The dust has settled on free agency, and there isn’t much action in the hockey world these days. It’s why many of the hockey writers have checked out to their beaches, lakes, or cottages until September. For us, not-so-wealthy folks, finding observations from this week has been difficult, hence why this is the last edition until the season begins.
Free agency brings out one thing in all of us. Gut reactions! We love to declare winners and losers right after every trade, signing, extension, and so on. So, what better way to wrap up free agency than with lists, five of them to be exact, all of which involve the action from the past week of free agency.
The Top 5 Winners of Free Agency
Every team had more cap space and thus more room to work with. Yet, some teams made the most of it. These teams below look better now than a week ago.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
It sounds crazy to have the team that lost the best player this summer on this list (and the team that added the best player should replace them). Yet, the Toronto Maple Leafs recovered from losing Mitch Marner and made multiple strong additions.
Re-signing John Tavares and Matthew Knies is a big plus, keeping two forwards to build around the new core of Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Bringing in Nicolas Roy and Matias Maccelli is also pivotal to adding depth to the forward unit, as both skaters will add offense to the middle six. The only thing the Maple Leafs might want to add is another defenseman, and with $4 million in cap space, that might be what they do.
4. Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks looked like they were entering a cruel summer where an inevitable rebuild would await them. They managed to re-sign Brock Boeser, Conor Garland, and Thatcher Demko, a trio that many thought would be gone this offseason.
The Boeser signing particularly helps them as the star winger looked poised to test the market and took less to stay. Throw in the Evander Kane signing and the Canucks look ready to compete next season for a playoff spot.
3. Florida Panthers
There’s a good case that the Florida Panthers won free agency. They managed to bring back their trio of Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad, all of whom were free agents. That alone puts them on track to win the Stanley Cup for a third season in a row.
Then they brought in Jeff Petry on a team-friendly contract. That was the cherry on the top and a reminder of how the Panthers always navigate the cap. It’s not the lack of taxes as much as it’s the Evan Rodrigues, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Nate Schmidt contracts. This time, Petry is the player who will round out the roster.
2. New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils entered the offseason with a glaring need. They needed to add depth scoring, and they did just that.
Connor Brown is a bottom-six forward who does it all. He scores, kills penalties, defends, and beats opponents on the rush. Evgenii Dadonov is a 20-goal scorer on the right wing. These two skaters give the Devils a forward unit that has skill in the top six but is well-rounded on the later lines as well.
1. Carolina Hurricanes
With the Nikolaj Ehlers deal to cap off free agency, it’s hard for the Carolina Hurricanes not to be the winners. They had a great free agency where they put themselves on the doorstep of winning the Cup.
The Ehlers signing stands out, as the Hurricanes have a winger who will play well alongside Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho. Plus, the K’Andre Miller trade adds youth and speed to their defense, something the unit lacked last season. There was also the Logan Stankoven extension, which at $6 million average annual value (AAV) is a steal for an up-and-coming forward.
Top 5 Coaching Hires
Nine teams hired new head coaches this offseason, a turnover of roughly a third of the league. It’s hard to tell which hires are the best, yet some teams made the right move, either by getting the best available or putting together a great staff in the process.
5. Glen Gulutzan
Usually, a coach who is fired by the same team that’s re-hiring him a decade later doesn’t make this list. However, the Dallas Stars knocked this hire out of the park, considering they were late to the party (or their coaching search).
Glen Gulutzan is an improved coach who was hired to work with the elite talent on the Stars. After working with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, he has the experience to handle Jason Robertson, Mikko Rantanen, Wyatt Johnston, and the rest of the great players this team has. It’s also worth noting that the Stars made a great hire by promoting Neil Graham, their American Hockey League (AHL) coach, who is poised for a head coaching job at some point.
4. Dan Muse
It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Penguins are rebuilding. So, who better to hire than the 42-year-old Dan Muse? He’s a younger coach who will work well with the younger team.
He’s only 42 but he’s been behind the bench for 20 years, making him a great hire considering he won’t get overwhelmed by the job. Like the Stars, the Penguins also brought in some great assistants, including Todd Nelson, who led the Hershey Bears in the AHL to back-to-back Calder Cup titles, making him a great coach to help with the rebuild.
3. Rick Tocchet
There was plenty of criticism following the Rick Tocchet hire. The Philadelphia Flyers are hiring a former Flyer, who isn’t known for the X’s and O’s or any special systems, and after a while, loses his voice in the locker room.
For a team looking to compete for a playoff spot, this was a great hire. Tocchet gets the most out of groups that have the talent yet can’t make it click. With the Canucks, he found a way to balance out a talented team and lead them to the best record in the Pacific Division in 2023-24. The Flyers are expected to end this rebuilding phase, and with Tocchet, they can be a surprise team in the Metropolitan Division this season.
2. Adam Foote
At first, this hire looked like a flop. Hiring from within is a red flag as it hints that there weren’t many coaches interested in the job (or working under a front office with a recent history of firing coaches).
The Adam Foote hire is a good one because he’s a players’ coach. Of course, this is usually the downfall of many assistants, who are forced to become the “bad guy” after being beloved by the locker room. For Foote, he was one of the coaches who, if they didn’t hire, would get hired elsewhere and the Canucks keep him from leaving, while also hiring one of the better hockey minds available.
1. Mike Sullivan
The New York Rangers are a team without direction. They are trying to contend, yet their roster suggests a rebuild is the best move. That said, Mike Sullivan was the best coach on the board, and the Rangers got him.
Sullivan is one of the few elite coaches in the game. He has a steady presence behind the bench and gets the most out of his rosters. The Rangers might not be great in his first season behind the bench but over time, he’ll show why he was hired, as the former Cup winner will likely lead them back into that conversation.
Top 5 Free Agency Signings
For the most part, these are the top five players that were available, with some re-signed players mixed in.
5. Connor Brown – This was the best value deal. The Devils signed a good player who does it all, someone the Oilers will miss in their button-six.
4. Logan Stankoven – Another heist from the Canes. They gave Stankoven, a rising star in the league, a bargain contract, securing their young core for years to come.
3. Nikolaj Ehlers – The one straggler following the first day of free agency. Ehlers signed with the Hurricanes in a deal that takes a good team and puts them over the top.
2. Brock Boeser – Boeser is a scorer who has the skills that will age gracefully. The Canucks have him locked into his prime years and keep a skater with a proven track record of scoring in the playoffs.
1. Mitch Marner – The best player on the board goes to the Vegas Golden Knights, and all it cost them was Nicolas Roy, some depth skaters, and a chunk of cap space. What could possibly go wrong?
The 5 Most Consequential Trades
There weren’t a lot of trades but there were a few, and they will shape the league next season and for years to come.
5. Alex Nedeljkovic to the San Jose Sharks
This is not a big trade. However, it’s one to keep an eye on. Alex Nedeljkovic has declined since his impressive rookie season with the Hurricanes, struggling to be a regular with the Detroit Red Wings and the Penguins.
If Nedeljkovic is good enough as a backup goaltender for the Sharks, they will suddenly have a great tandem that can make noise in the Western Conference. Yaroslav Askarov is a young but elite goaltender who will carry the majority of the workload, so all Nedeljkovic needs to be is good enough for the Sharks.
4. Logan Mailloux for Zachary Bolduc
This is one of the rare “hockey trades” that looks, early on, like a win-win trade. Logan Mailloux became expendable, and the Montreal Canadiens had no problem moving him. Mailloux joins a St. Louis Blues defense that has plenty of talent but needs another two-way presence on the second pair.
The Canadiens, meanwhile, are adding Zachary Bolduc, a middle-six forward who has the upside to play on the top six. The Canadiens needed a skater who added depth to the forward unit and got one. So, this trade fills needs for both teams.
3. Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights
When it became apparent that Marner was signing with the Golden Knights, a trade felt like the best move. The Maple Leafs don’t lose Marner for nothing as they get a depth forward in Roy, while the Golden Knights land the big fish in free agency.
2. K’Andre Miller to the Carolina Hurricanes
The big trade on the first day of free agency proves once again that teams are willing to trade within the division. The Rangers are resetting their blue line, which got stale in recent seasons. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, are taking a risk, and moving out two draft picks and young defenseman, Scott Morrow, but upgrading their defense for a Cup run.
The Hurricanes are the team to watch from this deal. Miller is not a two-way defenseman. That said, he’s a shutdown option and with Jaccob Slavin already anchoring the unit, the Hurricanes could have one of the best defenses in the NHL (which is par for the course with this team).
1. Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens
The blockbuster of the offseason. When the New York Islanders realized they weren’t extending Noah Dobson, they looked for the best offer. That was the Montreal Canadiens, who have them two first round picks and Emil Heineman to kickstart the retool for the Islanders.
The Canadiens are landing a young two-way player who takes the defense to another level. They already have Lane Hutson as the primary two-way defenseman, yet Dobson adds another layer and makes the Canadiens a tough team to stop, especially on offense.
5 Teams Closest to the Cup
Based on all of the moves, here’s an early look at the five teams closest to the Stanley Cup in 2026. Some teams, despite losing some big names, are still high on the list.
5. Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche put themselves closer to the Cup by adding to an already great core. They signed Brock Nelson while making one of the under-the-radar signings by adding Brent Burns to their blue line.
This once top-heavy team now has star power but also plenty of depth. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are two top-five players, while Martin Necas, Nelson, Burns, and Jack Drury all upgrade the forward unit and the defense. Yes, this team lost in the First Round but they are closer to the Cup than many will give them credit for.
4. Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights lost some depth and Alex Pietrangelo (who won’t play this season) but added Marner and suddenly look like a team that can both win the Pacific Division and make a Cup run. Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl, Shea Theodore, and Marner are the stars who will lead this team and allow it to win in multiple ways, something they couldn’t do last season.
Goaltending is still a question mark, where trusting Adin Hill isn’t a good idea, considering how he’s played since the 2023 run. Otherwise, the Golden Knights have minimal weaknesses. The Eichel and Marner duo can be particularly special if they can play two-way hockey and defend the top line in the playoffs.
3. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers lost a lot of talent this summer. Yet, they still look like the team to beat in the Western Conference. It starts with the core, which is the best in the NHL and has proven it can carry the Oilers to the Final.
Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and the recently extended Evan Bouchard can make up for a lack of depth. It’s also worth noting the Oilers have been through this before, losing depth skaters before the season and adding them at the trade deadline (something they are sure to do again). Goaltending remains an issue, and McDavid’s pending free agency has everyone in Edmonton waiting with bated breath. However, they are still the team to beat in the Western Conference.
2. Carolina Hurricanes
If the Hurricanes didn’t run into the Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final and get mowed down in five games, they might be seen as the second-best team in the NHL. They made a few big moves in free agency to close the gap with the best team in the league.
The Stankoven extension keeps a great young part of the core around, and he’s only getting better. Miller is the shutdown defenseman this team needed, who will make the Hurricanes a faster team. Ehlers is the cherry on top as the winger who can create scoring chances and find the back of the net. This is a team that sees its window open to win a Cup, and they are going for it. The only question is if they will pivot when they inevitably face the Panthers in the conference final.
1. Florida Panthers
The back-to-back Stanley Cup champs only got better. It felt like a certainty that they would love either Bennett, Marchand, or Ekblad. They managed to keep all three, and the Panthers won’t have to worry about replacing a top-six center, a future Hall of Fame winger, and a top-pair defenseman.
Throw in the Petry signing, and the Panthers somehow look better than they did last season. Their forward unit remains far and beyond the best in the NHL, while Sergei Bobrovsky has one year left on his contract and at 36, is playing his best in the net. The defense has its issues but they can easily be fixed at the trade deadline. The last time a team won three Stanley Cup titles in a row was the 1980s, yet this team is best suited to accomplish just that.
