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 opened at noon ET Saturday and once again, a relatively flat salary cap was playing a major role. It’s going up only $1 million to $83.5 million.
There were some long-term deals handed out, but others, such as top free agents Dmitry Orlov (two years) and Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi (one year), opted for shorter-term deals, allowing them to cash in later when the salary cap rises.
Seventeen players on our Top 25 list got contracts on Saturday, and the signings continued on Sunday and Monday.
Follow along as USA TODAY Sports tracks signings and other moves on the opening days of free agency.
NHL FREE AGENCY: 25 players to watch
Stahl joins Philadelphia on a one-year, $1.1 million deal after helping the Florida Panthers reach the Stanley Cup Final. The 36-year-old skated nearly 21 minutes a night during that run after playing all 82 regular-season games and putting up 15 points.
He’ll get one year at $3 million. The Maple Leafs add again to their grit, plus he’s a two-time 20-goal scorer coming off a 56-point season. Domi’s father, Tie, played 12 seasons with the Maple Leafs.
Although reports said Bertuzzi was seeking term in this deal, he settled for a one-year, $5.5 million contract. He was limited to eight goals last season by injuries but scored 30 goals two seasons ago and has two other 20-goal seasons. He could increase those numbers on one of the Maple Leafs’ top lines. He had 10 points in the Bruins’ seven-game upset loss in the first round. Also important to Toronto is that Bertuzzi is feisty. That was a missing factor for the Maple Leafs, who signed tough guy Ryan Reaves on Saturday.
Evan Rodrigues, who will get $12 million over three years, can move around lines as needed. He filled in for an injured Evgeni Malkin one season in Pittsburgh and averaged nearly 18 minutes a game last season in Colorado.
He gets one year at $1.125 million on the second day of free agency after the Red Wings’ active first day. He became available when the Coyotes didn’t qualify him. Fischer hit double digits in goals three times, including 13 goals last season. He’ll likely get a bottom-six role.
He seems like a John Tortorella-type player, good defensively and gritty, ranking in the top 10 in the league in hits. He’ll get $4.75 million over two years. He split time between Washington and Boston last season and returns to the Capitals’ division. So are former Caps Dmitry Orlov (Hurricanes), Lars Eller (Penguins) and Erik Gustafsson (Rangers).
The puck-moving defenseman gets a one-year deal worth $4.125 million. The Red Wings have been active Saturday, also signing J.T. Compher, Justin Holl, Daniel Sprong and goalies James Reimer and Alex Lyon. They were aggressive last offseason, too, but were deadline sellers when it was clear they wouldn’t make the playoffs.
Tyler Bertuzzi, Vladimir Tarasenko, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Max Domi, Shayne Gostisbehere and Evan Rodrigues are among the players still unsigned as of 8 p.m. ET.
The Sharks acquired forward Anthony Duclair for forward Steven Lorentz and a 2025 fifth-round pick. Duclair scored 31 goals in 2021-22 but was out until February last season because of injury. He scored four goals during the Panthers’ playoff run. Lorentz was part of the Brent Burns trade last offseason.
John Klingberg (one-year, $4.15 million) took a cut from last season’s $7 million, but he’s in better position than last season to gain a longer-term deal. He joined the defensively porous Ducks for 2022-23 and his plus-minus fell to -53 over the past two seasons. That number should be better in Toronto and Klingberg will help the Maple Leafs’ power play.
J.T. Compher gets a five-year, $25.5 million contract. He had a career-best 52 points last season while playing a bigger role in Colorado. Compher and new Detroit teammates Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp played together at the University of Michigan in the 2014-15 season.
Ryan Reaves will average $1.35 million in the three-year contract. The tough guy, who has more than 1,000 career penalty minutes, is popular with teammates.
Kyle Dubas isn’t done. He signed Lars Eller to a two-year, $4.9 million contract. Eller spent most of his last seven seasons with the rival Capitals.
Miles Wood’s six-year deal averages $2.5 million, according to reports. He had 27 points last season after missing most of 2021-22 with an injury. Jonathan Drouin (one-year deal) was a junior hockey teammate with Nathan MacKinnon and was drafted two spots behind him in the 2013 draft. Colorado also re-signed defenseman Bowen Byram for two seasons.
Vezina Trophy finalist Ilya Sorokin got an eight-year extension that begins in 2024-25 and Semyon Varlamov received a four-year deal. The Islanders also re-signed defenseman Scott Mayfield and forward Pierre Engvall for seven years.
Defenseman Ryan Graves (six years, $27 million) brings size (6-5, 220), kills penalties and has topped 25 points the last two seasons. He’s 28, so he is in his prime. Penguins executive Kyle Dubas had acquired forward Noel Acciari last season when Dubas was with the Maple Leafs.
Goalie Tristan Jarry will average $5.375 million in his five-year contract. Jarry is a two-time All-Star but he has had injury issues. So has backup goalie Casey DeSmith, so the Penguins signed goalie Alex Nedeljkovic (one year, $1.5 million). Jarry was considered one of the top free agent goalies on the market. Carolina’s Frederik Andersen also stayed with his team (reported two years, $6.8 million).
Killorn will average $6.25 million in his four-year deal, according to TSN. Killorn was the top-scoring free agent with 64 points and has won two Stanley Cup titles and been to the Final two other times with the Lightning. The Ducks last year added veterans to help the young core, though it didn’t pan out with a last-place finish. Anaheim’s signings on Saturday of Killorn and rugged Radko Gudas (reported three years, $12 million) is another step in that direction. Gudas, a big hitter and solid defenseman, just went to the Stanley Cup Final with the Panthers.
Nick Bonino gets a one-year deal for a reported $800,000 after the team earlier signed veterans Blake Wheeler, Jonathan Quick and Erik Gustafsson to low-dollar one-year contracts. The Rangers still have to re-sign restricted free agents Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller.
Zucker will get $5.3 million on a one-year deal, according to Sportsnet, after scoring 27 goals last season. He’s had five 20-goal seasons and one 30-goal season. Zucker, 31, will be a veteran presence on the young team and can be a trade chip before the deadline. Bjugstad, a two-way center, returns after his trade deadline move to the Oilers. He got a two-year deal. Kerfoot, who spent the past four seasons with the Maple Leafs, also inked a two-year deal.
Justin Holl (three years, $10.2 million) satisfies the Red Wings’ need for a right-shot defenseman with size. Sprong (one-year, $2 million) didn’t get a qualifying offer from the Kraken after a 21-goal season. The goalies are James Reimer and Alex Lyon. – Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press
The speedy forward gets a three-year, $6 million contract. He’s a two-time Stanley Cup winner and a good value signing for a team that’s up against the salary cap. He has played on Sidney Crosby’s and Alex Ovechkin’s lines during his career and will fit in well on the Lightning’s talent-laden team, which lost Alex Killorn to free agency. The Lightning also added forwards Josh Archibald and Luke Glendening on two-year, $1.6 million contracts and goalie Jonas Johansson on a one-year, $775,000 deal.
Duchene, who was bought out by the Predators, gets a one-year, $3 million contract, according to TSN. He stays in the Central Division and gives the Stars another scorer. He had 43 goals in 2021-22 and dropped to 22 this past season.
The familiar name is rugged forward Milan Lucic, who began his career in Boston. They also added forwards James van Riemsdyk and Morgan Geekie and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, according to reports. But they’ve lost Dmitry Orlov, Tyler Bertuzzi, Taylor Hall, Garnet Hathaway, Nick Foligno and Connor Clifton and aren’t sure whether Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci will be back. The record-setting team will have a different look next season.
He gets $20 million over five years. Korpisalo, 29, was solid (2.13 goals-against average, .921 save percentage) with the Kings after his trade from Columbus, showing what he could do behind a better defense. Cam Talbot, who was Ottawa’s goalie last season, went to Los Angeles on a one-year deal for $1 million, with another potential $1 million in bonuses.
Pacioretty is a 30-goal scorer when healthy. The health has been an issue. He was limited to five games last season because he tore his Achilles tendon twice. That’s why the deal is for $2 million, plus $2 million in bonuses, according to Sportsnet.
The defensemen, the top player on our free agent list, gets a two-year deal worth $7.75 million a year. He receives a good bump from the $5.1 million cap hit of his last contract and can cash in again later when the cap goes up. Orlov excels at getting the puck out of the zone and scored a bunch in Boston after his trade last season.
Connor Clifton gets $10 million over three years and Erik Johnson gets one year at $3.25 million. The Sabres are pushing to end the league’s longest playoff drought and this is a good upgrade for their blue line depth.
The New York Rangers announce they signed winger Blake Wheeler. Terms weren’t announced, but reports say it is a one-year deal worth $800,000, with another $300,000 in bonuses. The Jets had bought him out on Friday and he’ll get $2.75 million from them each of the next two seasons. Though Wheeler is no longer a 90-point player, he did have 55 points last season and 60 the year before. It’s a bargain, high-upside signing for the team that didn’t get out of the first round last season despite adding Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane at the trade deadline. The Rangers also announced the signing of Jonathan Quick to be their backup goalie. The deal is one year for $825,000 with $100,000 in bonuses, according to lohud.com. The Rangers later said they agreed to terms with forward Riley Nash (two years) and Tyler Pitlick (one year).
The Predators are the most aggressive as free agency opens. Forward Ryan O’Reilly gets a four-year, $18 million contract and defenseman Luke Schenn gets $8.25 million over three years, according to TSN and Sportsnet. O’Reilly is a former Selke Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy winner. Schenn led the league in hits. The Predators traded Ryan Johansen and bought out Matt Duchene heading into free agency.
Jesper Fast, who scored the goal that got the Hurricanes into the conference final, is coming back on a two-year, $4.8 million contract. Backup goalie Antti Raanta is returning on a one-year, $1.5 million contract.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson had his contract bought out by the Vancouver Canucks, and now he’ll head to the Eastern Conference champions, according to multiple reports. He will get $2.25 million. Ekman-Larrson recorded 22 points in 54 games last season and should be a solid fit on a blue line that won’t count on him to be its focal point.
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 team size (6-5, 225 pounds).
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.
