A handful of restricted free agents weren't offered qualifying offers by their respective teams by Sunday's 5 p.m. ET deadline, allowing them to hit the market as unrestricted free agents Monday at noon.

Nils Lundkvist is among some of the more notable players now up for grabs. The full list can be found here.

Four of the five former Canadian world juniors players charged with sexual assault from an incident in 2018 - Hart, Dube, Foote, and McLeod - were not tendered qualifying offers. The fifth, Alex Formenton, hasn't played in the NHL for the past two seasons.

Lundkvist was acquired by the Dallas Stars from the New York Rangers in September 2022 for a pair of picks including a 2023 first-rounder. He often sat as a healthy scratch in 2023-24, suiting up for 59 games and averaging just over 14 minutes of ice time.

It was reported earlier on Sunday that Brannstrom would not be receiving a qualifying offer from the Ottawa Senators.

The Golden Knights acquired Schmid from the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. Though Vegas didn't tender him a qualifying offer, a few teams have indicated that he's still expected to sign there, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

(Cap source: CapFriendly)

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"Showtime" is sticking around in Detroit.

The Red Wings signed pending unrestricted free-agent forward Patrick Kane to a one-year deal on Sunday night.

His deal is worth $4 million plus an additional $2.5 million in bonuses, per Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman. Kane will earn another $1.5 million after hitting the 10-game benchmark, $250,000 if he plays in 60 games, $500,000 if the Red Wings make the playoffs, and an additional $250,000 if he reaches 60 points and Detroit appears in the postseason.

The Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, and Buffalo Sabres were reported to have interest in making a run at the veteran.

The Red Wings also won the Kane sweepstakes this past season, signing him to a one-year, $2.75-million deal in late November.

Kane couldn't make his 2023-24 season debut until Dec. 7 while recovering from hip resurfacing surgery, but he was a key fixture of Detroit's attempted playoff push upon his return. He totaled 47 points (20 goals, 27 assists) in 50 games, good for second most on the team behind only Lucas Raymond over that span.

The Red Wings finished the season with the same number of points (91) as Washington, but the Capitals had five more regulation wins and took the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in its last eight campaigns.

After Detroit's season ended, Kane was complimentary of his time with the Red Wings.

"I think they're in a great spot," he said. "(Dylan) Larkin, his competitiveness, young players stepping up at the right times and playing so well in the important games - (Moritz) Seider, (Lucas) Raymond, (Alex) DeBrincat, (Simon) Edvinsson. ... I think the future's really bright for the team."

Kane has amassed 471 goals and 1,284 points in 1,230 regular-season games, split between the Blackhawks, New York Rangers, and Red Wings. A three-time Stanley Cup champion with Chicago, he owns 138 points in 143 playoff contests.

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Utah signed pending restricted free-agent defenseman Sean Durzi to a four-year extension, the club announced Sunday.

Durzi's new deal carries a cap hit of $6 million, reports TSN's Chris Johnston. His pact includes a 10-team no-trade clause starting in July 2026, per Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli.

The 25-year-old posted nine goals and a career-high 41 points in 76 games this past season while leading the Arizona Coyotes in average ice time (22:43).

Though the Coyotes' defensive numbers last season - a minus-18 goal differential and 274 goals against - were less than impressive, Durzi's underlying stats were admirable. Arizona controlled around 51% of the shot attempts and scoring chances and was narrowly outscored 56-59 with Durzi on the ice at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick. He also led all Coyotes defensemen in offensive goals above replacement (7.5), per Evolving-Hockey.

Durzi spent the bulk of the campaign on a pairing with J.J. Moser. However, Utah traded Moser to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday as part of the package that brought Mikhail Sergachev to the league's newly relocated club.

Utah further bolstered its back end that same day by acquiring John Marino from the New Jersey Devils. The club also signed 25-year-old pending restricted free agent Juuso Valimaki to a two-year pact.

As a result of the new deals and signings, Utah's top four could look something like this next season, barring further moves:

The Los Angeles Kings traded Durzi to the Coyotes last June in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick. Initially selected by Toronto in the second round of the 2018 NHL Draft, the Maple Leafs sent Durzi to L.A. in January 2019 to land rearguard Jake Muzzin.

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Folks, the NHL silly season is upon us (as evidenced by a whopping nine player trades during the draft on Saturday).

Though all 32 general managers are bound to be attached to their phones when the free-agent market opens Monday at noon ET, we've singled out a handful of teams that should draw a bit more attention.

Let's assess six of the most interesting squads entering free agency:

Boston Bruins

The Bruins' problems this summer are child's play compared to last year when they had to contend with the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci while having barely any cap space to fill the gaps.

Luckily for general manager Don Sweeney, that's no longer his reality, and he vowed to be "aggressive" this offseason. Boston hasn't made a deep playoff run since making the 2019 Stanley Cup Final, so that mindset is precisely what the team needs to gain some postseason staying power. The organization has around $21.6 million in projected cap space to work with, though a hefty chunk will have to go toward pending RFA goaltender Jeremy Swayman. Sweeney also has a new deal to mull over for forward Jake DeBrusk, Boston's top upcoming UFA, which would further cut into the funds.

Sweeney has already made his first move by sending goaltender Linus Ullmark and his $5-million cap hit to the Ottawa Senators, therefore cementing Swayman's status as a true No. 1. Even though the Bruins got struggling goalie Joonas Korpisalo and depth forward Mark Kastelic in return, the trade saved them a smidge over $1 million while netting them a first-round pick - a luxury they previously hadn't had since 2021.

Based on Sweeney's post-elimination promise, it's safe to assume he's got at least a few more tricks up his sleeve this summer, with a focus on the open market. Likely near the top of the Bruins' offseason wish list is pending UFA center Elias Lindholm, who's been linked to Boston for quite some time. Beantown may also look to add a top-four rearguard and a scoring winger.

That's a lot to ask. Let's see how aggressive Sweeney is willing to get.

Carolina Hurricanes

Every team has to go through some level of change in the offseason, but the Hurricanes are going to look different in 2024-25.

First, let's address the elephant in the room: Jake Guentzel. The Canes acquired him in a blockbuster deal prior to the deadline, a wise acquisition after they were done in by one-goal losses during last spring's Eastern Conference Final. Guentzel fit in well, chipping in with four goals and nine points in 11 postseason games. However, it wasn't enough as the Canes were ousted in the second round by the New York Rangers.

Keeping Guentzel should be a priority, but he won't come cheap and his market will be competitive (more on that later). As one of the summer's top free agents, he's projected to sign a seven-year deal with a $9.678-million cap hit, and there's word that Carolina is willing to offer him an eight-year pact with an average annual value of $8 million. Either of those numbers could be difficult to swallow for the Canes - who have just under $24 million to work with - because of the gaps on their roster.

Let's just recap: Jordan Martinook, Teuvo Teravainen, Brett Pesce, and Brady Skjei are all pending UFAs, while Martin Necas, Seth Jarvis, and Jack Drury are about to become RFAs. Carolina seems interested in saving some money by testing the market for Necas, but Jarvis will eat into its budget as he's predicted to ink an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $8.519 million. Oh, and cash needs to be set aside for key blue-liner Jaccob Slavin, who can ink an extension on July 1.

Even Carolina's front office isn't the same, as Don Waddell has gone to Columbus. But, hey, maybe a major shake-up is exactly what the Hurricanes need. They once again fell short in the playoffs after a sparkling regular season, and it'd be a shame if they kept treading the same ground amid Sebastian Aho's prime.

Florida Panthers

Experience the NHL, where you can go from winning the Stanley Cup to stressing over the free-agent market in the span of a single week.

The Panthers may be in for a tough summer once the dust settles on Sunday's parade. Armed with around $19.5 million in projected cap space, general manager Bill Zito simply won't be able to afford to keep everyone, no matter how badly both sides want to work something out.

Likely topping Florida's priority list will be ironing out a new deal for pending UFA Sam Reinhart, who smartly waited until a contract year to have a 57-goal season. If he stays in the Sunshine State, he'll take up the majority of the Panthers' dollars: He's projected to ink a seven-year deal with an average annual value just under $11 million.

Though Reinhart is the biggest name, he's far from the only question mark on Florida's roster. Key defenseman Brandon Montour's pact is about to expire, same with trade-deadline pickup Vladimir Tarasenko's. There's also a slew of depth players to consider, including Nick Cousins, Ryan Lomberg, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Dmitry Kulikov, backup netminder Anthony Stolarz, and pending RFA Anton Lundell.

The bottom line is Zito is going to need to be careful about how he navigates this summer, lest he cause problems for his future self. Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, and Aaron Ekblad all have one season left on their current deals and will be eligible to sign new extensions on July 1. It's quite an intricate balancing act. Unfortunately for the Panthers, the salary cap isn't about to help them out by miraculously increasing by $100 million, so they're going to have to get crafty.

Nashville Predators

By all accounts, Barry Trotz's first campaign as general manager of the Predators exceeded expectations. They were one of the best teams after the All-Star break and made the playoffs after missing out last spring.

Nashville's improvement was largely driven by Trotz's aggressiveness in the free-agent market last year when he added Gustav Nyquist, Ryan O'Reilly, and Luke Schenn. With over $26 million at his disposal this summer, he has the room to have a similarly active offseason.

Trotz has already warmed up with a trade that sent defenseman Ryan McDonagh and his $6.75-million cap hit to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Moving that money out helps mitigate the nearly $12 million in dead cap cutting into Trotz's wallet in 2024-25. Though the executive said the move wasn't about clearing salary, he did concede a little tidbit that should have Nashville fans' attention: "We will maybe be a little more active in some free agents that we weren't considered to be in." Couple that with his desire to add a scoring forward to his group, and Trotz may be about to cook.

Of course, we can't talk about Nashville's offseason without mentioning Juuse Saros, who's eligible to sign an extension on July 1. It already sounds as though Trotz has taken care of that particular piece of business, but then there's the question of what Saros' reported eight-year pact means for up-and-comer Yaroslav Askarov. Will Trotz ship out the promising 22-year-old netminder as part of a larger package to upgrade in other areas? Decisions, decisions.

Tampa Bay Lightning

What in the world is going on with the Lightning and Steven Stamkos?

The longtime captain and pending UFA has been eligible to sign an extension with the club since last summer, but it just hasn't happened yet. Stamkos didn't seem thrilled by that before the start of the 2023-24 season, but general manager Julien BriseBois emphasized his desire to keep the franchise icon several times throughout the campaign.

The Bolts raised some eyebrows by reacquiring McDonagh and every cent of his $6.75-million salary in May, giving them just $5.3 million in cap space to work with at the time. However, BriseBois was confident the trade wouldn't impact his ability to re-sign Stamkos. Initially, the math wasn't adding up: Stamkos is projected to sign a three-year pact with an average annual value of $8.443 million. But, the general manager cleared a boatload of cap space in a hurry on Saturday, shipping off Mikhail Sergachev ($8.5-million salary) to Utah and Tanner Jeannot ($2.665-million salary) to the Los Angeles Kings.

The Bolts now have $16.5 million in cap space, giving them ample room to re-sign Stamkos. Easy peasy, right? Maybe not. Stamkos' agent, Don Meehan, said on Friday that his client will test the market and become a free agent on July 1. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is rumored to be interested in taking a run at Guentzel. BriseBois confirmed Saturday that he didn't increase his offer to Stamkos despite his influx of cap space, though he didn't completely close the door on an extension, either.

Of course, the Lightning's newfound money needs to cover more than just one player: they currently have 16 roster slots out of 23 filled. Also not inconsequential in all this is the fact that veteran defenseman Victor Hedman can sign a new deal on July 1.

Your move, BriseBois. Things might get messy if Guentzel doesn't head to Tampa Bay on Monday.

Utah

Given its flurry of trades on Saturday, Utah is sizing up to be one of the summer's biggest wild cards.

The organization is no longer tied to a college-sized arena and, for the first time in years, won't be constantly battered by relocation rumors. General manager Bill Armstrong is finally free of his extremely unique ball and chain, and that has to feel good.

The question is, will the executive's newfound freedom under owner Ryan Smith loosen his purse strings? Armstrong has money to throw around on the free-agent market if he's so inclined, even after restructuring his blue line by adding Sergachev and John Marino. Utah has around $26 million in cap space to work with and that number can rise to $34 million when accounting for long-term injured reserve candidates. Of course, Armstrong has to take care of his own first as Sean Durzi and Barrett Hayton are pending restricted free agents, but the club will still have plenty of room to add another piece after the fact - like a top-six forward.

The key here will be balance. The team labored in Arizona for the past few seasons and looked set to challenge for a playoff spot in 2023-24 before fizzling out halfway through the campaign. Simply put, Utah isn't going to adopt a Stanley Cup or bust attitude just because it has some extra cash and a new home.

But there's something to be said about the intrigue Utah brings to the table for unrestricted free agents looking to try something new. The state has never had an NHL franchise, the organization has a lot of young talent (with more on the way because of its deep prospect pool), and it could afford to pay players more than they'd fetch elsewhere. By no means is it an unattractive locale.

(Salary source: CapFriendly)
(Contract projections: Evolving-Hockey)

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The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman Chris Tanev's rights from the Dallas Stars in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round pick and forward Max Ellis.

The trade allows the Leafs to negotiate with Tanev, a Toronto native, before free agency officially opens on July 1. They can sign him to a maximum of seven years because Tanev wasn't on Toronto's reserve list after the deadline, per TSN's Darren Dreger.

Tanev just played out the final season of a four-year pact with a $4.5-million cap hit, which he signed with the Calgary Flames in October 2020 under current Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving.

His agent, Wade Arnott, said there's no agreement for a new contract with Toronto yet, per The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. The veteran is projected to ink a two-year deal with an average annual value of $4.15 million, according to Evolving-Hockey.

A capable shutdown defender with a right-hand shot and a penchant for blocking pucks, Tanev split the 2023-24 season with the Flames and Stars. The 34-year-old chipped in with 19 points in 75 regular-season games while averaging just under 20 minutes of ice time per contest.

Dallas acquired Tanev in a three-way deal involving the New Jersey Devils before the trade deadline. During the Stars' run to the conference finals, he posted strong numbers, with Dallas controlling 54.5% of the expected goals and outscoring teams 13-10 with Tanev on the ice at five-on-five, per Natural Stat Trick.

Tanev has amassed 33 goals, 190 points, and 1,652 blocks in 792 career NHL games, split between the Vancouver Canucks, Flames, and Stars.

Ellis, meanwhile, is a pending restricted free agent. He spent this past campaign with the AHL's Toronto Marlies, totaling four goals and 14 points in 36 games.

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The Montreal Canadiens drafted center Aatos Koivu out of the Finnish league in the third round of the 2024 NHL Draft on Saturday.

The 18-year-old is the son of Saku Koivu, who played for the Canadiens for 13 seasons and served as the captain of the franchise for 10 years.

Aatos totaled 16 goals and 31 points in 28 games in the U20 SM-Sarja league this past season and appeared in four Liiga games - the top level of professional hockey in Finland - for TPS.

He also represented his country at this spring's IIHF World U18 Championship, where he registered one assist in five games.

Listed at 6-feet and 170 pounds, Aatos finished 27th among all international skaters on NHL Central Scouting's final rankings, rising three places from its midterm report.

"(Aatos) Koivu is a strong skater with a stride that will be able to move at an NHL pace," The Athletic's Corey Pronman wrote in May. "He has good hands and uses his skill to attack at the net. He's not overly physical, but like his father, he's a strong competitor who plays in traffic. Koivu has an excellent shot."

Saku, meanwhile, amassed 191 goals and 641 points in 792 career games with the Canadiens from 1995-2009.

He was diagnosed with cancer prior to the 2001-02 campaign and nearly missed the entire season. Saku returned for the final three games of the regular season and playoffs, memorably receiving an eight-minute standing ovation in his season debut.

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The Tampa Bay Lightning traded forward Tanner Jeannot to the Los Angeles Kings for the 118th pick in Saturday's draft and a second-round selection in 2025, the teams announced.

The Bolts scooped up defenseman Jan Golicic out of the QMJHL's Gatineau Olympiques with their newly acquired fourth-round selection.

Jeannot is signed for one more campaign with a cap hit of $2.665 million and can become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

He amassed seven goals and 14 points in 55 games this past regular season while averaging 12:01 minutes of ice time - the lowest of his career. The Saskatchewan native added one assist in four playoff contests.

The Lightning acquired Jeannot from the Nashville Predators prior to the 2023 trade deadline for defenseman Cal Foote, a third- fourth-, and fifth-round selection in 2023, a second-rounder in 2024, and a conditional top-10 protected pick in 2025.

Tampa Bay signed Jeannot to a two-year, $5.33-million pact last July.

The 27-year-old enjoyed his best statistical season in his rookie campaign back in 2021-22 when he amassed 24 goals, 41 points, and 318 hits in 81 outings.

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The Edmonton Oilers moved up to select forward Sam O'Reilly from the OHL's London Knights 32nd overall to close out Friday's opening round of the 2024 NHL Draft.

The Philadelphia Flyers got a conditional 2025 first-rounder from Edmonton in return. If the selection is in the top 12, the pick will slide to 2026.

O'Reilly ranked third in both goals (20) and points (56) by a rookie this past season while appearing in 68 contests.

The 18-year-old went on to add five tallies and seven helpers in 16 playoff games.

O'Reilly is listed at 6-foot-1 and 184 pounds.

NHL Central Scouting placed O'Reilly 24th among all North American skaters, jumping up from the 40th spot in the midterm rankings.

"He's a two-way center. He competes hard and has physicality," The Athletic's Corey Pronman wrote in May. "I've seen quicker skaters, but he can escape pressure and has good enough quickness for the NHL level. O'Reilly has quality skill and vision and can create chances. He has a decent shot but I like him more when he's making plays. He has the potential to be a bottom-six center in the league."

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The Nashville Predators and goaltender Juuse Saros agreed on an eight-year extension with an average annual value of $7.74 million, reports TSN's Chris Johnston.

Saros has one season remaining on his current deal with a $5-million cap hit and is eligible to sign a new pact on Monday.

The 29-year-old had a bit of a down year by his lofty standards this past season, but he still posted 35 wins - tied for the sixth most in the NHL - and a .906 save percentage.

The Predators were one of the best teams after the All-Star break, closing out the season on a 21-7-3 run. Saros was key to that success, collecting a 16-5-3 record and a .912 save percentage over that span.

Saros registered a .900 clip and a 2.02 goals against average in the playoffs before Nashville was eliminated by the Vancouver Canucks in the first round.

The Finn made over 60 starts in each of the last three seasons - making him the league's busiest goalie during that time - and he finished within the top six in Vezina Trophy voting the past four campaigns. He was named a finalist for the hardware in 2022.

Saros ranked within the top 10 among all goalies in both goals saved above average and goals saved above expected at all strengths from the 2020-21 season to the 2022-23 campaign, according to Evolving-Hockey.

His reported cap hit will make him the fifth-highest-paid active netminder under contract in 2025-26, though New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin is also eligible to sign a new deal on July 1.

The Predators selected Saros in the fourth round of the 2013 NHL Draft. He owns a career .917 save percentage and 182-119-32 record.

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The NHL revealed its All-Star and All-Rookie teams for the 2023-24 campaign following the league's awards show on Thursday night.

1st All-Star team 🌟

The NHL's first All-Star team is largely highlighted by award winners.

MacKinnon took home the Hart Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award, Hughes won his first career Norris Trophy, and Hellebuyck earned his second Vezina Trophy during Thursday's proceedings.

Kucherov was a finalist for the Hart and Ted Lindsay after leading the league with 144 points, Josi was nominated for the Norris, and Panarin finished fifth in voting for the Hart thanks to his 120-point season.

2nd All-Star team ⭐

The second All-Star team similarly boasts plenty of talent, though all of its members went home empty-handed on Thursday night.

Makar and Demko were finalists for the Norris Trophy and Vezina Trophy, respectively, while McDavid was nominated for the Hart.

Forsberg, meanwhile, posted new career highs in goals (48) and points (94) this past season. Fox was once again a workhorse for the New York Rangers and finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting as a result of his efforts. Pastrnak enjoyed a 110-point campaign and wound up in eighth place on the Hart Trophy ballot.

All-Rookie team 👶

Bedard took home the Calder Trophy as the league's top first-year player, and he's joined by the other two finalists - Faber and Hughes - on the All-Rookie team.

Rounding out the young squad is Kochetkov, Cooley, and Rossi, who finished fourth, fifth, and sixth in voting for the hardware, respectively.

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