The Kings, Flames, Mammoth, Canucks and Oilers are among the NHL's Western Conference teams that will eventually have decisions to make with important pending UFAs.
The biggest fish in the NHL's free agent class of 2026 was taken off the board earlier in the season, but there are still plenty of players who provide lots of intrigue.
In a rising cap environment, this will be the last off-season where teams can re-sign players for eight years instead of seven years before the new collective bargaining agreement rules take effect in September.
Here's a look at some of the key impending UFAs in the Western Conference as we head into the new year.
Nick Schmaltz, C/RW, Utah Mammoth
Cap hit: $5,850,000
Schmaltz has been a consistent scorer throughout his career and a longtime linemate of captain Clayton Keller. With most of the core locked up on long-term contracts, there's a chance Schmaltz will follow. He will turn 30 in February but still fits within the age group of Utah's core.
The Mammoth's ace in the hole is their ability to offer one more year than Schmaltz's other suitors in free agency, but there may be a team that's willing to offer $8 million per season. That number would be higher than the cap hits of Keller and JJ Peterka, whom Utah acquired over the summer but so far provided underwhelming results.
Schmaltz can be a huge trade piece for the Mammoth if they drop out of the playoff race and cannot come to terms with an extension. Being dangled as trade bait seems like the most logical move right now. Don't rule out a potential trade and then seeing Schmaltz re-sign with the Mammoth in the summer, either.
Rasmus Andersson, D, Calgary Flames
Cap hit: $4,550,000
Andersson's time with the Flames is ticking, and it's a foregone conclusion that he will not be wearing the flaming 'C' for that much longer. The Flames are trying to build a new core of young players, and Andersson's one of the big trade pieces they can peddle to do so.
The question is where Andersson will end up. Ideally, his new team will be able to sign him to a hefty extension, but he has only a six-team no-trade list and will be highly sought after in free agency. Trade talk has reportedly increased following the Quinn Hughes trade, and Andersson has been linked to the Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs in the past.
Evander Kane, LW, And Kiefer Sherwood, RW, Vancouver Canucks
Kane's cap hit: $5,125,000
Sherwood's cap hit: $1,500,000
Trading Quinn Hughes was the start of laying a new foundation for the Canucks, which means they're better served trading Kane and Sherwood for future assets.
The two bruising wingers will be sought after for their rare blend of physical play and scoring prowess, especially for playoff teams looking for rentals.
Kane, in particular, has plenty of experience with two deep playoff runs with the Oilers. The 34-year-old's no-move clause becomes a 16-team trade list on March 1, and if he wants to win a Cup, his best chances are elsewhere.
Sherwood doesn't have any trade protection and should fetch at least a high draft pick. The two-year contract has worked out well for both sides – the Canucks have gotten a lot of value out of a bottom-six winger on a low-risk contract, and Sherwood can cash in big after setting career highs across the board and showing he can be a 20-goal scorer.
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Jack Roslovic, RW, Edmonton Oilers
Cap hit: $1,500,000
Roslovic was scoring at a 34-goal pace prior to his injury, which he returned from on Dec. 21, and should have no shortage of suitors like he did last summer. He's in the prime of his career, and the Oilers would be wise to try to keep him, at least until Connor McDavid becomes a free agent in 2028.
Andrei Kuzmenko, LW/RW, Los Angeles Kings
Cap hit: $4,300,000
Offensively, Kuzmenko is one of the more creative wingers in this league. But his defensive game is such a liability that he's played for four different teams in three NHL seasons, and none of those years have been as nearly as good as his first, when he scored 74 points.
He earned just a one-year contract from the Kings, and whether teams can overlook deficiencies in his defensive and overall game will determine whether he can get a long-term deal. Returning to the KHL seems like an option for Kuzmenko, too.
John Klingberg, D, San Jose Sharks
Cap hit: $4,000,000
The Sharks signed Klingberg to a low-risk one-year deal, and it's playing out as expected. He's settling in as their top power-play quarterback and increasing his trade value, so why leave a good thing?
While the Sharks are still some years away from contending, they're certainly set up to become one sooner than later with Macklin Celebrini as their franchise player. If Klingberg keeps this up, the Sharks may opt to keep him around and instead trade their other impending UFA defensemen, which include Nick Leddy, Timothy Liljegren and Mario Ferraro. They'll still need warm bodies on the back end.
Jacob Trouba And Radko Gudas, D, Anaheim Ducks
Trouba's cap hit: $8,000,000
Gudas' cap hit: $4,000,000
Trouba will turn 32 in February, giving him one last chance to land a big, long-term contract. He's on pace to have his best production since 2021-22.
Gudas is a little older but more likely to re-sign given his captaincy and lower cap hit. Whereas Trouba can potentially get a long-term contract, Gudas is less likely to do so since he will be 36 when the following season begins.
With the Ducks in playoff contention, barring a surprise trade, the Ducks will keep Trouba and Gudas around for the playoff run, both of whom have plenty of experience. There will always be a market for a right-handed defenseman, especially ones with experience and who hit as hard as they do, so Gudas and Trouba will likely have more than a few options in free agency.
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Jordan Eberle, RW, And Jaden Schwartz, LW, Seattle Kraken
Eberle's cap hit: $4,750,000
Schwartz's cap hit: $5,500,000
The Kraken woke up Monday morning second-last in the Western Conference, which feels weirdly appropriate for a team named after a deep-sea creature.
If the Kraken don't get back into the playoff race, it would be in their best interests to trade what they can and look toward the future, as they've done with Mason Marchment on Dec. 19. Since the franchise's inception, they've tried to be competitive but gotten nowhere, and the reality is they might have to get a lot worse before they get a lot better.
As captain, Eberle is most likely to re-sign, though there has been little news of a potential extension. Eberle will turn 36 in May, and with declining production, is unlikely to get any long-term, lucrative deals.
Schwartz is a little younger but has rarely been able to stay healthy in recent seasons. He already has a Cup ring, and this could be his last chance to secure a big long-term deal. The Kraken do have some money coming off the books next season, but the goal for them should be to get younger and get away from the status quo.
Jamie Benn, LW, Dallas Stars
Cap hit: $1,000,000
Benn re-signed on a one-year contract, and should he return for the 2026-27 season, it will likely be in a similar scenario. Should the Stars win the Cup, it would be a storybook ending for the 36-year-old captain and lifelong Star, who is averaging the lowest ice time of his career.
Corey Perry, RW, L.A. Kings, And Jonathan Toews, C, Winnipeg Jets
Perry's cap hit: $2,000,000
Toews' cap hit: $2,000,000
One of the few remaining holdovers from the 2010 gold-medal winning team still playing, neither Perry nor Toews has given any indication of what's beyond 2025-26.
Perry, 40, is still going strong and will likely keep signing one-year deals with contenders until there are no longer any contract offers. Despite five trips to the final, Perry still has not won a Cup since 2007. If he's motivated, 'The Worm' will find a way to stay in this league.
Toews, coming off an extended absence, has proved he can still play in this league, albeit as a role player. It's a remarkable comeback, no matter where the Jets finish or how many points he scores.
Toews has a no-movement clause, meaning he's in full control of his future, and unless a Cup contender expresses interest, the most likely outcome is that Toews finishes the season with his hometown club and then decides whether he still has more left in the tank.
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