NHL Off-Season News Roundup: Coaching Changes, Contracts, and Team Outlooks

A New Bench Boss in Toronto

The Toronto Maple Leafs kicked off a busy off-season by firing head coach Craig Berube in May, with new general manager John Chayka citing the need for an organizational shift. Toronto has since hired Jim Hiller to take over behind the bench, pairing the coaching change with a roster shake-up that included trading goalie Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to Philadelphia.

Edmonton and Columbus Also Shake Things Up

The Edmonton Oilers moved on from Kris Knoblauch and closed out the league's coaching carousel by bringing in Mike Babcock, a familiar name to hockey fans given his history behind Detroit and Toronto benches. In Columbus, interim coach Rick Bowness sparked a real turnaround after taking over midseason, going 21-11-5 across 37 games and pushing the Blue Jackets into playoff contention — a strong audition heading into next season.

A New No. 1 Pick

The 2026 NHL Draft delivered a clear top choice in Gavin McKenna, who went first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs. It's a significant building block for a franchise already in transition, giving the new coaching staff a cornerstone prospect to develop as part of the team's reset.

Free Agency Winners

Free agency brought a wave of notable moves. Sergei Bobrovsky signed a three-year, $7 million-per-year deal with the Maple Leafs, while Colton Sissons left Vegas to join Toronto on a two-year, $8.5 million contract. The Nashville Predators added veteran forward Alex Kerfoot on a two-year deal, and the New Jersey Devils bolstered their forward group by signing Anthony Mantha. Restricted free agents got in on the action too, with Philadelphia's Tyson Foerster locking in an eight-year extension worth $7.1 million annually.

Looking Ahead

Between new benches in Toronto and Edmonton, a fresh cornerstone prospect landing with the Maple Leafs, and a flurry of free agent deals across the league, teams are clearly setting up for a very different 2026-27 season. Add in the trade rumors still swirling around stars like Dylan Larkin, and it's shaping up to be one of the more consequential off-seasons in recent memory.