Which Canadian Team Had The Best Free Agency ? Best Signings, Biggest Winners & Bold Moves | TFTO

Free agency always brings excitement, overreactions, and a few head-scratching moves. Today, I'm breaking down how every Canadian NHL team handled the offseason. Who made the biggest improvements? Who took a step backwards? And which moves I think fans will still be talking about months from now. Welcome to True Fan True Opinions. I'm Sue. Around here, being a true fan doesn't mean blindly agreeing with everything your team does. It means caring enough to tell the truth. So let's talk sports, like fans do. Free agency always brings excitement, but signing players doesn't automatically make your team better. Today, I'm breaking down every Canadian NHL team from the trades leading up to free agency to the signings themselves and giving my honest opinion on who's improved, which teams I'm thinking are standing still, and who's heading in the wrong direction. Was I expecting more big signs, big trades for this past July 1st? I don't think so. Was I surprised on some of the moves? Sure. And I was kind of disappointed in some. So let's dive into it, shall we? We're gonna start with the West teams. Calgary Flames. I personally don't think they did much. I believe they added some depth, which is good. This team to me is kind of boring. And I believe this past July 1st, they did some boring things. Uh in my opinion, fans should be very disappointed. You know, they did stay very disciplined. They didn't hand any risky long-term deals, a lot of one-year contracts, which I think were great. Strogrim, which I really like. He had really good stats in the AHL. Um, I think he could be a starter in the near future for Calgary. There's others that they sign that are kind of young in age. Jones, Benning. I really like Inglum. He's a defense. He'll compete, I believe, at training camp. He'll probably start the year in the minors. Um, but again, like I said, they added a lot of depth here. On July 2nd, though, they did do a trade that I really like. They traded out Matten and Coleman. What I like what Calgary did here with trading Coleman and Matten out was that they received Milton. He's a blue liner. I think he's gonna be a reliable contributor. Um, he's gonna have an opportunity to maintain a consistent role with this team, play some minutes. He's 30, so a little bit of experience there. Yeah, Calgary did retain 50% of Coleman's salary. They got some draft picks, I believe like three. So I think they're heading in the right direction. Um, but overall, I believe this was a boring July 1st for Calgary. I'm not sure if the team overall got much better. Got a little bit more depth, so that's good. But as a fan of the Calgary Flames, I should be a little disappointed. It's not a team I was impressed with, and I think they can do better. Alright, now we're on to Edmonton Oilers. So this team, I think, overall did very, very well. It looks like they did a lot of damage control at first with the whole trading out Darnell nurse, which I still think was a great move. And I believe overall fans should be very happy with the Edmonton Oilers of what they did. They did some very solid signings before July 1st. Two guys that I really like from Chicago that they got at the trade deadline. You got Connor Murphy. They signed him for about five years, 20 million. He's gonna play a lot of the penalty kills, and he will drop the gloves for his teammates. That's what I loved about him in Chicago. He'll stand up for his stars, he'll stand up for his teammates. I love that. And then they also signed Jason Dickinson, also five years, 20 million. Another guy that plays penalty kills, who's a great team player, he's a great leader, plays hard every day. So they re-signed these two from the trade deadline, which I think improved going forward for the Edmonton Oilers. Now, with the whole Darnell nurse going to San Jose, the signing of Ryan Shea, I believe was the damage control, right? He's gonna maintain some of those points, some of those minutes. Going back at their stats, I believe Ryan Shea had a higher plus or minus. Uh, nurse was minus 12 for the year. I believe Shea was like plus 30. Now, does that have a lot to do with their gold tending? Sure, but Shay's gonna definitely be solid back there at the back end. There's a couple more signings that I really liked that the Oilers did. Kapanen re-signed, that's great. And now we're gonna talk about their big signing. Frederick Anderson. I actually really like this signing. My only concern, like everybody else, is can he stay healthy? We don't know, right? But coming off winning the Stanley Cup and not playing those last couple of games, I think he has something to prove. He comes with a lot of experience. He comes from a well-coached organization, Carolina. So that's gonna help, right? And that's gonna help with the younger goaltenders. Again, my biggest thing is can he stay healthy? And that's a big concern. So they did a lot here, Edmonton Oilers. I'm actually impressed with some of the stuff they did. Um, and at the time of this recording, they might still not be done. Who knows? But overall, I think they got better, they've improved. And Oiler fans, I'd like to know from you. Were you happy or not with this past July 1st? All right, Vancouver Connects. To me, I think this was a team that was searching for a big roster move or a roster solution. And did they get it with Brendan Gallagher? I personally don't think so. They did very little to impact this team. If I was a fan, I was hoping for more, and I believe the fan base deserves more, especially the way they played last year. It is a team trying to rebuild, I get that, but I don't see it's happening this year coming, or maybe even the next year. I was expecting a lot more from this team uh for trades and signings. Overall, it was a very quiet time for the franchise. To me, they could have gone out and got a little bit more. Alright, so some of the things they did, Brendan Gallagher, right? 34, coming from Montreal, uh, which is great. Montreal is retaining some of his salary, I believe like 3 million or so. So that's good. Is he gonna bring experience? Yeah. Is he gonna bring leadership? Sure. He was a big fan favorite in Montreal. Is he gonna be a fan favorite with the Canucks? I I don't know. I don't think he's a good fit for Vancouver Canuck fans, but I could be wrong. Let me know. I think Gallagher is gonna have something to prove coming from Montreal. You know he's gonna give him his all. He plays with heart, grit. So let's see. I'm hoping this works out for him and for Vancouver. Vancouver also did a lot of one-year contracts, not very much to talk about. There was one interesting signing that I was very intrigued with, and it was Luke Shen. He's coming back to Vancouver. I believe he did very well back then. He's a leader, he plays very tough. He's gonna play a lot of penalty kill. Can he stay healthy? Again, another question mark. But I think that's a good fit at the end of his career with the Vancouver Canucks. So, okay, maybe adding Gallagher and Shen is gonna help this young team on the rebuild. But again, I don't think it's happening anytime soon. So, in my opinion, the Canucks did not improve. I think the fan base deserves more, and I'm hoping that they can do a little bit more in the upcoming weeks. So, again, do you agree? Do you think the fans deserve more? I want to hear from you. Alright. Next West team, Winnipeg Jess. This organization did very well. I think they filled some roster holes without breaking the bank. They were probably one of the busiest teams at trading and signing. I think fans should be really happy. I like some of the moves they did. The question here for me is did they do enough? Did Front Office do enough to keep Laurie, Shifley, Connor, the main guys, right? Did they make enough moves to keep them happy? I don't know. Let's see. Now they were really busy come June 15th, right? Right before July 1st. They got Mario Ferrero. He's a blue liner. Three years at 12 million. I think that was very solid. That's great. Uh, he's a shutdown blue liner, very good addition. Last year he logged, what is it, 125 block shots, five years straight, he did that, 120 hits in each of his seven campaigns. So this is a great guy back there for them. Now and there was a signing I was intrigued with, not sure where this is going, or I should say, I was very questioning why they picked up Stuart Skinner, a goalie. They have Halibuck, right? One of the best goalies of the last few years. So Skinner's bringing in some experience. He can be very good in net if the defense that's in front of him are good. I'm intrigued because he's a starter, not a backup goalie. And if they have halibuck, what are they doing there? So this tells me that Halibuck is leaving. By the time this episode is aired, he's probably already gone. We know that he is one of those Americans after the four nations in the Olympics that are not happy being in Canada. So I bet chances are he's gonna be gone and Skinner is gonna be their goalie moving forward. Come the NHL season, start of the season, Halibuck will probably not be a jet. Is it a good move that they got Skinner? Probably. If you're gonna have a goalie in net that's not happy, this is not helping your team, this is not helping the organization. So are they gonna be losing one of the best goalies? Sure. But if he's not happy, let him go, right? So I guess getting Skinner overall is a good move. What do you think, Jet fans? Is Skinner your starting goalie? Do you want to keep Halibuck? Are you okay him going to another team? Alright, so those were your West teams. I think Edmonton Oilers did very, very well. I feel that Vancouver Canucks are a very boring team. I think the Jets probably improved a little bit, and the Calgary Flames just kind of stayed the same. Okay, let's go to Montreal Canadiens. Overall, I'm very impressed with what they did. I think they were one of the better teams that did a lot. They kept their young core together. They avoid expensive free agent contracts. Fans should be very excited. They signed their future superstar. It's a risk. It's ballsy, but I think it was worth it. They did good by trading Brendan Gallagher to Vancouver. I think that would be a great fresh start for him. And you know what? It gives the young core more opportunities, more minutes. Now, their superstar. They're future superstar. The signing that I said was very ballsy. They got Demedov for eight years at $73 million. Only 20. But wow, what a year did he have. Montreal's willingness to be aggressive and locking up this young talent puts the franchise in a very strong position moving forward. And they did a great job already, right, guys? Locking up Suzuki, Cawfield, Dobis, Slavoski, hope I said his name right. They already locked them up some long terms, some good deals. And I think Montreal has a very, very good young core moving forward. I found myself cheering for this team during the playoffs. Never been a Montreal Canadian fan growing up. Didn't like cheering for them, but they were fun to watch. And I think moving forward, the future is very bright for this organization. I think the fan base is amazing, and they're gonna have a lot more to cheer for in the next few years. So overall, I think Montreal did very well. They didn't hurt themselves by any means. And again, like I said, this team is gonna be fun to cheer to watch the next few years. So Canadian fans, do you guys agree? Let me know. Ottawa Senators, another team very busy between June 15th and July 2nd. Nothing too mind-blowing except for the one, and we are gonna talk about it. This team focused on death rather than splashy additions. Their priority to me was to trade their captain and hopefully not cause any more drama for the rest of the year or this upcoming year. But overall I'm comfortable with the rest of the team. Many of their signings didn't hurt their bank, right? It didn't cost them a lot. You didn't handcuff your team moving forward. So let's talk about some of the ones that counted. The ones that the fans are talking about in our nation land. Okay, so they picked up Jordan Spence, age 25, 4 years, 20 million. Solid stats last year. I believe seven goals, 24 assists, some blocks in there, 59 blocks, 55 hits. He averages about 18 minutes a game time, so I think he's gonna be really good. Nick Cousins, I really like this. Resigns for two years. He's a big part of the Senators physical group, right? Finishing up with uh, I believe like 169 hits, third among the skaters. He's a great team leader. That's a great resign. So they also traded for Burakoski. I like this pickup. He's gonna play a lot of good minutes for this team. Alright, let's so let's talk about the big trade here in Ottawa, right? Brady Kachuk, their captain. They got four picks for him, so that's great. Um, maybe a little low. They could have got a little bit more, but I think the biggest thing here was he's not happy. He didn't want to be here. Lots of drama with this guy. And if he doesn't want to be here, let him go. It's kind of like Halibach. Hmm, interesting, right? Another American. So a little bit of a pattern here. So you know what? Better let him go. Now, is Ottawa gonna miss the grit, the leadership on ice, the fighting, and even the scoring goals? Yeah, they're gonna miss that. And if he was happy here, the fans would just miss his presence, period. But I think Ottawa did right by their fan base and did right by their team. Now, my biggest question is who's their next captain? Ottawa fans, you let me know. Leave me a comment, tell me who you think is gonna be the next captain. I personally don't know. So I like to hear from you. So overall, I think Ottawa did good. Nothing too exciting, some damage control, and like I said, their priority was trading Brady Kachuk, which they did. Alright, Lee's fans, here we go. Toronto Maple Leafs. There's some things here that we need to discuss. Some big signings, some trades, and of course, you got it. You know the overall first pick of the draft, right? Gavin McKenna. So we got a few things here that we need to talk about. I feel overall, very smart signings, especially some of the trades. Not sure how the true fan base fails. Are you guys excited? Are you guys disappointed? And then the big question is did they fill holes that get them back into the playoffs? I think they did. So let's go over some of the trades, which I think was really good for Leaf's Nation for the organization. They traded away Erson, Carlo, Nick Robertson, and we knew those were coming, right? I personally like Nick Robertson, and I think he's gonna have a better year in Pittsburgh. I hope he flourishes there. I hope they give him a chance. But we know that they needed to trade away these guys. They traded for Nick Paul. Now, this kind of got me excited. I might not be the biggest fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, but I am a Leafs fan. And what I've seen Nick Paul did to the Leafs in the playoffs, I was happy that they picked him up. One, he's a local guy, so he's gonna be happy playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Getting near the end of his career. He was hurt last year, didn't play as much, but this guy knows how to play in the playoffs, right? He knows how to win. I personally would take this guy on my team anytime, especially a team going into the playoffs. And as we know, this team needs to make the playoffs. And it's a reasonable contract. I believe it was like 3.15 million through 28-29, so it's okay. I think what he brings is awesome, and I think that disimproves the team. The downside is they traded away Hildebury. Lots of potential with this goalie. Fan favorite, but I would still make that trade. Alright, some of the signings. They signed a few forwards that will fit nice for depth. I personally would have liked a little bit more blue liners, some more defense, but they got some forwards, and that's fine. One of the big fish out there, big blue liner with Darren Raddish. And the Leafs sign him. I believe eight years, 68 million, something like that. He's gonna be the third highest player on this team after Matthews and Neil Lander. But I like this move. This guy is great, and he's gonna be solid for us for the Leafs. And now, goalie Bob, Brobrowski. I don't know. Is the Leafs fan excited about this? Are you guys disappointed? Are you guys like, heck no? For me, I like it. I've always liked Brobrowski. Big question mark, he's 37. It was a three-year deal. I would still take him on my team. Yeah, his age scares me, but if the Leafs are gonna make it to the playoffs, this is the goalie I want there. The radish, those are the people I want on this team. Nick Paul's. So just saying that, those three, this team is gonna make the playoffs, my prediction. They should. And then we need to mention the first overall draft pick, right? Gavin McKenna. They've already signed too. They're gonna make the playoffs. They have to. And I believe they're gonna have a good run. So I know if there's a lot of Leafs fans that are upset, frustrated, disappointed from the signings. I guess I get it. Maybe I can understand that. For me, I'm excited to watch the Leafs again. I like a lot of their moves. I think front office has been very busy with getting a new coach. They have the new GM, getting some of these big names, right? Radish, Babrowski, Paul, doing some trades earlier on, save a little bit of space cap. Again, if I'm a true Leafs fan, I think I'm pretty excited about this. I think they did well. But again, I want to hear from you, Leafs Nation. How are you feeling right now about this team? And are they gonna make the playoffs? So there you have it. Those are my opinions, my thoughts on our seven teams in Canada. So in my mind, winners, Montreal, Edmonton, Toronto. I like what all three teams did. I think they've improved. Alright, guys, there you have it. Those are my opinions. What I feel, what the seven teams in Canada did. Uh going over my winners. I think it was Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal. I like what they did. Vancouver. They did the least to improve themselves. And I think the fan base should be upset. It was a boring team last year. It's a boring team this year, and I wish they would have done a little bit more. So league-wide, I'm just gonna do a quick mention here. Some of the teams that I thought did well are improved. Florida got much tougher. They still have skill, but getting Brie, Kachuk, and Gudis, oh my god, I would hate to play against this team. Is this gonna be the most hateful team in the league? Probably. They were last year already, and they probably will be again this year. I like what Chicago did. Got some experience, some veteran experience with Ian Cole, Cole Smith, and they got a really good solid blue liner. Bowen Byron, he's gonna be great for them. Buffalo, what an exciting young team, right? And they signed their superstar, we're gonna be a star. Zach Benson for seven years. Again, like Montreal, they're keeping their young core together. Love that. And who I think did the best overall, and this is gonna be an exciting team to watch the next two, five years, is the San Jose. They did very well in the draft, they added experience to help their young guns. Darnell Norse, Marshman, Truba, right? And then you have all these young guys. This is gonna be an exciting team. So overall, I think San Jose was probably the biggest winners this past July 1st. Okay, so I want to hear your thoughts from this episode. Your feelings on your team. Was I not fair? Or did I give too much credit? Let me have it. I want to hear from you. And now it's time for Sue's true moment, a little reflection going into the new season. Sports are like life. We get excited over changes because we'll hope it'll solve everything overnight. And sometimes it does. Most of the time, improvement comes from patience, trust, and doing the little things right. You just need to trust the process. Thanks so much for listening to another episode of True Fan True Opinion. If you enjoyed today's conversation, I really appreciate it if you follow the show, leave a review, and share it with another sports fan. And don't forget, I want to hear your thoughts. Did you agree with my takes? Did I miss something? Let me know in the comments or on social media. Until next time, keep sharing, keep believing, and remember chin up, don't give up. I'm rooting for you.