NHL
Which NHL teams could be the most aggressive buyers in the free-agency and trade market this offseason? There are a few factors to consider when identifying which clubs could make some noise.
You can’t go big-game hunting without salary cap flexibility and premium assets. Hence, excess cap space and robust trade capital (owning extra draft picks and having a strong prospect pipeline to deal from) are the first prerequisites. After that, the team’s direction and ambition level are essential, too. Some clubs have a lot of cap room and trade assets, but they’re not yet in an accelerated phase of roster building, which makes them less likely to spend lavishly.
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We combed the league searching for clubs that matched this bill: Having disposable cap space, rich trade capital, and a strong incentive to make a splash this summer.
In evaluating each team’s cap situation, we had to be mindful of key restricted free agents. For example, the Winnipeg Jets have $26.4 million in cap space right now, which is impressive at first glance, but a large chunk of that will be consumed by the long-term extensions that RFAs Dylan Samberg and Gabriel Vilardi are likely to sign. That means their disposable cap space isn’t as high as the other teams on this list, despite the room they technically have on paper right now.
Without further ado, here are 10 teams to keep an eye on.
Projected cap space: $38.7 million (16 players signed)
Notable RFAs: Mason McTavish, Lukáš Dostál
Notable UFAs: Robby Fabbri
General manager Pat Verbeek stated that he expects the Ducks to “make the playoffs next season” and that he’ll be “very active and aggressive” this summer.
There’s a lot Verbeek will need to accomplish to elevate Anaheim to the level of a playoff team, but he has a mountain of cap space and assets to help achieve that goal. The Ducks have nearly $27 million to spend even after you plug in AFP Analytics’ contract projections for RFAs McTavish ($6.8 million AAV) and Dostál (four years, $5.2 million AAV)
Assets-wise, Anaheim has nine picks at this year’s draft and an above-average prospect pool.
Only two Ducks forwards, Troy Terry and McTavish, crossed the 50-point mark this season, and none hit 25 goals. They need to add a top-flight scoring winger or two to give the offense a shot in the arm — Mitch Marner, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Brock Boeser could be potential targets.
It isn’t farfetched to think that Anaheim could be in the wild-card race next season if it’s able to land an offensive star or two, on top of the potential breakouts you could see from the likes of Leo Carlsson, McTavish, and Cutter Gauthier, among others.
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Projected cap space: $28.4 million (20 players signed)
Notable RFAs: None
Notable UFAs: Brent Burns, Dmitry Orlov, Jack Roslovic, Eric Robinson
The Hurricanes have by far the most cap space and trade assets of any active NHL contender.
With Dmitry Orlov and Brent Burns’ contracts coming off the books this summer, GM Eric Tulsky will have a whopping $28.4 million of cap space. Alexander Nikishin and Scott Morrow, two blue-chip up-and-coming defensemen who debuted in the playoffs, should be able to pick up some of the slack that Orlov and Burns’ departures could create.
Carolina has all of its own first-round picks and two extra from Dallas in 2026 and 2028 because of the Mikko Rantanen trade. That gives them plenty of ammo to go star-chasing on the trade market.
The Hurricanes have a few needs they could target. Finding a true second-line center behind Sebastian Aho should be a priority. Adding another elite winger to the core — which the Hurricanes attempted to do with Rantanen and Jake Guentzel the last two seasons — would be huge. It’d also make sense to target an offensively-oriented right-shot defenseman to play with Jaccob Slavin, with Rasmus Andersson, Erik Karlsson, and Noah Dobson (if the Islanders decide his next contract will be too expensive) standing out as potential fits.
Carolina has the cap space and assets to address all three of those needs if it wants to.
Projected cap space: $20.4 million (21 players signed)
Notable RFAs: Jack McBain
Notable UFAs: Nick Bjugstad
Utah was one of the most aggressive buyers in the NHL last summer, swinging a blockbuster trade for Mikhail Sergachev and making a separate move for John Marino. Don’t be surprised if we see more fireworks from them this offseason.
The Mammoth have around $20 million of cap space, with 11 forwards, eight defensemen, and a starting goaltender already signed. GM Bill Armstrong has all of his first-round picks and a whopping 11 picks in 2026 (headlined by three second-rounders) to deal from potentially. Utah’s top-10 ranked prospect pool is also a strength that the club can weaponize on the trade market.
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Utah ranked 21st for goals scored per game this season, so adding a high-end top-six difference maker or two should be the No. 1 priority. An impact second-line center to upgrade on Barrett Hayton would be the ideal fit, but it’d also make sense for them to take an aggressive run at Marner.
Besides upgrading at forward, the Mammoth may also need a second goaltender, depending on Connor Ingram’s status. Ingram re-entered the NHLPA Players Assistance program in March for an indefinite period. Karel Vejmelka was rock solid as Utah’s starter, so the club wouldn’t need to spend big on adding a backup.
Projected cap space: $40.4 million (17 players signed)
Notable RFAs: Dmitry Voronkov
Notable UFAs: Ivan Provorov, Dante Fabbro, James Van Riemsdyk, Luke Kunin
Columbus’ surprisingly competitive season was one of the best stories in hockey this year. This offseason could be a massive opportunity for the franchise to build around its talented young core and hopefully secure a playoff spot in 2026.
After re-signing Voronkov, who is projected to net a $6.3 million AAV on a five-year deal according to AFP Analytics, the Blue Jackets will have $34.1 million of cap space to deploy. Columbus has extra draft picks it can dangle on the trade market, too, with two first-round picks this year and 10 picks for the 2026 draft. GM Don Waddell has already said both of this year’s first-round picks are available.
Upgrading the defense and goaltending will be key as the Blue Jackets ranked 25th in the NHL for goals against per game. Re-signing Fabbro would make sense, but adding a high-end top-four defender or two on top of that would go a long way in making the Blue Jackets’ blue line playoff-caliber. Their existing goaltending tandem of Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov (an RFA) also isn’t good enough.
Realistically, the Blue Jackets could bolster their backend and goaltending and still have ample cap room left over to swing for an elite forward like Marner, too.
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Projected cap space: $29.2 million (21 players signed)
Notable RFAs: Wyatt Kaiser
Notable UFAs: Ryan Donato
Fresh off hiring a new head coach and with Connor Bedard entering year three, GM Kyle Davidson must be feeling pressure to upgrade the Blackhawks’ roster significantly. He can’t afford another season finishing 31st.
Chicago should be searching for a top-line forward or two for Bedard to play with, regardless of whether that’s via free agency or trade. It would also be wise to consider adding a proven, established top-four defenseman to fill the hole created by the Seth Jones trade. The Blackhawks have multiple first and second-round picks over the next two drafts that they can use as potential trade chips.
The Blackhawks already have some middle-of-the-lineup veterans, and they need to keep roster spots open for their emerging group of prospects. Therefore, this offseason’s mission isn’t about adding a high volume of new players but instead finding a couple of actual difference-makers near the top of the lineup.
Projected cap space: $21.7 million (21 players signed)
Notable RFAs: Alex Laferriere
Notable UFAs: Vladislav Gavrikov, Andrei Kuzmenko, Tanner Jeannot
Four straight first-round playoff exits to the Edmonton Oilers cost Rob Blake his job. In comes Ken Holland, who has already told colleague Pierre LeBrun that he plans to be “aggressive” in the GM chair. It makes sense because while the Kings have a deep, hard-working team, they could use a game-breaking star to put them over the top come playoff time.
Los Angeles has $21.7 million to spend, but that could dwindle if the club re-signs stud top-four defender Vladislav Gavrikov. L.A. would be left with $10.3 million if it re-signed Gavrikov at a $7.6 million AAV, and bridged Laferriere on a $3.8 million AAV, according to AFP Analytics. The Kings could ship out a modest contract, such as Trevor Moore’s, to carve out the extra cap flexibility needed to make a serious run at Marner. They also still own all of their first-round picks, which could be valuable trade currency if the right top-six winger becomes available.
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Projected cap space: $21.3 million (17 players signed)
Notable RFAs: Jonatan Berggren, Elmer Soderblom, Albert Johansson
Notable UFAs: Patrick Kane, Jeff Petry
The clock is ticking for GM Steve Yzerman to snap the Red Wings’ nine-year playoff drought.
Detroit’s first-round drafting has been excellent, but Yzerman’s front office has made several blunders in free agency that have hindered the franchise’s progress. Armed with over $20 million of cap flexibility again this summer — and with Yzerman sounding open to taking bold swings — the Red Wings must hit on their signings and trades to become a playoff-caliber team.
Bolstering the top-four defense, which falls off a cliff after Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson, is a critical need. Bringing in another top-six winger to upgrade the team’s five-on-five scoring, which ranked 30th in the NHL this season, is essential, too.
If the Red Wings aren’t able to land a top-tier, guaranteed solution to those needs in free agency, they should pivot to the trade market. Detroit’s inefficient contracts, such as those for Andrew Copp, Vladimir Tarasenko, Justin Holl, and J.T. Compher, stem from overpaying for middle-class talent on the open market. There’s no sense doing that when the Red Wings can leverage their complete set of draft picks and rich prospect pool to find better fits via trade.
Projected cap space: $12.2 million (21 players signed)
Notable RFAs: Aatu Räty
Notable UFAs: Brock Boeser, Pius Suter
Quinn Hughes only has two years left on his contract and will be eligible to sign an extension on July 1, 2026. The Canucks, after missing the playoffs in four of the last five years, are facing enormous pressure to get back on track next season to maximize their chances of keeping their superstar captain long-term.
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Vancouver is going to go all-in this summer to improve its roster. The Canucks desperately need to add a second-line center and a top-six winger, with one of them preferably having star potential (they didn’t have a single forward hit the 55-point mark this season).
Jim Rutherford said that he expects the club to make its biggest acquisitions via trade rather than free agency. Vancouver’s No. 15 pick this year will likely be traded. The Canucks may also need to ship out one of their top prospects, whether that’s Tom Willander, Jonathan Lekkerimäki, Elias Pettersson the defenseman, or Victor Mancini, to complete their offseason shopping.
The Canucks are middle-of-the-road in terms of cap space and trade chips, but the pressure to contend in 2025-26 all but guarantees that they’ll make big moves this offseason.
Projected cap space: $20.0 million (16 players signed)
Notable RFAs: Kaapo Kakko, Ryker Evans
Notable UFAs: Michael Eyssimont
At first, the Kraken didn’t stand out as a team that should belong on this list. Yes, they boast ample cap flexibility and trade chips, but they’ve been stuck in mediocrity for a while and their decision to ship out Oliver Bjorkstrand for a haul at the trade deadline suggested that they might be entering a retool rather than a win-now mode.
However, GM Jason Botterill told reporters at the end of the season that the Kraken are “going to be aggressive again in free agency,” one year after they landed Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson.
The Kraken own extra first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 as a result of the Bjorkstrand trade and extra second-round picks. President of hockey operations Ron Francis has stated that Seattle will consider using some of that currency as trade capital.
A lack of elite, star-level offensive talent is currently the franchise’s biggest weakness. If the right opportunity to acquire a first-line forward presents itself via trade or free agency, expect the Kraken to make a strong bid.
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Projected cap space: $41.8 million (16 players signed)
Notable RFAs: Nikolai Kovalenko
Notable UFAs: Jan Rutta, Alexandar Georgiev
The Sharks aren’t under pressure to make the playoffs anytime soon, but they must be motivated to make some gradual progress up the standings. They also have no choice but to be aggressive to some extent — they’re nearly $17 million shy of the $70.6 million salary cap floor, with no internal players requiring notable raises this summer.
It’d make sense for San Jose to zero in on quality veterans on mid-range deals, similar to the Tyler Toffoli and Alex Wennberg signings last summer. GM Mike Grier can offer more generous AAVs than other teams, so long as the term isn’t too long. A Mikael Granlund reunion is one possible move that would make sense, but they’ll need to accomplish more than just that.
Renovating the top four on the blue line should be a particular focus. The Sharks iced arguably the worst backend in the NHL this season, especially after trading Jake Walman to Edmonton at the deadline. Adding a veteran goaltender to pair with Yaroslav Askarov will also be important.
Last offseason’s Askarov trade — where they exchanged a younger prospect and a late first-round pick for a player in his early 20s who was closer to making an NHL impact — could also be another template they repeat. The Sharks have four picks in the first two rounds of this year’s draft and four picks in the first two rounds of the 2026 draft. They could cash in one or two of those picks to acquire young, NHL-ready contributors.
Minnesota Wild: The Wild would have less than $10 million in cap space if they re-sign Marco Rossi long-term and don’t have their first-round pick this year. They’ll still be active this summer, however, and will have the upgraded cap space and trade assets to make bigger splashes if they decide to ship Rossi out.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Toronto will have nearly $20 million of cap space even after re-signing RFA Matthew Knies. The Leafs have tons of cap flexibility, but their lack of assets will likely restrict their ability to make a splash on the trade market. Toronto has already traded away its next three first-round picks and has a relatively shallow pool of prospects.
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Teams with cap space and assets that probably aren’t feeling pressure to make splashy, win-now moves: Calgary Flames, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, New York Islanders, Nashville Predators
All contract, roster, and salary cap data courtesy PuckPedia
(Photo of the Carolina Hurricanes: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)
Harman Dayal is a staff writer for The Athletic NHL based in Vancouver. He combines NHL video and data analysis and tracks microstats as part of his coverage. Follow Harman on Twitter @harmandayal2
