NHL Free Agency: Winners and Losers

NHL Free agency is always a wild time, and this year was no different. Here’s a look at the winners and losers of this year’s free agency period.

Top free agents still available

After a flurry of free agency activity over the last few days, there are still a number of top free agents available. Here’s a look at the top five, along with where they might end up signing.

1. Ilya Kovalchuk, LW – The former Devils’ star has been linked to both the Kings and the Flames in recent days, but it’s believed that he’s looking for a one-year deal in the $6 million range. A return to New Jersey can’t be ruled out either.

2. Patrick Marleau, C – The Sharks’ longtime captain remains unsigned and it’s unclear what his asking price is at this point. He could end up back in San Jose on a discount or he could sign with another team (the Predators have been mentioned) for more money.

3. Rick Nash, LW – Nash is reportedly looking for a three-year deal in the $15 million range and while that might be a tough sell for some teams, there are certainly contenders that could use his scoring ability (Boston and Dallas come to mind).

4. Joe Thornton, C – Like Marleau, it’s unclear what Thornton’s asking price is at this point, but he also seems like a good bet to return to San Jose on a discount. Other teams have been mentioned as potential destinations (the Oilers have been speculated), but it’s hard to see him leaving California at this stage of his career.

5. James van Riemsdyk, LW – The former Maple Leaf is coming off of back-to-back 30-goal seasons and should have no shortage of suitors if he hits the open market. The Predators and Bruins are two teams that have been mentioned as possible destinations.

Biggest signings of the offseason

The NHL’s offseason is heating up, with the free agency period set to begin on July 1st. While many teams are still sorting out their rosters for next season, there have been a few big signings so far that have shaken up the league. Here are some of the biggest names that have found new homes this offseason:

John Tavares, Center, Toronto Maple Leafs After weeks of speculation, Tavares finally made his decision to sign with the Maple Leafs on July 1st. The 27-year-old captain of the New York Islanders was one of the most coveted free agents on the market, and his signing is a huge coup for the Maple Leafs With Tavares joining young stars Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner in Toronto, the Maple Leafs are now one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup

Paul Stastny, Center, Winnipeg Jets The Winnipeg Jets made a big splash on July 1st by signing Stastny to a four-year contract worth $6.5 million per season. The 32-year-old had been with the St. Louis Blues since 2008, and he brings a wealth of experience to a Jets team that is looking to take the next step after narrowly missing out on the playoffs last season.

Ryan McDonagh, defenseman, Tampa Bay Lightning The Lightning made a major trade on June 18th when they acquired McDonagh and forward J.T. Miller from the New York Rangers in exchange for several prospects and draft picks The 28-year-old defenseman is a two-time All-Star and should be a key piece for the Lightning as they try to defend their Stanley Cup title next season.

Notable trades

Notable trades:
-The Colorado Avalanche traded Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators for Kyle Turris, prospect Shane Bowers, and first- and third-Round Draft picks in 2018.
-The Winnipeg Jets traded Jacob Trouba to the New York Rangers for Neal Pionk and a first-round draft pick in 2019.
-The Pittsburgh Penguins traded Conor Sheary and Matt Hunwick to the Buffalo Sabres for a second-round Draft Pick in 2019.

Best contracts

NHL free agency began on July 1, and while many of the big names have already signed new deals, there are still a few unsigned Restricted Free Agents Here’s a look at the best contracts from around the NHL.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl was the first domino to fall on July 1, signing an eight-year, $68 million extension with an annual cap hit of $8.5 million. The 21-year-old is coming off a breakout season in which he scored 29 goals and 77 points and was a key cog in the Oilers’ run to the playoffs. Draisaitl is one of the best young players in the league and is worth every penny of his new contract.

Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby also signed a big extension on July 1, inking a five-year, $30.5 million deal with a $6.1 million cap hit. Holtby is coming off a down year in which he posted a .907 save percentage but he’s still one of the best goalies in the league and should be a key part of Washington’s Stanley Cup defense next season.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk was one of the biggest names available in free agency this summer, but he didn’t sign his new deal until July 2. Shattenkirk ultimately landed a four-year, $26.6 million contract with the New York Rangers with an annual cap hit of $6.65 million. Shattenkirk is an excellent offensive defenseman who should provide a boost to the Rangers’ power play

Worst contracts

Entering the 2019 NHL free agency period, there were a number of teams with significant space under the salary cap As a result, many of the big name free agents were able to sign exorbitant contracts. While some of these deals will turn out to be bargain, others will come back to bite the teams that handed them out. Here are some of the worst contracts given out during this free agency period:

Teams that improved the most

While some teams improved by signing big-name Free Agents others improved by making shrewd moves with less heralded players. Here are the teams that improved the most during NHL free agency

1. Florida Panthers

The Panthers made a splash by signing Sergei Bobrovsky, but they also made solid additions with the signings of Anton Stralman, Brett Connolly, and Noel Acciari. They also re-signed key forwards Evgenii Dadonov and Vincent Trocheck.

2. Dallas Stars

The Stars added valuable depth by signing Corey Perry and Andrej Sekera. They also re-signed Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn to long-term extensionsto keep their core intact.

3. Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche made a big splash by signing Nazem Kadri, but they also made several other solid additions. Joonas Donskoi, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, and Vladislav Namestnikov will all provide valuable depth for a team that already has a lot of talent.

4. St. Louis Blues

The Blues didn’t make any flashy signings, but they did add several players who will provide valuable depth, including Patrick Maroon, Zach Sanford, and Trevor Lewis.

Teams that improved the least

NHL free agency Winners and Losers
After a whirlwind few days of free agency we take a look at which teams improved the most (and least) this offseason.

Winners
Boston Bruins
The Bruins were already one of the best teams in the NHL, and they got even better with the additions of Marcus Johansson and Charlie Coyle. They also re-signed Key Players like Torey Krug and Brandon Carlo, ensuring that they’ll be contenders for years to come.

Losers
New York Rangers
The Rangers made some big splashes in free agency signing Artemi Panarin and Jacob Trouba to massive contracts. However, they didn’t do enough to address their other needs, and they still have major holes on their roster. They’re also now committed to paying big money to two players who have never won a Stanley Cup

Most surprising moves

There were some expected moves made during the NHL Free Agency period, but there were also a few surprises. Here are the most surprising moves made during Free Agency

The Carolina Hurricanes made a splash by signing goalie Petr Mrazek to a two-year deal worth $6.25 million. This move was unexpected because the Hurricanes already have two good goalies in Scott Darling and Curtis McElhinney.

The Montreal Canadiens made a bold move by trading for veteran forward Max Domi The Canadiens gave up fan favorite Alex Galchenyuk in the trade, which surprised many people.

The Winnipeg Jets were very active during Free Agency signing forwards Paul Stastny, Kevin Hayes, and Andrew Copp. The Jets also re-signed defenseman Dustin Byfuglien, which was a surprise considering he had been rumored to be on his way out of Winnipeg.

Least surprising moves

There were a few notable names still on the NHL Free Agent market heading into the start of training camp But as teams begin to settle into their rosters for the upcoming season most of the big names have found new homes.

Some of the moves were unsurprising, such as Patrick Marleau signing with the Pittsburgh Penguins or Mike Hoffman joining the St. Louis Blues Others, like Torey Krug going to the St. Louis Blues or Taylor Hall signing with the Buffalo Sabres came as a bit more of a surprise.

Here’s a look at some of the winners and losers from NHL Free Agency

Winners:
-The Pittsburgh Penguins added another veteran forward in Patrick Marleau to an already deep and talented group.
-The St. Louis Blues made a splash by signing both Mike Hoffman and Torey Krug, adding even more firepower to their already potent offense.
-The Buffalo Sabres made a huge splash by signing Taylor Hall, giving them one of the most talented forward groups in the NHL.
-The Carolina Hurricanes added several key pieces, including Vincent Trocheck and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, to solidify their lineup for the upcoming season
-The Nashville Predators made several key additions, including Luke Kunin and Erik Haula, to bolster their forward group for the 2020-21 season.

Final thoughts

The NHL free agency period always has the potential to be one of the most exciting times of the year for hockey fans With so many big names hitting the open market, and teams looking to improve their rosters for a Stanley Cup run, there is always a lot of movement and a lot of big contracts being handed out.

This year’s Free Agency period was no different, with some big names changing teams and some teams making some significant improvements to their rosters. In the end, there are always winners and losers in Free Agency and this year was no different.

So, who were the winners and losers of this year’s NHL Free Agency period? Here are my final thoughts:

Winners:

The Tampa Bay Lightning The Lightning made a huge splash in free agency by signing former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall to a one-year deal worth $8 million. Hall is coming off a down year with the New Jersey Devils but he is still just 28 years old and is one of the most talented players in the league. If he can return to form, he could be a huge addition for the Lightning as they look to defend their Stanley Cup title.

The Los Angeles Kings The Kings were relatively quiet in free agency but they made two very solid additions to their roster by signing goaltender Calvin Petersen and forward Andreas Athanasiou. Petersen is a young goaltender with a ton of potential, while Athanasiou should add some much-needed scoring depth for the Kings. Overall, these are two very solid signings that should help the Kings take another step forward next season.

Losers:

The Nashville Predators The Predators entered free agency with very little cap space to work with, and it showed as they were only able to make small tweaks to their roster. They did lose some key players like Craig Smith and Austin Watson, which will hurt their depth moving forward. In addition, they were unable to sign any of their key restricted free agents, which could come back to bite them down the road. All in all, it was not a great free agency period for the Predators.