Alexander Wennberg should draw some interest as he won’t be back with the Rangers
Peter Baugh: The New York Rangers won’t be bringing Alexander Wennberg back and is heading to free agency. He didn’t put up the offensive numbers in New York but should be an option for teams looking for a two-way, bottom-six center.
The New Jersey Devils have a few needs that they may fill in free agency
Kevin Weekes: The New Jersey Devils could be looking top-five defenseman and a top-six winger.
NHL Rumors: New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, and the St. Louis Blues
Sean Walker going to free agency
Adrian Dater: It appears that defenseman Sean Walker’s time with the Colorado Avalanche is over. He’s expected to go to free agency.
The Avs gave up a conditional 2025 first-round pick and Ryan Johansen at the trade deadline to get Walker from the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Vegas Golden Knights don’t qualify Arika Schmid but will re-sign him
Danny Webster: The Vegas Golden Knights didn’t qualify newly acquired goaltender Akira Schmid and he’ll become a UFA. He is expected though to work out a deal with the Golden Knights.
The Detroit Red Wings makes sense for Vegas Golden Knights UFA Jonathan Marchessault.
Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal Review: The Vegas Golden Knights will be in the market for a backup goaltender after they sent Logan Thompson to the Washington Capitals.
GM Kelly McCrimmon met with Jonathan Marchessault’s agent Pat Brisson at the draft and were optimistic a deal could get done for the pending UFA. They couldn’t.
They entered Sunday with about $8.53 million in cap space with 17 players under contract – nine forwards, seven defensemen and one goaltender. Teams are permitted to exceed the salary cap ($88 million) by 10% during the offseason but must be cap-compliant by opening day.
Re-signing Marchessault and bringing in a goalie would have wiped their cap space out.
Marchessault has a history with Detroit Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman and they would make sense.
2024 NHL Free Agent Signings Tracker
The Golden Knights have five other pending UFAs who are expected to sign elsewhere, Chandler Stephenson, William Carrier, Alec Martinez, Michael Amadio, and Anthony Mantha.