The free-agent shuffle kept moving on July 2, with a batch of familiar names landing new deals as clubs continue filling out depth charts and stocking their AHL affiliates.
San Jose was among the busiest teams of the day. The Sharks announced four more signings, bringing in goaltender Kyle Keyser, forwards Brett Leason and Tye Felhaber, and forward Alex Barré-Boulet. Keyser, Leason and Felhaber each signed one-year, two-way contracts, while Barré-Boulet agreed to a two-year, two-way deal.
Vancouver also added to its organizational depth, signing Matthew Stienburg to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season. Stienburg missed much of the 2025-26 campaign and finished with two goals and three points in eight games for the AHL’s Colorado Eagles.
Toronto made a more notable commitment on the back end, with PuckPedia confirming the Maple Leafs have signed defenseman Cole McWard to a two-year, $1.75MM contract. The deal is one-way in both seasons. McWard spent last year with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders and put up six goals and 27 points in 63 games, along with a -11 rating.
The Rangers also got in on the action, landing former first-round pick Dennis Cholowski on a two-year, $1.75MM contract, according to PuckPedia. Cholowski has played 173 NHL games, recording 13 goals and 42 points with a -60 rating while averaging 16:30 of ice time. New York also announced a separate signing, bringing in forward Glenn Gawdin on a two-year, two-way contract.
Anaheim continued building out its defensive depth by signing Travis Mitchell to a one-year, two-way contract. Mitchell made his NHL debut and otherwise spent most of last season with the AHL’s Bridgeport Islanders, where he had one goal and 17 points in 58 games with a +3 rating.
Buffalo added another forward option in Aidan McDonough, who signed a one-year, two-way deal. McDonough is coming off his best pro season, finishing with 23 goals and 44 points in 63 games for the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Florida announced a one-year, two-way contract for defenseman Casey Fitzgerald for the 2026-27 season. Fitzgerald previously spent time in the Panthers organization two years ago, when he scored four goals and 21 points in 69 games for the Charlotte Checkers and posted a +22 rating.
Winnipeg signed Henry Thrun to a one-year, two-way contract. Thrun played most of last season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, where he had five goals and 23 points in 55 games with a -1 rating. He then added two goals and nine points in 24 playoff games as the Marlies won the Calder Cup.
New Jersey also kept a depth piece in the fold, re-signing Group Six UFA Xavier Parent to a one-year, two-way deal, per PuckPedia. Parent appeared in five games for the Devils last season and contributed 20 goals and 19 assists in 63 games for AHL Utica.
In Other News...
Avalanche Day One Move Looks Like A Direct Answer Up Front
The Avalanche wasted no time making their first move up front, and it came with a familiar kind of purpose: add a veteran who can still tilt shifts and help make the lineup look deeper in a hurry. Jaden Schwartz fits that idea. His track record suggests a player who can settle into a useful role without needing the spotlight, which is exactly the sort of addition teams make when they believe the pieces around him are close enough to push.
Around the league, the market has already been busy with names that matter to contenders and teams trying to retool on the fly. Mats Zuccarellos return to the Kings, Vincent Trochecks move out of New York, and Edmontons defensive reshuffling all point to a summer where front offices are leaning into fit as much as familiarity. For the Rangers, that churn is especially relevant because the need for another right-handed puck-mover has only become more obvious, and what they ultimately do there could shape the rest of their offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Drury Just Forced A New Rangers Identity Into Place
Chris Drury spent the first day of NHL free agency remaking the Rangers in real time, and the theme was hard to miss: sturdier, deeper, and a lot less reliant on chasing offense at the expense of everything else. New York added goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, brought in forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand and Joe Veleno on one-year deals, and landed defenseman Marcus Pettersson from Vancouver while also moving Will Borgen for draft capital.
The biggest swing came with Vincent Trocheck, a move that signaled just how willing the front office is to shuffle familiar pieces in pursuit of a different look. Between the goalie addition, the blue-line changes and the short-term bets up front, the Rangers are clearly trying to build around structure and depth rather than just talent alone, and the next question is whether the rest of the roster is ready to follow that new script. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Just Launched A Massive Cleanup Fans Cannot Ignore
The Rangers spent the opening stretch of free agency in a way that made their intentions impossible to miss, cranking through seven transactions in less than five hours and reshaping both the NHL roster and the draft cupboard in one burst. Joonas Korpisalo was brought in to stabilize the backup goaltending picture, while the rest of the day brought a wave of additions that changed the look of the lineup and gave the front office more pieces to work with moving forward.
What made the flurry stand out was how wide-ranging it was, with New York adding seven players and three draft picks while also moving out three players and two picks. The headliners gave the day real weight, but the bigger question now is how all of these moves fit together once the dust settles, especially after the Rangers also came away with nine new prospects in the 2026 NHL Draft, including defenseman Alberts mits. [Read more 🡒]