There's still time for NHL teams that had an underwhelming or flat-out poor start to free agency to turn things upgrade their squad. But for now, the Kings, Red Wings and other teams were the losers of July 1.
While the start of NHL free agency doesn't completely make or break an off-season, it's more difficult to salvage a summer when coming out on the losing end of July 1.
Most of the top players available in free agency are off the board, so at this point, trades would be the best way to turn a mediocre off-season into a good one for teams across the NHL.
That said, some of the losers after the start of free agency will have the chance to redeem themselves the rest of this summer. But coming out of the gate, there are clearly squads that haven't stuck the landing and have more questions than answers as they prepare for the 2026-27 season.
In no particular order, here are four teams that are losers thus far this summer:
Los Angeles Kings
Additions: Erik Haula (C), Corey Perry (RW), Erik Gustafson (D), Mats Zuccarello (LW)
Departures: Anze Kopitar (C), Andrei Kuzmenko (LW)
The Kings were one of the NHL's busiest teams on July 1, but the moves GM Ken Holland made were mostly band-aid solutions instead of moves to help them in the long term.
The loss of retired star center Anze Kopitar gave the Kings the opportunity to turn the page and find a young center for the first or second line.
Instead, Los Angeles has been grasping at straws this summer. And while we don't see the Kings missing the playoffs in the relatively weak Pacific Division, we also don't see them going far in the post-season.
After Holland's spending spree – which included the re-signing of veteran Scott Laughton – the Kings have about $1.8 million in salary cap space. That's not going to give them the flexibility to address in-season needs.
Zuccarello, 38, is still an effective scorer, and Perry, 41, excelled in Los Angeles before being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning in March. So if Los Angeles had to go the band-aid route, they weren't the worst players to add.
But it feels like Holland has painted himself into a corner. There's little regard for the long term in L.A., and adding a few mid-tier veterans won't propel them to the next level.
Anaheim Ducks
Additions: Nick Jensen (D), Laurent Brossoit (G), A.J. Greer (LW), Jeff Malott (LW)
Departures: Mason McTavish (C), John Carlson (D), Radko Gudas (D), Jacob Trouba (D), Olen Zellweger (D), Ross Johnston (LW)
As an up-and-coming team, the Ducks have about $35.2 million in cap space, but GM Pat Verbeek hasn't done much to upgrade the squad this summer.
Youngster Mason McTavish was traded for two first-round picks, which will help in the future but not right away.
Veteran D-man John Carlson and Jacob Trouba, meanwhile, have moved on. And captain Radko Gudas was traded to the Florida Panthers. That's a lot of experience deleted in Anaheim.
Don't get it twisted – the Ducks will still be a team on the rise. But Verbeek should be doing more to help out his young core.
He got a serviceable D-man in former Ottawa Senator Nick Jensen. He got a backup for starting goalie Lukas Dostal in the form of journeyman Laurent Brossoit. And he got a dynamic young winger in former Panther A.J. Greer. Overall, though, the moves are underwhelming.
Verbeek still needs to re-sign No. 1 center Leo Carlsson and top right winger Cutter Gauthier, so he does need to save some cap space for them. They won't eat up anywhere close to $35 million, though.
Anaheim could be waiting on a superstar to become available to spend its cap space on. But in the interim, the Ducks will need more experience and younger players who will help the team right now and stick around for the long haul.
The height they rise to in 2026-27 will be directly connected to the off-season moves Verbeek makes. Nobody is asking Verbeek to put on a magic show with his roster alterations, but the Ducks need to be a destination team, and early this summer, that wasn't the case.
Ottawa Senators
Additions: William Eklund, (LW), Samuel Ersson (G), Andre Burakovsky (LW), Sammy Blais (LW), Philip Tomasino (RW)
Departures: Brady Tkachuk (LW), Nick Jensen (D), Lars Eller (C), Dennis Gilbert (D), James Reimer (G), Claude Giroux (RW)
For starters, the Senators did well to acquire William Eklund from the San Jose Sharks as a replacement piece for former captain Brady Tkachuk.
But adding former Chicago Blackhawks left winger Andre Burakovsky and Eklund while losing Tkachuk doesn't move the needle as much as some of the other moves Ottawa's Atlantic Division rivals have made this summer.
As of early Thursday afternoon, Senators GM Steve Staios still had not re-signed veteran Claude Giroux, who's testing the market.
If Giroux does move on, the Senators will miss his veteran know-how and his reliability in winning faceoffs and producing offense in a middle-six role at this stage of his career.
Ottawa's goaltending, meanwhile, also got a shakeup with the trade for former Philadelphia Flyers netminder Samuel Ersson.
The 26-year-old Swede had a poor 2025-26 season, posting an .870 save percentage and 3.12 goals-against average. Sens starting goalie Linus Ullmark needs some help from a reliable backup, and Ersson may not be able to provide it.
Ottawa re-signed Leevi Merilainen to a one-way contract as well, but he showed at the beginning of the last season that he isn't the easy answer to the Senators' backup issues.
The Senators have about $5.05 million in cap space, and if they're to keep up with the Joneses in the highly competitive Atlantic Division, they must spend to the cap limit effectively.
Ottawa would benefit from one or two more scoring wingers – otherwise, it could be on the outside of the playoff picture looking in next season.
Detroit Red Wings
Additions: Viktor Arvidsson (RW), Daniil Tarasov (G), Jacob Bryson (D), Keegan Kolesar (D)
Departures: Cam Talbot (G), Sebastian Cossa (G), Patrick Kane (RW), David Perron (LW), Travis Hamonic (D)
The Red Wings have been a perennial disappointment for years now, and this off-season for Detroit has been underwhelming so far.
Yes, adding the scoring of former L.A. King Viktor Arvidsson will help the offense.
After that, the Wings brought in players who aren't difference-makers. That includes former Panthers backup goalie Daniil Tarasov, former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jacob Bryson and former Vegas Golden Knighs right winger Keegan Kolesar.
Detroit GM Steve Yzerman has about $18.7 million in cap space, but nobody was rushing to sign with the Wings as free agency opened up this week. That's a terrible comment on the hole-ridden ship Yzerman has built.
It's not like Dylan Larkin has rescinded his trade request, either. The Red Wings are likely to get worse if they move him before the season begins. They already needed another top-two center before Larkin even made his request, and they haven't addressed that, either.
Patrick Kane and David Perron are still UFAs, so they could come back. Nevertheless, the Wings had a stunning late-season collapse this past year, and nobody they've brought in can push them into the post-season.
Detroit has more or less become radioactive, and Yzerman's chief challenge is to turn this ship around. It won't be easy, and the Red Wings need more help this summer than Yzerman has provided.
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