Let's start with some contract news for some players who have recently joined new teams.

The Predators have signed newly acquired Mavrik Bourque to a six-year contract with a $5.5 million cap hit. Bourque was acquired on July 1 from Dallas along with Ilya Lyubushkin for a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 third-round pick.

In his second full NHL season, Bourque reached 20 goals and 40 points for the first time in his career. Bourque was especially strong in the second half with 27 points in 40 games, which made him a waiver-wire option in single-season leagues. He was used as a top-6 forward more often then, which seems more sustainable in Nashville than it would have in Dallas. The downside is that the Predators tend to hold players back in terms of upside, so we'll have to see how that plays out.

The Maple Leafs have signed newly acquired Emil Andrae to a two-year deal with a $1.55 million AAV. Andrae was acquired in the trade that sent Joseph Woll to the Flyers. Andrae will attempt to secure a full-time spot on the Leafs' roster this season. If the Leafs manage to trade Morgan Rielly, the Andrae could be worth a look in fantasy leagues.

The Oilers have signed Shakir Mukhamadullin, their newly acquired defenseman, to a two-year contract worth $1.75 million per season. Mukhamadullin was acquired in the July 1 trade that sent Darnell Nurse to San Jose. Mukhamadullin, who played 50 games for the Sharks last season, will also try to secure a full-time spot on the Oilers' roster this season.

–

Yesterday I discussed a few unsigned free agents that are currently without homes in Anthony Mantha, Eeli Tolvanen, and Claude Giroux. Here are a few more recognizable names that also remain unsigned.

Patrick Kane

Now 37 years old, Kane has missed at least ten games in each of his three seasons with the Red Wings. Despite the reduced availability, he has produced at a 65‑ to 75‑point pace while averaging roughly 2.5 shots on goal per game. He also remains a reliable contributor on the power play, posting double‑digit power‑play points and holding a spot on Detroit's top unit during his time there.

With $18 million in available cap space and Simon Edvinsson as their only restricted free agent, the Red Wings could still choose to bring Kane back. Veterans David Perron, James van Riemsdyk, and Cam Talbot all played for Detroit in 2025–26 and also remain unsigned. However, the unresolved Dylan Larkin situation continues to loom over the organization and may need to be addressed before any further roster decisions are made.

Unlike most of the names remaining, Kane still has the floor to be rostered in most fantasy leagues. However, wear and tear is now a concern, so he's probably more of an option later in drafts. His value may also depend on where he lands and where he fits on that team's pecking order.

Vladimir Tarasenko

Tarasenko was not retained by the Wild, who chose to move in a different direction in its forward group by adding Blake Coleman for his scoring-and-physicality blend while banking on the untapped upside of Maksim Shabanov.

Tarasenko remained productive whenever injuries allowed him to move onto a scoring line and the top power‑play unit, but he became largely irrelevant in other situations, especially when he was not part of the first power‑play group. He averaged just 12:39 of even-strength icetime per game, which often left him outside of the top 6.

Tarasenko's value will depend heavily on where he signs next, yet at age 34 he may no longer be viewed as a dependable top‑6 option. After spending a decade with the St. Louis Blues, he has played for six different teams over the past four seasons. Once again, Tarasenko seems like a streamer that could help if injuries happen to your fantasy team or his real-life team.

Cam Talbot and Connor Ingram

Here's part of a tweet from Dobber yesterday.

Here's the full tweet, which also included something about Tolvanen.

Using the Frozen Tools Compare Goalies tool, Ingram came out ahead over Talbot in both a basic stats comparison and extended stats comparison in 2025-26. I agree that Ingram should be the preferred choice. A team probably won't be investing long-term in either goalie, but Ingram (29) is a decade younger than Talbot (almost 39).

Among Oilers goalies last season, Ingram led the team in wins (16), goals-against average (2.60), save percentage (.899), and quality starts (18). It surprises me a bit that he hasn't been given a chance yet, but a team might need another option heading into camp if one of their goalies is injured during offseason training or a team just isn't sold on their backup upon further reflection. More and more teams are finding use for a third goalie, so he should land somewhere eventually.

Will a Frederik Andersen/Devon Levi/Tristan Jarry tandem be better than Ingram/Jarry/Calvin Pickard? It will depend on whether the defense in front of the goalies has improved. The Oilers will be banking on a more structured approach from Mike Babcock for that to happen.

As for Talbot, he could at this point be viewed as a James Reimer-type stopgap option – a backup who could come in midseason if a team has an immediate need for something more than an EBUG. His fantasy value will likely be limited to streaming spot starts.

By the way, Reimer is still available too!  

Patrik Laine

Ah, yes, remember him? Sidelined with an abdominal injury, Laine was held to just five games last season, recording one point. However, Laine told reporters at the end of the Canadiens' season that he was no longer injured and had been cleared by the medical team. Judging by their run to the conference final, the Habs were fine without him.

Laine might say that he's well, but he's still a considerable injury risk. In the five full seasons that the NHL has played since 2021-22, Laine has maxed out at 56 games, averaging 37 games played per season. Laine's next contract will need to come at a steep discount from the $8.7 million AAV of the contract that just expired, and it will need to be very short term (probably one year).

Then there's the scoring. Laine's 82-game pace was around 80 points as late as 2022-23, but it has declined to 40-50 points (I'll throw away 2025-26, since he appeared in just five games). Since he is not a two-way player, Laine's job is simply to score goals. He also has to produce on the power play for a team to maximize his value. If he can't do that, then there won't be room for him on an NHL roster. If he can, then he's a potential deep sleeper. I just wonder whether his ship has sailed.

Evander Kane

Kane's time in Vancouver didn't end disastrously like it did when he was with Winnipeg and San Jose. For all I know, he could have been a model citizen with the Canucks. On the ice, his performance (31 PTS and -20 in 71 GP) didn't move the needle the way the Canucks had hoped.  

Now Kane is looking for work. Nearly 35 years of age, Kane has made a living as a banger who brought goals, hits, and shots. All of those stats have trended downward. Kane is still taking penalties, although many were of the untimely variety in 2025-26 (26 minor penalties).

A team could still talk themselves into adding Kane. The Canucks haven't because they are more intent on bringing in players who can serve in a mentoring role (Brendan Gallagher, Luke Schenn) as they try to improve the team culture. Kane might provide some juice to a team on a one-year contract, but I also wonder if this is the end for him given his track record.

–

Follow me on X @Ian_Gooding and Bluesky @goodsfantasyhockey.bsky.social