On Oct. 20, we looked at five NHL teams already regretting their 2026 offseason moves. Now, we're looking at those whose offseason pickups are paying off thus far in 2026-27.
Like the five teams whose moves haven't panned out so far, those on this list dipped into this summer's trade and free-agent markets to bolster their rosters. Some also made preseason moves to address their needs.
Of course, the season is still early. Some of these moves that look good now could become costly as the schedule progresses. Some acquisitions could become costly over time if injuries or age-related decline limit the players' contributions.
For now, however, the five clubs we're profiling here have done well thus far. Follow along as we examine their performance.
Edmonton Oilers
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Notable offseason additions: Head coach Mike Babcock, goaltenders Devon Levi and Frederik Andersen, defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Ryan Shea, and forwards Owen Michaels and Alex Formenton.
After back-to-back seasons as Stanley Cup finalists, the Edmonton Oilers were eliminated from the opening round of last spring's playoffs by the upstart Anaheim Ducks. That led to a coaching change and several roster changes.
The most notable move was hiring Mike Babcock as their new head coach. His appointment followed controversy surrounding his previous tenures with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Columbus Blue Jackets. Nevertheless, stars Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman supported his hiring.
So far, the Oilers have bought into Babcock's disciplined defense-first system. As of Oct. 22, they were second in the Western Conference with a 7-1-1 record. His system hasn't hampered their offensive game. McDavid, Draisaitl, and puck-moving defenseman Evan Bouchard are among the league's leading scorers.
Levi, meanwhile, is making the most of his opportunity with the Oilers after failing to crack the Buffalo Sabres' lineup. The 24-year-old goaltender was 5-1-0 in his six starts with a 2.83 goals-against average. He's looking more comfortable with each start.
Michaels, 24, was an undrafted free agent who has put up solid defensive stats on the third line as the Oilers' only right-handed center. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old Shea is logging big minutes as he settles into their second defensive pairing with Connor Murphy.
Mukhamadullin was acquired in the Darnell Nurse trade, but has been a frequent healthy scratch. Formenton has four points in nine games as a third-line winger. Andersen is still recovering from a knee injury suffered in the Stanley Cup Final and is expected to return in December.
Time will tell whether the Oilers can maintain their current pace and remain among the league's top teams, let alone return to the Stanley Cup Final. So far, however, it's tough to argue with their results, with several offseason additions making significant contributions.
Florida Panthers
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Notable offseason additions: Forwards Brady Tkachuk, Lars Eller, and Garnet Hathaway; defenseman Radko Gudas; and goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
The Florida Panthers made two of this offseason's most notable trades. On June 21, they acquired left wing Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators. Nine days later, they replaced departing starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky by dealing for Jacob Markstrom from the New Jersey Devils.
Landing Tkachuk was a major move, reuniting him with his older brother, Matthew. The 27-year-old left winger was scoreless in his first five games, but netted seven goals and 11 points in his next five contests, including back-to-back natural hat tricks, to sit second behind Matthew among the Panthers' scoring leaders.
Brady Tkachuk struggled early while he and his brother played on separate lines. As injuries mounted, head coach Paul Maurice paired them, and they've been on a tear since.
Markstrom, 36, had big skates to fill, replacing the popular Bobrovsky. Nevertheless, he sported a record of 3-1-1 in his first five games with a 2.21 goals-against average, including a season-opening shutout of the Carolina Hurricanes. He's currently sidelined for one to two weeks with an upper-body injury.
Eller was among the Panthers' notable depth signings this summer, joining Hathaway and Gudas. A versatile two-way forward who can play center or right wing, the 37-year-old is seeing second-line minutes with Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand sidelined. He's collected five assists in 10 games.
The Panthers missed the playoffs last season after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups. Their summer pickups could be contributing factors in the renewed pursuit of hockey's holy grail.
New York Rangers
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Notable offseason additions: Forwards Pavel Dorofeyev, Eeli Tolvanen, and Oliver Bjorkstrand; defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson; goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.
After two years of retooling his roster, New York Rangers general manager Chris Drury continued adding pieces during this offseason. So far, most of those pickups have helped the Rangers contend with the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Metropolitan Division.
Durzi and Pettersson have provided much-needed depth to the Rangers' blue line as their second defense pairing. Both have logged over 20 minutes per game, including time on the penalty kill. They're also among the Blueshirts' leaders in blocked shots and takeaways.
Meanwhile, Tolvanen and Bjorkstrand bring experienced depth to their forward lines. The two-way Tolvanen is among their leaders in blocked shots and hits. The emergence of Tye Kartye has dropped Bjorkstrand to the fourth line, but he's tied for second on the team with four goals.
Dorofeyev was Drury's biggest addition, acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights and signed to a seven-year, $77 million contract. He's struggled in the early going with five points in 11 games, but it should be a matter of time before he finds his groove with his new club.
Korpisalo was acquired from the Boston Bruins. The 32-year-old netminder is sidelined by a lower-body injury and is expected to remain out until mid-November, but he could provide veteran experience for young Dylan Garand, who's been thrust into the starter's job following Igor Shesterkin's season-ending injury.
So far, the Rangers have benefited from most of these pickups. Some have already contributed to their early success, while others could play key roles going forward once they adjust to their new surroundings and return from injury.
-(1).jpg?w=2560 "Bleacher Report")
Toronto Maple Leafs
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Notable offseason additions: Forwards Kirill Marchenko, Gavin McKenna, Jack Roslovic and Nick Paul; defenseman Darren Raddysh; and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were among the busiest teams during the offseason. They not only made several significant roster changes but also overhauled their management and coaching staff. New general manager John Chayka proved willing to make some bold moves to upgrade his new club's roster.
All eyes are on Marchenko and McKenna. Marchenko, 27, was acquired in a blockbuster multi-player trade that sent popular winger Matthew Knies to the Columbus Blue Jackets, while the 18-year-old McKenna was the first overall pick in this year's draft.
Marchenko has adjusted well so far. He has 11 points in as many games, including a hat trick against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 15. McKenna is still learning the ropes at the NHL level, but has six points in 11 games and seems more comfortable with each game.
Roslovic is a streaky scorer but has nine points in his first 10 games. Meanwhile, Paul has moved up from being a checking-line center to replace the sidelined John Tavares on the second line. He is showing promising signs of bouncing back from last season's injury-hampered performance with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Not every acquisition has panned out thus far. Bobrovsky has been inconsistent between the pipes, and Raddysh hasn't regained his 70-point form from last season with the Lightning.
Nevertheless, most of the Maple Leafs' offseason additions have helped them get off to a good start. There are still issues to be sorted out (especially defensively), but if Bobrovsky and Raddysh regain their form and Roslovic and Paul become consistent contributors, the Leafs should return to the postseason.
Washington Capitals
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Notable offseason additions: Forwards Alex Tuch, Boone Jenner, and Jordan Kyrou, and defenseman Vincent Desharnais.
After finishing atop the Eastern Conference in 2024-25, the Washington Capitals failed to make the playoffs last season. General manager Chris Patrick wasted no time addressing that issue, acquiring Tuch and Kyrou through trades with Buffalo and St. Louis and signing free agents Jenner and Desharnais.
With a record of 5-4-0 after nine games, the Capitals are off to a decent start thus far, partly because of their offseason acquisitions.
Tuch, who signed an eight-year contract with the Capitals, is one of their leading scorers with five goals and seven points. The 30-year-old power forward has adjusted well thus far with his new teammates on the top line.
Jenner, 33, has adjusted well to his new team after 13 seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He's centering the second line and sits among their leading scorers with four goals and five points in nine games.
Kyrou needed a bit of time to adjust, but the speedy 28-year-old winger seems to be rounding into form with six points in nine games. Meanwhile, shutdown blueliner Desharnais is sixth among all NHL defensemen in plus/minus (plus-9), logging second-pairing minutes and leading the club with 22 hits.
The Capitals want to regain their 2024-25 form and stage a final Stanley Cup run for captain Alex Ovechkin before he retires at the end of this season. Tuch, Jenner, Kyrou, and Desharnais could play bigger roles with this club as it transitions toward the post-Ovechkin era.
Stats (as of Oct. 22) via NHL.com, contract info via Puckpedia, and line combinations via Daily Faceoff.
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