1 Word for Every NHL Team After 2025 NHL Free Agency and the Draft
The Florida Panthers lifted the 2025 Stanley Cup, the New York Islanders selected Matthew Schaefer No. 1 overall at the draft, and Mitch Marner is a Vegas Golden Knight. Most of our end-of-the-season questions have been answered as the first week of July comes to a close.
It was a quieter first few days of free agency with the Panthers completing the hat trick and signing all three of their big free agents—Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad—beforehand and Marner completing a sign-and-trade the night before free agency.
Some teams still made some big moves, like the Hurricanes acquiring and extending restricted free agent K'Andre Miller and extending Logan Stankoven, and the Kings doing everything possible to become the second coming of the Oilers. Let's see where we're at before things really slow down for the summer with one word for every NHL team after the draft and free agency.
Anaheim Ducks: Erm
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The late-day Mikael Granlund signing will do, as will the epic content tour that has been the Roger "Lightning" McQueen draft selection. But the Ducks have nearly $30 million in cap space left that they probably would've liked to use on a certain Mitch Marner.
With John Gibson and Trevor Zegras gone, it's clear a new era of Ducks hockey is upon us. But will the current roster be enough as the exciting, young core looks to take another step forward? Anaheim could use a few more pieces.
Boston Bruins: Undecided
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Oh, Don Sweeney. It was all going so well as James Hagens fell to No. 7 and Adam Sandler announced the Bruins did the right thing and picked the enticing Boston College product. Fans seemed optimistic as you headed to free agency with a decent amount of cap space for once.
Why'd you have to go and sign a fourth liner to a five-year contract with a $3.4 million AAV? Tanner Jeannot is effective at what he does and is fun to watch, but there was an opportunity here to spend wisely on the future. This feels like living in the past.
Buffalo Sabres: Predictable
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The Sabres' biggest mistakes from the past few years have come from trying to change the roster with moves that alter the bottom six while keeping most of the budding core intact. Clearly, it hasn't moved the needle as the Sabres have had the same old struggles.
We'll cut them a little slack this time: The free-agency market this year was slim pickings, and acquiring goalie Alex Lyon was a decent enough opportunity to beef up the goaltending rotation. Other than that, another offseason of adding vague grit and shuffling around the bottom six is tough to stomach.
Will they ship Bowen Byram out to address the holes in their top six? We'll see, but that also creates a new hole in their defense.
Calgary Flames: Meh
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It's been a quiet little time for the Flames, who don't have any urgent needs to address. Will they find a trade partner for defenseman Rasmus Andersson? That could yield a nice return as Calgary works on its soft rebuild.
Carolina Hurricanes: Interesting
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Say what you want about K'Andre Miller's down year in 2024-25 (as if almost the entire Rangers roster wasn't putting up career-worst performances), the 25-year-old has superb upside and time to grow.
The Canes had more cap space than usual headed into this free-agency period, and so far they used it to sign Logan Stankoven to an extension and to trade for and then sign Miller to an eight-year contract with a $7.5 million AAV.
Any way you spin it, they're upgrading their defensive core with Miller and Alexander Nikishin replacing Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov. They had the money to do so, so why not? Plus, they're still in on top-six forward Nikolaj Ehlers. The Canes are nothing if they're not interesting.
Chicago Blackhawks: Quiet
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For the first time in a very long time, the Blackhawks essentially did nothing on the first day of free agency. Granted, they extended top scorer Ryan Donato and acquired Andre Burakovsky beforehand, but the market was the market, and the Blackhawks reflect that.
It also shows that Chicago is prepared to let the youth movement rip this season with more opportunity on the roster.
Colorado Avalanche: Inevitable
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As expected, the Avalanche let Jonathan Drouin and Ryan Lindgren walk. Now they've got $7.55 million in cap space with at least three roster spots to fill. We've arrived at the reason for the Mikko Rantanen trade, and we'll have to wait and see how the Avalanche end up pulling it off.
Columbus Blue Jackets: Settled
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The Blue Jackets held off on trading Ivan Provorov at the deadline while they were competing for a playoff spot. He was one of the more enticing defensemen set to hit the market, but the Blue Jackets decided to hang on to him long term with a seven-year extension worth $8.5 million per year.
Is it an overpay? Yes. Did Columbus have the money to do it? Yes, and now the saga is over.
Dallas Stars: Proactive
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There's a reason Jim Nill keeps winning GM of the year—he remains two steps ahead of everyone except Panthers GM Bill Zito. In anticipation of a dull free-agency class, Nill had already traded for and extended Rantanen. He'd also already reached agreements with in-house pending free agents Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene and Mavrik Bourque.
The Stars did exactly what this market was useful for: shored up depth with a Radek Faksa reunion and bringing Colin Blackwell into the fold.
Detroit Red Wings: Old
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The Red Wings are looking to accelerate their rebuild and finally make a convincing playoff push this season.
Trading for veteran goaltender John Gibson was a great start. GM Steve Yzerman signing veteran winger James van Riemsdyk and depth defender Jacob Bernard-Docker to one-year deals then calling it a day this free agency? You're losing me.
It's not entirely on Yzerman that he came up short of substantial improvements to Detroit's roster in such a down free agency year, but he'll have to make another trade or two to fill some things out on defense and down the center. Perhaps a player in his prime?
Edmonton Oilers: Boo
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The Oilers had several years worth of evidence to prove that an upgrade in net could help them win the Stanley Cup. Now they finally go out looking for one after back-to-back losses in the Cup Final and the free agency market is barren.
Does anyone have a very small violin I can borrow?
Florida Panthers: Elite
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No one is doing it better than Zito right now, who miraculously completed the hat trick of re-signing top free agents Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad. Not only are the Panthers running back an almost identical core to attempt a threepeat, but they almost singlehandedly prevented any of their competitors from getting much better in this free agency period.
Los Angeles Kings: Copycats
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If you're going to pick a team to constantly emulate, can it at least be the Panthers? I understand the Oilers beat you every year, but do you turn off the TV after that part?
The amount of Oilers-turned-Kings is getting impossible to ignore at this point, with Corey Perry the most notable signing this time around.
Minnesota Wild: Pending
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The Wild signed veteran Vladimir Tarasenko to shore up their playoff scoring situation and re-united with Nico Sturm, but they're among the teams with the most work ahead of them this offseason. Talks have started surrounding star Kirill Kaprizov's extension, and rumblings of potential offer sheets tendered to RFA Marco Rossi are hitting the rumor mill.
Montreal Canadiens: Solid
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The Canadiens reached the playoffs last season perhaps sooner than many of us suspected they would in their rebuild, and teams run the risk of getting too drastic with free agency moves in this situation.
The Canadiens did not; they continued to smartly invest in their present and their future in signing Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc.
Nashville Predators: Uhhh
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Clearly, the Predators and GM Barry Trotz made their big splash last off season with the signings of Steven Stamkos, Brady Skjei and Jonathan Marchessault. That didn't quite work out as the team plummeted to the bottom of the league, but it looks like they're simply running it back this year. Maybe a bounce back year is upon them?
New York Islanders: Hopeful
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The Islanders have been all over the place for the past few months with changes abound, and that's not necessarily a bad thing at all. They drafted defenseman Matthew Schaefer No. 1 overall, and he'll have the opportunity to crack the lineup and immediately make an impact—especially with Dobson gone.
They made some pretty sly moves in free agency, highlighted by signing Jonathan Drouin to a two-year, $8 million contract.
For years, this team was running around in circles. The Brock Nelson mid-season trade was hard to stomach, as is losing Dobson, but the Islanders are making great moves to usher in a new era.
New Jersey Devils: Sensible
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The Devils did what they had to do in re-signing Jake Allen for goaltending depth and acquiring Connor Brown at a slight overpay (four years, $3 million AAV). Their core was decimated by the injury bug for the better half of last season, so they'll come back stronger all around next year.
New York Rangers: Good
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After all the turmoil of last year, it feels weird to refer to the Rangers as "good." But you finally saw the vision this week, highlighted by the signing of defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $7 million average annual value deal. They've shed enough of their past now that they can finally focus on the present. The present Rangers needed faster defense, and they accomplished that task.
Ottawa Senators: Shrewd
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The Senators have to be careful now that their playoff window has officially opened. It wouldn't have made much sense for this team to take a big swing at a free agent when none of the slim pickings really addressed its need for improved scoring depth.
Lars Eller was a decent enough depth signing, and we'll see what the Senators can pull off at the trade deadline.
Philadelphia Flyers: Strategic
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The Flyers did what they had to do with the circumstances they were dealt this free agency period, trading for Trevor Zegras and signing both goaltender Dan Vladar and veteran Christian Dvorak to short-but-slightly-too-expensive contracts.
It was important that the Flyers take the next step and compete for a Wild Card spot this season, and the front office is clearly on board.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Vindicated
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How many times did you want them to say it? Sidney Crosby is not going anywhere. You probably still don't believe them, do you?
San Jose Sharks: Compliant
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They did it, folks. In extending William Eklund, signing John Klingberg and trading for goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, the Sharks have made it to the cap floor. Look, this was an unideal free agency period for anyone with significant cap space, and at least the Sharks were able to spend with purpose adding some help on the backend.
Seattle Kraken: Upside
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The Seattle Kraken are giving both gnarly defenseman Ryan Lindgren and veteran goaltender Matt Murray an opportunity to sink or swim by signing them with a lot of opportunity to step up in their lineup.
Best-case scenario: Murray bounces back and provides sturdiness while backing up Joey Daccord, who has earned full command of Seattle's No. 1 spot. Lindgren, whose talents lie on the defensive side, could be a major piece for a team that was 24th in goals allowed per game last season.
Both players have something to prove and carry upside.
St. Louis Blues: Savvy
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The Blues have been pretty smart lately given their cap situation, and Wednesday's signing of Pius Suter to a two-year, $8.25 million contract was the cherry on top. Suter had 25 goals and 46 points in 81 games with the Canucks last season, and he provides some even strength scoring that could really round out this Blues squad.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Fine
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The Lightning were a first-round exit this year, but they lost to the Cup champs—who went on to say Tampa Bay gave them their hardest series.
That Lightning team was banged up with significant injuries all around its core. With health as the biggest issue, it made sense the Lightning didn't do too much to alter the team via free agency besides create some competition for bottom-six roles.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Relieved
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After over a year of ceaseless chatter, Mitch Marner is no longer a Maple Leaf. This saga was going to sting no matter how it ended, but especially after Marner's strongest, 100+ point season and no Leafs Cup to show for it.
Still, we knew it was going to come to its inevitable end, and there was nothing anyone could do but wait. There's some relief now that it's all over and the Leafs can now focus on the team they do have and that elusive, ultimate goal.
Utah Mammoth: Relevant
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The Mammoth made a few solid moves in free agency to bolster the defense with veteran Nate Schmidt and to get some chippy offense from veteran Brandon Tanev. These weren't Earth-shattering moves, but the Mammoth were active players in free agency after their first year as a franchise. With a healthier roster returning for next season, they could make a more convincing playoff push in year two.
Vancouver Canucks: Surprising
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Most plugged in insiders thought lifelong Canuck Brock Boeser was a goner after talks with his camp cooled off and there didn't seem to be much urgency from either side to start them back up. But something changed, the Canucks put more term on the table for Boeser, and now he's locked in with a seven-year contract carrying a $7.25 million AAV.
Vegas Golden Knights: Typical
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The Vegas Golden Knights did what they somehow always end up doing: acquiring top talent via trade. That's how they got Jack Eichel, that's how they got Mark Stone, and now they're once again the talk of the town after a sign-and-trade that brought Mitch Marner to Vegas on an eight-year contract with a $12 million cap hit.
Other teams could certainly stand to be this aggressive on the trade market.
Washington Capitals: Still
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The Capitals have been one of the quietest teams by far this free agency period, but it looks like they are finalists in the still developing Nikolaj Ehlers sweepstakes. We'll have to see how that one plays out, but they've only got around $6.9 million in cap space to work with, so the silence so far is understandable.
Winnipeg Jets: Disappointing
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Look, Nikolaj Ehlers isn't officially out of a Jets uniform yet, but he's hit the market and he's talking to other teams. If the Jets lose their perennial 20 goal-scorer and their biggest move ends up the Jonathan Toews signing, it'll be a disappointing follow up to a disappointing playoff run.
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