Bold predictions for the 2026 NHL offseason
We’ve reached mid-May, and while a handful of teams still fight it out in the Stanley Cup playoffs, most are looking ahead to the summer and a whirlwind of roster change.
So, Roundtable: What is your boldest prediction for the 2026 NHL offseason?
MATT LARKIN: My gut says the San Jose Sharks make a bold trade for a star player, be it a top-end center in the vein of Auston Matthews or a play-driving defenseman such as Adam Fox. The Sharks are on the cusp of contention with 115-point superstar Macklin Celebrini leading the way, they’ve already picked in the top four of the past three drafts, and they could spare this June’s No. 2 overall pick in a deal to accelerate their timeline. The right move could fast-forward San Jose from rising threat to powerhouse in the West – and the Sharks have so much surplus prospect capital that they can sell some off and still have plenty of youth to build around. It’s GM Mike Grier’s time to shine.
PAUL PIDUTTI: The Minnesota Wild make Quinn Hughes the highest-paid defenseman in NHL history AND acquire a big-name forward. If you are Wild GM Bill Guerin, how can you just run it back next season? They outlasted Dallas but that series was a tossup. After getting outclassed by Colorado, trying their luck against both division rivals — plus the improving Utah Mammoth — in 2026-27 feels both dicey and against Guerin’s nature. With many over-30 veterans coming off the books for 2027-28, I’ll predict the Wild extend Hughes no matter the price tag. They’ll also move Filip Gustavsson, who seemed awfully disgruntled as the playoff backup, in a hockey trade with a team desperate for a capable goalie. It’s in for a penny, in for pound for Guerin this offseason.
STEVEN ELLIS: No player with an $5 million AAV or higher will be traded – league wide. The “Toronto will trade a top star” every summer schtick is exhausting. Mitch Marner’s situation was different because he was a pending UFA. But if I had a dollar for every time we heard Auston Matthews or William Nylander was going to be traded over the past six years, I’d be able to start my own expansion team. Let’s just be realistic: it’s hard to trade big contracts.
ANTHONY TRUDEAU: It’s not a league-breaking prediction, but don’t be shocked if Mason McTavish is dealt from the Anaheim Ducks this summer. McTavish signed a $7-million AAV extension ahead of this season, only to be forced out to the wing by coach Joel Quenneville’s preference for veteran pivots Mikael Granlund and Ryan Poehling. The Ducks’ top three skaters– superstar center Leo Carlsson, 40-goal sniper Cutter Gauthier, and breakout defenseman Jackson LaCombe, who has already signed – are in line for raises that could approach $30 million AAV in total value, so GM Pat Verbeek will need to create some wiggle room under the salary cap. Though Verbeek only recently made his bet on McTavish, the stiff-necked executive is not a sentimental man; Verbeek has already moved on from fan favorite Trevor Zegras and locker room leader Ryan Strome to clear cap space over the past 12 months. It sure feels like McTavish is next, and his lack of trade protection and 30-30-60 potential means suitors shouldn’t be difficult to find despite the former No. 3 overall selection’s backslide in production (41 P, down from 52) and ice time (15:19 ATOI, down from 16:53). Could frequent Anaheim trade partners the Philadelphia Flyers (or their rival New York Rangers, who also have a healthy business relationship with Verbeek) provide the stocky center a clean slate?
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