The Stanley Cup Final has officially wrapped up and now every NHL franchise is shifting its focus towards the offseason with the NHL Draft and free agency right around the corner.
After losing in the Western Conference Final for the third consecutive season, the Stars are getting an early start on their offseason to-do list. The Stars have signed forward Matt Duchene to a four-year, $18 million contract extension ($4.5 million AAV), who was slated to hit free agency this summer.
Duchene has spent the last two seasons in Dallas since signing with the franchise in the 2023 offseason.
Meanwhile, the Colorado Avalanche also took care of some business by signing one of their top impending free agents. The team signed veteran forward Brock Nelson to a three-year contract extension that will be worth $7.5 million annually.
The Avalanche acquired Nelson at the trade deadline this past season in exchange for forward Calum Ritchie, defenseman Oliver Kylington, a conditional 2026 first-round pick and a 2028 conditional third-round pick.
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NHL free agency opens on July 1 at noon ET, but many teams will make an effort to extend players already on their roster, as well as make trades prior to that.
Toronto Maple Leafs star forward Mitch Marner will likely be the top player on the open market this summer. Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett, Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser, and Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad also highlight the offseason’s deep free agent class.
CBS Sports has you covered throughout NHL free agency with all of the latest signings across the league.
Matt Duchene stays with Stars
The Stars are bringing back a key member of their veteran core. Dallas has re-signed the forward to a four-year contract extension that will be worth $4.5 million per season. Duchene was set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Duchene recorded 30 goals and 52 assists in 82 regular-season games as he led the Stars in scoring in 2024-25. His 52 assists were a career-high this past season and Duchene’s 82 points were the second-highest scoring season of his entire 16-year career. Duchene also added six points (one goal & five assists) in 18 games throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Duchene should continue to be a very productive member of the team’s top six forwards as they attempt to make a Stanley Cup run next season.
Avalanche extend Brock Nelson
The Avalanche are keeping arguably their top free agent in the fold for the foreseeable future. The team has signed forward Brock Nelson to a three-year contract extension that carries an average-annual-value of $7.5 million. Nelson was slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Nelson was acquired at the 2025 trade deadline from the New York Islanders and tallied 13 points (6 goals & 7 assists) in 19 regular-season games with Colorado. He recorded 56 combined points (26 goals & 30 assists) between the Avalanche and Islanders, while also registering four assists in the team’s first-round series loss at the hands of the Dallas Stars. Nelson will likely continue to center the Avalanche’s second line and skate with Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin.
Nelson is set to turn 34 years old around the start of the 2025-26 season this fall.
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