It’s set to be a busy offseason in the NHL, as free agents are free to sign with new teams starting on July 1. Mitch Marner, Sam Bennett and Nikolaj Ehlers are among the top names who are expected to hit the market, while many more players could be available by trade.

If you’re looking for an edge with your fantasy hockey teams, knowing how roles change and which prime spots will open up is crucial to evaluating risers and fallers before your drafts.

Check back here regularly with each new free agent signing and trade, and their expected fantasy impact.

NHL Offseason HQ: Team needs | Dynasty rankings | Draft rankings

Evander Kane to the Vancouver Canucks: After missing the entirety of the 2024-25 season, Kane showed he was still effective enough for fantasy consideration in the Oilers run to the Stanley Cup final. He earned 1.7 fantasy points per game across 21 playoff contests — borderline relevancy in standard leagues. That was without a ton of access to “McDraisaitl” (Leon Draisaitl was fifth among Kane’s teammates at forward for shared minutes at five-on-five, while Connor McDavid was seventh). With the expectation that Brock Boeser is moving on from the Canucks and pending other offseason moves, Kane might be the best option for scoring from the wing the Canucks will have going into the season. That could push him back into a fantasy role, especially if he secures the time with a (hopefully) rebounding Elias Pettersson and time on the power play (which he wasn’t getting a lot of in Edmonton). –Allen

Mason Marchment to the Seattle Kraken: Marchment is the type of fantasy pickup that can be useful in streaks if he has the right linemates. The Kraken are the ideal environment for that type of winger, as the lineup is built around depth, not star power. So, arguably, Marchment could find himself anywhere from the third line to the first line depending on how the deployments shape up. (Alternatively, you could argue any of the Kraken top three lines is its first or third.) The trouble is that his ceiling is capped by minutes, which may still hover around 15 per game, unless he lucks into an assignment alongside Matty Beniers. He has shown Selke-like ability, so if you still use plus/minus in your league, Marchment’s appeal — top 20 among forwards across the past four seasons — improves. –Allen

Trevor Zegras to the Philadelphia Flyers: If you are at the end of your draft and your starting lineup is built out, there are worse players to take a … ahem … flier on than Zegras in a new home with the Flyers. The hype level surrounding Zegras has come a long way since his “Michigan”-fueled rookie season, but how much of the lost luster can be attributed to his surroundings and injuries? The glass-half-empty outlook would point out that his surroundings aren’t significantly improved with a move to the also-rebuilding Flyers. But if we are viewing the glass as half full, surely he can’t run afoul of injury luck for a third consecutive season. Zegras missed 76 games over the past two seasons, and his fantasy production cratered. Even when he played an 81-game season in 2022-23 and averaged 18:49 per game, he only posted 1.65 fantasy points per game — not good enough. Zegras will be jockeying with Sean Couturier and Noah Cates for center minutes, but the opportunity is there. With wingers like Matvei Michkov and Travis Konecny to play with, the upside remains. –Allen