5 NHL teams who have had an offseason to forget thus far ft. Edmonton Oilers

The offseason has entered the summer lull following a busy wave consisting of the 2025 NHL Draft and free agency. Most NHL teams have finished retooling, leaving for changes to round out rosters.

By now, most of the major moves have been completed. Top players have found new homes, with big trades in the book. That’s why it’s a good time to take a look at which teams have had offseason to forget as the clock ticks down to the opening of training camp this fall.

5 NHL teams who have had an offseason to forget thus far

#5 Boston Bruins

The highlight of the Boston Bruins offseason has been drafting James Hages with the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Beyond that, the Bruins have been among the quietest NHL teams this offseason. The B’s added Viktor Arvidsson in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers, and added Tanner Jeannot via free agency. However, neither move sent shockwaves throughout the league.

Unless the Bruins can shake this up this summer, the club could be on pace for another playoff miss in 2025-26.

#4 Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames took care of some important business by extending Morgan Frost this summer. Beyond that, it’s been radio silence for the Flames. The club has failed to address crucial scoring needs in its top six.

Perhaps the most significant inaction has been the non-trade of Rasmus Andersson. Andersson’s name has been rumored to be on the block the entire offseason. But thus far, nothing has materialized.

The loss of Dan Vladar could negatively impact Calder Trophy nominee Dustin Wolf. Backup Devin Cooley will be expected to carry some of the load. But if the Flames expect Wolf to carry the burden the whole season, it could be a long year in Calgary.

#3 Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche made big waves during the season, overhauling it’s goalie tandem in-season. Then, the Mikko Rantanen trade was by far the biggest story of the team’s season.

At the deadline, the club added a number of key pieces. But during the offseason, the club had not choice but to unload some of them on other NHL teams amid a considerable cap crunch. The Avalanche sent recently-acquired Charlie Coyle and worker bee Miles Wood to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

While the club re-signed Josh Manson, the best it could do to bolster the blue line was signing 40-year-old Brent Burns.

Overall, the Avalanche did little to keep pace with other NHL teams in the Central Division rivals like the Utah Mammoth and St. Louis Blues. So, it remains to be seen if the Avalanche’s core can carry it past the first round this upcoming season.

#2 Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres have had one of the most disappointing offseason among all NHL teams this year. The Sabres had to sell low on JJ Peterka. They also narrowly avoided disaster by signing Bowen Byram to a two-year deal.

However, the Byram saga is far from done. The club failed to lock up Byram long team, leaving the door open for a trade down the road.

The trade of Sam Lafferty to the Pittsburgh Penguins was a bit of a head scratcher, as neither team really seemed to benefit from the trade. If the Sabres’ core can’t take the next step this upcoming season, the team could face its 15th playoff miss in a row.

#1 Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are arguably at the top of NHL teams facing the most pressure. The club has failed to address its goaltending situation, while shedding depth forwards. The Oilers traded Evander Kane to the Canucks, Arvidsson to the Bruins, and let Jeff Skinner walk.

The Oilers swapped top prospects with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but that’s not a move that could help this upcoming season.

To make matters worse, the Oilers have missed out on every top goalie on the market. The missed out on John Gibson. Most recently, the Oilers missed out on Arturs Silovs.

The Oilers still have some time to address their goaltending situation this summer. If they can’t, the pressure will only increase.