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:

Free Agency: Senators Officially Sign Samuel Ersson As Their Backup Goalie
The Senators May Have Just Chosen Burakovsky Over Giroux
Senators Walk Away From AHL's Top Goal Scorer
Meet The Future: Senators Draft Offensive Skill With Two First-Round Picks
At A Glance, Senators' Draft Day Trades Are Head Scratchers
Brady Tkachuk Had a Chance to Write His Own Story. He Chose Matthew's

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. 

As the offseason progresses, the Vegas Golden Knights continue to shed salary. In their most recent cap dump, they traded forward Keegan Kolesar to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a third-round pick in 2029 and a seventh-round pick in 2027. 

Kolesar has played 439 regular season NHL games, all in a Golden Knights sweater. In those 439 games, he scored 44 goals and 76 assists. He was part of the Stanley Cup-winning team in 2023 and played a total of 77 postseason games with the Golden Knights.

Analysis

Kolesar is the definition of a grinder, and he can never be accused of taking a shift off. He’s fast, relentless on the forecheck, and doesn’t shy away from dropping the gloves when needed. The Golden Knights will miss Kolesar’s physicality. He’s one tough customer and led the team in hits in each of the last five seasons with 270, 237, 277, 279, and 246, respectively.

However, for all of his strengths, Kolesar makes $2.5 million for the next two seasons. This is a business, and no one understands that better than the Golden Knights. This team loves taking big swings, and even in a rising cap world, getting Kolesar’s cap hit off the books is no small victory. 

Trade Grade: A

The Golden Knights are no strangers to salary cap dumps, and they’ve had varying degrees of success in the past when doing so. This time, they move out $2.5 million and gain draft capital in return. For years, the Golden Knights have been in win-now mode, and they’ve mortgaged their futures to remain that way. Shedding salary and getting two draft picks in return is a win in their books.

Kolesar’s energy and physicality will be missed. But the Golden Knights were paid handsomely to part with him, both in return assets and salary cap relief.

On Wednesday, the Winnipeg Jets will have a new backup goaltender next season after fan favourite Eric Comrie departed in free agency, signing a two-year contract worth $2.3 million with the San Jose Sharks.

Comrie played an important role for Winnipeg during the 2025-26 campaign, stepping into a much larger workload while star goaltender Connor Hellebuyck missed time.

The 30-year-old appeared in a career-high 25 games, posting a 12-11-1 record along with a 3.13 goals-against average and .890 save percentage.

A longtime member of the Jets organization across multiple stints, Comrie earned a reputation as a respected teammate and popular figure in the dressing room and among Winnipeg's fanbase.

Wishing you all the best in San Jose, Coms 💙 pic.twitter.com/hV5gPOG8Px

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) July 1, 2026

His departure marks the end of another chapter with the franchise that originally selected him in the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft.

Comrie wasn't the only notable addition for San Jose on a busy day of roster building. The Sharks also acquired veteran defenseman Darnell Nurse from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Zack Sharp. 

In free agency, San Jose further bolstered its lineup by signing defenseman Jacob Trouba to a four-year, $33 million contract and winger Mason Marchment to a five-year, $33.75 million deal.

With several significant additions, including Comrie, the Sharks have made it clear they intend to take a major step forward heading into the 2026-27 NHL season.

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The captain is staying in Newark.

The Devils announced Wednesday that they have agreed to a five-year, $58.5 million extension with Nico Hischier.

The new contract will kick in for the 2027-28 season.

Hischier is entering the final year of a $7.5 million-per-year deal.

Hischier was selected first overall by New Jersey in the 2017 NHL Draft and made his Devils debut that October. He played in all 82 games last season and recorded 66 points with a team-leading 28 goals.

The forward became one of seven players in franchise history with five or more seasons tallying 60 points.

Hischier has 488 points in 609 games for New Jersey, sixth on the franchise’s all-time scoring list.

“Since the day he was drafted as the number one overall pick in 2017, Nico Hischier has represented the New Jersey Devils with class, commitment, and a dedication to the community,” owner David Blitzer said in a statement.

“When I took this job, I knew that Nico was one of the core pieces that I definitely wanted as part of our future,” general manager Sunny Mehta said. “The way he plays the game, his leadership, and selflessness are qualities we value for this team. We all look forward to him leading this franchise, on and off the ice, for years to come.”

The extension comes after there were questions surrounding Hischier’s future in New Jersey following a disappointing 42-37-3 campaign last season. Shopping him could have brought back a haul for a Devils team that has underachieved in recent seasons.

Instead, Hischier comes back and will be under contract through the 2031-32 season, two seasons after Jack Hughes’ current deal expires.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that theyve signed Owen Sillinger to a one-year, two-way NHL/AHL contract for the 2026-27 season.

Don Waddell said via a press release, “Owen is a smart, dependable, two-way forward who brings a strong work ethic every day,” said Waddell. “We are pleased to bring him back and look forward to him continuing to provide valuable depth and experience to our organization.”

Sillinger has scored 50 goals and recorded 98 assists in 271 career AHL games. Last year he set career highs in goals, power play goals and shots. 

One day, hopefully he and brother Cole get to play in an NHL game together. 

---

Next Up For Columbus: Free Agency starts on July 1st. Will the CBJ be players?

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The Vancouver Canucks are adding to their D-core, having signed towering defenceman Jamie Oleksiak to a two-year, $5M AAV contract. 

A 6-foot-7 left-shot defenceman, Oleksiak has spent his 14-year NHL career with the Dallas Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins, and most recently the Seattle Kraken. Throughout that span, he has played in 758 NHL games and scored 45 goals and 116 assists. 

“Jamie is a big body who moves very well on the ice,” Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson said in a press release. “He’s a solid two-way defenceman who isn’t afraid to use his size and strength to his advantage, and we like his reach and athleticism. He competes very hard and has grown into a good leader in the dressing room. Adding him to the mix on the backend will help us in many positive ways.”  

Drafted 14th-overall by the Stars in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, Oleksiak initially played for Dallas from 2012-13 to 2017-18 but returned to the team from 2018-19 to 2020-21 after a two-season stint with the Penguins. He did not play in his first full 82-game season until 2023-24 as a member of the Kraken. 

Oleksiak's best offensive numbers came from his time with the Kraken, as he registered a career-high in goals (9) and assists (16) in a single season with 75 games played in 2022-23. 

Last season, Oleksiak put up five goals and 10 assists in 78 games while averaging 16:56 minutes played. 

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Zach Werenski and the Blue Jackets have discussed things and the Norris Trophy winner will be staying in Columbus.

The defenseman and Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell released statements on Wednesday, July 1, explaining the situation on the opening day of NHL free agency.

The day had started with a report that Werenski had vetoed a trade to the Dallas Stars.

Werenski who has two more seasons left on his contract, won a gold medal with the USA at the Olympics last season and was voted the NHL's top defenseman for the first time in his career. But the Blue Jackets missed the playoffs for the sixth season in a row.

Here are the statements by Waddell and Werenski explaining what happened:

Statement from Don Waddell

"Earlier this spring, Zach and I met and talked about his future with the Blue Jackets beyond his current contract and he indicated that he wasn’t sure what the future would hold with regards to staying with the club or possibly moving on. During those discussions, we talked about me exploring opportunities to move him now and we all agreed if there was a deal to be made that I would bring it to him.

"We found something that would work for the club and took it to him. After some time and discussions with his family, Zach informed us that he didn’t want to leave Columbus. He has invested a great deal in this organization and after coming close and falling short the past two seasons, his desire is to win here and get this team back into the playoffs.

"The past two seasons have been very challenging ones, but also ones of growth for our team. Our goals from ownership on down and Zach’s goals are the same… to win now, return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and win a Stanley Cup. Our city and fans deserve nothing less and we are all on the same page working towards that end. Zach has been a very important part of this organization and our community for a long time, and we couldn’t be happier that he will continue to be moving forward."

Statement from Zach Werenski

"Don and I have had very open and honest dialogue since the season ended. Ideally, this wouldn’t have become such a public thing but that is the world we live in now and everything got blown out of proportion in my opinion. I want to win and I want to do that in Columbus. As I’ve thought about things and discussed everything with my wife and family, we want to be in Columbus. It has been my home for the past 10 years and I have always been proud to be a Blue Jacket. We have the best fans in the NHL. I love my teammates and coaches and I’m looking forward to doing everything I can to get us back in the playoffs to compete for a Stanley Cup. Don and I are completely aligned on that and are excited about what’s to come with our team."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Zach Werenski will stay in Columbus: Defenseman, GM release statements

Nashville Predators general manager Chris MacFarland has dipped back into familiar waters once again.

After already acquiring former Colorado Avalanche forwards Ross Colton and Jack Drury—who quickly signed a contract extension with Nashville—this offseason, MacFarland has now brought in another player from his former organization. The Predators announced Wednesday that they have signed defenseman Jack Ahcan to a two-year, two-way contract, adding another player MacFarland knows well from his time in Colorado.

While Ahcan has yet to establish himself as a full-time NHL defenseman, he showed enough in Colorado to earn meaningful opportunities when they mattered most. The 29-year-old appeared in three Stanley Cup Playoff games this spring, dressing twice against the Minnesota Wild before drawing into Game 1 of the Western Conference Final against the Vegas Golden Knights with Cale Makar sidelined by injury.

Ahcan didn't register a point during his postseason stint, but he made his presence felt in the defensive zone. Against Minnesota, he showcased a fearless style of play, throwing himself in front of several dangerous scoring chances and making a number of eye-catching shot blocks that helped stabilize Colorado's blue line under pressure.

His regular-season production also turned heads at the American Hockey League level. Ahcan recorded 50 points—11 goals and 39 assists—in 61 games with the Colorado Eagles, finishing among the league's more productive offensive defensemen while also appearing in 11 NHL contests for the Avalanche.

Although his NHL résumé remains relatively brief with just 22 career games split between Colorado and the Boston Bruins, Ahcan has consistently produced in the AHL. Across stints with the Eagles and Providence Bruins, he has accumulated 198 points in 272 career AHL games, underscoring the offensive instincts that have made him a dependable contributor at that level.

For Nashville, this signing is about more than organizational depth.

The Predators are in the midst of a roster transition, and Ahcan arrives with an opportunity that may not have existed in Colorado. Nashville's evolving blue line could provide him with the clearest path yet toward earning consistent NHL minutes, especially after proving he can be trusted in high-pressure situations during the postseason.

MacFarland's familiarity with Ahcan undoubtedly played a role in the decision. After bringing Colton and Drury to Nashville earlier this summer, the Predators' general manager has once again turned to a player he knows firsthand, betting that a change of scenery could allow Ahcan to finally establish himself as an everyday NHL defenseman.