NHL free agency got started on Tuesday, but there weren't a whole lot of huge names on the board for teams to jump at. Many already agreed to extensions with their old teams ahead of the July 1 window, leaving the rest of the league scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel.
If general managers were savvy with their dollars, they could've ended up with the best of the bargain bin rather than reaching for a warm body to put on skates.
Five teams that messed up Day 1 of NHL Free Agency
Los Angeles Kings
Additions: F Corey Perry, F Joel Armia, D Cody Ceci, D Brian Dumoulin, G Anton Forsberg
General manager Ken Holland grabbed a bunch of big names, but they weren't necessarily of the highest quality. Perry may have appeared in five of the last six Stanley Cup Finals, but he is 40 years old. At some point Father Time is going to catch up with him.
Ceci and Dumoulin are also risky adds. They saw limited success with their old squads and a change of scenery won't necessarily guarantee they'll thrive. Forsberg is a serviceable backup to Darcy Kuemper, but if he goes down for the year, the former isn't going to be a sustainable No. 1 goalie.
Seattle Kraken
Additions: D Ryan Lindgren, G Matt Murray
If the scale to grade free agency performances went lower than F, Seattle would be getting a Z. The Kraken roster needs a lot of work, and general manager Jason Botterill isn't making a whole lot of changes from a disappointing 2024-25 season.
Lindgren isn't a top-four defenseman and Murray has been recovering from hip surgery over the last two years. He'll be competing with Joey Daccord and Philip Grubauer who should feel secure in their chances of retaining the crease next season.
Granted, Botterill did acquire Mason Marchment from the Dallas Stars on June 19 and Joe Veleno from the Chicago Blackhawks on June 21. But there was a lot more that could've been done on Tuesday. Perhaps he did take swings at other players, but they decided Seattle's project wasn't worth their while. Either way, this was a big whiff by the Kraken when they needed it most.
Detroit Red Wings
Additions: D Ian Mitchell, D Jacob Bernard-Docker, F James van Riemsdyk, F John Leonard
It's pretty telling when your most notable addition is retaining Patrick Kane ahead of free agency opening up. Detroit took the modest approach to the market and came up with scraps as a result.
Leonard was a minor leaguer last year and van Riemsdyk is a journeyman who provides just barely serviceable production. The Red Wings regressed in 2024-25 after just missing the playoffs the year prior. They're now at risk of regressing even further after staying quiet on day one of free agency.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Additions: D Christian Jaros, F Owen Sillinger, F Isac Lundestrom
The Blue Jackets took a step forward last season and still have the youth to get closer to the postseason this upcoming campaign. But bringing in a big-name free agent to inject some goal-scoring and excitement back into Nationwide Arena would've been nice.
General manager Don Waddell chose to take the conservative route and add depth pieces instead. That could still work out in his favor, but for now, the team remains rather stagnant on paper. Something more is needed; perhaps Waddell can find it on day two and beyond as more players wait out their options.
Winnipeg Jets
Additions: F Cole Koepke, F Tanner Pearson, F Nick Di Giuseppe
Rather than focusing on who the Jets added, its the name that's not on that list that's more concerning. Forward Nicolaj Ehlers is arguably the top free agent left on the market and it's been reported he will take his time considering potential suitors. But the fact that Winnipeg couldn't get a last-minute extension done says all you need to know about the 2024-25 President's Trophy-winner's prospects.
Pearson is a solid addition, but he's hardly going to fill the Ehlers-sized gap in Winnipeg's lineup. The power play will suffer as as result and that's going to mean fewer opportunities to rack up the score against inferior opponents. Expect the Jets' win total to drop substantially this coming season.