The NHL Draft is in the books, and we are four days removed from the opening of NHL free agency. Every significant unrestricted free agent is off the board, leaving the trade market as the only option for teams looking to meaningfully improve before the start of the 2025-26 season.

The Anaheim Ducks are among those teams, as their stated goal is to make the playoffs in 2025-26 and end the NHL’s third-longest playoff drought.

Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek had been busy between the end of the regular season and the opening of free agency. He replaced Greg Cronin with Joel Quenneville behind the bench, acquired Chris Kreider from the New York Rangers, traded Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers, and traded John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings.

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Between the end of the draft on June 28 and the opening of free agency on July 1, most of the free agent class had been signed to new contracts, leaving a slim inventory for GMs to choose from.

Heading into the offseason, the Ducks had $38.69 million in cap space (the third-most in the NHL), a mandate to make the playoffs, and the green light to spend as much as it took to achieve that goal.

Around the NHL, two of the most common needs were top-nine centers and goaltenders. With the benefit of hindsight (foresight for most) and the ability to see how the free agent and trade markets have played out to date, it’s more than fair to question Verbeek’s timing and leveraging when it comes to some of the biggest moves and lack of moves he’s made this offseason.

The Trevor Zegras Trade

On June 23, the Ducks traded Zegras to the Flyers in exchange for depth center Ryan Poehling, a second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick.

Trevor Zegras’ name had been featured in every media outlet’s list of potential trade candidates for a year and a half, since Jamie Drysdale was traded in Jan. 2024, with varying reported degrees of actual interest expressed by Verbeek to move on from the talented forward.

Zegras followed up back-to-back 60-plus point seasons to start his NHL career with three major injuries, a difficult contract negotiation, and two seasons of less-than-stellar point-per-game totals, leaving Zegras’ value at its lowest point.

It’s become abundantly clear that Zegras was never in Verbeek’s long-term plans for the Ducks organization. If the goal was to maximize potential value in a return, allowing Zegras to play under a coach like Joel Quenneville for a few months, who had previous success with players of a similar mold (Patrick Kane and Jonathan Huberdeau, specifically), could have fetched Anaheim an impact player at a position of need as part of a hockey trade or a considerable haul of future assets.

If the intention was to remove Zegras from the roster at some point during the summer, simply waiting eight days would have considerably boosted his return, as most marquee free agent centers, such as Sam Bennett, John Tavares, and Brock Nelson, re-signed with their clubs before free agency opened. There wasn’t enough supply to satisfy the market’s demand.

The Flyers, Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, and Minnesota Wild had either been confirmed or rumored to have been in the market for an upgrade down the middle.

Verbeek seemingly failed to leverage the market and create a bidding war. Instead, he accepted an underwhelming return for a player with proven production at the highest level.

The John Gibson Trade

On day two of the NHL Draft, June 28, the Ducks traded goaltender John Gibson to the Red Wings in exchange for goaltender Petr Mrazek, a second-round pick, and a fourth-round pick.

Similarly, but possibly to an even greater extent, Gibson’s name had been in trade rumors, speculations, and discussions for the past several offseasons. There had been confirmation that Gibson desired to play elsewhere, and the Ducks were on the lookout for a deal that made sense for both parties.

The aspects preventing a prior trade of the talented 31-year-old goaltender were five consecutive seasons with poor numbers from 2019 to 2024, a contract that carried a cap hit of $6.4 million, an unwillingness from the Ducks to retain on that cap hit, and uncertainty in regards to Gibson’s health.

The 2025 offseason seemed to paint Gibson in a different light. The salary cap ceiling was set to increase drastically for the first time in five years, his numbers returned to respectability, and the supply of goaltenders available was incredibly thin.

The Flyers, Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Carolina Hurricanes, and Edmonton Oilers were all rumored or reported at one point or another to have been in the market for an upgrade in net.

After years of holding out for a considerable return, drawing a hard line in the sand, and just when Gibson’s value had increased, Verbeek pulled the trigger on a trade, probably a week too soon (again), and accepted an underwhelming return.

Free Agency

On the first day of free agency, Verbeek made a splash, filling a need and acquiring one of the top names on the market when he inked versatile forward Mikael Granlund to a three-year contract that carries an AAV of $7 million. Not a bad way to kick off the NHL free agency period.

However, after day one, the Ducks still could have used an impact forward at the top of the lineup, and the only one remaining on the free agent market was Nikolaj Ehlers, a player whose speed, skill, and tenacity would have nicely complemented the young talent in the Ducks’ top-six.

On July 3, Ehlers inked a six-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes that carries an AAV of $8.5 million. It’s a hefty price for a player with a checkered injury history, but his production rates are through the roof for a player who never got considerable ice time at the top of the Winnipeg Jets lineup.

Following the San Jose Sharks acquisitions of Dmitry Orlov and Nick Leddy on Thursday morning, the Ducks had the most available cap space in the NHL by the time Ehlers signed his contract. The Ducks were reportedly interested in Ehlers, but it’s unclear if they made a competitive offer.

If the goal for the organization is to make the playoffs in 2025-26, there’s one impact player on the market, and the organization has the most cap space in the league, this seemed like the perfect time and the perfect player to “overpay” for to improve the roster. Especially after Verbeek’s history of seemingly overpaying players like Radko Gudas and Alex Killorn enough to get them to join Anaheim.

Looking Ahead

The only remaining avenues available to Verbeek when it comes to improving the Ducks roster before the start of the 2025-26 season are through the rare utilization of offer sheets and through trade.

Offer sheets have the potential to become very expensive very quickly, and to land one of the available impact players, teams would have to part with at least one unprotected first-round pick. The player receiving the offer sheet would also have to sign the potential contract, never a certain endeavor.

There are players potentially available on the trade market like Rasmus Andersson, Marco Rossi, and Jason Robertson, but Verbeek has yet to acquire an NHL talent in or approaching their primes who would fit the core of the team when they’re competitive in his three-plus years as the GM of the Ducks.

To this point in the offseason, it’s questionable if the Ducks roster is better than the one that ended the 2024-25 season. If it is, the improvement is marginal and unlikely to add the necessary 15 points in the standings to make the playoffs in 2025-26.

The Ducks currently have a projected $28.99 million in cap space and the potential remains for further moves to be made, but history hasn’t hinted that Verbeek has the capability to thoroughly assess the markets and pull the trigger on a move that can elevate the roster enough to achieve the stated mandate of playing hockey past mid-April.

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Photo Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Toronto Maple Leafs fans breathed a sigh of relief when Anthony Stolarz unexpectedly took the ice as Joseph Woll’s backup goaltender in their Game 7 defeat against the Florida Panthers in May, especially as the goaltender later confirmed he was fully cleared from the concussion he sustained from an incident with Panthers forward Sam Bennett in Game 1 of their second-round series. A further positive sign was seeing the goaltender take the ice in full gear with his off-season goaltending coach George Bosak, a moment shared on the coach’s Instagram account on Friday.

Stolarz has been working with Bosak for a number of years when heading home for the off-season and has credited the coach for getting the most out of the goaltender in recent years. “Over the years, he has worked with me to sharpen my fundamentals and help me grow my game,” Stolarz said as a testimonial on the goalie coach’s website.

Stolarz signed with the Maple Leafs as a free agent last summer to a two-year deal worth $5 million. It’s safe to say he has provided excellent return on investment thus far. The goaltender played in a career-high 34 games where he posted a 21-8-3 record with a .926 save percentage in his first season with Toronto.

There was talk of him getting consideration for the Vezina with the numbers he was putting up until the discovery of a small foreign body in his knee forced the goaltender to miss approximately seven weeks.

Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Explains Why Anthony Stolarz Will Miss Roughly 4-6 Weeks For A Procedure On His KneeAn MRI of Stolarz' knee revealed a "loose body" in his knee.

Stolarz and Woll are expected to share the net next season, but beyond that, it’ll be interesting to see what the Leafs do. Stolarz is eligible to sign a contract extension although it doesn’t appear as though there is anything imminent on that front. From a numbers standpoint, Stolarz could see a big raise; however, his injury history and a lack of a consistent starter's workload may be a stumbling block in figuring out a term that is fair.

Where Was The Concussion Spotter For Maple Leafs Goaltender Anthony Stolarz Injury In Game 1?A collision between Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett and Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz in Game 1 of their second-round playoff clash left Stolarz visibly dazed and slow to get up.

Stolarz’s absence in the playoffs was particularly evident to the Leafs. Although Woll performed well in goal, Stolarz’s puck-moving ability was missed by Toronto’s skaters, and Florida successfully capitalized on that by rimming pucks in Toronto’s zone with high velocity beginning with the latter stages of Game 2 and beyond.

(Photo Credit instagram.com/@coach_bosak)

'What's This Horse About?': Maple Leafs Prospects React To Having Wild Colt At Development CampThe Toronto Maple Leafs prospects didn't know what they were getting themselves into when they rolled into Exhibition Place on Friday morning. 'I Saw My Name And I Was Going Crazy': Maple Leafs Prospect Rylan Fellinger Describes Getting Drafted Into The NHL While Attending PromRylan Fellinger, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ sixth-round selection (185th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft, had a quite unique draft experience: he wasn't at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles when his name was called. Instead, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound defenseman was in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, attending his high school prom. 'Time Will Tell': Is Maple Leafs Prospect Easton Cowan Ready For The NHL Next Season?One year ago, it was only the NHL or OHL for Toronto Maple Leafs prospect Easton Cowan. However, now, it'll be NHL or AHL for the 20-year-old.

In July 2024, Montmagny, PQ native Alex Barre-Boulet signed a one-year, one-way contract with the Montreal Canadiens. With 68 NHL games under his belt, the 28-year-old left-shot center was hoping to be able to make the team in October. He made the opening night roster, played the first two games, but was kept off the scoreboard and was swiftly waived and assigned to the Laval Rocket when he went unclaimed.

In 64 games with the AHL team, he put up 63 points, leading the team, seven points ahead of veteran Laurent Dauphin and 18 points ahead of Jared Davidson. He was also fourth in goals with 22, just four short of Dauphin’s team-leading 26 lamplighters. The numbers were there, but the recalls never came.

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Owen Beck played 12 games with the Canadiens, just like Joshua Roy and Oliver Kapanen had, before being loaned back to their Swedish Teams. Veteran Lucas Condotta also got two games, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard got one. It made one thing clear: the Canadiens were prioritizing youngsters rather than more mature players, and it was easy to see Barre-Boulet’s departure coming.

He signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Colorado Avalanche that will pay him $775,000 if he remains in the NHL and $475,000 if he is assigned to the minors. His deal with the Canadiens last season was a one-way contract, meaning he received his full NHL salary for the entire year, even though he spent almost all of it in the minors. Interestingly, he chose to sign a two-way contract elsewhere; perhaps he feels like he’ll have better opportunities to get some NHL action in Colorado.

Losing its leading scorer will hurt the Rocket, but at the same time, players like Beck and Kapanen need to step up and move forward. More ice time won’t hurt them, and in the long run, it will be better for their development. Hopefully, Barre-Boulet lands on his feet with the Avs and gets to see some NHL action.

Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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Canadian defenseman Madison Bowey, 30, has signed a one-year contract with the Augsburger Panther, the DEL club announced on Friday.

"During my scouting trip, Madison was one of the players I focused on, said Panther sports director Larry Mitchell. “(Head coach) Bill Peters and I have been working hard on him over the past few weeks. We see Madison as the missing piece of the puzzle for our defense, which we desperately wanted to add to with a tough, right-shooting, two-way defenseman.

“He's a tall, solid player, yet a good skater who can also contribute offensively,” Mitchell continued. “Madison is in the prime of his career and is excited about his new role with the Panther under Coach Peters in the DEL.”

Born and raised in Winnipeg, Bowey played junior hockey for the Kelowna Rockets, where he was part of the team’s 2014-15 WHL championship team and played in that year’s Memorial Cup.

Bowey was chosen in the second round, 53rd overall, by the Washington Capitals in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Between 2015 and 2022, he played 158 NHL regular-season games with the Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and Vancouver Canucks, recording 40 points and 104 penalty minutes.

Former Stars, Sens D-Man Signs In GermanyCanadian defenseman Dillon Heatherington, 30, has signed a one-year contract with Red Bull Munich, the DEL team announced on Monday. This is the first contract to play in Europe for the 6-foot-4, 216-pound rearguard.

Although he did not play in any playoff games, his name is engraved on the Stanley Cup as part of the 2017-18 Capitals, for whom he played 51 regular-season games that season.

Bowie spent the 2022-23 season in the Montreal Canadiens organization, playing the entire season with the AHL’s Laval Rocket. He then spent the 2023-24 season in the KHL, splitting his time with Dinamo Minsk, Traktor Chelyabinsk and Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod.

Last season, Bowie returned to the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters, the top affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets, recording 18 points in 63 regular-season and playoff games.

Augsburg has never won a DEL title and hasn’t made the playoffs since reaching the semifinals in 2018-19. In the last three seasons, the team has finished last twice and 13th once in the 14-team league.

Photo © Eric Bolte-Imagn Images.

Report: Kölner Haie & DEL Set New European Attendance Records; New Records In Czechia & Britain Too The Alliance of European Hockey Clubs published its annual attendance study on Wednesday, ranking 376 clubs across 29 leagues.

Like many teams around the NHL, the New Jersey Devils have had a busy start to July. They notably brought in Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov through free agency to improve their forward depth. However, they also quietly made a trade.

On July 2, the Devils acquired forward Thomas Bordeleau from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Shane Bowers. While this is a small trade, fans should be keeping an eye on Bordeleau next season.

Not too long ago, Bordeleau was considered one of the Sharks' most promising prospects. While his stock dropped in recent years, a change of scenery could be exactly what helps the 2020 second-round pick get things back on track.

Bordeleau also showed promise at the NHL level with the Sharks during the 2023-24 season. In 27 games with the Pacific Division club, he recorded six goals and 11 points. While these are not jaw-dropping numbers, they do demonstrate that he has the potential to provide decent depth offensive production if given the chance to play at the NHL level. He also had five assists in eight games for the Sharks in 2021-22.

With Bordeleau being just 23 years old, there is still time for him to take another step forward and prove that he can be a full-time NHL player. He has skill, so there is no real harm in the Devils taking a shot on him, especially when noting that they only gave up an AHLer in Bowers to get him. 

It is going to be very interesting to see how much of an impact Bordeleau can make for the Devils. from here. At a minimum, he should be a good addition to the Utica Comets' roster, but the possibility of him making the jump to New Jersey's roster should not be ruled out. 

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Photo Credit:  © David Gonzales-Imagn Images

Former Red Wings winger Todd Bertuzzi makes return to pro hockey at 50 years old with Cambridge area team. 

The Red Wings haven't seen winger Todd Bertuzzi lace up since 2014 but a report on Friday may shock some fans. At 50 years old, it was announced that Bertuzzi would be joining a senior AAA team called the Cambridge Hornets in the Allan Cup Hockey League. 

After playing 1,159 NHL games and recording 770 points, he now joins a local hockey club close to where he coaches a youth team called the Cambridge Redhawks. 

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Bertuzzi played his entire junior career in the Cambridge area as he played for the Guelph Storm of the OHL for four seasons. He would go on to get drafted 23rd overall by the New York Islanders in the 1993 NHL entry draft. 

Besides playing for the Red Wings and Islanders, Bertuzzi also saw time with the Canucks, Panthers and Flames. 

His most memorable season was back in the 2002-03 season, when the Sudbury native put up 46 goals and 51 points for 97 points through a full 82-game season with the Canucks. He was named an all-star and would continue to produce in the 60-70 point range before maturing to a 30-40 point player in old age. 

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With an open battle brewing amongst wingers for an NHL roster spot with the Philadelphia Flyers, don't discount Nikita Grebenkin.

The affable 22-year-old Russian isn't drawing as much hype as counterparts Alex Bump and Porter Martone these days, but Bump and Martone are benefitting from being the shiny new toys of the prospect pool.

Both players are attending and skating at development camp this week, Bump is about to turn pro, and Martone is the No. 6 overall pick in the most recent NHL draft with a skillset that arguably should have seen him get picked much higher.

There's room on the Flyers' roster for all three, of course, in the wake of the injury to Tyson Foerster, but Grebenkin is inherently the dark horse of the group... for now.

The former Toronto Maple Leafs prospect has the benefit of having already played seven NHL games in addition to 143 KHL games and 57 AHL games.

Maple Leafs Coach Heaps Big Praise Upon Rising Flyers ProspectToronto Maple Leafs head coach and former Philadelphia Flyers bench boss Craig Berube likes what he's seen from Nikita Grebenkin, one of his old players. And he knows there's room for plenty more as Grebenkin embarks on the next chapter of his NHL career with the Flyers.

Grebenkin also won the Gagarin Cup with Metallurg Magnitogorsk in 2023-2024 and won the Aleksei Cherepanov Award as the KHL's most outstanding rookie the season prior.

Plus, Grebenkin nearly debuted for the Flyers once already. Fans may recall that Grebenkin was re-called on an emergency basis on April 13, only to be re-assigned back to the AHL Lehigh Valley Phantoms roughly 30 minutes later.

He's hoping that the next time he sees the NHL, he actually plays for the Flyers and remains with them.

"When I was traded to the Flyers, I only saw [Aleksei Kolosov] there from the Russians. I just changed the environment, the atmosphere for myself. I couldn’t play in the NHL, according to the rules, because after the deadline, only five [sic] people from the AHL can play. And at the deadline, five people were already called up," Grebenkin told Nikita Plokhikh of Sovetsky Sport. "But it happens. I think this will benefit both me and the team in the future."

The four AHL call-ups that preceded Grebenkin's emergency call-up were Kolosov, ironically; Emil Andrae, Rodrigo Abols, and Olle Lycksell.

Andrae, Abols, and Lycksell were re-called the same day the Flyers acquired Grebenkin from the Maple Leafs, so he didn't have much of a claim to a roster spot at the time.

Nikita Grebenkin Continuing Torrid Start to Life in Flyers OrganizationThe Philadelphia Flyers knew Nikita Grebenkin was a stud prospect when they acquired him from the Toronto Maple Leafs, but were they expecting this?

The Kolosov one was a little more bizarre, but he did end up starting two games in the last week of the season, including the season finale loss to Buffalo.

In any event, after acclimating to the Flyers organization and familiarizing himself with some current and future teammates, Grebenkin knows what to expect going forward.

"My role in the team is the third or fourth line. I need to take my place in the lineup, work on it. I hope for more, of course," Grebenkin said. "but for now, this is my goal, what I'm striving for, to secure a place in the lineup and help the Flyers win every match." 

At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, and with his aggressive playing style, Grebenkin may have the edge over a player like Bump and the inexperienced Martone.

What comes next is squarely in his hands now.

It’s been quite a fortnight for followers of the Florida Panthers.

Just about two and half weeks have passed since the Panthers claimed their second straight Stanley Cup title.

In that time, we’ve seen some spectacular celebrations, another epic parade, the NHL Draft and the start of free agency.

Similarly to last season, Florida followed up their Stanley Cup Final victory over the Edmonton Oilers by hitting the town and enjoying the victory with their fans.

One welcomed difference to last June was that at this year’s parade, there was no rain. The sun shined throughout as hundreds of thousands of Panthers fans lined A1A along Fort Lauderdale Beach.

Interestingly, the Panthers have been one of the busier teams during the offseason, somehow re-signing all of their big unrestricted free agents – Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand – among the many moves made to shore the team up at both the NHL and AHL levels.

Now that it’s been a couple weeks since Florida last played a hockey game, it felt like a good time to take a look back at the six-game series against Edmonton.

Tight, high-scoring overtime games eventually led to Florida taking over toward the latter stages of the series, slowly but surely breaking down the Oilers and showing that they were the better team for the second year in a row.

Take a few minutes and check out the NHL’s Stanley Cup Final recap video below:

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Photo caption: Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) celebrates after his goal as Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) watches during the second period in game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)

The Anthony Beauvillier experiment was a success for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2024-25 season. 

They signed him to a one-year deal last July with the hopes that he would bounce back after a rough 2023-24 season, and he did exactly that, scoring 13 goals and finishing with 20 points in 63 games. He spent the rest of the season with the Washington Capitals after they acquired him at the trade deadline from the Penguins for a second-round pick.

Beauvillier had two goals and five points in 18 regular-season games with the Capitals before finishing the playoffs with two goals and six points in 10 games.

The Capitals loved what they saw and signed him to a two-year, $5.5 million contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $2.75 million. 

That's an excellent price for Beauvillier, who figures to slot into a middle-six role and can also play in the top six should injuries arise. The Capitals are coming off a second-round playoff exit at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes. 

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Featured Image Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

As roster activity slows down following the start of the NHL’s free-agent frenzy, it’s becoming clearer what Stanley Cup contenders have done (and in some cases, haven’t done). 

In this list, we’ll be breaking down a handful of Cup contenders that either improved, got worse or stayed the same after the start of NHL free agency.

Carolina Hurricanes

Improved, got worse, or stayed the same? Improved

Why? The Hurricanes’ defense corps took a hit with the departures of veteran blueliners Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov. But Carolina GM Eric Tulsky addressed that area with the acquisition of former New York Rangers D-man K’Andre Miller and 31-year-old Mike Reilly. 

The Hurricanes will be depend on youngster Alexander Nikishin to prove himself as a regular defenseman, but Carolina is an improved group overall with the addition of left winger Nikolaj Ehlers. The former Winnipeg Jets veteran can slot in on the top line along with star center Sebastian Aho and right winger Seth Jarvis, which would be one of the NHL’s very best first lines. At the very least, he will be an effective top-six player for the long term with a strong balance of goals and assists. 

Carolina may still address its goaltending tandem, but in early July, this Hurricanes team looks deep, skilled and determined to push deeper into the post-season than it’s done in recent memory.

Colorado Avalanche

Improved, got worse, or stayed the same? Improved

Why? The Avalanche are in the ultra-competitive Central Division, and GM Chris MacFarland proved last season he’s ready, willing and able to take big swings when it comes to changing up his roster. This summer, the Avs have already made tough decisions, including letting veteran left winger Jonathan Drouin leave via free agency and trading Charlie Coyle to the Columbus Blue Jackets to free cap space.

However, the Avalanche did double down on veteran center Brock Nelson as their second-line pivot, and they got an incredible bargain when greybeard defenseman Brent Burns signed a one-year, $1-million contract. The addition of Burns means that, once again, Colorado’s defense corps is going to be one of the best in the game.

The Avs still have about $4.12 million in cap space. They’ve got outstanding players at the high end of their pay scale and sturdy secondary components to fill out the roster. We dare say Colorado will push higher in the Central next season.

Dallas Stars

Improved, got worse, or stayed the same? Stayed the same

Why? The Stars came into the off-season knowing they’d have to shed some talent to fit under the cap ceiling. They did that by trading left winger Mason Marchment to Seattle, but otherwise, they’ve been able to stay at least as competitive as last year’s team. That’s partially because captain Jamie Benn agreed to a one-year, $1-million contract with performance bonuses that could turn into one of the league’s better bargains.

That said, we don’t see the Stars as an improved team. Yes, they brought back veteran center Radek Faksa for a second tour of duty with the team, but Dallas is still slightly over the cap ceiling, so GM Jim Nill will have to move some money around by the time the season begins. Still, there’s a lot to like about this Stars team. We believe they’ll still perform about as well as they did last year.

Edmonton Oilers

Improved, got worse, or stayed the same? Got worse

Why? The Oilers did find a way to fit in star defenseman Evan Bouchard’s new contract with their cap structure, but it came at the expense of veteran winger Evander Kane, who was traded to the Vancouver Canucks. And Edmonton’s cap limitations also meant that valuable veterans Corey Perry and Connor Brown departed for Los Angeles and New Jersey, respectively.

Oilers GM Stan Bowman ostensibly replaced the offense lost with Perry and Brown moving on by signing former Washington Capitals winger Andrew Mangiapane. But other than re-signing secondary pieces Kasperi Kapanen and Trent Frederic, Edmonton has more or less been slowly picked away at by its cap constraints. 

We still think the Oilers will compete for top spot in the Pacific Division, but if they go far in the playoffs again, it could be with a roster that currently looks worse on paper.

Florida Panthers

Improved, got worse, or stayed the same? Stayed the same

Why? When you’re coming off back-to-back Cup championships, it’s basically impossible to improve on that performance. So we say that, with all due respect to Panthers GM Bill Zito and the brilliant job he’s done by retaining free agents Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett, Florida basically stayed the same. That’s a very good thing.

The Panthers did lose some depth on defense with the departure of veteran Nate Schmidt, and given that Florida is now $2.95 million over the cap ceiling, Zito will have to make more cost-cutting moves in the days and weeks ahead. But when they’re getting their first full season with Marchand and defenseman Seth Jones, that should frighten every team in the NHL.

Vegas Golden Knights

Improved, got worse, or stayed the same? Improved

Why? The Golden Knights landed the biggest fish in the UFA market this summer with the trade for and signing of former Maple Leafs star right winger Mitch Marner. To do so, they had to part ways with defenseman Nicolas Hague and center Nic Roy, but when you’ve added the instant offense that Marner will bring, it’s clear to just about everyone that Vegas is already a better team than the one that won the Pacific last season.

Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon is one of the savviest managers in the game, and he’s put together a lineup for 2025-26 that is clearly capable of going on a deep post-season run. 

Marner has something to prove, as do the other Vegas players who weren’t around for the franchise’s first Cup victory. So, much of the roster is hungry and determined to push deep into the playoffs. That’s why we believe the Golden Knights are better now than they were at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

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Now that Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk has had to watch his brother, Matthew, hoist the Stanley Cup in the Sunshine State for the second year in a row, it’s time to assess what GM Steve Staios had done over the past week to get Brady out of the backseat of that Hyundai Palisade.

1) Familiarity Breeds Growth

Coming out of the draft and the free agent frenzy, the Senators bid adieu to former regulars, Anton Forsberg, Travis Hamonic and Adam Gaudette. They extended Leevi Merilainen, traded for Jordan Spence and signed Lars Eller to be their replacements. GM Steve Staios also described deadline acquisitions Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund as being part of the team's overall roster improvements for this fall.

Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss the Senators acquiring Jordan Spence from the LA Kings.

Depth pieces continue to be added, like former LA Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev and Washington Capitals minor league goalie Hunter Shepard. 

It would seem, at first glance, that Staios believes that the roster that bowed out in six to the Toronto Maple Leafs in round one is closer to making a push than Sens Nation might have thought.

By leaving nearly $4.3 million in unspent cap heading into the season, fans might also conclude that Staios believes the Senators will be buyers at the trade deadline and wants to be able to take on salary without sacrificing draft capital. 

Looking around the Atlantic, the Senators may now be able to challenge the Leafs in a playoff matchup. But with the Florida Panthers retaining almost all of their key personnel, it remains to be seen if the Senators can challenge the two-time defending champs. 

2) Right Side Defense Depth

In addition to being a former right shot defenseman in the NHL, Staios seems to have put a premium on stocking that side of the cupboard with several moves in recent weeks.

The first move was to bring back 2019 first-rounder Lassi Thomson on a one-year, two-way contract at the league minimum. Thomson led the Malmo RedHawks in scoring last year in the Swedish Elite League, and perhaps he found his mojo in Europe.

The move at the draft to trade down and acquire Logan Hensler out of Wisconsin is Staios’ second year in a row investing a first-round pick in an RHD. Coincidence? Perhaps. However, when you throw Jordan Spence into the mix, a player who is ready to play now, it does give pause for thought.

What is Staios preparing for?

Clearly, Staios values being deep on the right side – both now and in the future. This side of the aisle has been a vulnerability in the past.

But Staios may also be worried about the viability of Nick Jensen for next season. Jensen is non-committal about his timeline for return after a reported hip surgery in May. This stockpiling of right-shot defensemen may be more than just depth. Staios may be preparing for the LTIR eventuality should Jensen’s recovery drift into the season, or worse, not go as planned.

Will this bridge the gap between the Senators and the elites of the East? This seems unlikely, but it appears that Staios is banking on his existing core taking a huge step forward this coming season.

3) Wiser, Not Older

By retaining the services of Claude Giroux, beloved assistant captain and mentor to Brady Tkachuk, this may be the strongest message that Staios could send to his dressing room and his fan base.

When you add Lars Eller to the mix, the Senators will now boast three players 36 years of age or older. Two of them are former Cup winners in Perron and Eller. So Staios obviously believes that experience makes a huge difference in the room and on the ice. 

Giroux believes it as well. Financially, he could have done better elsewhere had he wanted to, and he seems prepared to negotiate one year at a time to earn his keep. He may love Ottawa, but he's not staying if he doesn't believe in the group.

But is this enough to get Brady out of the backseat? Will he just be a spectator at another Cup celebration in Sunrise, or does he believe, as Staios and Giroux do, that the Senators are ready to be contenders, not pretenders?

Again, this remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: The Senators and their core will have to take a huge step forward, because the Panthers may be a dynasty in the making.

By Pat Maguire
The Hockey News/Ottawa

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Senators Bid Farewell To Six UFAs: Where Did They End Up?
Senators Sign Lars Eller, Offseason NHL Additions Are Now 'Most Likely' Complete
Senators Clarify Their Goaltending Picture for Next Season
Sens First-Rounder Says He Models His Game After Jake Sanderson
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Sens Nation Podcast: Breaking Down the Giroux and Spence Deals and the NHL Draft

The Vancouver Canucks made some big moves during the start of the 2025 Free Agency period, some of which impacted their AHL affiliate, the Calder Cup Champion Abbotsford Canucks. Vancouver offered short-term contracts to some of the team’s star forwards, but also didn’t qualify some of their character staples. Let’s take a look at how Abbotsford’s roster is looking after the first couple of days of free agency. 

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

Four big pieces of Abbotsford’s locker room were signed to contract extensions the morning of June 30. The first of these was Max Sasson, who inked a one-year extension worth $775K. Sasson was a key piece in Abbotsford’s Calder Cup victory, as he scored five goals and nine assists in 24 games and was consistently one of the most noticeable forwards on the ice. In the NHL, the 2024–25 season was a successful one for Sasson, as he made his NHL debut and scored his first career NHL goal. 

Howtown hero Arshdeep Bains was also signed to a contract extension, with the Canucks keeping the forward within the organization for another two years. Bains led the AHL Canucks in points during the 2024–25 regular season, scoring 11 goals and 32 assists in 50 games played. As well, he averaged a point per game pace during the Calder Cup Playoffs with seven goals and 17 assists in 24 games. 

Another Abbotsford Canuck who signed a two-year deal with Vancouver was Aatu Räty. Though the forward missed most of the Calder Cup Playoffs due to injury, he made his mark at the NHL level by impressing at training camp and proving he can play a solid role as an NHL center. He finished the AHL season with 17 goals and 23 assists in 43 games, and seven goals and four assists in 33 NHL games. 

The final AHL Canuck who received a new deal on June 30 was Guillaume Brisebois, who signed a one-year, two-way deal. The long-tenured Canucks defender has been with the organization since being drafted 66th overall by them in 2015. As a reliable depth defender at the NHL level, and a solid top-six option at the AHL level, Brisebois has been a franchise staple regardless of where he plays in the lineup. He had two goals and an assist in the team’s 24-game Calder Cup campaign. 

T-Woo Qualifying Offers 

On the same day as the four re-signings, Vancouver announced that they would be extending qualifying offers to two members of Abbotsford. Jett Woo, a key member of Abbotsford’s leadership core, received a qualifying offer from the team. Woo was selected in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft by Vancouver and has remained within the organization since then. He was one of four players to wear an ‘A’ for Abbotsford this season, and is one of three active players who also played for the Utica Comets. He scored a goal and five assists in 22 Calder Cup Playoff games. 

Nikita Tolopilo was the second AHL Canuck to receive a qualifying offer. Tolopilo played in 36 of Abbotsford’s games during the 2024–25 regular season, registering a record of 20–14–2. He made 833 saves and posted a 2.66 GAA and .902 SV%. As well, Tolopilo had four shutouts. He won his NHL debut at the end of Vancouver’s regular season, recording a .938 SV% and 16 saves. 

Unfortunately, four Abbotsford players were also not given qualifying offers. Defencemen Cole McWard and Christian Felton, and forwards Ty Glover and Tristen Nielsen did not receive qualifying offers from the team. 

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New Deals With New Teams

As of publication, three former members of the AHL Canucks have signed new deals with new teams. McWard, who was not given a qualifying offer by Vancouver, became a free agent and signed a one-year deal with the New York Islanders. The defenceman was signed by Vancouver in April of 2023 and made his NHL debut the same month. During Abbotsford’s Calder Cup run, he scored a goal and an assist in 12 games. Due to shifts in the lineup, McWard’s last playoff game was at the start of the Western Conference Final. 

One of the team’s veterans, Phil Di Giuseppe, also departed from the team in free agency. He signed a one-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets on July 1, ending his four-year run with Vancouver. In his time with Abbotsford, Di Giuseppe scored 29 goals and 48 assists in 101 games played. He also had six goals and five assists in the team’s Calder Cup run this season. 

While he was only with the Canucks organization for a season, forward Sammy Blais endeared himself to the fanbase as a hard-hitting character who could get under the skin of any opponents. Blais was signed to a PTO by Vancouver at the start of the 2024–25 season, but ultimately did not make the team and reported to Abbotsford for the season. He hit another level in the playoffs, scoring three goals and eight assists in the first 10 games and finishing the postseason with 19 points in 23 matches. On July 1, he signed a one-year contract with the Montréal Canadiens. 

Unsigned (For Now?)

A crop of AHL Canucks have yet to sign new contracts with new teams or the Canucks. This includes those who were not given qualifying offers by Vancouver. Nate Smith, who joined Abbotsford for the 2024–25 season after two years with the Tucson Roadrunners, has yet to sign a contract with a team for 2025–26. The forward had nine goals and 17 assists in 60 games played with Abbotsford this season, as well as four goals and five assists in 22 playoff games. 

Ty Glover is another forward who hasn’t signed a contract for the 2025–26 season yet. He was acquired by the Canucks via trade, and has spent the last two seasons with Abbotsford. During this time, he scored seven goals and 10 assists in 74 games. Glover also spent 15 games with the Kalamazoo Wings, Vancouver’s ECHL affiliate, back in 2023–24. With the Wings, he scored 12 goals and 11 assists. 

A fan favourite and four-year member of the AHL Canucks, Tristen Nielsen is the final member of the team who was not given a qualifying offer and remains unsigned. The forward first joined the Canucks organization for the 2021–22 season, and has since posted 52 goals and 63 assists in 231 games. Nielsen also had five goals and four assists in all 24 of the team’s playoff games. 

Christian Wolanin, who broke out offensively for Abbotsford in the 2022–23 season with six goals and 49 assists in 49 games, has yet to sign a contract for 2025–26. Wolanin has spent the past three seasons with the Canucks organization, signing a one-year contract with the team in 2022–23, and then a two-year deal that took him to the end of this season. He led all of the team’s defencemen in points during the regular season (40 in 58 games) and was tied with Kirill Kudryavtsev for the lead in playoffs (10). 

The final player who remains unsigned is Akito Hirose. Brought into the Canucks organization in 2023, Hirose made his NHL debut on April 2 of this year and also played in three of Vancouver’s games in 2023–24. During the Calder Cup Playoffs this season, Hirose was taken out of the lineup due to players returning from injury, but found his way back in and stuck. He scored a goal and four assists in 22 playoff games. 

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The Edmonton Oilers locked in one of their most important young stars on Monday by signing defenseman Evan Bouchard to a four-year extension worth $10.5 million annually.

It’s full price for an elite offensive defenseman, and it’s fair to ask whether Bouchard hurt the Oilers’ future cap flexibility, simply made a smart business decision in today’s NHL or both.

Speaking with the media, Oilers GM Stan Bowman said an eight-year contract – something many insiders and fans believed was the obvious move – was never a realistic option. Bouchard’s camp made it clear early in negotiations that a long-term commitment didn’t make sense for them.

“Getting him signed was critical,” Bowman said. “I guess in the negotiations, an eight-year term was never really in the cards… It’s really a function of the salary cap and where that’s going. We certainly know over the next three years, that’s going up considerably.”

Bowman said the asking price for an eight-year deal was so high that it “wouldn’t really make sense for anybody.” 

While the Oilers were open to locking Bouchard up long-term, they were forced to shift gears, settling on a shorter-term deal that pays the 25-year-old top dollar now but also sets him up to cash in again when the cap is even higher.

In the short term, Bouchard’s $10.5-million cap hit will eat up a substantial portion of Edmonton’s salary space, potentially limiting the team’s ability to round out the roster. Add that cap hit to Leon Draisaitl’s $14 million, Darnell Nurse’s $9.25 million and Connor McDavid’s $12.5 million, and four players are eating up over 48 percent of the cap.

The Oilers now only have just under $176,000 in cap space with Andrew Mangiapane, Curtis Lazar and David Tomasek replacing Evander Kane, Viktor Arvidsson, Connor Brown, Corey Perry and Jeff Skinner.

With the club in win-now mode, every dollar counts in achieving Cup-winning depth. Bouchard not taking a slight haircut on a four-year deal could ultimately hamper the Oilers’ chances of capturing the Stanley Cup.

At the same time, it’s hard to fault Bouchard for betting on himself. 

With the salary cap set to climb, locking into an eight-year deal now could have left millions on the table. By taking a shorter contract, he keeps his options open and ensures he can negotiate another lucrative deal when the financial landscape is even more favorable. 

Bouchard is arguably worth every penny of this deal. He’s been the high-scoring defenseman in the NHL for three straight playoffs. He had the most points by a D-man through the first two rounds of a single post-season in NHL history in 24, with 20 in 12 games, and he had the second-most points per game of any blueliner playing at least 15 games in the playoffs in 2024-25, trailing only Bobby Orr. 

Defensemen are also getting paid good money this off-season. Noah Dobson just got a $9.5-million cap hit on an eight-year deal, and Ivan Provorov got an $8.5-million cap hit. Bouchard went one step further with his cap hit while potentially getting another raise in 2029.

In the end, this could be a case of Bouchard putting himself ahead of the team, but it’s a savvy decision for him in an evolving NHL market, and the Oilers got their star defenseman signed. That’s good news for keeping their Stanley Cup window wide open.

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The Philadelphia Flyers will head into the 2025-26 season with the third-highest amount of dead salary cap space in the NHL.

The Flyers are, for the time being, well-positioned to be cap-compliant to start the new season.

Their $5.52 million in available cap space currently ranks 17th in the NHL, and that's after a flurry of signings on the first day of NHL free agency, including center Christian Dvorak and goalie Dan Vladar.

But, there is one important piece of business still remaining, and that is to re-sign RFA defenseman Cam York,

The 24-year-old's next contract is likely to take up most of, if not all of that remaining space, especially given the current state of the market for defensemen and the rising cap ceiling in future seasons.

That's where the Flyers' sky-high dead cap comes into play.

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According to PuckPedia, the Flyers have the third-highest dead cap in the NHL, with their $6.83 million coming in behind San Jose's $9.69 million and Nashville's $10.23 million.

The Flyers have one year remaining on Cam Atkinson's buyout at a $1.758 million cap charge in addition to retaining half of Scott Laughton's salary ($1.5 million) and Kevin Hayes's salary ($3.571 million) in previous trades.

Not included in the dead cap number is Ryan Ellis's contract, which can be put on LTIR for relief during the season. But, technically, that's another $6.2 million the Flyers can't use for the roster.

If and when the Flyers assign goalie Ivan Fedotov to the AHL, they'll create a small $2.1 million cushion for themselves, but bringing a forward like Alex Bump or Porter Martone onto the NHL roster in his stead will immediately eliminate half of that relief.

Fortunately for the Flyers, their cap woes will come to an end after this season, as Atkinson, Hayes, and Laughton are all due to come off the books.

Jonathan Toews attended his first press conference as a Winnipeg Jet, sharing his gratitude and excitement to join the Jets organization. 

"It's truly an honour, " said Toews on becoming a Winnipeg Jet. "It's surreal to be sitting here right now putting this jersey on."

The Winnipeg, MN native is playing in his hometown as a member of the Jets for the first time in his career after spending 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. The now 37-year-old hasn't played an NHL game since 2023 after stepping away for health reasons, but now believes he is ready to be an effective NHL player. 

"That's the outlook I'm coming into this with, too. To be that guy that, whatever it is, whatever part of my game or who I am as a person that can be valuable to the team," said Toews when asked about players his age still contributing at a high level. 

With Nikolaj Ehlers' exit and Adam Lowry expected to miss a fair bit of time to start the 2025-26 season, Toews will play a larger role than he may have expected, but the three-time Stanley Cup champion seems ready for whatever the Jets ask of him.

"It was hard to really see myself wearing any other jersey. I think day by day, this is becoming more real and it will as we get closer to the season, too, and I'm looking forward to it. It's an exciting time and it's another fresh opportunity. It was more of an intuitive thing where it just felt right. You can go over the million reasons why, but I didn't have to call my mom or dad or my brother, anyone really. I just knew in my heart that this is what I wanted to do, so it felt good every step of the way."

The Jets have aspirations of winning a Stanley Cup, and Toews, the ultimate professional and one of the most respected leaders in the NHL, will help the Jets get one step closer.

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Jets Agree to Terms on Bonus-Laden Contract with Local Product Jonathan ToewsThe Winnipeg Jets have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with local product Jonathan Toews.