Welcome to an offseason edition of theScore's NHL Power Rankings.
In this edition, we identify each team's best move of the offseason thus far.
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1. Florida Panthers
Re-signing Aaron Ekblad. Keeping all three of their big unrestricted free agents in Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Ekblad was incredible, but if we have to pick just one, it's Ekblad. The stalwart defenseman left significant money on the table, signing one of the most team-friendly contracts in the league: an eight-year deal with a $6.1-million cap hit. With largely the same team returning, the Panthers will enter the season as heavy favorites to win a third straight Stanley Cup.
2. Edmonton Oilers
Trading for Ike Howard. The reigning Hobey Baker winner isn't available every offseason. Howard is a skilled winger who found his offensive groove at Michigan State. His upside is very intriguing, especially considering his entry-level cap hit for the next three seasons. He's not a sure thing, but he brings more offensive potential than the outgoing Sam O'Reilly.
3. Carolina Hurricanes
Signing Nikolaj Ehlers. The Hurricanes badly needed another dynamic forward up front, and Ehlers' speed could make him a great fit in Rod Brind'Amour's system. Getting signed for six years, rather than the typical seven for a high-end free agent, was a win, too.
4. Vegas Golden Knights
Sign-and-trading for Mitch Marner. The Golden Knights landed the big fish of the offseason. Marner is a fabulous fit for a Vegas team built around strong team defense. He adds a level of offense that the franchise hasn't had outside of Jack Eichel.
5. Dallas Stars
Re-signing Matt Duchene. The 34-year-old has been a great fit in Dallas, and he even led the Stars in scoring this season. He had a disappointing playoff run, but Dallas wasn't replacing his output with anyone on the open market for the $4.5-million cap hit Duchene ultimately signed for.
6. Colorado Avalanche
Signing Brent Burns. There's no denying that the 40-year-old has lost a step, but, in a second- or third-pairing role, he could still be highly effective. For a $1-million cap hit plus performance bonuses, this was a no-brainer. Burns is still one of the best D-men in the league at getting pucks through toward the net.
7. Tampa Bay Lightning
Getting creative with Yanni Gourde. A six-year deal for a 33-year-old is ridiculous, but it got Gourde's cap hit down to $2.3 million. The Panthers later did something similar with Brad Marchand, so at least Gourde has a chance to play out his new deal.
8. Winnipeg Jets
Bringing Jonathan Toews home. It's unreasonable to expect Toews to be a top-six contributor, and his performance bonus structure is a bit outrageous, but seeing the 37-year-old don Jets colors will be a treat for Manitoba hockey fans.
9. Toronto Maple Leafs
Trading for Matias Maccelli. The Maple Leafs need to find ways to get younger, and they did that by adding the 24-year-old from the Mammoth in exchange for a conditional 2027 third-round pick. It's a buy-low opportunity on a player who struggled last season but posted 57 points the year prior. Maccelli is a gifted playmaker who could potentially shine alongside Auston Matthews in Marner's absence.
10. Washington Capitals
Locking up Martin Fehervary. The Capitals extended Fehervary for seven years at a $6-million cap hit a year before he was set to become a restricted free agent. He's a vital piece of Washington's defense going forward, and with prices only going up, it's tidy business to lock him up early.
11. New Jersey Devils
Signing Evgenii Dadonov. The veteran Russian tallied 20 goals and 40 points last season, and the Devils added him for a mere $1-million salary plus performance bonuses. He played up and down the Stars' lineup, so he gives New Jersey plenty of options next year.
12. New York Rangers
Signing Vladislav Gavrikov. The 6-foot-3 blue-liner is one of the game's best shutdown defenseman and an immediate upgrade over K'Andre Miller, who the Rangers traded for a haul that included a first-round pick and prospect Scott Morrow. Getting Gavrikov signed at a $7-million AAV - $500,000 cheaper than Miller - is a huge win.
13. St. Louis Blues
Signing Pius Suter. The Swiss center was a free agent who many expected to sign a shockingly large contract with the rising salary cap. Instead, the Blues added arguably the top UFA center at a completely reasonable $4.125-million cap hit, and for only two years.
14. Los Angeles Kings
Re-signing Andrei Kuzmenko. New general manager Ken Holland spent a lot of money in free agency - most of it rather questionably - but his best move was retaining Kuzmenko. The Russian was a strong fit in Los Angeles, and keeping the contract to a one-year commitment is tidy business.
15. Minnesota Wild
Trading for Vladimir Tarasenko. It's the only notable move of Minnesota's summer, but it's hard to hate it considering the Wild acquired him for future considerations. Tarasenko is coming off a rough season, but on a one-year contract, it's worth a risk.
16. Montreal Canadiens
Trading for Noah Dobson. It's easy to forget that Dobson finished eighth in Norris Trophy voting in 2023-24, when he racked up 70 points. He failed to replicate that success last year, but Dobson is still only 25, and mobile, right-shot defensemen who stand at 6-foot-4 are hard to find. The acquisition price - picks 16 and 17 in the 2025 draft, plus Emil Heineman - was more than fair, and the eight-year, $76-million contract should age well.
17. Ottawa Senators
Trading for Jordan Spence. The Senators needed more options on the right side, and Spence gives them just that. He's a young puck-mover who slots in nicely on the third pairing alongside Tyler Kleven.
18. Utah Mammoth
Landing JJ Peterka. Utah did extremely well acquiring Peterka while trading from areas of strength. Michael Kesselring and Josh Doan are good players, but both were secondary pieces for the Mammoth. Peterka adds to Utah's core coming off a 68-point campaign, and a 30-goal season is surely in his future.
19. Columbus Blue Jackets
Re-signing Dante Fabbro. The 27-year-old proved to be an excellent fit alongside Zach Werenski on Columbus' top pairing. Fabbro remaining with the Blue Jackets made sense for both sides, and it resulted in a reasonable extension.
20. Detroit Red Wings
Trading for John Gibson. The Red Wings wanted stability in net, and they went out and got the best netminder available. Time will tell if Gibson can return to his past elite form in a new environment, ideally with a smaller nightly workload.
21. Vancouver Canucks
Re-signing Brock Boeser. It was a surprise to see Boeser extend in Vancouver after he made it to July 1. Even after a down season, his $7.25-million cap hit comes in under expectation, and the Canucks weren't going to find a free agent of Boeser's caliber for the same price tag.
22. Boston Bruins
Drafting James Hagens. Before June's draft, the Bruins hadn't selected in the top 10 since taking Dougie Hamilton in 2011. Boston didn't overthink things and snagged the preseason No. 1 prospect in Hagens, who could look like a steal at seventh overall in no time.
23. Calgary Flames
Locking up Matt Coronato. It's easy to see Coronato's $6.5-million cap hit becoming a bargain before long with the rising cap. The 22-year-old took a significant leap last season and is primed to take another step this fall.
24. Anaheim Ducks
Trading for Chris Kreider. There's no sugarcoating Kreider's rough campaign. He managed just eight assists, but still potted 22 goals and is only one year removed from a 39-goal, 75-point campaign. The Ducks have plenty of cap space, so Kreider doesn't impede any future moves. Given the minimal acquisition cost, he's a worthwhile gamble and, at the very least, a quality veteran to add to the room.
25. New York Islanders
Winning the Maxim Shabanov sweepstakes. Taking Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 pick was obvious, so let's highlight a different move. Shabanov is an exciting addition with his incredible skill. He's consistently improved year-over-year in the KHL and was a finalist for MVP this season. At only 24 years old, Shabanov is far from a guarantee, but as a no-risk flier, he's a superb signing who could surprise in the fall.
26. Buffalo Sabres
Locking up Ryan McLeod. Buffalo made the surprising move to swap former top-10 pick Matt Savoie for McLeod last summer, and the early returns are promising. McLeod notched 20 goals and 53 points and is now under contract through 2028-29 at a reasonable $5-million cap hit.
27. Nashville Predators
Signing Nick Perbix. The 27-year-old defenseman compiled three quality seasons on the Lightning's third-pairing and could leap up the lineup in Nashville as Roman Josi's potential new partner. Nicolas Hague is the flashier add, but Perbix is the better value move.
28. Seattle Kraken
Trading for Mason Marchment. Seattle shook things up with a new head coach, but their offseason moves have largely been underwhelming. An exception is the addition of Marchment, who adds a different dimension to the lineup as a 6-foot-5 winger and scores at a 50-plus point pace.
29. Philadelphia Flyers
Trading for Trevor Zegras. The 24-year-old has struggled with injuries and consistency since his 65-point campaign in 2022-23. Zegras gets a fresh start in Philadelphia, and the Flyers add his immense skill for just the 45th overall pick, a future fourth-rounder, and a bottom-six center in Ryan Poehling. That's a worthwhile swing for a team in desperate need of creativity alongside Matvei Michkov.
30. Pittsburgh Penguins
Taking on Matt Dumba's deal. The Penguins are in asset accumulation mode and now own seven second-round picks in the next three drafts after adding another selection from Dallas in the Dumba trade. It's easy to see Pittsburgh acquiring another pick for Dumba at the trade deadline.
31. San Jose Sharks
Signing Dmitry Orlov. The climb out of the league's basement starts with competent defensemen. Orlov struggled in the conference finals, but he's still an upgrade over the inexperienced group San Jose was set to enter the campaign with. As long as he gets the puck up the ice to Macklin Celebrini and Co., it's a positive move.
32. Chicago Blackhawks
Re-signing Ryan Donato. The 29-year-old enjoyed a career year in 2024-25 - he scored more goals (31) than he had points (30) in the campaign prior. A $4-million cap hit for four seasons is reasonable and will look like a bargain if Donato can maintain similar form over the duration of his deal.
