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<\/a><\/p>\n\n Anthony Mantha signed a two-year, $9.5 million contract with the Devils. (Charles LeClaire \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n
5. New Jersey Devils<\/p>\n
Net Rating added: +14
In: Anthony Mantha, Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist, Declan Chisholm
Out: Maxim Tsyplakov, Paul Cotter, \u0160imon Nemec, Jacob Markstrom<\/p>\n
Sometimes it\u2019s the edge work that can make a difference, especially for a team that already has key core members in place. Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist are far from sexy adds, but compared to Maxim Tsyplakov and Paul Cotter, they provide substantially more value. The defense without \u0160imon Nemec should be just fine, too.<\/p>\n
The exodus of Jacob Markstrom also has the potential to offer some addition by subtraction. While I\u2019m wary of Jake Allen as the team\u2019s 1A, it should lead to better results than what the Devils had last season with Markstrom running the show. Nico Daws, based on a very small sample over the last two seasons, looks like he has the capability to fill the backup role just fine.<\/p>\n
All of that was enough on its own to put New Jersey\u2019s summer in the top 10. Adding Anthony Mantha, arguably one of the best wings available despite his frustrating tendencies, put the Devils squarely in the top five. He\u2019s a legit top-six addition that can move the needle if he can maintain last year\u2019s 33-goal and 64-point breakthrough.<\/p>\n
6. Florida Panthers<\/p>\n
Net Rating added: +8
In: Brady Tkachuk, Garnet Hathaway, Lars Eller, Radko Gudas, Jacob Markstrom, Akira Schmid
Out: Mackie Samoskevich, Evan Rodrigues, A.J. Greer, Jesper Boqvist, Jeff Petry, Sergei Bobrovsky, Daniil Tarasov<\/p>\n
Brady Tkachuk was one of the biggest marquee additions of the summer and there\u2019s no question the Panthers are a much better team because of it. Tkachuk immediately beefs up the team\u2019s top six and feels like a particularly perfect fit on a top line with Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart. Florida\u2019s top nine looks downright terrifying.<\/p>\n
In order to fit Tkachuk, though, the Panthers needed to make a lot of changes around the edges that mitigate some of the value added. The team\u2019s fourth line will have an identity and Evan Rodrigues or Mackie Samoskevich would\u2019ve been a waste there, but it is notably worse now.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The other issue is I\u2019m not convinced the team\u2019s goaltending issues have been solved; Markstrom looked just as unreliable as Bobrovsky last season.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no doubt the Panthers are better where it matters, thanks to Tkachuk, and improved health will be the biggest factor next season. But unless Markstrom has a major bounce-back, the team still has an Achilles\u2019 heel that holds back some of the overall value added.<\/p>\n
7. Winnipeg Jets<\/p>\n
Net Rating added: +8
In: Cole Koepke, Mario Ferraro, Stuart Skinner
Out: Jonathan Toews, Gustav Nyquist, Jacob Bryson, Eric Comrie<\/p>\n
Understanding how the Jets landed this high means understanding one of the team\u2019s biggest problems: their third pair. The top four has been steady for the last few years, but the collection of sub-replacement-level talent after them left a lot to be desired \u2014 especially when dealing with injury. The addition of Mario Ferraro at a shockingly fair price addresses that perfectly. With the rise of Elias Salomonsson, Winnipeg\u2019s blue line will enter next season as a real strength.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll see what happens with Connor Hellebuyck, but for now the addition of Stuart Skinner gives the Jets one of the league\u2019s best backup options. That\u2019s an underrated boost.<\/p>\n
8. Philadelphia Flyers<\/p>\n
Net Rating added: +4
In: Noel Acciari, Simon Benoit, Joseph Woll
Out: Garnet Hathaway, Emil Andrae, Samuel Ersson<\/p>\n
On the one hand, the Flyers\u2019 goaltending situation received a major boost going from Samuel Ersson, one of the league\u2019s worst goalies, to Joseph Woll, who has shown flashes of excellence when available. On the other hand, anything gained by that move was immediately lost going from Andrae to Simon Benoit, one of the league\u2019s worst defensemen.<\/p>\n
The Flyers\u2019 biggest net gain comes from the improvement in their fourth line going from Garnet Hathaway to Noel Acciari. The latter showed some serious defensive chops, even while accounting for his lesser role. He helps give Philadelphia one of the league\u2019s deepest bottom sixes.<\/p>\n
9. San Jose Sharks<\/p>\n
Net Rating added: +3
In: Mason Marchment, Darnell Nurse, Michael Kesselring, Jacob Trouba
Out: William Eklund, Philipp Kurashev, John Klingberg, Mario Ferraro, Vincent Desharnais, Shakir Mukhamadullin<\/p>\n
Is Darnell Nurse better than John Klingberg? Probably.<\/p>\n
Is Jacob Trouba better than Mario Ferraro? Probably.<\/p>\n
Is Michael Kesselring better than Vincent Desharnais? Probably.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the bet the Sharks made on the back end. The problem is that \u201cprobably\u201d was fairly marginal across the board and significantly more expensive. The juice probably won\u2019t be worth the squeeze.<\/p>\n
Up front, the loss of William Eklund is replaced adequately by Mason Marchment. It\u2019s less value, but a different enough element that should help maximize San Jose\u2019s top six. Add an expanded role for Michael Misa, and the Sharks are a better team on paper than they were at the start of the summer. And this doesn\u2019t include the potential impact of Ivar Stenberg either, which would push San Jose closer to the top five.<\/p>\n
10. Utah Mammoth<\/p>\n
Net Rating added: +2
In: Vincent Trocheck, Anders Lee, Sebastian Cossa
Out: JJ Peterka, Alexander Kerfoot, Sean Durzi, Ian Cole, Vitek Vanecek<\/p>\n
Utah\u2019s forward group looks a lot beefier now with Vincent Trocheck and Anders Lee in the top nine. I\u2019d take JJ Peterka over both of them within the context of Utah\u2019s needs, but improving on Alexander Kerfoot\u2019s roster spot makes it a net positive. The Mammoth had to trade Durzi to acquire Trocheck, but he was an expendable piece after last year\u2019s acquisition of MacKenzie Weegar. Having Maveric Lamoureux and Dmitri Simashev ready to step in also helps.<\/p>\n
The X-factor with Utah\u2019s offseason comes in net. We don\u2019t know much about Sebastian Cossa, but given his pedigree and AHL performance, it\u2019s difficult to imagine he can be much worse than Vitek Vanecek. That\u2019s a potentially underrated addition and if it lessens Karel Vejmelka\u2019s usage, that\u2019s an even bigger plus.<\/p>\n
11. Chicago Blackhawks<\/p>\n
Net Rating added: +1
In: Cole Smith, Jordan Greenway, Bowen Byram, Ian Cole
Out: Ilya Mikheyev, Andre Burakovsky, Matt Grzelcyk, Louis Crevier<\/p>\n
Chicago\u2019s entire offseason is riding on just how good Bowen Byram can be and that\u2019s a scary proposition. Given how much the team traded for him and how much they paid him, I am fairly skeptical Byram is as good as the Blackhawks think he is. Nothing wrong with an offensively gifted No. 3 defenseman, but the Blackhawks paid for a clear-cut No. 1 that will move the needle. Byram is a good player; I\u2019m not sure he\u2019ll do that to the level the franchise has invested in him.<\/p>\n
Chicago\u2019s defense is better with Byram (and Ian Cole), but losing Ilya Mikheyev isn\u2019t nothing for a forward group that struggles immensely without the puck. The Blackhawks are going to need a lot of internal improvement to get anywhere next season. I don\u2019t think they\u2019re close.<\/p>\n
12. Montreal Canadiens<\/p>\n
Net Rating added: +1
In: None
Out: Brendan Gallagher<\/p>\n
Outside of dumping Brendan Gallagher, the Canadiens are completely unchanged from last year. Some ice-time shifts, namely for Ivan Demidov, power a small jump. Internal improvement on top of that should keep Montreal in the playoff conversation next season.<\/p>\n
\n The Canadiens traded Brendan Gallagher to the Canucks. (David Kirouac \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n 13. Vancouver Canucks<\/p>\n Net Rating added: +1 The Canucks made some moves around the edges and with some ice-time shifts, namely for Zeev Buium, they end up marginally better situated going into next season. If Buium can fill Marcus Pettersson\u2019s role well enough, the Canucks should be a similar team to last season on paper. The biggest difference will likely come from a new coach; no coach had a worse Year 1 impact on his players\u2019 average value than Adam Foote last season.<\/p>\n 14. Seattle Kraken<\/p>\n Net Rating added: 0 The only true neutral team. Mackie Samoskevich is a small upgrade over Jaden Schwartz while the rest of the losses are easily handled internally. Good on the Kraken for knowing who they are this summer and not wasting money in free agency for once.<\/p>\n 15. Tampa Bay Lightning<\/p>\n Net Rating added: -2 The Lightning did fairly well to replace what they lost in free agency. John Carlson may not match what Raddysh did last season, but he\u2019s probably a safer bet going forward, given his consistency over the last decade. Mikheyev should add some speedy defense on the wing that\u2019s an upgrade over Nick Paul, while Dennis Hildeby is a major improvement over Jonas Johansson. If that keeps Andrei Vasilevskiy fresher for the playoffs, it\u2019s a huge benefit.<\/p>\n The one area that brings the added value down toward average is Jeffrey Viel. He\u2019ll be useful in games against the Panthers; I\u2019m less convinced about the other 78 games.<\/p>\n 16. Detroit Red Wings<\/p>\n Net Rating added: -2 Swapping out Patrick Kane for Viktor Arvidsson is a fairly neutral move, though Arvidsson\u2019s potential lack of availability could put that in jeopardy. And while Daniil Tarasov could be a slight upgrade over Cam Talbot at this stage of their careers, adding a fourth liner such as Keegan Kolesar doesn\u2019t do a whole lot to replace David Perron.<\/p>\n As it stands, it\u2019s not enough to make the Red Wings anywhere close to a playoff team in the East \u2014 and that\u2019s before a Dylan Larkin trade potentially guts the team\u2019s chances completely.\u00a0<\/p>\n 17. Boston Bruins<\/p>\n Net Rating added: -2 I think Peterka is a reasonable enough upgrade on Arvidsson that I\u2019m a little surprised the Bruins end up closer to average. Ice-time shifts and other teams simply improving more are the main causes. The key takeaway: Boston will likely be bringing a similar quality roster to last year\u2019s in a far more competitive Atlantic Division.<\/p>\n 18. Minnesota Wild<\/p>\n Net Rating added: -3 Blake Coleman still has a helluva two-way game that adds a lot of playoff-worthy bite to Minnesota\u2019s top six. But with the loss of Mats Zuccarello, I am very worried about the lack of offensive weaponry outside Minnesota\u2019s big three up front. Maxim Shabanov also doesn\u2019t do nearly enough to make up for the loss of the other two wingers.<\/p>\n 19. Carolina Hurricanes<\/p>\n Net Rating added: -3 The Stanley Cup champions enter the 2026-27 season with what is essentially the exact same roster that won it all. Losing Frederik Andersen is a small loss, but the Canes should be able to weather that.<\/p>\n 20. Dallas Stars<\/p>\n Net Rating added: -4 The Stars didn\u2019t have the cap room to keep Bourque around and that led to a small drop-off in the team\u2019s top nine. Some internal options such as Justin Hryckowian can help soften the blow, but it\u2019s still a notable loss.<\/p>\n 21. Calgary Flames<\/p>\n Net Rating added: -4 We\u2019ll see how Nemec fares as Calgary\u2019s top dog, but it\u2019ll be difficult to do much given how depleted the team\u2019s forward core is. The loss of Coleman, still a strong play-driving winger, is fairly substantial, nullifying any positive effect from Nemec\u2019s addition.<\/p>\n 22. Columbus Blue Jackets<\/p>\n Net Rating added: -4 The Blue Jackets made a great bet on Valeri Nichushkin as a Mason Marchment replacement. When he\u2019s available, he\u2019s still a terrific power forward who can add some defensive presence to the team\u2019s top six. He immediately slots in as a top-three forward on the team.<\/p>\n Replacing Boone Jenner, though, will have to come from within. Columbus has the pieces to nullify the loss, but it\u2019s never easy to replace a captain.<\/p>\n 23. Los Angeles Kings<\/p>\n Net Rating added: -6 It\u2019s difficult enough to replace Anze Kopitar. It\u2019s even more challenging when the UFA center market was headlined by Boone Jenner. The Kings landed Erik Haula, which puts their center depth in an extremely challenging place (to the point that Adrian Kempe may have to slide in to save the day).<\/p>\n At the very least, Mats Zuccarello was a savvy add. He still has top-six ability and should fit well with Artemi Panarin serving as a budget Kirill Kaprizov.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
In: Brendan Gallagher, Paul Cotter, Jamie Oleksiak, Luke Schenn
Out: Teddy Blueger, Evander Kane, Marcus Pettersson<\/p>\n
In: Mackie Samoskevich
Out: Jaden Schwartz, Eeli Tolvanen, Jamie Oleksiak<\/p>\n
In: Ilya Mikheyev, Jeffrey Viel, John Carlson, Dennis Hildeby
Out: Nick Paul, Corey Perry, Darren Raddysh<\/p>\n
In: Viktor Arvidsson, Keegan Kolesar, Daniil Tarasov
Out: Patrick Kane, David Perron, Cam Talbot<\/p>\n
In: JJ Peterka, Will Borgen
Out: Viktor Arvidsson, Andrew Peeke, Joonas Korpisalo<\/p>\n
In: Blake Coleman, Maxim Shabanov, Olli Maatta
Out: Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Johansson, Vladimir Tarasenko, Jake Middleton<\/p>\n
In: None
Out: Frederik Andersen<\/p>\n
In: Joel Kiviranta
Out: Mavrik Bourque<\/p>\n
In: Maxim Tsyplakov, \u0160imon Nemec, Jake Middleton
Out: Blake Coleman, Olli Maatta<\/p>\n
In: Valeri Nichushkin
Out: Mason Marchment, Boone Jenner<\/p>\n
In: Mats Zuccarello, Erik Haula, Corey Perry
Out: Anze Kopitar, Andrei Kuzmenko, Mathieu Joseph<\/p>\n