NHL Free Agency Frenzy Roundup: The Pacific Division

Anaheim Ducks: D-

Key Signings: A.J. Greer* (F), Nick Jensen (D), Leo Carlsson** (F), Pavel Mintyukov* (D)

Could it get any worse for the Anaheim Ducks? This offseason felt like a disaster unfolding for Pat Verbeek and the Ducks, with seemingly every day bringing more bad news.

It started off with trading away promising young defenseman in Olen Zellweger, followed by moving on from Mason McTavish at the draft after months of trade rumours. One day later, they would trade away veteran defenseman John Carlson, who they acquired at the deadline, after unsuccessful negotiations to keep him. While the return for McTavish wasn't bad by any means, it felt like Verbeek was almost forced into making the move. Considering the rumours surrounding his value throughout the season, the return feels slightly underwhelming. I do believe Ducks fans should be excited about Nikita Klepov who was drafted with one of the picks acquired from the McTavish trade. He was one of my favourite prospects in this year's draft class.

The Ducks also lost Jacob Trouba in free agency before trading captain Radko Gudas for A.J. Greer, who then signed a four-year, $4.25 million contract. That deal feels like a head-scratcher. With several important players still needing contracts, every dollar matters, and committing that much money to a player likely playing a limited role feels questionable. Outside of adding veteran Nick Jensen, Anaheim's right side on defense is noticeably weaker than it did last season.

Now for the biggest elephant in the room. Leo Carlsson accepted an $18 million offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers, shocking the hockey world and changing the market. The situation created a domino effect, as Pavel Mintyukov also received an offer sheet, forcing Anaheim to commit $7.2 million annually over five years to keep the 22-year-old defenseman. Finally, the Carlsson saga ends as Verbeek matched the offer sheet, officially making him the highest-paid player in the NHL.

While Anaheim is fortunate to keep a player of Carlsson's caliber, even if he is currently overpaid, the long-term cap troubles could be significant. Cutter Gauthier's next contract is likely to be in the $11-16 million range, and the Ducks now project to have just over $9 million in cap space. I don't think keeping Gauthier will be the issue, but Anaheim may now have to move players at reduced value to create cap flexibility. With the salary cap continuing to rise and both Carlsson's and Mintyukov's contracts lasting only five years, I’m certain they will be just fine. Still, these deals limit the Ducks' flexibility and made a difficult offseason even worse. - Alessandro Azzuolo

Calgary Flames: C-

Key Signings: Simon Nemec (D), Maxim Tsyplakov (F), Michael Benning (D)

On June 23rd, the Flames sent a package of 2 conditional first round picks, the 35th overall pick (Ryan Roobroeck), and 21 year old defenseman Étienne Morin to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for 2021 second overall pick Simon Nemec and forward Maxim Tsyplakov, subsequently Nemec signed a 5 year, $7.25M AAV deal. Nemec is a well rounded offensive defenseman, roaming around to find the best opportunity for a goal, whether it is making a pass through a seam or lasering a shot on goal. However, he struggles on the defensive side of the game.

Included in the trade was Russian forward Maxim Tsyplakov, while he had an impressive rookie season with the Islanders netting 10 goals and 35 points in just under 15 minutes a game, he failed to replicate it and was shipped off to New Jersey at the trade deadline. The Flames hope to get something akin to rookie season Tsyplakov, but he should at least be an effective fourth line winger.  

Michael Benning is an interesting depth signing, the undersized defender is joining the Flames who have a significant logjam on the backend, especially at RD, but Benning has impressive puck skills and could provide some major value if he gets the opportunity 

The Flames took a big risk with Nemec, but he has the tools and now has the opportunity to make the Flames look like geniuses, however this deal hurts the development of former 9th overall pick Zayne Parekh, who plays a very similar game to Nemec and is just 2 years younger than him. – Robert Fullam

Edmonton Oilers: B

Key Signings: Jason Dickinson* (F), Connor Murphy* (D), Shakir Mukhamadulin (D), Ryan Shea (D), Devon Levi (G), Frederik Andersen (G)

The Oilers have had a very busy offseason, extending trade deadline acquisitions Jason Dickinson and Connor Murphy, acquiring goaltender Devon Levi for a 3rd round pick, and then trading veteran defenseman Darnell Nurse for young left shot defensive defenseman Shakir Mukhamadulin and prospect Zack Sharp, all before free agency even opened up. 

Jason Dickinson proved to be invaluable in the playoffs, providing stability in the bottom six as one of the strongest defensive forwards in the NHL as well as being a massive help to the Oilers penalty kill. Connor Murphy provided stability to the Oilers defensive core, shouldering some of the defensive burden for Mattias Ekholm. 

A surprise to many was the addition of breakout defenseman Ryan Shea, inking a 5 year deal at $4M AAV. After netting 6 goals and 35 points, the 6’2” defender was bound for a pay day, while the results may not be sustainable, Shea should provide much needed puck mobility in the bottom four.

Stan Bowman did not hesitate to sign Shakir Mukhamadulin to a 2 year 1.75M AAV deal, adding a massive defensive defenseman that will still be an RFA at the end of this deal. Mukhamadulin is a good skater with a cannon of a shot, but his value comes on the defensive side, utilizing his skating to close gaps and kill rush chances.

Between the pipes the Oilers added two very different goaltenders, the undersized Devon Levi, who relies on his speed and athleticism to make beautiful saves in big moments, and the calm, steady, positional goaltender Frederik Andersen, coming off a Stanley Cup run proving to everyone that he still had it. Joining Tristan Jarry who the OIlers acquired just last season will make the fight for both starter and backup positions very exciting.

The Edmonton Oilers made a lot of interesting moves, most of them were savvy, they still lack scoring in their bottom six but the defensive side of the puck should make their new trio of goalies lives significantly easier. – Robert Fullam

Los Angeles Kings: D-

Key Signings: Scott Laughton* (F), Erik Haula (F), Brandt Clarke* (D), Corey Perry (F), Mats Zuccarello (F)

After Anze Kopitar decided to retire after 20 seasons, the Kings had big shoes to fill, and they decided to fill those shoes with more players on the wrong side of 30, somehow getting older.

To fill the massive gap left by Kopitar, Ken Holland gave 32 year old Scott Laughton a 3 year extension at $3.5M AAV, as well as signing 35 year old Erik Haula for 2 years at $3.6M AAV, Laughton is a solid defensive bottom six center, while Haula has been on a downward trend for the past 3 seasons. Both signings are fine in a vacuum but together, with the Kings losing their first line center, makes these signings look much worse.

Easily their best signing was the 5 year, $7.4M AAV extension handed out to breakout star Brandt Clarke, who became the Kings most valuable player this past season, notching 8 goals and 40 assists while taking a massive leap forward defensively, breaking out of his sheltered role to take on larger minutes. 

Corey Perry returns to LA after getting moved to Tampa at the trade deadline, the 41 year old winger is one of the craftier players in the league, finding ways to score despite being one of the slowest players in the NHL, his shot isn’t quite where it was when he lead the NHL in goals 15 years ago but he is still deadly accurate and is a clinical finisher around the net.

Mats Zuccarello is an interesting fit, another one of the slowest players in the NHL but his playmaking ability is still top notch and he can be a deadly addition to the Kings powerplay, but Panarin should take the PP1 primary disher role leaving Zuccarello the scraps on the PP2, for 1 year and $1M plus potentially $5.5M in performance bonuses it’s a good bet, however the Kings will not be able to maximize what Zuccarello is best at.

Losing Kopitar has effectively killed their chances of making the playoffs but they still have some solid pieces along with two good goalies, after their free agency, they seem to be careening to a 6th place finish in the division. – Robert Fullam

San Jose Sharks: C+

Key Signings: Ivar Stenberg (F), Mason Marchment (F), Jacob Trouba (D)

The San Jose Sharks had a successful 2025-26 season. Although they fell short of the playoffs, winning the draft lottery and selecting Ivan Stenberg second overall was a pretty good consolation prize.

Sharks fans finally got to see a level of competitiveness that had been missing over the past few years, all while watching generational talent Macklin Celebrini continue to develop. Every draft ranking seemed to praise San Jose, not only for landing Ivar Stenberg, but also Keaton Verhoeff and Ryan Lin, two defensemen who many felt slipped lower than expected, then things took a turn?

Mason Marchment signs to a five-year, $6.75 million contract and Jacob Trouba to four years at $8.25 million. This immediately had fans questioning Mike Grier. After such a successful draft, Grier turned around and handed out two huge contracts to veteran players. To top it all off, the Sharks traded for Darnell Nurse, taking on his entire contract without any salary retention, and even gave up assets to do it.

Understandably, a lot of hockey fans were left confused. Why help the Edmonton Oilers clear such a massive contract and help Connor McDavid? While Grier undoubtedly overpaid for Marchment and Trouba, the Sharks also addressed one of their biggest weaknesses. Since Celebrini arrived, offense hasn't been the problem, defense has. If San Jose wanted to become more competitive, especially in its own end, Grier knew he would have to pay.

If you know Mike Grier, then you know he loves gritty, old-school hockey. Trouba brings veteran leadership and physicality, something the Sharks desperately need. He may not be worth his contract, but stylistically he makes sense. The same applies to Nurse. Grier paid a premium to get his guys. Marchment fits that identity as well. He plays a physical game, can contribute offensively, and gives the Sharks another versatile winger who can move throughout the lineup.

The reality is that San Jose has a generational superstar in Macklin Celebrini, and he wants to win. As a general manager, you have a decision to make. Do you tell your franchise player to wait another two or three years, if not longer, for the young core to develop, or do you try to become competitive now and let that group gain experience?

I think the answer is simple. You can dislike the contracts and still understand why Grier made these moves. They may be expensive, but they were made with the goal of making the Sharks better today. - Alessandro Azzuolo

Seattle Kraken: D

Key Signings: Mackie Samoskevich* (F), Curtis Douglas (F),

The Kraken have had a pretty quiet offseason, with their biggest piece of news being their unsuccessful attempt to land Jason Robertson on a reported $15 million offer.

Unfortunately for Seattle, that would have been a fantastic addition. Robertson would have solved one of the organization's biggest issues by giving them a true superstar to build around. With Robertson no longer on the table, the Kraken really haven't done much.

They re-signed Mackie Samoskevich to a three-year contract worth $3.85 million annually after acquiring him from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick. I like that contract quite a bit. It carries good value, and I'm a fan of Samoskevich's game, but I also understand why Kraken fans were left feeling pretty disappointed from this off-season.

Seattle also signed Curtis Douglas to a two-year, $2.5 million contract. He'll likely play a limited role while providing size and physicality with his 6-foot-9 frame.

As a hockey fan, I'd love to see the Kraken land the superstar they have been missing. With rumours of a Shane Wright trade, perhaps they can acquire someone capable of truly changing the direction of this team. As things stand, Seattle looks very similar to last season, and that's concerning if they are looking to land in a playoff spot for his upcoming season. - Alessandro Azzuolo

Vancouver Canucks: D

Key Signings: Paul Cotter (F), Luke Schenn (D), Jamie Oleksiak (D) 

After a disastrous season lead to the end of the Quinn Hughes era in Vancouver, the Canucks moved down to 3rd overall in the NHL Entry Draft and selected Center Caleb Malhotra, son of current head coach Manny Malhotra, as well as selecting Czech winger Adam Novotny 24th overall. While they have some interesting pieces for the future, the Canucks will look to ice a hockey team that isn’t a complete embarrassment to British Columbia for this season.

After trading veteran defenseman Marcus Pettersson, the Canucks added Jamie Oleksiak and Luke Schenn to help replenish their D-core. Both defensemen are cut from the same cloth, hulking, physical, veteran, shutdown defenders that will put their bodies on the line to help their team win. While the Canucks should not expect many wins this season, these two will show their emerging, young defenders what to win in the big games.

Paul Cotter is a somewhat exciting add, one of the silkiest forwards in the league, he will pull highlight reel goals like a rabbit out of a hat. He is more than just highlight goals however, his defensive game is solid, adding some much needed structure to the Canucks. In the shootout, Cotter and Lankinen will make for the most randomly incredible duo we might ever see.

The Canucks will no doubt stink next year, but these signings should provide stability for a young team that will need it more than anything. – Robert Fullam

Vegas Golden Knights: C-

Key Signings: Rasmus Andersson* (D), Victor Olofsson (F), Marc Gatcomb (F), Jonas Rondbjerg* (F), Raphael Lavoie* (F)

For Vegas, it is fitting to address their biggest move of the offseason, re-signing Rasmus Andersson to a seven-year contract worth $8.5 million annually. The first five years of the deal carry a full no-trade clause before transitioning to a modified 15-team no-trade list for the final two seasons.

This contract caused quite a stir online, as many supporters felt Andersson's playoff performance showed he was not worth such a hefty contract, especially with Vegas already struggling cap-wise. The Golden Knights currently project to be $8.61 million over the salary cap, leaving them with very little flexibility.

Andersson did not consistently play like an $8.5 million defenseman after arriving in Vegas, but we did see that version of him earlier in the year with Calgary. Compared to other defensemen making similar money, he feels like he falls near the bottom of that group in terms of overall impact. That said, looking at what was available on the market, I do believe this was a worthwhile risk. At the very least, Andersson solidifies Vegas' top four and has shown he can handle top-pair minutes when needed, as he did in Calgary.

Losing Pavel Dorofeyev is difficult, as it takes away one of the team's best goal scorers. However, I really don't believe Vegas will be too affected. On paper, they still have a very strong roster and should remain one of the better teams in the Western Conference if they could avoid injuries. The Victor Olofsson signing feels like a nice, inexpensive top-nine addition who could help replace some of the scoring touch left behind by Dorofeyev.

Vegas also made a couple of needed depth signings. Players like Marc Gatcomb, Raphael Lavoie, and Jonas Rondbjerg help out the bottom six. I don't think Vegas looks all that different from last season, which is both good and bad. They reached the Western Conference Final, but also came close to missing the playoffs. With their current cap situation, it feels almost impossible for them to improve much more, although I don't think it will be a major issue for this Golden Knights team heading into next season. - Alessandro Azzuolo