Armed with $38.7 million in cap space, Pat Verbeek may seek to bolster the Ducks' rising core by targeting high-end talent and strategic upgrades across the Metropolitan Division.
As the calendar flips from May to June, and the NHL Stanley Cup final has begun, the majority of significant transactions between now and the start of the 2026-27 season will likely take place over the course of the next four to six weeks.
The Anaheim Ducks find themselves in unfamiliar waters after what could be seen as their first successful season in nearly a decade. They enter the offseason with a projected $38.7 million in cap space, two core RFAs (Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier) to sign to big extensions, two secondary RFAs (Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger) on whom tough decisions will have to be made, and one to three areas on the roster potentially in need of upgrades.
Anaheim could now be seen as a desirable destination for players on the move. Even after RFAs are inked to new deals, the Ducks will still have considerable cap space to add quality players to their roster who could help them now and moving into a bright future.
After feasibly identifying three areas in need of an upgrade on the Ducks’ depth chart (right shot defense, second-line center, top-nine winger), now seems like a good time to identify paths in which general manager Pat Verbeek could go about adding to his group and numerous organizations’ situations they could target around the league.
I’ve decided to break this up by division, so we’ll take a look at some teams in the Metropolitan Division, where there’s a clear top team, six interchangeable teams in the next tier, and one in the early stages of a hopefully brief reset.
Disclaimer: This exercise is purely speculative. Some players mentioned have been previously reported to be in trade discussions, while others haven’t. This is intended to provide ideas on the type of players the Ducks could target this offseason.
(Alphabetical Order)
New Jersey Devils
The Devils took a step back in 2025-26, missing the playoffs and finishing seventh in the Metro standings after qualifying the year before and finishing third in the division. They will enter the offseason under brand new management, as they hired Sunny Mehta as general manager when the season concluded.
Mehta will have $10.9 million in cap space this summer, and some important decisions to make in terms of personnel, headlined by captain Nico Hischier (27), entering the final year of his contract ($7.25 million AAV, 10-team NTC) and eligible for an extension on July 1.
Though the likelihood is low, if a deal cannot be agreed upon as training camp approaches, Hischier’s future with the Devils may come into question. Speculation has already begun to a minimal extent, and if he’s made available, the Ducks (and half the NHL) would be a perfect landing spot for the Selke-level talent with point-per-game upside.
Beyond Hischier, the obvious area in need of attention is the right side of New Jersey’s blueline. Dougie Hamilton (32) is owed big money ($9 million AAV, 10-team NTC) for two more seasons, Brett Pesce (31) and Johnathan Kovacevic (29) each have four years left at very reasonable cap hits ($5.5 million and $4 million, respectively) and full NTCs, and Simon Nemec (2nd overall in 2022) is an RFA in need of a commitment from the Devils one way or another.
The potential of the Ducks acquiring Hamilton poses similar drawbacks to them acquiring John Carlson: an offensive-oriented blueliner who may not fit with the talent on the Ducks’ left side. Nemec has the potential to grow and become a part of the Ducks’ young core, should they pursue, but his upside has come into question as he’s failed to carve out a role for himself in three NHL seasons.
An under-the-radar possibility, but one the Devils likely wouldn’t be too keen on parting with is young, versatile, tenacious forward Dawson Mercer (24). Mercer will enter the final year of his contract ($4 million AAV) and is two summers from unrestricted free agency.
With a new GM running the show in New Jersey, a shakeup may be required now or in the near future to optimize the remaining four years on star forward Jack Hughes’ extremely team-friendly contract.
New York Rangers
The Rangers and Ducks seemed to have developed quite a rapport over the last 18 months, as Anaheim has become a landing spot for former core Rangers pieces Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider.
The Rangers announced a “retool” in January and finished the season with the NHL’s third-worst record. They enter the 2026 offseason with $26.6 million in cap space, the fifth overall pick, and six more in the first three rounds.
If they’re intent on shedding older core players, the ones who jump off the page are Mika Zibenejad (33) and Vincent Trocheck (32), with Adam Fox (28) representing more of a long-shot option to move.
Zibenejad would fit the mold of the secondary offense, two-way capable 2C that would fit perfectly behind Leo Carlsson. The rub with the Swedish Olympian, who is famously friendly with Ducks winger Chris Kreider, is his age and contract (four years remaining, $8.5 million AAV, full NMC).
Trocheck would be another seemingly perfect fit, but has expressed his desire to remain on the East Coast of the United States. The pipe dream acquisition of Fox would, again, provide the same pitfalls as the Carlson trade. However, because Fox is in the prime of a perennial Norris-contending career, if he were to be available, teams like the Ducks may be smart to make a deal and figure the rest out later.
Two younger options who could potentially provide greater impacts with a “change of scenery” that would fit the Ducks’ timeline and desired roster construction well would be Will Cuylle (24) and Braden Schneider (24). Cuylle has one year remaining on his contract ($3.9 million AAV) and is three years from UFA eligibility. Schneider is an RFA and is two years from UFA eligibility.
The Ducks and Rangers could go back to the well and help each other out as they seem to be heading in opposite directions for the time being. Several pieces make sense for both organizations in a potential deal, should the two sides opt to return to familiar hunting grounds.
Philadelphia Flyers
Speaking of returning to familiar hunting grounds, the Flyers are an organization Pat Verbeek has done quite a bit of business with over the years, and they find themselves in a very similar situation as the Ducks.
In his first year as head coach, Rick Tocchet brought them from last place in the Metro with 76 points in 2024-25 to third place in the Metro with 98 points in 2025-26, making the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-20 season and advancing to the second round.
They enter the offseason, again, in a very similar situation as Anaheim, with $37.5 million in cap space, two impact players RFAs in need of new contracts (Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale), and a need to improve down the middle.
They reportedly have some interest in Ducks forward Mason McTavish and Ducks pending UFA defenseman John Carlson. However, glancing at what they may be willing to part with from their surplus may not precisely line up with Anaheim’s needs.
Owen Tippett (27) is a player Philadelphia committed to long term who possesses a desirable skillset and has settled in as a 45-55 point goalscoring winger, but game-to-game consistency has been difficult to come by. Tyson Foerster (24) seemed on the verge of a breakout before an upper-body injury cost him four months of the season. Noah Cates (27) is a quintessential, two-way middle-six center who saw the best offensive output of his career in 2025-26.
Tippett, Foerster, and Cates are all under team control for at least the next three seasons, and with their importance to Tocchet’s top nine last season, one has to imagine they’d be difficult to pry out of Philadelphia.
Talented young forward Matvei Michkov (21), similarly to McTavish with Anaheim, saw a drop in production in his first year under a new coach and served as a healthy scratch twice during their playoff run to the second round. At this time, a trade seems unlikely, as general manager Daniel Briere stated the organization’s commitment to Michkov’s development during his exit interview.
A player that makes sense for Anaheim is right-shot defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (31), who has one year remaining on his contract ($5.1 million AAV) and was a positive contributor during the Flyers’ playoff run as well as during Finland’s bronze medal run at the 2026 Olympics. Injuries remain a concern for Ristolainen, however, as he’s only played 138 games over the last three seasons.
Briere and Verbeek have found common ground on trades in 2024 and 2025, exchanging key pieces to the current and future success of both franchises. Can the duo connect on a third trade in three years this summer, as both clubs look to build off their surprising playoff successes?