The NHL’s free-agent frenzy didn’t stop at the Canucks, and plenty of the league’s other headline-grabbers got busy while Vancouver fans were watching their own team. From offer sheets getting matched to big-money extensions and a few eyebrow-raising bets, there was no shortage of movement around the league.
Start with Utah, which shut the door on New Jersey’s attempt to poach Barrett Hayton. The Mammoth matched the Devils’ one-year offer sheet worth $4.775 million, keeping Hayton in place on the exact same deal. The catch for Utah is that he can’t be traded for the next year, and the contract takes him right to unrestricted free agency in 2027.
Anaheim also made sure one of its young stars wasn’t going anywhere. The Ducks matched the Philadelphia Flyers’ record-setting five-year offer sheet for Leo Carlsson, a deal carrying an $18 million AAV. That gives Anaheim the league’s most expensive player, while the club still has about $9 million in cap space and another restricted free agent to sort out in Cutter Gauthier.
Toronto, meanwhile, made a splash of its own by signing future Hall of Fame goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to a three-year contract at $7 million per season. Bobrovsky had a down year behind a battered Florida Panthers team, but the Maple Leafs are clearly betting there’s still plenty left in the tank.
The Tampa Bay Lightning landed John Carlson after he said he wanted to head back east. Carlson signed a two-year deal worth $8.5 million annually, after his rights were briefly moved from the Anaheim Ducks to the Carolina Hurricanes. In the end, the longtime Washington Capitals defenseman chose Tampa.
New York went big as well, with the Rangers signing Pavel Dorofeyev to a seven-year contract at $11 million annually after giving up a first-round and third-round pick to get him from the Vegas Golden Knights. Dorofeyev, who turns 26 in October, is coming off back-to-back seasons with at least 35 goals, including 35 in 2024-25 and 37 in 2025-26.
San Jose used its cap space to add Jacob Trouba on a four-year deal worth $8.25 million per year after losing Vincent Desharnais to Washington. Trouba has rebuilt his value with the Anaheim Ducks, and now the Sharks are the ones paying for it.
Montreal kept doing what it’s been doing: locking up its young core. The Canadiens wasted little time after July 1 opened and signed Ivan Demidov to an eight-year contract worth $9.125 million annually.
Edmonton took another swing at solving its goaltending issues by signing Frederik Andersen to a one-year deal worth $2.8 million. The Oilers are still searching for the right answer in net, and Andersen is the latest name they’re trying.
Calgary added Simon Nemec after acquiring him, then signed him to a five-year contract worth $7.25 million annually. The Flames clearly believe in the former second-overall pick, even though he hasn’t fully broken through yet since being drafted by the New Jersey Devils in 2022.
Nashville also made a long-term commitment, locking up Mavrik Bourque to a six-year deal worth $5.5 million annually shortly after bringing him in from Dallas.
And if you somehow missed the biggest one of the bunch, Chicago signed BC-born Bowen Byram to a six-year, $75 million contract, which works out to a $12.5 million AAV. The Blackhawks paid a hefty price to get him from Buffalo, sending the fourth-overall pick at the 2026 NHL Draft and a second-round pick the other way. Byram finished last season with 42 points in 82 games for the Sabres.
In Other News...
Marco Rossi Just Raised The Stakes In Vancouver's Center Search
The Canucks center search has been one of the defining threads of their reset under new management, and it is starting to take on a more immediate shape. Vancouver has already put resources into young pivots such as Caleb Malhotra, but the bigger organizational question has been who can eventually grow into the role the franchise has been chasing for years.
Marco Rossi has become a central part of that conversation after arriving in a trade and giving the club a clearer answer in the middle of the ice. His production in Vancouver, especially after returning from injury, has only sharpened the focus on what comes next, because the Canucks are now weighing not just what he can provide right away but how long they can count on that fit before his contract situation forces a bigger decision. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks May Already Have The Bottom Six Fit Fans Have Wanted
The Canucks may not have to wait long to see whether Paul Cotter can help solve one of their lingering bottom-six questions. Vancouver brought him in on a one-year deal, and the expectation is that he slides into a depth forward role right away, giving the lineup a different look with his pace, energy and ability to chip in offensively.
There is also a built-in familiarity that could make the fit even more interesting. Cotter and Max Sasson spent time together with Team USA at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, where they were on the same line and found some chemistry in a role that asked them to do a little of everything. If that connection carries over to camp, the Canucks may already have a combination that feels more natural than the usual preseason guessing game. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Just Sent Their Clearest Rebuild Message Yet
Luke Schenns return to Vancouver fits neatly into the Canucks latest organizational direction, one that looks a lot less like a quick fix and a lot more like a patient reset. The veteran defender is back in a role that should help steady the room and guide younger players, while the club continues to frame its next steps around development, culture and giving its blue line room to grow.
Manny Malhotras staff is now in place, and the broader picture is hard to miss: this is a group being built to teach as much as to win right away. Vancouver is leaning into younger defensemen, with Filip Hronek still a central piece, and the message from these moves is clear enough for anyone reading between the lines. The Canucks are choosing the long view, even if it means more growing pains before the payoff arrives. [Read more 🡒]