The Florida Panthers won back-to-back Stanley Cups last week, and have had the Cup filled with booze ever since. From the Elbo Room, to the beaches of Sunrise, to a parade through the sunshine state, the Panthers aren’t holding back at all celebrating their second championship in as many seasons.
The 2024-25 NHL season is in the books, and it’s time to turn our attention to the 2025 offseason. There’s already been several trades completed, some former Maple Leafs on waivers and being bought out, meanwhile the rumor mills are firing on all cylinders, as trade talks are heating up in a big way leading up the NHL Draft this week, and free agency July 1.
Here’s the very latest from around the NHL:
Dallas Stars listening to Jason Robertson trade offers
Stars general manager Jim Nill has been busy of late, re-signing Matt Duchene to a multi-year contract, moving Mason Marchment to the Seattle Kraken, and now, the attention turns to prolific goal scorer, Jason Robertson. According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, the Stars are listening to trade offers on Robertson, but at this point, are not actively shopping the two-time 40-goal scorer.
Robertson, 25, played in all 82 games last season, scoring 35 goals, and recording 80 points. He added another six points in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games, and has one season left on his contract at $7.75 million AAV. Robertson does not have any trade protection and is a pending restricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
LeBrun reports a contract extension is not out of the question for Robertson to remain in Dallas, but if the asking price is too rich for Nill, look for a trade to go down at some point this summer. The Stars enter the offseason with just $2.7 million in cap space, meanwhile Jamie Benn, Mikael Granlund, Cody Ceci, and Evgenii Dadonov are all unrestricted free agents.
Anaheim Ducks’ John Gibson open to trade to Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers were criticized by several media members at the trade deadline for not adding goaltending depth, and unfortunately for Oilers Nation, it caught up to them at the worst possible time. Could Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson be the solution?
According to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, Gibson is open to a move to the Oilers this offseason. The Ducks have Lukas Dostal as their goaltender of the future, so moving on from the soon-to-be 32-year-old Gibson seems like something GM Pat Verbeek would entertain.
Gibson went 11-11-2 last season, posting a 2.73 goals against average, and .912 save percentage. He has two seasons left on his contract at $6.4 million AAV, and owns a 10-team no-trade clause on his current deal. The Oilers enter the summer with $11.9 million in cap space, and have Trent Frederic, Kasperi Kapanen, Corey Perry, Jeff Skinner, and John Klingberg set to hit unrestricted free agency, meanwhile Evan Bouchard is a restricted free agent in need of a contract extension.
Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard are both under contract for the 2025-26 season, earning a combined $3.6 million against the cap. Will Edmonton make a move to add Gibson and spend some more money in their crease? Time will tell, but the talks have certainly heated up of late.
Flames’ Rasmus Andersson reportedly open to being traded
According to hockey insider Elliotte Friedman, Calgary Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson is open to being traded this summer. The mobile blueliner has one season left on his deal at $4.5 million AAV, and owns a six-team no-trade clause. Andersson will be an unrestricted free agent after next season.
“On Rasmus Andersson: the feeling across the league is the talented defenceman is ready for something new. I believe the Flames are willing, but only when they get what they want. There’s significant interest, which helps,” stated Friedman in his recent written 32 Thoughts.
Andersson recorded 11 goals and 31 points in 81 games last season, and there’s going to be significant interest in trade talks advance, which could include the Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators.
Quick hits from around the NHL:
- Friedman feels the Columbus Blue Jackets and Utah Mammoth are two teams to keep an eye on when it comes to blockbuster moves this offseason.
- Pagnotta seems the Pittsburgh Penguins listening to trade offers on Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Ryan Graves, and Erik Karlsson.
- Friedman stated Alex Pietrangelo may not be available to play next season, as his career has taken a toll on his body.
- Former Maple Leaf TJ Brodie cleared waivers and is expected to be bought out by the Chicago Blackhawks.
- Speaking of the Blackhawks, they acquired Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for Joe Veleno.
- Panthers GM Bill Zito stated he’s going to try to re-sign Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, and Aaron Ekblad.
- The New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, Vancouver Canucks, and Chicago Blackhawks are among the teams that have expressed legitimate interest in acquiring Buffalo Sabres restricted free agent JJ Peterka, reports Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.
- The New Jersey Devils traded forward Erik Haula to the Nashville Predators for a 2025 fourth-round pick and defense prospect Jeremy Hanzel.
- Trade talks are heating up on Long Island, as Noah Dobson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau could be moved in the next few weeks.
Tune in for The Sheet Draft Special, streaming live on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel on Friday, June 27th at 7 PM EST. Hosted by Jeff Marek, this live special will cover all the action from the 2025 Draft, including expert analysis of top prospects, team-by-team breakdowns, and real-time reactions to every pick. Whether you’re tracking your team’s future stars or just love the drama of draft night, this is your go-to destination for all things Draft.