Following the Florida Panthers’ second straight Stanley Cup victory, NHL action has not slowed down one bit but simply moved from on to off the ice.
Off-season action picked up right away in late June with a few major trades, the biggest of which was the trade of superstar and pending free agent Mitch Marner. In a sign-and-trade, the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights, where Marner quickly signed an eight-year contract with the team. There has been speculation from around the hockey world for months — and perhaps even over a year — over whether Marner would be staying in Toronto or not. This sign-and-trade brought all the speculation to a close.
In another major trade, the New York Islanders traded star defenseman Noah Dobson to the Montreal Canadiens. There, Dobson then also signed an eight-year contract extension. The Islanders, a team that had a strong off-season under recently hired general manager Mathieu Darche, simply felt that Dobson’s contract demands did not align with their long-term plan. The Canadiens, meanwhile, were looking to take the next step after a promising season from their young core. The trade was logical for both sides.
After a disappointing season for the New York Rangers, the team knew that a shakeup to their core had to be made. So, they decided to trade long-time Ranger Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks. This was an emotional transaction for the Rangers and their fans, as Vegas Golden Knights has been a Ranger for over a decade. At the end of the day, though, professional sports is still a business.
Moving on to the NHL draft, the consensus around the league was that the 2025 draft class was not as important as some of the previous drafts. Nevertheless, this draft showcased some amazing prospects, many of which will likely have a huge impact on the league for years to come. The highlight of the draft was the first overall pick, when the Islanders selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer. The San Jose Sharks selected forward Michael Misa with the second overall pick, another top player in this year’s draft. Another noteworthy pick was made by the Boston Bruins at No. 7 overall, where they selected James Hagens, who plays at Boston College. Fans love to see a hometown draft pick.
The free agency class was also not as frenetic as normal, but there were still a bunch of good players who found new homes. Forward Nikolaj Ehlers signed with the Carolina Hurricanes, and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov signed with the Rangers — those were the two most noteworthy free agency moves. In addition, star defenseman Evan Bouchard signed a four-year contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers, and forward Brock Boeser signed a seven-year contract extension with the Vancouver Canucks.
Now that the off-season is all wrapped up, teams are looking forward to starting their training camps later this month and then the start of the regular season in early October. The start of the hockey, football and basketball seasons and the start of the MLB playoffs are all around the corner — one of the best times of year for sports!
