NHL free agency arrived with the kind of noise that usually means someone’s about to swing big - or make a mistake they’ll be talking about all summer. The blue-line market is driving a lot of that chatter, with Bowen Byram, Zach Werenski, Darnell Nurse and Connor Hellebuyck all tied into the early-day buzz.
One of the loudest storylines centers on Byram and Chicago. Darren Dreger said, “An intriguing day ahead.
The D market is wild. Toronto is “all-in” on Werenski.
Carolina is still working on [John] Carlson while considering [Alexander] Nikishin trade options. Plus, Chicago is eager to drop what is expected to be a 6-year deal on Bowen Byram at $12.5 mil. per.
Fun times.”
Chris Johnston backed up that expectation, saying, “Bowen Byram is eligible to sign an extension with the Blackhawks today, which would commence with the 2027-28 season, and the expectation is that the deal will land around $12.5M per season.”
The Oilers, meanwhile, may be headed for a quieter day than some had hoped. Bob Stauffer said there is no update on a Darnell Nurse trade in Edmonton, which matters because the club’s cap picture is already tight.
He wrote, “Given the uncertainty of the Darnell Nurse situation, it is quite possible that today may be a very quiet day for the @EdmontonOilers on the Free Agent front. EDM will need another goalie…at some point, still need to sign RFA’s C.
Dach/S. Stastney and have limited cap space.”
That situation could also push Edmonton out of the mix for Sergei Bobrovsky. Elliotte Friedman said the Oilers had interest, but he’s now focused on Toronto.
He added, “Believe his last ask of Florida was three years, $21 million. So I’d expect the overall dollars to come in around there.”
Another goaltending name in the rumor mill is Connor Hellebuyck. Dreger reported, “Carolina remains a contender for Connor Hellebuyck, while it’s fair to wonder if Buffalo circles back.
Nothing imminent with Hellebuyck. The Jets are focused on Free Agency today, but will engage if trade talks intensify.”
Mason Marchment should have plenty of suitors once the market settles in. Dreger said San Jose looks like a strong fit, while Pierre LeBrun added, “Montreal has interest but I don’t think the Canadiens want to go long term (don’t want to block younger players in pipeline). Sharks make a lot of sense.”
San Jose is also still hunting for help on defense. The Sharks have shown interest in Nurse, though the Oilers defenseman has not yet added them to his preferred list.
As for Werenski, Friedman laid out how messy things have gotten between the Blue Jackets and the defenseman. In a prediction column about the situation from Tuesday, he wrote, “One rumour making the rounds Tuesday night is that Werenski’s camp is so upset at recent developments that all trade possibilities will be rejected. (I absolutely believe that’s part of what happened with Dallas.)”
Friedman added that a deal could still come together if things cool off, and if Dallas is truly out, the remaining front-runners appear to be Tampa Bay and Toronto.
In Other News...
Sabres Just Made A Goalie Decision Fans Will Debate For Years
The Oilers quietly took a swing at one of their biggest organizational needs by landing Devon Levi, a young goaltender with real long-term upside, in a trade with Buffalo. Edmonton also picked up a seventh-rounder in 2028, while sending the Sabres a 2028 third-round choice, a price that signals the team sees Levi as more than a depth addition.
For Edmonton, the appeal is obvious: Levi is now lined up with Tristan Jarry as part of the clubs goaltending tandem for the 2026-27 season, giving the organization a new look in net and a possible answer down the road. Levis move out of Buffalo closes a chapter that never fully settled into a full-time starter role, and the next one in Edmonton comes with pressure, opportunity and plenty of eyes on how quickly he can turn promise into reliability. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers May Be Eyeing A Familiar Free Agency Gamble Again
The offseason chatter around Edmonton has turned toward a familiar type of add, the veteran power forward who can give the lineup a little more finishing touch without needing top-line minutes. Anders Lee, Jamie Benn and James Van Riemsdyk are all being floated as possible fits, and each brings a different mix of pedigree, size and recent scoring history that could appeal to a team looking to deepen its offense without making a splashy long-term commitment.
The appeal is easy to see, but so is the risk. All three are on the older side for free-agent bets, which is exactly why these kinds of discussions can feel like a gamble even when the fit makes sense on paper. Edmonton has not made any official move, and for now the idea remains just that, a possibility the Oilers may decide is worth revisiting if they want another layer of scoring support around their core. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Make Another Quiet Forward Move That Could Matter
The Oilers have added another depth forward to the mix, signing Eduards Tralmaks to a one-year deal as they continue to round out the roster with low-cost bets that could pay off later. It fits the pattern of a team that has already been busy this offseason, following the trade of Darnell Nurse and the signing of Ryan Shea while trying to keep the forward group stocked with options.
Tralmaks comes off a productive season with Grand Rapids, where he put up 26 goals and 42 points in 64 AHL games. For Edmonton, the appeal is obvious: a player who can score at the minor-league level, comes cheaply at $850,000, and gives the organization another name to track as camp approaches, even if the path to meaningful NHL minutes still has to be earned. [Read more 🡒]