LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 07: Kaedan Korczak #6 of the Vegas Golden Knights passes the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins at T-Mobile Arena on March 07, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Penguins made their first big transaction of the off-season by trading out defenseman Parker Wotherspoon to Vegas for Kaedan Korczak.
The Penguins have acquired defenseman Kaedan Korczak from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Parker Wotherspoon.
The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired defenseman Kaedan Korczak from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Parker Wotherspoon, it was announced today by President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas.
Korczak, 25, is signed through the 2029-30 season and carries an average annual value of $3.25 million. Pittsburgh is retaining 50% of Wotherspoon’s contract.
The 6-foot-3, 206-pound defenseman has spent the last five-plus seasons in the Vegas Golden Knights organization. Last season, Korczak recorded three goals, 13 assists and 16 points in 78 games with Vegas and notched three assists in 13 games en route to the Stanley Cup Final.
In 155 career NHL games, Korczak has tallied four goals, 33 assists, 37 points and a plus-31 and added another three assists in 14 career playoff games. The defenseman spent parts of his first four professional seasons with the Henderson Silver Knights of the American Hockey League and tallied 39 points (7G-32A) in 134 games.
The Yorkton, SK native has represented Team Canada at the 2021 World Junior Championship and 2019 World Under-18 Championship, winning a silver medal in 2021.
Korczak was originally drafted in the second round (41st overall) of the 2019 NHL Draft by Vegas.
The move has cap implications, the Pens are retaining half of Wotherspoon’s already reasonable $1.0 million salary for Vegas to gain as much space as possible. Korczak carries a $3.25 million cap hit and as mentioned above is signed for the next four seasons on an extension that doesn’t kick in until tomorrow.
One of my radio broadcasts last season was in Vegas. This was the gist of what I gleaned on Kaedan Korczak, the 6-3, 206-pound defenseman: "Intelligent two-way defender who loves to mix it up. Bigger guy who can skate."
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) June 30, 2026
The right shooting defenseman averaged just under 16 minutes per game for Vegas last year. He fits right in the wheelhouse of what the Penguins have sought after in terms of age, 25, and showing some good metrics that the team will hope can flourish stepping up a level.
Wotherspoon performed well for the Penguins, in a first pairing role on the left side on a pair with Erik Karlsson. This move could be a harbinger of things to come as Pittsburgh remakes their blueline now that the already weak left side loses a key member and certainly looks like a place the team will need to add to this summer in another trade or by signing a free agent.
The Florida Panthers traded for their second goaltender in as many days, acquiring Jacob Markstrom in a deal with the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday that all but certainly signals the end of Sergei Bobrovsky’s storied run in South Florida.
The Panthers sent Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and the rights to pending restricted free agnet Ben Steeves to the Devils for Markstrom and winger Angus Crookshank.
Florida got goalie Akira Schmid from Vegas on Monday night for a 2028 third-round pick.
The Devils traded goalie Jacob Markstrom to the Panthers. Getty Images
“Jacob is an established veteran leader in this league who possesses size and a relentless drive to win,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. “We are excited for him to compete alongside our established group and return to South Florida.”
Bobrovsky, 37, backstopped Florida to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and ’25 and another trip to the final in ’23.
Markstrom, 36, is beginning a two-year contract at an annual salary cap hit of $6 million. That was signed by former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, who left the organization in April.
Moving on from him is the first big roster shakeup for successor Sunny Mehta. New Jersey now has Jake Allen in net and will likely go shopping for his tandem mate in free agency.
The trade likely ends Sergei Bobrovsky’s time with the Panthers. NHLI via Getty Images
Rodrigues, who turns 33 on July 28, gives the Devils another top-nine forward. The Panthers shed his salary of just over $3 million after getting Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa to play with brother Matthew.
In other moves around the NHL, the St. Louis Blues put winger Jonathan Drouin on unconditional waivers to buy out the final season of his contract. They got Drouin at the trade deadline from the New York Islanders as part of the return for Brayden Schenn.
Apr 5, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New Jersey Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Florida Panthers traded for their second goaltender in as many days, acquiring Jacob Markstrom in a deal with the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday that all but certainly signals the end of Sergei Bobrovsky’s storied run in South Florida.
The Panthers sent Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and the rights to pending restricted free agnet Ben Steeves to the Devils for Markstrom and winger Angus Crookshank. Florida got goalie Akira Schmid from Vegas on Monday night for a 2028 third-round pick.
“Jacob is an established veteran leader in this league who possesses size and a relentless drive to win,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said. “We are excited for him to compete alongside our established group and return to South Florida.”
Bobrovsky, 37, backstopped Florida to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and ’25 and another trip to the final in ’23.
Markstrom, 36, is beginning a two-year contract at an annual salary cap hit of $6 million. That was signed by former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, who left the organization in April.
Moving on from him is the first big roster shakeup for successor Sunny Mehta. New Jersey now has Jake Allen in net and will likely go shopping for his tandem mate in free agency.
Rodrigues, who turns 33 on July 28, gives the Devils another top-nine forward. The Panthers shed his salary of just over $3 million after getting Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa to play with brother Matthew.
In other moves around the NHL, the St. Louis Blues put winger Jonathan Drouin on unconditional waivers to buy out the final season of his contract. They got Drouin at the trade deadline from the New York Islanders as part of the return for Brayden Schenn.
NHL free agency officially opens at noon ET on Wednesday, July 1, but there is plenty of action on June 30 as teams get in shape for the annual signing period.
Already, the Florida Panthers changed up their goaltending with two trades and the St. Louis Blues took a step to buy out Jonathan Drouin.
The Panthers announced that they acquired goaltender Jacob Markstrom from the New Jersey Devils and Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Panthers' 2025-26 goalies, two-time Stanley Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky plus Daniil Tarasov, are pending unrestricted free agents.
Here are live updates on NHL transactions from Tuesday, June 30:
Parker Wotherspoon is heading to Vegas, with 50% of his salary retained, for Kaedan Korczak. Wotherspoon had a career-best 30 points last season. The move saves the Golden Knights $2.75 million in cap space.
The Panthers give up Evan Rodigues, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves in the Markstrom deal and also get back minor league forward Angus Crookshank. They give up a 2028 third-round pick in the Schmid deal.
Bobrovsky, 37, won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles with the Panthers and two Vezina trophies earlier in his career. But he was coming off the worst save percentage of his career and was reportedly seeking a long-term deal. The Panthers then changed plans.
Markstrom, 36, is also coming off a subpar season, but he's signed for two years at $6 million a year. He began his NHL career with the Panthers.
The Devils land versatile forwards who can play up and down the lineup in Rodrigues and Boqvist. New Jersey has Jake Allen in net, but will need to find a goalie in free agency or via trade.
Schmid was available because the Golden Knights have Carter Hart and Adin Hill in net.
The goaltender will get two years at a $2 million average. He was acquired on Friday, June 26, for a first-round pick and will get a shot in the NHL as a backup to Utah's Karel Vejmelka. The Red Wings' 2021 first-round pick played in only one NHL game with Detroit.
The team placed Drouin on unconditional waivers for the purpose of buying out the final year of his contract. He had been acquired from the Islanders in the Brayden Schenn trade.
Drouin, 31, had three points in nine games after the trade and 24 points overall. He has had three 50-point seasons, the latest in 2023-24 with the Avalanche.
Former Detroit Red Wings top prospect Sebastian Cossa wasted little time settling into his new organization, agreeing to a two-year contract extension with the Utah Mammoth worth $2 million per season, according to insider Frank Seravalli.
The deal comes shortly after Cossa arrived in Utah via a trade with Detroit during Friday night's 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo. The Red Wings sent the towering goaltending prospect to Utah in exchange for the 23rd overall pick, a selection Detroit used to draft Kamloops Blazers forward JP Hurlbert.
The move signaled a clear shift in direction for the Red Wings' crease plans, while giving Utah a young netminder many view as a future NHL starter.
Cossa, drafted 15th overall by Detroit in 2021, spent the past season delivering one of the most dominant performances in the AHL. Playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins, the 6-foot-6 goaltender posted a 26-8-4 record to go along with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage across 39 appearances.
With his draft pedigree and physical tools, Cossa now gets a fresh opportunity in Utah for the next, where he's expected to push for meaningful crease time alongside incumbent Karel Vejmelka. The two-year extension locks in cost certainty for the Mammoth as they evaluate Cossa's readiness to handle a larger NHL workload, while giving the young goaltender stability as he transitions to a new franchise.
The Mammoth will likely ease Cossa into NHL duty, seeing if he truly is prepared for the jump to the top level. If not ready, Utah could continue to feed the 23-year-old AHL reps with spot starts as he adjusts to the pro level, though his AHL track record suggests he could push for a larger role sooner rather than later.
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The Philadelphia Flyers have made one of their first re-signings of the 2026 offseason, keeping one of their own for another season.
On Tuesday, TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger reported that the Flyers and depth forward Carl Grundstrom, acquired from the San Jose Sharks in the Ryan Ellis trade, have agreed to a one-year contract worth $1 million.
The Flyers cannot officially announce the deal until Wednesday, when free agency opens for the NHL.
Grundstrom, 28, scored nine goals, four assists, and 13 points in 47 games for the Flyers last season, primarily featuring in a bottom-six role, and occasionally playing with Noah Cates and Matvei Michkov because of his speed.
With the departures of Nick Deslauriers and, more recently, Garnet Hathaway, the Flyers had a need for a depth energy winger, and they will keep one around with Grundstrom.
Plus, Nikita Grebenkin only just returned from a four-month absense due to a mystery on Tuesday, and he'll need the offseason to continue to recover and get back up to speed.
With Grundstrom back in the mix, the Flyers still need to re-sign free agents Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale, Grebenkin, Luke Glendening, Garrett Wilson, Noah Juulsen, and Rodrigo Abols, though not all will be back in Philadelphia next season.
The Flyers have approximately $32 million in cap space to work with after re-signing Grundstrom.
The New Jersey Devils traded veteran goaltender Jacob Markstrom and Utica Comets forward Angus Crookshank to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday afternoon in exchange for forward Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Ben Steeves, per TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
LeBrun added that New Jersey is not retaining any salary in the move.
The 36-year-old netminder, who began his NHL career with the Panthers, earned a record of 23-19-1 with the Devils last season with a 3.07 goals-against average and an .883 save percentage. He is entering the first season of a two-year, $12 million contract with a $6 million cap hit.
New Jersey acquired Markstrom from the Calgary Flames on June 19, 2024 in exchange for defenseman Kevin Bahl and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Recently, the Panthers acquired former Devils goaltender Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights.
We have acquired goaltender Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for our third-round selection in the 2028 NHL Draft.
Rodrigues, 32, scored 11 goals and collected 20 assists over 69 games with the Panthers in 2025-26. He was part of Florida's 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup championship teams.
Boqvist began his career in New Jersey and spent four seasons with the club before leaving for the Boston Bruins organization. As an unrestricted free agent, he signed with the Panthers in 2024, where he won his first Stanley Cup.
Steeves, 24, is a undrafted left winger who spent last season in American Hockey League (AHL), with the Charlotte Checkers. He appeared in 72 games and collected 45 points.
This story will be updated.
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The St. Louis Blues have announced that they have placed former Montreal Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin on waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract.
Drouin signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the New York Islanders this past off-season. However, he ended up being traded to the Blues in the deal that sent Brayden Schenn to the Islanders.
Drouin getting bought out comes after he had four goals and 24 points in 64 games split between the Islanders and Blues last season. This included him recording a goal and two assists in nine games for St. Louis after the trade.
With Drouin set to be bought out, he will become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) once he clears waivers. The former Canadiens forward has the potential to generate some interest around the NHL, especially with this year's free agency class being weak. However, he may have to settle for a one-year, prove-it deal after how his last season went.
Drouin spent six seasons with the Canadiens from 2017-18 to 2022-23, where he recorded 48 goals, 138 assists, and 186 points. His best season in Montreal was in 2018-19, when he recorded 18 goals and 53 points in 81 games.
The Florida Panthers are acquiring goaltender Jacob Markstrom and winger Angus Crookshank from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, and Ben Steeves, as first reported by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.
The Devils will not be retaining any salary on Markstrom’s contract, meaning the Panthers will be on the books for the next two seasons paying Markstrom an average annual salary of $6 million.
Markstrom was once a Panther, playing 43 games with Florida from 2010 to 2014. Markstrom was originally a second-round pick of the Panthers.
The 36-year-old was dealt to the New Jersey Devils two seasons ago, but never found his footing. In the most recent campaign, Markstrom posted an .883 save percentage and a 3.07 goals-against average in 44 games as the Devils missed the playoffs.
Crookshank is a 26-year-old AHL winger with 29 games of NHL experience. Throughout his career, he’s posted solid AHL numbers, scoring 185 points in 262 games.
Heading the other way were two Panthers regulars, as well as an AHL forward.
Rodrigues, who will now be joining the fifth team of his NHL career, served as a valuable, versatile forward for the Panthers in their back-to-back Stanley Cup wins. His ability to play on the wing or up the middle, as well as in the bottom six or top six, will truly be missed.
GM Bill Zito has been vocal about his admiration for Rodrigues, but moving the 32-year-old forward was clearly a price to pay to make the money work.
Also included in this deal is Jesper Boqvist, who has filled a role similar to Rodrigues’, just not as effectively. Despite that, Boqvist played more than 70 games in both of his Panthers seasons. Boqvist was originally a second-round pick of the Devils and played four seasons with the organization.
Steeves led the Charlotte Checkers in points last season, notching 23 goals and 45 points in 72 games. Although he was never given the opportunity to play an NHL game with the Panthers, he was trending in the right direction and was recently tendered a qualifying offer, likely to facilitate this trade.
The Panthers, following this trade, now have just under $4.5 million in salary cap space to sign Akira Schmid and make some depth moves.
This is the first trade Zito and former Panthers assistant GM Sunny Mehta have conducted with one another.
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One of the more notable prospects to participate in the New York Rangers’ development camp this week is defenseman Drew Fortescue.
Late in the 2025-26 season, Fortescue signed his three-year, entry-level contract with the Rangers and played in nine games to close out the season.
“I think it definitely helped, and kind of helped me see what I needed to work on going into this summer,” Fortescue said of his NHL experience. “I think it was definitely a really cool experience, and I'm gonna hopefully try and lean on that going into camp and try and set myself up the best I can.”
In his nine NHL games, Fortescue recorded two assists while averaging 14:51 minutes.
The 21-year-old defenseman showed promising flashes in a short sample size, as he may have a leg up on the Rangers’ other defensive prospects going into training camp.
Fortescue will be one blueliner competing for an opening-night roster spot once training camp rolls around, and he’s focused on refining his game this summer.
“I think there are a lot of things I need to get better at,” Fortescue said. “It’s getting stronger, puck touches, breakouts, and all the passing, and making sure you put the pucks on guys' tape. I think kind of just the more you play, the more you get used to it, and all that stuff, I'm trying to work on this summer to try and get better at, and continuing to work on, so I can give myself a chance.”
Still living at home in Pearl River, New York, Fortescue confirmed he’ll be in the area for most of the summer to train.
Despite being the only prospect to attend development camp with NHL experience, Fortescue felt it was beneficial for himself to be in Hawthorne this week.
“I think this camp is just to come here and learn and try and be around and kind of just set myself up as best as I can going forward, going into camp,” Fortescue said. “It's nice to be here, be around all the guys, meet all the new guys. It's been fun so far. I'm looking forward to the rest of it.”
MONTREAL, QC - APRIL 05: Paul Cotter (47) of the New Jersey Devils skates during the second period of the NHL game between the New Jersey Devils and the Montreal Canadiens on Apr 05, 2026, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC(Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Prior to Monday’s 5pm Eastern deadline, the New Jersey Devils tendered qualifying offers to six pending restricted free agents. Those players are forwards Arseny Gritsyuk, Amadeus Lombardi, and Xavier Parent, defenseman Topias Vilen, and goaltenders Nico Daws and Jakub Malek. As a result, the Devils will continue to control their NHL rights as we enter the free agency period.
Four players did not receive a qualifying offer. Those players were forwards Paul Cotter and Dylan Wendt, defenseman Calen Addison, and goaltender Tyler Brennan. They will become unrestricted free agents on Wednesday, July 1st unless the Devils come to agreement on a new contract with any of them prior to then.
Looking at those lists, the most surprising bit of news for the Devils may be their decision not to tender a contract to Cotter. And we’ll get to him in a moment. But let’s start with the players they did opt to qualify.
Arseny Gritsyuk is the highest-profile RFA the Devils have this offseason following the trade of Simon Nemec to Calgary. Devils GM Sunny Mehta mentioned during a recent Town Hall with season ticket holders that, in regards to a new contract for Gritsyuk, he was encouraged by developments on that front. Devils beat reporter James Nichols went as far as to say “his contract should be wrapped up soon“. It remains to be seen if said deal will be done as early as this week, as unrestricted free agency will take immediate priority over a pending RFA come Wednesday, but make no mistake. Gritsyuk is a player the Devils would like to keep moving forward.
Lombardi is one of the newest members of the Devils, coming over in a trade last week from the Detroit Red Wings. He has yet to make his NHL debut, but it shouldn’t be surprising that Mehta qualified him after trading a fourth round pick to acquire him. It remains to be seen what he could be at the NHL level, but its safe to assume he’s going to get an opportunity to make the Devils roster.
Daws and Malek were the primary goaltenders at Utica this past season. Daws may still yet earn an NHL role for himself if Mehta is able to move the two years and $6M AAV on Jacob Markstrom’s deal. If nothing else, the qualifying offers ensure that the Devils will continue to control the NHL rights of both goaltenders. Malek will almost certainly be back in Utica as he continues his development, and Daws may very well be there as well once again this upcoming season.
Xavier Parent and Topias Vilen both earned a cup of coffee with the Devils during the 2025-26 season. Someone like James who is more familiar with the day-to-day workings of Utica would be better qualified than me to discuss how both players fared this season, but they appear to be on the shortlist for NHL call ups when the Devils need a healthy body to dress for a game. Keeping them in the organization is fine, although with new AGM Braden Birch overseeing operations in Utica moving forward, I would expect an overhaul of how the Devils operate at the AHL level.
This brings us to the players that the Devils didn’t qualify, and with all due respect to Calen Addison, Tyler Brennan, and Dylan Wendt, the most notable name on this list is Paul Cotter.
Cotter came to the Devils two seasons ago (along with a 3rd round pick used on Mason Moe) in the deal that sent Alexander Holtz and Akira Schmid to the Vegas Golden Knights. Two years later, that deal is shaping up to be one that hasn’t really helped either side all that much. Holtz cleared waivers and was sent down to the AHL this past season, and the Knights just traded Schmid to the Florida Panthers for a future third round pick.
Cotter wound up scoring 25 goals and 12 assists over 158 games with the Devils in two seasons while also being a physical presence on the Devils fourth line. On the surface, those stats aren’t terrible for a fourth line winger. But a deeper look at the underlying numbers tells the story of a player who was frequently exposed as a defensive liability when he was on the ice. No NHL player had a worse 5v5 goal share than Cotter this season.
Cotter’s qualifying offer was set to be $850,000, but as the fellas at Devils Insiders point out, it’s not so much about that number as it is the fact that Cotter was arbitration eligible. Cotter had enough counting stats where he was likely to get a decent raise on his next contract. AFP Analytics was projecting as high as three years and $2.325M AAV, while ScotiaStat had him at two years and $1.287M AAV. I’m not sure what Cotter’s number was going to come in at, but I can understand Mehta not wanting to bother with arbitration for a flawed player that he may or may not even want on the roster going forward in the first place. I can appreciate that Cotter is the modern-day Jacob Josefson in that he’s great in the shootout and literally nothing else, but that’s not enough of a reason to justify giving him a raise and a spot on the roster moving forward, particularly when cap dollars are at a premium.
Now, is it possible that Sunny Mehta likes what Cotter brings to the table and wants to bring him (or the other non-tendered players) back at a lower salary. Never say never. Three years ago, the Devils didn’t qualify Michael McLeod or Nathan Bastian, but wound up bringing back both players. But they also didn’t qualify Jesper Boqvist and let him hit the open market. I’m not pointing that out to relitigate the decision-making or thought process by then-GM Tom Fitzgerald. I’m saying that to simply show it’s a possibility.
With that said, there’s no shortage of fourth liners who will be on the open market as of Wednesday. Many of them have a connection to Sunny Mehta, whether it’s Ryan Lomberg, Kevin Stenlund, Noah Gregor, Nick Cousins, or the recently non-qualified Cole Schwindt, just to name a few. There’s also several fourth liners who at one time or another played for Sheldon Keefe in Toronto, such as Calle Jarnkrok. The Devils also have some internal candidates for a potential fourth line role, such as Lenni Hameenaho, Shane Lachance or Matyas Melovsky. Or maybe Mehta has someone in mind who we’re not thinking of. Either way, it doesn’t really make a ton of sense for the Devils to pay Cotter well north of $1M when you can get someone for the veteran’s minimum of $850,000. When you’re as tight against the cap ceiling as the Devils currently are, saving a few hundred thousand dollars here or there on the margins shouldn’t be overlooked.
I suppose its possible that Cotter addresses the flaws in his game where he’s no longer a defensive liability and can go on to have a respectable career as a fourth-line grinder. But I don’t blame Mehta for wanting to make a change, and if I had to guess, Cotter will be playing elsewhere in 2026-27. I don’t see the Devils bringing him back at a smaller number. The Devils might miss what he does in the shootout, but I don’t know that they’re going to miss everything else Cotter does or doesn’t do. Maybe his DJ’ing skills, but that’s about it.
Jonathan Drouin’s cup of coffee with the St. Louis Blues is finished.
After playing just nine games following the 2026 trade deadline, the Blues have elected to place the 31-year-old winger on waivers for the purpose of buying out his contract.
Drouin had one season left on a two-year contract carrying a $4-million cap hit. St. Louis acquired him at the March 6 trade deadline from the New York Islanders in the Brayden Schenn deal.
In nine games with the Blues following the trade, Drouin put up one goal and three points, but throughout the 2025-26 season, the former 2013 third overall pick scored four goals and 24 points in 64 games.
The Blues will be charged with a $1.33 million dead cap hit for the next two seasons, according to puckpedia.com. The Blues will save $2.67 million.
Drouin now becomes eligible to be claimed off waivers for the next 24 hours or so, but the likelihood of him being claimed is almost zero. When the process is complete, Drouin will become a UFA and be eligible to sign with any NHL team.
With 671 games of NHL experience, Drouin should be able to find a new home fairly quickly.
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The biggest question, or questions, surrounding the Florida Panthers following the NHL Draft has been their two vacancies at the goaltending position.
Late Monday night, Florida addressed one of those spots, acquiring Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a 2028 third-round pick.
The 26-year-old is a restricted free agent, so Florida still needs to negotiate a new deal with him, but he fits in the mold of the team’s recent goaltending targets, measuring in at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds.
“Akira is a talented and athletic goaltender who has shown poise in high-pressure moments,” Panthers GM Bill Zito said in a statement released by the team. “We are excited to welcome him to our organization.”
Florida has done well in recent years targeting netminders who would find success when playing behind the Cats’ physical, defensive systems.
It helps to have a Goaltending Excellence Department led by a Hall of Fame goalie in Roberto Luongo.
But the work for Zito and Luongo is not done.
Florida is still in the market for a starting goalie, and it continues to sound like they will address that need via the trade market.
There are a pair of veteran goaltenders who fit Florida’s size appeal who they have looked into, according to a source. They are New Jersey Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom and Los Angeles Kings tendy Darcy Kuemper.
Markstrom, 36, has two years remaining on his current deal that carries an average annual value (AAV) of $6 million, while Kuemper, also 36, is entering the final year of his deal that pays a $5.25 AAV, according to PuckPedia.
Additionally, Markstrom’s contract carries a 20-team no-trade list while Kuemper’s carries a 10-team no-trade list.
Either way, the Panthers will have to come up with a package to extract their goalie of choice if that’s the path they choose, while still making the financials work under the cap.
It will also be interesting to see what kind of price a goalie of either of their caliber and experience would demand after seeing Schmid cost the Cats a third-rounder.
There are still still a plethora of goaltending options in free agency, and the Panthers have done their due diligence on several of the pending free agents.
As it stands, though, it sounds like the team’s desired route is the trade market.
We’ll see how things continue to develop as we get close to July 1.
Photo caption: Apr 5, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; New Jersey Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom (25) looks on during warm-up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 14: Rasmus Andersson #4 of the Vegas Golden Knights controls the puck as Nikolaj Ehlers #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes pursues the play during the first period of Game Six of the 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
This is a weird year when it comes to NHL free agency. A flurry of trades ahead of the draft led to some key players finding new homes and signing new contracts, while the restricted free agent market (headlined by Jason Robertson) continues to play out. That led to a free agent group that doesn’t exactly blow you away, but there are some major talent upgrades out there for teams trying to make the next step.
Free agency opens at 9 a.m. ET on July 1, and there remains a prevailing feeling that we could be waiting to see some of the big names leave the board, with teams still trying to work some major trades. We know Winnipeg is still listening to offers on Connor Hellebuyck, Zach Werenski could be on the move, and the Montreal Canadiens are making a lot of noise when it comes to potential deals that will get them to the next level. Those dominoes could impact free agency and open the market for some teams to swoop in and snag some of the mid-level talent.
Now let’s dive into the Top 10 players on the market this year.
No. 1: Rasmus Andersson, D, Vegas Golden Knights
Andersson was a trade-deadline acquisition from the Calgary Flames intended as a playoff push move, and it worked, as the 29-year-old defenseman helped propel the Golden Knights all the way to the Stanley Cup. A true difference-maker as a top-pairing player, Vegas won’t be able to retain him without some major salary cap gymnastics. That could happen, but all signs point to him moving on in free agency.
Andersson is a do-everything defenseman who is able to play at home, as well as be a part of the offense with 47 points in the 2025-26 season. He might not be quite offensively minded enough to quarterback a power play, but he is still a top-tier defenseman who could command in the $10M AAV range in this market.
No. 2: John Carlson, D, Carolina Hurricanes
We need to list the Canes here because that’s who technically owns his rights at the moment. Carolina made a late trade towards the end of the 2026 NHL Draft to get Carlson’s rights from the Anaheim Ducks, in an effort to negotiate with him for a few days before free agency opens.
It doesn’t matter that Carlson is 36-years-old, because he is still playing elite hockey. Registering 70 points in 71 games last year, he remains a Top 10 defender in the entire NHL. Obviously Carlson would take the Stanley Cup Champions to an entirely new level, but there are reports that it’s unlikely he’ll remain in Carolina, with Carlson’s camp seeking a short-term deal in the $10M AAV range. He’s definitely worth that money, but the Canes are unlikely to put all their eggs in that basket, especially when they have greater needs than adding to their defense depth.
No. 3: Anthony Mantha, LW, Pittsburgh Penguins
I’m buying in on Mantha being better than his inconsistent stats show, are far more akin to the 64 points he scored last year with the Penguins, than the 44 point guy he was in 2023-24. We have a player who seems to flourish inside a system that actually needs him, where he struggles to be an impact on a back line without a lot of talent around him.
That means I think Mantha could be a great pickup for a team on the playoff bubble needing a talent injection. I also don’t think he’s going to command a bank-breaking sum in free agency because his career inconsistency will scare some teams off.
No. 4: Jacob Trouba, D, Anaheim Ducks
There are going to be some major growing pains on defense for the Ducks moving forward after having dealt John Carlson, and now losing Trouba in free agency.
Jacob Trouba is a solid second-line defenseman on most teams in the National Hockey League. I don’t buy he’s a top-line guy, but that’s still not bad for a team who needs a veteran presence on their line and someone who can be a sneaky breakaway threat with his long passing ability.
No. 5: Stuart Skinner, G, Edmonton Oilers
We are at a dearth of talent in the NHL when it comes to goaltenders, and the fact Stuart Skinner makes this list at No. 5 shows that. There are so many times Skinner seems like he’s ready to take the jump and then he falters when given the opportunity.
At this point he sits as a low-level starter or a premium backup. That’s about where his value is, and when teams are still trying to work out what happens with Sergei Bobrovsky and Connor Hellebuyck, there is some value here.
No. 6 Alexander Ovechkin, LW, Washington Capitals
Ovi is still deciding whether he’ll retire, re-sign with the Capitals for one more year, or potentially make the jump to free agency. I’m not buying for a second that the 40-year-old is a good fit, basically anywhere in the league at this point. Kudos for a phenomenal career, but at this point Ovechkin is only good for cherry picking goals, which is the role he had in Washington these past two seasons.
Outside of that, he’s a defensive liability, not much of a passer, and well, he’s 40. That’s basically the only issue. Still, he might be enough for a terrible team to sell some tickets, but I have no idea why he wouldn’t just retire a hero at this point rather than try to have a sad run elsewhere.
No. 7: Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers
I don’t think a lot of people fully comprehend what a down season Bob had last year. Too much is being made of the Panthers’ injuries, and the goaltender’s agents are trying to sell him as still being a multi-year, $4.5M AAV talent when he just really wasn’t last season — but kudos to them for trying.
In 2025-26, we saw Bob finish with an .877 save percentage and allowing 3.07 goals per game. I don’t think he’s magically going to become elite again, and rather this is the beginning of a decline.
No. 8: Boone Jenner, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
Jenner is really not an amazing player, but this is a profoundly weak market at center — especially ones with tenure. A team needing a third or fourth line guy will probably take advantage of adding to their depth here. The one thing that Jenner does offer is faceoff ability, which a lot of teams are lacking right now.
No. 9: Viktor Arvidsson, LW, Boston Bruins
Arvidsson is a jack of one trade: He’s great at skating fast and putting shots on net. That very narrow skillset allows him to put up some decent numbers, but he’s not really a great piece to build around. If a team has a specific plan for how to utilize him on a line then he could be a decent pickup, but the worry is that someone will sign him assuming they’re getting a 20 goal scorer without understanding how he achieved that.
No. 10: Mason Marchment, F, Columbus Blue Jackets
There was some talk about Marchment being a potential trade during the NHL Draft, but evidently, he was too important for CBJ to part ways with, hoping they could negotiate a deal. He’s a decent enough third-line player to have some teams intrigued, but doesn’t bring a lot to the table.
