Wednesday marked the day where NHL general managers from across North America throw money at their problems attempting to appease their fan bases and get their clubs in playoff or Cup contention. The fun part is, the big splashes rarely work (see the 2016 edition) and now with a flat salary cap, GMs must be shrewd and cunning.
That did not happen. The first day of NHL free agency saw GMs make 163 singings for a total of 296 contract years and $785.1 million dollars per Cap Friendly.
The biggest signings of the day were defenseman Dougie Hamilton, who went to the New Jersey Devils on a seven-year deal worth $9 million a season, and Vezina finalist Philipp Grubauer who signed a six-year deal that pays $5.9 million per year with the Seattle Kraken. Brayden Point re-upped with the Tampa Bay Lightning (8x$9.5M) and the Blackhawks officially announced their mega-deal with defenseman Seth Jones (8x$9.5M).
The Washington Capitals were not active until later in the day. The team announced the signing of four minor leaguers after 5 PM, most notably Peter Laviolette guy Matt Irwin. After the Kraken signed Grubauer to the biggest goalie UFA contract of the day, they sent Vitek Vanecek back to the Capitals, solving Washington’s goaltending issues headed into next season.
Two captains who were set to enter free agency, Alex Ovechkin (5x$9.5M) and Gabriel Landeskog (8x$7M), signed extensions with their respective teams earlier in the week.
The moment you have all been waiting for…Oh Captain, my Captain!
8 more years of Landeskog!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/8S6GAuEQO9
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) July 28, 2021
Here’s all the important stuff that happened during the first day of free agency.
Latest signings and trades
- CHI trades D Nikita Zadorov to CAL for 3rd round pick (per @FriedgeHNIC)
- EDM trades D Ethan Bear to CAR for F Warren Foegele (per @DarrenDreger)
- DET re-signs C Sam Gagner to one-year deal (per @DetroitRedWings)
- DET re-signs G Calvin Pickard to one-year extension (per @DetroitRedWings)
- VGK re-signs D Alec Martinez 3x$5.25M (per CapFriendly)
- EDM signs Zach Hyman to 7x$5.5M (per @DarrenDreger)
- CAR re-signs LW Jordan Martinook 3x$1.8M (per @reporterchris)
- TOR signs G Petr Mrazek 3x$3.8M (via @frank_seravalli)
- DAL signs D Ryan Suter to 4x$3.65M (per @FriedgeHNIC)
- TOR acquires rights to D Brennan Mennel from MIN for conditional 7th round pick (via @MapleLeafs)
- CBJ re-signs Boone Jenner (per @DarrenDreger)
- PIT re-signs C Evan Rodrigues 1x$1M (per @DarrenDreger)
- OTT acquires D Nick Holden and 2022 3rd Rd pick from VGK for F Evgenii Dadonov (via @Media_Sens)
- NJD signs D Dougie Hamilton to 7x$9M
- SEA signs C Alexander Wenneberg to 3x$4.5M (per @PierreVLeBrun)
- VAN re-signs C Brandon Sutter 1x$1M (via @sportsnetmurph)
- CAL signs Blake Coleman to 6x$4.9M (per @Jimmy10Hayes)
- CAR signs G Freddie Anderson 2x$4.5M (per ELF)
- TBL (somehow?) signs G Brian Elliott (per ELF)
- VAN signs D Tucker Poolman, 4x$2.5M (per @andystrickland)
- DAL signs C Luke Glendening, 2x$1.5M (per @frank_seravalli)
- MIN signs D Alex Goligoski, 1x$5M (per @DarrenDreger)
- PHI signs G Martin Jones (per ELF)
- VAN signs D Travis Hamonic, 2x$3M (per ELF)
- NSH re-signs Mikael Granlund, 4x$5M (per ELF)
- DAL signs G Braden Holtby, 1x$2M (per @TheFourthPeriod). Here’s RMNB’s article about it.
- MTL signs D David Savard, 4x$3.5M (per ELF)
- TBL signs D Zach Bogosian, 3x$850k (per ELF)
- SJS signs LW Andrew Cogliano, 1x$1M (per ELF)
- VGK signs G Laurent Brossoit, 2x$2.325M (per @DarrenDreger)
- CBJ signs C Sean Kuraly, 4x$2.5M (per @Aportzline)
- TOR signs LW Michael Bunting, 2x$900K (per ELF)
- EDM signs D Cody Ceci, 4x$3.25M (per @DarrenDreger)
- SJS signs G James Reimer (per @PierreVLeBrun)
- ANA re-signs C Ryan Getzlaf, one-year deal (per @KevinWeekes)
- MTL tries to bury a cynical mea culpa press release in the first hour of free agency, absolute trash organization.
- NYR signs D Jarred Tinordi, 2x$900k (per @TSNBobMcKenzie)
- MTL signs D Chris Wideman, 1x$750k (per @AndyStrickland)
- NJD signs G Jonathan Bernier, 2x~$4M (per Renaud Lavoie)
- STL signs Pavel Buchnevich, 4x$5.8M (per @StLouisBlues)
- CHI signs Seth Jones, 8x$9.5M (per @NHLBlackhawks)
- LAK re-signs F Andreas Athanasiou, 1x$2.7M (per @thefourthperiod)
- VAN signs D Luke Schenn, 2x$850k (per @frank_seravalli)
- FLA re-signs F Carter Verhaeghe, 3x~$4.1M (per Florida Panthers)
- ARI signs G Carter Hutton, 1x$750k (per @frank_seravalli)
- CAR signs D Tony Deangelo, 1x$1M (per @PierreVLeBrun). Gross.
- CAR signs D Ian Cole, 1x$2.9M (per @PierreVLeBrun)
- OTT signs D Michael Del Zotto, 2x$2M (per @swhyno)
- CAR signs G Antti Raanta, 1x$2.5M
- NSH signs G David Rittich, 1x$1.25M (per @TSNBobMcKenzie)
- SEA signs G Philipp Grubauer, 6x$5.9M (per @PierreVLeBrun)
- SEA is now fielding offers for… Vitek Vanecek. Full RMNB article here. BRING HIM HOME CAPS.
- SEA signs LW Jaden Schwartz, 5x$5.5M (per @ryan_s_clark)
- LAK signs C Phil Danault to 6x$5.5M (per @PierreVLeBrun)
- PHI signs D Keith Yandle, 1x$900k
- VAN signs F Phil Di Giuseppe, two-way, 1x$750K/$450K (per @FriedgeHNIC)
- LAK signs D Alex Edler, 1x$3.5M (per @reporterchris)
- TBL signs C Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, 2x$1M (per @FriedgeHNIC)
- PIT signs F Brock McGinn, 4x$2.75M (per @FriedgeHNIC)
- CHI signs Jujhar Khaira, 2x$975K (per @NHLBlackhawks)
- TOR signs RW Kurtis Gabriel, 1x$750K (per @hockeyagent1)
- TOR signs F David Kampf, 2x$1.5M (per @reporterchris)
- BUF signs F Vinnie Hinostroza, 1x$1.05M (per @BuffaloSabres)
- CAL signs C Trevor Lewis, 1x$800K (per @FriedgeHNIC)
- ARI signs F Dmitrij Jaškin, 1x$3.2M (per Arizona Coyotes)
- VAN signs G Jaroslav Halak, 1x$1.5M (per @ThomasDrance)
- TBL re-signs D Zach Bogosian, 3x$850K (per Tampa Bay Lightning)
- TBL re-signs F Brayden Point, 8x$9.5M (per @JoeSmithTB)
- ARI signs F Ryan Dzingel, 1x$1.1M (per @FriedgeHNIC)
- VGK signs C Mattias Janmark to one-year deal (per @FriedgeHNIC)
- BOS signs forward Nick Foligno (2x$3.8M), Tomas Nosek (2x$1.75M), and Erik Haula (2x$2.375); and defenseman Mike Reilly (3x$3M), Derek Forbort (3x$3M), and Tyler Lewington (1x$750K) (per Boston Bruins)
- Bruins sign G Linus Ullmark, 4x$5M (per @frank_seravalli)
- CAL acquires Dan Vladar from Bruins for 2022 third-round pick
RFA offer sheet compensation chart
Via Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston if there are any offer sheets today.
In the event we get a RFA offer sheet, here is the compensation chart: pic.twitter.com/W10l8JveRx
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 28, 2021
This post will be updated throughout the day so make sure to constantly refresh.
