That situation could open the door for another savvy move by the Islanders. While Skinner is hardly the goal scorer he once was, he could be a low-risk proposition. Skinner would get a chance to go to a playoff team, with eyes on a middle-six role. Meanwhile, the Islander could get a motivated player with a chip on his shoulder. Skinner would be eager to show that he still has what it takes to be successful at the NHL level.
Kampf, a defence-first centre who was once a pivotal part of the Toronto Maple Leafs ' bottom-six and penalty kill, fell out of favour with head coach Craig Berube in the second half of the 2024-25 season, finishing the season with only 59 games played in comparison to 78 the year prior. He tallied five goals and 13 points in those games and was limited to only one playoff game, which came in the second round against the Florida Panthers.
For some while, even dating back to the early stages of last season, the 2026 free agency class was one every hockey fan was looking forward to with a big heap of major talent who could end up anywhere. But now, it looks bleaker than it has ever looked. Before the offseason, the list was stacked: Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel, Connor McDavid, and the list goes on, but that list doesn't look so eye-catching anymore.
The best free agent still on the market is arguably Jack Roslovic and according to one NHL insider, the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the teams that could land the forward as training camps begin to open around the league. In 81 games for the Carolina Hurricanes last season, he registered 22 goals and 17 assists for 39 points, while also having 14 hits and 10 penalty minutes.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are not the same team that had the likes of elite stars Jaromir Jagr and Mario Lemieux. They do not have the goaltending of Tom Barrasso or the offensive defenseman like Paul Coffey. They are retooling on the fly in hopes of making the playoffs once again. Last season they hovered around .500 and missed the playoffs for the third straight season. With a revamped roster do those expectations go back to making the playoffs?
Although Anthony Stolarz is a 31-year-old goalie who has only started 142 career NHL games, he's arguably the team's best option right now when it comes to the crease. He suffered an injury last year, which resulted in him starting fewer games than Joseph Woll, but statistically he was the better player. Not only, but he was called upon as the team's No. 1 starter in the playoffs, before once again getting injured.
The Florida Panthers have agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent forward Luke Kunin on a one-year, one-way contract worth $775K. Kunin, 27, amassed 11 goals and 18 points in 63 games with the San Jose Sharks in 2024-25 before he was acquired by the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 7. He suited up in 12 contests for the Blue Jackets and failed to collect a point.
The Kings signed six players on Day 1 of free agency, focusing on filling their critical roster holes, but did not secure a top-tier forward or defenseman.
