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Best last-minute Luke Glendening destinations in 2025 NHL Free Agency

Originally posted on NHL on ClutchPoints | By Bryan Logan | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 3:40 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Lightning chose not to re-sign Luke Glendening after his contract expired this summer. NHL Free Agency started on July 1, and Glendening is still available for a team to bring in. The 12-year NHL veteran could be a valuable asset in the right situation.

The American center was undrafted after spending four years at the University of Michigan. He would join the Detroit Red Wings organization, initially playing in the AHL before making it to the NHL level in 2013-14. He spent eight seasons with the Wings with a career high of 12 goals in 20115, and his career high in points was 23 in 2018-19.

The forward signed as a free agent in the summer of 2021 with the Dallas Stars, spending two campaigns with the club. He then joined the Lightning on a two-year deal.

He is not a major scoring threat, having lit the lamp just 83 times in his NHL career while adding 83 helpers. Still, his faceoff ability and defense have allowed him to play in 864 career regular-season contests and should bring him a new contract soon.

Ducks could use Glendening’s skill set

The Anaheim Ducks were last in the NHL in faceoff percentage in 2024-25. The team had a 44.6 percent faceoff win percentage for the season. Only two players took over 200 faceoffs and were over 50 percent in win percentage from the dot. Jansen Harkins led the way at 53.4%, while Mason McTavish was at 50.7%.

Glendening has been dominant in the faceoff circle. Since 2015-16, he has been over 54 percent in win percentage every season. In 2024-25, he took 881 faceoffs, winning 502 of them. That was good for a 56.98% win percentage, which would have led the Ducks.

Further, the team was 29th in the NHL on the penalty kill. Glendening has consistently been great on the penalty kill in his NHL career. While he does not have the same speed he once had, he still has great defensive positioning.

Anaheim has three quality centers on its top three lines but could use help on the fourth line. This would likely require moving Ryan Poehling to a wing but a move that can and should be done to improve the penalty kill and faceoff percentage.

The Islanders upgrade their fourth line

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and Tampa Bay Lightning center Luke Glendening (11) face-off during eh second period in game two of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Islanders could also benefit from adding Glendening to their fourth line. Currently, the line is home to Maxim Tsyplakov, Emil Heineman, and Casey Cizikas. The team will not benefit as much from the faceoff ability of the center but would benefit from his penalty-kill ability.

They were the best in the NHL on the faceoff in 2024-25, winning 54.9% of their faceoffs. Brock Nelson was a major part of this, winning 52.8% of his faceoffs, but he is now with the Colorado Avalanche after being traded last year. Still, Cizikas won over 55% of his faceoffs while Jean-Gabriel Pageau won nearly 60% of his faceoffs.

Regardless, the Islanders were 31st in the NHL on the penalty kill. Glendening has been great on the penalty kill. Not only has he been solid on the faceoff when down a player, but he has consistently blocked shots.

In his past seven seasons, he has averaged 14 blocked shots per year on the PK. While the Michigan native will not improve the offense, he will be a major help on the penalty kill, which should be attractive for the Islanders.

Could a return to Tampa be in the works?

Glendening was solid in his two seasons with the Lightning, and a reunion may be a good idea for both sides. The team was 17th in the NHL in faceoff win percentage in 2024-25, but Glendening was by far their best faceoff option.

He won just under 57 percent of his faceoffs. This was well above the second best on the team, Anthony Cirelli, who won just 50.1 percent of his faceoffs.

Currently, Yanni Gourde and Nick Paul are penciled in as the bottom-two centers on the roster. Paul was solid at the faceoff dot, winning 50 percent of his draws. Paul can also play left wing, while Gourde can play on the right side.

They have younger options on the bottom-two forward lines currently with Mitchell Chaffee and Pontus Holmberg projected to play there. Still, neither of them is as good at the penalty kill as Glendening.

While the center will not provide a massive spark to a lineup, he is a solid player worth having around. The veteran forward has a unique skill set that is missing from many teams, so finding a contract either before the opening of camps or the start of the regular season should be doable.

He is also turning 37 years old during this upcoming season, so if the right opportunity does not come, hanging up the skates is also a viable option.

This article first appeared on NHL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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