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- NHL Free Agency opens Wednesday noon ET.
- Forward Johnny Gaudreau is the best available player.
- The free agency class is strong on forwards and thin on defense and goalies.
The NHL free agency signing period officially opened Wednesday at 12 p.m. ET.
This year’s free agent class is strong up front but a little thin on defense and goalkeeping.
The key players available at the buzzer were forwards Johnny Gaudreau, Nazem Kadri, Claude Giroux, Andrew Copp, Ondrej Palat, Ryan Strome and David Perron, defenders John Klingberg and Nick Leddy, and goalies Darcy Kuemper, Jack Campbell and Ilya Samsonov.
Kadri and Kuemper, along with Andre Burakovsky and a handful of other unrestricted free agents, played for the Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche.
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FREE AGENCY:A look at the top 25 players testing the market
Darcy Kuemper signs with Capitals
The Stanley Cup goaltender has signed a five-year, $26.25 million deal. The Capitals were unhappy with their goalkeeping behavior last season and did not trade Vitek Vanecek and qualified Ilya Samsonov. Kuemper had a career-best 37 wins last season and his .921 save percentage ranked fifth among league starters.
Ilya Mikheyev goes to Canucks
The forward signed a four-year, $19 million deal. Agent Dan Milstein tweeted. He had 21 goals in 53 games with the Maple Leafs last season.
Lightning lock-up extensions from three to eight years
Reaching the Stanley Cup finals for the third straight year, the Lightning holds the core together. After defenseman Mikhail Sergachev received an eight-year extension, Tampa Bay did the same for forward Anthony Cirelli and defenseman Erik Cernak. Sergachev earns an average of $8.5 million, Cirelli $6.25 million and Cernak $5.2 million. Cirelli is the team’s shutdown center and the roles of Sergachev and Cernak grow after Ryan McDonagh’s trade.
Nick Leddy stays with blues
Defender, acquired at close, will receive $16 million over four years. He fitted in well after arriving from Detroit. His 130-game playoff experience makes him valuable.
Mikhail Sergachev signs renewal with Lightning
The 24-year-old defenseman had a year left with a $4.8 million cap hit ($7.2 million base salary) and is now on an eight-year long-term contract at $8.5 million per Season. Sergachev has improved his point production (to 38) and ice time (to 22 minutes, 28 seconds) in each of the five seasons of his career. His role will only continue to expand. – Jimmy Hascup
Frank Vatrano joins the Ducks
The deal runs for three years, $3.65 million per year. according to HNIC’s Elliotte Friedman. Vatrano, a wily Rangers pick-up at the close, flashed his scoring potential in a supporting role. He will help a young forward group in Anaheim. – Jimmy Hascup
Jaroslav Halak signs with Rangers
New York was looking for a backup goalie after selling Alexandar Georgiev, who was a restricted free agent, to Colorado. Halak gets $1.55 million for a year. Rangers are close to the salary cap and have yet to re-sign RFA Kaapo Kakko. – Jimmy Hascup
Hurricanes acquire Brent Burns from Sharks
The Hurricanes needed a right-footed defenseman after selling Tony DeAngelo to the Flyers. The Sharks vacated the cap spot, and Burns had an $8 million cap hit. Burns had more points than DeAngelo last season, 54-51.
Andrew Copp to the Red Wings
The versatile forward hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan. He’s a great addition to a team that’s still building. TSN reports that the five-year contract is capped at $5.625 million.
Vincent Trocheck to Rangers
The two-way center will fill the second-center role that UFA’s Ryan Strome held last season.
Blues’ Robert Thomas extended
He will be paid $65 million over eight years, a nice increase from the $2.8 million he will earn this season. He had a career-best 77 points and a 17-game point streak last season.
Ilya Samsonov to the Maple Leafs
Samsonov has signed a one-year, $1.8 million contract, according to Toronto. Samsonov gets a proof-it deal after being unqualified by the Capitals. The Leafs’ tandem next season is Matt Murray and Samsonov.
Claude Giroux signed by Senators
Giroux’s off-season home is in the Ottawa area. He’s still looking for his first championship. Can the senators do it in three years? Maybe not. But they are significantly better with Giroux and trade acquisitions Alex DeBrincat and Cam Talbot.
Jack Campbell on his way to Edmonton
The goalkeeper will receive $25 million over five years. according to TSN. The Oilers needed an upgrade at the net, and Campbell was an all-star last season. This move means Darcy Kuemper is likely to join the Capitals.
And we’re gone
It’s midday. The signing phase for the free agency is officially underway.
Avalanche brings back Josh Manson
Accordingly, he should get 18 million dollars over four years the athlete. Manson was a strong defender at the close, a solid defender who scored several key goals in the Stanley Cup run. He joins Valeri Nichushkin and Andrew Cogliano in the re-signing. reports say that Darren Helm could be back too.
Devils trade Pavel Zacha for Bruins
The move, reported by TSN, boosting Johnny Gaudreau-to-New Jersey speculation. Zacha is a left wing, like Gaudreau. He’s also a restricted free agent, and the Devils won’t have to re-sign him if they land Gaudreau. The move helps the Bruins, who have several forwards who will miss the start of the season with injuries. The reported return is striker Erik Haula.
Evgeni Malkin, Evander Kane sign extensions
Kane, followed by the announcement “I’m back”, in a post on his verified Twitter account, announcing that he had agreed to a four-year, $20.5 million deal with the Edmonton Oilers in which he scored 22 goals in 39 games after the team conceded him a Chance when the San Jose Sharks terminated the remainder of Kane’s contract for violating the American Hockey League’s COVID-19 protocols. – Jimmy Hascup
Flames’ Johnny Gaudreau makes his way to the market
Flames general manager Brad Treliving, who had been trying to re-sign Gaudreau, said Tuesday night the star forward would be coming to the open market. “I truly believe this was a family decision and I fully respect that,” he said. he said. “John has every right and we have nothing but respect for John the player and John the person.”
Why are so many Avalanche players unsigned?
Valeri Nichushkin and Andrew Cogliano are the only Avs players who have been signed so far. That leaves less than $15 million in cap rank for next season, and Artturi Lehkonen (two goals in a row) is a limited free agent with arbitration rights. Also, the Avalanche will have 2023-24 and beyond to think about as star Nathan MacKinnon can sign a contract extension. His cap hit next season is $6.3 million and that will increase significantly from the following season.
Who is in the market for a goalkeeper?
The Washington Capitals don’t have an NHL goaltender under contract after trading Vitek Vanecek and the unqualified Ilya Samsonov. Goalies were a weakness for the Edmonton Oilers on their way to the Western Conference Finals, and substitute Mikko Koskinen signed with the Swiss league. The Ottawa Senators, who traded Matt Murray to the Toronto Maple Leafs improved their goaltenders in a Tuesday trade, adding Cam Talbot from the Minnesota Wilds in exchange for Filip Gustavsson.
NHL draft summary
The NHL Draft took place on July 7th-8th. In the first round, predicted No. 1 overall winner Shane Wright fell to No. 4 and the Seattle Kraken. Here’s a look at Scouting reports of all first-round picks, as well as a look at draft winners and losers. Wright said he will have a “chip on (his) shoulder” after a fall, and he reiterated that his “staredown” was not against the Montreal Canadiens, who picked first and picked Juraj Slafkovsky.
