General managers have seemingly put their phones down as day one of NHL free agency has come to an end. As recent years have shown, overspending in free agency is one of the easier ways to damage a team’s championship odds.
Fans of the Nashville Predators will echo that sentiment after spending big in 2024, signing three of the largest deals that year. Two years later, Nashville finds itself towards the bottom of the league as those contracts have aged poorly.
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With most of the biggest names off the board, who were the biggest winners and losers of day one of NHL free agency?
Winners
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers managed to dump the entire $9.5 million cap hit of Darnell Nurse without retaining any salary, something many insiders had speculated was improbable. That alone is a huge burden off the back of general manager Stan Bowman and the Oilers, as Nurse’s contract has weighed down the team for years.
Additionally, the Oilers traded for Devon Levi from Buffalo and signed Frederik Andersen to a team-friendly deal, bolstering the goaltending position after years of disappointment between the pipes.
It may not have been the flashiest, but the Oilers quietly come out of the first day of free agency in a much better spot organizationally.
Utah Mammoth
The Mammoth shored up the offense on day one, bringing in Vincent Trochek via trade and signing Anders Lee as a free agent. Trochek is a strong option at second-line center for the next few years before 2025 No. 4 pick Caleb Desnoyers transitions to the NHL.
Lee served as captain of the New York Islanders for eight seasons and provides a solid scoring touch to Utah’s top nine, something the team desperately missed in last year’s playoffs.
General manager Bill Armstrong was one of the more active general managers in free agency without mortgaging the future of the franchise, making the Mammoth a legitimate playoff threat next season.
Toronto Maple Leafs
General manager John Chayka finds himself between a rock and a hard place in his first year on the job. He had to prove to Auston Matthews that the team was going in the right direction, while also building around first overall pick Gavin McKenna.
After acquiring pending unrestricted free agent Darren Raddysh, Chayka continued to add in free agency. Toronto went out and signed top goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, and strengthened the forward core by acquiring Nick Paul, Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons and Teddy Blueger.
Paul and Roslovic bring a nice scoring touch to a Leafs team desperately lacking bottom-six scoring.
The team is nowhere near contention, but Chayka is slowly putting together a playoff-level team after a disappointing season for Toronto.
Losers
San Jose Sharks
Mike Grier struck out on day one after a home run of a draft. The acquisition of Mason Marchment and Jacob Trouba will legitimately improve the roster in the first few years, but the deals risk aging poorly in the latter half.
The biggest shock came when San Jose traded for defenseman Darnell Nurse and his $9.5 million cap hit. The Sharks didn’t give up anything of real value, but for months, insiders have speculated that the Edmonton Oilers would have to give up assets to offload Nurse’s contract.
Now, the Sharks take on his entire contract for the next four years, along with adding Trouba and Marchment to the books.
This free agency won’t ruin the Sharks’ future, but it could certainly hinder their ability to contend in three to four years.
Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks made Bowen Byram the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL by average annual value. His $12.5 million cap hit trumps the likes of Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes and Zach Werenski, despite Byram never playing in a No. 1 role.
This is a monumental risk for general manager Kyle Davidson, one that is hard to see working out in the long run.
Aside from the extension, the Blackhawks were largely quiet on day one, only bringing in AHL-level talent. Barring a trade, Chicago appears to be heading into next season with the same forward core — one which featured Ryan Greene on its first line.
Connor Bedard will head into another season without any real help on his wing; add that to a horrendous Byram deal, and the Blackhawks come out as one of the biggest losers of free agency.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks’ spot on this list is thanks to the lack of moves rather than any particular signing. After trading Mason McTavish and Owen Zellweger in separate deals for draft picks, and losing Radko Gudas, John Carlson and Jacob Trouba on the back end, Anaheim looks significantly worse on paper.
The lone NHL-level addition for the Ducks on day one was Nick Jensen, who is a serviceable defenseman, but the blue line needs further improvements if Anaheim wants to return to the playoffs next season.
Up front, general manager Pat Verbeek extended A.J. Greer to a four-year, $4.3 million deal, which is generous given Greer’s skill set and resume.
As Leo Carlsson begins contract negotiations, the Ducks aren’t making the win-now moves necessary to push the team to the next level.
