Barre-Boulet spent almost all of 2025-26 in the AHL, where he was second in the league with 70 points (26G / 44A) in 70 games. Expect him to start 2026-27 in the AHL, but could be one of the first forwards called-up to the Sharks when injuries hit.
The Carolina Hurricanes acquired John Carlson's rights from the Anaheim Ducks earlier in the offseason, but he decided to test the open marketing, ultimately opting two sign a two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. With Darren Raddysh's departure from Tampa Bay, Carlson could be an option to fill the void on the team's top powerplay unit. The 36-year-old Carlson had a terrific 2025-26 season, split between the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks, scoring 60 points (14G / 46A) in 71 games.
Heinola was drafted 20th overall by the Winnipeg Jets in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The Jets decided to move on from the 24-year-old defenseman, resulting in a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights. Heinola spent most of 2025-26 in the AHL, where he scored 21 points (3G / 18A) in 44 games with the Manitoba Moose.
Lavoie, a second-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, has not been able to earn an extended look at the NHL level, but hopes to build momentum after a tremendous 2025-26 season in the AHL. The 25-year-old forward scored 56 points (30G / 26A) last season in 45 games with the Henderson Silver Knights (AHL).
Gatcomb is no stranger to the NHL, with 16 points (11G / 5A) in 88 career games, and will provide solid organizational depth for the Vegas Golden Knights. The 26-year-old forward played a career-high 49 games with the New York Islanders last season, scoring seven points (3G / 4A).
Fleming is an undrafted 23-year-old who has spent most of the past two seasons in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights. The defenseman had 14 points (4G / 10A) last season in 60 games with Henderson.
Demek was a fourth-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 23-year-old Slovak forward has played significant minutes professionally in North America, but had a decent 2024-25 season with the Henderson Silver Knights (AHL), scoring 19 points (6G / 13A) in 31 games.
Kiviranta will rejoin the Dallas Stars, the team he began his NHL career with, on a one-year deal. The 30-year-old Finnish forward spent the past three seasons with the Colorado Avalanche, including a career-best 2024-25 season, in which he scored 23 points (16G / 7A) in 79 games.
Fitzgerald has exclusively played in the AHL the past three seasons as a serviceable shutdown defenseman. The 29-year-old scored 23 points (4G / 19A) in 2025-26 in 71 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL).
After spending the past five seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes, helping them win a Stanley Cup in 2025-26, Andersen will join his fourth team, the Edmonton Oilers. The 36-year-old veteran goalie is one of the winningest goalies in modern history, with a consistent 2.59 GAA and .913 SV% over 552 career games (324-149-58). That said, he has battled injuries in recent years and is coming off the worst season of his career, posting a 3.05 GAA and .874 SV% in 35 games (16-14-5).
Jones, the 24th-overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, has split time between the NHL and AHL in recent seasons, but impressed with the Oilers in 2025-26, earning a one-year contract extension. The 28-year-old forward scored five points (3G / 2A) last season in 21 games with the Oilers.
Mitchell, an undrafted defenseman, made his NHL debut last season, scoring one goal in nine games with the New York Islanders. The 26-year-old spent most of the season in the AHL, where he tallied 17 points (1G / 16A) in 58 games with the Bridgeport Islanders.
Mackey has had brief stints at the NHL level over the past several seasons, but has not been able to stick. The 29-year-old defenseman spent most of 2025-26 in the AHL, where he scored 18 points (5G / 13A) in 62 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Ferraro has become a popular commodity in recent seasons and will finally move on from the San Jose Sharks after seven seasons with the team that drafted him. The 27-year-old defenseman scored 23 points (7G / 16A) last season in 82 games with the Sharks.
Samson, a sixth-round pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, has yet to play an NHL game and will head to the Montreal Canadiens in a similar depth organizational role. The 22-year-old forward scored 14 points (5G / 9A) last season in 30 games with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL).
Bokondji, a career journeyman, will add some depth to the Florida Panthers organization on a one-year, two-way contract. The 29-year-old forward spent most of the 2025-26 season in the AHL, where he scored 11 points (6G / 5A) and recorded 137 penalty minutes in 66 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL).
