The first day of the NHL's free agency period started slowly, but certainly picked up speed as the afternoon went on.
Now that we're past July 1, NHL clubs can sign unrestricted free agents to contracts and the offseason can finally, truly begin. We saw a ton of movement on Wednesday, mostly in the form of major trades from teams like the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers. There were also, thankfully, free agent signings to talk about as well, though not as many as you'd hope even with the thin market this summer.
Day 1 of NHL free agency often contains the most impactful moves, as now that the afternoon is winding down, teams will take their time to sort out their contracts as the summer chugs along. With the (likely) biggest deals of the day behind us, let's take a look at the major winners and losers of Day 1 of the NHL's 2026 free agency period.
The Canadiens continue to make incredibly smart moves. Re-signing Ivan Demidov to an eight-year, $73 million deal is tidy work. It's a high number now, but it's an incredibly team-friendly deal considering the kind of player he projects out to be. The Canadiens are certainly going to be a force for years to come and it'll be because of these savvy deals made with their young players.
For now, it seems as if Zach Werenski is staying a Blue Jacket. The defenseman could be moved via a trade this summer, but after all the smoke these last few days it felt like the writing was on the wall for Columbus. With reports suggesting that Werenski is "comfortable" returning to the Blue Jackets after talks with the front office, it certainly seems as if things have cooled off here to possibly Columbus' benefit.
Now that we're past July 1, NHL clubs can sign unrestricted free agents to contracts and the offseason can finally, truly begin. We saw a ton of movement on Wednesday, mostly in the form of major trades from teams like the San Jose Sharks and New York Rangers. There were also, thankfully, free agent signings to talk about as well, though not as many as you'd hope even with the thin market this summer.
Day 1 of NHL free agency often contains the most impactful moves, as now that the afternoon is winding down, teams will take their time to sort out their contracts as the summer chugs along. With the (likely) biggest deals of the day behind us, let's take a look at the major winners and losers of Day 1 of the NHL's 2026 free agency period.
The Canadiens continue to make incredibly smart moves. Re-signing Ivan Demidov to an eight-year, $73 million deal is tidy work. It's a high number now, but it's an incredibly team-friendly deal considering the kind of player he projects out to be. The Canadiens are certainly going to be a force for years to come and it'll be because of these savvy deals made with their young players.
For now, it seems as if Zach Werenski is staying a Blue Jacket. The defenseman could be moved via a trade this summer, but after all the smoke these last few days it felt like the writing was on the wall for Columbus. With reports suggesting that Werenski is "comfortable" returning to the Blue Jackets after talks with the front office, it certainly seems as if things have cooled off here to possibly Columbus' benefit.
29 days ago
