July 3, 2025
Defenseman Nick Leddy was claimed off waivers on Thursday by the San Jose Sharks. The 34-year-old had a rough campaign with the St. Louis Blues in 2024-25 and was waived by the team earlier in the week. Leddy is entering the final year of his contract, which has an average annual value of $4 million. The veteran will try to help the NHL's leakiest defense next season. San Jose was the only team to allow 300 goals last term, finishing with a goals-against average of 3.78. That said, Leddy is not a player who should attract the interest of fantasy managers.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
July 3, 2025
Defenseman Dmitry Orlov has joined the San Jose Sharks as a free agent. The Russian rearguard, who will celebrate his 34th birthday in a couple of weeks, was handed a two-year, $13 million contract. Orlov is moving to the West Coast after spending the past two seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes. He notched 28 points (six goals, 22 assists) in 76 games last term and registered 101 blocks. Orlov might get more ice time with the Sharks, which could boost his numbers. A couple of seasons ago, he flirted with a 40-point season when he played over 22 minutes a game with the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
Winger Nikolaj Ehlers signed a six-year, $51 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. He was the biggest name remaining among free agents and reportedly preferred a move to Raleigh over Washington and Utah. Ehlers had spent his entire NHL career so far with the Winnipeg Jets. Last season, the Danish forward had one of the best campaigns of his career, scoring 63 points (24 goals, 39 assists) in 69 games. Ehlers is likely to fill a similar role to the one he had in Winnipeg and will get a chance to post a third consecutive 60-point year in 2025-26.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
Defenseman Brent Burns has decided to join the Colorado Avalanche for the 2025-26 NHL campaign, signing a one-year, $1 million pact with the team. Burns may earn a further $3 million with games-played bonuses. The veteran blue-liner, who turned 40 in March, has just finished a three-year spell with the Carolina Hurricanes. He had 29 points (six goals, 23 assists) in 82 games last season, marking his lowest scoring total since the 2020-21 campaign. Burns is no longer the player he once was, but he can still do a solid job. The 2017 Norris Trophy winner will enter next season having made 925 consecutive regular-season appearances, which puts him just 139 games behind Phil Kessel's all-time record.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
July 3, 2025
The St. Louis Blues have signed forward Pius Suter to a two-year, $8.25 million contract. The Swiss forward was available as a free agent after enjoying a career year with the Vancouver Canucks in 2024-25. Suter notched 25 goals and 46 points in 81 games. The 29-year-old had managed only 53 points (28 goals, 25 assists) over the previous two seasons combined. Over his entire five-year NHL career, Suter has scored 82 goals and 162 points in 364 games. Suter is projected to start the next campaign on the third line, but he could also push for a top-six spot.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
Calgary Flames center Morgan Frost is re-upping with the team on a two-year, $8.75 million contract. He became a restricted free agent on July 1 after completing a two-year, $4.2 million deal. Frost joined the Flames in January when the Philadelphia Flyers traded him and Joel Farabee in a deal involving Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier. After registering back-to-back 40-point campaigns, he put up 37 points (14 goals, 23 assists) in 81 appearances. Frost is likely to stay around the 40-point range in 2025-26 as a middle-six forward for Calgary.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
July 3, 2025
Winger Gustav Nyquist has agreed to a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Winnipeg Jets. The Swedish veteran will remain in the Western Conference after suiting up for the Nashville Predators and Minnesota Wild during the 2024-25 campaign. Nyquist had a tough season, finishing with 11 goals and 28 points in 79 appearances. However, he registered a career-high 75 points just a year ago, and Nyquist could turn out to be a steal for the Jets if he can get anywhere close to the same performance level next season. The 35-year-old might get a spot in the top six to replace Nikolaj Ehlers, who is still an unrestricted free agent.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 3, 2025
New Jersey Devils forward Cody Glass has re-signed with the team on a two-year, $5 million deal. Glass, who moved to New Jersey from Pittsburgh in March, was a restricted free agent. While his time with the Penguins was difficult, Glass found some success with the Devils, posting seven points (two goals, five assists) in 14 outings. However, fantasy managers shouldn't expect him to keep up the same level of productivity in 2025-26, as Glass is expected to fill a bottom-six role for New Jersey.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
July 3, 2025
Right wing Anthony Mantha will start the 2025-26 NHL season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He inked a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Pittsburgh as a free agent on Wednesday. Mantha could earn a further $2 million through bonuses. Mantha is a four-time 20-goal scorer who can make a significant impact if he's healthy. Last season, he was limited to just 13 games with the Calgary Flames due to a knee injury. He picked up seven points (four goals, three assists) and had 16 hits. For his career, Mantha has managed 303 points (146 goals, 157 assists) in 507 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
July 2, 2025
New York Islanders left wing Emil Heineman has signed a two-year, $2.2 million contract with the team. The Islanders acquired the restricted free agent from the Montreal Canadiens last week and now have him under contract for at least a couple of seasons. Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche has said that the team sees "a lot of potential" in Heineman, who had his rookie campaign in the NHL last season with the Canadiens. He finished the year with 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) and 173 hits in 62 games. Heineman is expected to start next season on the fourth line but could move up in the lineup if he performs well enough.
--Taavi PailkSource: Ethan Sears
July 2, 2025
New York Islanders winger Simon Holmstrom has agreed to a two-year contract extension. After signing a one-year deal worth $850,000 last summer, Holmstrom received a substantial pay raise, with his new contract valued at $7.25 million and coming with an average annual value of $3.625 million. The 24-year-old earned the big boost in salary with an impressive campaign. He amassed a career-high 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) in 75 games. Holmstrom will aim to become a 50-point scorer next season while maintaining a middle-six role.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
July 2, 2025
Defenseman Nate Schmidt has signed a three-year, $10.5 million contract with the Utah Mammoth. The veteran blue-liner switches teams for the second consecutive offseason, having joined the Florida Panthers on a one-year, $800,000 contract 12 months ago. It turned out to be one of the best decisions Schmidt has made in his life, as he won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers. Schmidt impressed during the postseason with a 12-point effort across 23 games. During the regular season, he picked up 19 points (five goals, 14 assists) in 80 contests. Schmidt appears to be a good addition for Utah but probably won't have a big impact in fantasy hockey.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
July 2, 2025
Winger Brandon Tanev has joined the Utah Mammoth on a three-year, $7.5 million contract. The 10-year NHL veteran was available as a free agent after spending the 2024-25 season with the Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets. He finished the campaign with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 79 games, dishing out 168 hits. Tanev has averaged almost three hits per game throughout his career and will bring physicality to the Utah lineup. With nearly 100 career goals to his name, Tanev has also proved that he can chip in offensively at times.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
July 2, 2025
The New Jersey Devils have picked up right wing Evgenii Dadonov in free agency on a one-year contract. The Russian veteran inked a $1 million deal with the Devils, but the total value of his contract could rise with performance bonuses. Before hitting the open market, Dadonov enjoyed a good two-and-a-half-year spell with the Dallas Stars. He finished the 2024-25 campaign with 20 goals and 40 points in 80 games. Last season, New Jersey ranked 20th in scoring, and adding Dadonov should boost the team's offense.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
July 2, 2025
Goaltender Alex Lyon has signed a two-year, $3 million deal with the Buffalo Sabres as a free agent. The 32-year-old will pack his bags after playing two seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. Lyon posted a solid 14-9-1 record with 26 starts last term, allowing 2.81 goals with a .896 save percentage. The Sabres have made a significant investment in Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and have an exciting goalie prospect in Devon Levi, meaning Lyon faces a battle for playing time in Buffalo.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
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