Biggest Offseason Decisions for NHL Teams Already Out of Playoff Contention

A handful of teams are out, now it's time to think next steps...

For a few unfortunate NHL franchises, the playoff race is already over. The Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, and Nashville Predators have been eliminated. For some, this outcome was expected, while for others, the disappointment of falling short will shape their offseason decisions.

Let’s take a look at some of the big decisions facing each of these four hockey clubs.

San Jose Sharks

For the Sharks, GM Mike Grier has done an incredible job stockpiling picks and young talent. This is a team of the future, and the question will be how close they are to trying to compete.

Is this team good enough with the young pieces it has to make a serious jump up the standings in 2025-26? Or do they need one more season of development before Grier starts pushing his chips in, swapping those picks and prospects for ready NHL players and adding to the young core that will be the future of this team?

It’s a tough decision, and clubs like the Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators have been dealing with a similar dilemma for some time. The Senators seem to have turned a corner, but the Sabres have missed repeatedly.

This is an offseason where, depending on how certain things fall for other teams, the Sharks could be real free agency players. They will have over $42 million available to spend. That’s enough for them to take a swing on a big-name player like Mitch Marner. Is this the summer to make that move?

Nashville Predators Need to Reassess Last Summer’s Big Swings

GM Barry Trotz took huge swings this past offseason, and it backfired almost immediately. The Nashville Predators weren’t anywhere close to being the powerhouse experts assumed they’d be as early “winners” in free agency.