2014 NHL Free Agent Signings

Follow along as we keep you updated on all the latest 2014 NHL free agent Signings.

2014 NHL free agent Signings: Top 10 Players

The 2014 NHL free agency period began on July 1, 2014. On that day, teams were able to sign free agents to contracts with no compensation required. Players who have been bought out by their previous team and have completed their buyout contract are also free agents

In the 2014 NHL free agency period, a total of 209 Restricted Free Agents have signed new contracts with NHL Teams The list includes some big names like Jarome Iginla, Marian Gaborik, and Brooks Orpik.

Here are the top 10 signings of the 2014 NHL Free Agency period, based on the average annual value (AAV) of the contract:

1. Jarome Iginla – Colorado Avalanche – $5.3 million AAV
2. Marian Gaborik – Los Angeles Kings – $4.875 million AAV
3. Brooks Orpik – Washington Capitals – $4.5 million AAV
4. Thomas Vanek – Minnesota Wild – $6.5 million AAV
5. Matt Niskanen – Washington Capitals – $40 million AAV
6Paul Stastny – Colorado Avalanche – $7 million AAV
7 Joe Thornton – San Jose Sharks $8 million AAV
8 Jason Demers- Dallas Stars – $3.937 million AAV
9 Jussi Jokinen- Pittsburgh Penguins 3.$2 million AAV 10 Mike Cammalleri- New Jersey Devils 5.$25 million AAV

2014 NHL free agent Signings: Notable Players

The 2014 NHL Free Agent signing season got underway on July 1st, with numerous teams making significant moves to improve their rosters. Here is a look at some of the more notable signings:

– Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa signed a 7-year contract extension with the team, keeping him in Chicago through the 2020-21 season.
– The Colorado Avalanche made a big splash, signing free agent forwards Jarome Iginla and Danny Briere.
– The Detroit Red Wings added depth to their lineup by signing veteran forward Mike Richards
– The Montreal Canadiens acquired forward PA Parenteau from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Daniel Briere.
– The Ottawa Senators signed defenseman Erik Karlsson to a 7-year contract extension, preventing him from becoming a free agent after next season.
– The Tampa Bay Lightning made a significant move to improve their offense, signing free agent forward Ryan Callahan to a 6-year contract.

2014 NHL free Agent Signings: Teams with the Most signings

The NHL free agent Signing Period began on July 1st and as of July 10th, there have already been over 150 signings. With teams trying to get under the salary cap many signings are for one or two years at a low salary. Here is a look at the teams with the most signings so far:

1) Chicago Blackhawks 14 signings
2) Los Angeles Kings: 12 signings
3) Detroit Red Wings 10 signings
4) St. Louis Blues 9 signings
5) Nashville Predators 8 signings
6) Tampa Bay Lightning 7 signings
7) Pittsburgh Penguins 6 signings
8) Buffalo Sabres 6 signings
9) Florida Panthers 5 signings
10) Anaheim Ducks 5 signings

2014 NHL free Agent Signings: Teams with the Least signings

In the 2014 NHL free Agent signing period, several teams opted to sign very few players. The following teams had the least signings among all NHL teams

--Buffalo Sabres 0 signings
--Calgary Flames 0 signings
--Edmonton Oilers 0 signings
-New York Islanders 0 signings
--Pittsburgh Penguins 0 signings
-Washington Capitals: 0 signings

While some of these teams may have been content with their existing rosters, others may have been hampered by salary cap restrictions. In any case, it is interesting to see which teams were the least active in Free agency this year.

2014 NHL free Agent Signings: Biggest contracts

There were some big free agent signings in the NHL this year, with a number of teams handing out hefty contracts to lure Top Players to their squad. Here are some of the biggest deals from this year’s free agent class

Defenseman Matt Niskanen was one of the most sought-after free agents this year, and he ended up signing a seven-year, $40.25 million deal with the Washington Capitals.

Forward Marian Gaborik was another player who received a big contract, inking a seven-year, $34.125 million deal with the Los Angeles Kings.

The Chicago Blackhawks made a splash by signing forward Brad Richards to a one-year, $2 million deal. Richards is a veteran forward who brings a lot of experience and leadership to the team.

The Pittsburgh Penguins also made a big signing, inking forward Marcel Goc to a three-year, $9.85 million deal. Goc is a versatile forward who can play both center and wing, and he should be a valuable asset for the Penguins.

2014 NHL free Agent Signings: Smallest contracts

With the NHL free agent signing period now complete, we take a look at which players signed for the league minimum and how they might contribute to their new teams.

As per the new CBA, the league minimum salary for the 2014-15 season is $525,000. For a full list of this season’s NHL Free agent signings, please click here.

Anders Lee, C, New York Islanders – Lee, 23, was a sixth-round pick of the Islanders in 2009 and made his NHL debut last season. In 12 games with the Isles he tallied four goals and two assists. He also appeared in four Playoff Games but did not register a point. The 6’3″, 227-pound forward will likely spend most of next season in the AHL with Bridgeport.

Derek Dorsett, RW, Vancouver Canucks – Dorsett, 27, is a hard-nosed winger who isn’t afraid to drop the gloves. In 58 games with Columbus last season he tallied seven goals and 11 assists while racking up 134 Penalty minutes He also appeared in all six of the Blue Jackets’ playoff games, picking up an assist. The 6’0″, 188-pound forward will provide some energy and physicality for Vancouver next season.

Yann Danis, G, New Jersey Devils – Danis, 32, has bounced around the NHL over his career, appearing in 61 games with five different teams. Last season he appeared in 15 games with Edmonton and posted a 2-8-4 record with a 3.14 GAA and .892 save percentage He will likely serve as Cory Schneider’s backup next season in New Jersey.

2014 NHL Free Agent Signings: One-Year Contracts

The NHL free agency period began on July 1, 2014, with a number of high-profile players signing one-year contracts.

Forwards:
-Daniel Alfredsson: Detroit Red Wings
-Jarome Iginla: Boston Bruins
-Paul Stastny: St. Louis Blues
-Thomas Vanek: Minnesota Wild
-Mikhail Grabovski: New York Islanders

Defensemen:
-Dan Boyle: New York Rangers
-Matt Niskanen: Washington Capitals
– Anton Stralman: Tampa Bay Lightning

2014 NHL free Agent Signings: Multi-Year Contracts

In the 2014 NHL free agent signing period, teams signed players to multi-year contracts worth a total of $2.7 billion. The average annual value (AAV) of these contracts was $7.1 million.

The most expensive free agent signing was by the New York Rangers who signed forward Rick Nash to a 8-year, $62.4 million contract with an AAV of $7.8 million. Nash was followed by forwards Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, who each signed 13-year, $98 million contracts with the Minnesota Wild with AAVs of $7.5 million and $7.6 million respectively.

defensemen Erik Karlsson and Shea Weber were the most expensive defenseman signings, each signing 7-year contracts worth $45.5 million with the Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators respectively. Karlsson’s contract has an AAV of $6.5 million while Weber’s carries an AAV of $8 million.

2014 NHL Free Agent Signings: Trades

On July 1, 2014, the first day of the NHL’s free agency period, a number of teams made trades in addition to signing free agents

The Buffalo Sabres acquired forward Joakim Lindstrom and a second-Round Draft pick in 2015 from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2015.

The Chicago Blackhawks traded forwards Kris Versteeg and Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for forward Dale Weise and defenseman Tomas Fleischmann.

The Colorado Avalanche traded goaltender Semyon Varlamov to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for goaltender Niklas Backstrom and a 2016 fourth-round Draft Pick

2014 NHL free Agent Signings: Free Agents Still Available

The 2014 NHL Free agent signing season got off to a slow start, with few big names signing on the first day of free agency However, there are still a number of big name players available, as well as a number of role players who could still make an impact on a team. Here is a look at some of the top free agents still available.