The Columbus Blue Jackets have some notable free agents on the docket this offseason, and it sounds like they want to bring most of them back. From captain Boone Jenner to newcomers this season in Charlie Coyle and Mason Marchment, to defenseman Erik Gudbranson, they'll have some decisions to make. But according to insider Elliotte Friedman, speaking on NHL Morning Skate on NHL Network Radio on SiriusXM, he projects the Jackets will likely lose at least one of those UFAs—whether th...
At the 2026 NHL trade deadline, the Calgary Flames acquired Olli Maatta as part of the deal that sent blueliner MacKenzie Weegar to the Utah Mammoth. While Maatta was primarily dealt to the Flames for salary purposes, he made a big impact for Calgary following the move. In 21 games for the Flames after the trade this campaign, he had two goals and 14 points. With Maatta having such a strong finish to the season, it is fair to wonder if the Flames could look to move the veteran defenseman while...
Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti could be a trade candidate to keep an eye on this summer. The 24-year-old forward is a pending restricted free agent and has been in the rumor mill for a while now. Because of this, let's take a look at three teams that could look to acquire Perfetti if the Jets shop him this offseason. New Jersey Devils The Devils should be on the hunt for forward help this offseason. Due to this, it would make sense if they brought in a versatile forward ...
Evander Kane is not expected to be back with the Vancouver Canucks next season. It is not difficult to understand why, as the Canucks are rebuilding and the 34-year-old Kane struggled this campaign. While Kane had a down year in 2025-26, he should still generate interest from teams in free agency this summer. Due to this, let's look at three teams that he could be a good fit on. Minnesota Wild The Wild could be a team to watch when it comes to Kane this offseason. They could use mo...
The big names from the St. Louis Blues were all over the rumor mill at the trade deadline, from Colton Parayko (who declined a deal to Buffalo), to Robert Thomas to Jordan Kyrou to Justin Faulk (who did get dealt to Detroit). But one name that had been talked about all the way back to last season is emerging as the odds-on favorite to be traded this summer, according to David Pagnotta on the DFO Rundown on Wednesday: The one guy that looks more likely than ever to get moved this off-seas...
The Columbus Blue Jackets traded forward Egor Chinakhov to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the end of December. The Blue Jackets let Chinakhov languish in the bottom-six, and at times was a healthy scratch. The 21st overall selection in 2020 has skyrocketed in production after being placed under the leadership of head coach Dan Muse. In the last 43 games of his career, he's scored 36 points (18-18), being given the responsibility as a top-nine forward in the Penguins' lineup. A s...
Former Buffalo Sabres enforcer and now podcaster Andrew Peters has revealed a slew of inside information on what led to the dismissal of general manager Kevyn Adams. The GM's firing was the turning point for the Sabres to go from worst to first and finally end their 14-year playoff drought. Speaking on The Fan 590's Kyper & Bourne Show, Peters says Adams was "a major dark cloud" hanging over the Buffalo franchise. “It was my understanding that [Kevyn Adams] was a major dark cloud over th...
The Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs are both knee deep in their searches for a new general manager (and/or president of hockey operations in the Leafs' case). But Vancouver is eyeing a Toronto front office name as a candidate for their own job opening. Insider Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet explains: According to several sources, the Canucks asked Toronto for permission to speak to special advisor to the GM, Shane Doan. What potential role the Canucks see for Doan is unclear. H...
The Vancouver Canucks are hoping to have their next general manager in place by the NHL Draft Lottery, but growing belief around the league suggests they may wait until after that result is known before making a final decision.
Elliotte Friedman, speaking on the 32 Thoughts Podcast , explained that the lottery outcome could shape the entire GM search.
"Could they delay hiring until after the draft lottery? It's possible," Friedman said. "It's only a couple of weeks, and while there's value...
The Florida Panthers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019, and now their most pressing offseason question centers on the goaltender who helped win them two Stanley Cups.
Sergei Bobrovsky's seven-year, $70 million contract is finished, and by all accounts the two sides are nowhere close to agreeing on what comes next.
A report from Greg Wyshynski on The Sheet with Jeff Marek described the situation as "pretty bad," with Bobrovsky reportedly seeking a deal structured similarly t...
The Calgary Flames are entering the offseason with multiple pending free agents. One of them is gritty forward Ryan Lomberg. With the Flames rebuilding, it would not be surprising if the Flames let the 31-year-old forward hit the market. If he does, he has the potential to get some interest from teams looking for more grit and toughness in their bottom six. Because of this, let's take a look at three teams that could try to sign Lomberg if he hits free agency this summer. Florida Panther...
The New York Rangers were very close to trading Vincent Trocheck ahead of this season's trade deadline, and trade talks are expected to pick up ahead of the NHL Draft. There's been multiple reports surfacing over the last week that the Rangers will once again be listening to trade offers, as they're heading for a full rebuild. The Rangers are in line for a top-five pick, and could land a significant trade return when/if they move Trocheck. Elliotte Friedman: Re Vincent Trocheck rumours: Teams ...
After a rough 2024-25 season with the Edmonton Oilers, Viktor Arvidsson bounced back in a big way for the Boston Bruins this campaign. In 69 regular-season games with Boston, he had 25 goals and 54 points. With numbers like these, he proved he can still be an impactful top-six winger, and he should generate plenty of interest if he decides to test the free-agent market this summer because of it. Due to this, let's look at three teams that could sign Arvidsson this summer if the Bruins don't ex...
Evander Kane won't be back with the Vancouver Canucks. The veteran winger had an inconsistent season and was in and out the lineup, and the fact Kane didn't show up to his end-of-season media availability was writing on the wall. Kane will be a free-agent on July 1st, and while there's certainly a ton of baggage, there still will be interest on a one-year deal at around $1 million AAV. Kane, 34, appeared in 71 games for the Canucks this season, scoring 13 goals and 31 points. He averaged 16:24...
The 2025-26 season was another disappointing year for the Seattle Kraken. It is clear that the Kraken need to seriously upgrade their roster this offseason if they hope to take that next step and be a playoff team next year. Their biggest need is another high-impact top-six winger. Because of this, let's take a look at three wingers who the Kraken should kick tires on this offseason. Alex Tuch, Buffalo Sabres If Tuch ends up hitting the free-agent market this offseason instead of re-signing wi...
In what may take a lot of hockey fans by surprise, deposed Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams, whose team turned it on like a house on fire immediately after he was fired, will be interviewing for the vacant GM job with the Vancouver Canucks. The Vancouver Canucks have requested and been granted permission to interview Kevyn Adams for their GM opening, per @MatthewFairburn pic.twitter.com/lEMIXIhgBo — SleeperNHL (@SleeperNHL) April 21, 2026 Matthew Fairburn and Thomas Dranc...
In what could be series-defining news, the Tampa Bay Lightning will likely be without top defenseman Victor Hedman for their entire first-round series with the Montreal Canadiens. Tuesday morning, head coach Jon Cooper called Hedman "doubtful" for the rest of the series. Jon Cooper says Hedman returning is on “the doubtful side for this series.” https://t.co/nVSdnM1fNl — Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) April 21, 2026 “I wouldn’t rule anything out,” Cooper said, “but I’d say I’d put ...
Columbus Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness went viral last week for his now-infamous rant in which he tore his team to shreds for their performance down the stretch. But after re-upping for another go-round with the Jackets , he will be back. Bowness appeared on The Fan Hockey Show on Tuesday to discuss not only his return behind the bench in Columbus, but yes, also to reveal what went into his Rant — and to essentially double-down on it. For some players , anyway. There's nothing wro...
The exit interview from Winnipeg Jets' three-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck was ominous for Jets fans, as we saw last week. In particular, seeing him pause with great difficulty when asked if he's considering his future in Winnipeg, was hard to watch . NHL Network and NHL.com analyst Dave McCarthy says the goaltender's return to the team is seriously in doubt. As it relates to Connor Hellebuyck, I was told recently that it wouldn’t be surprising if he plays elsew...
The Nashville Predators came up short in their chase for a playoff spot this season, their second straight year missing out on the dance after the huge free agent influx of big names like Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. The franchise is now in the throes of a search for a new general manager. But while many observers expect big changes to come with that in order to remake the team, Stamkos has revealed that he doesn't think that's the case. The message was th...
Despite losing a huge part of their operation in Sunny Mehta joining the New Jersey Devils, don't be surprised to see the Florida Panthers have one of the more active offseasons in the NHL. The Panthers missed out on the playoffs and pulled off one of the best tank jobs ever, sitting out the majority of their regulars for at least a few games down the stretch. The Cats fell lower and lower on the standings and now are in line for a top-10 first-round pick. Bill Zito will certainly be bus...
The Toronto Maple Leafs cast a wide net in their search for a new general manager following the firing of Brad Treliving, and now the field is narrowing fast.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported Monday that the Maple Leafs are advancing to the finalist stage of their interview process this week.
"No guarantee on timeline," Seravalli posted, "but it wouldn't be a surprise to see a new GM in place by the end of the week." That is a faster timeline than most expected.
When the search began...
Alex Ovechkin's playing career is up in the air at the moment, but the Washington Capitals aren't letting it impact their offseason. General manager Chris Patrick admitted recently the team has to plan either way, and they'll be prepared if Ovechkin comes back or steps away from the game as the NHL's greatest goal scorer. The Capitals missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs but have a ton of good storylines from the 2025-26 season, including a new wave of young core talent that is going to make a huge...
The Chicago Blackhawks have been patient through their rebuild, stockpiling picks and prospects while waiting for the right moment to accelerate.
That moment may be coming.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli was asked on VICTORY+ whether Chicago might make an aggressive move this offseason by targeting a high-end young forward, specifically naming Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies and Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson as realistic options.
Seravalli did not dismiss either name.
He re...
After his second consecutive troubling injury-riddled season with the Washington Capitals, eleven-year NHL veteran Sonny Milano is reportedly making a significant move for the 2026-27 season. NATIONAL LEAGUE | Capitals' forward Sonny Milano to join SC Bern? #SCB #ALLCAPS https://t.co/gZceU2mjUc — swisshockeynews.ch (@SwissHockeyNews) April 20, 2026 According to a report out of Switzerland, pending unrestricted free agent Milano is signing with SC Bern for next year. Klaus Zaugg &n...