The Stanley Cup Final has officially wrapped up and now every NHL franchise is shifting its focus towards the offseason with the NHL Draft and free agency right around the corner.
The Toronto Maple Leafs took care of a major piece of business when the team re-signed forward John Tavares. Tavares has agreed to a four-year contract extension that will pay him $4.38 million per season.
The 34-year old was slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
In addition, former Chicago Blackhawks forward Jonathan Toews will sign with the Winnipeg Jets after two seasons away from the NHL. Toews last played in 2022-23 but registered 883 points (372 goals & 511 assists) in 1,067 career regular-season games.
Toews is originally from Winnipeg, so the talented center will get a chance to play for his hometown team.
NHL free agency opens on July 1 at noon ET, but many teams will make an effort to extend players already on their roster, as well as make trades prior to that.
Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Mitch Marner will likely be the top player on the open market this summer. Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser, and Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad also highlight the offseason’s deep free agent class.
CBS Sports has you covered throughout NHL free agency with all of the latest signings across the league.
Sam Bennett will remain with Panthers
The 2025 Conn Smythe Trophy winner is staying in Sunrise. In the Panthers’ bid for back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, Bennett was a monster. His 15 goals led the league, and he didn’t create that offense at the expense of his defense either. The veteran center was superb at both ends of the ice. Bennett’s performance could have commanded a massive payday in free agency, but he has re-signed with the Panthers on an eight-year contract worth $64 million.
John Tavares re-signs with Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs are keeping one of their offensive threats in the fold. The team announced that they re-signed Tavares to a four-year contract that will carry a $4.38 million cap hit per season. Tavares was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next week, and likely would’ve drawn a considerable amount of interest on the open market.
Tavares, 34, recorded 74 points (38 goals & 36 assists) in 75 regular-season games for Toronto last season. He has spent the last seven seasons with the Maple Leafs after signing a seven-year, $77 million contract with the franchise in free agency.
With the Maple Leafs expected to lose star winger Mitch Marner in free agency this summer, bringing back Tavares on a very affordable multi-year deal is a huge win. Tavares will likely continue to center Toronto’s second line when the 2025-26 campaign gets underway.
Jonathan Toews to sign with Jets
Jonathan Toews will make his long-awaited NHL return after two seasons away from the ice. The Jets announced that Toews will sign with the franchise when free agency opens on July 1.
Toews has tallied 883 points (372 goals & 511 assists) in 1,067 career regular-season games. He also ranks fifth in games played, sixth in points, sixth in goals, eighth in assists, and third in game-winning goals (69) in Blackhawks history. In his last full season in 2022-23, the Blackhawks star scored 15 goals and dished out 16 assists in 53 games. Toews has a long list of accolades, including winning three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks and capturing the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010.
The Stars are bringing back a key member of their veteran core. Dallas has re-signed the forward to a four-year contract extension that will be worth $4.5 million per season. Duchene was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Duchene recorded 30 goals and 52 assists in 82 regular-season games as he led the Stars in scoring in 2024-25. His 52 assists were a career-high this past season and Duchene’s 82 points were the second-highest scoring season of his entire 16-year career. Duchene also added six points (one goal & five assists) in 18 games throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Duchene should continue to be a very productive member of the team’s top six forwards as they attempt to make a Stanley Cup run next season.
The Avalanche are keeping arguably their top free agent in the fold for the foreseeable future. The team has signed forward Brock Nelson to a three-year contract extension that carries an average-annual-value of $7.5 million. Nelson was slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Nelson was acquired at the 2025 trade deadline from the New York Islanders and tallied 13 points (6 goals & 7 assists) in 19 regular-season games with Colorado. He recorded 56 combined points (26 goals & 30 assists) between the Avalanche and Islanders, while also registering four assists in the team’s first-round series loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars. Nelson will likely continue to center the Avalanche’s second line and skate with Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin.
Nelson is set to turn 34 years old around the start of the 2025-26 season this fall.