James Mirtle of The Athletic: After the St. Louis Blues’ big success last offseason, will there be more offer sheet attempts this offseason? A look at some teams that would have the cap space and appropriate draft picks to make an attempt.
Los Angeles Kings – They’ve got all of their 2026 draft picks and about $20 million in cap space for next season. They could use some more scoring help – Matthew Knies or JJ Peterka? A bit of pressure to win with Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty aging.
Utah Hockey Club – Had higher hopes this year but struggled to score. Have all their draft picks as well others, and over $20 million in cap space. Will be targeting UFAs and maybe RFAs.
NHL Rumors: Los Angeles Kings, and the New York Rangers
Montreal Canadiens – They’re an up-and-coming with all their draft picks and almost $20 million in cap space. Biggest need is down the middle, and they may need to get creative to get one.
Anaheim Ducks – The team wants to take the next step as they’ve missed the playoffs the past seven seasons. Goaltender Lukas Dostal is also a pending RFA, so they’d have to be careful.
Calgary Flames – Usually not a desired landing spot, but they have some nice pieces in place already and are moving into a new building soon. Could have around $15 million in cap space and could use a left-handed defenseman and scoring help.
Winnipeg Jets – They have $30 million in cap space but pending UFAs in Nikolaj Ehlers and Neal Pionk. They don’t have their 2nd round pick, so that may limit options.
New Jersey Devils – They have to re-sign RFA Luke Hughes, who is not offer sheet eligible. The Devils don’t have the cap space available like some others, but they have a solid roster. Could use help on the wing.
Philadelphia Flyers – Lower in the standing this year, so they would really need to improve if you’re potentially giving up a first-round pick. Goaltending has been a big issue this year, and if they improve that area next year, it could make a big difference. Could have $15 to $18 million to work with.
NHL Rumors: Vancouver Canucks – Pettersson, Hughes, Blue Line, Tocchet, and Boeser
Alex Daugherty: “Was surprised to see that Nashville isn’t included in this. They have the picks, the money, and the desperate need to add a young RFA to their squad. Mason McTavish? Gabe Vilardi? JJ Peterka? All viable options for Trotz to offer sheet.”
- James Mirtle: “I penalized the teams that had really bad records this year in my calculation for this, mostly because the risk for them is higher. I’m not sure they’re set up for a big rebound next season, either. Last thing you want is to give up a top 5 pick.”
- Alex Daugherty: “Makes sense. I just think, in the 2 years we’ve seen of GM Trotz, he’s not afraid to take a swing. They badly need a young productive center.”
- James Mirtle: “Yeah. There’s a lot of teams in that boat though – Montreal stands out. There aren’t enough good centers in the league right now.”
Nick Alberga: “Matthew Knies isn’t getting offer-sheeted.. There’s no question Knies wants to remain a Leaf for the foreseeable future. Playoffs are the focus right now, but when contract talks escalate, it seems like a mid-range deal may be the end result.”
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