Very quietly this week, longtime NHL forward Blake Wheeler announced his retirement. Wheeler hadn’t played since the 2023-24 season, but even after waiting a year to hang up his skates, Wheeler has played 1,172 regular-season games and 66 more Stanley Cup playoff games. He can hold his head high on a career well done.

What helped set Wheeler apart from his peers was his decision not to sign with the team that drafted him – the Phoenix Coyotes, who selected him with the fifth-overall pick in the 2004 draft. Instead of hammering out an entry-level contract with the Coyotes, Wheeler opted to become an unrestricted free agent coming out of his days at the University of Minnesota. And from there, Wheeler quickly came to terms with the Boston Bruins, where he spent his first two-and-a-half NHL seasons starting in 2008 before he was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers in February of 2011.

Like other NHLers, including Anaheim Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier, Edmonton Oilers forward Isaac Howard, New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox and Pittsburgh Penguins forward Rutger McGroarty, Wheeler was unique because he essentially engineered a move away from the team that drafted him. But unlike many of those aforementioned players, success came right away for Wheeler, as he potted 21 goals and 45 points in his rookie NHL season, then had double-digit goal totals in each of the next two seasons as a Bruin.

But it wasn’t until Wheeler got traded to the Thrashers that he really settled in as a legitimate scoring threat. In his fourth year with the franchise, which by then had relocated to become the Winnipeg Jets, Wheeler put up 28 goals and 69 points. And for each of the next six seasons, Wheeler produced at least 20 goals and 61 points, and his point total went as high as 91 in two consecutive seasons when he was at his peak from 2017-2019.

At the end of his NHL days, Wheeler was playing as a secondary scoring option for the Rangers, and in his final season in hockey’s top league, he amassed nine goals and 21 points in 54 games. In the previous four seasons, Wheeler had trouble staying healthy, as he never played in more than 72 games at any point in that span. But as evidenced by his final post-season with the Jets, Wheeler still had something to offer, as he posted two goals and six points in five playoff games in 2023.

Wheeler isn’t the first talented player never to win a Cup, and he won’t be the last. But he produced 321 goals and 943 points in his regular-season career, and he had another 10 goals and 45 points in playoff games. He’s going to be fondly remembered by Jets fans who appreciated him playing so long in Winnipeg. 

And while he’s not a Hockey Hall of Famer, Wheeler has made his mark on the game, both on the Jets organization and on the NHL. He accomplished much more than most NHLers accomplish, and he deserves his flowers for his 16-season NHL career.

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After nearly three weeks of NHL free agency coming into full effect, there are still a handful of NHLers available in the UFA market. Not only are these players expected to be regular NHL players in the upcoming 2025-26 campaign, but some could also be difference-makers.

Here are five players who remain UFAs and the pros and cons of signing each one.

Jack Roslovic, C

Jack Roslovic is undoubtedly the top name on the list of current UFAs. The center, who can also play on the wing, has two 20-goal seasons under his belt, including last season. He put up 22 goals and 39 points for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Roslovic is coming off a one-year contract that saw him earn $2.8 million, much less than the $4-million per year that he earned in his previous contract he signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The pros of signing the ripe 28-year-old are getting a player who can play center, and receiving a two-time 40-point scorer. He would be an effective secondary scorer on any team, contender or not.

However, because Roslovic is alone at the top of the UFA list, he’s right-handed and can play down the middle, there’s a great chance that a team will need to overpay for the Columbus, Ohio native to obtain his services.

Ilya Samsonov, G

Ilya Samsonov has had plenty of ups and downs in his six-year career. He’s gone from being a tandem goaltender to a starter, to a backup. Last season with the Vegas Golden Knights, he made 29 appearances, all of which were starts. 

Samsonov ended the campaign with a respectable 16-9-4 record. Although his save percentage and goals-against average were average. He recorded a 2.82 GAA and .891 SP.

While he may not be a popular choice, the pro in signing Samsonov would be receiving a relatively experienced goaltender who has seen all situations in terms of his spot on the roster.

The downside of bringing in the 28-year-old Russian is that he’s proven to be inconsistent. With the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2022-23, he posted a 2.33 GAA and .919 SP in 40 starts.However, in the following season for Toronto, he finished with a 3.13 GAA and .890 SP. He went from a career high to a career low in the span of two consecutive seasons.

Matt Grzelcyk, D

The Pittsburgh Penguins decided not to sign defenseman Matt Grzelcyk after he registered one goal and 40 points, a career high in the points department. Grzelcyk is coming off a one-year contract with Pittsburgh worth $2.75 million. 

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan heavily utilized the 31-year-old defenseman as he averaged 20:37 of ice time, the most in his nine-year career. 

With that, he had the joint-most power-play points on the team, tied with Sidney Crosby’s 15 points. He recorded more than potential Hall of Fame offensive blueliners, Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang.

It’s easy to say that the pros of signing Grzelcyk are that he is a reliable D-man who is capable of running a power play. Not only that, he is an experienced defenseman and has notable playoff experience, featuring in 66 post-season games from his time with the Boston Bruins.

As for cons, he and his agent might believe he’s worth more than what teams are willing to offer him, which might be the reason he’s still on the market. 

Victor Olofsson, LW

Victor Olofsson is a three-time 20-goal scorer and was on pace to accomplish that feat again last season in his first year with the Golden Knights. He scored 15 goals and 29 points in 56 contests with Vegas. 

If he reached another 20-goal milestone, he’d have four in six full seasons. Not to mention, he’s never played more than 75 games in a season. Imagine if he played more games throughout his career.

When the left winger is given the required ice time, he can put the puck into the back of the net like anyone else. Scoring has always been a strength for Olofsson, dating back to his years with the Buffalo Sabres.

The pro of bringing on the 30-year-old Swede is his ability to score, and he would bring scoring depth to any team that is willing to sign him.

The con of Olofsson’s game at times is that he is a streaky scorer rather than a consistent one at times. For instance, he went on a two-month goalless drought for Vegas last season, as he went 20 consecutive games without scoring a goal.

Luke Kunin, C

Luke Kunin is a bottom-six center, and like Roslovic, he is right handed and can play the wing. The 27-year-old is known for his two-way game and penalty killing. Last season, he averaged 1:41 of ice time on the penalty kill – among the top 100 forwards in the league per Natural Stat Trick.

Kunin played 63 games for the San Jose Sharks before he was traded to the Blue Jackets on trade deadline day. He played an additional 12 games for the Jackets for a total of 75 appearances last year.

In that span, he recorded 11 goals and seven assists for 18 points, perfectly matching his offensive production from the season before. Kunin didn’t get his name on the scoresheet in any fashion during his time with Columbus.

The pro of acquiring Kunin is that he is a regular NHL player who can fill in on the PK at any given time. 

However, in contrast, the center hasn’t shown signs of steady progression in terms of production since his 15-goal, 31-point season in 2019-20 with the Minnesota Wild. Even with his penalty killing ability and two-way game, teams could likely find a player with a similar arsenal at a cheaper price.

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It appears yet another top prospect grew up as a fan of the Vancouver Canucks. In a recent clip released on the NHL "X" account, Landon DuPont, who is the projected first overall pick in the 2027 NHL Entry Draft, stated that his favourite team as a kid was the Canucks. DuPont is currently playing with the Everett Silvertips and was the first defenceman ever to receive "Exceptional Status" from the WHL. 

As mentioned, DuPont is not the first top prospect to say Vancouver is his favourite team. Among the other notable names were 2023 first-overall pick Connor Bedard and 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini. While Bedard and Celebrini are both from British Columbia, DuPont was born in Alberta and spent his time before joining the WHL playing for Edge School in Calgary. 

Get to know the projected first overall pick in the 2027 #NHLDraft, Landon DuPont! 👋 #NHLYoungStarsWeekpic.twitter.com/hmWD5JlWIU

— NHL (@NHL) July 20, 2025

Despite only recently turning 16, DuPont has become one of the WHL's top defensemen. He posted 60 points in 64 games last season and was named CHL Rookie of the Year. DuPont has also been invited to Canada's National Men's Summer Under-18 Team Selection Camp, which will determine the roster for the 2025 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Latest From THN’s Vancouver Canucks Site:

Canucks Prospect Camp 2025: Photo Edition

Vancouver Canucks 2024–25 Report Card: Aatu Räty

Vancouver Canucks Coaches’ Playing Careers: Adam Foote

Ultimately, the odds that the Canucks will be in a position to draft DuPont in 2027 are slim. They would either need to have a disastrous 2026-27 campaign or trade for the pick that will eventually become first overall. That being said, it will not stop fans in Vancouver from picturing DuPont in a Canucks jersey, and creating trade packages both before and after he is drafted in the NHL. 

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 from The Hockey News. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.

Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans had a strong year in 2024-25. In 82 games with the Original Six club, he scored 13 goals and set new career highs with 23 assists, 36 points, and 124 hits. With numbers like these, he provided the Canadiens with solid depth offensive production to go along with a nice amount of grit. 

Due to Evans being a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) and having such a strong season, he was a very popular trade target around the NHL leading up to this year's deadline. However, the Canadiens officially made him a long-term part of their future when they signed him to a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.85 million on March 4. 

When noting that Evans has been such a nice part of the Canadiens' forward group for so long, it is clear that they made the right call signing him to a contract extension. This is especially so with this year's UFA center market being worse than in past years. Thus, if the Canadiens ended up not keeping Evans around, it would not have been an easy task for them to find a proper replacement for him. 

Furthermore, had the Canadiens waited until the summer to re-sign him, it very well could have cost them more per season to keep him due to the center market being weaker this year. Thus, in the end, the Canadiens were wise to get him locked up back in March. 

Now, with the Canadiens signing Evans to this four-year extension, he will continue to be a very important part of the Canadiens' bottom six and penalty kill. This is very good news for a Canadiens team that is continuing to improve, and it will be fascinating to see how Evans builds off his career year from here. 

Interesting Canadiens Forward Is Clear Bounce-Back CandidateThe 2024-25 season was a bit of a rough one for Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook. His pace of production was noticeably lower, as he posted 15 goals, 11 assists, 26 points, and a minus-21 rating in 82 games. 

Photo Credit:  © David Kirouac-Imagn Images

St. Louis Blues forward Jake Neighbours broke out in a big way for the Central Division club during the 2023-24 season. In 77 games with the Blues that season, he scored a career-high 27 goals and recorded 38 points. This was undoubtedly a nice breakout year for the 2020 first-round pick, as he proved that he could make an impact at the NHL level. 

Neighbours followed up his strong 2023-24 season was another good one in 2024-25. In 82 games last season for the Blues, he scored 22 goals and set new career highs with 24 assists, 46 points, and 173 hits. He also provided solid offense for the Blues during the post-season, recording six points in their seven-game first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets.

Overall, Neighbours is continuing to head in the right direction with his development and is starting to emerge as a key part of the Blues' roster in the process. However, when noting that he is still only 23 years old and still in the earlier stages of his career, there is clear reason to believe that he can still hit another new level next season. 

When looking at what Neighbours has done early on in his career, it is fair to argue that he has the potential to emerge as a legitimate top-six forward at the NHL level. If he gets his offense up a bit more and continues to make an impact with his physicality, he could be a big piece of the Blues' core moving forward. It will be fascinating to see what kind of year the Calgary, Alberta native puts together for the Blues next season from here. 

NHL News: Former Blues Goalie Officially RetiresAfter not playing for two consecutive seasons, former St. Louis Blues goaltender Jaroslav Halak confirmed to Tomas Prokop of Dennik Sport that he is officially retired. 

Photo Credit:  © James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Sabres have completed most of their off-season moves this summer. We've examined the most-likely trade partners for Buffalo, and in this file, we're continuing our new THN.com series "Know Your Enemy, Sabres Edition". In this series, we're breaking down the Sabres' seven Atlantic Division rivals, focusing on what changes those seven teams have made, Buffalo's record against them last season, their games against each other this coming year, and our opinion of whether the team is one the Sabres should be beating next year.

We began this process by looking at Buffalo against the Boston Bruins Saturday. In today's file, we're moving on to the Detroit Red Wings:

BUFFALO SABRES VS. DETROIT RED WINGS

NEW RED WINGS PLAYERS: Mason Appleton, RW; James van Riemsdyk, LW; Jacob Bernard-Docker, D; John Gibson, G

2024-25 SERIES: Sabres 1-2-1, Red Wings 3-1-0

2025-26 GAMES AGAINST EACH OTHER:  October 22, at Buffalo; November 15 at Detroit; March 27 at Buffalo

CAN THE SABRES BEAT THIS TEAM?  The Sabres need many things to go their way if they're going to make the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in 15 years. Not only do they need at least one established playoff team to fall down the Atlantic standings, the Sabres also need to ensure no other up-and-coming team -- and/or every other desperate team that missed the playoffs last season -- to once again fall short of their goal. And that applies directly to the Red Wings, who haven't played playoff hockey since 2016.

Frustratingly for Red Wings fans, Detroit hasn't made many changes to the lineup that finished sixth in the division last season. Their biggest move was acquiring goalie Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks, and far beyond that, Wings GM Steve Yzerman has made only supplemental additions, including third-pair blueliner and former Sabre Bernard-Docker, and bottom-six wingers van Riemsdyk and Appleton.

You can see why Wings fans aren't blown away by those moves.

Know Your Enemy, Sabres Edition: How Will Buffalo Do Against The Boston Bruins?The Buffalo Sabres have made most, if. not all of their off-season moves. And before we get around to making our pre-season predictions as is custom at THN.com, we're going to take a different approach to our picks this time around. Instead of just giving you all the picks at once, we're going to break things down for the Sabres by looking into who their divisional opponents will be next season -- and why that contributes to them either making, or missing, the Stanley Cup playoffs.

From Buffalo's perspective, the Red Wings are chief among the teams they need to beat in their three head-to-head games next year. Two of those games will be home games for the Sabres, and given that Buffalo had a 23-15-3 home record this past season, that has to be seen as a good thing. But the Wings' puny offense hasn't improved, and if the Sabres can jump on Gibson and his Detroit teammates early in games, the Red Wings don't really have the offense-minded talent needed to power back into games.

The Red Wings still have $12 million in salary cap space, so by the time the two teams square off in their final regular-season matchup at the end of March, Detroit's lineup could be significantly different. But as it stands, the Sabres have the more dynamic group when we're judging them versus the Red Wings. And while the Wings did have the clear edge over Buffalo in their four regular-season games last year, the challenge for the Sabres is to turn the page in this rivalry and help push Detroit back down in the standings once again.

When the 2025-26 season is finished, the difference between a team making and missing the playoffs could be only one or two standings points -- basically, one regulation win or a couple of overtime and/or shootout losses. That means the margin for error will be extremely tight for Buffalo. And that's why it's so crucial for the Sabres to handle their business with their Atlantic rivals.

Let's Be Optimistic -- Maybe Sabres' Best-Laid Plans Will Work Out Next SeasonHaving made most, if not all of their off-season moves. the Buffalo Sabres now sit and wait for the 2025-26 regular-season to begin. The next five-to-six weeks are almost assuredly going to be rather quiet when it comes to Sabres news, but you can never be completely sure nothing will take place in terms of Buffalo's roster composition.

It's true there are only three games between the Red Wings and Sabres this coming year, but that should make each game more of an attraction. Detroit and Buffalo both are determined to end their respective playoff droughts, but it's probable that only one of the two actually get the job done in that regard.

And if it's the Wings that do make the playoffs while the Sabres miss out on the post-season, Buffalo's record against Detroit next year could wind up being perceived as the reason why the Sabres once again have a letdown season.

The 2024-25 season was a complete nightmare for forward Philipp Kurashev. In 51 games with the Chicago Blackhawks on the year, he posted just seven goals, seven assists, and a minus-28 rating. When noting that he just had 18 goals, 34 assists, and 54 points in 75 games with the Blackhawks in 2024-25, this past campaign was a notable step in the wrong direction for the 25-year-old forward.

After struggling this past season, Kurashev did not receive a qualifying offer from the Blackhawks this summer and became an unrestricted free agent (UFA) on July 1. From there, he signed a one-year, $1.2 million contract with the San Jose Sharks. 

Now that Kurashev has landed an opportunity with this one-year, prove-it deal from San Jose, he undoubtedly needs to take advantage of it and put together a bounce-back season. 

When noting that Kurashev just had a 54-point campaign in 2023-24 with the Blackhawks, there is a chance that he could get his offense back up a bit more. If he could hit, say, 35 points next season with the Sharks, he would end up being a nice depth pickup for them.

When looking at the Sharks' depth chart, Kurashev could be put in a position to succeed, too. He should see time in their middle six and also could very well get some chances on their power play. This could help Kurashev, as he should get more consistent chances with the Sharks than he did last season with the Blackhawks.

Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see if the change of scenery benefits Kurashev next season. It was clear that he was no longer a fit on the Blackhawks' roster, so a fresh start in San Jose could very well help him. 

Blackhawks Made Great Move Acquiring Ex-Canucks ForwardDuring this past off-season, the Chicago Blackhawks acquired Ilya Mikheyev and Sam Lafferty's signing rights from the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks also sent a 2027 second-round pick to the Blackhawks for taking on Mikheyev's salary, while Chicago only sent over a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Canucks in the trade.

Photo Credit:  © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

As the NHL’s off-season unfolds, THN.com is analyzing the state of every team in the league in a special “Summer Splash” team-by-team series. Did they get better? Did they get worse? Or did they stay the same? That’s what we’re answering in these columns. 

In every Summer Splash file, we’ll be going in reverse order in terms of improvement. And we’ll be breaking down the major and minor moves each team has made, focusing on trade and free-agent acquisitions, departures, and in certain cases, on hirings and firings. 

To decide on the team rankings, the writers and editors at THN.com debated and decided what teams have improved, what teams stayed the same, and what teams got worse. On occasion, there’ll be exceptions to the rules, for instance, there are teams out there that aren’t notably worse than they were last year, but that made fewer moves of note than they should’ve or could’ve made. But otherwise, this is a simple analysis process. 

We began the Summer Splash series late last week and focused on team No. 32, the Buffalo Sabres. We then turned to team No. 31, the Chicago Blackhawks, and on Saturday, we focused on the Winnipeg Jets. Today, the Los Angeles Kings are next under the microscope.

Additions

Joel Armia (RW), Corey Perry (RW), Cody Ceci (D), Brian Dumoulin (D), Anton Forsberg (G)

The Breakdown: The Kings were one of the most active teams this off-season, bringing in experienced hands at forward in Armia and Perry, radically remaking their blueline with the signings of D-men Ceci and Dumoulin, and finally, adding a backup goalie in Forsberg. Even a Kings team that finished second in the Pacific Division last season has felt the need to effect notable change, and with these additions, they have it.

New L.A. GM Ken Holland has never been shy about changing things up, and in his first off-season running things in Los Angeles, Holland once again has drastically altered the team he’s responsible for. Perry and Armia add grit and know-how, Ceci and Dumoulin provide depth on the back end, and Forsberg provides a capable understudy for Darcy Kuemper. You can’t say Holland hasn’t tried to improve his team. But as we’ll explain below, we don’t believe Holland has succeeded at that goal.

Departures

Vladislav Gavrikov (D), Jordan Spence (D)

The Breakdown: Let’s be real here – Gavrikov’s departure to the New York Rangers in free agency is a huge loss for the Kings. The veteran defenseman averaged 23:05 of ice time last season, second only to star Drew Doughty (24:08) – and Gavrikov’s penalty-kill average of 3:17 shorthanded minutes per game also demonstrates what a fixture Gavrikov was defensively for this Kings squad.

Trading Spence to the Ottawa Senators didn’t move the needle for the Kings, and replacing Gavrikov with Ceci, who is now on his seventh NHL team in the past nine years for good reason, is not anywhere close to an upgrade. Nor is Dumoulin going to make the Kings genuinely better, if better at all. L.A. may be slightly more experienced up front, but the poor trade-off of losing Gavrikov and replacing him with Ceci and Dumoulin is chiefly why the Kings are ranked here on our Summer Splash list.

Hirings

Ken Holland (GM)

Firings

Rob Blake (GM)

The Breakdown: After being unable to build a team that gets out of the first round, Blake and the Kings mutually agreed to part ways. And coming in is Holland, a fearless GM who helped craft the Edmonton Oilers team that has been a Stanley Cup finalist for the past two seasons – and a team that’s had the Kings’ number for years now. Blake always had his established group of core players to turn to, and he did so until the end. And while Holland has made many moves, he hasn’t really touched that core group.

However, Holland’s sledgehammer approach to the Kings’ peripheral players is no guarantee of greater success this coming season. Holland knows this team has veterans in Doughty and Anze Kopitar who may not have many shots left at a long Cup run, so he’s trading with a sense of urgency. There’s no denying he’s done that – we just don’t feel like he’s made the right moves.

The Bottom Line

We’re not here to tell you the Kings aren’t going to be a playoff team next season. They’ve got some solid depth in the right places – mostly at forward, with a small nod to the improved goalie tandem – and Los Angeles is still better than many, if not most, teams in their division.

With that out of the way, we also have to be dispassionate and consider all outcomes for this Kings team. And there’s no question the players Holland brought in are all question marks to one degree or another. 

How much gas does Perry have left? Can Forsberg keep his save percentage above .900? Will the new-look defense corps be better equipped to handle another playoff showdown with the Oilers? Those are only a few of the questions regarding the Kings.

Thus, we can’t say we’re especially optimistic about this Los Angeles group after their many changes. The Kings weren’t a top team in goals-for last season, as they were 14th overall in that department, averaging 3.04 goals-for per game. And their power play was abysmal, as it ranked 27th in the league at 17.9 percent efficiency. Every other team below them in power-play effectiveness were non-playoff teams, and that tells you something about the offensive issues the Kings had last year.

There’s no great solution in that regard among the Kings’ new players, as Perry is well past his prime and Armia isn’t known for his offense. And the worry with the general state of the defense corps is justifiable. So until we see this team play the way Holland envisions they can play at their best, we’re going to be skeptical that the Kings did anything other than take a step back, however slight that step may be.

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The Ottawa Senators have re-signed forward Xavier Bourgault to a one-year, two-way contract, the team announced Saturday. 

The contract will pay him $775,000 at the NHL level and $90,000 at the AHL level.

Bourgault had 12 goals and 26 points in 61 games with the AHL's Belleville Senators last season. 

The 22-year-old was acquired by the Senators along with Jake Chiasson in exchange for Roby Jarventie and a fourth round pick from the Edmonton Oilers in July 2024. 

The 22nd overall selection by the Oilers in the 2021 draft, Bourgault's offensive talent has not yet translated from the QMJHL, he has 33 goals and 80 points in 178 career AHL games with the Senators and Bakersfield Condors. 

The #Sens have signed Xavier Bourgault to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2025-26 NHL season.

📰 Read more: https://t.co/7ud8V8zsZdpic.twitter.com/9IvitggOCe

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) July 19, 2025

The L'Islet, Que., native was instrumental in the Shawinigan Cataractes' 2022 QMJHL Championship after posting 22 points in 16 playoff games. He finished his junior career with 206 points in 197 games.

The Senators have made several signings to improve their AHL squad and hope Bourgault is part of the improvement next season. 

Check out our AHL Free Agency signing tracker here.         

Photo Credit: © Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images