The Islanders made a few depth signings on the first day of free agency, and evidently, one was to replace the departing Max Shabanov, who very understandably chose not to return. But the big splash (or unsplash?) was the confirmation that captain Anders Lee was existing after 923 regular season plus another 46 playoff games with the organization that drafted him.

Lee, who reports indicated was only offered short term (a year…maybe two late?) by the Islanders, left to take a three-year deal at age 36 with Utah, who also added Vincent Trocheck from the Rangers. A reasonable deduction would be that Lee expects to be able to play at least three more NHL seasons, and he didn’t want one of those to be here if he was just going to be cast away next summer.

For GM Mathieu Darche, the name of the game was flexibility, as each addition he made was for one year, and he referenced an expected $40 million in cap space available next summer.

The Signings

More on Darche’s remarks below, but first, the additions:

• A depth goalie: Vitek Vanicek was inked to a one-year deal, taking on the David Rittich role in that he can be in the AHL if and when Semyon Varlamov is healthy but can be the backup if Varlamov has a setback. [Isles]
• A depth defenseman: Matthew Kessel joins after several seasons as a callup/7th-8th D with the Blues. He’s perfectly fine as a guy who can step in, likely with more of a coach’s trust than Adam Boqvist was able to garner. [Isles]
• A middle-six forward: Matias Maccelli joins, most recently from the Leafs. He’s a creative Finn who plays “the right way” and Pete DeBoer said he liked his game when both were out West. Here are 7 facts about Maccelli (relax, relax, he’s not Italian). [Isles]
• Another depth forward: Mitchel Chaffee joins with just 109 NHL games at age 28. [Isles] He’ll be a callup/injury fill-in type.
• An AHL forward: Matt Luff was also re-signed at age 29. He was with Bridgeport late last season after yet another Blues-Islanders exchange. It’s a two-way deal, so maybe he sees some NHL time in an injury crisis, but otherwise he’s an experienced AHL (sometimes All-Star) for…Hamilton. [Isles]

#Isles GM Mathieu Darche said signing D Matt Kessel for depth does not alter team's hope that Isaiah George is able to make the team out of training camp.

"We're just trying to bring some depth to the organization and bringing some competition at training camp."

— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) July 1, 2026

Oh, but prospect camp was also underway:

• Catching up with Victor Eklund. [Isles]
• Notes and observations on a few guys from the Blue & White scrimmage. [Isles]

Back to free agency and Lee’s departure: Darche spoke with media, confirming the previously reported gap between Lee and the team on term and setting the context for what the GM did on July 1. [Newsday | Post | THN]

With the captain gone, it’s likely Bo Horvat and Brayden Schenn (whose $6.5M cap hit for the next two years is above what Lee just got) will be the veteran leaders now, with a side of Kyle Palmieri.

#Isles GM Mathieu Darche on the calculations behind some of the short term free agent deals he made today & what kind of team he's building for next season. @RTaub_@Gray_Isles@IslesMeetups@News12LIpic.twitter.com/1EsrajL1kl

— Kevin Maher (@KMaherNews12) July 1, 2026

The Islanders comms staff was ready with a tribute video to Lee. Damn, he’s done a lot for this organization.

Elsewhere

• After all that drama, the Blue Jackets and Zach Werenski kissed and made up. [Athletic | NHL | ESPN]
• Tee hee: the Leafs bet big on Sergei Bobrovsky’s aging years. [NHL]
• Ranking the day’s best and worst deals (Maccelli’s is seen as a win): Zuccarello to the Kings for just $1 million somehow, while the Sharks gave Jacob Trouba four years at $8.25 million(!). WTF. [Athletic]
• The Oilers did a lot of shuffling, including adding goalie Frederik Andersen and finding a no-salary-retained taker for Darnell Nurse. [NHL]
• The Canadiens extended Ivan Demidov for eight years and $73 million, starting a year from now. [Sportsnet]
• The Panthers didn’t stop with Brady Tkachuk, and they’re happy with their shuffle. [NHL]
• John Carlson signs for two years in Tampa, continuing a tradition of players who choose the Lightning over the Hurricanes. [Sportsnet]

Jamie Oleksiak, who came to the Kraken in 2021 as part of the expansion draft, will be headed to the Vancouver Canucks for the 2026-27 season.  The 6’7”, 252 pound defenseman has skated in 758 NHL games over 13 seasons, the past five of those in Seattle.

During his time in Seattle, Oleksiak appeared in 389 regular season games.  He posted 17 goals for a total of 89 points.  He hit a career-high 9 goals (25 points) in the 2022-23 season.  Known primarily for his size, Oleksiak’s control and agility mean he moves like a much smaller skater as he out-maneuvers the opposition to move the puck up ice.  

Selected by the Dallas Stars in the first round (14th overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Oleksiak has played with the Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and the Kraken.  The veteran defenseman agreed to a 2-year, $5 million AAV contract with the Canucks.  

Related:

Jaden Schwartz Heads To Colorado The Avalanche bolster their veteran presence, locking down the former Kraken forward with a three-year deal to bring playoff experience and scoring depth to Denver’s lineup.

In one of the more under the radar moves today, the Devils announced the signing of 28-year-old winger Riley Tufte to a one-year, one-way NHL contract. A link to the press release can be found here.

A 6’6”, 245lb behemoth, Tufte has been one of the most prolific scorers in the AHL, finishing tied for third in the league last season with 32 goals in only 64 games as Tufte missed some time in the minors during a call-up to the big club. Tufte has played 28 games total in his NHL career as a journeyman tweener splitting time between the Stars, Avalanche, and most recently, the Bruins, and has three goals and an assist at the highest level on his resume.

All in all, it’s a no risk signing. At worst, the Utica Comets, who failed to score over 200 goals as a team last year, should have some much needed goal scoring next season. At best, the Devils found a diamond in the rough, who was being underutilized and never really given a long look at the NHL level.

What do you think? Post your comments below.

Defenseman John Carlson, whose rights the Carolina Hurricanes made a trade for with their final pick during the NHL Entry Draft on Saturday, ended up signing with the Tampa Bay Lighting. After all the rumors about the starting price for him being $10 million times two, or more, he ended up signing for $8.5 million AAV for two years.

Things like this usually work out for the best and he might have worked out well in Carolina, but maybe he wouldn’t have. Bottom line, the Canes probably matched that offer and he chose Tampa. So be it.

In other big news, Frederik Andersen signed a one year deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Andersen had a tremendous playoffs for the Hurricanes this postseason until he got hurt in Game two of the Finals. He had a rough regular season and overall had an up and down career with Carolina.

In the five years with the Canes, he posted a .906 save percentage, but the last two seasons he was at .874 and .899. He started 51 games in year one in Carolina, but then started 33, 16, 22, and 35 after that due to a variety of injuries or issues. His base salary in Edmonton is $1 million with another $1.8 million in performance bonuses.

Andersen was the consummate professional, was always open to the media, and was a great teammate in the room. He will be missed.

There were several other signings yesterday, you can check them out here as well as who is still available.

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/free-agency/

While they lost Carlson and Zach Werenski has taken himself out of trade talks, the Canes still have work to do.

Will they be able to re-sign Nikishin or will they trade him? Are they still kicking the tires on Connor Hellebuyck? Do they have another trick up their sleeves?

The Ducks were quite active on the first day of free agency, although the signings they made weren't exactly ones of great magnitude. After deciding to let all of their pending unrestricted free agents––aside from A.J. Greer––walk and head to free agency, the Ducks watched as Radko Gudas, Jacob Trouba, Ross Johnston, Jeff Viel and John Carlson all signed with new teams. Meanwhile, they were making some signs of their own.

Note: The signing of A.J. Greer is omitted from this list because his deal was reportedly finalized on Tuesday.

Judd Caulfield, F - $875,000 x 2 years

Their first signing of the day was inking  Caulfield to a two-year, two-way contract. Caulfield had played the 2025-26 season on an AHL-only deal, spending the entire season with the San Diego Gulls. He was originally acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in March 2023 and has been in the Ducks organization ever since. The contract is a nice reward for Caulfield, who is coming off of his best season as a professional. A big, physical forward, Caulfield spent most of the season playing alongside Nathan Gaucher as part of the Gulls' de facto checking line. With uncertainty in the Ducks' bottom-6, Caulfield could be given the chance to compete for an NHL roster spot this fall.

Nick Jensen, D - $2.25 million x 2 years

Jensen signed a two-year contract with an AAV of $2.25 million. At 35, he automatically becomes the elder statesman on the right side of Anaheim's defense following the departures of Carlson, Trouba and Gudas. Jensen has played almost 700 NHL games and spent the last two seasons with the Ottawa Senators after coming over in the Jakob Chychrun trade. He did not participate in the Senators' playoff run this past season after suffering a torn meniscus in mid-March, which required surgery. It's unlikely that Jensen will slot in on the top defensive pairing alongside Jackson LaCombe, with him better suited for either the second or third pair.

Jett Woo, D - $875,000 x 2 years

Woo was drafted in the second round of the 2018 draft by the Vancouver Canucks and spent the last nine seasons in the organization before being traded this past March to the San Jose Barracuda. He helped the Abbotsford Canucks win the Calder Cup in 2025 and has played in 300 AHL games, but has yet to make his NHL debut. He is still just 25 (turns 26 on July 27) and may get the chance to break through, now that the Ducks' defensive depth on the right side looks a bit thin.

Corey Schueneman, D - $875,000 x 2 years

Schueneman was one of many players who signed a two-way deal with the Ducks on the first day of free agency. Undrafted out of Western Michigan University, he has bounced around the NHL and AHL since making his professional debut in 2019. He has played over 400 AHL games and can chip in offensively when needed. With Tyson Hinds expected to be with the Ducks on a full-time basis, Schueneman provides another steady veteran for the Gulls to lean on.

James Hamblin, F - $875,000 x 2 years

Outside of a stint in Sweden during the COVID-shortened season, Hamblin had spent his entire professional career in the Edmonton Oilers' system. He had NHL stints with the Oilers during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons, but has not been back since. Hamblin had been one of the Bakersfield Condors' alternate captains for the past three seasons and put up 40+ point seasons in the past two seasons. Capable of playing both center and wing, he could be an adequate depth scorer for the Gulls.

Jeff Malott, F - $1.85 million x 3 years

Malott won't have to travel far, joining the Ducks from the division rival Los Angeles Kings. He made his NHL debut during the 2021-22 season with the Winnipeg Jets, but had to wait until 2024-25 to get another shot, where he broke through with the Kings. He played in 58 games this past season, putting up nine points. Offense comes secondary for Malott, who prides himself on being a physical and gritty player. His game is similar to that of Viel, who got a nice pay bump in the deal he signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Malott is coming in to fill the role of his namesake and will likely slot in on the fourth line alongside Tim Washe.

Laurent Brossoit, G - $1.1 million x 1 year

Brossoit is coming in with the expectation that he will fill the role that Ville Husso did at the start of last season: Provide consistent goaltending in the AHL while at the same time being prepared for a call-up to the NHL in the event of an injury. It's been a tough road back to the NHL for Brossoit, who missed the entire 2024-25 season after undergoing hip surgery. He appeared in 26 AHL games this past season, splitting time with the Rockford IceHogs and the Barracuda after a midseason trade. He also played in one game for the San Jose Sharks, his first in 696 days. With Brossoit in the fold, the Gulls now have him, Damian Clara and Tomáš Suchánek battling for the starter's net.

Travis Mitchell, D - $850,000 x 1 year

Mitchell had been with the New York Islanders for the past four seasons, mostly playing for the Bridgeport Islanders in the AHL. He did make his NHL debut this past season and played in nine games, with his first NHL goal coming against the Ducks, funnily enough. At 6-foot-4, Mitchell is now one of the tallest defensemen in the Ducks' system. The left side is a bit more crowded than the right, but Mitchell should provide another strong addition to the left side of the Gulls' defense, if anything, along with Schueneman and budding prospect Stian Solberg.

---

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The opening day of NHL free agency began with a report that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski had vetoed a trade.

The day continued with Werenski and general manager Don Waddell putting out statements that the Norris Trophy winner wanted to stay in Columbus and try to end a six-season playoff drought.

The day also began with the champion Carolina Hurricanes holding the rights to John Carlson after acquiring them at the draft. It ended with the defenseman signing with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

In between, there were lots of signings and trades. Here are the winners and losers of a busy July 1:

WINNERS

Stanley Cup-winning goalies in demand

Frederik Andersen and Sergei Bobrovsky are headed to teams that need better goaltending to get them to the top.

Bobrovsky got the better deal, signing for three years and $21 million with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He's coming off his worst season but had led the Florida Panthers to championships in 2024 and 2025 and Toronto is counting on that pedigree.

Andersen, who won the 2026 title with the Hurricanes, is heading to the Edmonton Oilers on a bonus-laden one-year deal. Edmonton has been seeking better goaltending, an issue even when it went to back-to-back finals.

Toronto Maple Leafs

In addition to getting Bobrovsky, the Maple Leafs remade their bottom six with Jack Roslovic, Nick Paul, Colton Sissons and Teddy Blueger. Add in No. 1 pick Gavin McKenna and new general John Chayka is putting his imprint on the team.

Utah Mammoth

They landed Vincent Trocheck in a trade and signed Anders Lee, adding them to an already impressive forward group.

Washington Capitals

They already made a splash before free agency by trading for Alex Tuch and Jordan Kyrou. Then they added former Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner in free agency. Defenseman Vincent Desharnais will help them with injured Rasmus Sandin expected to be out 6-9 months after April knee surgery.

LOSERS

Chicago Blackhawks

Is Bowen Byram really worth $12.5 million a year, making him the NHL's highest-paid defenseman? The Blackhawks raised eyebrows when they traded the fourth-overall pick to get Byram. They raised eyebrows again with the extension.

Vegas Golden Knights

Salary cap problems caused them to trade Pavel Dorofeyev at the draft. The same issue prevented them from finding an adequate replacement. Victor Olofsson, a three-time 20-goal scorer, was their signing, but he had only 15 goals when he played in Vegas in 2024-25. They also traded popular Keegan Kolesar for draft picks. They did re-sign Rasmus Andersson and gave an extension to fellow defenseman Jeremy Lauzon.

Dallas Stars

Dallas was the team that Werenski reportedly turned down. Thomas Harley's name leaked out as going the other way. Does that cause problems? The Stars still have to re-sign leading scorer Jason Robertson and they lost promising Mavrik Bourque, trading him because of cap concerns.

Minnesota Wild

They're still looking for an upgrade at center. They decided to move on from Mats Zuccarello, who worked well with Kirill Kaprizov. He signed a one-year, bonus-laden deal with the Kings. Minnesota native Anders Lee chose Utah. General manager Bill Guerin said the team won't panic because it didn't get what it wanted on the first day.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL free agency winners, losers: Blackhawks' big extension raises eyebrows

When the Vegas Golden Knights traded two-time leading goal scorer Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers, they knew they would have to replace his production. Because they aren’t exactly flush with cash— which is part of the reason they traded Dorofeyev in the first place— finding a flashy replacement just wasn’t in the cards.

Instead, the Golden Knights got the most bang for their buck and ended up opting for a cost-friendly reunion. On Wednesday, they signed old friend Victor Olofsson to a one-year contract worth $1,638,330.

Olofsson, a sniper who will be 31 by the time the season starts, played 56 games for the Golden Knights in 2024-25. He made the most of every opportunity, scoring 15 goals— six of which came on the power play— and added 14 assists. He also added two goals and two assists in nine postseason games.

As a left-shot with a lethal one-timer, Olofsson could slot into Dorofeyev’s old spot on the power play. He’s one of the only pure goal scorers on the team, and has certainly had success there in the past. He established chemistry with both William Karlsson and Tomáš Hertl during his first stint with the Golden Knights, but after this postseason, separating Karlsson from Brett Howden and Mitch Marner feels counterintuitive. So, at 5-on-5, Olofsson will likely reunite with Hertl on the third line. 

“We wanted to add someone who has a history of being able to score goals, which Victor does,” said Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon when he met with the media on Wednesday. “We had him, so we know the player. We liked more about his game, then and now, than just the fact that he’s a shooter, but he does bring that skill set to our team. He was responsible, and he’s a smart player. So I think that he’ll find a good spot in our lineup.”

The Vegas Golden Knights entered the offseason with a decision to make regarding their goaltending.

Akira Schmid, who led the team in starts, wins, save percentage, and shutouts, was a pending Restricted Free Agent. And to keep him, the Golden Knights wouldn’t just have to come to terms with him on a new contract— they’d also have to move out one of the other goaltenders on their roster. would have to move out one of the other goaltenders on their roster.

Because Schmid led the team in every statistic, questions arose about Adin Hill and his future in Las Vegas. Hill backstopped the Golden Knights to their first Stanley Cup just three years ago, but after a down year in which he posted a career-worst .871 save percentage, his value has never been lower.

Moving Hill would be complicated, as he has a 10-team no-trade list. But he’s set to make $6.25 million for the next five seasons, and the Golden Knights are always looking to shed salary.

It seemed like the Golden Knights answered all of the questions about the direction they’d take with their goaltending when they traded Schmid to the Florida Panthers on Monday. And if there were any remaining doubts, general manager Kelly McCrimmon left no room for interpretation when he spoke with the media following day one of Free Agency.

“My opinion is that you need two good goalies,” said McCrimmon on Wednesday. “You set out on September 1st, and if you’re hoping to play in the Stanley Cup Final, you’re going to play 104, 105 hockey games. You need two goaltenders to get through that. 

“I think we have a great tandem,” McCrimmon continued. “I think Adin is gonna bounce back; I think he’s a good goalie who had a tough season. We need him to revert to form, and we expect that he will. Carter made a great impression, getting us straight to the Stanley Cup Final. So, I think we’re in good shape at that position.”

When the Winnipeg Jets selected Ville Heinola with the 20th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, they believed they had landed one of the game's brightest young defencemen.

On Wednesday, that chapter officially came to an end as the unrestricted free agent officially locked in on a one-year, one-way contract with the Vegas Golden Knights. Thus ending a seven-year tenure in Winnipeg that never came anywhere near close to matching the promise of its beginning.

For the Golden Knights, it's a low-risk opportunity to uncover untapped potential. For the Jets, it's another reminder of a development story that never quite made sense.

The most puzzling part of Heinola's career in Winnipeg is that the organization initially appeared completely sold on him.

As an 18-year-old, Heinola not only cracked the Jets' opening-night roster in 2019, but immediately became a trusted contributor. He averaged nearly 20 minutes per game during his first eight NHL contests, saw power-play time and produced five points. Along the way, he became the first player born in the 21st century to record both an NHL point and an NHL goal.

At that point it was a diamond found in the rough, a needle in a haystack. Likely something that was looking to be a long-term NHL fit between the player and the Jets. 

But like Sami Niku and others before him, things just didn't seem to work out between the player and the Jets. 

Despite repeatedly demonstrating his offensive instincts and puck-moving ability, Heinola never received another extended opportunity in Winnipeg. He bounced between the Jets and Manitoba Moose, where he consistently produced at nearly a point every other game from the blueline, only to find himself back in the minors or watching from the press box whenever the NHL roster became healthy.

The Jets didn't simply prioritize established veterans over Heinola. They routinely found opportunities for others.

Whether it was Logan Stanley, Colin Miller, Haydn Fleury or a revolving cast of depth defencemen, Winnipeg continually leaned toward experience or size while Heinola waited for another chance that just didn't come his way.

To be fair, circumstances weren't always on the organization's side.

Just as Heinola appeared poised to finally secure a full-time role entering the 2023-24 season, disaster struck. A fractured ankle suffered during training camp required surgery and wiped out what many believed would be his breakthrough campaign. Complications during his recovery only delayed his return further.

Those injuries undoubtedly altered his trajectory, but they don't explain why a player who looked NHL-ready at 18 finished his Jets career with just 58 regular-season games.

Yes, read that again: 58 NHL games over his seven years in town.

When he was first called into action, the Jets trusted him enough to play nearly 20 minutes a night. Years later, after dominating stretches in the American Hockey League and gaining additional experience, those same opportunities never materialized again. It seemed as though Heinola's leash actually became shorter, not longer with experience/age.

Perhaps Heinola simply wasn't destined to become the top-four defenceman many projected on draft day.

That's entirely possible. But that's also what makes this story frustrating for the team, managerial staff, coaches, fans and the player himself. The Jets never truly found out.

Rather than giving their former first-round pick 40 or 50 consecutive NHL games to determine exactly what they had, Heinola spent years in hockey's version of limbo—too good for the American Hockey League, yet never trusted long enough in the National Hockey League to establish himself.

In all fairness, Heinola was a press box regular, despite his clear talents. Now it is Vegas' turn to figure out his place.

The Golden Knights have built a reputation for identifying overlooked talent and putting players in positions to succeed. At 25 years old, Heinola still possesses the skating, vision and puck-moving ability that made him a first-round selection. If he finds a regular role, few around the league will be surprised. He has always lacked size, but really hasn't made that an issue anywhere - except for its perceived issue in Winnipeg.

If Heinola carves out a meaningful NHL career in Vegas, the conversation won't simply be about a player who needed a change of scenery. It will instead be about a talented first-round pick whose greatest opportunity never came with the team that drafted him.

Chris MacFarland has made clear his plan for the future of the Nashville Predators following the start of NHL free agency. 

On Wednesday, he traded for Dallas forward Mavrik Bourque and defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin and signed Utah center Alex Kerfoot, Colorado defenseman Jack Ahcan and St. Louis defenseman Hunter Skinner. 

That's also on top of signing center Jack Drury to a five-year, $22.5 million contract after trading for him on June 24, sending Zach L'Heureux and Fedor Svechkov. 

"We want to surround our young NHL players with character builders, guys that have seen winning, have touched winning, that know what it looks like," MacFarland said. "They can teach these young guys what goes into that on and off the ice.

"Some of the players that we've added, like Jack Drury, Maverick Bourque and  Ross Colton, they've seen what winning looks like, and they can certainly impart some things to our young guys." 

Bourque's acquisition was MacFarland's biggest win of the day. The Stars center logged 41 points in 82 games last season from their third line. His addition gives the Predators a massive boost from the middle of the lineup. 

MacFarland said that they are still hammering out the details on Bourque's contract. He was previously signed to a one-year, $950,000 contract. 

He's an attractive, aged player who's proven in this league at 24 years old," MacFarland said on Bourque. "We believe he can play and be a good player in the middle of the ice. And I think that was probably the biggest draw for us...

"He's a smart, heady hockey player. He's a good two-way guy that we think the arrow is still pointing up for. We intend to give him every shot at playing in the middle." 

MacFarland also hinted at that the Predators are not done making roster moves.

So far, Nashville has 15 forwards under contract and seven, possibly eight, defensemen. The Predators are likely looking to shrink some of those numbers and add more depth on the backend. 

Ahcan and Skinner will likely play in Milwaukee. Lyubushkin is the only defensive acquisition that will likely earn a roster spot. 

Nashville Predators Acquire Mavrick Bourque, Ilya Lyubushkin In Trade With Dallas StarsNashville bolsters its lineup by landing a prolific young scorer and a battle-tested veteran, sacrificing future draft capital to sharpen their competitive edge for the coming seasons.

"The back end is something that we want to find a little bit more puck skill and a little more transition as part of our game," MacFarland said. "It's not easy to do, right? As you can see by free agency, there weren't a lot of those defensemen available. 
There's a reason for that. Those are the hard-to-get assets." 

What the Predators have gone out and done so far is build more stability in their bottom six. 

Moving players like Erik Haula, who signed with the Kings, L'Heureux and Svechkov out made room for the Predators to trade for and sign veteran players who can give Nashville that spark from the third line. 

Early projections have Drury centering Colton and Matthew Wood and Bourque centering the second line of Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault. On the fourth line, Kerfoot would be centering the newly acquired from the Vancouver Canucks Nils Hoglander and Joakim Kemell. 

"You're gonna need depth, right? This is a really hard league and injuries happen," MacFarland said.
"You're gonna need a lot of players to get through a National Hockey League season. From (Jason) Blakey to Jamie Langenbrunner in the front office, competition is really, really important. It's healthy. It raises the bar for everyone.

"The players are gonna tell us in training camp (who will make the roster), and then players are gonna have to tell us, again, in October and November, by their play." 

It wasn’t expected to be a big free agency day for the Colorado Avalanche as the calendar flipped to July 1st and the beginning of the 2026-27 league year but GM Joe Sakic was able to get a couple cheaper contracts inked before closing shop for the summer.

Enter Jaden Schwartz , a 34-year-old left wing most recently of the Seattle Kraken but was part of the St. Louis Blues 2019 Stanley Cup team. Colorado inked him to a three-year deal at a $3.25 million cap hit per year. He scored 26 points and 11 goals in 50 games last season as he was limited with injury. Sakic mentioned Schwartz as having a top nine role and will likely be utilized all over the lineup.

The #GoAvsGo signed 34 y/o F Jaden Schwartz to a 3 year $3.25M cap hit contract

Yr 1: $4M
Yr 2: $3.35M
Yr 3: $2.4M

All salary, Full NMC Yr 1, 15 team NTC yr 2-3

Rep'd by Brian and Scott Bartlett @BartlettHockeyhttps://t.co/E5Ygh0m6no

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 1, 2026

There was just enough money left over to make one more addition to the Avalanche roster and that is in right shot defenseman Noah Juulsen who is most recently of the Philadelphia Flyers where he played 52 games and scored 10 points last season. He signs for two-years at $1.1 million in each year. This feels like a classic seventh defenseman addition and gives Colorado a depth option with size. They have a plethora of right handed defensemen again but are used to working with that type of personnel.

The #GoAvsGo signed 29 y/o D Noah Juulsen to a 2 year $1.1M cap hit contract

$1.1M salary flat both seasons

Rep'd by Jason Davidson @ThunderCreekHkyhttps://t.co/skMydz72eu

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 1, 2026

Joe Sakic met with the media and reiterated the plan is to mostly start with this group and then accrue cap space for the trade deadline. Barring something they can’t pass up, the organization seems comfortable with the moves made this offseason. More minor league signings will follow and new acquisition Fabian Lysell needs a contract extension but until the Cale Makar contract is (hopefully) executed, this feels like a quiet summer ahead.

Lars Eller's brief time in Ottawa is officially over. On the first day of 2026 free agency, the veteran centre signed a one-year, $850,000 deal with the Florida Panthers. Eller also has the potential for $250,000 in performance bonuses, mostly based on games played.

Eller will be reunited with Brady Tkachuk, his teammate in Ottawa this season, though the two parted ways with the team in very different ways. Eller honoured his contract and left in free agency. With two years left on his deal, Tkachuk requested a trade after the season, and 10 days ago, the Senators accommodated him.

With 6 points in his first 12 games, Eller got off to a fine start with the Senators. But he ran into some nagging injuries and had only had nine points over the next 56 games.

Eller finished the season with 15 points, 50 hits, 33 blocked shots and 67 shots on net. He played in all four playoff games for the Senators but averaged less than 9 minutes of ice time per game. His highlight this year was probably the opportunity to play at the Olympics in Milan with Team Denmark.

At 37, he's either going to continue being a fourth-liner in Florida or a part-time player.

Tkachuk won't be the only familiar face from Ottawa. The Danish veteran played briefly in Ottawa with Donovan Sebrango before the Panthers claimed the young defenceman off waivers from the Senators back in October.

As it happens, Sebrango also signed up for another tour of duty with Florida on Wednesday. The Panthers didn't give Sebrango a qualifying offer, which made him a UFA. But after Florida made Sebrango an NHL semi-regular for the first time in his career, there was still interest in returning.

Sebrango played 40 games with Florida this season (0 goals, 8 assists), so according to THN's David Dwork, they signed him to a one-year deal.

Florida also signed former Senator Boko Imama on Wednesday, and on Tuesday, they acquired forward Angus Crookshank in the Jacob Markstrom deal. 

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published on The Hockey News Ottawa Senators site. For full coverage of the Senators, check out one of the latest headlines below:

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While the Philadelphia Flyers did very little on Day 1 of NHL free agency, they still have a few irons in the fire that could make or break this important period for the team.

Earlier Wednesday, the Flyers failed to pull off a trade for Mavrik Bourque, leaving them mostly stranded when it came to acquiring a right-shot center with positional versatility.

Signing Noel Acciari helped, but he is 34 years old and a stopgap who will be used exclusively in a fourth-line role by the Flyers.

One player the Flyers are interested in, with at least more upside than Acciari, is former captain Claude Giroux, who is a free agent at the time of this writing without a new contract from the Ottawa Senators.

"We've had some discussions. I can't say much more than that. We've had some discussions, we're looking at everything. At the moment, yeah, there's nothing imminent," Flyers general manager Danny Briere said of Giroux and defenseman John Carlson at his free agency press conference Wednesday.

Flyers Linked to Top Free Agent Centers, Including Scott LaughtonThe Philadelphia Flyers are poking around a reunion with Scott Laughton in free agency, according to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman.

A few questions later, Briere opened up a bit more on the topic of Giroux.

The Flyers boss was asked which side opened up dialogue first: Giroux's side, or the Flyers' side?

Briere tried to maintain his stoicisim, but his smile told it all in the end.

I don't even, I don't even know. I don't remember," Briere said with a grin.

As reported by myself, Pierre Lebrun, and others, the Flyers have interest in bringing back Giroux, and it of course takes two to tango and get a deal done.

Giroux would have to choose the Flyers over a potential return to his hometown Senators or a last-ditch bid to win a Stanley Cup with a contender, and the Flyers would have to sell their former talisman on a top-nine role suitable for his talents, farewell tour notwithstanding.

Whatever comes next could determine the Flyers' fate for the 2026-27 season.

At the trade deadline during the 2025-26 season, the Kings acquired Scott Laughton from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a conditional 3rd-round pick. Laughton's impact on the Kings was significant enough that, when their season ended, the Kings expressed interest in keeping him. 

Scott Laughton's Kings Season

With Laughton becoming a King only after the 2026 NHL trade deadline, his play is based on a small sample size. Laughton played 21 games for the Kings, scoring 5 goals, tallying 3 assists for 8 points. Laughton played primarily on the 3rd line for the Kings as a centerman, averaging 17 minutes with the Kings. 

Laughton covers lots of different areas for the Kings. He is a strong two-way centerman who is also a strong penalty killer. Laughton is also very strong on faceoffs, which is extremely important for the Kings, as their biggest gaps in the lineup are at centre. That is where the Kings' value of having Scott Laughton on their team lies: in the areas they need the most help, he can be that guy for the Kings, which is why, before free agency, he was a top priority for the Kings. 

Scott Laughton's Contract

Before signing with the Kings at 3 years, $3.5 Million, his previous contract was 5 years at 3 Million AAV. Overall, this deal is pretty good for the Kings, as they don't spend a huge amount on Laughton but still keep him for 3 years at a good price. Overall, Scott Laughton's style of play brings a lot of value to himself and the Kings because not only do the Kings like all aspects of his game, but he is also only 32 and still fully capable of playing elite-level hockey for the next couple of seasons. The Kings did well both by keeping a valuable player and by getting a good deal.