Clearly, the Chicago Blackhawks have decided that they are no longer interested in the traditional rebuild they embarked upon less than a full calendar year ago. From proclaiming a plan that supported internal development, they have completely re-routed their efforts. Though, there are still some areas that require addressing if the Blackhawks expect to maintain
2021 NHL Free Agency
The NHL is in an unprecedented situation financially, with the salary cap barely rising after next season. Cap space is at a premium as teams try to shed salary by moving out expensive contracts via trade or the expansion draft. The Arizona Coyotes weaponized their available cap space to accumulate draft capital. They took on
The Nashville Predators had many options heading into free agency and players that they needed to decide to get rid of or bring back. They re-signed forward Mikael Granlund to a four-year contract worth $5 million average annual value (AAV), which was hit or miss depending on who you ask. However, with Pekka Rinne deciding
The Minnesota Wild are not accustomed to – or experienced at – shopping for free-agent defensemen. However, the void left by the departures of Ryan Suter and Carson Soucy forced management to dip into the open market. Unfortunately, they quickly discovered that don’t have the financial flexibility to land the players at the top of
The Dallas Stars had a top priority heading into this summer — fill the void that Jamie Oleksiak left. The top four of their defense has been their strength the past few seasons and has pushed them into contention for the Stanley Cup. With Oleksiak being selected by the Seattle Kraken, Dallas filled that hole
In the San Jose Sharks’ dominant 2018-19 regular season performance, the team’s offense soared. Between Brent Burns’ point-per-game scoring as a blueliner, both Tomas Hertl and Joe Pavelski hitting the 35 goal mark, and offensive depth showing on the score-sheet nightly, San Jose was a powerhouse. A large part of this success came from the
The Vegas Golden Knights have secured much needed experience to their blue line by re-signing former two-time Stanley Cup champion, Alec Martinez to a three-year contract valued at $15 million. Multiple sources had Martinez ranked anywhere in the top-15 to top-20 available players this summer. Drafted 95th overall by the Los Angeles Kings in 2007,
As fans prepare to face the reality that Zach Hyman will be in a different jersey at the start of next season, owning an objective perspective towards his departure from the Toronto Maple Leafs should make the news easier to digest. It’s not to discount the heart, will, or drive he’s had on full display
In what is expected to be one of the biggest offseasons for the Boston Bruins in Don Sweeney’s tenure as general manager, things are going to get interesting in the next week. With NHL teams currently in a roster freeze until Thursday at 1 p.m. with the Seattle Kraken Expansion Draft Wednesday night, things should
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas has some tough decisions to make this offseason. Perhaps there’s none bigger than the contract status of forward Zach Hyman, who is set to hit the open market on July 28. While there’s been a ton of speculation brewing regarding the contract talks and perhaps other teams getting
With every new season, there comes change. This offseason is one where there could be some big changes for the Boston Bruins. Not only is the Seattle Kracken Expansion Draft this month on July 21, but seven days later, free agency begins and the Black and Gold have several key free agents that are eligible
The offseason has arrived for the majority of the NHL, as the 2020-21 season has come to an end for many teams. That is no different for the St. Louis Blues, who fell to the Colorado Avalanche in four games in the first round. The Blues have lots of work to do to fix the
Miro Heiskanen will become a restricted free agent this summer after his entry-level contract comes to an end. During his young career, he has proven to be an elite defenseman with the potential to be among the best. In three seasons with the Dallas Stars, he has racked up 28 goals and 95 points. He
The Minnesota Wild have a very busy offseason ahead, with extensions, attempting to salvage their relationship with veteran winger Zach Parise, the Seattle Expansion Draft, and their center situation that needs an extensive repair. General manager Bill Guerin will be tested with everything he has to maneuver around. This could be a legacy-defining summer for
A major part of the Carolina Hurricanes’ turnaround over the past three seasons – going from being a perennial disappointment to becoming a team on the verge of legitimate Cup contender status – has been the seamless fit of trade acquisition Dougie Hamilton. He’s impacted the group in a multitude of ways from the blueline;
The Florida Panthers ended their season in disappointment after being eliminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the first round. Naturally, the team would look to improve so that history does not repeat itself. In addition, the moves will be handled by general manager Bill Zito, a nominee for the Jim Gregory
After a disappointing end to their season at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning, general manager Bill Zito goes into another offseason full of plans and options. In his first season, he got this team on the right track by bringing in players with playoff experience, toughness, and goal-scoring touch. But he needs to
Dallas Stars general manager Jim Nill has some big decisions to make in the upcoming offseason with depth pieces like Jamie Oleksiak, Andrew Cogliano, and Blake Comeau hitting the unrestricted market, among others, and a restricted free agent pool that includes Miro Heiskanen, Joel Kiviranta, and Jason Dickinson. As is the norm in the signing