Now that the dust has basically settled on the 2026 NHL Free Agent frenzy, the St. Louis Blues walked out of it with a 50/50 showing. They had some strong signings with Ross Johnston and re-signing Jonatan Berggren, but also let Matthew Kessel walk. Take it as you please.
One of the bigger stories of the day was the teams that really gave it their all to grab some top free agent talent. Namely, two Pacific Division teams that are going to be a pain for the Blues next season. But, luckily, they are not division rivals.
Let's talk about it.
San Jose is going to light the world on fire for years to come
With the drafting of Blues prospect Otto Stenberg's brother, Ivar, with the second pick, and trading into the top-10 to grab Keaton Verhoeff, San Jose is on another level. The Bay is going to be getting some solid hockey back in 2026-27, and for years to come.
Not to mention, they went ahead on free-agent day to grab Mason Marchment from Dallas, Jacob Trouba from Anaheim, and Darnell Nurse from Edmonton. What a haul for the Sharks.
This team is going to be a real problem for years to come, and the Blues are trying to follow suit by establishing a younger core of players. It might be a valiant effort, but the Sharks' impeccable turnaround is nearly impossible to match.
Los Angeles is going for it all in next two seasons
The other team that is seemingly going for it all is the Los Angeles Kings. Basically, their free-agent frenzy pushed the window for the Stanley Cup wide-open. They only have a year, possibly two, to get it done, or else they are sent right back to the bare-bones of a rebuild.
That was evident when they grabbed Artemi Panarin from the New York Rangers last season, and this latest round of signings confirms it. Corey Perry, the Stanley Cup Finalist for many teams, albeit in losing efforts. Mats Zuccarello on a penny-on-the-dollar deal and bringing in Eric Haula and Scott Laughton to improve the center of the ice.
The Kings are now one of the favorites not only in the Pacific, but also in the entire Western Conference. The Blues could have used half of those players, but it did not turn out that way. Zuccarello got a $1 million AAV next season after hitting 58 points with the Minnesota Wild in 2025-26. That was good enough to be the second-leading scorer last season behind Robert Thomas.
The Blues alreadhy have enough on their plate with the powerful Central Division, but now there is a new king of the castle out West.
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