NHL Free Agency Articles - Page 3

It wasn’t very long ago that the Chicago Blackhawks not only experienced the end of the dynasty that produced three Stanley Cup victories, but also began their slide toward the bottom of National Hockey League standings. There have been some frustrating times in recent years in the Windy City, but some of the consolation prizes […]

The New York Rangers came into the 2024-25 season as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. They would fall well short of expectations, missing the playoffs altogether. New head coach Mike Sullivan believes the team has the talent to compete this year. There is a difference between remarks made at an introductory […]

The Dallas Stars have become accustomed to success. They have made it to the Western Conference Final in each of the last three seasons and in four of the last six years. Further, they advanced to the Stanley Cup Final in 2020. Still, the ultimate goal of lifting the Cup has eluded them since 1999. […]

The Calgary Flames improved in 2024-25, but still missed the playoffs. There was an expectation that GM Craig Conroy could be aggressive this offseason to improve the team and make the playoffs in 2025-26. Instead, they chose to stay the course in NHL Free Agency, and the Flames did not make any major moves. They […]

The Seattle Kraken weren’t overly busy this offseason in free agency, though general manager Jason Botterill did acquire a handful of players via trade. They acquired forward Mason Marchment in a deal with the Dallas Stars, while also landing former Detroit Red Wings first-round draft selection Joe Veleno in a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. […]

Considering the Calgary Flames have slept through most of NHL free agency, fans want to at least see general manager Craig Conroy lock up the team’s young players and solidify a promising future. Kevin Bahl, Martin Pospisil, Morgan Frost and Adam Klapka have all inked new deals, but the team has yet to cross off […]

While the New Jersey Devils and defenseman Luke Hughes have yet to finalize a deal, they are aligned on one front: contract length. As Hughes is eligible for an extension this offseason, the talks have consistently revolved around the idea of a long-term deal, and all signs strongly indicate that the main objective for both […]

The Winnipeg Jets were the top team in the NHL in 2024-25, winning the Presidents’ Trophy. They fell to the Dallas Stars in the second round of the playoffs. As the club looks to progress from their last campaign, they are working through a lot of turnover. General manager Kevin Cheveldayoff had to make plenty […]

The Ottawa Senators broke a seven-year playoff drought in 2024-25. While they would be eliminated in the first round by the Toronto Maple Leafs, it was still a solid improvement of a season for the franchise. Now, GM Steve Staios is looking to keep improving the roster. The team was not expected to make many […]

When you have one of the best players in the world, competing for titles becomes part of the expectations. Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche do have one Stanley Cup victory in their time together, but they have fallen short each of the past three seasons. There has been one major need in each of […]

For a fourth straight season, the Los Angeles Kings fell in the first round of the playoffs to the Edmonton Oilers. The franchise did not bring back Rob Blake as the general manager, bringing in Ken Holland to attempt to solve the Oilers conundrum. He made some solid offseason moves to help the Kings move […]

The Philadelphia Flyers collapsed at the end of the 2023-24 campaign. Philadelphia held a postseason spot for much of the season. However, they stumbled hard down the stretch, and missed out entirely. Unfortunately, they did little in NHL Free Agency last summer to improve their fortunes. And they didn’t come close to the postseason this […]

The Columbus Blue Jackets nearly made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2025. In fact, they missed out on the postseason by two points. It was a surprising surge for a team many expected to finish near the bottom of the league. They entered NHL Free Agency hoping to make a big splash and improve their […]

The New Jersey Devils once again fell in the playoffs to the Carolina Hurricanes. The team was not looking for a complete overhaul this summer, though. While it was disappointing to exit the playoffs early, the team was also without Jack Hughes, their star player. General manager Tom Fitzgerald has built a roster that can […]

The Buffalo Sabres have etched themselves into NHL history. With 14 straight seasons and counting of not making the playoffs, they have the longest such streak in NHL history by four seasons. They are also six campaigns away from tying the record for the longest time between postseason playoff series wins, currently sitting at 18 […]

The Minnesota Wild have been a consistent playoff contender, built via strong draft classes and timely trades. This summer would be no different, as they made minimal free agent signings. Instead, they focused on their current talent acquired through the draft and trades, while adding depth via a new addition. The team may not be […]

Patrick Allvin has had a tumultuous ride as the GM of the Vancouver Canucks. After taking over in January 2022, he would make some moves, and the team would make the playoffs in 2023-24. Still, 2024-25 would see a step back, locker room strife, and the trade of JT Miller. He has brought in a […]

The 2024-25 Washington Capitals were the top team in the Eastern Conference, but would fall in the second round of the playoffs to the Carolina Hurricanes. The team has become accustomed to success, making the playoffs in 16 of the last 18 seasons and winning a Stanley Cup. Still, the window for this franchise is […]

The Columbus Blue Jackets have not seen playoff hockey in five straight seasons, but 2024-25 was a major improvement. They would finish fourth in the Metropolitan Division. The team still had needs to fill in this 2025 NHL offseason, but they did not have a good NHL Free Agency period. General manager Don Waddell was […]

The St. Louis Blues made an impressive run to the playoffs in 2024-25, going on a 12-game winning streak late in the season and securing a playoff spot in their last regular-season game. They had limited cap space heading into the 2025 NHL offseason, but what the team chose not to do may be more […]

The Philadelphia Flyers have not been a competitive franchise in recent seasons. From 2021-22 through 2024-25, their best finish in the Metropolitan Division was sixth place. It was the only time they were over .500 for a campaign as well, going 38-33-11 in 2023-24. After a step in the wrong direction in 2024-25, Philly GM […]

The Chicago Blackhawks had a rough 2024-25 season. Many expected Chicago to take a step forward on the ice. Connor Bedard showed promise for a Blackhawks team needing a source of hope in 2023-24. However, things did not go well this past season. Bedard struggled at times, the team played poorly, and head coach Luke […]

The New York Islanders drafted Matthew Schaefer first overall in the 2025 NHL Draft. Schaefer separated himself from his peers in the draft this past season. And he certainly has a bright future ahead of him. On Monday, though, New York and Schaefer made a major decision regarding his more immediate future in hockey. Schaefer […]

The San Jose Sharks missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs as expected in 2025. However, there seemed to be a shift in perception around the team. Despite their lackluster results, the skill and quality were evident on many nights. San Jose is still rebuilding, but their performances at least showed that the future is bright for […]

The 2025 offseason for the Edmonton Oilers was one of both success and failure. The front office performed admirably in free agency, and they made a few key trades. One of the trades heavily addressed the future, as the franchise traded for Hobey Baker Award winner Isaac Howard from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Regardless, two […]

At the end of the 2009-10 season, the NHL created the Jim Gregory Award, given to the General Manager of the Year. With how the last three votes have gone, the NHL may need to consider renaming it after Jim Nill. Nill has now won the award three times in a row and has had another […]

The Winnipeg Jets signed defenseman Dylan Samberg to a three-year contract extension, which carries a $5.75 million cap hit. Samberg is 26 years old and played 60 games with the Jets in 2024-25. While he did miss some time with an injury, Samberg still managed 20 points and a plus-34 rating. He also averaged over […]

It was a disappointing finish to the 2024-25 season for the Toronto Maple Leafs. After making the playoffs for a ninth consecutive campaign, it was a second-round exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers. This would lead to Brendan Shanahan not seeing his contract renewed, and Brad Treliving reporting directly to the CEO as […]

For a fourth consecutive season, the Los Angeles Kings returned to the playoffs, but were eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers for a fourth straight time. The Kings brought in Ken Holland to be the new GM, and he made some solid moves in the NHL Free Agency. His latest move was to re-sign Alex Laferriere […]

The Montreal Canadiens made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a surprising turn this past season. Many expected this year to be a rough one for the young Habs. They struggled early on, which drove the point home even further. At one point, the Canadiens were ripped for regressing on the ice due to their particularly […]

The Toronto Maple Leafs suffered another disappointing postseason exit in 2025. They faced the Florida Panthers in the second round and had a 2-0 series lead early on. In fact, they had a chance to go up 3-0 against Florida. But the defending champions found their stride, defeating Toronto in six games. And in NHL […]

The St. Louis Blues made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2025 after a rather successful regular season. The Blues faced the Winnipeg Jets during the first round of the postseason. St. Louis dominated at points in the series, but could not close it out. Winnipeg defeated St. Louis in Game 7, sending the Blues into […]

The Pittsburgh Penguins entered the 2025 NHL offseason looking to sell. They had veteran trade candidates such as Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, and Erik Karlsson. And they were really the only team open to trading roster players for futures. Entering NHL Free Agency, it felt as if Pittsburgh would be quite active in moving its […]

The Detroit Red Wings are hoping to contend in the 2025-26 season. They do not want to end up where they’ve been for the last nine seasons: outside of the playoffs and in the NHL Draft Lottery. Detroit entered NHL Free Agency hoping to make a significant move. Unfortunately, that significant move has yet to […]

One of the biggest disappointments in the 2024-25 NHL season was the Nashville Predators. In the summer of 2024, general manager Barry Trotz attempted to make the team a contender through NHL free agency. It turned into a failure in the 2024-25 season. The team would miss the playoffs for the second time in three […]

The Los Angeles Kings have become a consistent presence in the Western Conference as a team that contends for a playoff spot nearly every year, but they have continued running into the same ceiling. That ceiling is the Edmonton Oilers, who have eliminated Los Angeles in four consecutive seasons in the first round of the […]

The New Jersey Devils made the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. They would fall to the Carolina Hurricanes for the second time in three years as well in 2024-25. While injury issues were a major reason this past season, it was clear the franchise is on the right track to make another […]

The Buffalo Sabres got their last significant piece of business finished up on Thursday, signing restricted free agent goaltender Devon Levi to a two-year contract extension worth $1.625 million. It has an average annual value of $812,500. The 23-year-old spent most of the 2024-25 campaign with the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League. He was […]

The Vegas Golden Knights knew they needed to make a big splash in 2025 NHL free agency after losing to the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ultimately, there was a lack of scoring in that series. The Knights combined for 10 goals across five games against the Oilers. Somehow, they endured two shutouts […]