McLeod settled in on the Oilers third line and penalty kill during the 2024 season. The 24-year-old centre had career-highs in goals (12), assists (18) and points (30) but became expendable this offseason when the Oilers signed Viktor Arvidsson, Jeff Skinner, Adam Henrique, Mattias Janmark, Connor Brown and Corey Perry. In Buffalo, he should serve as their No.3 centre and provide the Sabres with additional speed and penalty-killing prowess.

The Sabres selected Savoie with the No.9 overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and he appeared in on NHL games with them last season. He won a WHL Championship with Moose Jaw, scoring 47 points (19G / 28A) in 23 regular season games and 24 points (10G / 14A) in 19 playoff games. During his brief time in the AHL last season, he had five points (2G / 3A) in six games. Given all of the offseason additions the Oilers made up front, it seems unlikely that Savoie will make the team out of training camp and acquiring him was a move with an eye on the future.

Detroit added to its already strong goaltending depth on Wednesday as it acquired Gage Alexander from Anaheim for Robby Fabbri and a condition 2025 4th Round Pick. The 22-year-old netminder was drafted by Anaheim in the 5th round (148th overall) of the 2021 Draft and spent the entire 2023-24 season with the Tulsa Oilers (ECHL).

Fabbri is in the final year of a three-year, $12 million contract ($4,000,000 AAV) and has been traded alongside a conditional 2025 4th-round pick to Anaheim for Gage Alexander. The 28-year-old has spent the last five seasons in Detroit and had 18 goals, 32 points, 32 PIms and a -13 plus/minus in 68 games in 2023-24.

Sokolov spent most of the 2024 season in the AHL, where he tallied 21 goals and 25 assists (46 points) in 71 games with Belleville. During his time in the NHL, the 24-year-old had one goal and one assist in five games with the Senators. He will likely be a fringe roster player for the Utah Hockey Club to start the 2024-25 season.

Seattle managed to clear up some defensive room on Tuesday by trading away Brian Dumoulin to Anaheim for a 2026 4th-round pick. The 32-year-old is entering his 12th NHL season and has 626 games played in his career. In 2023-24 he had six goals, 16 points and 20 PIMs in 80 games played.

After nine seasons in Dallas, Radek Faksa has been traded to St. Louis for future considerations on Tuesday. The 30-year-old centre averaged 12:31 TOI/GP across 74 games in 2023-24 and had seven goals, 19 points and 20 PIMs.

In one of two 'Cash Consideration' deals made by St. Louis on Tuesday, the Blues have acquired Mathieu Joseph and a 2025 3rd-round pick from Ottawa for future considerations. The 27-year-old right-winger is entering his eighth NHL season and had a career year in 2023-24, picking up 11 goals, 35 points, 51 PIMs and124 SOG across 72 games played.

Smith will find himself on a third different team for the third straight year after he was acquired from the Penguins for a 2027 2nd Round Pick and a conditional 2025 5th Round Pick. The 33-year-old is entering his 14th NHL season and had 13 goals, 40 points, and 18 PIMs in 76 games with Pittsburgh in 2023-24.

Jensen will join his third NHL franchise in nine seasons after he was traded alongside a 2026 3rd Round Pick for Jakob Chychrun from the Ottawa Senators. Jensen is 33 years old and had a goal and 14 points in 78 games played in 2023-24.

Chychrun's trade requests out of Ottawa have finally been answered as the Senators agreed to trade the 26-year-old defenseman to Washington for Nick Jensen and a 2026 3rd Round Pick. Chychrun joins his third NHL team in nine years after completing his first full 82-game campaign in 2023-24 and having 14 goals and 41 points.

Kovacevic is a solid two-way defenseman and penalty-killer who appeared in 62 games with the Canadiens last season. With the Devils reportedly interested in signing a couple free agent defensemen, Kovacevic could end up serving as the No.7 entering the season.

Tampa Bay completed its first small move of the offseason by acquiring 22-year-old Lukas Svejkovsky from Pittsburgh for Bennett MacArthur. Svejkovsky spent the majority of 2023-24 with the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) and excelled with 16 goals and 37 points in 30 games played.

Pittsburgh completed a minor league transaction to kick off the offseason by trading Lukas Svejkovsky to Tampa Bay for Bennett MacArthur. The 23-year-old spent the majority of the 2023-24 season with the Allen Americans (ECHL) and had 10 goals and 29 points in 43 games played.

Tampa Bay shocked the hockey world on Sunday as it acquired the rights to Jake Guentzel from Caroline for a 2025 3rd round pick. The Lightning are now able to sign Guentzel to an eight-year contract since he is officially under their team's control. In 57 games in 2023-24, the 29-year-old winger had 30 goals and 77 points.