The Chicago Blackhawks had an interesting first day of the Free Agent Frenzy. It started with a report of a Bowen Byram contract extension. After trading for him, the Blackhawks locked him into a long-term deal. 

After that, they made a couple of signings to bring in veterans who can help with the depth of the roster. Ian Cole is a solid defenseman for their 3rd pair, and Cole Smith is a hard-hitting defensive forward for their 4th line. 

There wasn't much else that went on afterward, and Kyle Davidson confirmed that they would make a couple of AHL signings before calling it a day. 

Those will come in the form of veteran defensemen in Dylan Anhorn and Connor Mackey. Each of them will be expected to provide the Rockford IceHogs with some depth on the blue line. 

Anhorn spent a few years playing college hockey at Union College before transferring to St. Cloud State. Since then, he has spent two years playing pro hockey as a member of the Manitoba Moose. 

As for Mackey, he has made his NHL debut, but he is an AHL defenseman at his core. He brings a sense of leadership at 29 years old that will make the IceHogs a better team. 

There is value to bolstering the roster of the IceHogs, as there will be plenty of young players with NHL ceilings that will be looking to learn a thing or two from the AHL. Good veterans are always helpful to rookies trying to find their way. 

Other Free Agent Notes:

Former Chicago Blackhawks Captain Nick Foligno Continues NHL Career With Minnesota WildFormer Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno is going to continue his NHL career as a member of the Minnesota Wild. Ilya Mikheyev Officially Leaves Blackhawks For 4-Year Deal With LightningThe Tampa Bay Lightning have signed former Chicago Blackhawks forward Ilya Mikheyev. Ian Cole Is Coming To Chicago Blackhawks On 1-Year Free-Agent DealThe Chicago Blackhawks have signed Ian Cole to a one-year contract. Blackhawks Sign Cole Smith To 3 Year Free-Agent ContractThe Chicago Blackhawks add more to their bottom-six with Cole Smith coming in. Blackhawks, Bowen Byram Come To Terms On Contract ExtensionThe Chicago Blackhawks and Bowen Byram have come to terms on a contract extension that will keep him in Chicago for a long time.

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.

The Nashville Predators sign their first two defensemen of the free agency cycle in Colorado Avalanche's Jack Ahcan and the St. Louis Blues' Hunter Skinner. 

Ahcan, a 23-year-old, 5-foot-8, lefty, spent the majority of the season with the Colorado Eagles in the AHL, scoring 50 points (11 goals and 39 assists) in 61 games. He played 11 games with the Avalanche, scoring two points (two assists). 

Last season was the most games he played in the NHL over his entire career, dating back to his debut in the 2020-21 season. 

Howdy boys 🤠

We've signed defenseman Jack Ahcan to a two-year, two-way contract and defenseman Hunter Skinner to a one-year, two-way contract.

Full details » https://t.co/tAcs5anvCIpic.twitter.com/A5E1Eq5iQy

— Nashville Predators (@PredsNHL) July 1, 2026

Ahcan is signed to a two-year, $1.75 million deal with an $875,000 annual hit in Nashville. The new contract is a $100,000 raise from his previous contract. 

Skinner, a 25-year-old, 6-foot-3, right-handed shot, has played one game in the NHL over his six-year professional career, which came last season.

In 60 games with the Springfield Falcons, he recorded 19 points off seven goals and 12 assists and had 61 penalty minutes. Skinner has spent the last four seasons primarily in the AHL. 

Hunter's previous contract was for a year at $850,000. 

The pair are the third signing that the general manager has made at the start of free agency, joining Utah Mammoth center Alex Kerfoot, who signed a two-year, $7 million contract with a $3.5 million annual cap hit. 

A two-time Vezina Trophy winner has a new home.

On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs inked goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to a three-year, $21 million contract, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Bobrovsky, 37, exits Florida in free agency, after leading the Panthers to three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances with wins over the Oilers in 2024 and 2025. Bobrovsky and the Panthers were unable to come to terms to keep him in Florida next season after his seven-year, $70 million deal expired.

Instead, the Panthers’ goalie tandem will consist of Jacob Markstrom after acquiring him in a trade with the Devils on Tuesday, and Akira Schmid, who was dealt from Vegas.

In Toronto, Bobrovsky will be back together with former Florida partner Anthony Stolarz.

Bobrovsky was less effective last season, a reflection of the Panthers as a whole. Bobrovsky posted a 27-23-1 record with a 3.07 goals-against average and a career-low .877 save percentage for Florida, which missed the playoffs.

On the other side, the Maple Leafs are turning the page.

They selected Gavin McKenna out of Penn State with the first overall pick in last week’s draft and hired Jim Hiller to be their head coach after the firing of Craig Berube. New general manager John Chayka traded away Brandon Carlo, Nick Robertson and Joseph Woll while bringing in Bobrovsky, Jack Roslovic and Colton Sissons.

Did Mike Grier, Sharks make correct moves on busy Day 1 of NHL free agency? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

• Editor’s note: Sheng Peng is a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.

The rebuild is over.

The San Jose Sharks are now, without a doubt, Mike Grier’s team.

On the first day of NHL free agency, the Sharks signed winger Mason Marchment to a five-year, $33.75 million contract ($6.75 million AAV) and defenseman Jacob Trouba to a four-year, $33 million contract ($8.25 million AAV). Then, they acquired defenseman Darnell Nurse from the Edmonton Oilers for young blueliner Shakir Mukhamadullin and prospect Zack Sharp.

But were these the right moves?

On the same day, Grier allowed the last continuous holdover of the Doug Wilson era, defenseman Mario Ferraro, to walk in free agency. Ferraro inked a three-year, $12 million contract with the Winnipeg Jets. This came on the heels of trading 2021 first-round pick William Eklund to the Ottawa Senators last week.

Grier, for better or worse, put his stamp on the Sharks today.

Face it, San Jose had to get better right now.

Grier served the Sharks’ future with what an NHL scout called “an insane haul” at the 2026 NHL draft, highlighted by first-round picks Ivar Stenberg, Keaton Verhoeff, and Ryan Lin.

Say hello to the newest Sharks 👋 pic.twitter.com/4D0kzql4WI

— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) June 27, 2026

But the Sharks, just four points out of the Stanley Cup playoffs this past season with a frankly patchwork defense, needed to improve the team around 20-year-old superstar Macklin Celebrini.

With loads of cap space at his disposal, these are the players that Grier chose to help take his team to the postseason.

I’m open-minded to it: Nurse, Trouba and Marchment do improve the Sharks right now.

San Jose Hockey Now reached out to four NHL scouts — none with the Sharks — to determine where Trouba and Nurse, who don’t come without flaws, compare against San Jose’s top two defenders last year, Dmitry Orlov and Ferraro.

Three of the four, without question, took Nurse and Trouba over Orlov and Ferraro. They’re also excellent locker room additions to make up for the loss of the popular Ferraro and Vincent Desharnais.

Another way to put it: the Sharks didn’t add a consensus top-pairing blueliner, à la Zach Werenski or Bo Byram, but they added two top-four defensemen in Nurse and Trouba, on top of Orlov. In addition, Grier acquired defender Michael Kesselring from the Buffalo Sabres two weeks ago, with some reasonable expectation that he’ll be able to take on a top-four role next year.

Of course, Nurse and Trouba are 31 and 32, respectively, and both are on expensive contracts that end in 2030. So, what will these contracts look like in three or four years?

That’s a valid concern, but that’s the price of real improvement in a buyer’s market. What risk-free bargains were there to be had for bona fide top-four defensemen?

Ideally, you could’ve brought in a 30-something top-four defenseman on a two-year contract: 36-year-old John Carlson, for example, would’ve been perfect, but the future Hall of Famer wanted to sign out east.

Ideally, you could’ve brought in 28-year-old superstar Zach Werenski without gutting your farm system. But that’s a moot point, because Werenski reportedly didn’t want to come to San Jose anyway, and you were getting him for a song.

The dream defenseman wasn’t out there for the Sharks this summer.

So Grier pushed out the ideal length of contract and still kept it much shorter than the seven-, eight-year contacts that UFAs Darren Raddysh and Rasmus Andersson commanded from their respective teams.

And Grier preserved the future of his franchise, keeping his No. 2 pick, instead of dealing it for Bo Byram. The Chicago Blackhawks traded their No. 4 pick to the Buffalo Sabres for the 25-year-old Byram before the draft.

Nurse and Trouba, in my mind, were necessary-but-responsible moves to improve the team right now. They make San Jose better without taking anything significant off the table, and their risks aren’t red alert.

Meanwhile, Marchment was a less necessary risk for the Sharks, insofar as they already had a truly promising group of forwards right now. The 31-year-old now makes seven arguable top-nine wingers on the roster — he’ll be competing with Stenberg, Will Smith, Collin Graf, Kiefer Sherwood, Tyler Toffoli and Igor Chernyshov for playing time — but that’s a good problem to have, too.

This is, undoubtedly, the deepest group of Sharks forwards, including Celebrini, Michael Misa and Alex Wennberg up the middle, since the last time they made the playoffs. May the best man win, and also, injuries happen, so San Jose probably will be grateful for the depth.

Power forward Marchment is a Grier signing through and through. He has been said to be a free agency and trade target of the Sharks for years and, at his best, plays that hard-to-play-against style that the GM has been sticking his neck out to acquire for years, à la the Sherwood and Zack Ostapchuk trades.

The Sharks aren’t Stanley Cup contenders yet, and these contracts for 30-something’s could blow up in their faces, but they should make the team better now and shouldn’t cripple them long-term.

Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast

Nick Foligno was a great Chicago Blackhawks captain following the departure of the legendary Jonathan Toews. He did all of the things that a captain needs to do in order to help develop a young team. 

The early years of Connor Bedard's career were positively impacted by his being there as a great mentor. It isn't only Bedard who benefited from playing with him, either. Everyone on the team who is a part of the future raved about him as a teammate.

At the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, the Blackhawks did him a solid by trading him to a Stanley Cup contender in the Minnesota Wild. He was a pending unrestricted free agent, and the Blackhawks took back "future considerations", which was Kyle Davidson doing right by his captain. 

This trade also allowed Foligno to play with his brother Marcus for the first time in their NHL careers. It was an exciting moment for the entire Foligno family when Nick joined Marcus as a member of the Wild. 

Minnesota won its first-round series over the Dallas Stars but was defeated in the second round by the Colorado Avalanche. There is a long way to go for the Wild to get over the hump, but they are going to be a good team for a long time. 

When the season was over, many wondered if that would be it for 38-year-old Nick Foligno, who will turn 39 on Halloween. However, that wonder is now over. 

On Wednesday, the first day of NHL Free Agency, Foligno signed a one-year extension with the Minnesota Wild, which will carry a cap hit of $900K. 

Nick Foligno, signed 1x$0.8M by MIN, is a veteran defensive fourth line winger. pic.twitter.com/qXqv9k4OTX

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 1, 2026

Likely for the last time, Nick Foligno will have a crack at winning the Stanley Cup. It will once again come alongside his brother Marcus. As a defensive-minded 4th line player, Nick will be a solid complementary piece on a team loaded with stars. 

Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay up to date on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting on the article below on THN.com or by creating your own post in our community forum.

The Colorado Avalanche included Victor Olofsson in a broader roster shake-up tied to the Nazem Kadri framework, and now the veteran winger is back in familiar territory—rejoining the Vegas Golden Knights to help fill a need on their power play.

Olofsson is returning to Vegas, according to TSN, just days after the club dealt Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers, opening up a vacancy for a proven shooter in the top special teams unit.

The 30-year-old is no stranger to the Golden Knights’ system. He previously scored 15 goals and 29 points in 56 games during the 2024–25 season on a one-year deal signed that July, with six of those goals coming on the power play. That specific role—stationed as a finish-first option on the man advantage—is exactly what Vegas is betting on again.

Before this latest turn, Olofsson spent the 2025–26 season with Colorado, where he posted 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 60 games. While the overall production was modest, his scoring touch surfaced in key moments. Three of his goals were game-winners, and he also recorded his first career hat trick on October 28 in an 8–4 win over the New Jersey Devils at Ball Arena.

Still, his time in Denver was shaped as much by organizational direction as on-ice output. Olofsson was moved as part of a larger trade package sent to Calgary as Colorado adjusted its roster structure in pursuit of different forward balance, another reminder of how quickly middle-six roles can shift in a cap-driven league.

Vegas, meanwhile, is leaning into familiarity. Across his NHL career, 43 of Olofsson’s 118 goals have come on the power play—a 36 percent clip that underscores why he remains a sought-after specialist despite a journeyman path in recent years. When given time and space, his release remains his calling card.

There’s also a personal layer to the return. Olofsson’s wife, Taylor, gave birth to their second child during the Olympic break—and at this point, she’s probably hoping the family can stop crisscrossing the continental United States for a while.

For Colorado, it’s another ripple effect of roster churn. For Vegas, it’s a straightforward calculation: they’ve seen this fit before, and they’re betting Olofsson's scoring touch is begging to be reignited.

Follow Michael Whitaker On X

The bottom six of the Detroit Red Wings' forward units needed some sandpaper, and GM Steve Yzerman has made the first step to address it. 

The Red Wings have acquired forward Keegan Kolesar from the Vegas Golden Knights in return for a third-round pick in 2029 and a seventh-round pick in 2027. 

Keegan Kolesar traded to Detroit for a 3rd in 2029 and a 7th in 2027.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 1, 2026

Selected with the 69th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets while playing in the WHL for the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Brandon, Manitoba native was eventually traded to the Golden Knights in 2017.

He made his NHL debut with the Golden Knights in 2020, and would soon become a regular in their lineup. 

Kolesar lifted the Stanley Cup with the rest of his Golden Knights teammates in 2023 after defeating the Florida Panthers; he contributed two goals and three assists in 22 postseason games during their title run. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

Kolesar has skated in a total of 439 career NHL games, and has scored 44 goals with 76 assists. He's also added four goals and seven assists in 77 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. 

He's under contract through the 2027-28 NHL season with a salary cap hit of $2.5 million. 

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Philadelphia Flyers have officially lost one of their depth defensemen. 

The Colorado Avalanche have announed that they signed have signed former Flyers defenseman Noah Juulsen to a two-year contract. 

Juulsen spent this past season with the Flyers and was a decent part of their blueline. In 52 games with the Flyers during the 2026-27 campaign, the 6-foot-2 blueliner recorded one goal, 10 points, and 104 hits. This was after he had zero points and 101 hits during the 2024-25 season with the Vancouver Canucks. 

Overall, Juulsen was a decent depth defenseman during his time with the Flyers, but it makes sense that they moved on from him. They have young right-shot defenseman like David Jiricek and Oliver Bonk who should be competing for NHL spots next season. 

Juulsen will likely be a candidate to play bottom-pairing minutes with the Avalanche after signing with the Central Division club. It will be interesting to see how much of an impact he can make after signing with Colorado from here. 

When the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Rasmus Andersson from the Calgary Flames, the expectation was that it wouldn’t be a rental. It took them until July 1st to sign him because of salary cap technicalities, but Andersson is indeed staying in Sin City.

On Wednesday, the Golden Knights signed Andersson to a seven-year contract carrying an $8.5 million AAV. 

In years one and two, Andersson will count for $10.5 million against the cap. In year three, that becomes $10.2 million; in year four, he’ll make $9.1 million. In year five, Andersson’s cap hit drops to $6.6 million, and in years six and seven, he’ll make $6.3 million.

Andersson’s contract extension also comes with trade protection. In years 1-5, he has a full No Trade Clause; in years six and seven, that becomes a Modified No Trade Clause with a 15-team no-trade list.

Instant Analysis

At first glance, this is a steep price tag. With his $8.5 million AAV, Andersson is now the highest-paid active Vegas defenseman by more than $1 million. And this isn’t a cheap group— the Golden Knights will split $27.275 million between Andersson, Shea Theodore, Noah Hanifin, and Jeremy Lauzon until 2032.

Andersson struggled mightily when he arrived in Vegas, and it took him a while to settle in. He eventually found his game, but his early struggles returned with a vengeance in the postseason. He was caught out of position far too often, he lost puck battles, and he tried to force plays, resulting in costly turnovers. 

However, extending Andersson was also something that needed to happen. He’s a smooth-skating defenseman who can eat up top-four minutes. When he’s on his game, he’s an elite puck mover who doesn’t hesitate to jump up into the rush. Right-shot defensemen don’t grow on trees, and Andersson is the only Vegas blueliner to have that certain skill set.

Signing Grade: B-

Even in a rising cap world, the Golden Knights aren’t exactly flush with cash. Necessary or not, adding another $8.5 million contract to the books is a tall ask. There’s a world where this contract ages poorly; if that’s the case, Andersson’s trade protection will make it very difficult to move him. 

That being said, this is a high-risk, high-reward situation. Without Alex Pietrangelo, the Golden Knights were hurting for a defenseman to eat those top-four minutes. They did their best to replace Pietrangelo with a cheaper option, and gave Zach Whitecloud and Kaedan Korczak opportunities to earn that ice time. Both tried, neither were successful. 

Andersson has shown that he can handle the responsibilities required to fill the Alex Pietrangelo-shaped hole in the Golden Knights’ blue line. He can play with that physical edge, he can drive offense with his vision and playmaking, and he’s capable of logging 22 minutes a night. He won’t— and now doesn’t— come cheap, but he’s a certified top-four defenseman. That’s what the Golden Knights were missing, and now we know what they are willing to pay in order to keep it.

Former Vancouver Canucks forward Curtis Douglas is joining the Seattle Kraken on a two-year deal worth $1.25M on average per year. 

The 2025–26 season was Douglas’ first in the NHL, with the six-foot-nine forward making his league debut for the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 9 against the Ottawa Senators. He played in a total of 26 games for Tampa Bay, recording two assists, before being placed on waivers and claimed by Vancouver at the 2026 Trade Deadline. 

Douglas established himself as a tough player to play against during his rookie season, which is something he continued through his time with the Canucks. His first fight as a Canuck came against six-foot-eight Calgary Flames forward Adam Klapka. He also scored his first NHL goal as a member of the Canucks, beating Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukáš Dostál on April 12, and tallied an assist in Vancouver’s final regular-season game against the Edmonton Oilers on April 16. 

Prior to making the jump to the NHL, Douglas signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs in free-agency in March of 2022. He spent one full season with the Toronto Marlies, scoring a career-high 13 goals and 21 assists in 67 games at the AHL-level, before being traded to the Arizona Coyotes the year after. He was claimed off waivers by Tampa Bay in October of 2025. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

Canucks Sign Forward Trey Fix-Wolansky To A One-Year Deal

Former Canucks Forward Teddy Blueger Signs With The Leafs

Canucks Sign Forward Akil Thomas To One-Year, Two-Way Contract

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild has brought back a familiar face, signing forward Mason Shaw in free agency.

Shaw returns to the organization after spending the last two seasons with the Winnipeg Jets organization, where he appeared in games for the AHL's Manitoba Moose.

Shaw, 26, recorded 32 goals, 49 assists and 81 points in 143 games.

The 26-year-old was originally selected by the Wild in the fourth round (97th overall) of the 2017 NHL Draft and has appeared in 82 NHL games with Minnesota, recording eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points while bringing an energetic, physical style of play.

A fan favorite during his previous stint with the Wild, Shaw has battled through multiple serious knee injuries throughout his career. He now returns to the organization looking to provide experienced depth and compete for NHL games during the 2026-27 season.

Shaw's deal is a one-year, two-way, $850,000 deal. $450,000 in Iowa.

See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

The Calgary Flames are losing a familiar spark on the wing, as Ryan Lomberg has signed a two-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets, bringing his second stint in Calgary to a close.

Lomberg’s return to the Flames organization saw him once again fill a role built on speed, grit, and relentless physicality. Across his two stints in Calgary, including his original run from 2017-18 through 2019-20 and his most recent two-year stretch, the 31-year-old appeared in 148 games, recording seven goals and 16 assists for 23 points.

That production, however, only tells part of the story. Lomberg’s impact was defined just as much by his energy and physical presence as it was by the scoresheet, a style that carried over throughout his NHL career.

The Blue Jackets officially announced the signing on Wednesday, with President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell highlighting exactly what Columbus is getting.

“We’re very pleased to add Ryan Lomberg to the Blue Jackets family,” said Waddell. “He is a high-energy player who is an excellent skater, plays with tenacity and his experience and character will be a great addition to our team.”

Across 394 career NHL games with the Calgary Flames and Florida Panthers, Lomberg has registered 35 goals and 37 assists for 72 points, along with 475 penalty minutes and 807 hits, carving out a role as a physical, energy-driven winger. He also contributed to Florida’s 2024 Stanley Cup championship run, appearing in 32 playoff games across his career with 3 points and 64 penalty minutes.

Lomberg’s most productive NHL season came in 2022-23 with Florida, when he posted 12 goals and 8 assists over 82 games while adding a career-high 88 penalty minutes the following year with 179 hits in 75 appearances.

Before establishing himself as an NHL regular, the 5-foot-9 winger built his reputation through the American Hockey League, ECHL, and USHL, including a productive stretch with the Stockton Heat where he developed into a professional-level agitator and forechecking presence.

Now heading to Columbus on a two-year deal worth $2.6 million, Lomberg brings a well-defined identity to a Blue Jackets roster looking to add toughness and energy to its forward group, while Calgary moves forward after another chapter with one of its more recognizable depth pieces comes to an end.

On a day with an abundance of free agency signings, Toronto Maple Leafs GM John Chayka still wasn't finished reshaping his team.

After acquiring Brandon Duhaime, Sergei Bobrovsky, Jack Roslovic, Teddy Blueger and Colton Sissons with new contracts, he traded for Tampa Bay Lightning center Nick Paul in exchange for Dennis Hildeby, a 2027 fourth-round pick, and a 2028 third-round pick.

Paul, a Mississauga native, comes to Toronto with three more years remaining on his contract at a $3.15 million salary cap hit.

The 31-year-old has been an effective middle-six player for the Lightning, spending parts of the past five seasons with the team.

This past year, Paul has scored seven goals and 15 points in 51 games, losing plenty of ice time to the other stars that occupy Tampa Bay's lineup.

However, in the two seasons before 2025-26, Paul recorded back-to-back 20-goal, 40-point campaigns while averaging 16:52 between those two years. He had a far more important role than in the past season, when he played just 13:41 of ice time per game.

Maple Leafs 2026 NHL Free Agency Buzz Live TrackerAn updated blog on all of the chatter surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs on what is expected to be the busiest day of the year.

Going out the other way, Hildeby has emerged as a promising young goaltender in the NHL. The 24-year-old played 20 games for the Maple Leafs in 2025-26, recording an impressive .914 save percentage and a 2.86 goals-against average.

With two years remaining on the contract that sees him earn $841,667 against the cap, Hildeby is not waiver-exempt next season. With the addition of Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz already with the NHL tandem, there was a risk of losing Hildeby for nothing.

Instead, Chayka is able to bring in a solid NHL player in Paul, someone who has terrorized the Maple Leafs with the Lightning and the Ottawa Senators over the years.

See more of The Hockey News on Google — Save us as Preferred Source

---

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.

Free agency opened with a familiar theme for the Los Angeles Kings: experience, depth, and immediate roster turnover.

Defenseman Erik Gustafsson became the latest addition Wednesday, signing a one-year contract as the organization continues reshaping its roster ahead of the 2026-27 season. The signing was first reported by Swedish journalist Henrik Sjöberg and later confirmed by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.

But Gustafsson was just one piece of a much larger and noticeably busy day in Los Angeles.

Alongside his addition, the Kings re-signed veteran winger Corey Perry, who returns for his 23rd professional season after spending time with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year. The club also added forward Erik Haula and Jan Jeník while bringing back winger Mats Zuccarello, reinforcing a clear emphasis on experience and depth throughout the lineup.

Gustafsson arrives after spending most of the 2025-26 season in the Detroit Red Wings organization, where he suited up for the Grand Rapids Griffins in the American Hockey League. In 62 combined games between the AHL and brief NHL appearances, the 34-year-old produced 37 points at the minor-league level and logged two NHL games with Detroit.

He also appeared in eight Calder Cup Playoff games, adding a goal and five assists as Grand Rapids made a postseason run.

While his most recent season was spent largely in the AHL, Gustafsson brings a long NHL track record into Los Angeles. Across 10 seasons, he has played 517 regular-season games, recording 47 goals and 193 assists for 240 points while averaging 18:31 of ice time.

His offensive peak came in 2018-19 with the Chicago Blackhawks, when he posted 17 goals and 43 assists for 60 points in a breakout campaign that established him as one of the league’s more productive puck-moving defensemen. He has also logged 49 career playoff appearances, including a run to the Stanley Cup Final with the Montreal Canadiens in 2021.

Over the course of his career, Gustafsson has become a well-traveled depth defenseman, having suited up for the Blackhawks, Flyers, Rangers, Capitals, Flames, Maple Leafs, Canadiens, and Red Wings.

Selected in the fourth round of the 2012 NHL Draft by the Edmonton Oilers, the Swedish blueliner also developed overseas in Sweden’s top league before transitioning to North America full-time.

For Los Angeles, his arrival adds another experienced option on the blue line as the organization continues leaning heavily into veteran presence on what was already one of the NHL’s older rosters last season.

The Kings finished 2025-26 with a 35-27-20 record, good for 90 points and a fourth-place finish in the Pacific Division before being eliminated in the opening round by the Colorado Avalanche.

And with free agency only just beginning, the day in Los Angeles already looks like it may be one of the busiest of the offseason.