NHL Free Agency Articles - Page 2

Vladislav Gavrikov has emerged into one of the more reliable defensive defensemen in the National Hockey League over the last few seasons — and there will be no shortage of suitors if the 29-year-old makes it to free agency on July 1. Although there is mutual interest between the Russian and the Los Angeles Kings […]

The Columbus Blue Jackets failed to make the playoffs for a fifth straight year. Still, they made improvements this year, winning 40 times and having 89 points. That was the most wins and points since the 2018-19 season. They would also finish fourth in the Metropolitan Division, their highest standing since the 2017-18 season. Momentum […]

The Florida Panthers are two wins away from their second consecutive Stanley Cup. One of the biggest differences from last year to this year has been Brad Marchand, who came over at the trade deadline. The former Bruins captain is going to hit NHL free agency on July 1 and should have plenty of suitors. […]

The New York Islanders struggled to find consistency in their first full season under head coach Patrick Roy, who managed to lead them to a playoff spot in 2024 but wasn’t able to do so this season. While the Islanders have already made a notable change by not renewing the contract of former general manager […]

The Vancouver Canucks had a rough season in 2024-25, both on and off the ice. Vancouver struggled to match their 2023-24 form when they won the Pacific Division. Off the ice, the future of winger Brock Boeser, his potential departure in NHL Free Agency, and drama around J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson drew a ton […]

The Utah Mammoth, formerly the Utah Hockey Club, had a feisty squad in their inaugural season in 2024-25, but it wasn’t enough to truly contend and make a run at the playoffs. While the talent is lacking in some areas, the Mammoth have an incredible fanbase and in-arena atmosphere already, and now it’s time to […]

The Florida Panthers are just two wins away from winning the Stanley Cup, and they have Brad Marchand to thank for a large part of their run this postseason. After acquiring the former Boston Bruins captain at the trade deadline, the Panthers have benefitted greatly from Marchand’s excellence on both ends of the ice during […]

Hockey news have waited for the first domino to fall in the 2025 NHL offseason. On Tuesday night, it appeared as if that domino was about to fall. The Anaheim Ducks were nearing a trade for New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider. However, the deal was not done at that time. This has apparently changed. […]

The Edmonton Oilers are in the midst of a battle in the Stanley Cup against the Florida Panthers. While they are attempting to win the Stanley Cup, it’s never too early to look at the summer. The Oilers’ nightmare scenario in NHL free agency could see them struggle to retain Connor McDavid while losing much […]

The Pittsburgh Penguins endured another bad season, finishing 34-36-12 while missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third straight season. Now, they look to break that slump and make it back. Pittsburgh hopes for better results and looks to have a productive offseason. The Penguins’ nightmare scenario in 2025 NHL free agency could see them […]

The Calgary Flames missed the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs by a whisker, losing the final wildcard spot to the St. Louis Blues on a tiebreaker. Now, they look to make the postseason in 2026. There is a Flames’ dream scenario that involves them adding the best free agents on the market. The Flames’ nightmare scenario […]

Since joining the NHL in the 2017-18 season, the Vegas Golden Knights have been a perennial contender. They have missed the playoffs just once while advancing to the Stanley Cup Final twice and winning the Cup once. This year, the Golden Knights were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the playoffs. […]

The Nashville Predators were the most disappointing team in the NHL in 2025. After being the free-agent darling in 2024, the Predators stumbled and missed the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. There is a dream scenario for the Predators that could set the team on the right path. Nashville’s nightmare scenario in 2025 NHL free agency […]

It was a return to the playoffs for the St. Louis Blues after missing the playoffs two straight years. The Blues fell to the Winnipeg Jets in the first round in seven games. Still, there is hope in St. Louis. They have just three pending free agents this offseason and will look to improve on […]

The Vancouver Canucks missed the playoffs for the fourth time in the last five years, finishing in fifth place in the Pacific Division, and finishing six points out of the playoffs. It was a tulmutious season for the Canucks, as they traded JT Miller and then moved on from Rick Tocchet. Still, the team has […]

For a fifth straight season, the Philadelphia Flyers failed to make the playoffs. They have already made moves to remedy their playoff drought, as the Flyers have hired Rick Tocchet as their new head coach. Further, the Flyers have plenty of cap space, plus a surplus of draft capital. This is the dream scenario for […]

The Utah Mammoth are fresh off a surprisingly successful inaugural season in Salt Lake City. They were in Wild Card contention late in the season and got a solid crowd for most of their games. Now, with their new name in tow, the Mammoth are heading into NHL free agency. The Athletic’s James Mirtle was […]

The Seattle Kraken missed the playoffs for the third time in their four-year franchise history. The Kraken are also looking to not go through a rebuild, but instead plan to re-tool and attempt to make it back to the playoffs with this core of players. With plenty of cap room and a strong core of […]

The Edmonton Oilers are in the Stanley Cup Final once again and facing the Florida Panthers. While everyone in Alberta focuses on bringing the title back, it’s never too early to peek ahead to the summer. The Oilers should supplement their core in NHL free agency, but only after signing Connor McDavid to a long-term […]

The Calgary Flames have missed the playoffs for a third straight year. This past season, the Flames had the same number of points as the Blues for the last Wild Card spot but missed the playoffs on a tiebreaker. Now, here is a look at the dream scenario for the Flames as they look to […]

Following an utterly dominant 16-4 Stanley Cup winning performance in 2022, the Colorado Avalanche have struggled to get over the hump since. That’s despite owning Nathan MacKinnon, who is perennially pushing for league MVP, as well as Cale Makar, named a Norris finalist for the fifth straight season after the first 30 goal campaign by […]

The Buffalo Sabres have not made the playoffs since 2011, but they have the parts to start moving towards returning to the playoffs. With a young group of players who are playing well, the Sabres can make a major jump in the standings with a solid offseason. We look at the dream scenario for the […]

The San Jose Sharks were the worst team in the NHL this year, finishing the season 20-50-12. This was an improvement over their 2023-24 campaign, but still not even close to a playoff berth. The Sharks do have a young and exciting roster currently. This is led by the combination of Macklin Celebrini and Will […]

The three-time defending Eastern Conference champion Florida Panthers are once again back in the Stanley Cup Final, and they have the performance of Sam Bennett to thank in large part for it. Bennett has already scored 13 goals so far in the postseason, including 12 on the road, setting a new single postseason NHL record. […]

The Nashville Predators were nothing short of an abject disappointment throughout the 2024-25 NHL season. They entered the campaign with bonafide Stanley Cup expectations thanks to the additions of Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei, and they also re-signed goaltender Juuse Saros to an eight-year contract extension. General manager Barry Trotz essentially went “all-in” […]

The Columbus Blue Jackets missed the playoffs for a fifth straight season this year. Still, there was improvement for Columbus this past season. After having just one season over 80 points and one season not in last place in their division in four years, they made a step forward this year. This past year, the […]

The Florida Panthers are once again competing in the Stanley Cup Final, the third consecutive season that they’re one of the two final teams standing. Currently, they’re deadlocked with the Edmonton Oilers at one game apiece in the first Cup Final rematch the NHL has seen since the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins met […]

The Ottawa Senators returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The Senators would fall to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games. Regardless, this was a major step forward for Ottawa. With much of the core still under contract, the Sens have a solid base to start with. Still, they have some […]

The St. Louis Blues returned to the playoffs this past season after a two-year hiatus. The Blues lost in the first round to the Winnipeg Jets in seven games. Now the Blues look towards the offseason. They have been a solid team since winning the Cup in 2019 but have not moved past the second […]

The New Jersey Devils returned to the playoffs for the second time in three years. The Devils were eliminated by the Carolina Hurricanes for the second time in three years as well. Expectations for this team have remained high, and they will look to take a step towards winning their first Cup since 2012. We […]

The Buffalo Sabres have entered their offseason following a 13th straight season without playoff hockey. One item on the agenda this summer is the future of restricted free agent defenseman Bowen Byram. Byram joined the Sabres through trade at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. He was dealt in a one-for-one deal for forward Casey Mittelstadt. […]

The Vegas Golden Knights were eliminated in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. With their offseason underway, the team is weighing making a few different moves this summer. One of these potential moves is trading defenseman Nic Hague. With limited cap space, the Golden Knights may not be able to afford to […]

The Chicago Blackhawks have a new head coach in Jeff Blashill. Blashill’s arrival rings in what the team hopes is another era of championship glory. Chicago has rebuilt its roster since the late 2010s, and they feel they can finally turn the corner with Blashill and star forward Connor Bedard leading the way. The work […]

The Florida Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final in double overtime. Their hero was their villain in last year’s playoff, but could be staying in Sunrise for the future. Brad Marchand came to the Panthers at the trade deadline and is hitting free agency on July 1. But […]

Sometime in the next year, the Minnesota Wild hope to sign not only the richest contract in franchise history, but the most important. Kirill Kaprizov is eligible for an extension on July 1 after five record-setting years with the Wild. Both sides have expressed interest in a long-term contract, but anything can happen in NHL […]

The Colorado Avalanche had a good season that ended in disappointment after losing to the Dallas Stars in the first round. Now, the Avalance hope they can take that next step and finally get past the Stars. There is a chance to get better, but the reverse can also be true for Colorado. The Avalanche’s […]

The New York Rangers endured a terrible season, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs a season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy. Now, the Rangers must bounce back and cannot afford another setback. The Rangers’ nightmare scenario in 2025 NHL free agency could plunge them even further down the standings next season. New York has some big […]

The New York Islanders hired Mathieu Darche as their new general manager this spring. Lou Lamoriello’s reign is over after seven years, with some solid playoff performances in that run. But their aging core needed a new person at the helm. So, they brought in the former Tampa Bay Lightning Assistant GM for a massive […]

The Washington Capitals are coming off a season where they finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference and saw Alex Ovechkin break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record. Then, Ovechkin and the Capitals lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round, bringing an end to a promising season with disappointment. The Caps can […]