With the NHL offseason well underway, there have been the annual overpayments and mind-boggling trades seen over the past few days. With various big-ticket free agents still unsure of what team they will be playing with, taking a look at the recent trades and signings only seems fit to get an idea of what teams may expect from their new players. Here is an NHL offseason update:

Tyler Toffoli

With Montreal surprising many by eliminating the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Qualifying Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it was expected that the Canadiens would attempt to upgrade their roster during free agency. The Canadiens did exactly that with the signing of Tyler Toffoli.

Toffoli proved his worth when he helped the Canucks make the second round in a season where they weren’t expected to go far. Coming off of a 44 point regular season, Tofolli will help the Canadiens offense greatly, which is something that they needed to upgrade immediately. Now with Tofolli, the Montreal Canadiens have an extra offensive weapon needed to compete with the tough competition in the Eastern Conference. 

Nate Schmidt

Vancouver Canucks fans have been imploding over the past week. Letting many notable players walk in free-agency like Jakub Markstrom or the aforementioned Tofolli has been hard to deal with. Luckily, with the Vegas Golden Knights signing Alex Pietrangelo and their dire cap situation, some casualties were expected.

Nate Shmidt is a solidified top-four defenceman that will improve the Canucks’ blueline immediately. He is a lock for 30 points as a D-man and is still in the middle of his prime. The best part of this trade for Vancouver was the low acquisition cost. Giving up a third-round pick isn’t nothing, but for a player like Nate Schmidt, it practically is.

With Quinn Hughes emerging as a top-pairing defenseman, Nate Schmidt compliments him perfectly, and should help ease the pain Canucks fans have been going through over the past few days. 

Zach Bogosian 

As the Toronto Maple Leafs attempt to get gritter and tougher, Bogosian seems like a perfect fit to help bolster their blueline. While not being the most dynamic player, Bogosian’s hard-hitting style of play is a welcome addition to a team that has already added Wayne Simmonds and Jimmy Vesey upfront.

Coming off a recent Stanley Cup championship with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Bogosian also adds some championship experience to a young and relatively inexperienced team. Coming in at only $1 million against the cap for the upcoming year, he will undoubtedly add a level style of play Toronto has been lacking in the playoffs over the past few seasons. 

Patrick Marleau

Patrick Marleau returning to the San Jose Sharks should be a shock to no one. After being bought out by Carolina last off-season, he returned to San Jose only to be traded at the trade deadline to the Pittsburgh Penguins. With an unsuccessful run with the Penguins, Patrick Marleau was presented with two options. Sign a league-minimum deal or retire.

Marleau decided the former and signed with San Jose once again. The outlook for Marleau this season doesn’t seem too bright, he recently turned 41 and his offensive production has ground to a halt. The San Jose Sharks had a disappointing 2019-20 season, and this upcoming season will most likely serve as a farewell tour with a potential Trade Deadline deal to take another run at the cup with a contending team.

Although considering Marleau’s eagerness to keep playing, he will most likely attempt to play into his ’50s.

We hope you enjoyed this NHL offseason update! Thanks for reading! 

John Smark