Middleton has spent the past five seasons with the Minnesota Wild, but will have a change of scenery to start the 2026-27 season as he heads to the Calgary Flames. The 31-year-old defenseman averaged 17:30 time-on-ice, recording 16 points (2G / 14A), 87 hits, and 117 blocks in 75 games last season.

Tsyplakov will join his third NHL organzation in the last 10 months after it was announced Tuesday that he had been traded to Calgary alongside Simon Nemec from New Jersey for a 2026 2nd round pick (NYR), a 2027 1st round pick (VGK), a 2028 1st round pick (COL) (both top 10 protected) and Etienne Morin. He is hoping for a bounce back campaign in Calgary this year after putting up just two goals and four points in 49 games between New York and New Jersey last season.

Nemec's three year's in New Jersey have come to an end after it was announced on Tuesday that Calgary had acquired his rights alongside Maxim Tsyplakov from New Jersey for a 2026 2nd round pick (NYR), a 2027 1st round pick (VGK), a 2028 1st round pick (COL) (both top 10 protected) and Etienne Morin. Nemec has 155 career NHL games played despite being just 22-years-old after being drafted by New Jersey 2nd overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He has yet to sign in Calgary but is expected to be a key piece in their defensive unit after putting up 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games last season.

Curran was a fifth round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft that has impressed over the past two seasons in the WHL. The 19-year-old Czech forward has 41 points (14G / 27A) through 31 games with the Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL) this season.

Othmann was drafted 16th overall by the New York Rangers in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. The 23-year-old forward has yet to make the full-time jump to the NHL level and scored only one point (1G / 0A) in 17 games with the Rangers this season.

Strome has one year remaining on his contract after this season and hopes that a change of scenery can help him improve his offensive production after a trade to the Calgary Flames. After five consecutive seasons with over 40 points, the 32-year-old Strome has struggled in the 2025-26 season with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring only eight points (3G / 6A) through 33 games.

The 70th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Castagna is a junior at Cornell University and is in the midst of a breakout campaign. The 6'2" centreman has racked up 14 goals and 18 assists in 29 games, already surpassing his previous NCAA career highs in both categories. We'll have to wait and see if Castagna opts to return to Cornell for his senior year or turn pro ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Tsyplakov showed flashes of promise as a 26-year-old rookie a season ago when he tallied 10 goals and 25 assists in 77 games, but has gone ice-cold this year and was ultimately deemed to be expendable by Isles General Manger Mathieu Darche. Tsyplakov has just a single goal and no assists in 27 games this season, routinely bouncing in and out of the lineup as a healthy scratch. He'll get a fresh start in New Jersey where presumably he'll compete for playing time in their bottom-six.

Whitecloud spent the first eight years of his career with the Vegas Golden Knights, but will head to the Calgary Flames in a major trade with Rasmus Andersson as the major piece. The 29-year-old Whitecloud played exclusively as a bottom-four defenseman with Vegas. He recorded seven points (2G / 5A), 63 blocks, and 73 hits in 47 games this season.

Calgary and New Jersey made the first big trade of the offseason on Wednesday as they traded Jacob Markstrom (31.25% salary retained) for Kevin Bahl and a 2025 1st-round pick. The 23-year-old towering defender in Bahl appeared in all 82 games for New Jersey in 2023-24, picking up a goal, 10 assists, 82 PIMs and 63 SOG.

Okhotyuk will help fill out a Flames' defensive core that is less robust than it was a few weeks ago after dealing away Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin in trades before the deadline. The 23-year-old Okhotyuk registered eight points (1G / 7A), 126 hits, and 72 blocks while averaging 16:27 time-on-ice through 43 games with the San Jose Sharks.

Nylander was never able to secure a full-time role with the Penguins, making just 14 appearances for the team over the last two seasons. The former eighth-overall pick has played primarily with the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season, scoring 17 goals and adding 15 assists in 43 games.

Brzustewicz was a third-round pick (No.75 overall) of the Canucks in the 2023 NHL Draft. The 19-year-old defenseman is in his second year with Kitchener (OHL), where he leads all OHL defensemen with 69 points (8G / 61A) in 47 games.

Sharangovich is a pending RFA that had just 30 points (13G / 17A) in 75 games in 2023. Sharangovich saw his minutes drop by over two minutes per game. The 25-year-old will likely play in a bottom-6 role, potentially on a line with Mikael Backlund in 2024.

Hunt will join his fourth team of the season. The Maple Leafs acquired Hunt from the Avalanche on December 19 in exchange for Denis Malgin. He started the season with the Rangers and played three games for them before being claimed off waivers by Colorado. In total, Hunt has three goals and zero assists in 37 games this season.

Okhotyuk was a second-round pick in 2019 and has split his 2023 season between the AHL and NHL. During his time with the Devils, the 22-year-old has scored one goal in 10 games. Okhotyuk will likely report to the AHL following the trade.