NHL free agency 2026: Which players improved their fantasy hockey potential?

It's going to be a busy offseason in the NHL, with many notable players swapping one jersey for the next. As teams around the league fill in their rosters and trade players and picks, it's fair to ask how everyone will fit in with their new teams, and who will replace them on their previous ones.

Sean Allen and Victoria Matiash are here to break where every player fits with their new teams and whether they should be a part of your fantasy hockey draft strategy.

More: Offseason trade grades | Free agency preview | Fantasy rankings

Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Toronto Maple Leafs: Once upon a time, Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz combined to backstop the 2023-24 Florida Panthers to a Stanley Cup championship. The Maple Leafs are now betting that they can do it again three years later. The problem, of course, is that the goalies are three years older. Bobrovsky was a few steps behind last season, ranking 90th out of 98 goalies for goals saved above expected (-12.2 according to MoneyPuck). Stolarz could barely stay healthy and ranked 81st in the same category. With a new coach and attempts to revamp the defense, the goaltending could improve for Toronto. But you shouldn't bet your fantasy team's crease on it. Only six goalies age 38 or older have scored more than 100 fantasy points since 2009-10. -- Allen

Mats Zuccarello, RW, Los Angeles Kings: After seven years, the veteran winger's tenure with the Wild is over, as is his solid, mutually beneficial relationship with Kirill Kaprizov. When healthy -- a concern these past few seasons -- Zuccarello served as a near point/game player, heavy on the assists (39) and power-play points (21), through 59 games. Reasonably impressive stuff.

However, a role alongside Kaprizov -- never mind Quinn Hughes, Brock Faber, and Matt Boldy with the extra skater -- certainly influenced that productive success. If the Kings roll out Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin alongside Quinton Byfield on the No. 1 line as anticipated, Zuccarello likely ends up on the second unit and secondary power play. Which forecasts a solid 50 points for the 38-year-old, but not much more. Even if he competes regularly. -- Matiash

Brady Tkachuk, LW, Florida Panthers: Tkachuk joins his brother Matthew in Florida after requesting a trade out of Ottawa, and he steps into a loaded top-nine that will also get a healthy Aleksander Barkov back. Even in a shortened 60-game season, Brady posted 22 goals, 37 assists and 162 hits, and the move to a deeper roster only raises his ceiling. He remains a premier source of points and hits in one package, with 30 to 35 goals and 250-plus hits realistic. Draft him early as a near-elite power forward that gives you a leg up on the competition in the less-heralded hits category. -- Allen

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How the Brady Tkachuk trade came to be

Stuart Skinner, G, Winnipeg Jets: This signing is tough to thoroughly tackle until we learn more about Connor Hellebuyck's future. Is he staying or going? If the former Hart/Vezina winner bolts, as most anticipate, the Jets need to acquire a quality netminder in return, which would lay out a blueprint for a timeshare with Skinner in net. Not an appealing scenario for any fantasy manager, considering how the Jets struggled defensively this past season. (Not only when Eric Comrie got the nod.)

If Hellebuyck does end up staying -- again, feels less likely at this point -- Skinner will serve as a prototypical backup. Which makes him a streaming option, at best. However it shakes out in net, GM Kevin Cheveldayoff needs to bolster his group otherwise. Even though Winnipeg arguably wasn't as bad as last year's record would suggest, rolling out the same crew and expecting a much better record would be foolish. If other such positive changes are made, whoever is in the crease would serve as a more valuable fantasy starter or streaming option. -- Matiash

John Carlson, D, Tampa Bay Lightning: Taking his talents to Tampa, one of the league's best puck-moving defenseman of the last two decades isn't ready to ease up yet. Splitting his time between Washington and Anaheim this past season, Carlson registered 60 points, 46 of them counting at even-strength. But his potential production with the extra skater is what could push the veteran blueliner into the top-15 fantasy realm.

While not as potent in 2025-26 as in previous seasons, the Lightning's power play remains superior to either unit in Washington or Anaheim. Whether as Jon Cooper's preferred option or necessary injury replacement, if Carlson supplants Victor Hedman on the club's top assembly alongside Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, look out. Regardless, the offense-defenseman is going to eat up a bunch of minutes on the top pair, shoot plenty, and score as consistently as usual. Most managers in deeper leagues would be lucky to have him as their No. 2 fantasy blueliner. -- Matiash

Vincent Trocheck, C, Utah Mammoth: Don't worry that the Mammoth now have a glut of capable centers, as Trocheck will still find a way to get into the top six, even though you could argue Nick Schmaltz and Logan Cooley ahead of him at the position. The real rub comes from special teams, the environment necessary for Trocheck to thrive is one in which he gets plenty of power-play time on a strong unit. He's eclipsed 190 fantasy points twice in his career: In 2017-18 when he had 31 points on special teams and in 2023-24 when he had 25. He's never topped 20 special-teams points in any other season. The risk here is whether he can nose his way onto the top unit. Schmaltz, Cooley, Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther are all difficult to argue swapping for Trocheck, and the Mammoth are short on icing two strong units. Trocheck will still be a fantasy factor, but some shine comes off his potential in a crowded forward group. -- Allen

Jacob Trouba, D, San Jose Sharks: Trouba was still generating 4.9 fantasy points per 60 minutes last season with the Ducks, which is lower than his peak of 6.3 in 2022-23, but still very serviceable. The Sharks will expect him to play big minutes and take a leadership role on the blue line, which is all he needs to Trouba his way to fantasy success. And yes, Trouba is now a verb for blocking shots and throwing hits at a rate that makes a player valuable to your fantasy squad. He was one of only four players to have 140 hits and 140 blocked shots last season, and he is the only player to have hit both those thresholds in each of the past four seasons (and he's actually done it for five consecutive seasons). -- Allen

Darnell Nurse, D, San Jose Sharks: While many San Jose fans may not be initially smitten with this deal, Nurse is set to benefit from a much-needed change of scenery. It was only two seasons ago that the 31-year-old averaged 0.43 points/game while dishing out 161 hits and blocking 136 shots (76 contests). Poised to see solid minutes either on the top duo with Jacob Trouba -- also new to the squad -- or Dmitri Orlov on the second pairing, Nurse is in position to again average more than 2.0 FPPG in standard ESPN leagues. The biggest knock on this skater is his $9.25-million cap hit, which is a concern for GM Mike Grier and not fantasy managers. He serves well as a top-4 fantasy blueliner in deeper leagues. -- Matiash

Anders Lee, LW, Utah Mammoth: Here's what we appreciate about Lee's fantasy potential in general, and as the newest member of the Utah Mammoth: He's incredibly durable, boasting a near-perfect attendance record these past four seasons. He scores goals, as seen by the 308 tallies versus 241 assists throughout the course of his career. He shoots on net often enough, averaging 2.53 shots/game since 2017-18. He could slide in on a dynamic scoring line with Logan Cooley, or even ex-Ranger Vincent Trochek, and secondary power play. All good things.

Here's what we appreciate less about Lee as a fantasy performer: He's only broken the 60-point plateau once, when he potted 40 goals in 2017-18. He joins a very well-balanced squad in Utah, and there's only so much scoring to go around. Again, 62 points once and only once. Until/if the 35-year-old displays additional promise in his new digs, leave him be as a fantasy performer. -- Matiash

Jacob Markstrom, G, Florida Panthers: As with several other fascinating transactions this offseason, this swap offers plenty of fantasy intrigue. Navigating a wide-looping and meandering U-turn, Markstrom finds himself back with the team that drafted him 18 years ago. A reunion the veteran netminder should embrace.

Playing behind the Panthers' imposing defense, and one of the league's nastiest collection of opposing skaters altogether, the veteran's numbers will improve over last year's dud of a ride in New Jersey. Remember, only one year removed from a solid season with the Devils, Markstrom was superb in representing Sweden at the Olympics this past winter. He's hardly washed-up yet.

But can he play 55 games? Will the Panthers expect as much from the 36-year-old? Assuming Sergei Bobrovsky is gone elsewhere, GM Bill Zito could still add another semi-significant netminder to his goaltending gaggle. Otherwise, pencil in Markstrom for a good number of wins, a save percentage upward of .900, and goals-against average in the 2.65 range. All goes really well, and he could serve as a Top-12 fantasy netminder with the Panthers. -- Matiash

Jordan Kyrou, RW, Washington Capitals: Kyrou heads to Washington after a down year in St. Louis where he managed just 18 goals, half his total from 2024-25. He slots into a refreshed top-six for the Capitals attack and probably lands on the top power-play unit, whether Alex Ovechkin re-signs with the Capitals or not. Target him as a bounce-back buy-low pick given he scored 30-plus goals in three straight seasons before this blip. -- Allen

Mason McTavish, C, St. Louis Blues: The Blues have a new second-line line center. Acquired from the Ducks to slide in behind Robert Thomas, ahead of Dalibor Dvorsky, the third-overall draft selection (2021) is getting a much-needed change of scenery. Often in coach Joel Quenneville's doghouse, and vocal himself about having to improve parts of his game, the 23-year-old is now in position to make the most of a clean slate. Much like his former teammate Trevor Zegras did in joining the Flyers this past season.

McTavish is a 60-point player who has yet to meet that mark. Following a summer of working to become quicker, and inspired by wanting to make a good first impression in St. Louis, he finally breaks through with 60-plus -- including 25 goals -- in 2026-27. Centering a second line and secondary power play, and with much to prove, McTavish certainly merits rostering in deeper ESPN fantasy leagues. -- Matiash

William Eklund, LW, Ottawa Senators: Eklund lands in Ottawa to fill the exact void left by Brady Tkachuk's departure, with a real shot at top-line minutes alongside Tim Stutzle and reunited buddy Fabian Zetterlund. He's coming off a steady 53-point season in San Jose and is just 23, so there's growth left in his game. The upgrade at center (he didn't play with Macklin Celebrini much at five-on-five) should boost his assist totals. Treat him as a strong value pick who could push for a 70-point season in a featured role. -- Allen

JJ Peterka, RW/LW, Boston Bruins: "That would be pretty cool," Peterka responded when asked about the opportunity to play on a forward line with David Pastrnak. We would suppose so. Following a near-70 point campaign the previous season in Buffalo, the former Sabre never really jived with the Mammoth. So turning the page once more, he now finds himself joining pal and countryman, Lukas Reichel, while playing under German head coach Marco Sturm. But it's the prospect of competing on a top line and power play with Pastrnak, who's passing the puck more than ever, that's most enticing. Thirty goals plus 40 assists - with a good fraction of those points counting with the extra skater - is no big fantasy ask from the (still only) 24-year-old. -- Matiash

Frederik Andersen, G, Edmonton Oilers: After how poorly the Tristan Jarry gamble played out for the Oilers last season, they turned to the reigning Stanley Cup champ to change their fate. The number of teams with playoff aspirations relying on a goaltender past the typical age of decline feels very high this season, with the Oilers joining the Maple Leafs, Panthers, Kings and Devils ready to feature a keeper over the age of 35. Andersen still had his mojo in the postseason for the Hurricanes, but it was a rough regular season. Among goaltenders with at least 30 starts, only Jordan Binnington and Samuel Ersson posted a worse save percentage than Andersen's .874, and only Kevin Lankinen and Binnington finished with fewer fantasy points. Because the Oilers are going to win games, he's worth having in your late-round drafting plans, but he shouldn't be your plan to address goaltending. -- Allen

Pavel Dorofeyev, RW/LW, New York Rangers: They call him Scorofeyev for a reason (or maybe that's just a few of us). A darling with the analytics crowd, the former Golden Knight led everyone not named Wyatt Johnston in power-play goals this past season (18th in power-play points). He also finished with 37 total goals and 230 shots, good for 20th in the league. Projected to line up with No. 1 center Mika Zibanejad, and joining Adam Fox on the Rangers' top power play, Dorofeyev should replicate, if not better, his numbers from this past season in Vegas. Turning 26 in October, and just entering his prime, the winger sports 70-point potential as soon as 2026-27. -- Matiash

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'Whoa!' John Buccigross stunned by Pavel Dorofeyev trade to Rangers

Simon Nemec, D, Calgary Flames: New Jersey moved on from Nemec, sending him to Calgary after he was blocked from the Devils' top power-play role by same-aged Luke Hughes. We haven't really seen him stretch his legs yet, as Dougie Hamilton was also in the mix for the Devils. In Calgary's rebuild, he should get every opportunity to beat Zayne Parekh for the right to run a top power-play unit and log heavy minutes as a cornerstone piece. Stash him in dynasty and deeper leagues as a former No. 2 overall pick who finally gets a clear runway. -- Allen

Valeri Nichushkin, RW, Columbus Blue Jackets: As factors, the where and with whom have played less into Nichushkin's fantasy value than individual issues. When healthy and/or not dealing with off-ice concerns, the power forward serves as a fantasy gem. He shoots, scores, hits, and provides extra scoring jam on the power play. But the winger must be available to compete to share all that fantasy love, which, before banging out 72 games with Colorado this past season, remains an enduring worry.

Then there are questions about whether Kirill Marchenko -- a potential playing partner for Nichushkin -- will remain in Columbus next season and beyond. Or defenseman Zach Werenski, who just makes the whole team better. Although a fantasy wild card with tons of upside, as we head into proper summer, the 31-year-old best presents as a mid-to-late round gamble in deeper ESPN leagues. -- Matiash

Boone Jenner, C, Washington Capitals: Veteran presence, solid faceoff ability and leadership will come with Jenner in spades, but probably not fantasy value. He's no longer a 20-minute-per-game presence, and Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch already have a claim to spots in what is quickly becoming a crowded top six for the Capitals. And it'll be even more crowded for key ice time if the new additions are enough to entice Alex Ovechkin to come back. Jenner probably won't be a fantasy factor at all, should injuries elevate his role, he still produces. -- Allen

Mason Marchment, LW, San Jose Sharks: Following his trade from the Kraken, the towering winger collected 32 points in only 39 games with the Blue Jackets this past season. Just two years ago, he potted 22 goals and 25 assists in a mere 62 contests in Dallas. When healthy and fit, Marchment can score. Which he should have ample opportunity to do, on a Sharks scoring line with promising second-year center Michael Misa, if that's how it shakes out. Additional minutes with a secondary power play will also help add to Marchment's tally.

This late bloomer is one of those underrated fantasy performers who many managers bypass, even in deeper drafts, because he's bopped around the league and never hit the 60-point mark. Draft the Marchment late, before he pots 10 points in his first month, and everyone else becomes more wise. -- Matiash

Darren Raddysh, D, Toronto Maple Leafs: Raddysh heads to Toronto after a breakout 22-goal, 70-point campaign in Tampa Bay that came almost entirely on the strength of power-play usage. Last season likely represents his career high, as the Lightning's power play was among the league's best and Toronto's was a step down - though the Leafs have shown they can run a dangerous unit when clicking. He needs the PP1 role to retain his fantasy stature and should claim it from Morgan Rielly, but Toronto's power play must also bounce back. Don't pay full price based on his 2025-26 season, but also don't let him slip too far past the top 15 defenders. -- Allen

Alex Tuch, RW, Washington Capitals: Understandably, the 30-year-old is rather excited about the prospect of competing on a line with Alex Ovechkin. Who wouldn't be? What's more surprising, at least through last month's lens, is this relationship could actually spell out.

At the time of this writing, the league's greatest goal-scorer has yet to announce his decision about returning for another year or not. But even if Ovi chooses to call it an NHL career, Tuch could still end up in great company on Washington's top line, playing on his off wing, alongside Dylan Strome and fellow Caps newbie Jordan Kyrou. Or on another scoring unit with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson. The Capitals aren't paying him $84-million to skate in the bottom-six.

Toss in solid minutes with the extra skater, and Tuch should replicate this past season's impressive fantasy showing in ESPN standard leagues (2.3 FPPG). Considering his proclivity for blocking shots and producing on the penalty kill, Tuch runs neck and neck with Wilson as the club's top two fantasy forwards. -- Matiash

Joseph Woll, G, Philadelphia Flyers: Woll moves from Toronto to Philadelphia, and he arrives to a tandem situation behind presumptive No. 1 Dan Vladar. His last season with the Leafs was rocky (.899 save percentage, 3.34 GAA) on a team that allowed plenty of goals, so a true 1B role behind a structured Rick Tocchet defense could help his numbers. Treat him as a streaming/depth option until his workload is clearer. -- Allen

Bowen Byram, D, Chicago Blackhawks: Wish granted. Wanting out from under the shadow cast by Rasmus Dahlin in Buffalo, the 25-year-old defenseman now finds himself the guy in Chicago - a role that will afford him the opportunity to see upwards of 25 minutes/game when competing on the Blackhawks' top pair and anchoring the No. 1 power play. While he'll register more than his career-high of 42 points amassed with the Sabres this past season, the pressing question is how much more.

GM Kyle Davidson still has work to do this summer in improving his roster around star forward Connor Bedard. How successful Davidson performs in that regard will go a long way in projecting Byram's ceiling in Chicago. We'll get a much better sense of where the fourth-overall draft selection (2019) -- entering the final year of his current contract -- ranks amongst NHL fantasy defenders nearer the start of camp. -- Matiash

Sebastian Cossa, G, Utah Mammoth: Cossa escapes a crowded Detroit goaltending pipeline, where he was competing with prospect Trey Augustine, and heads to Utah to pair with Karel Vejmelka. He has minimal NHL experience but dominated the AHL last season (26-8-4, .915 save percentage, five shutouts), suggesting real spike potential as a tandem partner. If Utah leans into more of a two-man crease approach, Cossa has a legitimate path to starts. He's a dynasty/deep-league stash with breakout potential if he performs. Think of Vejmelka and Cossa like a discounted version of Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt from last season in Minnesota. -- Allen