The Five Worst NHL Teams On Paper After The Start To Free Agency
How an NHL team looks on paper doesn't tell the whole story.
Take a look at predictions from before last season, and you likely would have seen the Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets in a playoff spot and the Buffalo Sabres on the outside looking in.
But when looking at the roster for some squads after the first week of NHL free agency, and it's clear they will struggle in 2026-27.
Which teams are at the bottom of the league on paper? In reverse order, here is this writer's opinion of the NHL's five worst teams:
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Since Chris Drury issued a letter outlining the New York Rangers' plan to "retool" the roster in January, his preference to build this retool around already proven young players and pro ready prospects has become clear.
4. 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. That's not going to be good enough to make them a playoff team in the improving Pacific Division. In fact, they could be even worse this coming season.
3. Chicago Blackhawks
Speaking of teams with a dog's breakfast of talent, the Blackhawks have also struggled to be relevant recently.
The moves Hawks GM Kyle Davidson has made this summer don't look like they're going to be enough for Chicago to crawl out of the bottom of the highly competitive Central Division.
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. That's not something Hawks fans are accustomed to, but Chicago will almost assuredly miss the players this year as a result. They've got a long way to go before they're even close to being a true championship front-runner.
NHL Prospect Pool Overview '26-27: Chicago Blackhawks Give Young Core Immediate Help
The Chicago Blackhawks made two bold decisions by spending a lot to acquire and re-sign Bowen Byram. That said, they still have a high-end prospect pool that Tony Ferrari examines in depth.
2. Calgary Flames
We like the job Craig Conroy has done as GM of the Flames.
He understands the job in Calgary: to make the Flames a year-in, year-out threat to win the Cup. But that takes time, and that takes pain, and that's what Calgary will endure again in 2026-27.
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.
Thus, the Flames must improve internally, and that's no recipe for climbing the standings.
Calgary will eventually have Grade-A talent, but that time hasn't arrived yet.
Kudos To The NHL Veterans Who Joined These Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks brought in Jamie Oleksiak, Brendan Gallagher and Luke Schenn to provide stability and help establish a new culture. They deserve credit for joining a team that's likely to finish last again.
1. 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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This story was originally published July 10, 2026 at 1:06 PM.