NHL Offseason Grades: Panthers Excel While Golden Knights Take Big Risks

The NHL’s 2025 offseason has been a whirlwind of big moves and surprising deals, with teams going all-in on reshaping their rosters for next season.

The biggest splash? The Vegas Golden Knights landed superstar Mitch Marner from Toronto, signing him to a massive $12 million per year deal. It’s classic Vegas – they’ve never been shy about chasing top talent, and pairing Marner with Jack Eichel could make their offense absolutely lethal.

The Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers somehow managed to keep their core intact, which is pretty remarkable given today’s salary cap world.

Sam Bennett, their playoff MVP, signed for $8 million a year – a bargain considering how dominant he was in their Cup run. He was practically unstoppable against Edmonton in the finals.

They also convinced Aaron Ekblad to stay put for $6.1 million annually, which is a steal for a top defenseman in today’s market.

Even the 37-year-old Brad Marchand stuck around, taking $5.25 million per year. He was a game-changer for Florida after coming over from Boston at the trade deadline.

The Carolina Hurricanes made two big moves to try to dethrone Florida. They snagged speedy winger Nikolaj Ehlers for $8.5 million a year and traded for young defenseman K’Andre Miller.

Montreal’s pushing to stay competitive, trading for Noah Dobson and giving him $9.5 million annually. That’s a lot of money, but pairing him with Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson could give them one of the most exciting defensive duos in hockey.

The Utah Mammoth, in just their second season, are making noise too. They grabbed J.J. Peterka from Buffalo and signed him for $7.7 million per year. At just 23, he could be their next face of the franchise.

One of the most interesting moves? Jonathan Toews is coming back after two years away, signing an incentive-laden deal with Winnipeg. At 37, it’s anyone’s guess how much he has left in the tank.

The Flyers might have made the smartest gamble of the summer, trading for Trevor Zegras. If he can stay healthy and return to his 60-point form, they got a steal.

With all these moves, next season’s playoff race should be absolutely wild. And there’s still plenty of time left for more deals before training camps open.