As you all know, here at CanucksArmy, we are very dialled in on the Vancouver Canucks. Whether that’s through our wide range of live shows and offerings on our YouTube channel or our articles here on the site, we aim to cover just about every possible angle with our Canucks coverage.

That, of course, means we’ve spent a great deal of time over the last week or so talking about all the moves the Canucks made in the lead-up and through July 1st’s opening of NHL free agency. With that in mind, we also think it’s important to pay attention to headlines from around the league. So without further ado, here are some of the top non-Canucks NHL free agency stories you may have missed.

The Utah Mammoth have matched the offer sheet that the New Jersey Devils’ extended to Mammoth forward Barrett Hayton last week. Hayton signed a one-year offer sheet for $4.775 million with the Devils, meaning now that Utah has matched it, that’s exactly what Hayton’s contract will look like with them, too. Utah can’t trade him for the next year, and his one-year deal walks him right to unrestricted free agency in 2027.

There is a new highest-paid player in the NHL, and his name is Leo Carlsson. The Anaheim Ducks had until Friday to match the record-setting five-year $18 million AAV offer sheet the Philadelphia Flyers extended to Carlsson, but chose to match it on Thursday morning. On top of now having the league’s most expensive player, the Ducks have roughly $9 million in cap space this offseason and still have to sign restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier. But let’s be honest, you probably didn’t miss that news.

The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to take big swings under John Chayka. They signed future Hall of Fame goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to a three-year deal worth $7 million annually. Bob took a step back this past season behind a battered Florida Panthers team, but the Leafs clearly believe he’s got more in the tank and can help lead them to some playoff success.

John Carlson said he wanted to head back out east, and that’s exactly what he ended up doing when he inked a two-year deal worth $8.5 million annually with the Tampa Bay Lightning. His rights were briefly traded from the Anaheim Ducks to the Carolina Hurricanes, but the longtime Washington Capitals D-Man elected to head to Tampa instead.

After giving up a first and third round pick to acquire him fro the Vegas Golden Knights, the “definitely not in need of a rebuild” New York Rangers signed Pavel Dorofeyev to a seven-year contract worth $11 million annually. Dorofeyev, who turns 26 in October, is coming off of back-to-back seasons where he potted 35 or more goals, with 35 in 2024-25, and 37 in 2025-26.

The San Jose Sharks lost Vincent Desharnais to the Washington Capitals in free agency, and upgraded on Big Vinny by flexing their cap space and signing Jacob Trouba to a four-year contract worth $8.25 million per year. Trouba bounced back and rebuilt his value as a member of the Anaheim Ducks, and is now reaping the rewards.

They can’t keep getting away with this! The Montreal Canadiens continue to lock up their young core to contracts that are going to be the envy of teams around the league for years to come. They wasted little time in signing Ivan Demidov to an eight-year contract worth $9.125 million annually after their window to do so opened on July 1st.

The Edmonton Oilers are desperately hoping that eventually, they’ll find a goaltender that works out for them. Their latest attempt at finding that person comes in the form of Frederik Andersen, who they signed to a one-year deal worth $2.8 million. Stuart Skinner, who the Oilers traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins last season, signed with the Winnipeg Jets, for those who missed that one.

The Calgary Flames traded for Simon Nemec and promptly signed him to a five-year contract worth $7.25 million annually. They feel strongly about the player, who has yet to really break out since being drafted second overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2022.

The Nashville Predators made a long-term bet on Mavrik Bourque shortly after acquiring him from the Dallas Stars. They inked the highly-touted young forward to a six-year deal worth $5.5 million annually.

In case you did, the Chicago Blackhawks locked up BC-born Bowen Byram to a six-year deal worth $75 million, meaning the contract carries an AAV of $12.5 million. Byram, who the Blackhawks traded away the fourth-overall pick at the 2026 NHL Draft and a second-round pick to acquire from Buffalo, put up 42 points in 82 games with the Sabres last season.

Never miss what matters in the game. From lineup changes to breaking trades and must-read analysis, CanucksArmy delivers the insight serious hockey fans rely on—straight to your inbox. Sign up for the CanucksArmy newsletter here!