Just how good can Connor Bedard be in the NHL?
Connor Bedard is being billed as one of the greatest hockey prospects the sport has ever seen and Mackenzie Salmon helps explain why.
SportsPulse, USA TODAY
The NHL free agent signing period opens at noon ET Saturday and once again, a relatively flat salary cap will play a major role. It’s going up only $1 million to $83.5 million.
The Vegas Golden Knights got key Stanley Cup contributors Adin Hill and Ivan Barbashev under contract this week but had to trade Reilly Smith, one of the team’s original players, to make it happen.
The Boston Bruins dealt Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno to free up space but trade deadline acquisitions Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway were heading to market.
Follow along as USA TODAY Sports tracks the signing and other moves on the opening day of free agency.
NHL FREE AGENCY: 25 players to watch
The Winnipeg Jets put Blake Wheeler on unconditional waivers Friday for the purpose of buying out his contract, and now he’s a free agent generating “significant interest,” according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. Wheeler wants to go east and there is thought that the New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers could be fits. The 36-year-old notched 16 goals and 55 points in 72 games last season and would give his next time size (6-5, 225 pounds) and speed on the wing.
The 36-year-old will likely make around $1.3 million per season for three years, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported Saturday. That would be quite the commitment for a player who brings character and toughness to a locker room but offers little offensively. He has 129 points in 828 regular-season games, along with 1,023 penalty minutes.
Klim Kostin, a 24-year-old winger, wasn’t given a qualifying offer after being acquired by the Edmonton Oilers, where he had 21 points in 57 games. He stays with Detroit on a two-year deal with a $2 million average annual value, the team announced Saturday.
The longtime Kings goalie who beat the New York Rangers in the 2014 Stanley Cup appears “highly likely” to join the Blueshirts, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported Friday. Quick, 37, has a 2.47 goals-against average and .911 save percentage in 753 regular-season games, 10 of which were spent with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. The three-time Stanley Cup winner would back up Igor Shesterkin.
In addition to Bertuzzi and Orlov, the list includes forwards Ryan O’Reilly, Patrick Kane, Vladimir Tarasenko, Alex Killorn, Jonathan Toews and J.T. Compher; defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere, Luke Schenn, Radko Gudas, John Klingberg and Matt Dumba and goalies Frederik Andersen, Tristan Jarry, Joonas Korpisalo and Jonathan Quick.
A pair of two-time All-Stars are hitting unrestricted free agency after the Nashville Predators’ Matt Duchene and Winnipeg Jets’ Blake Wheeler were placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of buying them out. Duchene, 32, scored 43 goals in 2021-22 and dropped to 22 this past season. Wheeler, 36, is the franchise’s all-time leader in games, assists and points. Others being bought out: forwards Kailer Yamamoto, Zack Kassian and Josh Bailey, and defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Patrik Nemeth and Mike Reilly.
Seattle Kraken forward Daniel Sprong, a 21-goal scorer, didn’t receive a qualifying offer on Friday, making him an unrestricted free agent. Others include teammate Morgan Geekie, who scored in the Kraken’s inaugural game, and forwards Christian Fischer, Denis Malgin, Sam Steel, Noah Gregor and Jesper Boqvist, who hit double digits in goals.
