Aarif Deen
July 1 was as busy as usual around the NHL, even though there are still players to be had and trades to be made. There’s also an offer sheet (!!!) where a decision needs to be made. The Avalanche added two pieces, and the Toronto Maple Leafs added a bunch, too.
All that and more on this edition of Deen’s Daily — July 2.
Colorado Hockey Now
July 1 had quite a few notable moves around the NHL. But just like in 2025, the Avalanche were mostly quiet. They needed to add a forward to fill the void of the departed Valeri Nichushkin, and that was taken care of relatively early.
They also needed an additional defenseman to shore up their depth.
Once those moves were completed, general manager Joe Sakic spent the rest of his day making changes to the AHL roster.
Both at forward
And on defense
Lastly, to end the night, the Avalanche saw one of their unrestricted free agents sign elsewhere.
Around The NHL
It was quite the day around the league. You can catch a full recap of all the signings and all the trades HERE.
Toronto Hockey Now: What a day for the Maple Leafs and JOhn Chayka, who has spent weeks trying to fix all the issues with this roster. Chayka added Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger, Brandon Duhaime, and Jack Roslovic before trading (surprisingly) for Nick Paul. Oh, and let’s not forget the big fish: The Maple Leafs signed Sergei Bobrovsky.
New Jersey Hockey Now: We have an offer sheet! The Devils, under new forward-thinking GM Sunny Mehta, signed Utah center Barrett Hayton to an offer sheet. It’s only a one-year deal, which, if Utah matches, would walk him right to free agency on July 1, 2027. Don’t forget: If a team matches an offer sheet, they cannot trade that player for one full calendar year. So matching would literally walk him right into next year’s UFA class, barring a contract extension before that.
Pittsburgh Hockey Now: In a matter of a few days, the Pittsburgh Penguins added four defensemen who will likely be part of their NHL roster. They also added a handful of forwards in free agency and via trade. Assistant GM Jason Spezza met with media to share the team’s direction.
Montreal Hockey Now: It was a quiet day in the free agent market for the Habs. But they still walked away with one of the best contracts of the day.
San Jose Sharks: HUGE day for the Sharks. They signed Mason Marchment and Jacob Trouba, then traded for Darnell Nurse.
Philly Hockey Now: The Flyers dished out notable long-term extensions for Dan Vladar and Tyson Foerster before landing a veteran forward from their cross-state rivals.
Detroit Hockey Now: The Dylan Larkin saga has not yet ended, but Steve Yzerman was still busy on July 1. After adding Viktor Arvidsson and a new backup goalie in Daniil Tarasov, the Red Wings traded for a rugged forward from the Vegas Golden Knights.
Boston Hockey Now: The Bruins made some slightly notable additions, but their best move of the day was offloading Joonas Korpisalo.
Florida Hockey Now: Exhibit A of salary cap circumvention: This contract the Panthers gave Radko Gudas. How was this ever approved by the NHL?