The NHL free agent signing period begins Monday at noon ET, and general managers around the league have already begun the process of reshaping their rosters for 2024-25.

That included the trades in the past week, with Jacob Markstrom headed to the New Jersey Devils and the Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals swapping Pierre-Luc Dubois for Darcy Kuemper, followed by goalie Linus Ullmark being traded by the Boston Bruins to the Ottawa Senators.

Every front office is trying to maximize its chances at reaching the Stanley Cup playoffs and lifting the most famous trophy in sports next spring. Here’s how each of them can nail this offseason and the cap space that each team has, as well as a look at key players hitting restricted and unrestricted free agency.

June not only ushers in warmer temperatures but is also the time when the recruiting trail really heats up with a blitz of commitments as programs hold official visits and run camps.

Ohio State holds on to the No. 1 class with a commitment list that includes three five-star prospects including new five-star QB Tavien St. Clair. Georgia, which signed the No. 1 class for the 2024 cycle, has surged up the rankings and now sit at No. 2. Recent ESPN 300 in-state defensive additions, such as LB Zayden Walker and DE Isaiah Gibson, helped the Bulldogs rise and get back into the race for the top class.

New Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer is easing any concerns that the Crimson Tide might slip in recruiting with the departure of Nick Saban, as DeBoer has led them into the top three of the class rankings. One catalyst in the move up was flipping ESPN 300 QB Keelon Russell from SMU. He is a passer who can make plays with his legs but also can be accurate with a short, compact release, and he threw for 3,000 yards and completed 75% of his passes as junior.

Built off the foundation of key in-state commitments, Rutgers has shot up the rankings as well, sitting inside the top 15. It managed to keep some key prospects close to home, including two of New Jersey’s top-three-rated prospects in receiver Michael Thomas III and linebacker D.J. McClary.

June has reshaped the rankings, but with more than a hundred ESPN 300 prospects still leading the pack of the undeclared, nothing is settled and many changes are still on the horizon.

NEW TEAMS IN: Rutgers, Mississippi State, Michigan, Georgia Tech, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, Kentucky, Washington, South Carolina, Stanford, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati, Nebraska, Duke, West Virginia

TEAMS OUT: SMU, North Carolina

coverage:
Recruits to know in 2025 rankings
CFB’s future power rankings
Previewing every conference

ESPN 300 commits: 14
Top offensive prospect: QB Tavien St. Clair
Top defensive prospect: CB Na’eem Offord

Previous ranking: 1

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about the top quarterbacks in the 2025 class, it’s that they’ve all had their ups and downs on the camp circuit. It’s part of the process.

Game film takes top priority in an evaluation, but a lot of elements make up quarterback evaluation. Film study, camps, combines, Elite 11 performance and personal workouts are all pieces of the puzzle. It’s very important to not make a final assessment on a quarterback based on one average or poor camp performance over three hours on a single afternoon. That’s not fair or responsible.

The Elite 11 is an iconic event, but it’s not necessarily predictive of next-level success. The event does provide one final opportunity for us to evaluate and rank quarterbacks before their senior season. Those evaluations have led to a big change in the updated ESPN 300 rankings. Elsewhere, the spring and summer camp circuit has allowed several players to make moves in the rankings.

Here are the takeaways from the rankings:

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At the top | QB breakdown
Moving up | New entrants