After three seasons in Vancouver, Phil Di Giuseppe will join his fifth NHL organization after signing a one-year, two-way contract with Winnipeg. The 32-year-old left-winger appeared in only 20 games for Vancouver in 2024-25, scoring a goal, six points, and a -2 plus/minus. He will battle for a bottom-six spot out of training camp but is expected to start the season in Manitoba (AHL).

Pittsburgh added to their defensive depth on Day 1 of Free Agency by signing seven-year veteran Caleb Jones to a two-year, $1.8 million contract ($900,000 AAV). The 28-year-old defenseman appeared in six games for Los Angeles in 2024-25 but failed to pick up a point. He should fight for one of Pittsburgh's final defensive spots to start the season.

Miller has been rumoured in trades since last season, finally materializing in a deal sending him to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Scott Morrow, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick. He was immediately signed to a massive seven-year contract worth $7.5 million AAV. The 25-year-old Miller will likely step into a larger role on Carolina's blueline after the expected departure of Brent Burns. He spent his first five seasons with the New York Rangers, recording 132 points (36G / 96A), 504 blocks, and 661 hits in 368 career games.

Stillman has been an effective depth player for multiple organizations in his six-year career, stepping in when called upon, splitting time between the NHL and AHL. The 27-year-old defenseman has 26 points (4G / 22A) in 163 career NHL games.

The 22-year-old Morrow has not yet established himself as a full-time NHL player but has high expectations after brief stints with the Carolina Hurricanes. He had six points (1G / 5A) in 14 games with the Hurricanes last season. He could be poised to take a more regular role with the Rangers in the 2025-26 season.

Miller has been rumoured in trades since last season, finally materializing in a deal sending him to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Scott Morrow, a first-round pick, and a second-round pick. The 25-year-old Miller will likely step into a larger role on Carolina's blueline after the expected departure of Brent Burns. He spent his first five seasons with the New York Rangers, recording 132 points (36G / 96A), 504 blocks, and 661 hits in 368 career games.

Highmore has quietly been an effective depth player in his career and will hope to continue that trend on a one-year, two-way contract with the New York Islanders. The undrafted 29-year-old has 35 points (14G / 21A) in 187 career games. He scored six points (2G / 4A) in 41 games with the Ottawa Senators last season.

Cholowski was a first-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft but has not been able to establish himself as a full-time NHL player, playing more than 16 games only once in his previous five seasons. Still, he has a respectable 40 points (13G / 27A) in 156 career games as an NHL defenseman.

Holmstrom had a breakout 2024-25 season, scoring 45 points (20G / 25A) in 75 games, earning himself a two-year contract extension with the Islanders worth $3.625 million. The 24-year-old produced at an extremely impressive rate to end the season, with 22 points (10G / 12A) in 30 games from late January to early April.

Foote was a first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft but has not been able to establish himself as a full-time NHL player. The 24-year-old spent most of the 2024-25 campaign in the AHL, scoring 39 points (18G / 21A) in 53 games with Utica Comets.

Brazeau is an undrafted 27-year-old forward who spent his entire career in the AHL before making his NHL debut in the 2023-24 season, playing 19 games with the Boston Bruins. He became an NHL regular last season, scoring 22 points (11G / 11A) in 76 combined games between the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild. He joins the Pittsburgh Penguins on a two-year contract worth $1.5 million AAV, looking to make an even bigger offensive impact on a team desperate for depth scoring.

Reinhardt was a sixth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft and will have a change of scenery in the 2025-26 season after joining the Vegas Golden Knights organization on a two-year, two-way contract. The 25-year-old scored 32 points (14G / 18A) in 45 games with the Belleville Senators (AHL) last season.

Mike Reilly missed a significant portion of the 2024-25 season, attending to medical concerns with his heart, but returned to action before the end of the season and will continue his career on a one-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. The 31-year-old Reilly has 124 points (18G / 106A) in 418 career games.

In his first season with the Buffalo Sabres in 2024-25, McLeod scored a career-high 53 points (20G / 33A) in 80 games. He returns to the Sabres on a four-year contract extension worth $5 million AAV. The 25-year-old McLeod will likely be relied upon for even more offensive production after the loss of JJ Peterka in the offseason.

Schuldt is an undrafted 30-year-old defenseman who spent most of his career playing in the AHL, limited to only nine NHL games. He scored 21 points (6G / 15A) in 64 games with the San Jose Baracuda (AHL) last season.

Cuylle had a breakout 2024-25 season, emerging as one of the league's better power forwards, earning himself a two-year, $3.9 million AAV contract extension with the Rangers. The 23-year-old Cuylle had a career-high 45 points (20G / 25A) in 82 games last season while being amongst the league leaders with 301 hits.