NHL free agency 2026: Grades, fits for Andersen, C...

The 2026 NHL offseason has already been busy with a number of huge trades and the NHL draft. As the free agent deals roll in, ESPN NHL reporters Ryan S. Clark, Kristen Shilton and Greg Wyshynski will be grading the big-name signings, including the player's fit with his new team, terms of the deal and more. We'll continue to assess the most notable moves through the offseason, so check back for fresh grades as deals are consummated; the newest grades will be listed first. Contract terms are per year. Draft recap: All 224 picks Grades for all 32 teams Winners and losers Where Darren Raddysh used to fit. Raddysh had a career season (70 points in 73 games) in his free agent walk year. The Lightning weren't willing to give him the term he was seeking at the salary that he wanted, so they did a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who landed Raddysh on an eight-year term with an $8.5 million cap hit. The Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup champions! Here's a look back at how we celebrated every Stanley Cup champion going back to the 2018 season: • Panthers 2025 | Panthers 2024 • Knights in 2023 | Avalanche in 2022 • Lightning in 2021 | Lightning in 2020 • Blues in 2019 | Capitals in 2018 That left the Lightning with a hole on the right side of their defense. Enter Carlson, 17-year NHL veteran and the next best offensive defenseman on the free agent market. The Carolina Hurricanes traded for his negotiating rights from the Anaheim Ducks but couldn't close the deal. So Carlson hit July 1 and the Lightning secured him for two seasons ... at the same cap number as Raddysh ($8.5 million), which is cheeky. Carlson had 60 points in 71 games last season between the Ducks and the Washington Capitals, with whom he played 1,159 games and won the Stanley Cup in 2018. Given the circumstances, Carlson made a lot of sense for the Lightning. They had to replace Raddysh with another puck-moving defenseman. They were unable to land Columbus star Zach Werenski, who reportedly had the Lightning on his short list off approved destinations before recommitting himself to the Blue Jackets. So Carlson gives them offensive pop from the blue line, but without the long-term contract that Raddysh was seeking. Carlson can quarterback a power play and play upward of 24 minutes per game. He's a strong even-strength scorer. Carlson finish 10th in the NHL last season in passes that led to shots on goal (11.27 per 60 minutes, all situations). While defense has never been his calling card, he's generally not a liability. While the short-term deal for a 36-year-old defenseman should be lauded, it doesn't change the fact that the Lightning are likely to have three important players on the blue line that are 35 and older next season: Carlson, Victor Hedman (35) and Ryan McDonagh (37). That's understandable, given the Lightning are in win-now mode. But it doesn't roll back their respective odometers. -- Wyshynski Andersen will have an opportunity to be Edmonton's new starting goaltender in a logjam that currently includes three potential candidates to backstop the Oilers. Edmonton picked up Devon Levi in a trade with Buffalo earlier Wednesday, and Tristan Jarry was already entrenched with the club (on a deal that spans two more seasons with an AAV of $5.375 million). With Andersen also on board, coach Mike Babcock can pit the netminders against one another in training camp and see who comes out with a job. Andersen is the eldest at 36 years old but is coming off an impressive campaign with Carolina, where he was (mostly) excellent guiding them to a Stanley Cup Final -- at which point an injury sidelined him and paved the way for Brandon Bussi to take over. Earlier in the playoff run, Andersen was performing better than he had in years, and if he can remain healthy, this one-year deal (laden with performance bonuses) could be a bargain for Edmonton. The Oilers have tried just about everything to get a reliable goaltending tandem in place; Andersen is the latest veteran they are acquiring to make that happen. Jarry is hardly reliable given his record for the Oilers last season (9-6-2 with an .858 save percentage), and Levi didn't appear in a single NHL game for the Sabres last season. So, Edmonton is letting Andersen bet on himself; he's earning just $1 million in salary with an additional $1.8 available in various bonuses for games played. It puts the onus on Andersen to get his time in the crease. There's familiarity there too between Andersen and new Oilers coach Mike Babcock -- some of Andersen's most productive and consistent years were with Toronto when Babcock was behind the bench. Granted, that was from 2016 to 2019, but perhaps Babcock can pull the most out of Andersen again. Either way, it's a low-risk decision for Edmonton that puts a tested, experienced goalie in its mix who has a recent championship pedigree. Which is exactly what Edmonton is trying to achieve. -- Shilton Jenner will come in to boost the Capitals'

NHL free agency 2026: Grades, fits for Andersen, C...

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