ESPN Analyst Suggests Kyle Dubas Has Pulled Off Top-10 NHL Offseason

ESPN analyst Neil Paine recently listed all 32 teams in the NHL based on their offseason moves, using an evidence-based approach that weighs each player's three-year GAR (goals above replacement) average to quantify gains and losses.

The method looks at durability but gives greater weight to more recent performance, giving a truer forecast of what each team will bring in the future.

While the 2024-25 season ended in the same way as last year, when the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers to capture the Stanley Cup, a lot has changed within the league.

Several rosters have undergone overhauls, and Paine's lists reflect that change. The Vegas Golden Knights saw one of the largest improvements after bringing in the offseason's biggest fish in Mitch Marner.

The San Jose Sharks and Anaheim Ducks, meanwhile, continued their slow climbs out of the basement.

Other top teams with two levels of urgency are the Oilers, Maple Leafs, and Stars, all of whom are going into re-tooling modes and finished at the bottom of the list. The Panthers, despite back-to-back Cups, also needed to re-shuffle.

Among the top front offices was Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas, who ranked 8th.

Dubas' moves signal the next step in Pittsburgh's rebuild, as he trades for younger talent and long-term cornerstone pieces in the midst of the team's ongoing retooling.

Not all teams made splashy deals, but the ripple effects already show in this latest ranking. Fans will definitely be excited to see these new players hit the ice next season.