The Anaheim Ducks pulled off a nice bit of roster work this week, signing No. 1 goalie Lukas Dostal to a five-year, $32.5-million contract that carries an average annual value of $6.5 million. Dostal’s signing was the latest goalie news in an NHL off-season where teams quickly snapped up most of the available netminders.

For instance, in Philadelphia, the Flyers signed veteran Dan Vladar. In Los Angeles, the Kings signed Anton Forsberg. In San Jose, the Sharks traded for former Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic. In New Jersey, the Devils re-signed experienced hand Jake Allen, and in Pittsburgh, the Pens traded for former Vancouver Canucks youngster Arturs Silovs. In Montreal, the Canadiens signed journeyman Kappo Kahkonen, the Panthers traded for former Blue Jackets goalie Daniil Tarasov, the Sabres signed Alex Lyon to ostensibly be their third goalie, and of course, Dostal’s former teammate, goalie John Gibson, was dealt from the Ducks to the Detroit Red Wings.

It’s readily apparent, then, that it’s extremely difficult to develop good netminders at the NHL level. And Dostal’s career arc is an instructive example of how teams should be signing and developing their goalies.

At 25 years old, Dostal already has 121 games of regular-season experience. He’s been brought along steadily and methodically, and his individual numbers, despite playing on terrible Ducks teams, have consistently improved.

Here’s what we mean: Dostal’s first extended taste of NHL hockey was in the the 2022-23 season, where he appeared in 19 games and posted a .901 save percentage and 3.78 goals-against average. Then, in 2023-24, Dostal appeared in 44 games, with a .902 SP and 3.33 GAA. And last season, with Gibson frequently out of the lineup with injuries, Dostal emerged as a legitimate No. 1 option when he appeared in 54 games and registered a .903 SP and 3.10 GAA.

Dostal’s evolution into a starter really couldn’t have gone better for Ducks GM Pat Verbeek. Rather than having to overpay on the free-agent market for a goaltender who didn’t come up in Anaheim’s system, the Ducks brought along their own young talent, who eventually pushed out the de facto No. 1 (Gibson) and allowed Verbeek to make a trade of his former No. 1 goalie from a position of strength and leverage. Dostal just naturally took over the starter’s job from Gibson, and that’s exactly what teams want to see from their young goalies.

As of mid-July, most of the free-agent goalies were off the market, and most teams had established who’ll be patrolling their pipes in the fall. There are a couple of options still available – former Maple Leafs and Golden Knights veteran Ilya Samsonov chief among them – but for the most part, the game of musical chairs for goalies has come to an end.

In Anaheim, Dostal has secured a strong payday for himself for the next half-decade, and the Ducks have secured goaltending reliability for that period. In bringing along Dostal slowly but deliberately, Anaheim has done very well in terms of goalie development. And as they make a push for relevance in the near future, the Ducks can rest assured they did things the right way with what is arguably their most important position.

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There is always plenty of excitement among NHL fans when their favorite teams sign a big player in free agency. It is understandable, as they are expected to make a significant impact, and in many cases, they do. 

However, in some cases, there are scenarios where players end up struggling after joining a new team. This was certainly the case with a few of last year’s top free-agent signings. 

Let’s now look at three notable signings from this past summer who underperformed in 2024-25 and also why they could end up turning things around next season.

Steven Stamkos, C, Nashville Predators 

After signing a four-year, $32-million contract with the Nashville Predators last off-season, Steven Stamkos struggled with consistency in his first year with the Central Division club. In 82 games with the Predators, he posted 27 goals, 53 points, and a minus-36 rating. This was after he had 40 goals and 81 points in 79 games during his final year with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023-24.

Stamkos showed flashes of his star form at times with the Predators this past season, but he also had serious offensive struggles. For example, he did not record a point in 13 consecutive games from Jan. 25 to March 2, which is simply unheard of from the future Hall of Famer. He also started the season with just one point in his first eight games. 

Why Stamkos Can Turn Things Around 

While Stamkos’ first season with the Predators did not go as planned, fans certainly should not sleep on the 2008 first-overall pick. He still produced like a legitimate star just back in 2023-24 with Tampa Bay and has been one throughout his NHL career. Thus, the possibility of him turning things around cannot be ruled out. 

Furthermore, this was the first season Stamkos played on a team that was not the Lightning in his 17-year NHL career. As a result, it naturally took him some time to adjust to the Predators’ system, and a bounce-back season could be on the way for him in year No. 2 in Nashville.

Jonathan Marchessault, C, Nashville Predators 

Sticking with Nashville, Jonathan Marchessault also did not necessarily perform up to expectations in 2024-25. After scoring a career-high 42 goals and recording 69 points in 82 games in his final season with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023-24, he had 21 goals, 56 points, and a minus-29 rating in 78 games this past season with Nashville. 

Like Stamkos, Marchessault had trouble producing at the level expected of him for much of the season. When noting that the 34-year-old winger has a $5.5-million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season, they will be hoping that he has a bounce-back campaign in 2025-26. 

Why Marchessault Can Turn Things Around 

Marchessault may have had his rough moments this past season, but it is hard to believe that he can’t pick his play back up next season. He has shown throughout his career that he can produce like a star, and a clean slate next season could help things on that front. 

Furthermore, the Predators as a whole simply had a bad year in 2024-25. Thus, players like Marchessault and Stamkos could improve their numbers next season if the team around them also gets things back on track. 

Elias Lindholm, C, Boston Bruins 

After signing Elias Lindholm to a seven-year, $54.25-million contract this past off-season, the Boston Bruins thought they found their long-term first-line center. However, Lindholm did not reach expectations in his first season in Boston, posting 17 goals, 30 assists and a minus-4 rating in 82 games. 

Lindholm’s struggles this past season led to him being bounced around the lineup, and he even spent time on Boston’s third line. With Lindholm carrying a $7.75-million cap hit, this is not ideal, and the Bruins will be hoping that Lindholm can prove he can be a full-time top-six center for them next season. 

Why Lindholm Can Turn Things Around 

Lindholm’s finish to the season should provide some optimism. After being moved back up to the first line, Lindholm formed strong chemistry with David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie. In his final seven games of the season, he recorded four goals, five assists, nine points and a plus-11 rating. This is undoubtedly encouraging, and the Bruins will be hoping he can build off it in 2025-26. 

Lindholm also revealed at the end of the season that he had been dealing with a back injury that he suffered during training camp, which negatively impacted him at the start of the campaign. Now that he is healthy, perhaps he can have that big season the Bruins will be hoping for in 2025-26.

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The Hockey News’ NHL summer splash rankings continue with the Chicago Blackhawks.

The series focuses on which NHL teams improved the most or got worse so far this off-season in terms of acquisitions, departures, hirings and firings. As always, there are exceptions to the rules – in some cases, there are teams that aren’t flat-out worse than they were last season but made significantly fewer moves than they either should’ve made or were expected to make.

We kicked off the series with the Buffalo Sabres in last place. Their defense corps may have improved slightly, but their forward group worsened, and they did significantly less than expected to take a step forward. The Blackhawks also did less than expected.

Additions

Andre Burakovsky (LW), Sam Lafferty (C), Dominic Toninato (C), Jeff Blashill (coach)

The Breakdown: Imagine you’re Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson. You’re in the midst of a full rebuild, and you start seeing solid development in a talented core of youngsters. To that end, superstar Connor Bedard is leading the way, and he needs some talented wingers to play with. 

The Blackhawks’ big get this free agency was Burakovsky, who put up 37 points in 79 games this past season. 

We beg your pardon, but is this really the best the Blackhawks can do this summer? He’s a good addition in itself, but he hasn’t produced enough in recent years to give hope that he’ll be the solution on Bedard’s wing.

The Hawks still have $21.4 million in salary cap space and apparently no high-end players to spend it on. That’s what has to irritate Blackhawks fans more than anything. They were busier in past off-seasons, when they acquired Teuvo Teravainen, Tyler Bertuzzi, Nick Foligno, the since-traded Taylor Hall and others, but they haven’t found that right line combination for Bedard. They still have tons of room to be active this summer, so the optics are not ideal.

It’s possible that the Hawks could eventually put newly drafted first-rounder Anton Frondell on a line with Bedard at some point during their careers, but a report by Expressen suggests Frondell is headed to the Swedish League for 2025-26.

Coming in to handle all that is Blashill, the former Detroit Red Wings coach who spent the past three years as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He replaces Anders Sorensen, who remains as an assistant coach. Sorensen didn’t do all that bad of a job as the interim coach, despite posting a 17-30-9 record in 56 games.

At 51 years old, Blashill can still connect with his players and play to their strengths. But like his predecessors in Chicago, Blashill will have a challenging time trying to coax upper-level play out of a lineup that doesn’t have the horses to get them playing meaningful hockey down the stretch next year.

Departures

Patrick Maroon (LW), Philipp Kurashev (C), Joseph Veleno (C), TJ Brodie (D), Alec Martinez (D)

The Breakdown: The Blackhawks lost a great deal of veteran professionalism in the departures of defensemen Brodie and Martinez and winger Pat Maroon. Also gone are depth players Kurashev and Veleno. Kurashev actually played decently well with Bedard in the latter’s rookie season, with 54 points, but he only had 14 points this past season. Chicago didn’t give him a qualifying offer, and he signed with fellow rebuilding club, the San Jose Sharks.

Martinez, Maroon and Brodie were all true pros right up until the end, but none of the departures left a massive hole that can’t be filled. Eventually, the Hawks’ young players should be taking up most of these jobs, and five open jobs on the NHL roster should be sufficient motivation for those youngsters to take the next competitive step. That’s Plan A, but if it doesn’t work, Plan B could stand for Big trouble.

The Bottom Line

The Hawks have exciting young players, including Bedard and prospects Artyom Levshunov, Frank Nazar, Sam Rinzel, Oliver Moore and newly drafted center Anton Frondell. 

The problem in Chicago isn’t the future. It’s the present. 

Despite having Bedard leading the charge, the rest of the Blackhawks’ current lineup includes either mid-tier veterans, outright journeymen or youngsters still finding their way.

Re-signing Donato at a $4-million cap hit is a nice piece of business for Davidson, and the player will have high expectations to take himself and Bedard to another level. But look at their roster as a whole, and you’ll see they didn’t improve much at all.  

Let’s be clear – Davidson did the right thing by tanking. However, the moves he has made to be competitive while they rebuild haven’t been sufficient, especially in the ultra-competitive Central Division.

Just because some of their past veteran additions underperformed doesn't mean this summer's conservative approach was needed, even if they're not the most attractive free-agent destination right now. They have picks and cap space to make more upgrades via the trade market, and they have two salary retention slots in case an addition doesn't work out.

Is there a potential for a Cinderella miracle in Chicago? Anything is possible, we suppose. But when their biggest acquisition of the off-season is Burakovsky – who hasn’t scored more than 13 goals in any of the past three seasons – they won’t likely improve in the standings. Their only saving grace at this point is getting the chance to draft Gavin McKenna next year.

Summer Splash Rankings

31. Chicago Blackhawks

32. Buffalo Sabres

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The Wraparound has another episode of rapid-fire NHL topics as the off-season continues.

Did The Canadiens Make A Smart Low-Risk Bet On Veleno? by The Wraparoundundefined

Here's what Emma Lingan, Michael Augello and Jonathan Bailey discussed:

0:00: Is Lukas Dostal the Anaheim Ducks’ goalie of the future?

4:58: Will the Columbus Blue Jackets end up trading Yegor Chinakhov?

9:02: Was signing Joe Veleno a smart low-risk bet for the Montreal Canadiens?

11:44: Which 2025 draft pick that has signed their entry-level contract will make an appearance in the NHL this season?

14:30: How will Joe Thornton impact the San Jose Sharks as a player development coach?

17:58: How will Mitch Marner be received by Toronto Maple Leafs fans in his return to Scotiabank Arena?

22:50: Was Dakota Joshua the type of player the Toronto Maple Leafs needed to acquire?

27:20: Did the Chicago Blackhawks do enough this off-season to support Connor Bedard?

33:55: Did the Winnipeg Jets do enough this off-season after losing Nikolaj Ehlers?

See below for where to subscribe to the show for future episodes.

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Podbean

iHeartRadio

Amazon

Promo image credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images

The Winnipeg Jets re-signed RFA Gabriel Vilardi to a six-year contract on Friday.

Vilardi, 25, is now under contract through the 2030-31 season at a $7.5-million cap hit, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Vilardi filed for arbitration earlier in July, so this signing avoids a hearing where the Jets would have had to try to convince an arbitrator why Vilardi is not worth as much as the player's camp says he is.

Of all the RFAs who signed contracts since the opening of free agency on July 1, Vilardi's cap hit is tied with newly acquired Carolina Hurricanes defenseman K'Andre Miller for the highest.

In 71 games this past season, Vilardi recorded 27 goals and 34 assists for 61 points, which were all career highs. It was a breakout campaign for the right winger, who had 36 points in 2023-24 and 41 points in 2022-23.

Vilardi earned a solid role on the top line alongside Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele, who had 97 and 87 points, respectively.

The 25-year-old from Kingston, Ont., has come a long way since the Los Angeles Kings picked him 11th overall in the 2017 NHL draft.

It took over two-and-a-half years after being drafted for Vilardi to play his first NHL game in February 2020. He only played 32 games in the OHL the season afterward, and a chronic back injury limited him to four AHL games in 2018-19.

Vilardi was an NHL regular in the 2020-21 season, but in October 2021, he put up only one point in seven games. The Kings assigned him to AHL Ontario, where he recorded 38 points in 39 games before being recalled. Vilardi hasn't played in the AHL since then.

The Kings traded Vilardi with Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a 2024 second-round pick to the Jets in exchange for center Pierre-Luc Dubois, who lasted only one season in Los Angeles before being moved to the Washington Capitals for Darcy Kuemper.

Dubois had 60 and 63 points in two full-length seasons in Winnipeg as a center. If Vilardi keeps up his production from this past season or improves, he'll at least replicate Dubois' scoring as a Jet.

Winnipeg also has about $10.5 million in cap space after re-signing Vilardi. Kupari and Dylan Samberg remain RFAs.

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The Los Angeles Kings are the latest focus of our NHL prospect pool overview series.

Tony Ferrari digs into the Kings’ strengths and weaknesses, latest draft class, positional depth chart, next player in line for an NHL opportunity and more. A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer a prospect for these exercises, with few exceptions.

Initial Thoughts

The Kings' once-admired prospect pool has taken a few hits in recent years.

They are an example of just how fickle prospect development can be. They’ve become a bit of a cautionary tale for people who rely on the promise of tomorrow because sometimes, tomorrow never materializes.

Whether it’s players who never make it to the next level or guys who settle into roles lower in the lineup than expected, development isn’t linear, and a plethora of prospects doesn’t guarantee future success.

That said, the Kings have had success with past prospects. Quinton Byfield is just 22, and he’s becoming one of the most entertaining players in the game. Brandt Clarke is just scratching the surface of what he can be in the NHL. Alex Laferriere and Samuel Helenius have become legitimate NHL options. Alex Turcotte and Akil Thomas may not be the players the team once hoped, but they are good NHLers. Turcotte still might even have another level.

When it comes to their current pipeline, right winger Liam Greentree is the prize prospect. There aren’t many players in junior hockey who can make plays with defenders on their back or play through contact.

Greentree is a 6-foot-3, 215-pound power forward with incredible vision and the softest hands as a passer. Whether there is pressure on him or not, Greentree can fire bullets through traffic or feather a saucer pass over a defender's stick. His skating is improving, but he will never be a burner. Greentree is a tactician who generates offense at a high level. 

The Kings have waited for Francesco Pinelli to pop off for a couple of years now, but he’s struggled in the AHL, with 29 points in 70 games this past season. Pinelli’s game is built around his intelligence and play-reading ability. He’s a step ahead of defenders and possesses the dual-threat scoring ability to take advantage of that, regardless of what is put in front of him. He must take a step and become an effective AHL player if he wants to remain a player worth tracking for Kings fans.

Martin Chromiak sits in a similar boat, but he’s had a bit more success in the AHL, with 39 points in 69 games this past season. He plays a very steady game, constantly looking to complement and play off his linemates. He doesn’t need to be the main guy on his line. He can settle into whatever role he needs to play, whether he’s the triggerman or the set-up guy. Chromiak can likely play some NHL games this year, but whether he can adapt and play a bottom-six role will affect his chances of sticking in The Show. 

While he doesn’t have high-end upside on offense, Koehn Ziemmer is a right winger with a heavy shot who loves to throw heavy hits as well. Whether he’s inviting contact and throwing reverse hits or battling in the corners to come out with the puck, Ziemmer has “bottom-six nuisance” all over him. He has a good enough shot that there is a chance he scores 20 goals at the NHL level as well. His first full AHL season will be fun to watch. 

On the blueline, the Kings have drafted, developed and traded quite a few of their prospects, and that’s left them a little barren on the back end. 

Jakub Dvorak is a big, physical defender who played his rookie season in the AHL this past year and looked better than his four points and minus-8 rating would imply. He isn’t much of a puck-mover, but he kills play, uses his full 6-foot-5 frame to shut things down with his stick and with his body. He is simple, but he can be very effective. 

This will be Kirill Kirsanov’s first season in North America, so it will be interesting to see how his game translates. He’s got some size and physical presence. He’s a good skater as well. He knows how to get the puck up ice, and he gets involved in the rush at times. When Kirsanov is in his own end, he tries to close out and engage as much as he can, but he can get a bit too eager. Playing within a more structured system in the AHL could really help his game. 

U-23 Players Likely to Play NHL Games This Season

Brandt Clarke (D), Samuel Helenius (C/W), Martin Chromiak (LW/RW), Quinton Byfield (C/LW)

2025 NHL Draft Class

Round 1, 31st overall - Henry Brzustewicz, D, London (OHL)

Round 2, 59th overall - Vojtech Cihar, LW, Karlovy Vary (Cze.)

Round 3, 88th overall - Kristian Epperson, LW, Saginaw (OHL)

Round 4, 120th overall - Caeden Herrington, D, Lincoln (USHL)

Round 4, 125th overall - Jimmy Lombardi, C, Flint (OHL)

Round 5, 152nd overall - Petteri Rimpinen, G, Kiekko-Espoo (Fin.)

Round 6, 184th overall - Jan Chovan, C, Tappara Jr. (Fin.)

Round 7, 196th overall - Brendan McMorrow, C, Waterloo (USHL)

Round 7, 216th overall - Will Sharpe, D, Kelowna (WHL)

The Kings had a big draft class, with nine total picks. This allowed them to add solid players to their pipeline right at a time when Los Angeles’ prospect pool needed them.

At the tail end of the first round, the Kings added one of the more intriguing prospects in the class, Henry Brzustewicz. He has some fascinating offensive tools as a playmaker. He moves fairly well, especially when on the attack. Brzustewicz also has some really nice creativity, which allowed him to make an impact as a draft eligible on a loaded London Knights squad. His defensive game is a bit of a concern, especially when the puck is in the tough areas along the boards or down low. In space, he can be exposed a bit by quicker forwards who like to go east-west. There’s some nice upside, but he needs work. 

Vojtech Cihar is a raw prospect with some nice mobility. He’s been fairly noticeable when playing for Czechia at international tournaments. He’s a depth player at the pro level who can outwork opponents on the forecheck and on the backcheck. Cihar is a safe pick, and he could be a solid third-liner one day. 

The Kings took overage left winger Kristian Epperson, who played with San Jose's second overall pick, Michael Misa. He was consistently the “Robin” to Misa’s “Batman,” and just like the comic book sidekick, Epperson found ways to provide value. His lone OHL season was quite impressive, as he demonstrated some slick skills and passing ability. He’s committed to the University of Denver, where he can get stronger and faster, which should help address some of his pace issues. Epperson will be a solid complementary offensive player as a pro if he can increase his pace. 

Another overage draft pick, Caeden Herrington has some physical tools and joins the play. But he isn’t the most fluid skater, which holds him back. He is an incomplete picture at the moment, but after a couple of years at the University of Vermont, he could become an interesting two-way defender.

Jimmy Lombardi is a ball of clay waiting for the right organization to mold him. He has some really enticing skills with the puck, some really creative passing and a very good shot. When Lombardi can dictate play at times, but he seemed tentative occasionally. He’s very intelligent on the defensive side and is the rare prospect who projects as a potential center later in the draft. Lombardi is a really nice upside pick for the Kings.

In the fifth round, the Kings nabbed goalie Petteri Rimpinen, who was arguably the most valuable player to his team at the World Junior Championship. He carried a lackluster roster to the final before losing to the powerhouse Americans. Rimpinen’s standout performances weren’t isolated to international play, though, as he was stellar in the Liiga against the top competition in Finland. He’s an overage prospect, but he was one of the top goalies in the draft regardless of age.

There was some hype about Jan Chovan coming into his draft year, but it died down after he didn’t blow anyone away at the Finnish junior level. Chovan showed some solid defensive ability, but his offensive tools were simple and even ineffective at times. He didn’t seem to find a way to bridge his power and skill, which left him trying to figure out what he was. He’s going to the OHL next season, so hopefully he can find some offensive touch in the more structured North American game.

Brendan McMorrow showed some nice speed and energy this past season with the United States League’s Waterloo Black Hawks. He found ways to score 24 goals, but he faded in and out. He could be a solid energy line guy who crashes the net and creates havoc. Taking this kind of swing late makes a ton of sense for the Kings. 

Will Sharpe’s tools on defense are certainly worth the bet. Quite honestly, I was expecting him to go a little earlier in the draft. When he’s on his game, Sharpe will make plays at both ends of the ice, throwing some big hits and firing crisp passes. His defensive consistency and engagement were issues at times, but he still showed enough in his own end to believe they could improve. In the offensive zone, he moves the puck and shows some creative thinking.

Strengths

The Kings' pipeline in net is pretty impressive, and that's on top of 24-year-old Erik Portillo being AHL Ontario's backup for a couple of years now and playing his first NHL game this past season.

Carter George is one of the most interesting goalie prospects in hockey, putting up outstanding numbers wherever he goes. 

He was Canada’s best player at the world juniors and posted a .936 save percentage despite being an 18-year-old playing behind one of the most uninspiring U-20 Canadian rosters we’ve seen in quite some time. 

George had a two-game stint in the AHL to finish his season, allowing just one goal. 

Rimpinen was maybe the only netminder better than George at the world juniors, leading Finland to a silver medal. 

The veteran of the group is Hampton Slukynsky, and he might just be the sneakiest great goalie prospect in hockey. We’ll get into that in the Hidden Gem portion below, though. 

Weaknesses

For a team that once had one of the best prospect pools in hockey, not that long ago, the holes all over the Kings' pipeline are concerning. 

They have a couple of decent forwards, and they have managed to build up a solid goalie pipeline, but the defense group is low upside at best. 

Dvorak, Kirsanov and Salin are fine prospects, but they don’t have much upside. The one defender with a bit more upside is a recent draftee, Brzustewicz, who is an offensively gifted player, but he has holes elsewhere. They must add to the back end because some of their NHL defenders are getting a little older and losing their A-game. 

Hidden Gem: Hampton Slukynsky, G

Slukynsky has been on an impressive run since being drafted 118th overall in 2023. 

Slukynsky was dominant for the Fargo Force in his draft-plus-one season, helping them win the Clark Cup as USHL champions.

As a freshman at the University of Western Michigan in 2024-25, he put up excellent numbers to help lead the nation’s most under-the-radar team to the Frozen Four. Once there, Slukynsky was a wall for the Mustangs as they took down two juggernauts, the defending-champion University of Denver and heavily favored Boston University, to capture the NCAA title. 

All Slukynsky has done since being drafted is win. As the backup at the World Junior Championship this past year, he played in just two round-robin games and came away with a gold medal. Even as the third goalie at the World Championship, where he didn‘t get into a game, Slukynsky came home with a gold medal. Slukynsky might not be the hottest name in the Kings system, but he’s undoubtedly one of their top prospects.

Next Man Up: Martin Chromiak, RW/LW

The Kings don’t have an obvious “Next Man Up.” There’s a chance Greentree ends up getting a chance in the NHL as he’s racked up over 200 points over the past two seasons in the OHL, and playing there another season might not help that much. Having signed his entry-level contract already, the NCAA route isn’t an option for the 19-year-old. 

Martin Chromiak might be a call-up option after a decent couple of seasons in the AHL. Chromiak is an excellent complementary player who reads off linemates quite well and fills the gaps. He can function as a playmaker or finisher, help in transition or even use his reads to help on the forecheck. He could be a bottom-six depth scorer. He’s not the fun option or the obvious “Next Man Up,” but he could be the more realistic. 

Prospect Depth Chart Notables

LW: Vojtech Cihar, Kristian Epperson, Brendan McMorrow

C: Francesco Pinelli, Jan Chovan, Jimmy Lombardi, Jack Hughes, Kenny Connors

RW: Liam Greentree, Koehn Ziemmer, James Reeder, Martin Chromiak, Jared Wright

LD: Jakub Dvorak, Kirill Kirsanov, Angus Booth, Will Sharpe, Jared Woolley

RD: Henry Brzustewicz, Otto Salin, Jack Sparkes

G: Erik Portillo, Carter George, Petteri Rimpinen, Hampton Slukynsky

For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of The Hockey News in print.

The NHL's 2026 UFA class contains several notable stars who could become available to the highest bidders. Topping the list is Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid. 

It seems unthinkable that McDavid would depart the Oilers and chase a Stanley Cup elsewhere. Nevertheless, the possibility is reportedly being talked about in league circles. 

TSN analyst Chris Johnston discussed the issue with the SDPN panel on Monday. While he believes McDavid will re-sign with the Oilers, he felt there could be 10 teams that would become serious suitors if the 28-year-old superstar hits the open market. 

“I'm sure it has occurred to the Kings,” said Johnston. “I'm sure it has occurred to the Rangers. You don't think Julien BriseBois down in Tampa Bay is looking at his long-term roster?”

Those clubs could indeed think of it. With the salary cap projected to rise to $104 million for 2026-27, the Kings, Rangers and Lightning will have the cap room to sign McDavid even if he seeks to become the highest-paid player in the NHL.

However, if McDavid seeks upward of $20 million annually, that would still take a huge bite out of any team's salary-cap payroll.

It could leave the Kings lacking sufficient cap room to re-sign UFA-eligible winger Adrian Kempe. The Rangers would have to part ways with Artemi Panarin. The Lightning have all their core players under contract for 2026-27, but adding McDavid would make it difficult to fill out the rest of their roster with suitable depth talent.

Meanwhile, the possibility of Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes reuniting with his brothers Jack and Luke on the New Jersey Devils created a stir in the rumor mill this spring. Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford raised that issue during his club's end-of-season media availability in April. 

Hughes, 25, is UFA-eligible in 2027. Rutherford indicated his club would do all it can to keep their captain in the fold, but his off-the-cuff remarks rattled Canucks followers while exciting Devils fans. 

However, Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers doesn't buy the notion of his teammate joining his brothers in New Jersey. The Hockey News’ Adam Kierszenblat cited the blueliner's recent appearance on the Cam and Strick Podcast, where he said he felt the story was overblown. 

Myers said Hughes loves his brothers, but he doesn't go around the dressing room saying he wants to play with them. 

“I know it's a big, big story around the hockey world, but everyone makes it a lot more than it is,” Myers said. 

Nevertheless, James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now wondered if Myers was trying to downplay the speculation, or if Rutherford said what he did to gauge his captain's value in the trade market. 

Despite Myers' remarks, this story isn't going away until Rutherford or Hughes address it directly.

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The NHL’s off-season free-agent and trade frenzy has now died down, which means it’s time to evaluate how each squad has done so far.

We’re kicking off The Hockey News’ NHL summer splash rankings. Day by day, we’re ranking which teams did the most to improve, based on acquisitions, departures, hirings and firings.

The general criteria is examining which teams improved, stayed the same or got worse. There are exceptions for teams that kept star players off the market by re-signing them and clubs that didn’t necessarily get much worse but did significantly less than what was expected.

The last-place squad in this series fits into one of those exceptions – you can guess which one.

The NHL summer splash rankings begin with Team No. 32 – the Buffalo Sabres.

Additions

Josh Doan (RW), Justin Danforth (RW), Michael Kesselring (D), Conor Timmins (D), Alex Lyon (G)

The Breakdown: The Sabres made their defense corps deeper by adding Kesselring (via the JJ Peterka trade) and Timmins (via the Connor Clifton trade). Kesselring has potential as a top-four defenseman, but neither D-man can be considered a massive difference-maker.

Similarly, young winger Doan has shown promise in his game, scoring seven goals and 19 points in 51 games while splitting this past season between the NHL and AHL. But he’s a depth player, as is 32-year-old former Columbus Blue Jackets winger Danforth, who gives experience to Buffalo’s bottom six forwards.

Lyon signed as a free agent to compete with youngster Devon Levi for the supporting role behind starting goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

Departures

JJ Peterka (RW), Sam Lafferty (C), Connor Clifton (D), Jacob Bernard-Docker (D), James Reimer (G)

The Breakdown: Peterka was traded to the Utah Mammoth, where he quickly signed a five-year deal with an average annual value of $7.7 million. Clearly, either Buffalo wasn’t willing to offer that contract, Peterka wasn’t willing to sign the same deal with the Sabres or both. 

Meanwhile, depth center Lafferty was dealt to Chicago, Clifton was shipped off to Pittsburgh, Bernard-Docker signed a free-agent deal with Detroit, and Reimer, 37, remains unsigned.

The Bottom Line

The Sabres’ off-season moves are extremely underwhelming. They lost a dynamic point-producer in Peterka and ostensibly used his cap space to re-sign young defenseman Bowen Byram. 

But while Buffalo’s defense corps now has solid depth, its overall offense has taken a hit, and that’s not good news in the highly competitive Atlantic Division. They scored the 10th-most goals-for this past season, and Peterka was their second-top scorer, with 68 points. 

The Sabres have about $7.39 million in cap space, but a chunk of that will have to go to RFA goalie Levi and RFA blueliner Timmins. All in all, Buffalo hasn’t improved, and they’ve gotten worse in the grand scheme of things.

Sabres fans don’t need to be reminded, but their team hasn’t made the playoffs in 14 years. They were one win away from making the playoffs in 2022-23, with 91 points, and subsequently finished with 84 and 79 points in the following two seasons. How patient can a fan be?

If the Sabres extend their playoff drought to 15 years by missing out on the post-season in 2025-26, the Sabres should be radically remaking their front office and starting over to at long last come up with a team that can compete with the best organizations in the NHL.

They haven’t done nearly enough to go toe-to-toe with top Atlantic teams like Florida, Toronto and Tampa Bay, and Buffalo’s lack of improvement this summer is probably dooming them to another letdown season. That's why they're last in the NHL summer splash rankings.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs improved their forward depth by trading for left winger Dakota Joshua from the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.

In return, the Canucks got a fourth-round pick in the 2028 NHL draft.

In 57 games this past season, Joshua recorded seven goals and seven assists for 14 points, along with 193 hits. He missed the beginning of the season recovering from a procedure that removed a tumor that was diagnosed as testicular cancer.

In 2023-24, Joshua scored 18 goals, 14 assists and 32 points, all career highs. His 244 hits that season led the team and were the ninth-most in the NHL.

The 29-year-old center carries a $3.25 million cap hit and is under contract for the next three seasons. Toronto now has $2.083 million in salary cap space, according to PuckPedia.

This is a reunion for Joshua and the Maple Leafs. He was originally selected 128th overall by the organization in the 2014 NHL draft. Toronto traded him to the St. Louis Blues for future considerations in 2019 before Joshua played his first NHL game.

Joshua has played parts of five NHL seasons, including two with the Blues and three with the Canucks. In 241 career games, he's scored 40 goals and 78 points.

He also has some solid playoff numbers, including four goals and four helpers in 13 contests in 2023-24. He was tied for third on the Canucks in goals while averaging 15:49 of ice time in those playoffs, when they lost in Game 7 of the second round to the Edmonton Oilers.

This marks the third top-nine forward Treliving has acquired in this off-season. The others include Matias Maccelli, who was acquired for a 2027 conditional third-round pick from the Utah Mammoth, and Nicolas Roy, who was the return from the Vegas Golden Knights for the signing rights of Mitch Marner.

Joshua, Roy and Maccelli earn between $3 million and $3.5 million against the cap and spread out Toronto's forward depth following Marner's departure.

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The Anaheim Ducks are all-in on Lukas Dostal, signing the RFA to a five-year contract on Thursday.

Dostal, 25, officially takes over as the Ducks' No. 1 goaltender after the team traded John Gibson to the Detroit Red Wings in June. While the Ducks didn't announce the annual average value, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported it's $6.5 million.

The deal means Dostal and the Ducks avoided arbitration in August.

"Lukas has proven he is a No. 1 goaltender, and we are so pleased to get this deal done," Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said in a news release.

In the last two seasons, Dostal earned an increasingly larger share of the starts. He even played in 54 games in 2024-25 while Gibson played 29. Gibson had an appendectomy that caused him to miss the first month of the season, and he was in and out of the lineup with injuries throughout the campaign.

Dostal had a 23-23-7 record, with a .903 save percentage and a 3.10 goals-against average. Of goaltenders aged 24 or under, only he and the Calgary Flames' Dustin Wolf won 20 or more games. And in 2023-24, when he played 44 games, Dostal had a 14-23-3 record with a .902 SP and 3.33 GAA.

What stands out is Dostal's 14.3 goals saved above expected, the 17th most among all NHL goalies this past season, according to moneypuck.com. That stat takes into account the quality of shots Dostal faced on a Ducks squad that conceded the most high-danger chances in the NHL this past season, according to naturalstattrick.com.

"He is just entering the prime of his career with his best hockey ahead of him," Verbeek said.

The Ducks aim to have their best hockey since 2018 ahead of them as well. After a first-round exit in 2017-18, the Ducks missed the playoffs in the past seven years. They've been busy this off-season to take a step up.

"We are the team on the rise, and can't wait to see you soon in the Honda Center," Dostal said  in a video posted to social media. 

Anaheim replaced coach Greg Cronin with three-time Stanley Cup champion Joel Quenneville. This is his first NHL coaching job since resigning from the Florida Panthers in 2021 in the wake of an investigation determining he and other members of the 2010 Chicago Blackhawks had an inadequate response to sexual assault allegations. The NHL cleared him to work again last summer, and Verbeek said they did a comprehensive review before hiring Quenneville.

The Ducks also acquired Chris Kreider and signed Mikael Granlund while trading Gibson to the Red Wings and Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers.

After all that, Anaheim still has nearly $22.5 million in cap space. They still have three unsigned RFAs: Mason McTavish, Drew Helleson and Sam Colangelo.

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