The Sports Outsider

Just one season into a four-year, $3.25 million AAV contract extension, the Vancouver Canucks dump off Dakota Joshua for a minimal return. Joshua rediscovered his game during his three-year tenure as a Canuck, becoming a physical force while chipping in with offensive production. The 2024-25 season was his worst statistically with the team, though he only played 57 games, which affected the year-end totals. We’re not sure Vancouver necessarily needed to trade him away, but doing so provides them with $3.27 million in cap space to work with the rest of the offseason. However, it’s hard to imagine they’ll find much better of an option than Dakota Joshua with that money, so trading him for just a fourth-round pick isn’t the best. 

Brad Treliving and the Toronto Maple Leafs remain active in adding to their roster. Dakota Joshua becomes the third depth forward the Maple Leafs have traded for this summer, along with Matias Maccelli and Nicolas Roy, as they look to balance things out up front. Joshua excelled under head coach Rick Tocchet in Vancouver and feels like a player who could thrive in a similar fashion playing for Craig Berube in Toronto. His size and physicality are elements the Maple Leafs needed more of in their lineup, and for a 2028 fourth-round pick, it’s a pretty low-risk move. He does have three years of term left on his $3.25 million AAV contract, but with the cap going up, it shouldn’t be much of an issue. 

Is this really all the Canucks could get for Arturs Silovs? Obviously, he’s pretty unproven at the NHL level, but the 24-year-old is coming off a spectacular season in the AHL, which included a Calder Cup championship and MVP honor. All that’s worth is Chase Stillman and a 2027 fourth-round pick? Not to blow this out of proportion, but we thought Silovs had enough value to fetch something much better in return for Vancouver. Yes, Silovs was a sixth-round pick (156th overall) back in 2019, but he had shown the makings of being a potential diamond in the rough.

Given the front office chose to extend Lankinen and Demko, we understand the decision to move on from Silovs, though we might have gone in a different direction, especially knowing this would be the return. Kevin Lankinen is a very good starting point for a tandem, but Thatcher Demko has tons of question marks. He’s undoubtedly extremely talented, but the injuries have plagued him for years, so it’s hard to just forget about that and trust him moving forward at $8.5 million. Demko also likely could have brought a haul back in a trade; instead, the Canucks get next to nothing for a younger and cheaper option in Silovs. We hope things work out with Demko, but on the surface, this just doesn’t look like good asset management.

Kyle Dubas is quietly putting together a very nice offseason. The mindset has shifted in Pittsburgh from trying to stay in the playoff mix to rebuilding the roster and letting the results fall where they may. Dubas has done a great job accumulating young players, prospects, and draft picks in a variety of different ways, and acquiring Arturs Silovs is another example of it. Joel Blomqvist and Sergei Murashov are two intriguing goaltending prospects for the Penguins, but we don’t know when they’ll be ready and if they’ll both pan out. Giving up Chase Stillman and a fourth-round pick in 2027 for a 24-year-old netminder who has flashed exciting potential is a no-brainer. It provides the Penguins with another lottery ticket in goal, which just increases the chance that they’ll hit on one.

Whether Tristan Jarry remains on the team or not, Silovs should get plenty of opportunity to not only make the roster out of training camp, but take control as the lead goalie for next season. Pittsburgh is loaded with draft picks over the next three years, so a 2027 fourth is more than worth the shot on Arturs Silovs. The Penguins have three firsts, seven seconds, and seven thirds over the next three drafts, even after this move. The roster heading into 2025-26 isn’t pretty, particularly on defense, which could leave Silvos out to dry. However, this is not a trade made just for the present but, more importantly, for the future. 

Ryan Reaves was not a part of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ plans for next season, so getting anything while shedding the final year of his $1.35 million AAV contract is great work by Brad Treliving. Reaves’ time in Toronto never really went according to plan, and in 2024-25, he played in just 35 regular-season games while not making a single postseason appearance. Henry Thrun is nothing more than a seventh defenseman that will provide depth on the back end, but that’s a better return than having to attach a draft pick just to get rid of Reaves.

The San Jose Sharks are one of the few teams in the NHL that are ok with paying Ryan Reaves $1.35 million to play sparingly and let opponents know they can’t mess with the kids. Celebrini, Smith, and Eklund are leading the charge in San Jose, so bringing in Reaves’ toughness makes sense given their situation and cap space. Henry Thrun has struggled through the Sharks’ rebuild and had no future with the team, especially after their active offseason. It’s probably a bit much to have to surrender for a 38-year-old Ryan Reaves, but you’re not losing any sleep over it.

The Dallas Stars had to do this. Matt Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin stuck out like a sore thumb on this roster as two bad contracts, so moving one of them was a necessity. Attaching a second-round pick isn’t ideal, but was the only way to get it done, and it now makes the Stars cap compliant with $1.955 million left to spare. Kolyachonok was a relatively high draft pick back in 2019 (52nd overall) but hasn’t spent much time at the NHL level. Things might be the same for him in Dallas, but it doesn’t hurt to acquire a 24-year-old defenseman in return to strengthen the organizational depth. Overall, signing Dumba to that two-year, $3.75 million contract last offseason was the real mistake made here. 

Kyle Dubas has made it very clear what direction Pittsburgh is headed. For a second consecutive offseason, the Penguins have signed cheap veteran pieces to fill holes, with the focus being on accumulating draft capital and prospects. Taking on the final year of Matt Dumba’s contract at $3.75 million in AAV is no issue for a team full of cap space and, quite frankly, looking to finish near the bottom next season. Not only do they get a second-rounder in 2028 to add to their stockpile of picks over the next three drafts, but they also provide themselves with the potential opportunity to flip Dumba for more assets at the deadline. 

An unfortunate situation results in an inevitable breakup between Isaac Howard and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Howard should have been for the Lightning exactly what the Oilers are acquiring him to be… a young stud joining a Stanley Cup contender in need of it. Instead, Howard and his camp had their issues with the front office’s development plans, which led to him being traded to Edmonton, where he should play an important role from the jump. We’ve seen this issue arise more frequently around the NHL as young players believe they’re ready to join the big club sooner than the organization feels is best for them. It’s disappointing, and you wonder whether they could have better handled things to keep Isaac Howard in Tampa, but that’s neither here nor there. 

Landing another very good prospect in Sam O’Reilly is certainly nice work by Julian BriseBois. Tampa Bay’s prospect pool is understandably weak, given all of the draft capital they’ve traded over the many years while competing for cups. O’Reilly will immediately slot in as their best prospect but, unfortunately, is unlikely to make an NHL impact for a few years at least. That’s what downgrades the deal for us from a Lightning perspective. The core of Kucherov, Hedman, and Vasilevskiy are all in their 30s, while Brayden Point is 29; this team is in win-now mode, and its window is going to close even sooner than that of the Oilers. Isaac Howard would have been a lot closer to helping Tampa Bay than Sam O’Reilly, which is what makes it a hard pill to swallow. 

In what’s been an offseason full of losing players, the Edmonton Oilers flip the script and acquire Isaac Howard. Despite having gone to the finals in back-to-back years, it’s been evident that the Oilers’ lineup was in need of a youth infusion, particularly up front. Last summer, it was Matt Savoie, and almost exactly one year later, it’s Isaac Howard. Both of these are extremely gifted offensive players who could make immediate impacts in Edmonton’s top nine moving forward. Howard brings a combination of skill and swagger that will be a massive jolt to the Oilers’ lineup. The production improved in each of his college hockey seasons, and he capped it off by winning the Hobey Baker Award in 2024-25. We’ve been harsh on Stan Bowman for giving up guys like Evander Kane and Viktor Arvidsson for basically nothing, but we have to praise him for this one; great acquisition. 

Sam O’Reilly was one of Edmonton’s better prospects, but they couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to acquire a player who’s just as, if not more talented, two years older, and NHL-ready. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl aren’t getting any younger; there is no waiting around for a 19-year-old to develop into what is hoped to be a strong two-way forward. O’Reilly very well could turn out to be a really good third-line center, with the upside of being a top-six center, but we’re still a long way away from that point. The Oilers’ window is the next 3-4 years. Expectations are that McDavid could sign a shorter-term deal, which only emphasizes how important the here and now is for this organization.

What a haul for Chris Drury and the New York Rangers to get for K’Andre Miller. Ranger fans were pretty down on Miller as his time with the team was coming to an end, but we can’t dismiss the fact that he did some very good things in New York. While he’s not a perfect player, Miller is a big, mobile, and skilled defenseman who helped the Rangers win a lot of games over the last several years. However, we know Drury wanted to shake up the core of this roster, and as an RFA, Miller became an obvious candidate to be a part of those changes. It was much easier to stomach moving on from him once the seven-year, $7 million AAV contract with shutdown defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov had been finalized. 

Finding a way to pry Scott Morrow, a second in 2026, and a first in 2026 or 2027 from a division rival is excellent work. We thought Miller would bring back a solid return, and Chris Drury really maximized it. The Rangers have all of a sudden done a nice job reshaping their blue line over the last year with Gavrikov, Borgen, and Morrow coming in, while Trouba, Lindgren, and Miller have gone out. Adding two high picks is also critical to replenish their draft capital that is now looking relatively well stocked. With their star players all still around, this new-look defense corps, and Mike Sullivan taking over behind the bench, the New York Rangers should definitely be back in the mix in 2025-26. 

Eric Tulsky makes his first big move in what’s otherwise been a pretty quiet offseason in Carolina. With a boatload of cap space, draft picks, and prospects at their disposal, we’ve been vocal about our desire for the Hurricanes to get aggressive. Prior to this trade, we were very disappointed, but this certainly changes things. K’Andre Miller is not someone we had circled as a target for Carolina, though he’s an intriguing player who could fit nicely with the Canes. Miller brings tremendous size and skating ability on the back end, along with potential for even more offensively. He’s had his ups and downs defensively and with turnovers, but if anyone can help steady that and get the best out of such a talent, it’s Rod Brind’Amour. 

The acquisition itself is a huge boost to the Hurricanes’ blue line, but wow, did they ever pay a price to get it over the finish line. Scott Morrow was one of the best defensive prospects in their system, and you combine that with two high draft picks. That’s quite the haul sent to New York. Ideally, such a package could’ve landed a more proven, bona fide star player, but Eric Tulsky is banking on K’Andre Miller’s ceiling, which is high if all goes right. It was also strange to push all the chips in on another left-shot defenseman, given the Canes already have Slavin, Nikishin, and Gostisbehere on that side. We have to assume Slavin or Miller will play their offside? You’re not paying someone $7.5 million over the next eight years to be a second-pairing defenseman.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are not going to be very good next year, and Kyle Dubas knows that. Rather than watching a veteran-filled lineup finish near the bottom of the standings, it’s time to let the kids play and get experience at the NHL level. Alex Nedeljkovic rediscovered himself in Pittsburgh after a disastrous stint in Detroit and had some great stretches of play as a Penguin. But with 23-year-old Joel Blomqvist waiting in the wings, it was more than time to let him split the net with Tristan Jarry next season. The second-round pick (52nd overall) from the 2020 draft has put up great numbers in the AHL, and the Penguins need to see what they have in him. Acquiring a third-round pick for a guy that was picked up off the free agent market for $1.5 million is tidy business by Kyle Dubas.

While the San Jose Sharks have been bottom-feeders themselves in recent years, they are looking to start moving out of their rebuild. The young talent San Jose possesses is second to none around the NHL, so now it’s GM Mike Grier’s job to fill out the roster and insulate them with veterans. Former first-round pick (11th overall) of the Nashville Predators in 2020, Yaroslav Askarov, is the future in net for the Sharks. However, the 23-year-old has just 14 NHL starts under his belt, so a more experienced goalie to share the net with him was a necessity heading into 2025-26. Alex Nedeljkovic is a very solid option to join Askarov in tandem, and the 2028 third-round pick is a reasonable cost of doing business.

The cap-clearing moves continue for Stan Bowman and the Edmonton Oilers. A week ago, it was Evander Kane, and now it’s Viktor Arvidsson, both shipped out for late-round picks. With Leon Draisaitl’s extension kicking in and Evan Bouchard’s recently signed contract, these moves pretty much had to happen, but you can’t argue that this team is getting worse. That’s now Kane, Arvidsson, Perry, Brown, and Skinner out the door, and only Mangiapane coming in with less than $1 million in cap space left to work with. Kane and Arvidsson can still be effective middle-six players, but with the corner Edmonton was backed into, they had no leverage, and it showed in the returns. You have to hope there is more to come.

For the Boston Bruins, this is another example of a “why not” pickup. Don Sweeney stockpiled draft picks at last year’s trade deadline, so letting go of a 2027 fifth is nothing, particularly for a player you can plug right into your lineup. Even in a down year with the Oilers, Viktor Arvidsson managed to produce 27 points (15 goals, 12 assists) in just 67 games last season. He’s still only 32 years old and immediately becomes a top-six forward on a Boston team that is quite thin up front behind David Pastrnak. All around, it’s a fairly easy move to make given the acquisition cost and need.

The majority of people around the hockey world seem to be quite down on this deal for the Blues, but we don’t think it’s that bad. St. Louis has a plethora of talented young players up front and was lacking that on the back end, aside from Philip Broberg. With Thomas, Kyrou, Holloway, Neighbours, Snuggerud, and prospects like Dvorsky and Carbonneau, Bolduc was going to have a hard time ever cracking the top six. That goes without even mentioning veterans Buchnevich and Schenn. While we do really like Zack Bolduc and what he brings as a player, it’s understandable to make the deal for Logan Mailloux.

Right-shot defensemen are the most scarce position in hockey, so you can’t argue with a team for prioritizing one in a trade. Mailloux is just 22 years old and has shown lots of offensive potential in junior hockey and the AHL. Bolduc might be the better all-around player at this point in time, but given the need for youth on the blue line, we can see Doug Armstrong’s vision.

What an offseason it’s been so far for the Montreal Canadiens. The team with one of the brightest futures in the league has only gotten better. First, the blockbuster trade for Noah Dobson, which rounds out a stout defense corps, and now the acquisition of Zack Bolduc to add more juice and youth up front. The start of Bolduc’s career has flown very much under the radar, and it deserves more attention. He’s produced 45 points (24 goals, 21 assists) through his first 97 games in the NHL and can be an absolute pain to play against. The 22-year-old really caught our attention in these playoffs with just how hard he plays; Habs fans will love him.

Logan Mailloux was an intriguing prospect and valuable asset for Montreal, but it made all the sense in the world to flip him for a forward like Zack Bolduc. With Dobson now in the fold, the Canadiens have Hutson, Dobson, Guhle, Reinbacher, and Carrier as staples on the blue line, while Matheson, Xhekaj, and Struble are still around. Kent Hughes took a risk taking Mailloux 31st overall in 2021, so to recoup a player that will impact winning now and for years to come is great business. 

As a fourth-round draft pick (98th overall) in 2019, the Coyotes/Mammoth got as much as you could ask out of Matias Maccelli. He gave them two very productive seasons, but with the emergence of their young talent and other acquisitions, it made sense to provide him with an opportunity elsewhere. With Keller, Cooley, Guenther, Schmaltz, Hayton, and now Peterka all up front, Maccelli was always going to be stuck on the third line. Not to mention top prospects like Daniil But and Caleb Desnoyers, who will eventually be added to the mix.

The return is nothing to write home about, though it’s quite possible Maccelli racks up 51 points and the Maple Leafs make the playoffs, so a 2029 second-round pick wouldn’t be too shabby. General Manager Bill Armstrong has done a masterful job over the last several years rebuilding this team, and Utah now looks like a force to be reckoned with in the Central Division.

The attempt to replace Mitch Marner has begun in Toronto. The Maple Leafs are never going to find one player to fill Marner’s shoes, at least not this offseason, so they have to do it with multiple pieces, and Matias Maccelli is a nice start. The 2024-25 campaign didn’t go well for him, but the previous two seasons saw him produce 57 (17 goals, 40 assists) and 49 points (11 goals, 38 assists), respectively. We should also mention that he did that as a 22- and 23-year-old, which is quite impressive. Maccelli certainly brings a skill set and playmaking ability that are needed without Marner. Our only concern is that he’s a smaller guy at just 5’11 and 185 pounds. We’ve obviously seen these types of players not work for the Maple Leafs when time and space are taken away come the postseason.

Making this trade for a conditional third-round pick feels like an appropriate return for Toronto to stomach. This organization is very low on picks and prospects, so acquiring any player of value via trade is going to look something like this. Maccelli will make $3.425 million next year, set to become an RFA at season’s end. The Maple Leafs can plug and play him anywhere in their top nine, and he should provide an adequate return on investment. 

This is the definition of a salary cap dump. The Detroit Red Wings’ signing of Vladimir Tarasenko last offseason never made sense to begin with, so a quick parting of ways isn’t that surprising. Steve Yzerman has signed a bunch of veteran forwards in recent years, so Tarasenko wasn’t and still isn’t needed. Not being able to acquire even a mid-to-late round pick in return is disappointing, though it’s better than keeping him and watching it play out the same way again next season. It now boils down to what the Red Wings do with the extra $4.75 million in cap space the rest of the summer.

Vladimir Tarasenko for nothing? Why not? The Minnesota Wild had plenty of cap space entering the offseason, so this is basically like signing him to a one-year, $4.75 million contract as a UFA. Things didn’t work out for the 33-year-old in Detroit, but he should get a much better opportunity to succeed now in Minnesota. Kaprizov, Boldy, Zuccarrello, Rossi, and Eriksson Ek generate a majority of the offense up front, but after that, it was a big drop-off, so they needed that final top-six piece. Tarasenko can very much fit the mold, certainly still capable of potting at least 20-25 goals and 40-50 points in that role. Future considerations will be missed, but it was a sacrifice Bill Guerin had to make. 

Once again, what are the Nashville Predators doing? I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we’re not too fond of this trade. Nicolas Hague is a solid defenseman who we like as a player, and being just 26 years old, we are intrigued by the thought of him getting a bigger role. The problem is the return package and subsequent contract extension, particularly given the current state of the Predators as a franchise. Are they rebuilding? Are they trying to win? Who knows at this point.

Colton Sissons and Jeremy Lauzon are two very good depth players who are both on team-friendly contracts. It would have made much more sense to sell them for draft picks or prospects instead. It’s hard to envision Hague ever being more valuable than these two combined. Not to mention, with Roman Josi and Brady Skjei on the left side, isn’t he just going to be stuck in the same situation as he was in Vegas? The only difference is the $5.5 million AAV… We just don’t get it. 

For the Vegas Golden Knights, this was a no-brainer as they remain in a window of competing for the Stanley Cup. Sissons and Lauzon are two perfect lower-lineup additions for a team expecting to be playing deep into the postseason. As they put the finishing touches on signing Mitch Marner to a huge contract, having Sissons at just under $1.5 million and Lauzon at $2 million is extremely valuable to straddle the salary cap.

Nicolas Hague is a good player, and one that, in a perfect world, you’d like to keep around. But the Golden Knights weren’t going to be able to meet his asking price on a new contract, so getting such a return is tremendous business. Hague was never going to surpass Theodore or Hanifin on the depth chart, and with McNabb and Whitecloud also locked in, he just wasn’t a necessity anymore.

My goodness, this was long overdue. It’s felt like John Gibson had one foot out the door since 2018, but the Ducks kept holding onto him year after year. I guess it was somewhat understandable, given that they didn’t have a great backup option to replace him with, but now it had become obvious this was Lukas Dostal’s crease. Thankfully, GM Pat Verbeek realized that and pulled the plug.

Trading the 31-year-old was a good decision by Anaheim. Gibson is coming off his best season since the 2018-19 campaign, which helped stabilize his value that had been spiraling beforehand. The issue is that the Ducks waited so long and failed to capitalize on what his value could have been years ago. Mrazek is an ideal backup/1B option to receive in return, and the two draft picks are nice as well. At this point in time, they did the best they could in a John Gibson trade, but it’s just hard to ignore how they butchered the whole situation in the years leading up to this inevitable breakup. 

There may not have been a team more desperate for an upgrade in goal than the Detroit Red Wings. They’ve been an absolute mess at the position since the prime days of Jimmy Howard (throwback), and even with Gibson’s inconsistencies over the years, he’ll be their best goaltending option since then. Cam Talbot was pretty solid for the Red Wings last season, but you can’t rely on a soon-to-be 38-year-old to start 40+ games again in 2025-26. Gibson still has some prime years left in him and should be able to handle a bulk of the workload in Detroit while Talbot becomes more of a backup, and one of the better backups in the league at that. 

Giving up Petr Mrazek and draft picks had to be done, no question about it. Because Gibson’s value had diminished over the years, the price to acquire him was more than feasible for Detroit. If he can find anything close to his best game, then this trade will look like a home run for GM Steve Yzerman. Gibson obviously comes with some risk, but the upside and even the floor outweigh that. It also provides prospects Sebastian Cossa and Trey Augustine more time to develop and not rush their way into the NHL. 

This trade honestly works out for both sides. Clifton had fallen a bit out of favor in Buffalo, so getting rid of his contract along with a second-round pick to get a more mobile depth defenseman in Conor Timmins does make sense. Timmins plays a much different style of game from Clifton, perhaps one that the Sabres needed. However, having to give up the 39th overall pick does feel like too much to acquire a guy who has never truly found his footing in the NHL and is likely to play a bottom-pairing role. 

Kyle Dubas continues to stockpile draft picks in his attempt to bring the Penguins back into contention as urgently as possible. After selecting three times in the first round on Friday night, Dubas finds a way to get back into the second round and acquires Connor Clifton in the process. Clifton is a decent bottom-pairing defenseman who will provide Pittsburgh with the physicality it lacks on the blue line. Getting the 39th overall pick and Clifton for basically just Conor Timmins is a nice piece of business by Kyle Dubas and the Penguins.

Now that we know Jordan Spence was the one who pushed for this trade, it’s more understandable from a Kings’ standpoint. But even with that information, we still don’t love the move. A 24-year-old right-shot defenseman who has produced over 20 points in a relatively limited role through his first two NHL seasons… why would anyone want to get rid of that? Obviously, Spence forced their hand, but the Kings also partially did it to themselves by continuously signing more veterans on defense.

While the 67th overall pick in this year’s draft does have some value, the return is nothing that will help LA anytime soon. This team just feels sort of stuck in between with aging stars and young talent whose development hasn’t been all that smooth. You have to hope they let Brandt Clarke off the leash a little more moving forward after this Spence situation. Perhaps they will use some of the extra cap space created to either make a bigger move or retain pending UFA Vladislav Gavrikov. 

This is a great move by Steve Staios and the Ottawa Senators to further round out their blue line. Spence has been excellent in a third-pairing role over the last two seasons in LA and has the potential for more under the right circumstances. Adding him into the mix with Jake Sanderson, Thomas Chabot, Artem Zub, and Tyler Kleven feels like an amazing fit for what was needed. It remains unclear whether Nick Jensen will be healthy to start the year, which makes the acquisition of Spence that much more important and can allow Jensen to ease his way back in more of a reduced role following hip surgery at 34. 

The acquisition cost of a third-round pick in 2025 (67th overall) and a sixth-round pick in 2026 made too much sense for the Senators not to make this deal. Ottawa has traded away quite a few of its higher draft picks in recent years, but that’s what you’ve got to do given where they are as a franchise. As Pierre Dorion prematurely said, the rebuild is over.

Colorado did a very solid job shedding salary and recouping some pretty valuable assets in return here. Before this trade, the Avalanche had just $1.2 million in available cap space, so something had to give. Accruing $7.75 million in cap space to play with and improve the roster is huge for this team. This team is still in their window of going all in to win the Stanley Cup, so three straight early playoff exits signaled that more change was needed. Losing Coyle and Wood shouldn’t hurt too much, as guys like Jack Drury, Parker Kelly, or potential future acquisitions can fill their roles at a lower cost.

Creating all of that flexibility was a great start, but the return package was the cherry on top for GM Chris MacFarland. A really intriguing prospect in Gavin Brindley, plus two valuable draft picks, is about as good of a return for Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood as you’re going to get. It’s crazy to say, but the Avalanche DOUBLED the number of draft picks they had in the first three rounds over the next three drafts by making this trade. However, it won’t be surprising to see these picks flipped for immediate help at some point, given Colorado’s current state of contention.

We don’t hate this move for the Columbus Blue Jackets, though it is a bit of a head-scratcher. With so much cap space, draft capital, and other assets at their disposal, many have suggested that Don Waddell would be aggressive this offseason. This was certainly an aggressive trade, just not for as high-end of talent as expected. We are fans of Charlie Coyle and believe he’s a really nice top-six/nine piece, while Miles Wood can be a fine bottom-six contributor that brings some speed and physicality. Their cap hits are somewhat tough to stomach, but the Blue Jackets have all the room in the world to handle them, especially with the rising salary cap. 

While Coyle and Wood are solid depth pickups, the price Columbus had to pay to make this deal happen feels like a lot. Gavin Brindley was a high pick of the Jackets (34th overall, 2023) and has a ton of skill, which he demonstrated at Michigan and the World Juniors. He was one of their better prospects, and then you add on a second- and third-round pick, and it’s hard not to find this an overpay. The Blue Jackets are loaded with young talent up front, so mixing in more established veterans makes sense. We just think they could have acquired something better with this trade package.

The New York Islanders probably did as well as they could given the situation that played out over the last few weeks. New GM Mathieu Darche is looking to put his own stamp on the organization, and he’s already done so in bold fashion. It didn’t make much sense to pay Noah Dobson’s ask of $10+ million in AAV on an eight-year contract, particularly with Matthew Schaefer soon to enter the fold on Long Island. Dobson was the Islanders’ best offensive defenseman but had a down 2024-25 campaign, and as they retool/reshape their roster, he was expendable for the right offer.

Now let’s dive into the return. Emil Heineman is a solid young depth piece to add to the puzzle in New York, but that’s not the focus of this deal. Acquiring two first-round picks in this year’s draft (16, 17) provides Mathieu Darche with much more ammo to move up for another top 10 pick. We all know that James Hagens wants to play for his hometown team and that the Islanders would love to get their hands on him if possible. Should they be able to use these picks to walk away with both Schaefer and Hagens tonight, then this trade is an absolute win for both teams. 

Kent Hughes swings for the fences and hits a home run. Noah Dobson is an elite puck-moving, smooth-skating offensive defenseman who should fit in seamlessly with the Canadiens. The young core in Montreal has taken leaps of improvement in recent years, and that was on full display throughout their return to the postseason in 2024-25. With many of the best players just scratching the surface of their potential, it was time for the Habs to help push the team into win-now mode for years to come. Adding Dobson is a major boost that strengthens the right side of their blue line, which was down to just Alexandre Carrier. A top four that consists of Hutson, Dobson, Guhle, and Carrier sounds very nice.

The rumors swirling around the hockey world had suggested that one or several of Montreal’s top prospects, including David Reinbacher, Michael Hage, or Logan Mailloux, would be a part of the return package. The fact that Kent Hughes was able to make this deal without giving any of them up is tremendous work. The two first-round picks (16, 17) are not easy to part with, but where the Canadiens are heading as a franchise, along with all of the other picks and prospects they already have, makes this a price worth paying. 

There’s not too much to break down here from a Columbus Blue Jackets perspective. As a pending RFA, Tarasov needed a new contract, but given the way Jet Greaves performed down the stretch last season, you have to figure they’ll want to give him more opportunity in 2025-26. With Tarasov no longer a necessity, acquiring a fifth-round pick is better than letting him sign elsewhere for nothing. 

This could turn out to be a sneaky good move by Bill Zito and the Panthers. Daniil Tarasov showed promise at times during his tenure in Columbus, and playing behind a much better team in Florida could unlock more of his potential. We know how important size is at the position, so taking a flier on a 6’5″, 203-pound goaltender that’s still only 26 years old feels like a worthy bet. All he will be asked to do is spell Sergei Bobrovsky, who, of course, handles the bulk of the starts. 

Bill Guerin frees up $2.1 million in cap space by offloading Freddy Gaudreau, who still had another three years left on his contract. A fourth-round pick in return seems like nothing on the surface, but it actually becomes the second-highest selection Minnesota currently holds heading into the 2025 draft. This will allow the Wild to either spend more via free agency/trade or provide opportunities for some of their young talent to crack the lineup.

At first thought, this trade doesn’t make a ton of sense for the Kraken, particularly since they’ve already acquired Mason Marchment and Joe Veleno in recent weeks. However, Freddy Gaudreau has proven to be a reliable and effective NHL player. He very much flew under the radar in Minnesota, potting over 35 points in three of the last four seasons, which makes his $2.1 million AAV a pretty favorable deal. It’s just hard to understand why Seattle is creating more of a logjam up front. 

You have to feel for the Buffalo Sabres and their fans. JJ Peterka, a 23-year-old star winger coming off a breakout 68-point (27 goals, 41 assists) season, would be a building block for almost every NHL franchise. That’s exactly what he was for the Sabres, yet he forced his way out of town before even signing his first real contract. Was it the city? The constant losing? We don’t truly know why Peterka wanted to leave Buffalo after just three seasons, but it’s obviously not a good look for the organization. 

Everyone seems to agree this return is underwhelming, but it can’t be that surprising given the way Peterka backed the Sabres into a corner here. Buffalo desperately wants to compete for a playoff spot, so they focused on targeting NHL players in a return package. Michael Kesselring is actually a very solid right-shot defenseman who should immediately fill a top-four spot on the Sabres’ defense corps. On top of that, Josh Doan is an intriguing, skilled forward who could become a useful piece in Buffalo. These are two valuable assets that will help now and into the future. The problem is, will they ever even be as good as JJ Peterka is right now? I highly doubt it. It’s another prime example of why the Sabres continue to find themselves in this never-ending cycle of losing. 

What a move by the Utah Mammoth. Rumors around the league were saying to watch out for Utah because they wanted to make a big splash… and they were right. Not many had linked JJ Peterka to the Mammoth, but at first glance, this feels like it could be a tremendous fit. This team took a big step in their inaugural season, and the future looked very bright even before this deal. You now add Peterka to a young forward group with Clayton Keller, Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and Nick Schmaltz… man, this could be dangerous for the rest of the league. 

Kesselring and Doan were nice pieces in Utah, but trading them to acquire a player of JJ Peterka’s caliber is a no-brainer, especially given all of the other assets the Mammoth still have. This organization is stocked with draft picks (4th overall in 2025) and prospects, yet they didn’t have to include any of them to bring in a 23-year-old winger who has the looks of a point-per-game player. Fantastic work by general manager Bill Armstrong and owner Ryan Smith. And we can’t forget about the extension, which ensures Peterka will be in Utah for the foreseeable future. 

We all knew this was coming in Edmonton, but it still feels like they’re giving away someone who can be a valuable player for very little. Shedding salary was the Oilers’ sole focus as we creep towards July 1, which they were able to do by making this trade. All $5.125 million of Evander Kane is gone, which is a positive, but at the same time, a productive, tough-to-play-against forward leaves a team that was already lacking in depth behind its superstars and Zach Hyman. A parting of ways was inevitable, but until we see what comes next, it feels like an empty move for a Stanley Cup hopeful. 

Getting a fourth-round pick in return is obviously nothing groundbreaking. The most important part of this trade for the Oilers becomes what general manager Stan Bowman is able to do with the accumulated cap space. Evan Bouchard’s looming extension is going to take up a large portion of what’s available, so Bowman will need to get creative in order to improve this roster heading into 2025-26. 

There’s been a lot of criticism in regard to this move from a Vancouver Canucks perspective, and we’re not sure why. This team desperately needed to bolster its forward group and did so at a very low cost courtesy of a division rival. With J.T. Miller in New York and Brock Boeser headed for free agency, the Canucks had to make meaningful additions up front if they wanted any chance of getting back into the playoff mix. Evander Kane is not a perfect player and comes with some risk, but he can easily slot into a top-six role, pot 20+ goals, and be a physical presence. We saw Quinn Hughes become the target of a lot of physical abuse last season. Who better to have let the other team know he’s off limits than Kane?

What honestly makes this move even better is the fact that it’s only a one-year commitment. The $5.125 million AAV is a relatively big ticket, but Vancouver still has $7 million even with Kane on the books, so it’s a non-issue. It’s hard to imagine getting a better version of Evander Kane than a healthy and motivated one playing in a contract year for his hometown team.

It felt as if the writing was on the wall when it came to Trevor Zegras’ time in Anaheim, but this is still a head-scratching move. The Ducks brought in Joel Quenneville and Chris Kreider (who is good friends with Zegras) as they’ve been adamant about getting back to the playoffs. All signs were pointing towards them giving their uber-talented first-round pick from 2019 (9th overall) a chance to have a bounce-back 2025-26 season. Instead, we learned of the surprising news on Monday morning that trade talks were heating up, and just like that, Zegras was off to Philadelphia. 

Poehling and draft picks are fine, but if Trevor Zegras plays to his potential, this trade is going to feel even more underwhelming than it already does for Anaheim. The Kreider trade made sense at the time, adding a veteran piece to help the young players, but now it feels like they’re just getting older up front for no reason. Zegras and the Ducks were headed for a split, and that became quite obvious, but it’s tough to see how everything played out after 61- and 65-point seasons in his early 20s. What Anaheim does with its cap space becomes that much more important moving forward.

What a move by Danny Briere and the Philadelphia Flyers to buy low on Trevor Zegras, whose value was at an all-time low after two injury-riddled and all-around unproductive seasons. Trading Morgan Frost to Calgary at last year’s deadline made the Flyers, who were already thin at center, even weaker down the middle of the ice. But we now see the vision of Briere and the front office, acquiring a centerman with tremendous potential and upside, which he flashed to start his career. Zegras’ defensive game has shown improvements over the last two years, so if he can regain his offensive production playing with the likes of Matvei Michkov, Travis Konecny, and Tyson Foerster, this could be a home run for Philly.

The return package that was given up to get Trevor Zegras is worth it every day of the week, especially with the situation the Flyers are in. Even after the trade, they have 3 firsts and 3 seconds in the upcoming 2025 draft, which made it easy to part with a 2025 second and a 2026 4th. Ryan Poehling had actually been quite solid in Philadelphia, but he’s a third-line forward at best, so it wouldn’t have been too difficult to include him in the deal. 

The Chicago Blackhawks are looking to take steps forward in their lengthy rebuild, and that’s what this trade signals. Andre Burakovsky instantly becomes Chicago’s highest-paid player at $5.5 million, along with Tyler Bertuzzi, and should see top-six minutes plus power-play time next season. The 30-year-old had injury problems and saw a dip in production throughout his time in Seattle, so the Hawks hope a change of scenery will be beneficial. I don’t mind taking a flyer on the talent, but I’m not sure how much should be expected at this point. 

Even after this trade and the buyout of TJ Brodie, GM Kyle Davidson has over $22 million in cap space to work with this offseason. Trading Joe Veleno is nothing to lose sleep over, as he was never going to be too important of a piece in Chicago. Meanwhile, Burakovsky has two years left on his contract, so even if things don’t work out, it shouldn’t be too troublesome. 

This is another shrewd bit of work by the Seattle Kraken. As mentioned, the addition of Mason Marchment further clogged up what was already a logjam of top-nine forwards in Seattle. It became quite obvious that Burakovsky had no future with the team, so it’s great to be able to shed his full salary. Not to mention the acquisition of Joe Veleno, who at $2.275 million next season can be a very solid depth piece for the Kraken. The 25-year-old is a big body that can be physical and give you around 10 goals and 20-25 points in a bottom-six role.

I like what I’ve seen from new GM Jason Botterill thus far in Seattle. Marchment coming in for Burakovsky provides an element of grit and a more consistent option up front, while Veleno adds more of the same lower in the lineup. We’ll see what the rest of the offseason brings, but I’m starting to believe that the Kraken could compete for a wildcard spot in 2025-26.

Everyone in the hockey world knew that the Dallas Stars had to clear cap space, and here it begins. Mason Marchment was very productive throughout his three years in Dallas as an ideal middle-six forward who could play higher up in the lineup when needed. This really boils down to the Stars choosing to keep Duchene over him, which I would lean towards agreeing with, though Marchment was one of their few forwards who played with snarl, something they’ll have to look to address again.

GM Jim Nill now has $4.955 million of cap space, with Jamie Benn, Mikael Granlund, Cody Ceci, Evgenii Dadonov, and Mavrik Bourque all still unsigned. He would love to shed one or both of Matt Dumba and Ilya Lyubushkin, but that’s easier said than done. While you never want to just dump a good player like Marchment, it’s understandable given their situation.

For the Seattle Kraken, they weaponize their cap space and take advantage of a team that had its hands tied. I’ve always really liked Mason Marchment as a player and what he brings to the table. He has an underrated skill set with the ability to touch up on 50+ points and uses his 6’5″, 212-pound frame to be a physical presence. His playoff production hasn’t been the best, but he provides the element of grit and nastiness to remain effective when the points aren’t coming. For a Kraken team fully stocked with draft picks, it’s a worthwhile addition to improve up front.

The 30-year-old will be heading into the final season of his contract, making $4.5 million in AAV. This provides Seattle the opportunity to potentially flip Marchment at next year’s deadline should the 2025-26 campaign go anything like the last two seasons. However, I’m sure they would prefer that he’s helping them make a push for the playoffs instead. 

It’s hard to have any issues with this trade from a New Jersey Devils perspective. Prior to 2024-25, Erik Haula had been a very solid 3C in New Jersey, producing around 15 goals and 40 points each year, well worth his contract. However, his play and production took a major dip this season, which made him expendable for a Devils team looking to become a serious contender in the Eastern Conference. 

Shedding Haula’s full salary now provides GM Tom Fitzgerald with $14.394 million in cap space to work with this summer. Jeremy Hanzel and a fourth-round pick are next to nothing as a return package, but that’s not the point of the move for New Jersey. Haula was one of a few Devils contracts that no longer made sense to keep around, so full marks for getting rid of it.

What are the Nashville Predators doing? The lack of direction with this team is really confusing. When Barry Trotz took over as GM, he gutted the core of the roster, providing their young players and prospects with more opportunity. Luke Evangelista, Tommy Novak, and Phil Tomasino were among those who thrived in an increased role. However, in the two years since, all Nashville has done is bring in veteran players to take those spots. Last offseason’s free agent splurge blew up in their face, and they just continue to do more of the same.

Erik Haula for one season at a $3.15 million AAV is not the end of the world… but why? He turns 35 in March and showed a sharp decline last year. What is enticing about that? If he doesn’t take away from players like Zachary L’Heureux or Fyodor Svechkov’s ice time, then it’s fine. But even at that, I don’t see the point in trading for him. 

This was a trade that felt inevitable and one that probably had to happen, but it still hurts if you’re a New York Ranger fan. Kreider has been a heart and soul player for the Blueshirts over the last decade, but with the disappointment of missing the playoffs last season, we knew change was coming. Unfortunately, his large dip in production was one of the many reasons for their shortcomings in 2024-25.

Getting Anaheim to take on the full $6.5 million AAV for the next two years is good work from general manager Chris Drury. For that reason, the return is nothing special, so how Drury utilizes that money is what’s most important moving forward. It is pretty impressive the way he’s been able to get out from under problem contracts like Trouba’s and Kreider’s without any retention, though it’s been cutthroat to say the least.

On the flip side, this is a nice pickup for Anaheim. The Ducks want to, at the very least, make a push for the playoffs next season, and adding Chris Kreider should help the cause. His contract is no problem for a team with a ton of room available to take on salary, while the cap is expected to spike even more in years to come. What general manager Pat Verbeek had to send in return was minimal, so this is a low-risk move that could have a decent payoff.

As previously referenced, the 2024-25 season was ugly for Kreider, who mustered up just 30 points (22 goals, eight assists) in 68 games. He did, however, battle with injuries throughout the year, which likely played a factor in those struggles. Should Kreider return to full health this summer, it’s well within the realm of possibilities that he pots 25 goals and 45-50 points in 2025-26. The 34-year-old may be past his prime, but he can surely help the Ducks as a middle-six forward and net-front presence on a power play that ranked dead last in the NHL last season.