Fan favourite Jordan Martinook will remain in Carolina after the Hurricanes signed the 10-year veteran to a three-year extension worth $9.15 million ($3.05M AAV). The 31-year-old Hurricanes' assistant captain surpassed the 30+ point plateau for a second straight season in 2023-24 as he ended the campaign with 14 goals and 32 points in 82 games played.
Lafferty will join his fourth team in the last three years as he signed a two-year deal worth $4.0 million ($2.0M AAV). with the Buffalo Sabres on Monday. The 29-year-old centre spent one season in Vancouver in 2023-24, finishing with career highs in goals (13), points (24) PIMs (32) and games played (79).
Toffoli will head to the West Coast to join the young talent out in San Jose as he signed a four-year deal worth $24.0 million ($6.0M AAV) with the Sharks on Monday. The 32-year-old was acquired at the trade deadline by Winnipeg from New Jersey and had 33 goals, 55 points and 229 SOG in 79 total games played in 2023-24.
One of the biggest defensive pieces on the open market is gone early on Monday as New Jersey has signed nine-year veteran Brett Pesce to a six-year deal worth $33.0 million ($5.5M AAV). The 29-year-old has spent his entire career with Carolina and had three goals, 13 points and a +10 plus/minus in 70 games played last year.
Teravainen will return to Chicago, where he spent the first three seasons of his 11-year career after he agreed to a three-year deal worth $16.2 million ($5.4M AAV) on Monday. The 29-year-old left-winger surpassed his career high in goals in 2023-24 (25) and had 53 points, 142 SOG and a +15 plus/minus in 76 games played.
Trenin will get a big pay upgrade as he signed a four-year, $14 million contract ($3,500,000 AAV) to join the Minnesota Wild on Monday. The 27-year-old bottom-six forward was acquired by Colorado at the trade deadline last season from Nashville and had 12 goals, 17 points and 40 PIMs in 76 games played in 2023-24.
Kapenen will return to the Blues for a third-straight season after putting up six goals and 22 points in 73 games in 2023-24. The 27-year-old will return to St. Louis for at least one more campaign after signing a deal worth $1 million as he enters his 10th NHL season.
Arguably the biggest defensive free agent is off the market early on Monday as Seattle has signed reigning Stanley Cup Champion Brandon Montour to a seven-year deal worth $49.98 million ($7.14M AAV). The 30-year-old smashed his career highs in 2022-23 after he ended the season fifth in the NHL in defensive scoring with 16 goals and 73 points in 80 games but came back down to earth in 2023-24 with eight goals and 33 points in 66 games played.
Despite retirement rumours, 36-year-old Erik Johnson will rejoin the Philadelphia Flyers on a one-year contract extension worth $1,000,000. The defensive defenseman is just 13 games from 1000 played as he enters his 14th NHL season and had five goals, six points and 26 PIMs in 67 games between Buffalo and Philadelphia in 2023-24.
McMichael took a massive step forward with his game in 2023-24 after Niklas Backstrom was ruled out for the season and earned himself a two-year contract extension worth $4.2 million ($2.1M AAV). The 23-year-old averaged 5:21 TOI/GP more than his previous career high last season which led to his 18 goals and 33 points in 80 games played.
Robinson spent 2023-24 between Columbus and Buffalo but has signed a one-year deal to join Carolina worth $950,000. The 29-year-old role-player never really settled into Buffalo during his brief tenure as he had two goals and nine points in 40 games after joining the Sabres early in the season.
Edmonton helped their depth on Monday as they signed left-winger James Hamblin to a two-year, two-way contract. The 25-year-old has spent his first two seasons with Edmonton and had two goals and three points in 31 games played in 2023-24.
After trading for his rights earlier in the weekend, Toronto has completed a six-year contract worth $27.0 million ($4.5M AAV) with veteran Chris Tanev. The 34-year-old appeared in 75 games with Calgary and Dallas in 2023-24, picking up two goals, 19 points, 24 PIMs and a +22 plus/minus. In 14 NHL seasons, he has 33 goals and 190 points in 792 games played.
Toronto locked up their goaltender of the future on Monday as it signed Joseph Woll to a three-year contract extension worth $10.98 million ($3.66M AAV). The 25-year-old netminder took a large step forward in 2023-24 despite battling injuries throughout the season, with his 12-11-1 record, 2.94 GAA and .907 SV% in 25 games played.
After helping Hershey successfully win the Calder Cup in 2023-24, Ethen Frank has earned himself a two-year deal worth $1.55 million ($775K AAV). The 26-year-old is entering his third AHL season after joining Hersey straight from Western Michigan University (NCAA) and had 29 goals and 47 points in 64 games with Hersey last season.
At 28-year-old, Priskie has yet to make his NHL debut but has earned himself a one-year, two-way contract with Washington on Monday. The offensively gifted defenseman is coming off a Calder Cup-winning season with Hershey (AHL) and had eight goals and 34 points in 69 games played.
Gibson spent his first professional season playing 42 games with South Carolina (ECHL) in 2023-24 and has earned himself a one-year, two-way contract with the Capitals. The 25-year-old will add some goaltending depth to the Capitals after he produced a 2.56 GAA and .899 SV% in 42 games with South Carolina after graduating from Harvard after three successful seasons.
Fresh off of helping Florida win its first Stanley Cup, 33-year-old Dmitry Kulikov has signed a four-year contract extension worth $4.6 million ($1.15M AAV). The veteran defensemen just completed his 15th NHL season and had a goal, 20 points, 63 PIMs and a +15 plus/minus in 76 games played.
Brown did not do much in his first regular season with the Oilers, posting just four goals and eight assists (12 points) in 71 games. However, he was much more noticeable during their run to the Stanley Cup Final, posting two goals and four assists (six points) in 19 playoff games. Expect him to be used in the bottom-6 and on the PK again in 2024-25.
Guentzel put up outstanding numbers next to Sidney Crosby since 2019 but also excelled following his trade to Carolina last year, posting 25 points (8G / 17A) in 17 games. With Guentzel now in Tampa Bay, he could find himself on one of the most prolific lines in hockey, next to Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point. He's averaged 39 goals and 46 assists (85 points) per 82 games over the last six seasons.
