NHL free-agent targets: One player each team should sign this offseason

With approximately six weeks until NHL free agency opens on July 1, The Athletic's NHL staff has identified one unrestricted free agent target for each of the league's 32 teams. The 2026 UFA class is headlined by players such as Alex Tuch, Bobby McMann, and Darren Raddysh, with analysts noting that teams are expected to spend heavily in a rising salary-cap environment. The exercise, based on Chris Johnston's free-agent big board, covers all four divisions and includes veteran defenders like Jacob Trouba and John Carlson among potential targets.