Unpacking the 2025 NHL Offseason: Hits, Misses, and the Report Card

A Grades: Offseason Mastery

Leading the class are the teams whose front offices executed their plans with exceptional skill and foresight. The Florida Panthers, fresh off repeated deep playoff runs, managed the near-impossible: retaining the core pieces that brought them success. By locking up key players like Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, and Brad Marchand to long-term deals, GM Bill Zito demonstrated remarkable negotiation, reportedly aided by players willing to prioritize winning over maximum earning potential elsewhere. Adding depth defensively and in goal solidified their status as a dynasty in the making.

The Anaheim Ducks capitalized on their unique “window” – possessing a young, talented core still on team-friendly contracts. This allowed GM Pat Verbeek to leverage significant cap space. Strategic trades, including sending out veterans John Gibson and Trevor Zegras to shed salary, paved the way for impactful additions like forward Chris Kreider and Mikael Granlund, addressing immediate needs while setting up the RFA class for manageable extensions. It was a masterclass in controlled, impactful spending.

St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong, operating with less pressing needs, still made highly impactful moves. Trading a prospect (Zach Bolduc) for a defensive option (Logan Mailloux) offset anticipated roster changes, while signing Nick Bjugstad and Pius Suter significantly bolstered their center depth, providing experienced, productive players for the bottom six. These were precise, needs-based acquisitions.

The Utah Mammoth, a team on the rise, took a bold swing by acquiring scoring forward JJ Peterka and immediately extending him, providing a much-needed top-six weapon. GM Bill Armstrong wasn`t done, adding proven veterans like defenseman Nate Schmidt and goalie Vitek Vanecek, ensuring the team has both high-end talent and necessary depth, positioning them strongly for a playoff push this season.

Carolina Hurricanes GM Erik Tulsky finally landed the impact scoring winger the team had long sought, signing Nikolaj Ehlers to a significant long-term deal. This move, combined with the acquisition of promising blueliner K`Andre Miller via a sign-and-trade (offsetting Brent Burns` departure), significantly upgraded key areas. While a second-line center remains a question mark, the sheer quality of the additions places Carolina back among the Eastern Conference`s elite.

Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes signaled an end to the passive rebuilding phase with a blockbuster trade for defenseman Noah Dobson, immediately signing him to a lucrative, long-term deal. While expensive, it addresses a fundamental need and accelerates their competitive timeline. Trading Logan Mailloux for depth scorer Zachary Bolduc further refined the roster, suggesting the Canadiens are serious about leveraging their young core now.

B Grades: Solid, Sensible, Still Room for More

Teams in the B range made smart, often necessary moves, but perhaps lacked the home-run swings or faced constraints that tempered expectations. The New York Islanders, under new GM Mathieu Darche, kicked off with the No. 1 draft pick (Matthew Schaefer), instantly providing a top defensive prospect. While losing Noah Dobson stings, the return (draft picks, prospect Emil Heineman) and other veteran additions like Jonathan Drouin offer a path to a fresh identity.

The Philadelphia Flyers gambled on potential by trading for Trevor Zegras, hoping he can fulfill his promise as a top center. GM Danny Briere secured a valuable piece without overpaying and made a smart extension for Cam York, focusing on long-term potential and defensive stability. The addition of veteran depth suggests they are edging out of a pure rebuild.

San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier`s plan focused on adding veterans (Dmitry Orlov, John Klingberg, Alex Nedeljkovic, etc.) on short-term deals to support their promising young core (Michael Misa, Macklin Celebrini) and potentially become trade assets later. This pragmatic approach accelerates the culture build while maintaining future flexibility.

The Boston Bruins added numerous forwards (Viktor Arvidsson, Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly) via free agency and trade but notably failed to acquire a true top-six winger, addressing depth rather than primary need. The long-term investment in Jeannot, a bottom-six player, raised eyebrows, suggesting a focus on identity over pure scoring punch.

Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman finally moved John Gibson, upgrading the goaltending situation. However, the team largely remained unchanged, adding depth forwards but missing opportunities to significantly boost the defense or top-six scoring, perhaps indicating contentment with internal growth.

New Jersey Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald made sensible depth additions in Connor Brown and Evgenii Dadonov and secured goaltending stability with Jake Allen. The major unresolved piece is the extension for RFA Luke Hughes, which impacts potential for further top-six upgrades. Their offseason felt prudent but perhaps incomplete pending key RFA signings.

The New York Rangers lost K`Andre Miller after signing Vladislav Gavrikov to a large, long-term deal, a high-stakes gamble by GM Chris Drury that defines their offseason. Other moves were low-key depth additions and key RFA signings, leaving the success of their summer heavily reliant on Gavrikov`s impact.

Vegas Golden Knights continued their tradition of making blockbuster moves, acquiring Mitch Marner via sign-and-trade. This adds elite talent but came at a cost (Nicolas Roy) and leaves them over the cap. The unexpected news of Alex Pietrangelo`s injury absence adds significant uncertainty to their defensive outlook, overshadowing their offensive coup.

Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy took a measured approach, choosing not to pursue free agents when initial targets fell through, instead opting to trust the team`s youth and maintain cap flexibility for re-signing RFAs like Connor Zary and Morgan Frost. It`s a patient strategy, but one that puts pressure on young players to make a significant leap.

The Edmonton Oilers focused on managing cap space within their championship window, trading Evander Kane for cheaper options like Andrew Mangiapane and Curtis Lazar. GM Stan Bowman`s moves prioritized stretching dollars and relying on young players or international signings to fill gaps, a challenging task given their tight cap situation.

Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland`s first offseason saw them buy in bulk, adding multiple depth forwards and defensemen (Joel Armia, Cody Ceci, Brian Dumoulin, etc.) and a backup goalie. This strategy prioritized quantity and depth over retaining a key player like Vladislav Gavrikov, raising questions about whether volume additions can elevate them beyond past playoff struggles.

Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin addressed a need by trading for Vladimir Tarasenko, adding a potential top-six forward in a quiet market. Bringing back Nico Sturm provided valuable bottom-six depth. However, significant cap space remains, leaving questions about whether they will add veterans or rely on their strong prospect pool, particularly with a key RFA (Marco Rossi) unsigned.

Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz sought experience, adding two-way winger Eric Haula and defensemen Nicolas Hague and Nick Perbix. These moves aim to address the team`s weaknesses and provide experienced options, but it remains to be seen if these additions are enough to push them back into serious contention.

Seattle Kraken GM Jason Botterill leveraged cap space effectively, acquiring scoring winger Mason Marchment from a cap-strapped team and adding solid two-way center Frederick Gaudreau and defenseman Ryan Lindgren. By trading Andre Burakovsky`s salary, Botterill created flexibility, executing a sensible plan to improve the roster without overspending.

Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois was conservative, focusing on re-signing key depth forwards (Yanni Gourde, Gage Goncalves) and adding lower-cost options (Pontus Holmberg, Jakob Pelletier). The decision not to replace defenseman Nick Perbix leaves their blueline looking thin, suggesting the team might be content with minor tweaks rather than significant upgrades.

Vancouver Canucks GM Patrik Allvin generated optimism by bringing back Brock Boeser and extending Thatcher Demko and Conor Garland. The acquisition of Evander Kane adds scoring, but his salary and the loss of Pius Suter raise questions about their center depth and cap flexibility moving forward.

Winnipeg Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff focused on replacing Nikolaj Ehlers` offense by adding Gustav Nyquist and Tanner Pearson, and took a flyer on veteran Jonathan Toews. While adding experience and goal-scoring depth, significant cap space remains, pending the signing of key RFA Gabriel Vilardi, leaving room for potential future moves.

C Grades: Uninspired or Questionable

The C grades are reserved for teams that either didn`t do enough, made debatable decisions, or simply replaced players without significantly improving the roster. Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staois prioritized re-signing Claude Giroux and added depth on defense and in the bottom six (Jordan Spence, Lars Eller). While fine moves, it`s unclear if they move the needle enough in a tough division, particularly with questions lingering in goal. Complacency could be their biggest hurdle.

The Pittsburgh Penguins had a remarkably quiet offseason, adding depth players like Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau and minor league defensemen. GM Kyle Dubas`s minimal activity suggests either contentment with the current group (unlikely for a team trying to stay competitive) or that bigger trades (like involving Erik Karlsson) are still being worked on. As it stands, it`s been an uninspired period.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are objectively worse without Mitch Marner. GM Brad Treliving got depth forward Nicolas Roy in return from Vegas, adding to other third/fourth-line additions (Matias Maccelli, Michael Pezzetta). While securing extensions for John Tavares and Matthew Knies was crucial, the failure to replace Marner`s offensive impact leaves a significant void that wasn`t adequately addressed in the initial wave.

Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams took care of key RFAs and got defenseman Michael Kesselring back in the JJ Peterka trade, addressing a defensive need. However, the team, staring down a potential 15th straight year out of the playoffs, had significant cap space but made no splashy moves or notable external additions to meaningfully improve the roster. This noncommittal approach to improvement is concerning for a fanbase yearning for competitiveness.

The Chicago Blackhawks had a quiet offseason, adding forward Andre Burakovsky via trade and Sam Lafferty. GM Kyle Davidson is clearly prioritizing the development of their young core (Connor Bedard, etc.) and prospect pipeline, opting not to use their ample cap space to acquire veterans who could accelerate competitiveness but potentially block prospects. This approach makes sense for a pure rebuild but leaves the current roster with significant holes, particularly offensively and defensively.

The Colorado Avalanche`s primary move was signing veteran defenseman Brent Burns to a one-year deal, a classic move for a cap-strapped contender trying to fill gaps cheaply. GM Chris MacFarland`s challenge, like other top teams, is finding value in the bottom six and third pairing with limited resources. While Burns is a notable name, the overall activity reflects the constraints of their championship window roster construction, without drastically improving their chances.

The Dallas Stars` success in reaching multiple conference finals created cap challenges, forcing them to let key contributors like Mikael Granlund, Mason Marchment, Cody Ceci, and Evgenii Dadonov depart. GM Jim Nill`s most notable move was bringing back Radek Faksa. The team is currently over the cap and needs to shed salary, limiting their ability to address the losses, reflecting the difficult reality of paying a contending core.

Washington Capitals GM Chris Patrick reportedly pursued top free agents like Nikolaj Ehlers but failed to land them, ultimately re-signing Anthony Beauvillier and adding defensive depth in Declan Chisholm. For a team that surprisingly topped the Eastern Conference, this lack of significant upgrades suggests they might be running it back with a similar group, perhaps hoping for internal improvement rather than external reinforcement.

D Grades: Disappointing Outcomes

Bringing up the rear are the teams whose offseasons appear disappointing or counterproductive based on their needs and resources. The Columbus Blue Jackets had significant cap space and needs (top-six winger, right-side defense). Instead of addressing these, GM Don Waddell reportedly overpaid substantially to re-sign Ivan Provorov, a controversial move. The additions of Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood merely replace departing bottom-six players, resulting in an offseason that seems to have squandered opportunities and failed to significantly improve the team from one that just missed the playoffs.