July 1 marked the beginning of the 2024 NHL free agency period, when players whose contracts are up, look to re-sign or spread their wings and join a new team. This year, more than 100 players signed contracts on day one and teams spent more than $1 billion on acquiring new talent to their teams. These signings set a record for the most money spent on the first day, as well as the most spent on players within a 24-hour period by the NHL.
Anaheim Ducks - $2.15 million
Unlike other teams, the Ducks only dipped their toes into the free agent pool. They re-signed defenseman Urho Vaakanainen, who was a nominee for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy this year, to a one-year, $1.1 million contract. Anaheim also re-signed forward Brett Leason to a one-year, $1.05 million contract.
Boston Bruins - $92.45 million
The Bruins had a bigger jump, signing five forwards and three defenseman on Monday, July 1. Two of the larger contracts given out were to Vancouver teammates, Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov, who were also first-round picks in the 2013 Draft. The forward, Lindholm, received a seven-year, $54.25 million contract. Lindholm said, “I think being a Bruin is a dream – a lot of history, a lot of great players…to be a Bruin felt like the right fit for me and my family.” His defensive teammate, Zadorov, signed a six-year, $30 million contract. The two not only played together for Vancouver last year, but also with the Calgary Flames. It looks like this duo can’t be apart for long.
Forward Max Jones, formerly of the Anaheim Ducks, also signed with the Bruins, getting a two-year, $2 million contract. Like Lindholm and Zadorov, he was a first-round pick in his respective draft year. The Bruins also signed forwards Riley Tufte and Cole Koepke to one-year, $775,000 contracts. The last of the forwards signed by Boston was Jeffrey Viel, who received a two-year contract with a $775,000 average annual value (AAV).
The Boston team also signed defensemen Jordan Oesterle and Billy Sweezey to two-year, $775,000 AAV contracts. The two are likely to play for the AHL Providence Bruins with Tufte, Koepke, and Viel, based on their previous seasons with their respective organizations.
Buffalo Sabres - $12.225 million
The Buffalo Sabres signed three forwards and two defensemen on Monday. The first forward was Jason Zucker, who signed a one-year, $5 million contract. He was the King Clancy Memorial Trophy winner in 2018 and has scored 20 or more goals in the past six seasons. Forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel also signed a one-year contract, but with a $1.5 million AAV. This forward is a big hitter, having 159 hits last season and leading the Capitals with his 13.02 hits per 60 minutes. Having won the Stanley Cup in 2022, Aube-Hubel will be bringing that experience to the Sabres. Forward Sam Lafferty signed a two-year, $4 million contract. Lafferty is another big hitter, having 192 hits last season with Vancouver.
As for defensemen, Buffalo signed the former Calgary Flames player, Dennis Gilbert, to a one-year, $825,000 contract. He is a native of Buffalo, NY and has had 12 fights in 82 career NHL games. Additionally, the Sabres re-signed Jacob Bryson to a one-year, $900,000 contract.
Calgary Flames - $12.55 million
The Calgary Flames signed forward Anthony Mantha to a one-year, $3.5 million contract. Last year, he played for both the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights, racking up 44 points between the two teams. The Flames also signed forward Ryan Lomberg to a two-year, $4 million contract. Coming from the Cup-winning Florida Panthers, Lomberg is making his return to Calgary. Hopefully for the Flames, he can bring the team to the Stanley Cup in 2025.
They also signed defenseman Jake Bean to a two-year contract with a $1.75 million AAV. He won the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers in 2019, as well as the Eddie Shore Award for the most outstanding defenseman in the AHL the following year. The last signee was goaltender Devin Cooley, who made his NHL debut with the San Jose Sharks this past season. The 6’5” goalie received a two-year contract with a $775,000 AAV.
Carolina Hurricanes - $38.475 million
The Carolina Hurricanes agreed to terms with a few large contracts. The first was with forward Jordan Martinook, who has played the last six years with the Canes. Eric Tulsky, general manager of the team, said, “Jordan is the heart and soul of our team.” Martinook will be staying in Raleigh for the next three years with a contract worth $9.15 million. Carolina also signed two former Buffalo forwards, Eric Robinson and Tyson Jost, to one-year contracts with an AAV of $950,000 and $775,000, respectively.
Additionally, the team signed two defensemen, the first being Sean Walker, who played for the Philadelphia Flyers and the Colorado Avalanche this past season, tallying 29 points between the two teams. He received a five-year, $18 million contract. The other defenseman is Shayne Gostisbehere, who is making his return to Raleigh. He signed a three-year, $9.6 million contract.
Chicago Blackhawks - $56.9 million
The Chicago Blackhawks also made a big splash in the free agent pool, signing five forwards, one goalie and two defensemen. Chicago signed goaltender Laurent Brossoit to a two-year, $3.3 million AAV contract. He played with the Winnipeg Jets this past season and was part of the 2023 Stanley Cup-winning Vegas team. Defenseman Alec Martinez was signed to a one-year, $4 million contract. Martinez is also a Stanley Cup champion, winning with Brossoit in 2023, as well as twice with the Los Angeles Kings. The Blackhawks also signed defenseman T.J. Brodie to a two-year, $3.75 million AAV contract. Playing for Toronto this last season, Brodie was ranked first on the team for blocked shots and second in ice time.
Another former Toronto player, forward Tyler Bertuzzi, signed a four-year, $22 million contract. Chicago general manager, Kyle Davidson, described Bertuzzi as “a fantastic competitor who brings energy every night.” Forward Teuvo Teräväinen, from the Carolina Hurricanes, signed a three-year contract with a value of $16.2 million. He will be making his return to Chicago, having been the no. 18 pick in the 2012 Draft and winning the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2015. Another three-time Stanley Cup champion, forward Pat Maroon signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract. With all of these champions coming to Chicago, hopefully the team will be on their way to another Cup. The Blackhawks also signed forward Craig Smith to a one-year, $1 million contract and re-signed forward Joey Anderson to a two-year contract with a $800,000 AAV.
Colorado Avalanche - $8.825 million
The Colorado Avalanche have many players returning to the team. Forward Jonathan Drouin re-signed with a one-year, $2.5 million contract after having career highs in points, assists, and time on the ice last season with Colorado. Forward Joel Kiviranta also re-signed with a one-year, $775,000 contract. Forward T.J. Tynan is also making his return to the Colorado organization with a one-year, $775,000 contract. Defenseman Jacob MacDonald, who played for the Avalanche at the same time as Tynan, signed a two-year contract with a $775,000 AAV. Lastly, defenseman Calle Rosen is coming back to the Avalanche and signed a one-year, $775,000 contract.
Colorado isn’t just welcoming back familiar faces, they have also signed new talent, including defenseman Calvin de Haan, who played for the Tampa Bay Lightning last season. de Haan, a first-round draft pick back in 2009, signed a one-year, $800,000 contract. The last player acquired by Colorado on July 1 was forward Parker Kelly with a two-year, $1.65 million contract. Kelly played with the Ottawa Senators last season, having career highs in games played, time on ice per game, goals, assists and points.
Columbus Blue Jackets - $27.5 million
Although the Columbus Blue Jackets only signed one player on day one of free agency, they still managed to be a bigger spender than other teams. Their chosen player was forward Sean Monahan, who they signed to a five-year, $27.5 million contract. He was drafted sixth overall in 2013 and had 59 points last season between the Winnipeg Jets and the Montreal Canadiens. Monahan will be reunited with Johnny Gaudreau, who he played with on the Calgary Flames. With this high-scoring duo, maybe the Blue Jackets will make it to the playoffs next season.
Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau, courtesy of Candice Ward - USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Stars - $29.8 million
The Dallas Stars signed ten players on day one, three of which re-signed with the team. The first of those three is forward Matt Duchene, who signed a one-year, $3 million contract. He had 65 points with the Stars last season. Defenseman Nils Lundkvist, a first-round draft pick like Duchene, has also re-signed with the team. Lundkvist signed a one-year, $1.25 million contract. Dallas also re-signed forward Sam Steel, who had career highs last season in games, shorthanded goals and shorthanded points, to a one-year, $1.2 million contract.
Dallas general manager, Jim Nill, is excited to welcome defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to the team and described him as “a big, physical right-shot defenseman who excels on the penalty kill.” The defenseman, who played in Anaheim and Toronto last season, signed a three-year, $9.75 million contract. Goaltender Casey DeSmith also signed a three-year contract with the Stars that has a value of $3 million. Another defenseman Dallas is welcoming to the team is Matt Dumba, who had a career-best 202 hits last season, which is tied for 11th of all defenseman. Tampa’s lead hitter during the playoffs, Dumba signed a two-year contract with an AAV of $3.75 million.
Also joining the team is defenseman Brendan Smith, who also had career-highs last season in hits and blocked shots. The former New Jersey player signed a one-year, $1 million contract. Defenseman Kyle Capobianco, who led all AHL defenseman in points and assists last season, signed a two-year, $1.55 million contract. Forwards Cameron Hughes and Kole Lind, who both played in the Calder Cup Final in back-to-back seasons, signed one-year, $775,000 contracts.
Detroit Red Wings - $12.575 million
The Detroit Red Wings signed six players on day one of free agency. The player with the largest contract that was signed was goaltender Cam Talbot, who received a two-year, $5 million contract. He was the starting goalie in 52 of the Los Angeles Kings’ games last season, three of these being shutouts. The team also signed goaltender Jack Campbell to a one-year, $775,000 contract. He was a first-round pick in 2010 and won the Calder Cup in 2014 with the AHL Texas Stars.
The Wings also signed two forwards to the team. Christian Fischer played with Detroit last season and will be playing again with a one-year, $1.25 million contract. Forward Sheldon Dries, who played all of last season with the AHL Abbotsford Canucks, also signed to Detroit with a one-year, $775,000 contract. To round out the newcomers, the Wings added two new defensemen. Erik Gustafsson, formerly of the New York Rangers, signed a two-year contract with an AAV of $2 million. Last but not least, defenseman William Lagesson signed a one-year, $775,000 contract after playing between the Leafs and the Ducks last season.
Edmonton Oilers - $17.275 million
2024 Western Conference champions, the Edmonton Oilers, re-signed four of their players to new contracts. The first is forward Connor Brown, who signed a one-year, $1 million contract. He is the third player in NHL history to have shorthanded points in back-to-back Cup Final games. Forward Corey Perry is also staying with the Oilers, signing a one-year, $1.4 million contract. He first played for Chicago last season, who terminated his contract early in the season. He has played in four of the last five Stanley Cup Finals, but has lost all of them. Maybe he is bad luck, even though he won the Cup with the Ducks back in 2007. Another forward, James Hamblin, re-signed with Edmonton to a two-year contract with an AAV of $775,000. The last player to re-sign with the team was defenseman Noel Hoefenmayer, who played for the AHL affiliate Bakersfield Oilers last season. He received a one-year, $775,000 contract.
Edmonton also added four new players to the team, including forward Viktor Arvidsson, who received a two-year, $8 million contract. After only playing in 18 games with Los Angeles last season due to injuries, hopefully he will be healthy enough to play this upcoming season. Defenseman Josh Brown also signed to Edmonton, receiving a three-year contract with an AAV of $1 million. Another defenseman, Connor Carrick, signed a one-year, $775,000 contract. The Oilers also added a new goalie to the organization, Collin Delia, who signed a one-year, $775,000 contract.
Florida Panthers - $9.42 million
The Florida Panthers re-signed one defenseman, and added four new forwards and a goalie to the team. Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov re-signed with a four-year, $4.6 million contract after winning with Florida this year. Panthers general manager, Bill Zito, said, “Dmitry’s stout defensive play and strong physicality were crucial to winning our first Stanley Cup.” Former New Jersey Devils forward, Tomas Nosek, will be joining the Panthers this season with a one-year, $775,000 contract. Forward A.J. Greer, who played with the Calgary Flames last season, signed a two-year contract with an AAV of $850,000.
Forward Jesper Boqvist signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with Florida. Last year he tallied 37 points between the Boston and Providence Bruins. The last forward who the Panthers signed that day was Rasmus Asplund, who had a career-high 44 points last season with the AHL Charlotte Checkers. He signed a one-year contract with an AAV of $775,000. Florida also signed goaltender Chris Driedger, who helped lead the AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds to a Western Conference Championship, to a one-year, $795,000 contract.
Los Angeles Kings - $32.95 million
The Los Angeles Kings got to work on day one, signing nine players. One of the bigger contracts signed was to forward Warren Foegele, who played for the Oilers this past season, having his NHL-best goals, assists, points and games played. He was signed to a three-year contract with a value of $10.5 million. The Kings also signed defenseman Joel Edmundson, who played for Washington and Toronto last season. Like Foegele, he has played in 80-plus playoff games, bringing extra playoff experience to the team. He received a four-year contract with an AAV of $3.85 million. Los Angeles only re-signed one of their free-agents on July 1, who was forward Trevor Lewis. He has won two Stanley Cups with the Kings and will remain with the team on a one-year, $800,000 contract.
Two forwards, Jeff Malott and Glenn Gawdin, were both signed to two-year contracts with an average annual value of $775,000. The latter had career-highs in goals and points last season with the AHL San Diego Gulls. The Kings also signed forwards Tyler Madden and Jack Studnicka to one-year, $775,000 contracts. The team also signed goaltender Pheonix Copley to a one-year, $825,000 contract. Last but not least, LA signed defenseman Reilly Walsh to a one-year, $775,000 contract.
Minnesota Wild - $21.75 million
The Minnesota Wild, like LA, signed nine players last Monday. Only one of those nine players received an eight-figure contract. That player was forward Yakov Trenin, who signed a four-year, $14 million contract. He played for both Nashville and Colorado last season, recording a career-best 207 hits. Similarly, only two players signed seven-figure contracts, who were forward Brendan Gaunce and forward Ben Jones. The two both signed two-year contracts worth $1.55 million. Gaunce had 43 points between the Columbus Blue Jackets and AHL Cleveland Monsters last season, while Jones was tied for first in goals and ranked second in points for the AHL Calgary Wranglers.
Three forwards signed one-year, $775,000 contracts with Minnesota, including Travis Boyd, Reese Johnson, and Devin Shore. Boyd missed most of the season with the Coyotes due to injury, while Johnson played for the Blackhawks and Shore split his time between the Seattle Kraken and their AHL–affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. The Wild signed two defensemen, Joseph Cecconi and Cameron Crotty, to one-year, $775,000 contracts. Minnesota also added one goaltender to the organization, Troy Grosenick, who won the AHL’s best goalie award in 2017 and the Hap Holmes Memorial Award in 2020. Additionally, he was the first Hobey Baker Award Finalist from Union College back in 2012. The goalie with the high accolades signed a one-year, $775,000 contract.
Montreal Canadiens - $775,000
The Montreal Canadiens just dipped their pinky toe into the free agent pool on day one, only signing forward Alex Barré-Boulet to a one-year, $775,000 contract. He tallied 28 points between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the AHL Syracuse Crunch last season. Maybe this year he will be able to play all games at the NHL level.
Nashville Predators - $128.175 million
The Nashville Predators absolutely cannonballed into the free agent pool, signing contracts worth more than $100 million. The one team made up about 10% of the entire league’s spending on the first day of free agency. Arguably, Nashville’s biggest signing on July 1 was forward Steven Stamkos, who was the captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning. This will be his first time playing for another team after being the first-overall pick in the 2008 Draft. Stamkos ranks first in Tampa history for points, goals, power-play goals, game-winning goals, overtime goals, and games played. The two-time Stanley Cup champion signed a four-year, $32 million contract.
Steven Stamkos, courtesy of Bruce Bennett - USA TODAY Sports
There were three other eight-figure contracts signed by Nashville, including one forward and two defensemen. Forward Jonathan Marchessault, an original member of the Vegas Golden Knights, signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract. In 2023, he won the Stanley Cup with Vegas and won playoff MVP. The largest value contract belongs to defenseman Brady Skjei, who skated for the Carolina Hurricanes last season, where he tallied a career-high 47 points. His seven-year contract has a value of $49 million. Defenseman Alexandre Carrier re-signed with the Predators, receiving a three-year, $11.25 million contract.
Nashville also signed five other players to smaller contracts, including two goalies. Scott Wedgewood, formerly a goaltender for the Dallas Stars, signed a two-year, $3 million contract. The other goaltender, Matt Murrary, was also a part of the Stars organization, primarily playing for their AHL affiliate. He signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with Nashville. The Predators signed forwards Vinnie Hinostroza and Jake Lucchini to two-year contracts, each with an AAV of $775,000. The last of the Nashville signees from day one was defenseman Nick Blankenburg, who also signed a two-year contract worth $1.55 million. The Predators showed that they were not afraid to spend big bucks to create the team that they want.
New Jersey Devils - $56.35 million
Nashville was not the only team signing former Carolina players to large contracts as the New Jersey Devils signed defenseman Brett Pesce to a six-year, $33 million contract. Forward Stefan Noesen, who also played in Raleigh last season, signed a three-year, $8.25 million contract with the Devils. Like Noesen, defenseman Colton White is making his return to New Jersey. White signed a two-year, $1.55 million contract. Another defenseman New Jersey is adding to the lineup is former Winnipeg Jets player, Brenden Dillon. He received a three-year, $12 million contract. Additionally, forward Mike Hardman signed a two-year contract with an AAV of $775,000 after splitting last season between Chicago and their AHL-affiliate in Rockford.
New York Islanders - $15.25 million
Although the New York Islanders only signed two players on day one, they still spent more than teams who signed three times as many players. Forward Anthony Duclair makes up most of this figure, having signed a four-year contract worth $14 million. He had 42 points last season between Tampa and San Jose. The Islanders also re-signed defenseman Mike Reilly to a one-year, $1.25 million contract who had his career highs in points and goals last season.
New York Rangers – $5.325 million
The New York Rangers also did not spend much money to start off free agency, as they only signed three players. The first was forward Sam Carrick, who received a three-year, $3 million contract. In the 2023-24 season he played with the Oilers and the Ducks, tallying career-high hits, blocked shots, takeaways and faceoff win percentage. The other forward signed was Bo Groulx, who also played in Anaheim last season. He signed a one-year contract worth $775,000. The Rangers also signed defenseman Casey Fitzgerald to a two-year, $1.55 million contract.
Ottawa Senators - $10.975 million
On day one of free agency, the Ottawa Senators signed four players, two of which have played for the organization before and two of which are new talent. The two returners are forwards Michael Amadio and Garrett Pilon. Amadio only played a few games with Ottawa a few years ago and most recently played for the Vegas Golden Knights. He signed a three-year contract worth $7.8 million. The other returner, Pilon, played for their AHL-affiliate last season and received a two-year contract with an AAV of $775,000. Defenseman Jeremy Davies, who played for the AHL Rochester Americans last season, signed a one-year, $775,000 contract. The other player Ottawa signed was forward Noah Gregor, who received a one-year, $850,000 contract.
Philadelphia Flyers - $1 million
The Philadelphia Flyers did not make any big waves, only deciding to re-sign defenseman Erik Johnson to a one-year contract worth $1 million.
Pittsburgh Penguins - $11.575 million
The Flyers’ Pennsylvanian counterpart, the Pittsburgh Penguins, did the opposite, choosing to sign eight players on Monday, half of which are forwards, the second half being defensemen. The first forward signed was Anthony Beauvillier, who received a one-year, $1.25 million contract. Beauvillier played for the Canucks, Blackhawks, and the Predators last season. We will see if Pittsburgh proves to be more permanent for him. Forwards Bokondji Imama and Emil Bemström signed one-year contracts, both worth $775,000. Imama split last season between the Ottawa and Belleville Senators while Bemström played for both the Blue Jackets and the Penguins. Formerly of the Los Angeles Kings, forward Blake Lizotte is making a team change, signing with the Penguins for a two-year contract with an AAV of $1.85 million.
Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, who has played for the Bruins organization the past eight years, signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract to play for Pittsburgh. A defenseman who re-signed with the Penguins is Ryan Shea, who received a one-year, $775,000 contract. Two other defensemen signed with the team, Mac Hollowell and Nathan Clurman, both receiving one-year contracts with a value of $775,000. Hollowell played for the AHL Hartford Wolf Pack last season while Clurman played for the AHL Colorado Eagles.
San Jose Sharks - $34 million
The San Jose Sharks, while only signing two players, were one of the highest spenders on day one of free agency. Their biggest contract went to forward Tyler Toffoli, who received a four-year contract worth $24 million. He had 55 points last season between the New Jersey Devils and the Winnipeg Jets. He also won the Stanley Cup with the LA Kings in 2014. The Sharks also signed forward Alexander Wennberg to a two-year, $10 million contract. He spent last season with the New York Rangers and the Seattle Kraken. Both him and Toffoli bring veteran presence to the Sharks, who are building around some young talent like Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini.
Seattle Kraken - $98.4 million
The Seattle Kraken were another huge spender, signing almost $100 million worth of contracts. They signed defenseman Brandon Montour, who just won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers, to a seven-year, $50 million contract. “I wanted somebody that wanted me,” Montour said about the free agency process. With a contract worth $50 million, it seems clear that the Kraken wanted him. Another big contract went to forward Chandler Stephenson, who signed a seven-year contract with a value of $43.75 million. He is a two-time Stanley Cup champion, winning with Vegas in 2023 and Washington in 2018. With winners like Montour and Stephenson, maybe 2025 will be the year for the Stanley Cup to come to Seattle.
Brandon Montour, courtesy of Bruce Bennett - Getty Images
Forward Mitchell Stephens of the Montreal Canadiens, signed a two-year contract worth $1.55 million to join Seattle. Fellow forwards Ben Meyers and Brandon Biro signed one-year, $775,000 contracts as well on July 1. The Kraken also signed two defensemen to the team, Nikolas Brouillard and Max Lajoie. They both received one-year contracts with an AAV of $775,000.
St. Louis Blues - $1 million
The St. Louis Blues decided to re-sign forward Kasperi Kapanen to a one-year, $1 million contract. Kapanen had 22 points last season with the Blues.
Tampa Bay Lightning - $3.95 million
The Tampa Bay Lightning, after losing their captain Steven Stamkos to the Nashville Predators, signed five new players to the team on the first day of free agency. Tampa signed forward Zemgus Girgensons to a three-year contract with an AAV of $850,000. Last season, he played for the Buffalo Sabres, where he led the team in hits per 60 minutes (11.33). He has always played for the Sabres, so this will be a new experience for him. Similarly, forward Jesse Ylönen, who has always skated for the Canadiens, signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Lightning. Three defensemen signed with Tampa on Monday, including Tobie Paquette-Bisson, Derrick Pouliot, and Steven Santini. All three signed one-year, $775,000 contracts and primarily played for the AHL last season.
Toronto Maple Leafs - $14 million
Although they only signed one player, the Toronto Maple Leafs still managed to spend more than many teams. Their selected player was defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who was the sixth-overall pick in the 2009 Draft. Last season he had 32 points in the regular season and six in the postseason, winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers. He signed a four-year, $14 million contract.
Utah Hockey Club - $8.65 million
The Utah Hockey Club, the newest addition to the league, signed a few players on day one of free agency. Their largest valued contract went to forward Kevin Stenlund, who just won the Cup with Florida. Last season, he had a career high in games played and goals. With Utah, he signed a two-year, $4 million contract. A two-time Cup champion, defenseman Ian Cole, signed a one-year, $3.1 million contract with the newest team. Last season he played for Vancouver, leading the team with 166 blocked shots. The third player signed by Utah was defenseman Kevin Connauton, who signed a two-year contract with an AAV of $775,000.
Vancouver Canucks - $53.825 million
The Vancouver Canucks made a pretty big splash, signing seven new players to the team. Three of these players skated for the Boston Bruins last season, which is funny considering they signed a few former Canucks players themselves. One of these players includes forward Jake DeBrusk, who signed a seven-year contract worth $38.5 million. Speaking about the Canucks, DeBrusk said, “I had a really good feeling about them.” Another former forward of the Bruins, Danton Heinen, signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract with Vancouver. Additionally, defenseman Derek Forbort from the Boston team signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract.
Vancouver also signed four non-Bruins players, one of which was forward Kiefer Sherwood, who received a two-year, $3 million contract. “We saw first hand in the playoffs how tough Kiefer is to play against,” said Canucks general manager, Patrik Allvin. The last forward Vancouver signed on day one was Nate Smith, who played for the AHL Tucson Roadrunners last season, tallying 31 points. He signed a one-year, $775,000 contract. Defenseman Vincent Desharnais, who played for the Oilers, signed a two-year contract with an AAV of $2 million. The Canucks also signed goaltender Goalie Jiří Patera to a two-year contract worth $1.55 million. Patera split the last season between the Vegas Golden Knights and the AHL Henderson Silver Knights.
Vegas Golden Knights - $7.12 million
The Vegas Golden Knights re-signed two of their players, who both split the previous season between Vegas and the AHL-affiliate in Henderson. The first was forward Pavel Dorofeyev, who signed a two-year contract worth $3.67 million. The other was defenseman Kaedan Korczak, who signed a two-year contract with an AAV of $825,000. Vegas also signed a new goaltender to their team, Ilya Samsonov. Samsonov played for Toronto last season and signed a new contract with Vegas for one year, worth $1.8 million.
Washington Capitals - $43.4 million
The Washington Capitals were another big spender on day one of free agency, spending more than $40 million. The biggest contract they signed was with defenseman Matt Roy, who received a six-year contract worth $34.5 million. Last season he tallied 25 regular season points with the Los Angeles Kings. The Caps also spent $1 million on a one-year contract with forward Taylor Raddysh, who ranked second on the team in shorthanded time on the ice with the Chicago Blackhawks. Another forward, Brandon Duhaime, signed a two-year, $3.7 million contract. Washington also re-signed forward Connor McMichael to a two-year contract worth $4.2 million. This past season, he had career highs in games played, goals, assists, and points.
Winnipeg Jets - $5.65 mil
The last team on the list, the Winnipeg Jets, were another low-spending team. Defenseman Colin Miller, who ended the previous season with the Jets, signed a two-year contract with a value of $3 million to stay in Winnipeg. The Jets also signed two goaltenders, Kaapo Kähkönen and Eric Comrie. Kähkönen signed a one-year, $1 million contract. He played for both the New Jersey Devils and the San Jose Sharks last season. The goalie also won a gold medal at the 2016 World Juniors for Finland, having a 4-0-0 record for the tournament. The other goaltender, Eric Comrie, signed a two-year contract with an AAV of $825,000 after splitting his previous season between the Buffalo Sabres and their AHL-affiliate, the Rochester Americans.
Edited by Breanna Ebisch
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