Өрнөд бүсийн багууд зуны солилцооны цонхоор гэнэтийн шийдвэрүүд гаргаж, хүний нөөцийн хувьд томоохон өөрчлөлтүүдийг хийлээ.
Эдмонтон Ойлерс багийн хувьд Майк Бэбкокийг дасгалжуулагчаар томилсон нь 9.1 оноо бүхий хамгийн этгээд үйл явдал боллоо. Өмнө нь Крис Кноблаухыг халах шийдвэр гаргахдаа орлох дасгалжуулагч бэлтгээгүй байсан нь багийн удирдлагын хувьд хүндрэл учруулсан юм. Виннипег Жетс багийн хувьд Коннор Хеллебайкийн солилцооны хүсэлт одоог хүртэл шийдэгдээгүй байгаа нь 7.8 оноотой үнэлэгдэж байна.
Анахайм Дакс баг Лео Карлссоны гэрээг Филадельфия Флайерсийн саналтай дүйцүүлэн 90 сая ам.долларын үнээр сунгасан нь цалингийн бүтцэд нь ноцтой нөлөөлөхөөр байна. Харин Колорадо Эвеланш баг ерөнхий менежерээ бүсийн өрсөлдөгчдөө алдсан ч Кэйл Макартай лигийн дээд амжилт тогтоосон шинэ гэрээ байгууллаа. Сан-Хосе Шаркс багийн хувьд Маклин Селлебринигийн асар өндөр өртөгтэй гэрээ болон хамгаалалтын шугамаа бэхжүүлэх гэсэн эрсдэлтэй алхмууд нь анхаарал татаж байна.
Даллас Старс баг Зак Веренскиг солилцоогоор элсүүлэхэд тун ойртсон ч тоглогч өөрөө татгалзсан нь зуны хамгийн том үйл явдлуудын нэг байв. Вегас Голден Найтс баг Жон Тортореллаг 14 хожил авсны дараа ажлаас нь чөлөөлсөн нь олон нийтийг гайхшруулсан бол Чикаго Блэкхокс баг Боуэн Байрамыг өндөр цалинтайгаар авчирсан нь эргэлзээ төрүүлж байна. Калгари Флэймс баг ирээдүйдээ анхаарч хоёр нэгдүгээр тойргийн сонголтыг Шимон Немецтэй солилцсон нь тэдний хувьд томоохон эрсдэл боллоо.
Дэлгэрэнгүйг эх сурвалжаас харах
↓Эх сурвалжийг нээх ↓
The offseason is over, and at least for a few teams, things got weird. How weird? We’re about to find out.
Yes, it’s time for the annual offseason rankings, in which we blow the dust off our trusty bizarro-meter and feed it each team’s summer headlines. After a few bleeps and bloops and flashing lights and occasional puff of toxic smoke, we’ll get back a rating out of 10 that answers the question: Just how weird did things get?
As always, we start with an important caveat: “Weird” doesn’t mean bad. It doesn’t mean good. It doesn’t necessarily mean busy, or quiet, or anything in between. This isn’t meant to be a traditional evaluation so much as a look at which teams surprised us. Think of it as a rating of how often a team made us go “What the heck?” with perhaps some other words occasionally slotted in instead, as ranked on a subjective scale of one to the 2013 Maple Leafs.
We’re defining the offseason as everything that happened between a team’s last game of the 2025-26 season and today, and everything is on the table: roster moves, hirings and firings, extensions, anything else that made news. In some cases, the stuff that didn’t happen is even weirder than what did, and that counts too.
We’ll do this by conference, with the West up today and the East coming to a screen near you soon. Let’s start in the Central.
Central Division
Utah Mammoth
The offseason so far: It was reasonably eventful, with Vincent Trochek and Anders Lee the biggest names added and JJ Peterka heading to Boston.
But their strangest story was: Giving up on Peterka just one year after trading Josh Doan to get him feels like an admission that the deal didn’t work.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 3.5/10. We start with a classic example of how a busy offseason isn’t necessarily a bizarre one. Utah seems to fit that bill, with nothing standing out as especially hard to explain.
Nashville Predators
The offseason so far: New GM Chris MacFarland was busy, making a couple of deals with his former team in Colorado and getting a nice package of picks for Luke Evangelista.
But their strangest story was: Seeing them at the very top of Dom Luszczyszyn’s offseason improvement list, which seemed to surprise everyone, including Dom. (That was before the Evangelista departure, though.)
Bizarro-meter ranking: 4.3/10. The MacFarland saga itself was odd, as we’ll note a few entries from now.
St. Louis Blues
The offseason so far: They were busy, sending Jordan Kyrou to Washington and adding Mason MacTavish from the Ducks.
But their strangest story was: Naming Robert Thomas as the new captain, only because he’s been rumored to be on the trade block for what seems like the last decade.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 4.6/10. Alex Steen’s first summer in the big chair was busy, but everything mostly made sense.
Chicago Blackhawks
The offseason so far: With one major exception, it was another largely quiet offseason in Chicago, as the Hawks continue to bank prospects and count on the development of young players to (eventually) push them into the playoff picture. They did get Connor Bedard’s extension done, though, and Patrick Kane’s return will be fun even if it’s not especially productive.
But their strangest story was: That one big swing — trading for Bowen Byram and then giving him what was at the time the highest AAV of any defenseman in the league. It’s fair to say the move did not get great reviews, although Cale Makar’s deal reminds us that the blue-line market is still very much in flux.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 4.9/10. Oh, and Bedard is hurt again. Which unfortunately is not all that bizarre.
What does Bowen Byram bring to the Blackhawks?
Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers
Colorado Avalanche
The offseason so far: No earth-shattering player moves unless you want to count Valeri Nichushkin, but Cale Makar’s record-breaking contract extension certainly made waves.
But their strangest story was: Losing their GM to a division rival, and apparently being fine with it. What was especially strange was that the initial rumors of the move appeared while the Avs were still in the playoffs. Now Joe Sakic is back, at least for now, which is good news for those of you in the prediction contest who never realized he had left.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 5.4/10. A GM change after a Presidents’ Trophy will always be strange, but otherwise the Avs’ offseason made plenty of sense for a capped-out team in win-now mode. (The brief bout of Jared Bednar firing rumors were weird, though.)
Minnesota Wild
The offseason so far: It was a mostly quiet offseason, with Blake Coleman in and Mats Zuccarello out. But so far, they haven’t been able to get Quinn Hughes re-signed, which is looming larger now that the Makar deal is done.
But their strangest story was: Emerging as a team that every star player apparently wants to play for. Like, Minnesota? As in the Wild? Huh.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 5.7/10. I’m awarding a bonus point for the ongoing feud with Red Wings fans over a trade package for Dylan Larkin, who is both good and terrible, in exchange for Wild prospects, who are both good and terrible, which has been one of the offseason’s most entertaining subplots. We have always been at war with Charlie Stramel.
Dallas Stars
The offseason so far: It was pretty quiet, enough so that a big chunk of the leading stories were periphery off-ice stuff like an arena deal and their TV contract. Other than that, they lost Mavrik Bourque to a cap crunch and kicked the Jason Robertson can down the road for one more year, and that was about it.
But their strangest story was: They came very close to pulling off the biggest move of the summer, apparently agreeing to a deal for Zach Werenski only to have the Blue Jackets star veto the deal before changing his mind about his trade request.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 6.1/10. The Werenski saga will feature prominently in our Eastern edition of this column, but its impact was certainly felt in Dallas. You wonder how things are with Thomas Harley, rumored to be the key piece going back to Columbus in the alleged deal, and whether it will sidetrack his upcoming Norris season.
Winnipeg Jets
The offseason so far: They got what could be a nice bargain on Stuart Skinner and reshuffled the third pair. But of course, the biggest news is what hasn’t happened … yet.
But their strangest story was: The whole Connor Hellebuyck saga, which is somehow still in the process of playing out.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 7.8/10. A Team USA player deciding he wants out isn’t all that bizarre anymore, especially when the departure is from Canada, but having a trade request scenario drag on this long certainly is. He apparently was almost a Sabre at the draft, and now you wonder if the Jets can get anywhere close to a fair return for the best player their second chapter has ever had. They might have no choice.
Pacific Division
Calgary Flames
The offseason so far: It was relatively quiet, as you’d expect from a team that’s firmly in the rebuilding phase but has already moved almost all their veteran talent.
But their strangest story was: Trading two firsts for Šimon Nemec, which feels like a gamble given the unimpressive start to his career. That said, both picks belong to contenders (Vegas and Colorado) and both are top-10 protected, so the risk profile is lower than it could have been.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 2.2/10. It’s shaping up to be a long year in Calgary unless Dustin Wolf goes absolutely nuclear.
Seattle Kraken
The offseason so far: The big move was getting Mackie Samoskevich from the Panthers.
But their strangest story was: Offering big money to Jason Robertson and getting turned down, which I ranked as the biggest insult in an offseason full of them.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 3.6/10. Sadly, this kind of summer is becoming par for the course for a franchise that’s spent its first few years being just kind of there.
Los Angeles Kings
The offseason so far: They added some veteran depth with Mats Zuccarello, Erik Haula and a returning Corey Perry. Does that make up for Anže Kopitar’s departure? Probably not, no.
But their strangest story was: Peter Laviolette is a very good coach, but he tends to have a shelf life and you could argue it doesn’t fit with the Kings’ short-term outlook.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 3.8/10. Is it a bad sign that I legitimately couldn’t remember whether or not they’d made the playoffs for like 30 seconds when I sat down to write this? Probably, although maybe more for me than them.
San Jose Sharks
The offseason so far: After taking a strong step forward last year, the young Sharks took a mixed approach to their summer, adding veterans to the blue line while moving William Eklund for a high pick up front. But the biggest news was the Macklin Celebrini mega-extension, which (briefly) set a new record for AAV.
But their strangest story was: Between signing Jacob Trouba and trading for Darnell Nurse without salary retention, the Sharks’ blue line spending spree had some questioning Mike Grier’s decision-making.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 5.4/10. “Macklin Celebrini signs for an $18.8 million AAV” would have felt like a 9/10 bizarro-meter headline one year ago, but things move fast around here.
Vancouver Canucks
The offseason so far: There were big changes everywhere but on the ice, with Patrik Allvin fired and Jim Rutherford stepping down to make room for Ryan Johnson and the Sedin twins while Manny Malhotra replaced Adam Foote behind the bench. The roster didn’t change much, though, with the Marcus Pettersson trade being the biggest move there, while they also got Zeev Buium locked up and drafted the coach’s kid.
But their strangest story was: That brief window where reports suggested Pierre Dorion could get the GM’s job and the fan base had a multi-day meltdown. If that was somebody’s idea of a trial balloon to gauge fan reaction, consider it gauged.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 5.7/10. This score would be several points higher if they’d actually gone with Dorion.
Vegas Golden Knights
The offseason so far: It was relatively quiet on the player front, with the Pavel Dorofeyev trade to the New York Rangers being the biggest move.
But their strangest story was: The ongoing Bruce Cassidy saga, in which the Knights refused to let their former head coach speak to other teams, or at least the Oilers, about a new job.
That was extremely weird. But! It all happened while the Knights were still in the playoffs, so it doesn’t technically qualify as an “offseason” story. Still, we have to nudge their score up a bit, if only for the spirit of the thing.
But their strangest story that actually qualifies was: Following up the Cassidy stuff by replacing John Tortorella despite him winning 14 playoff games.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 6.3/10. That kind of run would earn you some loyalty from 31 of the league’s 32 franchises. Unfortunately for Torts, not this one.
Anaheim Ducks
The offseason so far: There was plenty of roster movement, more of it out the door than in. Mason McTavish was the biggest exit, John Carlson turned out to be a rental and Jacob Trouba switched California rebuilds. But of course, the biggest story was about who stayed, and how much it cost …
But their strangest story was: The Leo Carlsson offer sheet drama, in which the Ducks eventually matched a record-breaking $90 million deal their top center signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. Ultimately, they still have their best player to build around. But the impact on their salary structure could be massive, and GM Pat Verbeek has taken a ton of criticism for his hard-bargain ways.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 7.5/10. Oh, and they still need to sign Cutter Gauthier. It was a rough offseason in Anaheim, and a lot of it feels self-inflicted.
Edmonton Oilers
The offseason so far: They found a taker for Darnell Nurse and got a Cup-winning goalie in Frederik Andersen, who’s already hurt. But the weird stuff came behind the bench, where the Oilers sure seemed to want to hire Bruce Cassidy, only to be blocked by Vegas. The Oilers were out of the playoffs by then, so it counts as an offseason story for them. And it all happened while Kris Knoblauch was technically still employed, leaving him twisting in the wind and eventually to the team having to fire him before they had a replacement ready to go.
It was all very strange, but at least they’d got all the coaching weirdness out of the way, we all said before taking a big sip of water.
But their strangest story was: Hiring Mike Babcock.
It’s fair to say the move was a surprise, given Babcock hadn’t been behind an NHL bench since the pre-pandemic era, hadn’t won a playoff round in over a decade and hadn’t lasted more than a few weeks at his last job. And that’s before you truly dig into his extremely checkered history. The fact that the move apparently came at the urging of stars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl bought the Oilers a little bit of cover. But only a little.
Bizarro-meter ranking: 9.1/10. I mean, it could work. It had better work. Because man, if it doesn’t work…
