The Five Worst NHL Teams On Paper After The Start To Free Agency

As the National Hockey League calendar progresses toward training camp, several organizations remain mired in roster instability. Despite the initial wave of free agency, observers have identified a cluster of teams that appear weaker or stagnant compared to their standing at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season. These assessments are based on roster compositions "on paper" as of early July 2026, factoring in personnel losses, limited depth, and the failure to secure high-impact talent.

The Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks were the NHL's worst team in 2025-26, and they'll likely be that again in 2026-27. The Canucks hired a new GM in Ryan Johnson and a new coach in Manny Malhotra, but other than acquiring top draft pick Caleb Malhotra, the Canucks have had virtually zero roster improvement this off-season. Vancouver acquired some name-brand veterans in Brendan Gallagher, Luke Schenn and Jamie Oleksiak, but they're fringe contributors at best. The rumors won't go away that Johnson will soon trade many of his veterans. That list could include center Elias Pettersson, wingers Brock Boeser and Jake DeBrusk, and goalie Thatcher Demko. Although that would push back the Canucks' timeline to be a legit Cup contender, that's the surest route to acquiring the foundational talent Vancouver needs.

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The Seattle Kraken

The Kraken haven't shown the development seen from a similarly new franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights. After finishing 27th this past season, the Kraken have done little to improve their lineup this summer. Kraken GM Jason Botterill re-signed right winger Bobby McMann and added a notable piece by trading for Florida Panthers right winger Mackie Samoskevich. But these aren't first-line talents, which is what this Seattle team needs desperately. The Kraken have about $18.4 million in salary cap space, but they're rumored to be trading young center Shane Wright. That likely won't make this Seattle team better in the short term. The Kraken need a full rebuild, as what they have now is a dog's breakfast of mid-tier talent.

The Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks have a generational talent in superstar center Connor Bedard, and they also have very nice young players in Frank Nazar, Anton Frondell, Artyom Levshunov and Spencer Knight. Trading a fourth overall pick for defenseman Bowen Byram and signing him to a $12.5-million cap hit were surprising, but Byram slots into Chicago's top defense pair. But the Hawks' overall talent level is lacking compared to legitimately strong teams in the Central and the Western Conference in general. The Hawks have about $29.3 million in cap space, and while much of that will go to RFA Bedard, it feels like free agents and players making trade requests don't want to go to the Windy City.

The Calgary Flames

Right now, the Flames' lineup doesn't scare anyone. Their forwards don't have any generational players, and the same goes for their defense corps. There are promising skaters on the Flames, such as Zayne Parekh, Simon Nemec, Matt Coronato, Matvei Gridin and more. They just aren't all developed enough to really boost the squad. The Flames have about $14.9 million in cap space, which won't be nearly enough to plug all their holes – and that's if you find NHLers who want to play in Calgary in the first place right now. Calgary will eventually have Grade-A talent, but that time hasn't arrived yet.

The New York Rangers

The Rangers have been one of the league's most disappointing teams the past two seasons, forcing them to step back from contending. Rangers GM Chris Drury chose not to go the full rebuild route, retaining star goalie Igor Shesterkin, veteran defensemen Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov and forwards Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere. Drury and the Rangers took a step backward in trading center Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth, but they improved their defense corps with the addition of Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson. While the Rangers finished 30th in the NHL last season, they have improved slightly. Still, the Blueshirts don't have the high-end depth at forward and on 'D,' and until they prove otherwise, the Rangers deserve to be ranked near the bottom of the NHL. The Rangers have good players, just not enough of them, and that limits their ceiling.

Looking Ahead

The Anaheim Ducks have $35 million in cap space. The Detroit Red Wings do still have $12 million in unused salary-cap space, so there is time for a meaningful trade to improve things.