5 NHL Teams That Should Think About Using an Offer Sheet in 2026

The sharp increase in the NHL salary cap to $95.5 million for 2025-26 prompted speculation that the summer of 2025 would see more attempts to sign away restricted free agents from rival clubs. That belief was also stoked by the St. Louis Blues signing Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway the previous summer.

However, the offer sheets failed to materialize. While teams had more cap space to make offers, some of the prime restricted free agents (RFAs), such as Mason McTavish of the Anaheim Ducks and Luke Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, belonged to clubs that had the cap room to match any offer from another team.

On July 1, 2026, the salary cap for next season will rise to $104 million. Meanwhile, next summer's RFA class includes rising young stars such as Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks, Leo Carlsson of the Anaheim Ducks, and Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Those youngsters will have completed their entry-level contracts, making them ineligible for arbitration rights. If they're still unsigned by July 1, they could become prime targets for an offer sheet, but their respective teams hold plenty of cap space to match.

However, there will still be some noteworthy talent that could be open to signing an offer sheet. Some, like Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars and Šimon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils, are on teams that could lack sufficient cap space to match an offer.

Those players could be tempting targets for retooling teams attempting to add young NHL players. They could also interest a club seeking to address a specific longstanding roster need.

Follow along as we examine five teams that should consider going the offer-sheet route next summer.

Calgary Flames

Richard A. Whittaker/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Having narrowly missed the 2025 postseason, hopes were high that the retooling Calgary Flames could be a serious contender for a playoff spot this season. Instead, they're mired at the bottom of the overall standings and expected to become sellers by the March 6 trade deadline, if not sooner.

The Flames could end up shipping out UFA-eligible defenseman Rasmus Andersson at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, trade rumors are swirling around forwards Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman, who carry a combined average annual value of $11.9 million beyond this season.

With over $23.7 million in cap space with 20 active roster players under contract for 2025-26, the Flames have plenty of cap space to put toward additions to their roster in the offseason. They could have even more if they moved Kadri or Coleman.

The Flames have been searching for a right-shot center since last season. They'll also need to shore up their defense if they end up trading Andersson this season.

If the Flames' goal is to keep retooling with young NHL players, they could be active in the trade and free-agent markets. If they can't land any suitable talent through those routes, they should consider the offer sheet option.

Buffalo Sabres center Josh Doan could be an option, depending on how much of their cap space remains if they re-sign Alex Tuch. Šimon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils and Brandt Clarke of the Los Angeles Kings could help fill the gap on the right side of their blue line if Andersson is traded or departs via free agency.

Nashville Predators

Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images

The Nashville Predators went "all-in" during the summer of 2024, signing top free-agents Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei to lucrative long-term contracts. Those moves made them the "winners" of that offseason, but left them 30th overall in the 2024-25 standings.

Their situation is no better through the opening quarter of this season. They are sitting 31st overall with six wins and 16 points in 20 games. That has sparked speculation that Stamkos and Marchessault could become trade candidates, although both forwards carry full no-movement clauses.

Meanwhile, Predators management has attempted to transition toward younger talent on their roster while restocking their prospect pipeline. That trend will likely continue for the foreseeable future. They could consider using an offer sheet if the opportunity arises to add a young NHL player who could help that process.

The Predators carry $36.4 million in cap space with 13 active roster players under contract. They could free up more dollars if they manage to part ways with Stamkos, Marchessault, or center Ryan O'Reilly.

Adding a good young center or a defenseman with top-pairing potential could accelerate the Predators' roster retooling process. They might land one by trading Stamkos, Marchessault, or O'Reilly, but it wouldn't hurt to monitor the available RFAs for a potential offer-sheet target.

Šimon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils might be a worthwhile blueline option. So could Olen Zellweger of the Anaheim Ducks if their efforts to re-sign Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier take up a significant chunk of their cap space.

New York Islanders

Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

First-year general manager Mathieu Darche kept the New York Islanders' roster core largely intact this season. That's partly because the team's ownership is reluctant to undertake a full rebuild, and partly because Darche wants to evaluate his players before making any significant changes.

After an inconsistent start, the Islanders have climbed back into the playoff race. However, it's still too early to tell if they're a legitimate postseason contender or a bubble team.

Darche faces the possibility of losing team captain and scoring winger Anders Lee and two-way center Jean-Gabriel Pageau to free agency on July 1. Finding suitable replacements via next summer's trade and unrestricted free-agent markets could prove difficult.

The Islanders have $26.3 million in projected cap space for 2026-27 with 19 active roster players under contract, including all their other core players. Darche could attempt to make a bit of a splash in his second year as Islanders GM by making a bit of a splash with an offer sheet.

A scoring forward such as Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars or Pavel Dorofeyev of the Vegas Golden Knights could be a tempting option to replace Lee, provided they don't file for arbitration. Dylan Holloway signed an offer sheet with the St. Louis Blues last year and might be willing to do so again if contract talks stall.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images

Since Kyle Dubas took over as general manager in 2023, the Pittsburgh Penguins have been retooling their roster. An attempt to return to the postseason by adding veterans such as Erik Karlsson, Ryan Graves, and Reilly Smith fell flat, forcing Dubas to change tactics by trading veterans for younger talent.

Among those shipped out were Smith, Jake Guentzel, Lars Eller, Marcus Pettersson, Michael Bunting, Anthony Beauvillier, and Alex Nedeljkovic. Entering this season, Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Rickard Rakell were mentioned as trade candidates. Even Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby briefly surfaced in the rumor mill.

However, the Penguins have exceeded expectations this season, holding a playoff berth 20 games into the schedule. If they make the postseason, Dubas could hang onto Karlsson, Rust, and Rakell and bring back Malkin for another season.

Dubas will continue searching for young NHL players to add to his roster. If he retains those veterans we mentioned earlier, he'll lack the trade capital to pursue that promising talent. That could prompt Dubas to target another club's restricted free agents with an offer sheet.

The Penguins have a projected $48.8 million in cap space with 15 active roster players signed for next season. Adding a talented winger like Jason Robertson could be a perfect fit alongside Crosby, and perhaps entice the superstar to stick around a little longer once his current contract ends in 2027.

Other options could include Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev or Philadelphia Flyers winger Trevor Zegras. New Jersey Devils defenseman Šimon Nemec or Anaheim Ducks blueliner Olen Zellweger could also be offer-sheet targets.

Seattle Kraken

Christopher Mast/NHLI via Getty Images

Now in their fifth season, the Seattle Kraken remain a team lacking a genuine scoring forward to power their offense.

Veterans Jordan Eberle and Jaden Schwartz are in their thirties and slated to become unrestricted free agents in July. Youngsters Matty Beniers and Shane Wright have promise but have yet to break out offensively. Sidelined winger Jared McCann's production has dropped from his 2022-23 40-goal performance.

The Kraken should consider targeting a restricted free-agent forward with an offer sheet if they cannot find suitable scoring options through trades or the UFA market.

Jason Robertson could be worth the attempt if his contract talks stall with the Dallas Stars, provided he doesn't file for arbitration. The Stars have $17.4 million in projected cap space for next season with 16 active roster players under contract.

Robertson is a proven offensive winger who reached a career-high 109 points in 2022-23, followed by two straight seasons of 80 points. With 26 points in 21 games, he's currently among the league's top-20 scorers.

The Kraken have $34.7 million in cap space with 19 active roster players under contract. That should leave them with enough space to sign Robertson to a long-term deal worth $12 million annually if he's willing to entertain offers from rival clubs next summer.

Stats and standings via NHL.com. Contract and salary info via PuckPedia.