This NHL offseason has been unlike anything we've seen before, with free agency kicking off in October and the 2020-21 season's start date still in jeopardy. When last season wrapped up in September, the draft and free agency followed shortly after.

Though things seem to be stalled as the remaining free agents wait to see when the next campaign will begin, plenty of moves have still caught the world of hockey off guard. Let's look at the five biggest surprises.

Niskanen calls it quits

Everybody seemed to be blindsided when news broke that Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Matt Niskanen was retiring. It's not too often that a 33-year-old retires after enjoying a relatively productive season, and still with one year and $5.75 million left on the table.

Losing Niskanen created a sudden hole for the Flyers. He played top minutes in his first season with the team, producing 33 points in 68 games. He was a key defender, and was featured on both the penalty kill and power play.

Niskanen didn't provide many details regarding his retirement, but if it's what he wanted, all the power to him. He finished his career 51 contests shy of the 1,000 games played milestone. Niskanen also won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018, and he earned over $43 million during his career. Not too shabby.

Hall lands in ... Buffalo?

All eyes were on Taylor Hall this offseason because he was the league's premier free-agent forward. The 2018 Hart Trophy winner didn't offer many clues about where he was thinking of signing, leaving fans all over the league hoping it was their club. The Sabres weren't on most radars, but Buffalo suddenly emerged on a Sunday afternoon in October as the 29-year-old's next team.

At first glance, the deal didn't seem to make much sense. Hall, who was originally projected to sign a lucrative long-term contract, settled for just one year on a club that could finish at the bottom of the standings. But after examing the pact further, the pieces start to fit from Hall's perspective.

Hall knew the seven-year, high-salary contract he was originally seeking wasn't going to be available due to the uncertainty the COVID-19 pandemic is causing. So instead, he chose to play with one of the NHL's top talents in Jack Eichel, and now Hall is betting on himself to increase his value before hopefully enter a better market next offseason. In his introductory press conference, Hall even seemed open to staying in Buffalo well beyond the upcoming season.

Puljujarvi returns to Edmonton

The Jesse Puljujarvi roller-coaster ride in Edmonton appeared to be ending when the forward went to play overseas after demanding a trade last year, but it might not be finished yet. The winger inked a two-year deal to return to the team, and now he wants to give the NHL another go.

Over the past year, the Oilers were openly trying to trade Puljujarvi when he wanted to leave. However, with a new head coach and general manager in town, the two sides have made amends.

The 22-year-old spent last season playing in Finland's top pro league, and he really seemed to take his game to another level. He finished fifth in the league with 24 goals and fourth with 53 points, all in 56 games. He's off to another hot start this season overseas, and Puljujarvi could bring a much-needed spark to the wing in Edmonton upon his return, as his potential remains sky-high.

Blues snag Krug

Torey Krug was another top free agent who kept many guessing. There was a strong belief the Boston Bruins would re-sign the linchpin defenseman, but then Krug suddenly inked a deal with the St. Louis Blues.

During the months prior to free agency, Krug said he hoped to stay in Boston, but his departure ultimately wasn't surprising. His decision to sign with the Blues was interesting, though, as their top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was also a free agent at the time.

The Blues letting their captain walk was puzzling, but there are worse outcomes than replacing Pietrangelo with Krug. Over the past five seasons, Krug ranks sixth among defensemen in points while becoming one of the league's best offensive defensemen.

Canadiens give Anderson the big bucks

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin made a gutsy call by sending then-restricted free-agent and fan-favorite Max Domi to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Josh Anderson. There were rumors swirling about the Canadiens being set to move on from Domi, and that Bergevin had been eyeing Anderson for some time, so the move itself wasn't too shocking.

Domi obviously didn't fit into the Canadiens' lineup long term due to his desire to play center, and Montreal desperately needed a winger. Bergevin addressed the team's need, bringing in a goal-scoring power forward. Shortly after the trade was announced, it was also revealed Bergevin handed Anderson a whopping seven-year deal worth $38.5 million.

Inking Anderson long term with a mid-range average annual value of $5.5 million is quite the gamble. The 26-year-old was limited to just 26 games during the 2019-20 season due to a shoulder injury, notching only one goal and three assists.

But in the 2018-19 campaign, he showed his true potential while potting 27 goals and adding 20 assists. Anderson's health and if he can return to that level of play are big question marks, which is what made the signing so surprising.

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After a whirlwind offseason for Arizona Coyotes captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson, the defenseman is happy he's staying with the team and willing to forget the fact he was almost traded.

"(General manager Bill Armstrong) got in at a tough time, needed to make some decisions and stuff like that," Ekman-Larsson said, according to Arizona Republic's Jose M. Romero. "But we've had some good conversations so far and I'm looking forward to getting to know him better. It's been good, but at the same time, it's easier to talk face to face than over the phone or Skype or Facetime. I don't think it's going to be a problem putting that behind, not from me at least. That's all I can talk about."

It was reported shortly after the Coyotes hired Armstrong in September that the team asked Ekman-Larsson to waive his no-movement clause.

The 29-year-old submitted only two teams to which he would accept a trade, and, ultimately, nothing came of the discussions.

Ekman-Larsson added that he understands situations can become tricky when it comes to hockey decisions by management.

"I also get that it's a business side of things, and that's how it works," Ekman-Larsson said. "I hope that's one of the reasons why I'm the captain of this club, because I do think about other people and my teammates. That's something I grew up doing and it's who I am as a person."

Ekman-Larsson inked an eight-year, $66-million extension with the Coyotes in 2018.

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With a full year now under his belt as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sheldon Keefe believes his team's stars, specifically Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander, will improve as they continue to mature.

"They have a great deal to grow. I don't know where it shakes out in terms of their production. The production has been fairly good, of course, especially in the regular season as they've established themselves as premier players," Keefe said to TSN's Mark Masters. "But I think all of our players have room to grow in all the other areas of their game in terms of the consistency away from the puck and the competitiveness in terms of their ability to bring the best out of others around them and not just be at their best."

All three have logged several years of NHL experience now, but they're still young. Both Matthews and Marner are just 23 years old, while Nylander is 24.

Over the past three seasons, Marner ranks 19th in the league in points, and Matthews ranks third in goals.

While they've contributed offensively, Keefe wants to see the youngsters develop in all aspects. Adding veterans to the club over the offseason will hopefully improve the trio's leadership skills.

"There is a responsibility, as you grow as leaders, to bring the best out of those around you and that's a big part of it," Keefe said. "... We're a significantly older and more experienced team this season than we were last, so we're going to have greater support in that area, because I do think it requires a team of leaders. I think that will just help everybody find a whole new level."

Toronto has brought in several experienced players since free agency started, including Joe Thornton, Wayne Simmonds, and Zach Bogosian. The team also re-signed Jason Spezza.

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Ottawa Senators goalie coach Pierre Groulx says Anders Nilsson is still battling concussion symptoms and his availability for the upcoming season may be in jeopardy as a result.

"Right now, it’s still status quo. He has good days and bad days," Groulx said, according to the Ottawa Citizen's Bruce Garrioch. "It’s still headache related and neck and eyes related and we’re going to wait to see him in Ottawa and see how he is. When he was hurt, he was playing outstanding hockey. It’s disappointing because (Nilsson) is such a great guy.

"You don’t want to see that happen but it’s an injury where you have to think of the health first. We’ll see what happens when he comes into Ottawa."

The 30-year-old suffered a concussion on Dec. 16 and didn't appear in a game the rest of the 2019-20 season.

Nilsson is the projected primary backup goaltender to newly acquired Matt Murray. The Senators have plenty of options if Nilsson is unable to go when the season eventually kicks off, including Marcus Hogberg and Joey Daccord.

The Swedish netminder appeared in 20 games during the 2019-20 season, recording a .908 save percentage and 3.18 goals-against average.

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General manager Steve Yzerman continues to steer the rebuilding Detroit Red Wings in the right direction, but he knows he still has a lot of work to do.

"Yeah, I think so," Yzerman said Wednesday on NHL Network when asked if he's happy with the direction of his team after its offseason additions. "Obviously we have a lot of work to do. ... Every team feels good about their offseason but the players that we've added I think will help us."

Yzerman has been one of the league's busiest executives since the opening of the free-agency period. He's added the likes of Vladislav Namestnikov, Bobby Ryan, Thomas Greiss, Troy Stecher, and Jon Merrill.

He also re-signed two key players in Anthony Mantha and Tyler Bertuzzi. Mantha secured a four-year contract worth $22.8 million, while Bertuzzi was awarded a one-year, $3.5-million deal in arbitration.

The Red Wings experienced a historically bad season last year, going 17-49-5 and finishing dead-last in the league. Despite the tough campaign, Yzerman feels hopeful about the future thanks to the team's young stars and recent draft picks.

"Our younger players performed well. You mentioned Tyler and Anthony and Dylan Larkin and Filip Hronek," Yzerman said. "Robby Fabbri did really well coming over from St. Louis, so if we can slowly add to that group with maybe one or two younger players again this year and keep adding to the group slowly over time, we're hopeful as some of these younger players that the Red Wings have drafted over the last two-to-three years slowly move into the lineup and continue to try to improve the team slowly each year."

Detroit has selected Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, Filip Zadina, and Michael Rasmussen within the top 10 of the past four NHL drafts.

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Tomas Hertl is ready whenever the 2020-21 season begins, and the San Jose Sharks forward says he's recovered after suffering a devastating knee injury nearly a year ago.

"I feel good. I started actually skating in early August back home when I was in Czech, and now we’re skating three times a week here. My knee is feeling good," Hertl told The Athletic's Kevin Kurz.

"If (the Sharks were playing games) I’d be for sure ready to play right now," he continued. "It’s no issue, and feeling strong. One good thing, I still have time to get even stronger and stronger and make sure everything is good."

Hertl tore his ACL and MCL in a game on Jan. 3 last season. He underwent surgery on Feb. 3.

The 27-year-old was enjoying another solid campaign before the injury, and he was named to his first All-Star team. He appeared in 48 contests while racking up 16 goals and 20 assists, and Hertl ranked second on the team in goals and points at the time of his injury.

With the season tentatively slated to begin on Jan. 1, Hertl is itching to get back into a game.

"I got time to regroup and I don’t have to start early. I know if we start in January, I will be ready to go," he said. "At the same time, it’s getting longer because I got injured end of January and now I’m working for nine months straight just in the gym, so that’s kind of in your head. I just keep working out, and the worst thing is you don’t know when you actually start."

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Brandon Saad has yet to suit up for his new team, but the forward hopes to remain with the Colorado Avalanche beyond the upcoming season.

"We haven't had any discussions, I think it's a bit early, especially with not really knowing what's going on with the season and all that, but for me, thinking about it, Colorado has always been in my top because I want to win again," Saad said on the latest episode of the "NHL @TheRink" podcast. "So to be in a great spot like that, on a great team, and then you hear wonders about the city, so really, it seems like a great place where I want to play for a long time."

The 28-year-old, who added he would like to finish his career in Colorado, was traded to the Avalanche in October. Since signing a six-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015, the forward has been dealt twice prior to the move to Colorado. He's set to be an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.

Saad has been an effective player throughout his career, scoring 20-plus goals in five different seasons and winning two Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks.

The forward is set to join a group that includes Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Cale Makar.

"It's a beautiful city," Saad added. "I'm looking forward to getting the season going because we have a hell of a team out there in Denver."

Securing a long-term deal with the Avalanche after this season may prove difficult, as Landeskog and Makar will also be due for new contracts.

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Though the two sides have yet to begin contract negotiations, Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell hopes to lock up star defenseman Dougie Hamilton to a long-term deal in the near future.

"We're getting close to talking about it (contract extension)," Waddell said Thursday, according to NHL.com's Tom Gulitti.

He added: "He is a UFA at the end of the year, so we'd like to get that one done sooner than later. That one, you would have doubts if you play out the season, so it makes sense to try to get something done before the start of the season."

The 27-year-old has one season remaining on his current deal, which he signed with the Calgary Flames in 2015. The Hurricanes acquired the defenseman prior to the 2018-19 campaign.

Hamilton was among the Norris Trophy front-runners in 2019-20 before he fractured his fibula in January, sidelining him for the remainder of the regular season. He amassed 14 goals and 26 assists in 47 games.

However, Waddell knows it will be increasingly difficult to sign Hamilton to a lucrative long-term deal due to the financial implications of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"You've got a flat cap for the next two years, we know that," Waddell said. "We also know that the market's changed. I'm not saying we're not going to do a long-term deal, but the long-term deals, if you look at free agency, you've only got a few guys that got more than three years in the whole market. ... So I think the market has changed and it should change because of the situation we're all-in."

Hamilton is a key part of a strong defensive group in Carolina. The team already has Jaccob Slavin, Jake Gardiner, Brady Skjei, and Brett Pesce signed for at least the next three seasons.

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The NHL still has its eyes set on starting the 2020-21 season on New Year's Day.

Dropping the puck on Jan. 1 "remains our objective," league deputy commissioner Bill Daly told TSN's Pierre LeBrun on Friday.

The NHL-NHLPA return-to-play committee hasn't met yet to discuss the matter despite the date being less than two months away, LeBrun added.

The upcoming campaign's logistics remain unknown. It's unclear how many games will be played, whether an all-Canadian division will be created due to border restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, if bubbles will be needed, or if fans will be able to attend games.

Earlier reports state the league isn't considering anything less than 48 games. Daly previously mentioned at least 10-12 scenarios the league could viably look at, but added none are more likely than others.

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The Florida Panthers and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar will not need arbitration after settling on a three-year deal carrying an average annual value of $3.25 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Weegar, 26, has increasingly played a vital top-four defensive role with the Panthers since making his NHL debut in 2016. He recorded seven goals and 11 assists in 45 games this past season while averaging 20:07 of ice time per game.

The native of Ottawa was one of the Panthers' best possession players in 2019-20. He ranked fourth on the team with a Corsi For rating of 53.25% at five-on-five and second with an expected goals for rating of 54.73%.

Florida drafted Weegar in the seventh round in 2013. He's appeared in 172 career games with the team, tallying 13 goals and 28 assists.

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