Keys to the offseason for the Los Angeles Kings
Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton of ESPN: Looking at what the Los Angeles Kings could have in store this offseason.
Projected cap space: $18.5 million
2026 draft picks: 1st, 2nd, 2nd (CBJ), 3rd (WSH), 4th, 5th, 6th, 6th (COL), 7th
Will the Kings go through a coaching search, or will they remove the interim tag for D.J. Smith? They’ll need to find a top-six forward, and one that can bring some offense. Losing Anze Kopitar to retirement leaves a big hole down the middle. They’ll need to decide if they want to bring pending UFAs Scott Laughton and Andrei Kuzmenko back. RFA defenseman Brandt Clarke needs a new deal.
Keys to the offseason for the Ottawa Senators
Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton of ESPN: Looking at what the Ottawa Senators could have in store this offseason.
Projected cap space: $17.3 million
2026 draft picks: 1st, 3rd, 3rd (FLA), 3rd (DAL), 4th (CBJ), 5th, 6th
Their core is locked, and Claude Giroux and Nick Cousins are really their only ‘main’ pending free agents. GM Steve Staios can see what is available on the free agent market. They could use a top-four, right-handed defenseman to play with Thomas Chabot. They could look for another scoring top-six forward. Not a priority as they may prefer internal, but a bottom-six forward like Viktor Arvidsson wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Keys to the offseason for the Pittsburgh Penguins
Ryan S. Clark and Kristen Shilton of ESPN: Looking at what the Pittsburgh Penguins could have in store this offseason.
Projected cap space: $45.8 million
2026 draft picks: 1st, 2nd, 2nd (WPG), 3rd, 6th (NSH)
Do the Penguins and Sidney Crosby decide to see what trade options are out there this offseason? He’s got a year left on his contract, and will he want to be part of their retool? There is also pending UFA Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins weren’t expected to do much this season, but surprised many. How much of that will change Kyle Dubas’ vision going forward?
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