NHL Free Agent Tracker: Shattenkirk lands with Rangers
We’ve reached the final checkpoint in this silly stretch of summer days in the NHL.
Free agents officially hit the open market at noon ET and despite the well-known cautions associated with investing on this day, the flurry of transactions was immediate.
Continue to check back here for the latest news, and our take on the moves made.
Lightning nab Kunitz
Contract: 1 year, $2 million
Previous Deal: 3 years, $11.55 million
PD Take: Chris Kunitz helps teams win Stanley Cups. We’re sure that’s the idea here.
Leafs pick up Moore
Contract: 1 year, $1 million
Previous Deal: 2 years, $3 million
PD Take: Dominic Moore isn’t the marquee fourth-line center Brian Boyle was, but is certainly an upgrade compared to the mix of veteran and prospect talent that filled the position before the Maple Leafs shored up the possession for the postseason drive. Good pick-up at $1 million.
Thornton reportedly re-ups with Sharks
Contract: 1 year, $6-6.5 million (TSN’s Bob McKenzie)
Previous Deal: 3 years, $20.25 million
PD Take: There may be no prying Joe Thornton from Northern California. He balked at interest from several fascinating destinations, but it’s not like he made significant concessions to stay put on a one-year deal.
Vrbata now with Panthers
Contract: 1 year, $2.5 million (with bonus potential)
Previous Deal: 1 year, $3.25 million
PD Take: It’s not Marchessault-thrifty, but the Panthers may have secured some inexpensive production with Vrbata – a 55-point scorer from last season – on a no-sweat agreement.
Rangers win Shattenkirk sweepstakes
Contract: 4 years, $26.6 million
Previous Deal: 4 years, $17 million
PD Take: Kevin Shattenkirk to the Rangers, indeed – but on a surprisingly reasonable deal. New York minimized the risk attached to signing the No. 1 free agent in his class, using its leverage (his hometown team) to limit Shattenkirk to four seasons in his prime earnings opportunity. It’s still a significant price for an offensive specialist who did not have a particularly strong postseason, but the term remains a massive win for New York. Shattenkirk has been one of the league’s premier volume scoring defensemen for a few seasons now, and will only enhance an offense that produced the fourth-most goals in the NHL last year.
Wyshynski: Kevin Shattenkirk gives New York discount, Rangers win free agency
Panthers bring back Dadonov
Contract: 3 years, $12 million
Previous Deal: KHL
PD Take: Another reunion, though this one carries a little more intrigue. Florida, which has cut ties with Jaromir Jagr, has lured Evgeny Dadonov back from SKA St. Petersburg with a three-year contract. Dadonov racked up 158 points in 161 games in the KHL over the last three seasons. He had 10 goals and 20 points in 55 games across three seasons with Florida beginning in 2009-10.
Hartnell comes full circle
Contract: 1 year, $1 million
Previous Deal: 6 years, $28.5 million
PD Take: Bought out by Columbus, Scott Hartnell has shifted to chasing a championship. It’s a nice find for the Predators, who will gladly stage the reunion while the Blue Jackets handle most of his annual earnings.
Miller to team up with Gibson
Contract: 2 years, $4 million
Previous Deal: 3 years, $18 million
PD Take: Ryan Miller is in the declining stages of his career, but he should provide considerable value at $2 million playing behind one of the best defenses in the NHL. A quality option behind John Gibson, it’s hard to poke holes in this one.
Maple Leafs aim to bolster blue line with Hainsey
Contract: 2 years, $6 million
Previous Deal: 3 years, $8.5 million
PD Take: In what works out to essentially a swap of depth defenseman, the Leafs signed Hainsey to a two-year contract after Matt Hunwick slipped into his role with the Stanley Cup champion Penguins. Hainsey played a fairly significant role down the stretch for Pittsburgh, taking on major minutes as injuries took their toll elsewhere. Before that, he helped groom one of the better young defense units in the league with the Hurricanes. He should be an adequate fit at the margins as the Maple Leafs wait on their prospects to develop.
Cammalleri returns to Kings
Contract: 1 year, $1 million
Previous Deal: 5 years, $25 million
PD Take: The Los Angeles Kings will have worse contracts.
Wyshynski: Sharks sign Vlasic, Jones to blockbuster contracts
Lightning make Girardi splash official
Contract: 2 years, $6 million
Previous Deal: 6 years, $33 million
PD Take: The Lightning see something different than the Rangers evidently came to realize. Tampa may be talented enough on the back end to cover up Girardi’s deficiencies, and make use of what he can do well.
Hanzal heads to Dallas
Contract: 3 years, $14.25 million
Previous Deal: 5 years, $15.5 million
PD Take: Hanzal’s value didn’t take a significant hit despite a disappointing stint with the Minnesota Wild when he was dealt from Arizona at the deadline. With size down the middle and value on both sides of the special teams equation, Hanzal is more versatile and much more of an offensive threat than Cody Eakin, who Dallas shed in the expansion process.
Wyshynski: Martin Hanzal to Dallas, trying to do what he couldn’t with Wild
Williams returns to Raleigh
Contract: 2 years, $9.5 million
Previous Deal: 2 years, $6.5 million
PD Take: If Justin Williams is chasing that fourth ring, he’s playing the long game with the Carolina Hurricanes. Still a nice raise and opportunity for a 36-year-old on an up-and-coming team.
Canucks invest in Gagner
Contract: 3 years, $9.45 million
Previous Deal: 1 year, $650,000
PD Take: Good for Gagner. After essentially settling for the league minimum in late summer with the Blue Jackets, he’s carved out at least another three seasons in the NHL at almost five times the salary from a season ago.
Bonino headed to Nashville
Contract: 4 years, $16.4 million
Previous Deal: 3 years, $5.7 million
PD Take: A few weeks after the fact, the Predators match a little better down the middle with the Penguins. After lifting the Stanley Cup in consecutive seasons last month in Nashville, Nick Bonino will stick around for a while on a four-year contract. With pace and middle-six skill, Bonino is an obvious fit in Peter Laviolette’s breakneck system.
Wyshysnki: Can Nick Bonino help push Predators to Stanley Cup?
Jets spend big on Kulikov
Contract: 3 years, $13 million
Previous Deal: 3 years, $13 million
PD Take: It was unmitigated disaster for Dmitry Kulikov in Buffalo last season. This deal might take the cake.
Devils bag Boyle
Contract: 2 years, $5.1 million
Previous Deal: 3 years, $6 million
PD Take: Forget whatever difference Brian Boyle could have made in depth capacity for a contender.
Mason signs in Winnipeg
Contract: 2 years, $8.2 million
Previous Deal: 3 years, $12.3 million
PD Take: Next looking to steady the goaltending position with Steve Mason, the Jets will maintain his $4.1-million salary on a two-year term despite his save percentage falling 20 points in the space of two seasons.
Alzner strikes deal with Canadiens
Contract: 5 years, $23 million
Previous Deal: 4 years, $11.2 million
PD Take: Leave it to the Montreal Canadiens to appreciate Karl Alzner for Karl Alzner. Though he excels in a somewhat limited shutdown style and provides essentially no offense, Alzner has cashed in with Montreal, signing his most lucrative NHL contract after nine seasons in the league. The reported $4.6-million cap hit isn’t outlandish, but the risk certainly outweighs the reward.
Sharp reunited with Blackhawks
Contract: $800K base salary plus games played bonuses
Previous Deal: 5 years, $29.5 million
PD Take: Every summer Stan Bowman has to work up a new strategy to help alleviate the constant cap pressure applied to the Chicago Blackhawks. This year, ironically, it’s bringing back those he was previously forced to sell. Unlike Brandon Saad’s return, however, Patrick Sharp is reuniting with the championship core he won three Stanley Cups with at a discounted rate. Sharp was woefully ineffective in a injury-filled final season with the Dallas Stars, but it has to be considered a worthwhile bet that he will strike up some renewed chemistry and deliver value on a modest contract.
Wyshynski: Patrick Sharp rejoins Blackhawks on low-risk deal
McElhinney gets two years from Maple Leafs
Contract: Two years, $1.7 million
Previous Deal: Two years, $1.6 million
PD Take: Curtis McElhinney was perfectly adequate in a backup role after coming over for the Columbus, but the thought was that the Toronto Maple Leafs would try to upgrade this position. Apparently not. McElhinney has struck a two-year extension to serve as Frederik Andersen’s backup, which will surely keep this save in the in-arena staff’s nightly hype montage.
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