NHL free agency for 2020 is underway!
For each key signing, Emily Kaplan, Chris Peters and Greg Wyshynski will be assessing the player's fit with his new team, weighing whether the terms of the contract make sense and serving up an overall grade.
We'll be grading the most notable offseason signings below, so come back for updates as deals are completed throughout the fall.
Free agency: Tracker | Preview | Top 60
Trades: Grading every big deal
Draft recap: Every pick | Grades | Takeaways
Note: Advanced stats via Natural Stat Trick and Evolving Wild, unless otherwise noted.
Evgenii Dadonov, LW/RW, Ottawa Senators
Terms: Three years, $5 million in average annual value
Where does he fit: The Senators were 25th in the NHL last season in goals per game, at 2.68. They've bid farewell to two of their top three goal scorers from last season: center Jean-Gabriel Pageau (24 goals), who was sent to the Islanders at the trade deadline, and winger Anthony Duclair (23 goals), a restricted free agent from whom the team walked away earlier this offseason.
After the first wave of free agency, there were only a few accomplished goal scorers and offensive play drivers left on the market. The best of them was Mike Hoffman, but the Senators have been there and done that. The second best of them was Hoffman's teammate with the Florida Panthers, Evgenii Dadonov.
The 31-year-old winger has scored 81 goals in the past three seasons, playing top-line minutes with Aleksander Barkov and, frequently, with Jonathan Huberdeau as well. There's no question he benefited from that assignment, but he also earned the right to play with Florida's top talents.
One assumes he'll be a top-line player with the Senators, too, offering a veteran hand to third-year player Brady Tkachuk. In that sense, he's an upgrade over Duclair.
Does it make sense? From a contractual standpoint, the market indicates that the Senators overpaid for Dadonov. His $5 million AAV is the second-highest of the free-agent winger frenzy, behind Taylor Hall's $8 million. Tyler Toffoli, for example, came in at $4.25 million AAV on a four-year term for Montreal. Dadonov will earn $3.5 million in 2020-21, $5 million in 2021-22 and $6.5 million in 2022-23.
However, the Senators are in a different financial space than most teams in free agency. The Dadonov signing gives them 18 players under contract with a combined cap hit of $60,062,499 per Cap Friendly, which is under the $60.2 million NHL cap floor. They could afford a hefty cap hit -- it's a million more than Dadonov's previous one with Florida -- and obviously like less money on the front end of the deal given the uncertainty of next season.
From an on-ice perspective, his 25 goals and 22 assists for a 0.68 points-per-game average was down from the previous two seasons. His numbers declined despite a significant uptick in offensive zone starts (60.1%) and once again spending the majority of his time with Barkov. But he goes to the net hard and can finish, which are two aspects the Senators needed more of in their lineup. Especially if he's playing with Tkachuk, if that's the plan.
Grade: B+. As with Hall in Buffalo, market forces likely played a role in a very good player ending up with a team that's not near championship contention -- even if owner Eugene Melnyk thinks the Sens are going to win a Cup within four years. One could have seen Dadonov fitting in with a team such as the Oilers, Bruins or Blue Jackets, given their lineup needs. But it was Ottawa that came through with the contract he was looking to get. Dadonov was second on Florida over the past three seasons with 36 goals scored above average and helped create 6.8 wins above replacement. As long as the Senators know what they're getting -- an above-average finisher who needs to be protected defensively and has been middling on special teams -- this is a solid signing, especially on a three-year term for a 31-year-old. -- Wyshynski
Joe Thornton, C, Toronto Maple Leafs
Terms: One year, $700,000
Where does he fit? If we're being honest, he fits where Jason Spezza already fits. The Leafs brought Spezza back on a one-year, $700,000 contact to be their fourth-line center. Thornton is on a one-year, $700,000 contract and has been a depth center for the past two seasons with the Sharks. This is a redundancy.
Where Thornton is different than Spezza, in theory, is on the power play. He averaged 2:05 per game on the man advantage for San Jose, while Spezza averaged 1:10 last season in Toronto. Spezza actually produced more on average -- 6.17 power-play points per 60 minutes versus 3.30 for Thornton -- but we're talking about a player who is eighth all-time in power-play assists (397) potentially getting a chance to skate with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and John Tavares on the man advantage.
Does it make sense? As we said, this is a redundancy. But it's also a $700,000 investment in a player with Hall of Fame credentials who clearly has the motivation to chase a Stanley Cup in Toronto. The hope here for the Leafs is that last season's dip to 0.44 points per game was the product of being on a Sharks team that went 29-36-5, for the worst points percentage in the standings in 17 years for the franchise. Injuries were a major part of that downturn for San Jose, and that impacted the lineup, causing a shuffle of linemates and downgrading their power play.
He was over 0.70 points per game in the previous two seasons. The Leafs will have to deploy him smartly and give him the proper rest in a compressed season. They'll also have to accept that adding Thornton and Wayne Simmonds to the lineup doesn't exactly increase the average team speed at forward.
Grade: B+. Again, they don't need him. But there is a chance he reverts back to that form of two seasons ago, in which case they could use him to bolster their bottom-six scoring, which needs bolstering. Plus, how does one say "no" to adding Thornton to their dressing room, with a player like Matthews still learning how to become ... well, a player like Thornton? Especially at that price point.
The biggest losers in this signing? Those fans who have hoped and dreamed of seeing Thornton finally winning the Stanley Cup but also hate the Maple Leafs with the fury of 1,000 burning suns. Keep them in your prayers.
Alex Pietrangelo, D, Vegas Golden Knights
Terms: Seven years, $8.8 million in average annual value
Where does he fit? The Golden Knights have always coveted an elite, top-pairing defenseman. The first significant player the expansion franchise chased was Erik Karlsson, before the Ottawa Senators traded him to the San Jose Sharks. Now, as they enter their fourth season of existence, the Knights have landed an elite defender in Alex Pietrangelo.
Fourth in the Norris Trophy voting, the 30-year-old defenseman had 52 points in 70 games last season, the highest points-per-game rate (0.74) of his career. He has played 758 games over 12 seasons and 92 more in the playoffs, all with the St. Louis Blues. Per Evolving Hockey data, Pietrangelo is fifth among defensemen in goals scored above average (37.8) and wins above replacement (7) over the past three seasons.
His best play comes at 5-on-5. His expertise is offense, but he's a solid and smart defender. He had an expected goals percentage of 52.4% last season; from 2017 to 2020, it was 52.1%. The Blues had an 8.62 shooting percentage and a 92.01 team save percentage while Pietrangelo was on the ice over the past three seasons. He drives play, controls possession, creates turnovers and helps his team suppress shots on goal. He's a plus-5 in penalties drawn vs. taken at 5-on-5 during the past three seasons.
Pietrangelo plays in all situations, averaging 1:50 per game on the penalty kill and leading the Blues in power-play ice time at 3:06 per game this past season. He's a solid second-tier, power-play quarterback in the NHL, averaging 4.6 points per 60 minutes of power-play time the past three seasons. But keep in mind that the 2019-20 season was one of the first in which he played significant top-unit numbers in recent years.
He's a solid citizen and a captain who really grew into the role with St. Louis. The Knights are filled with great skaters who have never lifted the Stanley Cup as a Golden Knight. Pietrangelo was the first player to do it wearing a Blues jersey.
For Pietrangelo, the fit with Vegas seemed inevitable after the Blues decided they weren't going to capitulate to his contract demands. St. Louis actually offered more money ($64 million) and term (eight years) than what Pietrangelo landed with Vegas, although the state tax differences and cost of living between the two markets is tangible. What the Blues wouldn't offer was signing bonus money near the end of the deal, which would have been buyout-protected; nor would they offer a full no-movement clause, which the Knights handed him for the duration of the contract.
He plays the right side, which was an area where the Knights could use an upgrade. Of course, bringing a player in with an $8.8 million cap hit means moving a player, or players, out.
Does it make sense? From a player-acquisition standpoint, this makes sense when you consider the Golden Knights are -- at the moment -- one of only a handful of teams with a legitimate claim to being a Stanley Cup contender. They've made the Western Conference finals twice in three years, breaking through to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. They have two dynamic forward lines and will now have two dynamic defensive pairings: one anchored by Alex Pietrangelo and one anchored by Shea Theodore, the Knights' burgeoning elite-level defenseman.
Every playoff loss is an education. In the 2020 postseason, Vegas was eliminated by the Dallas Stars, and one reason was the advantage the Stars had on their blue line: one duo anchored by Miro Heiskanen and another by John Klingberg. When the Blues won in 2019, they had one unit anchored by Pietrangelo and another by Colton Parayko. In thinking about the biggest competition in the Western Conference -- hello, Colorado Avalanche -- the Knights needed to add a top-flight defender to their corps.
There's no getting around the fact that Pietrangelo is a few years older than your typical unrestricted free-agent prize -- he turns 31 in January. The notion that this season was his statistical high-water mark isn't an impossibility. But the Knights should be confident that for the next three years, at a minimum, they'll have one of the best defensemen in hockey on their blue line. After that, they'll find out if he ages like a Chris Pronger or a Scott Niedermayer, or if he enters the land of Brent Seabrook -- an unmovable contract for an increasingly ineffective player.
But again, that's all down the line. The current conundrum for the Knights is which dominoes had to fall after signing Pietrangelo.
Immediately after signing Pietrangelo, the Knights were above the 10% salary-cap overage allowed in the offseason. Hence, moves had to be made. The move ended up being a trade involving a fan favorite.
Defenseman Nate Schmidt ($5.95 million AAV), an original Golden Knight, was shipped to the Vancouver Canucks for a third-round pick in 2022. The other options on the table were defenseman Alec Martinez ($4 million AAV) and goalie Marc-Andre Fleury ($7 million AAV), the latter of whom the Knights have been trying to move recently to no avail.
Why Schmidt? Like Pietrangelo, he plays the right side, but mostly because the Knights were already over next season's cap if it remains flat at $81.5 million, and Schmidt had five years remaining on his contract.
(The trade reunites Schmidt with former Capitals teammates Braden Holtby and Jay Beagle.)
This one is going to hurt Vegas fans, as Schmidt is one of the most popular players on the team. But there's no denying the Golden Knights are getting one of the best defensemen in the NHL, even if it meant shipping out a solid one.
Grade: B+. Pietrangelo brings things to the Vegas lineup that the Knights never had before on their blue line. But it comes with a cost. They've signed a top-flight, unrestricted free agent but are giving up assets to fit him in under the cap. They've inked an accomplished veteran player but agreed to just the second no-movement clause in the franchise's short history -- Mark Stone has the other -- for a player who turns 31 early next year.
Then there's the great unknown: chemistry.
Paul Stastny, a glue guy for the Knights, was traded to the Jets this offseason. Fleury's situation turned ugly. Original "Golden Misfit" Nate Schmidt was shipped out directly because Pietrangelo was brought in. Peter DeBoer took over behind the bench after the team fired Gerard Gallant, the cool uncle of those "Misfits."
On the one hand, this is business as usual in the NHL, and it's not as if the Knights -- and owner Bill Foley, whose thirst for the Cup is palpable -- haven't made changes before. But we're seeing fundamental changes to their DNA now. Stansty and Schmidt were locker room staples. So is Fleury, if he goes.
Could be a good thing. Could be a bad thing. Whatever the outcome, it's clear the "Misfits" are cleaning up, getting a haircut, putting on a tie and going to work. -- Wyshynski
Taylor Hall, LW, Buffalo Sabres
Terms: One year, $8 million
Where does he fit? If it is up to Jack Eichel -- and given his sway in the organization, let's assume that it is -- Hall will fit to the left of Buffalo's star center every time he hits the ice. With due respect to Jeff Skinner, Hall is the best player Eichel will have played with in the NHL.
The door swings the other way, too: Eichel is by leaps and bounds the best center Hall will have played with since he lined up next to Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton. Hall had a down year in 2019-20, playing with the Devils and the Coyotes, to whom he was traded in December 2019. Hall's 16 goals and 36 assists for 52 points represented his lowest points-per-game average (0.80) since 2016-17. He had been flirting with places such as Nashville, Colorado and Boston as a free agent, but all of those teams have competition on left wing that Buffalo doesn't have when it comes to top-line minutes.
Although he had a downtick defensively last season, Hall has been a reliable and improved 200-foot player. That was a hallmark of his Hart Trophy season with the Devils in 2017-18. Predators coach John Hynes was behind the bench for the Devils that season, and his relationship with Hall fueled speculation that Nashville could land the winger as a free agent. But we all slept on the fact that another of Hall's former head coaches is also behind the bench: Ralph Krueger of the Sabres, who was an assistant in Edmonton and then the head coach for one season in 2012-13.
Here's Hall on Krueger to the Buffalo News last year: "If I could take anything, and this may sound weird, but if I were to coach someday, I'd want to have an attitude like he did. As you go through the league and you have different coaches, different assistant coaches, you think, 'If I was ever a coach or be in that position, what would you want to do, and how would you want to send your message?' He was a guy that not every meeting was roses, but at the end of the day, you were there to play hockey, and you were there to be a great teammate. I think that's what I'd take from him." It's no secret that players like to play for Ralph. Perhaps Hall wanted to play for him again, along with a pretty good center on their top line.
Does it make sense? The Sabres just signed Hall to play with Eichel, and it cost them less than market value for the former MVP. Long story short: It might be the best signing of the offseason.
Evolving Hockey had Hall's free-agent contract predicted at $8.54 million AAV over a seven-year term at a minimum. To get him on a one-year deal for less than that is remarkable until you realize that there weren't a ton of teams looking to ante up $8 million for one year of Hall during these uncertain economic times. The Sabres, to their credit, were willing to spend that money at a time when many other financial aspects of the franchise have been constrained.
Remember, context is everything. The Sabres spent the past few weeks quieting speculation that Eichel's time in Buffalo might be coming to an end -- to the point that GM Kevyn Adams had to tell the media, "I have zero concern on Jack wanting to be here. I've had great conversations with him, his representatives. I'm not really sure where that's coming from." Getting Hall for next season should obviously make Jack a happy boy. If things work out, there's always the chance that this relationship could extend past this season.
Hall's contract carries a no-trade and no-move clause. Obviously, the plan is for Hall to make the Sabres a contender. If that doesn't happen, their options are severely limited as to where they could flip him for assets at the trade deadline, but obviously one assumes that Hall would be amenable to such a thing if the Sabres are out of it. As for Hall ... look, this was shocking news. Everyone assumed that if he signed a short-term deal, it would be with a team close to winning a Stanley Cup. The Sabres are not that team. Why go to Buffalo?
This decision speaks volumes about the free-agent landscape for forwards under the flat cap and the revenue drain due to COVID-19. While defensemen and goalies were given long-term contracts, no forward got more than a three-year deal. Hall was coming off a frustrating season. His stock wasn't as high as it was, say, last summer. Essentially, he's taking the Jeff Skinner approach to free agency: Put up some ungodly numbers while skating alongside Eichel. Skinner turned a 40-goal season into an eight-year, $72 million contract with full movement protection.
Hall and his team no doubt look at next offseason as one in which the economics of the NHL might creep back closer to established norms. In the past, Hall was adamant about trying to land a long-term deal. Like everyone else in the wake of this pandemic, he had to adjust expectations and adapt to economic realities. Buffalo was a beneficiary. Hall is reunited with Krueger. He gets a full no-movement clause to control his fate if things don't work out this season and the trade deadline looms. Plus, he gets to be the No. 1 left wing. Colorado, Boston and Nashville were all rumored to be in the mix for Hall's services. There are no guarantees that he would get 19 minutes per night on teams that have Gabriel Landeskog, Brad Marchand and Filip Forsberg on the top of the depth chart. No such problem in Buffalo.
All that said, from an on-ice perspective, Hall hasn't delivered anything close to his 2017 MVP season in the time since then, and his defensive performance slipped a bit during his time in Arizona. That isn't a cause for alarm but is something to keep an eye on if we aren't all blinded by his offensive output with Eichel.
Grade: A+. The Sabres need to make the playoffs -- full stop. They haven't qualified for the postseason since 2011, the first year Terry Pegula owned the team. They've gone through six coaches and are on their fourth general manager in that span. Hall, even for a season, elevates this team into the hunt for a playoff spot. If it doesn't work, there's a chance to move Hall at the deadline with his blessing. If it does work, there's always a chance that one year of Hall turns into multiple years.
True, that's the same logic that former Arizona GM John Chayka used in acquiring Hall from the Devils, and that didn't work out. But the Coyotes didn't have Jack Eichel feeding Hall pucks. Hey, silver lining: The Sabres own their first-round pick in next season's draft, and we all know what happens when you're in the draft lottery with Taylor Hall on your roster. -- Wyshynski
Tyler Toffoli, F, Montreal Canadiens
Terms: Four years, $17 million
Where does he fit? The Canadiens showed us in their surprising postseason appearance -- in which they upset the fifth-seeded Pittsburgh Penguins -- that they have the ingredients to be an elite defensive team, but could use some scoring help. Enter Toffoli, who split last season between the Los Angeles Kings and Vancouver Canucks, scoring 24 goals and 44 points in 68 games and adding four more points in seven playoff games for the Canucks. Toffoli is also a Stanley Cup champion, with the Kings in 2014. In Montreal, he immediately becomes a top six winger. He gives the Canadiens a ton of depth on the right side (with Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson) and adds a dimension of toughness that the team largely lacked last season. That seems to be a theme with all of GM Marc Bergevin's offseason moves. Toffoli is a beloved player in the locker room, and the only reason Vancouver allowed him to walk in free agency is due to their own tight salary cap situation.
Does it make sense? Bergevin is having himself an offseason. He has now added four players -- backup goalie Jake Allen, defenseman Joel Edmunson, as well as Anderson and Toffoli -- who make the Canadiens a much better team. The Habs were on the verge of being competitive last season, being the last team included in the expanded 24-team postseason. Now, playoffs will be the expectations. What's more: Bergevin waited out to see the market loosen before signing Toffoli, so he didn't overpay. And one more bonus: consider Anderson and Toffoli are two players that the Bruins, one of the elite teams in the division, coveted and could have used to improve for next season. Bergevin coveted Toffoli too, having tried to trade for him before. Now the GM gets to sign the player, without having to give up any assets. The only issue now is that the Canadiens are above the $81.5 million salary-cap limit for the 2020-21 season. So while Bergevin has done good work so far, he's not done yet, needing to move some contracts before the season to make the Habs cap complaint.
Grade: A. The Canadiens are on the cusp of being a winner again, and have an exciting young core to build around, including centers Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki. The priority right now is winning, while also putting both young players in the best positions to develop and thrive. Adding Toffoli to the mix helps the Canadiens get there faster, and he should be a great veteran voice to add to the locker room. What's more, Bergevin waited out the market for a decent price - and gave himself flexibility by not offering any no-trade clauses. It's hard to criticize anything about this signing. -- Kaplan
Mikko Koivu, C, Columbus Blue Jackets
Terms: One year, $1.5 million
Where does he fit: Koivu should slot in as the third- or fourth-line center, with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Max Domi manning the No. 1 and No. 2 center roles for at least the next two seasons (while Domi is under contract). Koivu's arrival also means that Boone Jenner can slide to left wing.
At age 37, Koivu isn't the player he was for a bulk of his 15-year career with the Minnesota Wild -- where he is the career leader in points (709) assists (504) and Hockey Reference's goals-created metric (245.5) -- but he remains extremely competent defensively. Don't expect much in terms of offensive production, as Koivu scored just four goals and 21 points in 55 games last season. He's only four years removed from being named a Selke Trophy finalist, but he has seen his ice time decrease in each of the past three seasons, culminating with 15:34 minutes per game this past season, on fourth-line duties.
Koivu, the longtime Wild captain, seems to be OK with a limited role and remains extremely competitive. Sometimes we worry about how certain players will respond to John Tortorella's demanding style; Koivu is not one of those players. In fact, the two seem like a perfect match.
Does it make sense? GM Jarmo Kekalainen spent the week clearing cap space, buying out the contract of Alexander Wennberg (clearing $4.4 million) while trading away defenseman Ryan Murray ($4.6 million cap hit) and Markus Nutivaara ($2.7 million). The more than $11 million in savings signaled that Kekalainen was plotting an aggressive push in free agency, perhaps going for the team's longstanding biggest area of need: depth scoring. The Blue Jackets might still be in the race for Taylor Hall -- or Mike Hoffman, the Hall consolation prize -- but there hasn't been movement there yet.
Koivu would have been affordable even without the aforementioned moves, but he's an important addition nonetheless. There's a personal connection with Kekalainen, the only Finnish GM in the league who has known Koivu since he was a kid, but the center adds bottom-of-the-lineup assurance, and his style meshes well with the Blue Jackets' brand of hockey. Plus, he comes in with a chip on his shoulder, a hallmark of the team's identity. There won't need to be much of an adjustment period for Koivu to be effective in Columbus.
Grade: A. When the Wild told Koivu they were moving on from him this offseason, nobody (including Koivu) knew what his future would hold. At 37, he could retire, he could finish out his career in Europe, or he still could play in the NHL. If he stayed in the league, however, it would need to be in a modest role. Columbus is able to offer that, and with a one-year commitment, there's very little risk with this signing. -- Kaplan
Tyson Barrie, D, Edmonton Oilers
Terms: One year, $3.75 million
Where does he fit: He fits on the point for the best power play the NHL has seen since the New York Islanders' dynasty. For a free agent of Barrie's stature and accomplishments, there are few situations that would warrant taking both a pay cut and a one-year deal. Playing on the same power play as Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is one such situation, on a "show me" contract. With Oscar Klefbom on the shelf with a shoulder injury, the director's chair on that power play is Barrie's to lose.
At even strength, the Oilers would be wise to treat Barrie as he was treated in Colorado: Starting him in the offensive zone at a rate of 62% or higher. Barrie is purely an offensive defenseman. His defensive deficiencies at 5-on-5 have always been the part you live with while knowing what he provides on offense.
The best part about this for Edmonton's long-term success is that it gives blue-chipper Evan Bouchard another season of development before he moves up to claim the puck-moving, right-defenseman mantle.
Does it make sense? At this term, price and situation? Absolutely.
The worst thing that happened to Barrie was getting thrown into the pressure-cooker of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and it might end up being the best thing for both the defenseman and the Oilers. He wasn't a good fit in Toronto, and even the best thing about him -- special teams production -- didn't click, as his production was cut in half (12 points) from what it was with Colorado in 2018-19 (24 points).
For Barrie, this is the Kevin Shattenkirk road to redemption: Bounce back from a high-profile flameout with a one-year deal someplace, and then try to get a better deal when your stock is higher (and the economy is better). For Shattenkirk, that manifested in a multiyear deal with the Anaheim Ducks. Of course, it does help when you've played an integral part on a Stanley Cup champion.
Grade: A. There are parts of Barrie's game that are going to warrant scrutiny and criticism, especially on a team that has yet to show it knows how to play championship-level defense. The Oilers were 15th in the regular season, and 23rd out of 24 teams in the postseason, where they lasted four games. But they desperately needed more puck-movers at 5-on-5, and the best power play on Earth might have just gotten even better. Best of all, they still have cap flexibility to chase the goalie they need. -- Wyshynski
Corey Crawford, G, New Jersey Devils
Terms: Two years, $7.8 million
Where does he fit: The Devils are extremely high on 23-year-old MacKenzie Blackwood, who emerged as their top goaltender by the end of last season. Blackwood was especially strong over the last month before the stoppage, going 7-2-1 with a .946 save percentage. He's going to get every opportunity next season.
That said, the Devils were in need of a 1B after deciding to buy out Cory Schneider. Like many teams preparing for the uncertainty of next season's schedule -- and the high probability it will be condensed, and feature extra back-to-backs -- finding a competent backup became a priority for GM Tom Fitzgerald.
Enter Crawford, a two-time Stanley Cup winner who has a bit of a chip on his shoulder after parting ways with the Blackhawks this week. There is some inherent risk with Crawford, who has a lengthy injury history including several documented concussions. However, when he's available -- as he was for nearly all of last season for the Blackhawks -- he can still put up elite performances. Crawford is also a known battler, and will give it his all for a Devils team going through the worst years of the rebuild.
Does it make sense? A little too much sense for all sides. The money suggests that Crawford will get a fair share of starts next season, guaranteeing Blackwood doesn't get overworked. That's key, as Blackwood's development should not be compromised, especially for a team that isn't expected to be competitive this season.
Giving Crawford the extra year (security he coveted after the Blackhawks offered him only one) means New Jersey is looking at this as the transition to the full Blackwood era. The money isn't too bad either, especially after the Schneider buyout. Schneider, 34, had two seasons remaining on his contract at a $6 million cap hit. The buyout saved the Devils $4 million in each of the next two seasons, but adds a $2 million cap charge in the following two years.
Grade: A+. Fitzgerald, the first-time GM, is playing the long game right now. He knows he has two excellent players to build around (Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier), but they still need to develop. In the meantime, he wants to keep the team competitive and build a winning culture. Bringing in a two-time Stanley Cup winner for a two-year transition is a dream for this situation. -- Kaplan
Torey Krug, D, St. Louis Blues
Terms: Seven years, $6.5 million average annual value
Where does he fit: Well, this was a shocker. At least to everyone not named Scottie Upshall, who predicted that Blues general manager Doug Armstrong would "do everything in his power to get Alex Pietrangelo back in the Blue Note this afternoon. But if not, expect a big play at the stud Torey Krug."
The focus on the Blues was very much about unrestricted free agent Pietrangelo, and whether the St. Louis captain would end up re-signing with his team. Speculation was that the fate of Krug, another unrestricted free agent, hung in the balance until Pietrangelo made his decision.
Turns out everyone had it reversed.
The former Boston Bruins defenseman ended the Pietrangelo era in St. Louis on Friday with a seven-year, $6.5 million AAV contract. He joins Marco Scandella, Carl Gunnarsson and restricted free agent Vince Dunn on the left side of the Blues' defense, although Justin Faulk can play both the right and left side, too.
Krug is an elite offensive defenseman. He's fourth among defensemen since 2017-18 at 0.80 points per game. He's considered one of the league's best power-play quarterbacks, as only John Carlson of the Washington Capitals has more man-advantage points in that span than does Krug (82).
He's a difference-maker offensively at even strength for a team that was already ninth in 5-on-5 goals (319) over the past two seasons. The Blues had the sixth-best power play in that span, and now get one of the NHL's top defensemen when it comes to conducting one. Moving on from Pietrangelo was made possibly partially because Krug fills some of that void, and does other things better than the captain did.
Does it make sense? Evolving Hockey projected that a seven-year deal for Krug -- one year longer than Boston was willing to go with him -- would have earned him a $7.5 million average annual value. So in that sense, the Blues got a bit of a bargain at $6.5 million.
As good as Krug is offensively, there are defensive deficiencies in his game. He uses his stick and positioning to compensate for his stature, as Krug is generously listed at 5-foot-9 and 186 pounds -- and he's playing on one of the "heaviest hockey" teams in the league. He's not nearly the defender that Pietrangelo is, and not nearly the all-around defenseman that the Blues captain is: Pietrangelo had 27.9 goals scored above average in the past two seasons to Krug's 16.7, and contributed two more wins to his team than did Krug.
The fact is that the Bruins deployed him knowing that offensive punch and defensive deficiency, with 60% of his shifts starting in the attacking zone over the past four seasons.
There is going to be scrutiny of Krug's defensive game on a team that demands a 200-foot dedication from its players. There's also going to be some curiosity about how his power-play prowess was tied to the star-studded Boston unit he operated; one hopes Vladimir Tarasenko can get healthy and be his new David Pastrnak.
Grade: B. Pietrangelo spent 12 years with the Blues, and was their captain since the departure of David Backes in 2016. Krug is replacing the first Blues player to ever hoist the Stanley Cup. But after a disappointing postseason, Armstrong clearly felt it was time for a shock to the system while potentially making the St. Louis offense more potent.
This is an upgrade on offense and downgrade on defense. The term is a bit much, but the cap hit is solid, considering the uncertainty about the salary cap rising in the next few years. In a vacuum, adding Torey Krug to the Blues is a win. As a cap deal, it's a win, too. As a replacement for a defenseman who finished fourth for the Norris Trophy last season and already captained them to the Stanley Cup? The grade becomes a bit trickier to hand out. -- Wyshynski
T.J. Brodie, D, Toronto Maple Leafs
Terms: Four years, $5 million AAV
Where does he fit: The Maple Leafs had to improve their defense, and specifically add something to the right side after parting ways with Tyson Barrie as an unrestricted free agent. Brodie more than fits the need.
The 30-year-old defenseman has earned a reputation as steadying presence on the blue line for 10 seasons with the Calgary Flames, specifically as the partner of Norris Trophy winner Mark Giordano. He could play a similar co-starring role with Morgan Rielly on the Leafs' top pairing. If that happens, Rielly should be one happy defenseman: Brodie brings the kind of veteran presence that he had with Ron Hainsey as a partner in 2018-19 but that neither Barrie nor Cody Ceci could provide him last season. Injuries were a factor, but that was one reason why Rielly's offensive stats plummeted from a career-high 0.88 points per game to 0.57 in 2019-20.
If it's not Rielly, Brodie could partner with Jake Muzzin or one of the Leafs' less experienced defensemen in Rasmus Sandin or KHL transfer Mikko Lehtonen.
Does it make sense? The first concern is the Toronto salary cap. Brodie's deal puts the Maple Leafs around $1 million over the flat $81.5 million cap, with forward Ilya Mikheyev and defenseman Travis Dermott yet to sign. So changes will still be coming, but GM Kyle Dubas has time, as teams can be over the cap in the offseason.
The money is very reasonable for a proven commodity, and right around projections for what Brodie would earn on the open market. The contract carries some no-move protection with an eye toward the expansion draft, so that's less than desirable for the Leafs but the price of doing business.
The short-term results should be good. Brodie could use a change in scenery. His offensive numbers tumbled last season to 0.30 points per game, his lowest total since 2012-13. His 20 minutes, 27 seconds in average ice time was also his lowest since that season. He's better than that. Defensively, his ability to suppress opponents' shots should be an asset for a Maple Leafs team that was 19th in the league in opponents' shots per game (31.9). But he's not exactly Chris Pronger in the net-front physicality department.
Brodie scores at a higher rate than his expected goals and has been on the positive side of possession in four straight seasons. Yet Flames fans will tell you that he needs to shoot the puck more.
From a short-term perspective, the only question mark is the Giordano Effect. With the Flames' star defenseman, Brodie has an expected goals percentage of 54.34% since 2017-18; without Giordano, it's at 48.69%. Granted, there aren't exactly a bunch of Riellys and Muzzins in that non-Giordano group; Brodie saw his second-most ice time with Michael Stone this season.
Long term, there's a little more concern. Brodie has logged a lot of tough minutes in his 10 seasons. This is a four-year deal, and that $5 million AAV could loom large by the end of it. But like most contract conundrums for the Leafs, they deal with that crisis when the time arrives.
Grade: B+. Dubas said he checked in on Alex Pietrangelo as the free-agent frenzy opened. Whatever he heard regarding money and years for that defenseman -- a superior one to Brodie -- it made him opt for the cheaper, short-term option with the unrestricted free agent from Calgary. Within those financial constraints, Dubas did really well here to add a right-side defenseman to the mix. But we can only go B-plus here until we see how the Leafs react to their cap overage, and because a no-move clause for Brodie could lead to a tough decision on the blue line for the Seattle expansion draft. -- Wyshynski
Jacob Markstrom, G, Calgary Flames
Terms: 6 years, $36 million
Where does he fit? Markstrom immediately becomes the No. 1 goaltender in Calgary and hopefully its long-term answer in net. David Rittich slides into the backup position. The long-term commitment to Markstrom -- the six-year deal is the longest we've seen yet on the opening day of free agency, double that of any other player thus far -- is significant for the Flames, who have been looking for consistency in net ever since franchise wins leader Miikka Kiprusoff retired in 2013. Since then, GM Brad Treliving has relied on short-term fixes, like Cam Talbot's one-year show-me deal last year.
Unfortunately, the search in net has become a near-annual quest for Calgary. If Treliving truly believes in Markstrom -- and this contract suggests that -- then it should be a perfect fit. Markstrom will be 36 when the deal expires, which shouldn't be too troublesome. He also comes from the same division (just the latest example in the Western Canadian goalie swaps), meaning he's already familiar with the teams and shooters in the division, and it shouldn't be much of an adjustment.
Does it make sense? Even in an oversaturated market for goaltenders, Markstrom stood out as one of the best options. He's 30 years old, right in his prime, and is coming off a season in which he posted a career-best .918 save percentage, which ranked 11th in the NHL, and his 3.77 goals-saved above expectation (per Evolving Hockey) ranked 12th among goalies with 1,000 minutes played.
Markstrom was looking for security; one of the reasons his contract negotiations with the Canucks fell apart is because he was looking for full no-movement clauses, which would protect him from the Seattle expansion draft. Markstrom is used to shouldering big workloads, as he started 57 games for Vancouver in 2017-18, 60 games in 2018-19 and 43 in the pandemic-shortened season. He'll have to do that again in Calgary. The money means that even though more and more teams are looking at goalie tandems, Calgary expects Markstrom to be the true No. 1, and his workload will reflect that.
Grade: B. It's a rich deal that limits Calgary's flexibility to make other wholesale changes to its roster. But if it was a priority for the Flames to get a long-term answer in net this offseason, then that's what they achieved. The deal is expensive but should age well, even as the cap stays flat for the foreseeable future. It's only a million more a year, and one more year, than Robin Lehner's deal in Vegas, although the tax situations are different in both markets. -- Kaplan
Braden Holtby, G, Vancouver Canucks
Terms: Two years, $8.6 million
Where does he fit? There's no way to evaluate this signing without examining whom Holtby is replacing, and why. Jacob Markstrom was, by some measures, the best goaltender in the NHL last season. He was an effective last line of defense behind a young team still figuring out how to play championship-level defense. Under the right conditions, Markstrom would have been the Canucks' goaltender next season and for seasons to come. The reason Holtby is now with the Canucks instead of Markstrom is because those conditions weren't right.
Markstrom wanted north of five years. The Canucks weren't going there. He wanted a no-movement clause. The Canucks were even more adamant about not giving him that, because it would have meant exposing Thatcher Demko in the Seattle Kraken expansion draft next offseason or potentially trading him ahead of that. They haven't been grooming the 24-year-old as their franchise goalie only to have him wearing the tentacled S after this season. So in that sense, Holtby fits well.
The Saskatchewan native is the veteran goalie Demko needs in a tandem, able to play upward of 50 games if necessary -- and given the compressed schedule next season, it might be necessary. The best fit is his postseason experience and acumen: While Holtby's regular-season numbers have fluctuated, his .926 save percentage and 2.13 goals-against average in 97 postseason games are stellar, including a .922 save percentage in the Capitals' Stanley Cup win in 2018. The Canucks can use a few more "rings in the room," too.
Does it make sense? Financially, getting Holtby at $4.3 million is a bargain compared to what they would have had to pay Markstrom. The two-year term doesn't lock them into it either, with Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes both needing new contracts after next season. On the ice, Holtby's past three seasons have been an absolute roller coaster, with the top of the climb coming in 2018-19 (15.5 goals saved above replacement) and the drop happening in the just completed season (0.9).
He's only 31 years old, so a bounce-back is not out of the question. But there are some trends that give you concern that Holtby can't be the brick wall that Markstrom was behind a porous defense. For example, Markstrom was a plus-9.12 in high-danger goals saved above league average over the past two seasons; Holtby was a minus-5.03.
Grade: B+. His best years were with a goalie whisperer in Mitch Korn with the Capitals. He gets another one in Ian Clark, the Canucks' goaltending coach, and that's a partnership that could lead to Holtby returning to some semblance of his previous form. If it doesn't? Well, this isn't a five-year deal with a no-movement clause for a reason. -- Wyshynski
Kevin Shattenkirk, D, Anaheim Ducks
Terms: 3 years, $11.7 million
Where does he fit? The Ducks had a real need for a right-handed-shooting defenseman behind Josh Manson. GM Bob Murray was in on Shattenkirk last summer after the veteran defenseman was bought out by the Rangers, but Shattenkirk opted to chase a Stanley Cup with the Lightning -- and obviously the chase paid off. Shattenkirk, 31, could pair with Cam Fowler, Hampus Lindholm or Jacob Larsson. He had 34 points in 70 games last season with the Lightning, averaging 18:54 per game in the regular season and 19:30 in the postseason. He doesn't play much short-handed but can help a power play that was 30th in the NHL last season (14.7% conversion rate).
"If you look at the guys they have on the back end, they're guys I'd love to play with," said Shattenkirk, who said the Ducks sold him on being a contender in a short time. The Lightning wanted to have him stick around, and reports were that he was offered a three-year contract. But Tampa's precarious salary-cap situation -- it resorted to putting center Tyler Johnson on waivers to clear his $5 million -- meant it couldn't get to the $3.9 million AAV that the Ducks offered, what with Mikhail Sergachev and Anthony Cirelli needing new contracts.
Does it make sense? It does, if Shattenkirk's wayward years with the Rangers continue to look like an outlier in an otherwise solid career. He had his best defensive season in years with the Lightning. The Ducks clearly aren't the Lightning, but Shattenkirk is undoubtedly an upgrade on their blue line. Goalie John Gibson needs a rebound season and now has a veteran puck-mover to bail him out in the defensive zone.
But those Rangers years, when Shattenkirk had 51 points in 119 games and was a minus-29, were the last time he had true expectations versus investment. He was a buyout baby for the Lightning, earning just $1.75 million against the cap. Now he's making a bit more, with term, with the Ducks. Anaheim isn't a pressure-cooker market, and the Ducks aren't exactly top of the list as a Stanley Cup contender. One hopes the fire that Shattenkirk had lit under him after the buyout burns bright.
Grade: B+. Shattenkirk is a solid player and an even better addition to the dressing room, where he's a charismatic presence. He's better than other possibilities on the right side like Tony DeAngelo and the injury-prone Sami Vatanen. He costs less than Tyson Barrie would have. Three years might be one more than you'd like from this kind of deal and this climate, but it's a good piece of business from Murray and the Ducks, especially with Shattenkirk's experience in the Western Conference. -- Wyshynski
Anton Khudobin, G, Dallas Stars
Terms: 3 years, $10 million
Where does he fit? Khudobin famously bellowed "We are not going home!" during a Stars dressing room victory celebration in their run to the Stanley Cup Final. Turns out the free agent is staying home, after briefly exploring the free-agent market. He fits right back into the NHL's best goaltending tandem. Khudobin and Ben Bishop combined for a 2.48 goals-against average from 2018-20, which led all NHL teams.
Khudobin, 34, played 41 games in 2018-19 and 30 games last regular season. In the playoffs, he proved his worth in the tandem. With Bishop "unfit to play," Khudobin played 25 games and won 14 of them in the postseason with a .917 save percentage. The Stars are clearly in a win-now mode, and if it's not broken, there's no need to fix it. The Dallas goaltending battery is locked in next season -- although it could be interesting to see what happens with Khudobin in the expansion draft, since Bishop has no-movement protection.
Does it make sense? Despite his age, it very much does. Khudobin is a well-liked player on the Stars, and he clearly has their confidence. He's a known quantity in a flooded goalie market of question marks. In his past 71 regular-season games, he has 31.7 goals-saved above average and 5.8 wins above replacement. Looking at that market, Cam Talbot just got three years and $3.667 million annually from the Wild. Khudobin -- who, again, just backstopped his team to the Stanley Cup Final -- comes in south of that. (Thanks again, Texas income tax advantage.)
Grade: A. The thought of Dallas messing with a good thing over the economic state of the game and Stars ownership was a bummer. Despite the revenue crash, they get one of the best tandem goalies in the NHL for three years with a starting salary of $2.53 million. That's just $30,000 more than what he made this season. -- Wyshynski
Cam Talbot, G, Minnesota Wild
Terms: 3 years, $11 million
Where does he fit? GM Bill Guerin has been on the job for a year and is starting to make his mark on the roster. He made three trades this week, and five in the past month, sending Ryan Donato Luke Kunin, Eric Staal and Devan Dubnyk out of town. The Dubnyk trade is significant. He is a three-time All-Star but had stalled last season, struggling with a .890 save percentage in 28 starts. While there are plenty of areas the Wild need to improve -- mainly down the gut -- goaltending has been frustratingly mediocre. Bringing in Talbot, a likable player coming off a good bounce-back season with the Flames last season, gives the Wild a new No. 1 goalie, with Alex Stalock and Kaapo Kahkonen expected to compete for a backup role.
Does it make sense? It absolutely makes sense for the Wild to upgrade their goaltending. While Guerin is transitioning the roster to put his stamp on it, goaltending is an obvious area for improvement. With an unprecedented number of qualified goaltenders available, why not pounce now?
Guerin explored the trade route but realized free agency was his best bet. The three-year term isn't terrible for a 33-year-old without a ton of wear-and-tear. (Talbot only has 300 career starts after not getting a full-time job until the 2015-16 season, when he was 28). The Wild didn't have a ton of cap space to play with and still have to re-sign restricted free agent forward Jordan Greenway.
Grade: B+. Talbot sometimes gets the reputation as a streaky goalie, but he really only had one bad season in his career (2018-19, when he had a .892 save percentage). But the important thing is, he bounced back from it. The Wild could have found a cheaper option, but Talbot unquestionably gives them a better net tandem than they had last season. -- Kaplan
Kyle Turris, C, Edmonton Oilers
Terms: 2 years, $3.3 million
Where does he fit? Turris will be given a ride as the Oilers' third-line center, which was an area of need that Edmonton had identified. They wanted a proven veteran, and Turris just completed his 12th season in the NHL. If this works, it'll give the Oilers a solid third pivot behind Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, and allow Ryan Nugent-Hopkins the chance to continue to play in the top-six on the wing.
Turris, 31, will welcome the audition after a disastrous three seasons with the Predators in which he was moved around in the lineup and played all three forward positions with a variety of teammates. He averaged 0.53 points per game in 182 games with the Predators; that's after averaging 0.67 points per game in his 407 games with the Senators. "Kyle is an offensive center. He was very productive most of his career, but with the Predators, he wasn't productive. Whether that was the fit in terms of where he played, how we used him, I [and] we will take as much responsibility as we need to on that. It's just very unfortunate that it didn't work out better," Predators GM David Poile said.
Does it make sense? Absolutely. Turris has a high hockey IQ. He has skill. He was put in a situation in Nashville under coach Peter Laviolette where he wasn't a fit stylistically and was cast in a few roles that he didn't excel in. With Edmonton, he's going to see significantly softer minutes as a third-line center. It's a better role for him. And Turris did play for current coach Dave Tippett with the Coyotes early in his career. The best part about this for Edmonton is the cost. Sure, it's two years, but it's also just $1.65 million per year under the cap, thanks to Turris being flush with buyout money from the Predators. Nashville bought out the final four years of his contract and will carry a $2 million hit on their cap through 2028. In other words, Nashville is paying Turris more against the cap next season not to play than the Oilers are going to pay him to play for them.
Grade: A-. If Turris can recapture his game, this is a great bit of business for GM Ken Holland. -- Wyshynski
Henrik Lundqvist, G, Washington Capitals
Terms: 1 year, $1.5 million
Where does he fit? The Capitals parted with longtime (and Stanley Cup-winning) goaltender Braden Holtby in free agency because they were looking to save money but also to give 23-year-old Ilya Samsonov his chance. Samsonov has been one of the Capitals' most-hyped prospects ever since being drafted No. 22 overall in 2015. He will enter next season as the primary starter. GM Brian MacLellan said the team was looking for a veteran backup, and that's exactly what Lundqvist is at this stage in his career. With next season's schedule in flux, Lundqvist could see more starts than a typical backup, especially with an expected good share of back-to-backs.
His biggest value is in the playoffs; his 61 NHL playoff wins in the since 2007 years trail only Marc-Andre Fleury's 81. And Lundqvist gets better when the stakes are high. He is 6-2 in Game 7s, and he has never posted a save percentage lower than .917 in those games. Samsonov, meanwhile, has zero games of NHL playoff experience yet (he did not participate in this postseason after suffering an upper body injury during an ATV accident at home in Russia during the stoppage). As we saw in the 2020 playoffs, many teams are now believing they need two goalies to make it far, and the Caps now pack a great one-two punch with Lundqvist and Samsonov.
Does it make sense? Four days after Lundqvist was bought out by the Rangers, the 38-year-old tweeted, "I still love to compete. I still love the game and I still want to WIN!" He badly wants to win a Stanley Cup, which has eluded him so far in his career, but he also wanted the right situation. He didn't want to totally uproot his wife and two daughters, so staying on the East Coast was a preference. And with the Capitals, he has a terrific shot to win it all.
Washington paid big money this offseason to bring in coach Peter Laviolette, whom management believes will put a competitive spark back into the group, trying to chase yet another Cup for Alex Ovechkin. While it will be weird to see Lundqvist play for one of the Rangers' biggest Metropolitan rivals -- he has faced the Capitals in five career playoff series, winning three -- it's 2020. Weirder things have happened.
Grade: A. If it wasn't such a crowded goalie market, Lundqvist probably could have commanded more money, or even a two-year deal. But the most important things for him right now were a role and a chance to win, and he gets both of those in Washington. As for the Caps? Lundqvist had been their playoff kryptonite for the better part of the past decade. They're getting a playoff warrior, a good locker room presence and a mentor to a 23-year-old potential future face of the franchise in net. At under $2 million? Total bargain in this economy. -- Kaplan
Bobby Ryan, LW, Detroit Red Wings
Terms: 1 year, $1 million
Where does he fit? The Red Wings are still in the rebuilding process, and Ryan works as a stopgap forward to provide some veteran scoring help. He'll also probably have a chance to play bigger minutes with the Red Wings than he would have anywhere else, likely in a middle-six role.
The Masterton Award winner for 2019-20, Ryan left the Senators in November to check himself into rehab to seek help for substance abuse. He returned to the team in February, scoring four goals and recording 22 shots on goal over the eight games prior to the league being shut down. He looked as good as he had in the past few seasons but was an easy buyout candidate for the Sens with two years remaining on his previous contract at a $7.25 million cap hit. Now he'll have a chance at a fresh start.
Does it make sense? Ryan's options to play a substantial role were limited. The Red Wings can provide some ice time and an opportunity to rejuvenate his career with a low-pressure, low-money deal. He's not going to be the 30-goal scorer he was earlier in his career, but he does have nine seasons of 20 or more tallies. Without the weight of his albatross contract anymore, perhaps Ryan can open things up a little more with a young team that struggled mightily last season.
Grade: B-. For the Red Wings, it buys time to filter in their younger players over the next season-plus. It's also a low-risk add of a player with a history of scoring in the NHL. Detroit desperately needed scorers, so why not take a chance on Ryan? Also, if he finds his scoring touch again, he would be an easily tradable asset to a contender. -- Peters
Wayne Simmonds, F, Toronto Maple Leafs
Terms: 1 year, $1.5 million
Where does he fit? Speaking to reporters last week, coach Sheldon Keefe gave an honest assessment of where the Maple Leafs are: "Knowing we needed to be a team that is more difficult to play against, part of that is through acquisition, part of that is through growth of our individuals, and that is my focus," Keefe said. "Grow them and their habits. We need to look to solidify our defense. That is our priority. Looking at the depth of our forward group, I think we need to be a team that is more cohesive and more complete and relies on lines one through four. We need to build our team with that in mind."
We often talk about the Leafs having one of the most dynamic forward groups in the NHL, but leadership has been insistent over the past few weeks that they need to be tougher -- physically but also mentally. Simmonds, a beloved veteran, helps address that. He can set an example to the younger bottom-six forwards with both his play and preparation. Simmonds a big body in front of the net who adds jam, as well as another dimension on the power play. He'll likely slide onto the third or fourth line, and get the chance to play with up-and-comers like Alexander Barbanov or Nicholas Robertson.
Does it make sense? According to Anthony Stewart -- a family friend of Simmonds, as both grew up in Scarborough, Ontario -- Simmonds took less money to play with the Leafs for the desire to win and play for his hometown team. (The Canadiens were also reportedly interested). We often talk about the NHL being a copycat league, ripe with recency bias, and this feels like the latest example. After Tampa Bay GM Julien BriseBois assessed his team after 2019's early playoff exit, he determined they needed more grit and physicality, so he brought in players like Patrick Maroon, Blake Coleman and Zach Bogosian. Those guys helped Tampa Bay win the Stanley Cup.
The Leafs lost in the qualifying round this past summer after three straight first round exits. GM Kyle Dubas has analyzed his team and is trying to pinpoint areas where they can get better. While the blue line continues to be the top priority, adding Simmonds to the bottom-six screams of a Maroon-to-Tampa Bay carbon copy.
Grade: B+. The Maple Leafs have plenty of forwards, but they don't have anyone quite like Simmonds. It's a bit of a risk considering his injury history, but the price is right and won't be the difference between Toronto improving its defense or not. Plus, Simmonds is totally going to endear himself to Maple Leafs fans. Just consider his first interview on Sportsnet: "I can play the game, and at the same time, I can punch your head off. I'm a team-first guy. Anything that happens to the boys, I will be the first to jump in." -- Kaplan