Whose Offseason Moves Scored Big? NHL Free Agency Report Card is IN!

NHL Free Agency Report Cards: Grading Every Team’s Early Offseason Moves

The frenzy of NHL free agency has settled, and the landscape for the upcoming season is beginning to take shape. After the initial rush, the market's pickings have thinned, leaving teams to assess their moves and strategize for the months ahead. Have your favorite team's acquisitions truly addressed their needs? The Athletic's NHL team has provided insightful analysis on each team's performance during this crucial period.

Our assessments are subjective, tailored to each team's unique circumstances, and mindful of salary cap constraints. We've also considered trades and re-signings made since the season's end. Here’s a look at how each team fared, according to our writers:

Anaheim Ducks: C+

With ample cap space, the Ducks' acquisition of Mikael Granlund feels underwhelming. While Granlund is a solid player, the focus should now shift to internal development and re-signing RFAs Lukáš Dostál and Mason McTavish. - Eric Stephens

Boston Bruins: C-

The Bruins added grit with signings like Tanner Jeannot, Sean Kuraly, Mikey Eyssimont, and Viktor Arvidsson. However, they haven't addressed their lack of offensive skill in the middle-six forwards. - Fluto Shinzawa

Buffalo Sabres: C+

Trading JJ Peterka for Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan fills needs, but replacing Peterka’s scoring will be tough. Depth additions like Justin Danforth and Alex Lyon are positive steps. - Matthew Fairburn

Calgary Flames: C-

The Flames avoided overspending, continuing their rebuild. Re-signing Connor Zary remains a priority, and the future of Rasmus Andersson looms large. A cautious approach earns them this grade. - Julian McKenzie

Carolina Hurricanes: A-

The Hurricanes made bold moves, including a sign-and-trade for K’Andre Miller and signing Nikolaj Ehlers to a six-year, $51 million deal. These moves significantly bolster their roster, solidifying their contender status. - Cory Lavalette

Chicago Blackhawks: D

The Blackhawks' quiet offseason aligns with their long-term rebuild. Re-signing Ryan Donato was key, and André Burakovsky is an intriguing addition. However, their lack of activity leaves much to be desired. - Scott Powers

Colorado Avalanche: B

The Avalanche focused on re-signing Parker Kelly and added veteran Brent Burns on a potentially high-value deal. Burns could revive his offense on a fast-skating team. - Jesse Granger

Columbus Blue Jackets: D

The Blue Jackets' plans to revamp their lineup didn't materialize. They re-signed Ivan Provorov to a massive seven-year, $59.5 million deal and added bottom-six forwards. - Aaron Portzline

Dallas Stars: B

Losing Mikael Granlund was expected. Jim Nill scores high marks for discounted contracts to Matt Duchene and Jamie Benn, providing some flexibility. - James Mirtle

Detroit Red Wings: B-

Adding John Gibson, James van Riemsdyk, and Mason Appleton improves the roster, but these aren’t major game-changers for a team seeking to end a nine-year playoff drought. - Max Bultman

Edmonton Oilers: B-

The Oilers made sensible, budget-conscious moves, bringing in Andrew Mangiapane and Curtis Lazar. However, it's unclear if these additions will offset their offseason losses. - Daniel Nugent-Bowman

Florida Panthers: A+

How can you fault bringing back one of the most dominant teams in NHL history? GM Bill Zito miraculously re-signed Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand. - James Mirtle

Los Angeles Kings: C-

The Kings added depth with Cody Ceci, Brian Dumoulin and Corey Perry. They addressed the fourth line issue however, there are no major acquisitions. - Eric Stephens

Minnesota Wild: C+

The Wild hoped to sign Brock Nelson, but pivoted to Vladimir Tarasenko. Nico Sturm should help their penalty kill. This wasn’t the blockbuster fans expected. - Michael Russo

Montreal Canadiens: B

The Canadiens focused on trades, acquiring Noah Dobson and Zack Bolduc. Signings like Kaapo Kahkonen and Sammy Blais add needed depth. - Arpon Basu

Nashville Predators: C-

Nick Perbix is a solid addition. Trading for Nicolas Hague was a questionable move. Addressing the center group is a big issue. - Joe Rexrode

New Jersey Devils: B+

Tom Fitzgerald shored up the forward group by bringing back Cody Glass and adding Evgenii Dadonov and Connor Brown. - Peter Baugh

New York Islanders: B+

Despite the Noah Dobson trade taking away some value, the management got credit for bringing the team to a new direction. The draft went well, and some short-term signings such as Jonathan Drouin and Maxim Shabanov were made. - Shayna Goldman

New York Rangers: B+

The K’Andre Miller trade is risky. However, the Rangers signed a strong player in Vladislav Gavrikov. - Peter Baugh

Ottawa Senators: C

The Senators added Lars Eller and re-signed Claude Giroux and Nick Cousins. - Julian McKenzie

Philadelphia Flyers: B+

The Flyers acquired Trevor Zegras without giving up much and selected five players in the top 50 in the draft. Daniel Briere has managed to improve the team while maintaining flexibility. - Kevin Kurz

Pittsburgh Penguins: B

Kyle Dubas made sensible, cheap additions. The real test will be the trades to come. - Josh Yohe

San Jose Sharks: B

The Sharks made useful additions with their vast amount of cap space without handing out max-term contracts. - Eric Stephens

Seattle Kraken: C

The Kraken weren’t able to land an impact player. They signed Ryan Lindgren. - Thomas Drance

St. Louis Blues: B+

The Blues tried to acquire Noah Dobson, added Logan Mailloux and added Pius Suter and Nick Bjugstad. - Jeremy Rutherford

Tampa Bay Lightning: B-

The Lightning made low-key moves to round out the forward depth by extending Yanni Gourde and signing Pontus Holmberg and Jakob Pelletier. - Shayna Goldman

Toronto Maple Leafs: C

The Leafs have clearly gotten worse in the wake of Mitch Marner’s departure. A sharp trade for a top-six forward could push this grade higher. - Jonas Siegel

Utah Mammoth: A-

Acquiring JJ Peterka was a home run. They did solid work filling out depth roles by signing Nate Schmidt, Brandon Tanev and Vitek Vanecek. - Harman Dayal

Vancouver Canucks: C+

The Canucks have yet to address their significant needs at center and even lost a center-capable forward in Pius Suter. - Thomas Drance

Vegas Golden Knights: A+

The Golden Knights’ biggest need was scoring on the wing. They signed Mitch Marner. - Jesse Granger

Washington Capitals: C-

The Capitals needed a third-line center and some top-six skill. Anthony Beauvillier is useful and Declan Chisholm adds quality depth, but not much. - Sean Gentille

Winnipeg Jets: B

The Jets landed Jonathan Toews, creating the potential for a great story. - Murat Ates

The NHL free agency period has provided a glimpse into each team's strategy and priorities for the upcoming season. While some teams made significant splashes, others opted for a more conservative approach. Only time will tell which teams made the right moves to position themselves for success. The upcoming season promises to be full of excitement as these new rosters take to the ice.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6471687/2025/07/05/nhl-free-agency-grades-teams-offseason-moves/