In 2018, the Washington Capitals made a minor trade with the Chicago Blackhawks just prior to the trade deadline that seemed like nothing that required much analysis. Four months later they were hoisting the Stanley Cup in Las Vegas after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. This
Free Agents
Only a few teams remain in the 2020 Playoffs, and we are a couple of weeks away from awarding the Stanley Cup. That means, free agency opens in less than a month. Related: The Best NHL Goalies of the 1980s The Minnesota Wild are straddling the line between playoff contender and rebuilding. They finished the
The Colorado Avalanche have important decisions to address regarding their restricted free agents this offseason. Despite not being priority No. 1, 22-year-old restricted free agent Tyson Jost deserves considerable attention. Tyson Jost, Colorado Avalanche (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers) The former 10th overall pick has struggled to succeed at the NHL level, contributing to only 72
With the news that the St. Louis Blues have broken off extension talks with their star blueliner and captain Alex Pietrangelo, NHL general managers have taken notice, and rightfully so. The need for a right shooting defenseman is plentiful and it would be hard not to make a play to acquire one of the best
When the Calgary Flames traded James Neal to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for veteran forward Milan Lucic, many wondered why the Flames didn’t give Neal another chance. The deal showed no upside for Calgary until Lucic found a fit on the third line in early December. His Stanley Cup championship experience and his ability
Although he is not a household name, Andre Burakovsky enjoyed a quietly good season for the Colorado Avalanche. Unfortunately, he won’t hit the open market but instead he’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this offseason. [embedded content] He has shown flashes of greatness but his inconsistency may be holding him back from reaching
In case you weren’t aware, St. Louis Blues captain Alex Pietrangelo is the premier name on this year’s free agency list. Like the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Blues are in a difficult spot where they have little space to try and retain their captain for the foreseeable future. Related: Top 3 All-Time Maple Leafs Goalies There’s
Important NHL dates are coming up in the next month: Teams have until 5 p.m. (Eastern Time) on Oct. 7 to submit qualifying offers to their restricted free agents (RFAs); free agency opens Oct. 9 at 12 p.m. (Eastern Time), and RFAs are eligible to sign their qualifying offer sheets. Qualifying offers expire on Oct.
With just a few weeks before the scheduled opening of NHL free agency, Chuck Fletcher and the Philadelphia Flyers are gearing up for what should be a busy offseason. This offseason, in particular, poses a new set of challenges for general managers thanks to the flat cap. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, league revenue is
The San Jose Sharks currently have 16 players signed, with 6 pending unrestricted free agents and 3 restricted free agents for the 2020-21 season. With only $14.1 million of cap space left and room for seven players before reaching the roster limit, the Sharks need to consider carefully whether these players are worth re-signing. Here is
The Washington Capitals were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the first round for the second consecutive season. The difference between this year and last year is that the Capitals had a 2018 Stanley Cup win to fall back upon in 2019. This year, though, they repeated upon their first-round exit from the year
“Why did it all turn out like this for me? I had so much promise. I was personable, I was bright. Oh, maybe not academically speaking, but… I was perceptive. I always know when someone’s uncomfortable at a party. It became very clear to me sitting out there today, that every decision I’ve ever made,
With the NHL salary cap not likely to increase during the offseason, some teams will fare better than others. The San Jose Sharks might be on the wrong end of that, with bad contracts significantly hurting them. For instance, the Colorado Avalanche having Nathan MacKinnon locked into four more years at $6.3 million is an
The Columbus Blue Jackets had an impressive playoff showing in 2020, despite technically bowing out in the first round. They dispatched an offensively loaded Toronto Maple Leafs team in the play-ins and forced the best out of the Stanley Cup favorite Tampa Bay Lightning in their five-game series before ultimately losing out. They were carried
After winning only one game in the last two postseason series, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ offseason will be crucial. The Penguins were swept in the first round by the New York Islanders in the 2019 Stanely Cup Playoffs and then lost to the Montreal Canadians in the play-in round this season. Back-to-back, early exits in the
Now that the 2019-20 season is officially over for the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s time for rumor mongers to go crazy. There will naturally be changes in the Maple Leafs lineup and on the team’s roster. What might these changes be? Related: Maple Leafs’ Nick Robertson: His Progress, Problems & Potential There are at least
It seems like forever since the Detroit Red Wings were linked to all the top pending free agents every year. Back when they were perennial playoff contenders, the summer months signaled a time when fresh faces signed on in Hockeytown to pursue a Stanley Cup championship. Nowadays, the Red Wings are mostly stuck sifting through
When the NHL free agency period begins on Oct. 9 at 9 a.m. PST, San Jose Sharks’ general manager Doug Wilson will have around $14 million in cap room to spend in free agency, looking to turn the Sharks around from one of their worst seasons in team history. To Wilson’s credit, he’s already done