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5 burning questions heading into 2026 NHL free agency originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The hockey world has spent Tuesday, June 30, with one eye on the calendar, watching for loose ends to get tied up before the NHL’s free agent market officially opens Wednesday at noon ET. Teams are racing to finish business on two fronts at once.
They’re locking up their own pending free agents before they hit the open market and squeezing in last-minute trades involving players who were never going to be free agents in the first place but whose futures still hinge on what happens in the next 24 hours.
Some marquee names will get re-signed before the deadline, others will see their situations resolved by trade, and the rest will spill into Wednesday afternoon and shape one of the more unpredictable openings to free agency in recent memory.
How many offer sheets will we see?
The restricted free agent market is far more appealing than the actual unrestricted free agent market this off-season, with marquee superstars up for grabs like Connor Bedard, Jason Robertson and Leo Carlsson among a loaded class of available players.
Offer sheets don’t happen often, as everyone in the hockey world knows, especially when it comes to offering major contracts that require teams to part with up to four of their own first-round picks. That price tag will complicate things for some teams, but with this many genuine difference makers on the board, it could mean we see something rare this off-season.
MORE: Four NHL Offer Sheet Candidates In 2026
Will Rasmus Andersson live up to the “handshake agreement” with the Golden Knights, or will he test free agency?
After trading defenseman Zach Whitecloud, prospect Abram Wiebe, a 2027 first-round pick and a conditional 2028 second-round pick to the Calgary Flames for Rasmus Andersson, some insider reports, like TSN’s Darren Dreger on last Friday’s episode of the Barn Burner podcast, indicated the two sides had a handshake agreement that they would bring Andersson back.
However, that doesn’t appear to be the case, as the 29-year-old Swedish defender remains unsigned and could be enticed to leave Sin City with a massive new deal elsewhere.
Will Alex Ovechkin and other legends return for one last ride?
The class of veterans in this free agency class, if they had hit the market a decade ago, would’ve made NHL teams’ heads spin. Now in 2026, the hockey world is asking whether this group of former league legends will return for one more ride.
It all starts with the NHL’s all-time leader in goals, Alex Ovechkin, and whether the Washington Capitals legend will return for at least one more season or whether the team’s trade for Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch was a sign that the front office already has his replacement in place.
Not to mention, Corey Perry and Claude Giroux both had stretches in their careers when they ranked among the top 10 players in the league, but now many are questioning whether the two veteran forwards will return to the ice for one more season.
MORE: Capitals GM Chris Patrick Shares Latest On Alex Ovechkin, Expects Decision 'In Near Future'
Will John Carlson re-sign after the Hurricanes trade, or will it be a wasted move for Carolina?
In a surprising move heading into free agency, the Anaheim Ducks didn’t want to lose standout veteran defenseman John Carlson for nothing, so they dealt him to the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes for a sixth-round pick and a defensive prospect.
The question now is whether the Hurricanes will be able to pull off a deal or whether the move ends up being a waste, as Carlson will have the chance to test free agency if Carolina’s offer isn’t appealing enough.
MORE: Hurricanes Acquire Rights To Top Offensive Blueliner John Carlson
Will the packed goalie market see Sergei Bobrovsky and Frederik Andersen get paydays?
The goalie market is well-known, as many teams around the league are looking for fixtures they can plug in and play without having to worry about.
Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets made one comment about wanting to win a Stanley Cup, and within weeks, the superstar goaltender lit the fuse on a massive bidding war among teams looking to add the three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
The two big names left on the open market will be Sergei Bobrovsky and Frederik Andersen, who both come with age and injury concerns but will likely remain highly sought after once the market opens.
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