three seasons of his NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks. He saw ice time in 78 games last […]

The Pittsburgh Penguins pulled off perhaps the best move of the NHL offseason Sunday when they traded for three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson. That doesn’t appear to be the last move the Penguins intend to make as Elliotte Friedman reports that Pittsburgh is interested in adding veteran forward Tomas Tatar. Tatar, 32, is an […]

It certainly wasn’t a deep goaltending class when the 2023 NHL Free Agency period opened, but there were some solid netminders available on July 1. Most of the top available goalies stayed with their current teams; that included Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, who both re-signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. Tristan Jarry stayed put with the […]

The Vegas Golden Knights are still riding high after winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history in June. In just their sixth season of existence, the Knights became the fastest team to win their first cup in modern NHL history. Of course, Vegas now has the monumental task of following up that championship run. […]

After an eventful offseason, the Calgary Flames were a team many had an eye on heading into 2022-23. Calgary overhauled its core almost overnight, losing Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk but bringing in Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and others. Even with a wildly different roster, some believed the Flames could repeat as Pacific Division champions […]

The Colorado Avalanche finally won the Stanley Cup in 2022, and hockey fans saw that one coming. Colorado emerged in recent years as a powerhouse on the ice. It wasn’t a question of if they’d win hockey’s biggest prize, it was a matter of when. Many expected another deep playoff run from the Avalanche in […]

The Ottawa Senators did a very commendable thing at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline. Ottawa entered the deadline within striking distance of a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And instead of punting, they decided to go for it. They added defenseman Jakob Chychurn via trade with the Arizona Coyotes to push for that playoff […]

The Edmonton Oilers are finally a contender after years of brutal play on the ice. Edmonton’s futility on the ice did parlay into NHL Draft Lottery luck, however. It’s why the Oilers have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, undisputedly the two best hockey players in the world. However, Edmonton just hasn’t been able to go […]

After a very brief re-tool, the Los Angeles Kings have asserted themselves as a regular playoff team once again. With some exciting young players plus a few veterans like Anze Kopitar still performing at a high level, the Kings are an exciting team for both the present and future. In each of the past two […]

The Edmonton Oilers brought in forward Connor Brown on a one-year contract to the surprise of very few people. Brown and the Oilers were linked well ahead of the start of NHL Free Agency for one very specific reason: Brown’s relationship with superstar Connor McDavid. McDavid and Brown have known each other since they were […]

The Dallas Stars are coming off a pretty impressive season. Under new head coach Pete DeBoer, the Stars aimed for deeper playoff runs beginning in 2023. And they ended up achieving just that. Dallas defeated the Minnesota Wild in six games to advance to the second round. In the second round, they edged out the […]

The New Jersey Devils are coming off of the team’s best regular season finish in history. After four straight seasons without playoff hockey, the Devils broke through in 2022-23. They finished second in the Metropolitan Division and made it past the New York Rangers in the first round. However, things fell apart in the second […]

The Seattle Kraken had a tough time on the ice during their first season in existence. Many hoped the team would take a step in the 2022-23 season, and they did just that. Seattle made their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and even took out the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche. That […]

The Florida Panthers were the cinderella story of the 2022-23 NHL season, barely advancing to the Stanley Cup Playoffs before making an incredible run all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Although they were outclassed by the Vegas Golden Knights in the sport’s ultimate series, it was extremely encouraging that the core led by […]

Vladimir Tarasenko hit NHL Free Agency as one of the more interesting players on the open market. The former Stanley Cup champion has a track record as a reliable sniper in the top six. However, this past season wasn’t exactly his best season. And he isn’t exactly getting any younger. It seemed as if the […]

The Detroit Red Wings set out to overhaul their roster in NHL Free Agency, and they’ve done just that. Detroit looks a lot different heading into the 2023-24 season than it did at the end of this past campaign. However, questions about the Red Wings roster still remain. The Red Wings made a flurry of […]

The Florida Panthers have agreed to terms with forward Eetu Luostarinen on a three-year contract extension that will keep the Finn in South Beach through the 2026-27 season, general manager Bill Zito announced on Tuesday. “Eetu is a dynamic two-way center whose speed and strength allow him to excel on any line,” Zito said, per […]

The NHL’s free agent period is nearly a month in, and most of the top free agents have found a new home. Dmitry Orlov is a Carolina Hurricane, Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi are Toronto Maple Leafs, Ryan O’Reilly and Luke Schenn are off to the Nashville Predators, and the list goes on. But despite […]

The Arizona Coyotes were arguably the busiest team in the entire National Hockey League when the free agency period opened on July 1. GM Bill Armstrong brought in a load of new players, completely transforming both the offense and D-core in one fell swoop. Jason Zucker, Nick Bjugstad, Alex Kerfoot, Troy Stecher, Travis Dermott and […]

The Anaheim Ducks had another tough season in 2022-23, but the future is bright for this franchise. The hope is that the young talent they’ve stockpiled led by Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry can help get this team back to Stanley Cup contention, reminiscent of the 2007 championship run in California. Ducks GM Pat Verbeek […]

The St. Louis Blues are one of those teams that are very hard to grade in NHL Free Agency, as they really didn’t make a lot of moves. After winning the franchise’s inaugural Stanley Cup in 2019, it’s been tough sledding in Missouri; they’ve won just a single round since, and failed to make the […]

The Calgary Flames could be in a world of trouble after this season with core players Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund and Noah Hanifin all reportedly not planning to re-sign in Alberta when their contracts expire. With a very tight salary cap to work with, the team was only able to make a few minor moves […]

The Minnesota Wild are in a very difficult position ahead of the 2023-24 season. With the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter looming large, and barely any cap space to work with, dark times could be clouding this team for the next few seasons. The Wild were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs by […]

The Edmonton Oilers have seemingly been on the cusp of a Stanley Cup for the past few years but have been unable to get over the playoff hump. This past season was no different, as the Oilers lost to the eventual champion for the second straight year with a six-game, second-round defeat against the Vegas […]

The Florida Panthers came up just short in their quest for their first Stanley Cup championship this season. Given how close they came, the Panthers are almost certainly entering a Stanley Cup or bust season. And that winning ambition was a major draw for defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson in NHL Free Agency. Ekman-Larsson joined the Panthers […]