Every NHL front office enters the offseason with a different set of problems. Some teams need scoring help. Others search for defensive stability or long-term salary flexibility. A few clubs sit in a difficult middle ground where management must decide whether to push forward or start over. General managers now work in a faster environment than they did even five years ago. Contract values rise quickly. Younger players expect larger roles earlier in their careers. Fan pressure increases after ...
As the trade rumors continue to fly around the NHL, the first Trade Targets Board of the offseason has been revealed by insider Frank Seravalli. He posts a Top 25 most likely to be dealt, and it features no less than six goalies. And a Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman sits atop the entire trade brigade, at No. 1. Here's a look at the top 10, plus the other goalies on the list: Morgan Rielly, D, Toronto Jordan Kyrou, F, St. Louis Jake DeBrusk, F, Vancouver Jordan Binnington, G, St. Louis Vincent ...
Keep an eye on the Ottawa Senators crease this summer, and some fresh talent could be on the way. After what was a very disappointing finish to their season after a quick first-round Stanley Cup Playoff exit, roster changes are on the way this offseason, and apparently, it all starts in net. Bruce Garrioch: Re Mads Sogaard: The expectation is he won’t be back, but the Senators may give him a qualifying offer to retain his rights. The club tried to trade him at the deadline last year - Ottawa C...
Short and sweet with the Sabres. After a mid-season trade which saw the Buffalo Sabres give up valuable assets, both defencemen Luke Schenn and Logan Stanley are set to hit the free-agent market on July 1. While it was surprising to see how much the Sabres gave up to land both d-men from the Winnipeg Jets, it turned out to not be a great fit as neither blueliner was in their Game 7 lineup against the Montreal Canadiens. Schenn, 36, isn't the most mobile defender, but his game is built on posit...
According to TSN's Chris Johnston , the Toronto Maple Leafs roster could look very different next season. Johnston reports that the Maple Leafs are talking to other teams regarding trades and have made it clear to opposing teams, they're open to just about anything, just don't ask about captain Auston Matthews. “One of the things I’ve been told by other teams with the Leafs, is that the message that’s come out from their front office is that they’re willing to discuss any players on thei...
It's sounding more and more like the Vancouver Canucks are leaning towards in-house candidate Manny Malhotra to take over as their new head coach. But we're hearing that there could be one big hangup that looms over that potentiality. The Canucks decided to move on from former coach Adam Foote, firing him this week after they finished with the team's worst record of this century. The franchise was also disappointed on NHL Lottery Day, as they fell to the third pick in next month's draft....
The Buffalo Sabres had a great run this season. A first place finish in the Atlantic Division, their first time back in the playoffs in 15 years, and a run to Game 7 overtime of the second round. But one area that began to spring leaks as the postseason wore on was between the pipes. "Their two main guys had been leaky in the playoffs, and specifically, Ukko-Pekka Luukkanen," Jeff Marek said on Daily Faceoff Live. He then went on to propose swinging a bold blockbuster that could fix that...
Free agent centers don't exactly grow on trees in the NHL these days. Especially ones that are the size of trees. 6'6", 230-pound Michael McCarron is a pending UFA, and the Minnesota Wild "badly want to re-sign him." But they might not get the chance, says insider Michael Russo in The Athletic. While the Wild have cap space and badly want to re-sign him, McCarron almost certainly could make more on the open market since it just takes one team to throw a boatload of cash and term his way....
The Edmonton Oilers have a critical offseason, as they face, effectively, one more year to show Connor McDavid that they can put a Cup winner around him. Next summer, he'd be heading into his pending UFA year, and that could be the end of the line for him in Edmonton if they haven't made huge strides. To that end, insider Jeff Marek joined Daily Faceoff Live to discuss some of the moves that the Oilers should look to make this summer. And he says Jordan Kyrou of the St. Louis Blues shoul...
The Anaheim Ducks Frank Vatrano made the best of his opportunity in Orange County to become an All-Star during the 2023-24 NHL season. He'd set himself apart from a team that was struggling in the beginning of its rebuild, scoring 37 goals and 60 points playing a full 82-game season. It wasn't long before the Ducks found themselves relying on his veteran presence in the lineup for secondary scoring as young talent poured into the lineup, including Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gau...
The Detroit Red Wings fell short of the playoffs this season, and as a result, the Yzerplan is in question. As a team that started off hot at the beginning of the year, and ended the regular season 41-31-10, and 6th in the Atlantic Division. A fall from grace that earned backlash from the fans and disdain for general manager Steve Yzerman's "Yzerplan" , which fell apart at the seams. The team will need to sell in order to get more "win-now" pieces, and one player who could n...
Does he or doesn't he want out? The Simon Nemec trade buzz has picked up again big-time on Thursday, with two conflicting reports leaving New Jersey Devils fans confused. A report out of Nemec's home country of Slovakia indicated that the pending RFA defenseman wanted out of New Jersey. A trade for Šimon Nemec in the NHL is more real than ever, even considering that such speculation has been circulating around him for a long time. The translation of the article goes on to say...
Scott Laughton was thrilled to be headed to his hometown team when the Toronto Maple Leafs dealt for him at the 2025 trade deadline. But after a full calendar year, he was sent to the Los Angeles Kings at this year's deadline, though with the thought that maybe he could return this summer as an unrestricted free agent. As it turned out, Laughton quite enjoyed his time in LA, as his ice time was boosted by two minutes a game with the Kings. Accordingly, his production went up, and he was ...
The Vancouver Canucks fired head coach Adam Foote and his entire coaching staff Tuesday, ending a one-year tenure that produced the worst record in the NHL at 25-49-8 and a 58-point season that left the franchise searching for answers at every level.
The organizational reset under new GM Ryan Johnson, with co-presidents Daniel and Henrik Sedin overseeing the larger picture, is now complete enough that a new coaching hire is the last major piece of the rebuild's foundation.
And Johnson did ...
The Toronto Maple Leafs are not done reshaping their roster after firing Craig Berube and naming John Chayka as GM.
The blue line is next.
David Pagnotta confirmed that Chayka is expected to pursue trade discussions involving both Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo this summer, with the defensive corps overhaul described as a top organizational priority.
"Augmenting the blue line is a priority for Chayka, and he insinuated moves to the defensive corps are on the horizon," Pagnotta wrote. "W...
The Philadelphia Flyers are among the teams looking to upgrade their goaltending situation this summer. While career backup Dan Vladar provided more than they could have hoped for in a starting role this season, Samuel Ersson left plenty to be desired as his understudy. Philly is looking for a new tandem partner for Vladar. While the Flyers are open to locking up Vladar if the price is right (he has one year remaining on his deal and is eligible for an extension July 1), they are fully a...
When the New York Rangers decided it was time to move on from their captain, Jacob Trouba, midway through the 2024-25 season, it was the Anaheim Ducks' gain. Adding a veteran leader with a punishing physical presence to their blueline turned out to be the next step in the team launching itself out of its rebuild and into serious playoff contention. But after a year and a half there, Trouba is now an unrestricted free agent. He's coming off an $8 million AAV over the past seven years, and...
It's Bruce Cassidy's 61st birthday today. But he's no closer to being gifted a new job in the NHL. It was leaked last week that the Vegas Golden Knights denied the Edmonton Oilers permission to speak with their fired head coach (who is still under contract) for Edmonton's vacancy behind the bench. Now it's being confirmed by insider Andy Strickland on the Cam & Strick podcast that the Golden Knights also denied the Los Angeles Kings permission to talk to Cassidy. Is Vegas being pet...
The status of Colorado Avalanche superstar defenseman Cale Makar had everyone in Denver on edge for the past week, after his injury in the final game of their second-round series. Today, head coach Jared Bednar confirmed the news: Makar will NOT play in Game 1 Wednesday night. Makar will be out for Game 1 tonight against Vegas 👀 pic.twitter.com/ZPM5YJnrX9 — Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 20, 2026 But the news is not all bad for Avalanche fans, as Bednar calls him day-to-day and says ...
Alex Tuch spoke to the media today at the Buffalo Sabres exit interviews following their crushing Game 7 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens. Tuch has become the focus of attention around Buffalo now, as he is potentially the top pending unrestricted free agent on the market, and his future is unclear. "Obviously, the next month or so, I have to make some decisions," Tuch told the media. He also said that extension talks were put on hold during the playoffs, but GM Jarmo Kekalainen has onc...
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka was flying down to Arizona to meet with captain Auston Matthews and if the two can't get on the same page on the team's direction this offseason, Matthews is expected to ask for a trade. The Leafs captain wasn't committal to anything during his end-of-season media availability, with his infamous quote stating 'I can't predict the future', even though he's under contract for two more seasons. It caught a lot of people off guard in Toronto, and now...
Nick Robertson made it very clear during his exit interview that it's time for his next NHL chapter. According to sources connected to the Maple Leafs, Robertson was very transparent during his exit interview, informing the folks he met with that he feels a change of scenery could be exactly what he needs at this point of his career, and he prefers to be traded at some point this offseason. This isn't the first time Robertson asked out, as former GM Brad Treliving tried to ship him to Columbus...
Michael McCarron is apparently heading to Western Canada once free agency opens. There's been multiple reports from several sources, including The Athletic stating the pending free-agent forward will be signing a multi-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks on July 1. The most recent linkage came from Thomas Drance, who had this to say about the connection: The rebuilding Canucks should use July 1 to break the wage scale for players. How do you catch up to 31 other NHL teams, and out-accumulate ...
Get ready to see Kyle Dubas try to reunite with Mason Marchment. Dubas admits that over the course of his time in hockey, Marchment is the only player who got away from him, and now the Pittsburgh Penguins president has a chance to land Marchment in free agency. Expect to see the Penguins make a multi-year lucrative offer to the pending free-agent forward the first day they're able July 1. Dubas will likely replace Anthony Mantha with Marchment in the Penguins top six, even though Mantha had a...
Devon Levi was the prized piece the Buffalo Sabres received when they traded Sam Reinhart to Florida in 2021. He was the goaltending prospect who was supposed to anchor the franchise's future between the pipes for the next decade.
That plan has changed.
David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported the Sabres are now shopping Levi, and Jeff Marek went further on Coming In Hot , stating that the relationship between the organization and their former top goalie prospect is effectively o...