NHL free agency 2025: How all 32 teams can earn an A+ grade

What they should do: General Manager Don Sweeney appears focused on retaining the Bruins` existing talent. He has already secured Mason Lohrei with a two-year extension and is in discussions with Henri Jokiharju regarding a return to maintain depth on the right side of the defense.

Sweeney also signed Morgan Geekie to a new contract. The forward is coming off a career-best NHL season with 33 goals and 57 points and could become a fundamental piece for the Bruins moving forward.

Beyond this, Sweeney needs to find external help to bolster Boston`s scoring ability. Only Geekie and David Pastrnak managed over 20 goals last season, contributing to the Bruins ranking 28th in offense. There`s significant room for improvement that Sweeney must address through free agency.

What they should do: General Manager Kevyn Adams indicated he had a strategy, which was put into motion with the trade of RFA JJ Peterka to Utah. This seemed like the initial step in Buffalo`s offseason moves.

Adams then extended pending RFA Jack Quinn with a two-year deal. However, more work remains. If Adams plans to move on from Bowen Byram, now is the opportune time while he still holds significant value. Following that, extending Alex Tuch should be Adams` priority. The key forward and passionate leader is eligible to re-sign starting Tuesday, and given the Sabres` need for positive developments, delaying is unnecessary.

Another question is how to achieve greater consistency next season. Adams should target free agents who can bring this attribute. Players like Mason Appleton or Connor Brown could fit well into the Sabres` bottom six, providing much-needed depth. Crucially, Adams must remain proactive and not let Buffalo`s recent lack of success lead to complacency.

What they should do: The Red Wings executed a significant trade during the draft weekend, acquiring John Gibson from Anaheim in exchange for Petr Mrazek and two draft picks. This provided a necessary upgrade in Detroit`s goaltending and pairs Gibson with another reliable veteran, Cam Talbot. It`s a strong start to the offseason for GM Steve Yzerman.

He will continue to refine the roster to improve the team`s chances of returning to the postseason. Re-signing Patrick Kane offers a straightforward boost – he performed well at 5-on-5 and on special teams and brings valuable veteran presence.

The Red Wings` defense, however, requires a genuine upgrade. Detroit allowed the 12th-most goals last season, and the veteran players relied upon for the second and third pairings were not effective enough. Free agent options like Vladislav Gavrikov could help, or Yzerman might pursue a trade for someone like RFA K`Andre Miller. Regardless of the approach, finding one or two defensemen to alleviate pressure on Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson is crucial.

What they should do: The Panthers have already addressed their goaltending by trading for Daniil Tarasov from Columbus to back up Sergei Bobrovsky. The 26-year-old will replace departing UFA Vitek Vanecek, checking one item off GM Bill Zito`s list. The focus then shifts significantly to Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad. The potential ripple effect on Florida`s other moves depends entirely on whether deals for these two players are finalized.

Before re-signing, Sam Bennett publicly declared his intention to stay in Florida, a move Ekblad`s agent reportedly advised against for negotiation leverage. Nevertheless, it`s likely all parties involved wish to remain together if feasible, which is a considerable `if`.

Zito has limited cap flexibility for additional contracts. Will he make a trade to ensure Ekblad remains with the team? Fortunately for Zito, Florida has few other significant roster gaps to fill. Retaining Marchand shouldn`t require an exorbitant contract given his age and team role. Zito has found his backup goalie; now the priority is internal negotiations to position the Panthers for another successful season.

What they should do: Montreal made headlines with their playoff appearance in 2024-25, but that pales in comparison to GM Kent Hughes` draft day maneuver, acquiring Noah Dobson from the Islanders and signing him to an eight-year, $76 million contract. This move came at a high cost, including two 2025 first-round picks, but adding the 25-year-old Dobson alongside Lane Hutson and others significantly strengthens the Canadiens` defense.

Currently, the Canadiens` most obvious need is a second-line center. However, this is a highly sought-after position with limited free agency options available. Anthony Beauvillier has been frequently linked to the Habs, but he wouldn`t be a long-term solution. Re-signing Christian Dvorak would also serve as a temporary fix.

Hughes could instead focus on adding wingers or orchestrate a trade for a true top-six pivot. In any scenario, the front office needs to inject exciting offensive energy into the Canadiens` lineup without sacrificing too much of the prospect pipeline or future draft capital.

What they should do: The Senators` primary focus was largely on re-signing Claude Giroux. GM Steve Staois achieved this Sunday, signing Giroux to a one-year contract extension. This is a crucial agreement for the Senators to maintain some of the consistency that contributed to them becoming a playoff team last season.

Now, will Staois make significant additional moves to improve Ottawa moving forward? He has publicly expressed satisfaction with the current roster and might decide that simply retaining Giroux and his leadership will be most beneficial for the Senators` developing core.

Ottawa doesn`t appear to have glaring needs in other areas; their deliberate, steady build has been for a reason. Getting the Giroux deal done might signal Staois` intention to continue prioritizing internal growth over pursuing external help. This approach would also be reflected in an extension for Anton Forsberg, although rumors suggest the goaltender might prefer to test the open market.

What they should do: As is typical for Tampa Bay, anything is possible. Where there`s a will, GM Julien BriseBois usually finds a way. The Lightning ran out of steam in the postseason again, and BriseBois likely aimed to prevent this by leveraging his minimal cap space to add new players, particularly on defense. However, at a minimum, retaining Nick Perbix and Gage Goncalves is necessary. Both players have effectively filled their roles for Tampa Bay recently, with Goncalves especially beginning to establish himself in the NHL.

BriseBois has completed multiple significant trades recently, and Goncalves could also be a player to watch on the trade market if the GM decides to take another risk to give the Lightning a chance to be the dominant team in the Sunshine State once more.

What they should do: The Maple Leafs addressed a key priority by signing John Tavares to a four-year extension last week, completing GM Brad Treliving`s top task for the offseason.

Unless a trade for Mitch Marner`s rights occurs within the next 24 hours, he is almost certain to leave as a free agent, which represents a significant loss for the Leafs` offense. Losing Tavares as well would have severely depleted the team`s center depth.

With Tavares secured and knowing the team won`t allocate substantial cap space to Marner, Treliving was able to sign RFA Matthew Knies to a six-year extension with a $7.75 million AAV. This is a highly favorable outcome for the Leafs.

Now, will Treliving use the remaining space to address gaps, perhaps by adding defensive help? That would also be a smart move. He should also consider bringing back Steven Lorentz and Nick Robertson.

What they should do: Carolina has consistently fallen short in the Eastern Conference Finals, reaching this stage in two of the last three seasons. It falls on GM Erik Tulsky to acquire players who can propel the Hurricanes further.

The immediate need for Carolina is the addition of scoring wingers, ideally with top-nine experience and a proven ability to produce. A second-line center would also be valuable, and if cap space permits, enhancing their right-side defensive depth would be beneficial. Carolina averaged under three goals per game in the playoffs, particularly struggling against Florida`s strong defensive effort in the conference finals.

The Hurricanes might have too many similar types of players, making them easier to shut down. Tulsky should target players who can add some grit to complement the skill already present on the roster.

What they should do: Columbus didn`t wait until Tuesday to start making deals, trading for Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood from Colorado. Coyle, in particular, strengthens the Blue Jackets` middle six and provides flexibility at center. If Wood can regain his form after a few less productive seasons, he will contribute somewhere in the bottom six.

This type of depth is an asset but isn`t sufficient on its own to drastically change the Blue Jackets` trajectory. GM Don Waddell should seek another center and a top-six winger who complement the young core. The right side of their blue line would also benefit from improvements, in addition to the extension for Dante Fabbro.

These needs were apparent even before the trade of goalie Daniil Tarasov. How will Waddell address Columbus` goaltending now? They have Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves. Waddell is not optimizing the Blue Jackets` opportunities without exploring an upgrade in net.

What they should do: The Devils` priority will justifiably be finalizing a new contract for pending RFA Luke Hughes, a cornerstone on their defense and crucial for the franchise`s future. After that, GM Tom Fitzgerald can focus on enhancing New Jersey`s offense.

There`s a significant need for a center, especially if they don`t qualify RFA Cody Glass, considering Dawson Mercer might not be ready for that role next season. Boosting the team`s scoring is another key task. New Jersey ranked 20th in offense last season, and while Jack Hughes` injury contributed to this, it was still an issue even when he was healthy.

The backup goaltender position also needs attention: Can the Devils rely on Nico Daws behind Jacob Markstrom? Free agency offers limited goaltending options, but a trade could potentially materialize to help the Devils improve in this area.

What they should do: Incoming GM Mathieu Darche quickly made significant changes by trading Noah Dobson to Montreal during the draft weekend. This move left the Islanders with only four signed defensemen for this season, requiring Darche to replenish the blue line through free agency, another trade, or by re-signing Alexander Romanov and Scott Perunovich.

Additionally, there`s the possibility that the No. 1 overall draft pick, Matthew Schaefer, could earn a spot in the lineup. The team`s next priority is ensuring Ilya Sorokin has adequate support in goal next season. Semyon Varlamov was sidelined by injury in December and didn`t return, impacting the Islanders` goaltending performance. Varlamov is now 37 and might no longer be the optimal partner for a top-tier goalie like Sorokin. Darche will need to decide whether a trade for Varlamov is feasible or if the Islanders can trust him to provide strong minutes in the upcoming season.

As usual, the Islanders could also benefit from more scoring depth (they were 28th in offense last season), but they must prioritize which areas to address now versus later.

What they should do: New York has already traded Chris Kreider to Anaheim, a move that seemed inevitable at some point this offseason. This freed up some cap space that can be used to help the team return to the playoffs.

Making a decision regarding K`Andre Miller is critical. Will the Rangers keep him? Trade him? What is his long-term role with the team?

There is also Will Cuylle, who had an excellent second season and should be re-signed quickly by the Rangers to avoid any offer-sheet scenarios. New York does not currently have enough cap space for many other major acquisitions. Barring another veteran trade, GM Chris Drury`s best course of action for now might be taking care of his own pending free agents.

What they should do: Philadelphia`s main objectives for the 2025-26 season were to improve their depth down the middle and acquire another goaltender. Trading for Trevor Zegras has, theoretically, achieved the first goal. Now the Flyers need to find another goaltender to complement Samuel Ersson.

Philadelphia ranked 32nd in team save percentage last season (.872), and neither Ivan Fedotov nor Aleksei Kolosov appear reliable enough for the Flyers to depend on moving forward. GM Danny Briere will have to search the free agent market for another netminder, despite limited high-end options.

A trade for Thatcher Demko, given his connection to new coach Rick Tocchet and one year remaining on his contract at $5 million AAV, might be their best option despite his injury history. Alex Lyon or Jake Allen could also serve as viable veteran options to support Ersson, whom the organization still believes has a promising future.

After addressing the goaltending situation, if Briere can also add a left-handed defenseman, it would further benefit Philadelphia.

What they should do: We anticipate the Penguins will not trade Sidney Crosby this offseason. Erik Karlsson, however? That`s something GM Kyle Dubas should be exploring. Karlsson has shown signs of age over the past two seasons, and Pittsburgh needs to become younger and faster if they aim to contend for a playoff spot. Getting Karlsson`s contract off the books will be challenging, but if Dubas can find a way, it would significantly benefit the Penguins.

Dubas is likely to re-sign both Connor Dewar and Philip Tomasino.

Then there`s the question of the Penguins` goaltending confidence – where does it stand currently? Tristan Jarry and Alex Nedeljkovic remain with the team, but were, to put it mildly, not a top tandem last season. Could a Karlsson trade potentially bring in a goaltender to help? It`s a possibility.

What they should do: GM Chris Patrick stated his desire to add more high-skill players to the Capitals` lineup. This seems surprising given they were the second-highest scoring team in 2024-25, yet there is logic to it. Washington`s offense was boosted by several players having career-best seasons, and it would be unwise to rely on this happening for so many players again.

Retaining Anthony Beauvillier would help the Capitals maintain their bottom-six depth without incurring significant cost. There will be some roster turnover regardless, with T.J. Oshie retiring, making the decision to prioritize scoring a sensible one.

What they should do: The goal is to improve the roster while simultaneously advancing the team`s rebuild. The Blackhawks finished in the bottom 10 for goals scored per game and allowed the second-most goals per game. GM Kyle Davidson traded for Andre Burakovsky to add a potential scoring option. Davidson could use free agency or another trade to find an additional experienced scorer who complements their youth movement.

It`s also possible the Blackhawks might seek to do the same on defense by acquiring at least two experienced defensemen to address last season`s shortcomings, especially considering their current group includes seven skaters younger than 24 who are under contract or team control for next season.

What they should do: The focus is on strengthening their roster to pursue another Stanley Cup. Building a solid supporting cast has been a challenge since the Avs won the Cup in 2022, and it remains a need. They must once again reconfigure their bottom-six forward group and their third defense pairing.

Options are available, but the limiting factor is cap space, which is why they are in this situation. Trading Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood generated an additional $8.2 million in space but came at the cost of needing to fill two more bottom-six roles.

What they should do: The priority is reinforcing their bottom-six forward group. This is a common theme: another Western Conference team in a championship window needs to rebuild its bottom six with the aim of having them contribute effectively towards their goal. While the Stars could potentially add help elsewhere, the bottom six appears to be their most pressing need. Currently, only 10 forwards are under contract on a team that needs to create more cap space to acquire the best possible options.

What they should do: The objective is to solidify the roster by adding more goal scorers. GM Bill Guerin stated at the end of the season that finding another center was part of the team`s plan. The Wild seemingly had several potential free-agent center options.

However, those options dwindled as centers like Sam Bennett, Matt Duchene, Brock Nelson, and John Tavares re-signed with their current teams, while Jonathan Toews signed a one-year deal with his hometown Jets.

Should the Wild choose a different direction, they could look to add another top-six or top-nine winger. One wonders if there`s a seven-time 20-goal scorer who might become a free agent and just happens to be from the Twin Cities area.

What they should do: The Predators need to decide on the path they believe will lead to success. A mix of experienced and inexperienced players contributed to them going from a playoff team to a lottery team in a single season, especially after GM Barry Trotz`s comments about `winning July 1` last year.

Trotz has expressed confidence in the potential of the club`s young players and believes they can find cohesion with the more experienced players. However, the Predators might also consider adding another top-nine forward and/or a top-six defenseman as a safeguard. Trotz addressed the latter late Sunday by trading for Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague and signing him to a four-year contract worth $5.5 million annually.

What they should do: The Blues need to add at least one more defenseman. GM Doug Armstrong indicated in May that he doesn`t expect Torey Krug to play next season. If that`s the case, the Blues will need another top-six defenseman and potentially one more for depth.

Armstrong told reporters before the draft that the Blues will have long-term injured reserve space available from Krug`s contract, which carries a $6.5 million annual cap hit.

Aside from defense, the Blues appear to have their top-nine forwards settled and both goaltenders under contract, with Joel Hofer signing a two-year extension Saturday.

What they should do: The team should aggressively pursue every available top-six forward. They`ve already started by trading for JJ Peterka and signing him to a five-year extension worth $7.7 million annually.

It`s possible other potential top-six players could become available if they reach the market. If not, Utah might explore trades to add one more forward to a team that seems on the verge of playoff contention. This is particularly relevant as Utah was among the top 10 teams in the NHL for shots per 60 minutes and scoring chances per 60 but finished 21st in goals per game.

What they should do: The Jets should strategically sign more forwards. The situation with Nikolaj Ehlers could resolve with him signing a contract, but there`s also a possibility he leaves in a market where he is one of the most attractive options. Regardless of Ehlers, the Jets have room to spend on additional scoring help, but they must balance their cap space carefully. They either need to re-sign Ehlers or find a suitable replacement.

They also need to finalize a new contract for 27-goal scorer Gabriel Vilardi. Furthermore, they need to bolster their bottom-six forward group while also addressing Dylan Samberg on the back end.

What they should do: The strategy should be to spend cautiously now, keeping future needs in mind. Theoretically, GM Pat Verbeek possesses ample cap space to pursue whatever he deems necessary. This could involve adding another top-six forward, a middle-six forward, or at least two bottom-six forwards. Verbeek might also make moves on defense, but doing so risks reducing playing time for members of their young but promising blue line.

Furthermore, any decision Verbeek makes carries the consequence of needing to pay key players this offseason, with the understanding that Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger will all be RFAs after next season.

What they should do: The Flames need to acquire forwards capable of consistently converting scoring chances. The situation is somewhat complex because they are seeking scoring help in a free-agent market where options could trigger bidding wars.

The Flames could engage in this bidding, or they might determine that finding a trade is a more suitable way to address their needs. They must also consider the contract structure for Morgan Frost and Connor Zary – whether to opt for short-term bridge deals or longer-term agreements for cost certainty.

What they should do: The Oilers must re-sign Evan Bouchard and then revamp their supporting cast. There appears to be at least one opening in their top six, a few more on their fourth line, and at least one spot among their defensemen.

Their goaltending situation remains a question mark after consecutive defeats in the Stanley Cup Final, featuring inconsistent performances.

The Oilers have clear areas needing attention, understanding they will either need to create more cap space or aim to improve their roster by acquiring personnel at team-friendly prices.

Naturally, all these decisions are made with the fact that the best player in the world is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season, which could significantly influence their strategy.

What they should do: New GM Ken Holland should take one or two significant swings. He has been linked to various notable top-six forwards, including Brock Boeser, Mitch Marner, and Brad Marchand. The Kings could also pursue another top-four defenseman, either by re-signing Vladislav Gavrikov or acquiring someone else.

However, this must be balanced with the understanding that the Kings will need sufficient cap space remaining to add more experienced players to their fourth line and potentially upgrade their backup goaltender if necessary.

What they should do: The focus should remain on continuing the rebuild. Finishing last in the NHL means the Sharks need help in numerous areas. In fact, they could use improvement everywhere, from their top nine forwards and bottom six to their defense, and adding another goaltender to potentially form a tandem with promising prospect Yaroslav Askarov.

This will be the second season for Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, indicating the team is still prioritizing the future. Thus, the Sharks might again sign veteran players to one-year contracts whom they could potentially trade at the deadline to acquire more draft capital.

What they should do: The Kraken should continue their trend of adding players who help establish consistency. Examples include trading for Mason Marchment, a 22-goal scorer who theoretically bolsters their top-nine, or trading for Frederick Gaudreau to provide their bottom six with a reliable two-way center and an 18-goal scorer who has reached 14 or more goals in three of the last four seasons.

These are the kinds of moves that could help the Kraken find more continuity and potentially build a deeper roster than they have had since making the playoffs in their second season.

What they should do: The Canucks need to find more help for their top nine forwards. Consistent goal scoring was an issue last season and appears likely to remain so heading into next season.

There`s a possibility they could re-sign Brock Boeser and Pius Suter, although they could also lose both, which would create a new void to fill.

The Canucks should also add another bottom-pairing defenseman, keeping in mind the limitations imposed by their restricted cap space.

What they should do: The objective is to strengthen the roster to win a second Stanley Cup. There`s always an expectation that GM Kelly McCrimmon will make moves. As for what those moves might be, it`s complicated.

On Saturday, multiple reports surfaced about discussions with the Maple Leafs regarding a sign-and-trade involving Mitch Marner. A day later, The Fourth Period reported that defenseman Alex Pietrangelo would require multiple surgeries and is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season.

Hours after that, they traded then-pending RFA defenseman Nicolas Hague for forward Colton Sissons and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. This move added depth but left them with less than $800,000 in cap space. It`s never dull in Vegas!